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it's one of those days when everything around me reminds me about my dad. i guess no one starts this journey thinking that no matter what you do, there's nothing that can help. i remember thinking of ways to give my dad hope, when he'd feel down. Then I'd remember the way i talked to him the day before he went into the hospital because he didn't want me to go out to the local clubs. I'd feel so guilty- so sorry. Then I'd shake my head and try to forget those things because here I was taking care of my dad, along with my sister, mom, and two younger brothers. It seemed like every effort we gave we were pushed down with negativity- and my poor daddy, having to bear it all and still be strong for the boys.
My dad was 45 years old, a very healthy and active guy. Every sunday he had a soccer game and everyday he'd go to the gym for two hours.. they say exercise always helps. So what went wrong? I remember the night we got a call from his girlfriend telling us that he was in the hospital. I was so scared- I'd never known my dad to even suffer from a cold and now he was in the hospital! He was at our local hospital for two weeks- in Laredo,TX, before doctors concluded it was CC. We'd been begging the doctors to release him so we could take him to MD Anderson a mere 4.5hrs away. but they'd just laugh in our face and say- you need to worry about your dad's will, not treatment. My dad would want to be alone for a good while- i guess to let everything around him sink in. But before you knew it my little brothers (8 and 11 years old) would come barging in the room to cheer him up. I can see his eyes sparkling when they walked into the room. When we finally got a release- we felt we were reaching that light at the end of the tunnel. That same day, we flew my dad to houston and admitted him to MD anderson asap. we were all motivated and ready to put up any fight that was needed. The next day, doctors walked in to tell us that there was nothing we could do, but keep him comfortable. my dad never gave up- it had been weeks since he'd had a solid meal, because it was too painful for him and drs didn't recommend it. although he was weak, he managed to keep his charm strong- flirting with my mom and apologizing for everything he'd done. for a week we lived in that hospital, my mom stayed by my dads side night and day, while my sister and i took my brothers to my uncle's house to sleep. AFter three days, my dad went into a coma. He'd wake up for a few seconds, but it was so hard for him to keep his eyes open. no matter what...He always found the strength to say i love you when we would leave and give us a big hug. Then on November 26 at 6.50am my sister called me hysterical to wake my brothers and go to the hospital. We arrived at 7.45 and as we parked my sister called to tell me my daddy had passed. i couldn't believe it- and i guess i still cant.
For, those who are taking this battle head on- I wish you the best of luck and don't ever ever give up. And for those who have lost the battle- i praise those of you who are here for having the courage to keep living... may God be with everyone who is somehow touched by this horrible condition. and let us never ever forget those who have fought to the end.


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Kingstonian and Hampton & Richmond Borough will each be at home should they win their respective FA Trophy replays on Tuesday night.
Ks were held 2-2 by Ryman Division One North Brentwood Town at Kingsmeadow on Saturday, while the Beavers drew 1-1 at Ryman Premeir League rivals Leiston.
Kingstonian will host Dartford, while Hampton can look forward to a visit from either Chelmsford City or Dover Athletic.

subset: commoncrawl


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Keep kids learning
Worried your kid forgets everything they've learnt when not at school? Here's how to keep their brain sharp. more
Yersiniosis is an illness caused when people eat undercooked meat that has been contaminated with the yersinia bacteria. People with yersiniosis have the bacteria in their poo, and they can spread the illness to others if they don't wash their hands. The most common signs of the illness are diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Most cases of yersiniosis go away in a few days, but infants can be at risk for a more serious infection.
Yersiniosis is caused by bacteria called yersinia. The bacteria live in animals, and people get it from eating meat that hasn't been cooked well enough. You can also get sick from unpasteurised milk and contaminated water. People who have yersiniosis carry the bacteria in their poo. They can spread the illness to other people if they don't wash their hands after using the bathroom.
Yersiniosis is a common cause of diarrhoea, and it usually isn't serious. Most of the time, the illness goes away on its own. In very serious cases, the bacteria can enter the blood and infect other parts of the body, but this is rare. Babies are most at risk from becoming seriously ill from yersiniosis.
The best way to prevent your kids from yersiniosis is by ensuring they practice good hygiene. Teach your kids that the best way to keep from getting sick is to wash their hands often and for at least ten seconds. You should also wash your hands after changing your child's nappies, and when helping them use the bathroom. You should also wash your hands when preparing food, especially after handling meats such as chicken and pork, to prevent cross contamination between foods.
You may not know your child has yersiniosis. Since the most common sign of yersiniosis is diarrhoea, you will probably not know exactly what caused it. Like many other bacterial infections, yersiniosis can also cause fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In severe infections, your child may have abdominal pain that looks a lot like appendicitis.
Yersiniosis usually goes away on its own after a few days. While your child is sick, keep her home, make sure she gets rest and plenty of fluids, and use paracetamol for fever. Babies with yersiniosis and older children with severe cases might need to take antibiotics and be hospitalized while they are sick. Keep your child home to prevent infecting other children.
Always call the doctor if your baby appears to have yersiniosis. Also, call the doctor right away if your child has signs of dehydration, which may include a lack of tears when she cries, dry mouth, sunken eyes, and fewer wet nappies.
Last revised: Monday, 18 January 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


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iHerb Customer Reviews
The Power of Neem
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The Power of Neem
I use Neem leaves in my practice for people with fungal and mold issues. I have been in practice as a healer and licensed acupuncturist/herbalist for over 20 years. During this time I have had many patients with mold and fungal issues and tried a number of remedies. Nothing comes even close in effectiveness. The price and potency of the Neem leaves from Nature´s Way are consistently good as well. If you have not tried this remedy you should.
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The Power of Neem
Posted by iHerb Customer on Mar 02, 2014 | Verified Purchase
I use Neem leaves in my practice for people with fungal and mold issues. I have been in practice as a healer and licensed acupuncturist/herbalist for over 20 years. During this time I have had many patients with mold and fungal issues and tried a number of remedies. Nothing comes even close in effectiveness. The price and potency of the Neem leaves from Nature´s Way are consistently good as well. If you have not tried this remedy you should.
happy customer
Posted by LadyEnigma on Jul 03, 2016 | Verified Purchase
I originally started to take Goldenseal for a tooth infection. I'd had a root canal, but the infection was lingering, even after antibiotics. (Goldenseal helped more than the antibiotic, btw) After a week of Goldenseal, I still wasn't confident the infection wouldn't return, so I started taking Neem because I'd read that it is similar to Goldenseal & Echinacea, which I believe is true (and the price of Neem seems to be better as well) Most importantly, though, is the effect that Neem has had on my moderate acne. I've had acne for years, and it got worse over the last year or so. I was starting to have a new breakout right before I started taken Neem. Now, a week later, I haven't had a single new pimple. That's very rare for me. Amazingly, the scars seem to have faded too! I almost went out today without wearing my makeup, which is something I NEVER do, because I believe Neem has helped. I love this herb and would recommend it if you need to detoxify your skin. I've also heard Burdock Root is good for acne, but I haven't tried that. Give Neem a shot! **If you find my review useful, click "YES" and see more useful info by clicking on my name.
Life Saver
Posted by iHerb Customer on Jul 15, 2012 | Verified Purchase
Neem is my number one go to, It has changed the brightness and texture of my skin. I have really bad digestive issues and it seems to calm my stomach from erupting into major pain after eating spicey foods! I really do not want to talk about my personal issues but let's just say I had possible foot odour (hypothetical), it can take care of that. It helps maintain all types of bad odour. I love it, I just love it!
Clear up my skin
Posted by iHerