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|Febuary 18, 2009
Volume 11, Issue 4
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Birth Interference"
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When you attend this class with Naolí Vinaver, you'll discover simple techniques that promote healthy pregnancy and birth—techniques that go back thousands of years. You will also learn how to use a rebozo, a very useful tool in all parts of the childbearing cycle. Time for hands-on practice will be provided. Part of our conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 2009.
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In This Week's Issue:
Quote of the Week
"Healthy people are those who live in healthy homes on a healthy diet; in an environment equally fit for birth, growth work, healing, and dying…. Healthy people need no bureaucratic interference to mate, give birth, share the human condition and die."
— Ivan Illich
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The Art of Midwifery
Sometimes a baby comes shooting out like a bullet with no tearing at all. Other babies ease out nice and slow, and a tear occurs anyway. To some degree, it is necessary to move beyond the issue of tearing and onto the larger picture of the birth experience as a whole. We must resist becoming too set in our ways. We must try to see each woman's unique needs and experiences. One of the many beautiful things about the midwifery model is the degree to which the midwife and client get to know one another. Ideally, the midwife will know what importance the client places on the possibility of tearing, which will help the midwife know how to proceed during the birth. Hopefully, the client will trust the midwife and be willing to do some type of prenatal preparation.
— Melissa Schuppe
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Aspirin May Prevent Preeclampsia
Retrospective research, using the data on 32,000 women, suggests that if low-dose aspirin were taken more widely that preeclampsia caused by placental defect could be reduced by 10%. In addition, it was shown to decrease premature delivery as well as poor pregnancy outcomes in general.
The researchers noted that while taking aspirin increases the risk of bleeding, the potential benefits may outweigh the risks in women who have an increased risk of developing preeclampsia. This includes women who are overweight, older or have a previous or family history of the condition. However, they also cautioned against pregnant women self-medicating with aspirin, noting that only one case of preeclampsia is expected for every 50 pregnant women.
— http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6662321.stm. Accessed 17 May 2007.
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Can Humanity Survive the Safe Cesarean?
Human beings react differently from other mammals to interference with the birth process. When delivery of non-human mammals is disturbed, the effects are immediate and easily detected. For example, when animals give birth by c-section or with an epidural, the general rule is that the mother is not interested in the baby. Among humans, on the other hand, we need extensive statistics to detect what are mere tendencies and risk factors. These are much more complex in our species: We speak and we create cultural milieux. In certain situations, particularly in the perinatal period, human behavior is less directly under the effects of the hormonal balance than the effects of the cultural milieu. For example, a human mother knows when she is pregnant and can anticipate maternal behavior, while other mammals must wait until the birth when they release a flow of love hormones to kindle their attachment to their newborns.
Today, we understand that to have a baby, a woman—like any other mammal—has been programmed to release a cocktail of love hormones. Today the number of women who actually "give birth" to babies and placentas thanks to this hormonal release is ever-decreasing. First, because many women give by birth by cesarean. Second, most of those who give birth vaginally receive pharmacological interventions. Unfortunately substitutes block the release of the natural hormones and do not create the same behavioural benefits. We have to wonder what will happen, in terms of civilization, if this trend continues in future generations. Can humanity survive the safe cesarean?
— Michel Odent
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Question of the Week
Q: I am pregnant with my 4th child; the second child was a compound presentation and I had a T incision. During the c-section for my third child, the vertical extension of the T opened up after the baby was delivered, so my T has been stitched twice. I believe it is double-stitched; I know it was after the first c-section, and I'm assuming it was again with the second. Additionally, my vaginal delivery was at 41 weeks, and my second child also went 41 weeks gestation. I never went into spontaneous labor with either child, even after waters broke. I had pitocin (no epidural) with the first, and no drug interference with the second prior to discovery of the baby's hand in the birth canal (the doctor had manipulated my uterus to expel waters and try to facilitate labor). Add to all this that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD) in December. So far my blood sugars are okay with diet. This baby will arrive almost two years to the date from my last cesarean.
Here's my problem: The recommended time for my cesarean is 39 weeks gestation, which falls on a Friday. The hospital doesn't usually do "elective" surgery on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and my surgeon isn't available again until the following Tuesday, making me 4 days past my 39 week mark. The perinatologist is worried about rupture and suggests cesarean before 39 weeks, but then the hospital requires an amniocentesis to determine lung development. I do not like the idea of an amniocentesis, and if lung development is immature, I'd have to wait anyway.
My question is what to do? I feel an exception should be made to give me surgery at 39 weeks, rather than incurring risk to the baby from amniocentesis and respiratory problems, but I'm not sure they'll do this. What can you tell me, either about getting an exception to surgery dates and/or risk of rupture, or would you recommend doing the amnio and delivering before 39 weeks? I really do not want to deliver early, especially for the doctor/hospital scheduling policies. Any help you can give me is appreciated!
— Brigid Luzarraga
SEND YOUR RESPONSE to firstname.lastname@example.com with "Question of the Week" in the subject line. Please indicate the topic of discussion *and the E-News issue number* in the message. Responses to any Question of the Week may be sent to E-News at any time.
I am a pre-nursing student at New Mexico State University-Grants. My goal is to obtain a BSN in the next four years and then go on to a CNM program after that. My ultimate goal is to have a midwifery clinic of my own by about 2020. I'm hoping that some E-News subscribers could direct me to some good scholarship or grant programs.
For the two years I've already been taking pre-nursing courses, I've taken out approximately $32,000 in student loans. I work about 3/4 time at my local school district as a teacher's aide. Since I'm looking at two more years of pre-nursing courses and two years of full time nursing study, I'm looking for a way to fund my education without more loans.
I will also be looking for a midwifery apprentice program after completing the CNM. I would like to practice somewhat traditionally at my own clinic. I welcome any and all information.
— Pam Burns
Re: Breastfeeding guidelines regarding use of nipple shells (E-News 11:2, Feedback)
I'd like to know what "current research" as Ingrid Tilstra, IBCLC, LLLL states, does not support the use of breast shells during pregnancy for flat nipples. The use of breast shells (not shields) during pregnancy to create subtle pressure on the nipple to draw it out more is widely used at the hospital where I'm an L&D nurse. This seems advantageous to our patient population. Could she provide her references in this current research?
Thank you kindly.
— Tanya M. Jennison, RN
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Top college football prospect Alex Collins spent last Wednesday trying to track down his mother, who had intercepted his letter of intent to attend the University of Arkansas. (Apparently she did not want him to attend college far from home.) Colleges cannot accept commitments from players under 21 without the signature of a parent or guardian. Eventually Collins' father signed the form, but aren't 18-year-olds legally entitled to make their own decisions?
Yes and no. The legal age of majority in most states is 18. Reaching that milestone gives you the right to enter into legally binding contracts. If an 18-year-old signs an employment agreement and reneges, the jilted employer can collect damages. Employers do not, however, have to enter into a contract with an 18-year-old just because he has reached the age of majority, nor must they treat all adults exactly the same. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination only on the basis of old age. Discriminating against young people is legal under federal law, and most states have similar statutes.
There is a significant exception. The New Jersey Supreme Court in 1999 allowed a former bank vice president to bring an age discrimination suit against his employers, who fired him shortly after finding out he was only 25 years old. Even in New Jersey, though, the chance of successfully challenging the parental consent requirement for collegiate letters of intent would be low. First, neither the NCAA nor college athletic departments technically employ student athletes. In addition, courts have generally allowed special treatment of young people, especially in an attempt to protect their interests. You can't drink until you're 21, even though you're legally an adult, nor can you buy a handgun from a dealer. Most states allow car rental companies to refuse service to people under 21 or 25. New York forces companies to rent to all adults but allows them to charge young people significant fees. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 invalidated an NBA rule requiring players to wait four years after high school graduation to join the league, but that decision was based on anti-trust law -- the league imposed the rule on the players unilaterally. The NBA's current rule, setting a minimum age of 19, was negotiated with the players' union and is unlikely to be struck down.
Colleges sometimes go to great lengths to obtain a parent's or guardian's signature on a letter of intent. They track parents down in developing countries, visit them in prison, and occasionally have to ask for a waiver when a parent is unavailable.
There's some irony to the parental consent demand for letters of intent: The NCAA applies no such requirement to other contracts. New student-athletes must, for example, sign NCAA Form 08-3a in order to participate in sports. The agreement releases the student's academic records and grants the NCAA the right to use his or her likeness in promotional materials. If a player is under the age of 18, and thus legally incapable of signing a binding contract, the parent or guardian must sign. But the same 18-,19- and 20-year-olds who need parental consent to commit to a school are entitled to sign away their promotional rights on their own.
Form 08-3a has recently become a serious legal issue. Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon, joined by such former collegiate luminaries as Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell, has sued the NCAA, claiming that the organization has no right to use their likenesses in video games without obtaining the players' permission or compensating them. O'Bannon argues that Form 08-3a is unenforceable because the NCAA gives players no choice but to sign.

subset: commoncrawl


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Death by drone: Obama's elastic legalities
President Obama's death-by-drone strategy is a political winner. Most Democrats are fine with it because Obama is one of them, and most Republicans have been loathe to criticize it because there's no percentage in assailing him for being too tough on terrorism. But based on what little we know - and on what we've just learned - the policy of killing via remote control is quite worrisome. Especially when American citizens are targeted.
Last autumn, in rare remarks about the drones, Obama said that the goal is to target suspected bad guys who pose "an imminent threat to the United States" - echoing counter-terrorism adviser (and current CIA director nominee) John Brennan, who told the press last May that one key criteria for launching a drone was "the imminence of the threat."
But according to a 16-page Justice Department document, leaked early this week to NBC News, the government's definition of "imminent threat" is very elastic. Turns out, an American citizen can be targeted for a drone hit if or when he's strongly suspected of having ties to terrorists. For that reason alone, according to document, the Obama administration believes it has sufficient legal basis to act as judge, jury, and executioner.
This document (officially a "white paper," entitled "Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen who is a Senior Operational Leader of al Qaeda or An Associated Force") basically summarizes the government's rationale, as detailed in confidential legal memos authored by Obama's lawyers. Those legal memos remain secret - the Obama team has refused to release them - so for those of us who believe in transparency, the leaked white paper is the next best thing.
The white paper says that "a lethal operation conducted againsr a U.S. citizen whose conduct poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States would be a legitimate act of national self-defense." But here's the key loophole, which is wide enough for a fleet of Humvees: "The condition that an operational leader present an 'imminent threat' of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future."
In other words, says the white paper, Obama has adopted a "broader concept of imminence."
If an American citizen has been "recently" affiliated with bad guys, and has engaged in threatened violent "activities," that's deemed to be sufficient reason to kill the American via drone. The paper doesn't bother to define "recently" (an affiliation two weeks ago? two months ago? two years ago?), nor does it define how serious those "activities" need to be.
No judicial oversight
And even though the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment states that "no person shall be...deprived of life...without due process," the Justice Department document says that the Obama team should be free to pursue its drone strategy without any judicial branch oversight. As the paper put it, judges should not attempt "to supervise inherently predictive judgments by the president and his national security advisers."
Apparently, the Obama team used an elastic definition of "imminent threat" to justify the 2011 drone strike in Yemen that killed two American citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, both of whom allegedly had ties to al Qaeda. Neither had ever been indicted by the U.S. government , or charged with any crimes. Nor had 16-year-old Abdulrahmen al-Alwaki, son of Anwar, who was killed in a drone strike two weeks later.
Did these American citizens deserve to die? Were they planning an imminent attack (as we traditionally understand the term), or was it imminence as far more broadly defined (as Attorney General Eric Holder contended in a speech last March, "The Constitution does not require the president to delay action until some theoretical end-stage of planning"). We'll probably never know, and that's what seems most worrisome. If the Obama team has unfettered power to make "inherently predictive judgments" about American citizens, where are the constitutional checks and balances?
Some of these issues may surface on Thursday, when CIA director nominee Brennan gets his Senate confirmation hearing. He was a key player in developing the drone strategy. Several members of the presiding Intelligence Committee wrote to Obama yesterday, asking him to release the legal opinions. Yes, they said, the president has the authority to use lethal force in certain circumstances. However, "it is vitally important...for Congress and the American public to have a full understanding of how the executive branch interprets the limits and boundaries of this authority, so that Congress and the public can decide whether this authority has been properly defined, and whether the president's power to deliberately kill American citizens is subject to appropriate limitations and safeguards."
Eight Senate Democrats signed that letter, and some civil libertarians have long echoed the letter's concerns. This is encouraging, because all presidents regardless of party need to be held accountable. Yet most grassroots Obama supporters remain mute on this issue. Here's what I would say to them:
If George W. Bush was whacking American citizens on the basis of secret legal memos, and reserving for himself the right to whack more, with no judicial oversight, Senate liberals would be conducting hearings and any Democrat with vocal chords would be stampeding to MSNBC.
Follow me on Twitter, @dickpolman1
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Gamma Knife Radiosurgery vs Initial Conservative Treatment for Vestibular Schwannoma Patients With Preserved Hearing, a Prospective Randomized Study
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The effect of Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) on hearing loss, in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) and preserved hearing is still unclear. Retrospective data indicate that the hearing is preserved in most patient years after the gamma knife treatment. Recent prospective data suggests that radiosurgery could be a hearing preserving treatment for these patients.
The main objective of this study is to evaluate if GKRS can inhibit progression of hearing loss in patients with VS. Patients with preserved hearing will be offered to participate in the study and randomized ether to GKRS or initial conservative treatment for their vestibular schwannoma. They will then be followed with scheduled magnetic resonance image(MRI) and audiometry and evaluated after one, three and five years after treatment.
|Vestibular Schwannoma
|Radiation: Initial Gamma knife radiosurgery
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Gamma Knife Radiosurgery vs Initial Conservative Treatment for Vestibular Schwannoma Patients With Preserved Hearing, a Prospective Randomized Study
- The numbers of participants with preserve hearing [ Time Frame: up to five years after enrollment ]Baseline audiometric investigation will be performed at time of enrollment. Patients will be followed with audiometric investigations after 1, 3 and 5 years after gamma knife or conservative treatment.Primary endpoint will be numbers of patients with preserve hearing for each treatment arm.
- Tumor control [ Time Frame: 1, 2, 5 years after enrollment ]MR investigation including digitalized volumetric of vestibular schwannomas will be performed
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|April 2013
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2020
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|December 2020 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Initial Gamma knife
Patients with VS and preserved hearing, randomized to initial gamma knife radiosurgery will receive this treatment within a few months after enrollment
|Radiation: Initial Gamma knife radiosurgery
No Intervention: Initial conservative
Patients with VS and preserved hearing, randomized to initial conservative treatment will initially be followed with repeated MRI and audiometry. If MRI show progression of VS requiring intervention, patients will receive treatment but still belong to the initial treatment arm, according to intention to treat.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients newly (<6 months) diagnosed with Vestibular schwannoma less than 20 mm in diameter.
- Vestibular schwannoma with or without evidence of growth.
- Patients between 18 and 80 years of age.
- Karnofsky performance score >70
Patients with vestibular schwannoma and preserved hearing according to Gardner Robertson class 1-2, and speech discrimination (SD) scores between 50-100% will participate in the hearing preservation part of the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Patients with Neurofibromatosis type 2 will be excluded to achieve a homogenous study population.
2. Patients who had other treatments prior to the GKRS (usually microsurgery (MS), GKRS or external beam radiation) for their tumour will also be excluded for the same reason.
3. Patients who are not citizens in the country where they will be followed will be excluded, to reassure the same follow up within the study population.
4. Hearing loss due injury or to active ear disease, such as Meniere´s disease, otosclerosis or chronic otitis media.
5. Patients with poor comprehension of the the language in the country where they are followed, such that adequate performance on speech tests, are unlikely.
6. Claustrophobia, making MR follow up impossible without sedation. 7. Alcohol- or narcotic abuses that effect compliance to the follow up. 8. Uncontrolled neoplastic disease.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01938677
|Contact: Petter Förander, MD, PhD
|+46 8 51770377
|Department of Neurosurgery, Karolinska univeristy hospital
|Stockholm, Sweden, 17176
|Contact: Theresa Wangerid, MD +46 8 51770000 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Petter Förander, MD, PhD
|Responsible Party:
|Petter Forander, MD, PhD, Karolinska Institutet
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01938677 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 5, 2013
|Last Updated:
|August 29, 2016
Keywords provided by Petter Forander, Karolinska Institutet:
Vestibular schwannoma
Gamma knife radiosurgery
Hearing preservation
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Neuroma, Acoustic
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Neuroectodermal Tumors
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Nerve Sheath Neoplasms
Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue
Cranial Nerve Neoplasms
Nervous System Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms
Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases
Retrocochlear Diseases
Ear Diseases
Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms
Cranial Nerve Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Senator Greg Smith suggested this for reading:
Year after year, despite unchanged or increased state funding, the six state-funded Kansas colleges increased tuition far above inflation with little scrutiny. Tuition and fees at the six universities increased 146 percent between 2002 and 2013; inflation during that time was 30 percent. From 2002 to 2013, KU raised fees and tuition by 208 percent; KSU, 184 percent; WSU, 124 percent; Emporia State, 131 percent; Pittsburg State, 135 percent; Fort Hays State, 91 percent.
Universities' All Funds spending was $1.814 billion in 2005; $2.186 billion in 2008; and $2.421 billion in 2012—a 33-percent increase in spending even with a recession.
Updated with 2013 numbers:
Since 2003, unencumbered carryover cash balances in two student fee accounts increased by $248 million. In other words, they collected almost a quarter-billion dollars more in fees than they spent on whatever the fees were earmarked to do.
General Fees plus interest earned on those accounts can be used for other purposes— say, for example, holding down tuition increases. Instead, students paid more in fees and more in tuition and the fee accounts kept accumulating.
This year the legislature examined the numbers and asked questions with a desire to initiate an open conversation about higher education spending, tuition and student outcomes.
The end result: a 1.5-percent reduction to Regents which hardly qualifies as a slash, but that's the narrative being used; and since State Aid represents less than half of their General Use Expenditures, a 1.5-percent reduction in State Aid amounts to a 0.7-percent reduction to that account.
Compare a 1.5-percent State Aid reduction with recent requests from Kansas colleges for increases in tuition up to 8 percent next year, even with inflation below 2 percent.
The template never changes: Demands for more spending are always "modest and necessary"; reduced spending is always "drastic and draconian"—regardless of the amounts or how the money is used.
The legislature did not set out to reduce funding. We simply had questions.
Why so many unfilled FTE positions perpetually placed on the books with money systematically diverted for other uses?
Even factoring for inflation, why has tuition gone up so much without a correlation to past increases in state funding?
When defaulted on, students' government-backed loans are paid for, ultimately, by taxpayers, so shouldn't improved graduation and employment rates be prioritized over even higher salaries to the already-highly-paid?
By the way, the salary cap we requested was not a cut. You will hear it referred to as a cut, even though we requested salaries be held level, not reduced.
I serve as a commissioner with the Midwest Higher Education Compact—a 12-state network of universities. Recently, I attended a commissioner's meeting in Indiana where we heard from current and former chancellors about the future of higher education. Similar to other sectors—healthcare, for example—there are two very different driving forces promoting two very different paths: collective institution-oriented versus individual outcomes-oriented.
College students, many unemployed and underemployed, are buried in debt while universities appear more focused on impressing their peers and expanding their infrastructure.
Indiana colleges, among others around the country, are addressing this disconnect. Indiana University-East, just one example, increased its student numbers and graduation rates while decreasing cost-per-student over 20 percent.
Kansas state-funded colleges have been raising tuition at astronomical rates, but under the radar. The only difference this year is they are vocal about increasing tuition using the legislature's 1.5-percent budget reduction as a scapegoat.
Early in the session, following a discussion about spending and outcomes, KU's response was to threaten closure of some of Kansas' most viable institutions: KU's medical campuses in Wichita and Salina. It was a classic bully move. Rather than address legitimate financial questions, they made threats to cut something highly valued by all. Think White House tour closures.
In response, the House and Senate conference committees added a proviso to the budget to prevent those closures from happening, even though insiders understood KU's intention was to stir up angst among constituents in order to intimidate legislators so they would stop asking questions and hand over the money. Think shakedown.
When the endgame shifts to quantifiable student outcomes—retention and graduation rates, realistic employment tracks, greater efficiencies, reduced costs, lower tuition—collaborative conversations can take place and real-world results can be achieved in Kansas. I remain hopeful and open to such a dialogue.
Rep. Marc Rhoades, 72nd District


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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays have apologized for a sign the team's mascot was photographed holding that made light of Steve Irwin's death.
The photo of the mascot, Raymond Ray, was taken Wednesday during game at Tropicana Field.
A fan snapped the photo, which displayed to-do list, which included two numbered items: Steve Irwin and the World Series.
The photo shows Irwin's name crossed out on the sign.
Irwin, also known as "The Crocodile Hunter," died from a sting ray attack in 2006 while diving on a reef in Queensland.
A spokesman for the team said the sign was made by a fan and the mascot was photographed holding it.
"The Tampa Bay Rays regret that this particular sign was displayed in the ballpark, and we apologize for the lapse in judgment."
Stay with Local 6 and ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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If I lived near the ocean I'd be spending the last weekend before school starts lounging at the beach and soaking up sunshine! But Utah is landlocked and our infamous Great Salt Lake beach makes me gag (it smells that bad), so I live vicariously through the summery designs of today's steal, the American Crafts Shoreline collection. Today, design team member and fellow Utahn Kerys Sharrock shows us just how fun and fresh of a collection Shoreline is, whether you are blessed with glorious beaches or simply daydream about them.
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So this is my second DT post—and yet again, I have an awesome collection to work with! This time I was given American Crafts Shoreline collection. Lots of bright, fun colors and patterns, along with some fab embellishments and thickers. This is a definite must for anyone wanting to scrap summer photos!
My first layout uses a photo of my daughter 'chilling out' last summer. I used all of the blues in the collection, mixing and matching patterns and embellishments. This really would work for a boy photo too! I also switched up some of the buttons on the rosettes and slimmed down the pinwheel to fit the papers. They are all held together with pop dots, so this is super easy to do.
I then decided these papers would be perfect for some 'sprinkler' photos. The colored papers matched the colors in my photos perfectly. I fussy cut the scalloped border following the pattern of one of the papers, added some twine and embellishments, and topped it off with the AC thickers.
Also, I'd like to say a big thank you to Jen for her sketch! (This is Pearl #4a.)
Next, I was inspired by a card where they used the negatives from cut outs. I decided to cut out the words "I <3 summer" on my cricut and then back them with the different colored and patterned paper. I love how this turned out. I added a few more embellishments and a rosette and a bit of stitching. I think this is one of my favorites cards I've made so far!
And lastly, because I feel the need to create something other than just a card and layout, I made a summer word book! I used a cutting file from The Cutting Cafe, cut out papers and chipboard, and stuck it all together. I found some scraps of ribbons that matched the colors, added fun embellishments, and now it's ready and waiting to be filled with this summer's photos.
So, as you can see, the possibilities with the American Crafts Shoreline collection are endless! I hope I've inspired you all to hit that steal button and grab a collection. Thanks Brittany and Kristy for another awesome collection! Happy scrapping!
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Kerys, you rock. Completely. Your projects make me want to forget about everything going on and get my scrappy on! Thanks for yet another amazing month! Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves for us next time.
Hope you all have a fantastical weekend!


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SUNDAY SERVICES: Hellingly, Holy Communion at 8am and again at 10.45am. Evensong is at 6.30pm.
Upper Dicker: Holy Communion at 9.15am
Ascension Day is on Thursday, May 17, and there will be Holy Communion Services at Hellingly church at 7am and 9.30am.
ANNUAL Parish meeting: The theme is Neighbourhood Plans for Hellingly and the meeting is on Thursday, May 17, starting at 7.30pm at Hellingly Village Hall. There will be an opportunity for questions and light refreshments will be served.
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING: Regarding mopeds on Hailsham North Ward, residents have been advised where applicable to get vehicle registration numbers of mopeds that are becoming a nuisance. Drivers will be given a verbal warning, written Section 59 warning or their moped seized.
Two moped riders and their parents were spoken to in relation to their driving and an incident in Quinnell Drive. Both were given strong words of advice and their details have been noted.
PHOTOGRAPHIC Society: There was a good turnout for the first of the Society's summer outings which took place at Diamond Farm. Hosts Chrissy and Robin Neale introduced the farm animals group by group. Cows with calves, chickens, horses, ducks, guinea fowl, pigs and sheep with lambs posed dutifully for the cameras!
Chrissy walked across a field to a hole in the hedge and was followed by two cows trotting behind, called "sheep" and walked back to the crowd. The sheep, with lambs in tow, charged across the field after her in anticipation. Children were given the opportunity to bottle feed a few of the lambs which slurped the mixture down at record speed and, while Chrissy was talking about the calves, one of the cows snuck up beside her, rolled out its slobbery long tongue, and licked her cheek before she knew what was happening.
After touring the farmyard members were taken across a variety of fields, wooded glades covered with bluebells and primroses and back to the Farmhouse for a delicious cream tea. Egg sandwiches, a selection of homemade cakes and scrumptious scones were passed around until everyone was full. One of the labradors needed to be housed elsewhere for the event as he had eaten a whole batch of freshly baked scones while her back was turned and could no longer be trusted.
The £117 raised during the event was donated to Demelza.
Tel: 01323 440567


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So many people whom I graduated with are in the same boat, but finding a job in a firm is so difficult nowadays. I have considered re-training in another field but am still hopeful that 1 day the building industry will pick up again. Freelancing has it's advantages in that you are able to pick and choose what projects you wish to do and not having to answer to anyone but at the same time, it would be nice to work in an environment with similar minded people and have a continuous flow of work.
This is something I've said before and most will probably not agree with it — finding a job is a numbers-game based on chance; it's an exercise of dumb luck. With an increasing number of larger companies moving towards automated resume screeners while other companies have staffing shortages, your best bet is to get your resume in the stack within the first 30 or so applicants.
However, if you play the game long enough, you'll eventually succeed with 1-out-of-100 chance.
sometimes 1 out of 200
However there are a number of things that can help your prospects. Making connections with firms and architects can really help. Having a portfolio that is different helps. Also one might consider sitting on a local government board for design reviews or affordable housing. Getting in the system is really the name of the game.
2 years looking finally found a free internship which was shit....I regret choosing architecture
I think the school you've attended plays a large part too ... Some employers are more likely to look at your portfolio and give you a job when they hear you graduated from so and so university.
How hard is it to find a job!!
was your original question, or exclamation
i think its pretty hard, most of my architecture colleagues are recent grads,
we graduated in May, and those that have been vigilant about the quest to get a job, i think are finding their way, its been about 5-6 months since graduation, and if i had to rough guess i would say about 60% have found employment some very recently..
so its taking people alittle bit of time, but i dont know anyone who hasnt tried HARD everyday who eventually didnt find anything,
NOTE: most of these jobs my colleagues are gettting are in or around Atlanta metro area, or in the southeast
I wonder if those who were mediocre in school regret their time there. My necessary conditions here are that the people in this thread are new graduates.
Most instructors try hard to hire their best students, or to find placements for them. There would be no such proclivity for the recalcitrant or the angry (Mr or Ms XYZ were such negative, self-entitled plebs - let me recommend him-or-her to all I know!). Was the rebel pose worth it, or was it to mask a fear that being a good designer is harder by exponential efforts?
Or if going to mid-level schools, at the same cost bracket of ivy institutions, has created a stalemate situation of overburdened loans as well as a school without much of a network. Most interesting yet is that something fundamental has changed, and the power relationships of architects to capital are finally over.
I have every sympathy for job-seekers. I've spent hot afternoons with the baking sun reflecting off sidewalks to enter cool air-conditioned lobbies and hand a cv to a dismissive receptionist. Just musing on a long trip home
Come to Dallas - 16 job postings on the AIA site...
The "A" students teach
The "B" students may or may not find jobs (see 1 in 100 odds mentioned above)
The "C" students end up being principals and oversee the B students
The "D" students drop out and get their MBAs
It's probably also worth noting, no one gives a shit where you went to school once you've made it past your 3rd year in the profession.
Oh and yeah if you want a job Dallas/Houston are definitely hiring.
what jjr said.
i once sent out 95 resumes in three days and was employed within the week.
i was also cheap as fuck back then.
it is also a factor of sentiment. wait a few days before sending out resumes if stupid news like "unemployment is still at 8%, obama sucks" or "no QE3 for you, bishes" is the current headline.
First, finding a job aint easy...
Second, I recently read referrals make up 90 percent of job placements.. This article agrees but to a lesser extent. http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/expand-networking-circle-tips-making-friends
I recently landed my first job through a personal contact and it was the best interview experience I've had yet. Coffee, long talk about my experiences, followed by lunch, then drinks...somewhere after our long nebulous discussion I was offered the job.
Network your ass off. Get to know people and know them well. I cant believe how much time I spent / wasted tweaking my resume to every different job posting on simply hired or indeed or the like. Never again.
I'm going through this right now. Basically straight A's in school, scholarships and awards and bla bla bla... employed immediately upon graduation but recently laid off. It's taken me 2 weeks to put together a decent cv and portfolio... I keep tweaking it but I think I'm finally done and I'll start sending it out tomorrow.
I've been networking, got an interview last week (without a portfolio, even) and it went okay but I don't think the firm is busy enough to find a seat for me.
I'm in a weird position because I'm not an extremely outgoing person and I've basically just been offered jobs in various fields for the last 13 years, with an exception here or there. I've never cold-called anybody and I'm wondering if it really works. I don't want to just walk in the front door without making a phone call first, but I hear some people do have success with that.
In the end, I'm sure I'll end up finding something through somebody I know. Seems to me, that's just the way it works.
3 years and counting :-0
Perfect comobo of graduating in 2009, having a bs degree, and not being able to afford grad school. However I think I'll finally get a break in the next month or two. Thank God.
No offense Quentin, but I find it amazing that you could not find a job in three years. Have you done any temp work or shop drawings or craigslist crap or volunteer work? What have you done for three years? A future employer will be asking the same question.
You better believe it - even though I have 4 years exp - every interview the question comes up about my 12 months of long term unemployment between 11/08 and 12/09 - the recession is no excuse anymore - you are competing against those you have continuous employment -
So I am going on 5 years of "underemployment" spring 2008-present
Got Revit, Sketch-Up, training, but I still have to find the means to acquire the other "hot" software packages
Got the LEED AP certification
Taught a course for two years part time in construction management
Volunteered a lot
Did some paying freelance work: three landscapes, a kitchen, a bathroom remodel, Community garden for the city, and a church renovation
I am in a small city Urbana IL and I realize that is a hindrance. I wonder if I should not put my address on the resume and cover letter. Definitely should move but risk not having a crummy McJob or clients for the occasional freelance job makes survival difficult. I think there is a song about this kind of dilemma, staying or going.
But I am 500 hours from finishing IDP, I had an interview recently, and I have decided to not take the free internships offered before that recent legitimate interview.
Things have picked up in most places and so the folks who gave up are going at it again, but I hope this uptick is real and can hold for a while. We have a lot of talented folks who need a job.
People who choose to work for free only deserve the shitty situation they are dealt.
To echo everyone else, it has been pretty rough out there. I was looking in Toronto and DC for a while. I found a greater number of (poorly paid) positions in Canada, and many fewer (but much better-paid) positions in the States. Took me nine months after graduation to find reliable work, and it's still only temporary positions. In the meantime I volunteered and did part time consulting. That kept my resume from having large holes, and paid enough to get by.
During my search I networked with friends, colleagues, mid-size firms' principles, and a handful of corporate executives. I then expanded my search beyond design, then beyond business development and marketing, and then well beyond that into just about anything A/E/C related. None of those steps worked. You know what the most successful strategy has been? Get up early, and refresh craigslist over and over throughout the day with your resume ready to fire off. Be the first to respond to new ads, don't say too much in your e-mail response (since they probably didn't say much in the ad), and wait for them to bite. I have found that people tend to get back to you within a day or two. May not work for everyone, but it worked for me.
i doubled my salary in a bit over two years.
i totally disagree with med. sometimes (especially at the beginning) you have to take the shitty job to amass knowledge and move onwards. even if the shitty job pays 15/h with no overtime, no insurance and you spent the first week there arguing with people because they wanted to label you a 1099 contractor only so they could fire you a few months later because you were making multiple people obsolete...
also, if you have been out of the job for more than a month, you should know revit, grasshopper, rhino, and python (yes, all) and have at least one brand new competition entry in your portfolio showing how awesome you are. if you aren't that awesome, you're competing against people who are. a lot of people.
this is so true
also, if you have been out of the job for more than a month, you should know revit, grasshopper, rhino, and python (yes, all) and have at least one brand new competition entry in your portfolio showing how awesome you are. if you aren't that awesome, you're competing against people who are. a lot of people.
Check the portfolios and resumes in the people section of archinect - if you are not one of these people, then maybe you should go into something else - there are no points for second best
Hi all
Firstly LOL alot of your comments cracked me up...good to find levity in a frustrating situation! ! I too feel frustrated at the non-responses after sending what seems like a million resumes! Makes you wonder why we went through archiTORTURE school, put blood sweat and tears into it and suffer again to find a semi decent job whereas just doing easy manual labor gets paid THRICE as much! hmmm miserable struggling architect or happy go lucky fruit picker in Australia with savings?? food for though! :p :p
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The Most Exciting Action Film of the Millennium Hits Hi-Def Home Video...
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The Raid - Redemption is the best action movie of the new millennium.
Now that's a big claim, but it's hard to remember a time when I've seen a film that's so jam packed with action and excited me so much, I re-watched it twice in the same night. Seriously, The Raid - Redemption is an action fan's dream come true. Loaded with suspense, gun battles galore, and some of the most impressive martial arts ever captured on film, The Raid - Redemption is, simply put, 101 minutes of marvelous mayhem.
Of course, a film isn't worth watching if it only includes action. Thankfully, The Raid - Redemption also includes an interesting take on the typical police S.W.A.T. story. Set in Jakarta, Welsh-born written/directed Gareth Evans, whose previous film Merantau was a masterpiece, brings The Raid - Redemption to life thanks to his teaming up once again with Merantau star Iko Uwais. Uwais plays S.W.A.T. Police Officer Rama, a dedicated service member with a pregnant wife at home and a van full of well armed brother officers at his back. Trained for anything and ready to take down a 30-story building filled with drug dealers, gunrunners, and criminals of every types, Rama and his fellow team members enter the building at daybreak, taking the criminals by surprise. However, when the S.W.A.T. team finds itself ambushed on the 6th floor, there's only two options: fight their way out or die trying. It's at this point pure survival instinct takes over and - literally - kicks in. Police procedures be damned, it's kill or be killed and arresting the criminals takes a back seat to blocking the machete being swung at your head and cutting the villain to ribbons with your duty blade. Seriously, this film is stocked full of the some of the most viscous, violent, and brutal martial arts in any film ever. Marketed as "Unrated," this film is not for the faint of heart.
Writer/director Evans' story, though primarily driven by and focused on the Silat martial arts action, is extremely well paced and includes enough character development to keep most film fans entertained. There's not a moment the film isn't progressing. Rama, with a pregnant wife at home, makes for a fine protagonist with the will to live and do anything to survive. Of course, we likewise learn to feel the same for some of the residence of the building, innocent bystanders of this horrible event who - should they choose to help the police and put their lives on the line - could die just as violently as the officers. Thus, when death becomes a commonplace and main characters begin to meet their end, we are effected and feel for them and their comrades who still must struggle to survive. Of course, we want to see what they'll do to the criminals too. Filled with shoot outs, knife fights, and fisticuffs galore, this dynamic film makes for great entertainment for action fans with the intestinal fortitude to watch it.
Thanks to a 1080p hi-def picture, the movie is gorgeous and wonderfully delivers the dark, dank atmosphere of the apartment building while ensuring movement stay clear, crisp, and clean. With so much action happening, it's hard to see everything, yet thanks to solid camera work, interesting use of camera angles, and an eye for what to shoot and when, the picture always stays clear and understandable. Likewise, the sound effects are spot-on and likewise intense. Whether it be the hacking of machetes, the cutting of blades, the crack of gunfire, or the intense fists beating body armor, each and every bullet, blow, and cut comes through clean and clear. The Indonesian/Bahasa dialogue is easily heard and the English subtitles are easy to read. Well worth noting, the sound track features music from Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, so it's hard not to love the audio intensity of The Raid - Redemption.
As for special features, the film includes an audio commentary with writer/director Evans, which is fun for those who enjoy feature commentary. He chats about his working in his home country and Indonesia, his influences, his styles, his shooting techniques, and more. Interesting for those wanting to delve deeper into the making of the film, it's worth a listen. A number of short featurettes on everything from the music, sets, stunts and visual effects to the choreographed fights and post production are also included and well worth watching if you enjoy the film and want to know even more about how it was made. Likewise, a 40 minute "An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda & Joe Trapanese" is a round table of sorts with moderator Hadrian Belove which answers some interesting questions about the film. The 11 minute "Behind the Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese" chats with the musical composers behind the film's score; a fun watch for those who want to know more about the musical score. An interesting 3 minute "Claycat's The Raid" is the movie remade with claymation cats (seriously) while the 44 second "THE RAID TV Show ad" is a stylized animated TV spot for the film which should make some fans smile. Lastly, the film's theatrical trailer is also included.
Overall, there's not much more praise I can give The Raid - Redemption. Its story is solid, its characters fleshed out and real, and its action beyond intense. It's actually somewhat disappointing and depressing US filmmakers can't deliver something this impressive on a budget this tight. After all, The Raid - Redemption was made for only $1.1 million, a drop in the bucket for some of today's biggest Hollywood action films. And, all things considered, The Raid - Redemption is by far one of the most entertaining film's I've seen in the last five years. I've already watched it four times and I'm watching it now as I type this review. If you're an action film fan and want to see the best the world has to offer, it doesn't get any better than The Raid - Redemption.
The Raid - Redemption is available now on blu-ray and DVD wherever fine home video is sold.
- Jess C. Horsley


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What is the average cost for Restylane under eye fillers in Leeds?
Doctor Answers 1
Restylane /Tear Troughs/ Liquid Face Lift/Hyaluronic Acids
I appreciate your question.
Cost varies by geographic location, expertise, anesthesia, and length of procedure etc. I would recommend that you see a board certified plastic surgeon in your area who specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery and who is also a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgery. You can call their offices in advance and ask for quotes prior to scheduling consultations.
The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.
Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery.
Best of luck!
Dr. Schwartz
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Learn more: http://beverlyhillsbreastandbodyinstitute.com
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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Down Duvet Inserts
- Overview
Bask in the soft comfort of our Down Duvet Insert. These inserts come in twin, full/queen and king sizes, with options for standard, luxury or supreme down. The down is encased in 230-thread-count pure cotton for the coziest and most luxurious finish that keeps the fluffy filling in place. Our duvet inserts are guaranteed hypoallergenic for comfort and are made in the USA using imported materials. Plus, it's Oeko-Tex® certified to ensure your room is free of synthetics and chemicals. Use our Design Your Own Bed Tool to mix and match our bedding with these duvet inserts, discovering the look that perfectly matches your personal style.
- Luxurious and comfortable.
- Finished with box stitching.
- Double stitching keeps the filling in place.
- Filled with 70% white down and 30% Lyocell.
- Mixed with natural Lyocell fibers for improved resiliency and moisture management.
- Down is Freshness Assured™ to guarantee hypoallergenic comfort.
- Oeko-Tex® Certified: tested in a third-party lab and verified to be free from over 300 harmful substances.
- Enclosed in 230-thread-count pure cotton.
- Machine washable as necessary.
- Made in the USA from imported materials.
- Dimensions + Care
- Twin measures 68" wide x 86" long
- Full/Queen measures 88" wide x 90" long
Standard Down
- Fill power is 550
- Fill weight is 18-32 ounces
- Spot clean with a damp cloth as necessary
- Machine wash in warm water on the gentle cycle, using a commercial-sized washer
- Tumble dry on low heat in commercial-sized dryer, avoiding excess heat
- Check frequently for scorching and to ensure the center dries
- Remove promptly from the dryer
- Never dry clean, iron, steam or bleach
- Use a ventilated bag for storage between use
- Shipping Info
This item will arrive in 3-5 business days. Please proceed to the Payment & Review page of Checkout for a precise delivery estimate.
- What does Oeko-Tex® certified mean? An Oeko-Tex® certification means that this product has been tested to ensure that it does not contain harmful chemicals that may irritate the skin. The Oeko-Tex®100 class I certification is specifically for children's products. With this certification, any textiles used to create our Down Duvet Insert are guaranteed safe for use with your child's bedding.
- What is the Freshness Assured process? Our Down Duvet Insert follows this industry standard for cleanliness, with premium quality feathers selected and cleaned in the Freshness Assured™ process. The Freshness Assured™ process guarantees that natural fill in bedding products has been through the latest modern cleaning techniques. This cleaning process ensures that that the bedding is hypoallergenic, which means that it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.
- How should I spot clean this duvet insert? To spot clean our Down Duvet Insert, use a damp cloth to gently rub mild soap into the stain. Continue gently rubbing until the stain diminishes or disappears, and then carefully rub the soap away with another damp cloth. Try to rinse the soap off without wetting any of the down inside of the insert. Allow it to air dry, or use a hair dryer on a low setting. Alternatively, you can place the duvet insert into the dryer on an air fluff setting.
- How can I make my duvet insert fluffier? You can make your Down Duvet Insert fluffy again a couple different ways. Hang it outside on a clothesline for a few hours, allowing the breeze to pass through the insert and naturally fluff the feathers inside. Or, take your duvet insert to a commercial drying machine and let it run through an air fluff drying process. You can also add a few tennis balls during the air fluff cycle to help the fluffing process. Make sure you check on the duvet insert and shake it out every 20-30 minutes to ensure that the down and feathers are evenly distributed.
- How do I avoid scorching while drying my duvet? If you put your duvet into a dryer on any heat setting, you risk scorching the fabric. Always use a low heat or air fluff setting when drying or fluffing your duvet. Check on the duvet frequently while drying to make sure it is not overheating. Never use an iron on your duvet, as that may create scorch marks.


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It's hard to believe that the excitement of the Black Friday 2016 sale has already come and gone. Don't worry, we are already counting down the days until the after-Thanksgiving sale next year, when the lowest prices roll out on the technology you've had your eye on all year. Save the date and get your wish list started for the Black Friday 2017 sale on November 24th.
Save on Gifts with Great Prices All Year Long
While the Black Friday doorbusters may have to wait for a while longer to make their annual appearance, Best Buy still has plenty of hot deals available on a huge selection of the latest and greatest electronics, from video games, computers and phones, to appliances, fitness devices and cameras. Whether you are looking ahead for the perfect stocking stuffers, a gift for someone else, or something just for yourself, there are great prices on a variety of products year round at Best Buy. Check out all our great gift ideas to get started!
Shop the Black Friday Sale Online or In-Store
For many deal shoppers, half the fun of Black Friday is the thrill of a bustling store and the satisfaction of a cart full of incredible deals. For those that would prefer to shop from the comfort of their home, our Black Friday online deals certainly won't disappoint. Check out the Best Buy Black Friday ad online in the weeks leading up to the big event to get a preview of the deals to come and to create your shopping strategy.


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Bristol Palin has obtained a temporary restraining order against a 39-year-old Texan man for allegedly stalking her.
TMZ reported Thursday that the daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was granted temporary protection from Michael Cummings, who, according to court documents, sent her an engagement ring in the mail with the note "I (heart) you."
How nice! How romantic! How creepy!
Cummings also allegedly showed up to a birthday party Palin held for son Tripp at her mother's house on Dec. 27.
There will be a hearing later this month to determine whether to make the restraining order permanent. TMZ said Cummings' mother called the police in Bristol's town to warn them about a visit from her "unstable" son.
That's pretty bad when mom isn't even on board.
Palin appeared as a contestant on Season 11 of "Dancing With the Stars" in 2010, and again last fall on "Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars." In October, the show received a suspicious package aimed at Palin. It included white powder (later determined to be harmless) and a note that read, "This is what will happen to you if Bristol says (on the show)."
BRANGELINA MAY HAVE MADE IT OFFICIAL: If Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt really got married every time a website reported they got married, they'd have more weddings under their belts than Larry King.
So allow us to contribute to the confusion. The London Telegraph is reporting that the world's most anticipated event happened Christmas Day, during a family vacation in the Caribbean.
The newspaper said the pair spent the holiday at Donna Karan's private Parrot Cay estate on the Turks and Caicos Islands. The fashion designer wasn't in residence, but Brad, 49, and Angelina, 37, were reportedly joined by their six kids and the actor's parents and siblings.
Reps for family haven't commented, according to MSN.
After seven years together, the couple announced their engagement in April 2012. In November, Brad hinted to People magazine that the big day was drawing closer: "The time is nigh. It's soon. I got a good feeling about it."
He'd better, with all those kids hanging around.
The magazine asked Pitt what kind of ceremony he'd like. Like all guys, he sighed and said he wanted his fairy tale dream wedding, in a splendid castle with thousands of guests coming from all over the countryside. They would arrive by horse-drawn carriage, to blaring trumpets. One thousand doves would be released at the end of the romantic service, followed by a seven-course gourmet meal, and dancing under the moonlight on a huge outdoor balcony until the sun came up.
Actually, like most guys, he said "Just family. Keep it simple. Keep it simple — really."
Pitt's first marriage to Jennifer Aniston in 2000 was a million-dollar Malibu extravaganza. Jolie, on the other hand, knows simple. For her 1996 wedding to "Elementary" star Jonny Lee Miller, she wrote his name in blood on her shirt. Four years later, she wore jeans and a tank top while wearing Billy Bob Thornton in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.
JUSTIN BIEBER ALLEGEDLY HARASSED BY PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Bieber was often harassed by the photographer who was killed by a speeding car while taking pictures of the singer's car on New Year's Day, and he lied about Bieber smoking pot, sources supposedly connected with Bieber told TMZ.
Jeez, talk about kicking a dead guy when he's down.
Bieber sources said photographer Chris Guerra frequently followed Bieber and lied when he called a friend shortly before he was killed, saying he saw Bieber smoking pot in a pipe while driving his Ferrari earlier that day.
OMG … people can be so stereotypical when talking about Ferrari drivers. I mean, like, how did he know it wasn't, like, parsley or something?
The sources — which should really be the name of a band — said multiple witnesses can verify the only time Bieber left the Four Seasons on New Year's Day was to go to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood for lunch, and there was never a pipe in sight.
Sources connected to Bieber and his girlfriend Selena Gomez said the photographer was lying when he told a friend he saw a car belonging to Selena Gomez on the Four Seasons property. The sources supposedly told TMZ Bieber and Gomez flew to Mexico last weekend but had an argument on Dec. 30 and broke up. Gomez left the same day, while Bieber went back to L.A. on Dec. 31 (he performed that night on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve celebration). Bieber and Gomez haven't seen each other since and she was never at the Four Seasons on New Year's Day.
I somehow keep wondering why anyone wants to know any of this.
The sources said Bieber had "very little respect" for Guerra, but was trying not to say anything out of respect for the family, but the photographer made it "very difficult by telling this guy (his friend) lies about Justin."
JULIANNE HOUGH TALKS ABOUT ABUSE: Julianne Hough told Cosmopolitan she was abused as a child.
The 24-year-old plays a domestic abuse survivor in "Safe Haven," due out Feb. 14. She said she suffered her own physical and emotional abuse as a child dancer in London, after moving from Utah at 10 to pursue her career as a dancer.
"I was 10 years old looking like I was 28, being a very sensual dancer. I was a tormented little kid who had to put on this sexy facade because that was my job and my life," Hough said. "While I was in London, I was abused, mentally, physically, everything," she said, adding, "I'm a very forgiving person, and I don't want to hurt anybody. What's past is past."
The "Dancing With the Stars" dancer said she's opening up about her own experiences to be a voice for those who don't have one. Hough declined to go into details about the abuse, but said that it got much worse when she hit puberty, and her abuser began threatening her, according to the Huffington Post.
"I was told if I ever went back to the United States, three things were going to happen. One: I was going to amount to nothing. Two: I was going to work at Whataburger. And three: I was going to end up a slut. So it was like, 'I can't go back, I have to be this person,'" she said.
The February issue of Cosmopolitan comes out Jan. 8.
GERARD DEPARDIEU BECOMES RUSSIAN: French actor Gerard Depardieu has been granted Russian citizenship.
A brief announcement on the Kremlin website said the president, Vladimir Putin, signed the citizenship grant on Thursday.
It's a good thing Napoleon isn't alive, or this could have become ugly.
Depardieu is upset over by President Francois Hollande's attempt to raise taxes on the rich to 75 percent. Russia has a flat income tax of 13 percent.
A representative for Depardieu declined comment.
Depardieu has made more than 150 films, among them the 1991 comedy "Green Card," co-starring Andie MacDowell, in which Depardieu's character enters a marriage of convenience to get U.S. residency.
According to the U.K. publication The Guardian, Depardieu said in an open letter published in mid-December that he would turn over his passport and French social security card.
His subsequent decision to move to tax-friendly Belgium was slammed by Hollande's government.
"I'm a true European, a citizen of the world," Depardieu wrote in the letter.
Well, which is it? Europe or the World?
The tax on millionaires was struck down by France's highest court last month, but the government has promised to resubmit the law in a slightly different form.
Depardieu is well known in Russia, where he appears in an ad for Sovietsky Bank's credit card and is prominently featured on the bank's home page.
France's civil code says a person must have another nationality in order to give up French citizenship because it is forbidden to be stateless. Thursday's decision by the Kremlin appears to fulfil that requirement.
GEORGE LUCAS ENGAGED: George Lucas is going to get married.
I wonder what color lightsaber the bride will wear.
Lucas and his girlfriend of seven years, businesswoman Mellody Hobson, are engaged, according to the Huffington Post.
The 'Star Wars" creator, 68, will marry Hobson, 43, who is president of the Chicago-based investment management firm, Ariel Investments LLC. The pair have been a high-profile couple, often spotted hand-in-hand on the red carpet at such events as the Cannes Film Festival, Formula One Grand Prix races and the NAACP awards.
This will be the second marriage for Lucas. He was married to Marcia Lucas from 1969 to 1983. It will be the first marriage for Hobson, who runs the $3 billion investment firm and is a regular financial contributor to "Good Morning America."
So it's safe to say she doesn't need his money.
Lucas recently made headlines after donating $4 billion to an education foundation — the amount he received after selling Lucasfilm Ltd. (which Lucas solely owned) to Disney.
Contact Tony Hicks at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks.
Friday, Jan. 4, is the fourth day of 2013. There are 361 days left in the year.
1821: The first native-born American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, died in Emmitsburg, Md.
1896: Utah was admitted as the 45th state.
1904: The Supreme Court, in Gonzalez v. Williams, ruled that Puerto Ricans were not aliens and could enter the United States freely; however, the court stopped short of declaring them U.S. citizens.
1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his State of the Union address, called for legislation to provide assistance for the jobless, elderly, impoverished children and the handicapped.
1943: Soviet dictator Josef Stalin appeared on the cover of Time as the magazine's 1942 "Man of the Year."
1951: During the Korean War, North Korean and Communist Chinese forces recaptured the city of Seoul.
1960: Author and philosopher Albert Camus died in an automobile accident in Villeblevin, France, at age 46.
1964: Pope Paul VI began a visit to the Holy Land, the first papal pilgrimage of its kind, as he arrived in Jerusalem.
1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his State of the Union address in which he outlined the goals of his "Great Society," a series of domestic policy initiatives aimed at growing the economy and improving the quality of life for all.
1974: President Richard M. Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
1987: Sixteen people were killed when an Amtrak train bound from Washington, D.C., to Boston collided with Conrail locomotives that had crossed into its path from a side track in Chase, Md.
1990: Charles Stuart, who'd claimed he'd been wounded and that his pregnant wife was fatally shot by a robber, leapt to his death off a Boston bridge after he himself became a suspect.
2007: Britney Spears lost custody of her two sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline a day after police and paramedics were called to her home. Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female speaker of the House as Democrats took control of Congress.
2011: Defying Republican lawmakers, President Barack Obama barreled past the Senate and used a recess appointment to name Richard Cordray the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Football Hall-of-Fame coach Don Shula (83), actress Dyan Cannon (76), rock musician Bernard Sumner (New Order, Joy Division) (57), rock singer Michael Stipe (53), actor Dave Foley (50), actress Dot Jones (TV: "Glee") (49), actress Julia Ormond (48), alt-country singer Justin Townes Earle (31).


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Those doomsdayers predicting the end of print journalism won't like this story.
It's about a group of newspaper lovers who aren't about to let their newspaper die. And they aren't a bunch of gray-haired people, supposedly the newspaper demographic.
They're all teenagers.
When student journalists at Pleasant Valley High School were told their venerable newspaper, the Saga, was being killed, they responded like any aspiring journalist would: They rebelled.
Nobody was going to steal their First Amendment right, even if the school cut off their access to funding and computers, and eliminated the five-unit class that attracted a couple of dozen students every year to put out the student newspaper.
A handful of students, led by a couple of incredibly motivated and intelligent upperclassmen, met after hours off campus and pieced together their own print edition. The front-page flag says, "The Saga Independent." In smaller type: "A Former Pleasant Valley High Publication."
The lead story, written by Umran Haji, is headlined "The Saga rises from the ashes." It talks about how PV's administration wants the journalism class to focus on an online newspaper and killed off the print edition, which has been around since 1965. Administrators felt the future was online.
"The thing I always disagreed with from the beginning is, why are they mutually exclusive?" said Alex Scott, editor of the Independent Saga.
They aren't. Newspapers should have both print and online components. The students value, as Haji told me this week, "the reward of making a tangible product."
He quoted sophomore Independent Saga staffer Laretta Johnson as saying, "While an online newspaper may be more modern, it doesn't give you the same ink-on-paper satisfaction of your completed work on distribution day that a print newspaper does."
The journalism class at PV (the online Saga) has 15 students. Scott and Haji recruited 10 from that class, and three others, to help with the unauthorized print newspaper, the Independent Saga.
They produced a 16-page broadsheet by themselves, without adult help, over the course of four long nights. Scott said students brought laptops or used desktops at his father's office one Saturday, working noon to midnight. There were fewer people the following weekend. Then on the last two nights, it was just Scott and Haji.
The final night of production, they finished at 3 a.m. Then they drove the pages to Marysville, where 1,200 copies were printed for $400.
Scott said his father paid for the first printing, but the rest of the school year, they'll have to sell ads. Scott and Haji think they shouldn't have any problem covering the print bill for another three or four issues.
Principal John Shepherd said he understands the students' passion and doesn't consider it an underground newspaper. He said he wanted the Saga to become an online-only publication because it was an English class and the students should be writing more than four to six times a year. (On the other hand, the yearbook class survives and it comes out only once a year.)
The same story has played out for years around the state. Student print publications are dying because of a lack of enthusiastic administrators, teachers — it requires many extra hours — and funding.
There are, however, students willing to do it still at PV. And these are good students.
Scott and Haji said 10 of the 13 students who helped with the print publication are part of PV's renowned International Baccalaureate program. Scott, a senior, has a 3.76 grade-point average and is applying to Stanford, Duke, UC Berkeley and others. Haji, a junior, has a 4.3 GPA and plans to apply to Ivy League schools and Georgetown. His goal is to be elected president. Not of his school, but of the United States.
I asked Scott why such brilliant people are attracted to something — print journalism — that school leaders think is dying.
"That's a wonderful question, and I don't think I can answer," said Scott, who has been involved since he was a freshman.
Haji said good students don't mind staying the extra period after school to work on a newspaper.
"The good students want to do extra things," he said. "Staying an extra hour after school was fun for them."
Haji also said the things learned in journalism — deadline pressure, asking questions, improving your writing — help you become a better student. And there's a reward.
"In most classes, you sit there, you open a book and you learn," said Haji. "In journalism you get to make a tangible product and you get to see the result of your hard work."
You also get that with an online product. But to Haji and Scott, that reward is so much more satisfying when it's sitting in front of you — in print.
David Little is editor of the Enterprise-Record. He can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @ER_DavidLittle.


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How To Host a Chili Cook-off
Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of speaking with three of San Francisco's busiest chefs, the men behind the PlumpJack restaurant kitchens. Jack Falstaff's Jonnatan Leiva, PlumpJack Cafe's Rick Edge, and Balboa Cafe's Jose Lemus each stopped by Balboa to deliver a batch of their ultimate chili. The chefs, along with the firefighters of Station 16, are taking part in an annual chili cook-off, benefiting the San Francisco Firefighter Toy Program. Each chef submitted a recipe for a different type of chili. From now until Friday, November 7th, diners at Balboa will have the chance to sample all four and vote on their favorite. If you don't live in San Francisco you may not be able to taste the chili, but you could host your own chili contest! A chili cook-off is the perfect alternative to a formal Thanksgiving dinner or ideal for game day. To check out my ideas for hosting your own chili cook-off and the PlumpJack chefs' tips for making the best chili,
When Hosting:
- Start by asking a few friends (who enjoy cooking) if they would like to submit a recipe for your contest. Be sure you have enough space to keep the chili warm. For example, if four guests are bringing chili, you'll need four stove tops or oven space for several large pots.
- A batch of chili serves a large group, so invite a bunch of people over to be judges.
- To ensure that the kitchen isn't over crowded, have guests bring the finished chili dish.
- Keep the menu varied and interesting by assigning each chef a different type of chili. The Balboa menu includes a beef chili, a pork chili, a vegetarian chili, and a super spicy chili.
- Set up a toppings bar with grated cheese, sour cream, charred limes, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, cornbread, etc.
- Make the judging anonymous. Give each chili a letter. Print out score sheets and grade the chilis based on taste, texture, smell, color, etc.
- Decorate with dried corn and colorful chili peppers.
- Serve plenty of cold beer.
- Have prizes (a bottle of wine, a limited-edition flavor of Tabasco) for the winning chili.
When submitting a chili recipe:
- Keep the recipe simple.
- Get a good flavor base by slowly cooking the onions and garlic.
- When making vegetarian chili use a lot of vegetables. Grilled mushrooms and grilled tofu are hearty substitutes for meat.
- For maximum flavor-melding, cook the chili for a long time. If you need more stove top space, cook the chili in the oven.
- Roast chili peppers before adding to the chili.
- Take the time to brown the meat before adding it to the chili pot.
Have you ever hosted or attended a chili cook-off? What is your secret for making the perfect chili?


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Native Instruments have teamed up with Berlin based electronic musicians Errorsmith and created a new software synthesizer called Razor. Besides the wobbling sound you can hear in the video above it has a nifty animated graphic display that lead Chris Randal to post on Twitter, "Man, the UI on NI Razor is really fucking nice. #jealous #gonnastealthatstyle #watchme". I personally haven't been touching software synths that much lately but this NI promo is cool enough to make me want to try Razor out. More discussion about Razor: kvraudio
"Razor is a synthesizer i developed in collaboration with Native Instruments. It's programmed in Reaktor, a modular software synthesizer. You don't need to own Reaktor in order to use it. Razor can be loaded in the free Reaktor Player software." – razor.errorsmith.de
For more info: native-instruments.com


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Pension funds investing in farmland is not a new trend. They have long valued the steady income and long-term appreciation of the asset.
However, with farmland's recent explosion into the mainstream as a "hot" investment, people have taken notice how heavily invested into agriculture pension and hedge funds really are.
A recent article posted on Financial Times (The Real Bull Market) takes a closer look at what is fueling the interest of these investors.
The main point that the article makes is that as world population grows, someone is going to have to grow the crops to feed the world. Considering that US contains some of the productive and fertile land in t.h.e world, it stands to reason that investors would take long-term positions in US farmland.
This is not a new opinion.
We've seen numerous forecasters predicting that over the next 50 +/- years farmland would continue to be viewed a a desirable asset as the demand for food increases. If it's one thing that history has taught us, though, it is that nothing is a given.
For the short-term, meaning the next 12-18 months, farmland continues to appear to be a strong market.
However, the variables that help play into farm prices (commodities prices, interest rates, weather patterns, etc.) can change at any time and slow this market down considerably. The buyers that are taking long positions, such as pension funds, have less risk than the buyers who are looking to buy a farm and flip it for a quick profit.
There are owners of vacant condos in Miami and Las Vegas than can tell you that the quick buck in real estate is sometimes easier said than done.


text:
Investigator-Sponsored Protocol - Continued Use of Ibalizumab
This study has been completed.
Kaiser Permanente
TaiMed Biologics Inc.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
William J. Towner, Kaiser Permanente
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: January 22, 2010
Last updated: August 14, 2017
Last verified: August 2017
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
This protocol serves to extend the successful treatment for HIV positive patients beyond the endpoints provided by the Phase 2b TaiMed Biologics-sponsored protocol TMB202 (entitled "A Phase 2b Randomized, Double-Blinded, 48-Week, Multicenter, Dose-Response Study of Ibalizumab Plus an Optimized Background Regimen in Treatment-Experienced Patients Infected with HIV-1 (Amended to 24 Week Study)"), for 24 weeks. Ibalizumab may be administered beyond 24 weeks under this protocol as supply permits and patients continue to demonstrate virologic response.
|HIV Infections
|Drug: ibalizumab
|Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Investigator-Sponsored Protocol - Continued Use of Ibalizumab
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDSU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by William J. Towner, Kaiser Permanente:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Laboratory testing that includes routine HIV-1 viral load and CD4+ cell counts will be completed to assess the continued benefit of ibalizumab to the patient's HIV treatment. [ Time Frame: Every two months ]
|Study Start Date:
|November 2009
|Study Completion Date:
|December 15, 2016
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 15, 2016 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: 800mg Q2Weeks
Subject will receive 800mg of ibalizumab every 2 weeks administered by intravenous infusion. All patients also will receive optimized background regimen
Drug: ibalizumab
Ibalizumab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody and is provided as a parenteral formulation at a concentration of 25mg/mL in a 10mL glass vial, 8mLs per vial, as the investigational product. Study drug will be administered via intravenous infusion at doses of 800mg q2weeks, or 2000mg q4weeks.
Other Names:
Experimental: 2000mg Q4Weeks
Subject will receive 2000mg of ibalizumab every 4 weeks administered by intravenous infusion. All patients also will receive optimized background regimen
Drug: ibalizumab
Ibalizumab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody and is provided as a parenteral formulation at a concentration of 25mg/mL in a 10mL glass vial, 8mLs per vial, as the investigational product. Study drug will be administered via intravenous infusion at doses of 800mg q2weeks, or 2000mg q4weeks.
Other Names:
Detailed Description:
Ibalizumab is to be administered to HIV-infected patients that have responded (defined as a minimum 0.7 log10 decline in HIV-1 viral load from TMB-202 Baseline) on the TMB-202 protocol. In addition to the investigator-selected Optimized Background Regimen, patient(s) will continue to receive the TMB-202 randomized dose of ibalizumab in open-labeled fashion (800mg IV every two weeks or 2000mg IV every four weeks) as per their original drug assignment for the TMB-202 protocol.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Capable of understanding and have voluntarily signed the ICF
- Have documented HIV-1 infection
- Have successfully completed Protocol TMB202 (Amendment 2)(Week 16)
- Have had at least a 0.7 log10 decline in HIV-1 RNA from baseline at Week 16 and beyond while in TMB202 and are no longer eligible to participate in TMB-202 due to TMB-202 protocol-defined virologic failure
- Have not withdrawn or been discontinued from TMB202 9Amendment 2) for any reason
- Are able and willing to comply with all protocol requirements and procedures
- Are 18 years of age or older
- If sexually active, are willing to use an effective method of contraception during the study and for 30days after the last administration of the study drug.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any active AIDS-defining illness per Category C except for cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma and wasting due to HIV
- Any significant disease (other than HIV-1 infection) or clinically significant findings, including psychiatric and behavioral problems, medical history and/or physical examination that, in the investigator's opinion, would preclude the patient from participating in this study
- Any current alcohol or illicit drug use that, in the investigator's opinion, will interfere with the patient's ability to comply with the study schedule and protocol evaluations
- Any previous clinically significant allergy or hypersensitivity to any excipient in the ibalizumab formulation
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01056393
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01056393
|United States, California
|Kaiser Permanente Southern California
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 90027
Sponsors and Collaborators
Kaiser Permanente
TaiMed Biologics Inc.
|Principal Investigator:
|William Towner, MD
|Kaiser Permanente
More Information
Keywords provided by William J. Towner, Kaiser Permanente:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|William J. Towner, Partner Physician, Kaiser Permanente
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01056393 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|January 22, 2010
|Last Updated:
|August 14, 2017
Keywords provided by William J. Towner, Kaiser Permanente:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Autopsies have been completed for two people who died among flames after their vehicle overturned in an embankment in Metamora Township, according to Lapeer County investigators.
James Carroll, 31, died in the crash early Tuesday after his 1993 Cadillac went airborne at a dirt embankment on Barber Road, just north of East Davison Lake Road. The Metamora resident's passenger -- 34-year-old Waterford resident Todd Cochran -- also died in the accident.
The blaze completely engulfed the vehicle, according to the Lapeer County Medical Examiner's Office.
While the specific model of Cadillac was built without a black box, Lapeer Detective Sgt. Jason Parks said that many factors may have played a part in the accident.
Look for more on this story later in the afternoon.


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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that would protect juvenile detainees in facilities run by the Department of Juvenile Justice, a response to the death of a kid in a Palm Beach County lockup, is moving in the House.
The measure (HB 353), which was approved earlier this week in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee came out of a recommendation in a Palm Beach County Grand Jury report issued last year on the death of Eric Perez.
Perez died of a cerebral hemorrhage in July 2011. The grand jury found that supervisors, guards and a nurse at the Palm Beach Regional Detention Center ignored signs that he'd been ill for more than six hours after he sustained two blows to the head during "horseplay" with guards. Witnesses said the guards were searching Perez and others for unauthorized snacks.
A subsequent DJJ inspector general's report found that agency employees failed to call for help because they thought Perez was faking his illness. One witness described hearing a supervisor say he wouldn't transport Perez to Columbia Hospital to avoid filling out an incident report.
But while the grand jury report was scathing, it also concluded that criminal charges couldn't be filed against the guards because there was no basis for doing so in state law.
The bill, therefore, expands the definition of child abuse to include youths in DJJ detention facilities. While the measure, sponsored by Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, was approved unanimously by the House committee on Tuesday, it still doesn't have a Senate companion.
Harrell said the measure also protects corrections officers and other staff.
"It's a balancing act of protecting the youth who are in the facilities but also protecting and making sure that the corrections officers have the ability to do what they need to do," Harrell said. "And yes, there are some whacked-out kids there … but also we want to make sure that we are not abusing those youth who are in our care and custody, and making sure we can put them on the right track."
The bill goes next to the House Judiciary Committee.
Copyright 2013 by The News Service of Florida. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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MIDDLETOWN -- The description of the suspect who robbed the Tri-Counties bank Thursday afternoon is nearly identical to several other recent robberies.
At approximately 4:38 p.m., deputies from the Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) responded to the Tri-Counties Bank in Middletown for a robbery, according to LCSO Lt. Steve Brooks.
It was reported that a man walked into the bank and asked the teller to make change for a $10 bill.
When the teller turned to make change, the suspect handed a note to the teller that allegedly demanded to give him all of the large bills, Brooks stated.
There was no mention of a firearm by the suspect, nor was one displayed.
The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of money, walked out of the bank and was last seen getting into a gold or champagne colored four-door sedan and drove toward Highway 175, Brooks stated.
He was described by bank employees as a white man, heavy set, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black framed glasses with clear lenses.?
LCSO deputies, detectives and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers arrived at the scene and conducted a search of the area with negative results, Brooks stated. Crime scene investigators also responded to collect evidence, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was notified of the robbery.
It is believed this is the same suspect who entered Tri-Counties Bank Feb. 27 to obtain change for a $100 bill and less than an hour later robbed the Westamerica Bank, Brooks stated. The accompanying photo is believed to be the suspect in the robberies.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 263-2690.


text:
The industry stoked the fires of public discontent with its campaign against the "inconsistencies" in the soda ban. Why doesn't the ban apply to milky drinks, why can 7-Eleven sell large sugary drinks, and why not ban refills? Justice Milton Tingling Jr. bought both industry arguments: It won't work and it is inconsistent. He went so far as to call the ban "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences" and filled with loopholes. Again, we find a double standard.
Bloomberg did what every other politician does: balance public health and safety with realpolitik. Consider one of the judge's major arguments: balancing public health and economic considerations is "impermissible." This judicial reasoning makes no sense. If policy makers could not balance economic consequences, virtually every law in America would be flawed. There is another huge problem with this argument. It assumes that unless public health does everything, it can do nothing. The whole art of politics is compromise. The mayor gets a lot of what he seeks to fight obesity, but not everything.


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Where can you get a signed, pristine copy of David Brin's Web-presaging novel Earth in hardback? Not at your local superstore: It's out of print. And not at Amazon.com: You might find the paperback (forget about the hardback), but it won't be signed by the author.
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com to report an issue.
You can, however, find it at Basement Full of Books, a Web site of authors and their remaindered science fiction and fantasy novels. BFoB lets you directly contact writers, such as Harlan Ellison, Ursula Le Guin, and Pat Cadigan, who often have boxes of their books in their basements.
Founded by Vonda N. McIntyre, an award-winning author who realized she couldn't afford to buy ads to sell the novels she bought back from her publisher, BFoB is now run by Dallas-based programmer Jeffry Dwight. It's a great way to find a rare title and keep your favorite sci-fi writer in grocery money.
Basement Full of Books: free. BFoB: www.sff.net/bfob/.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.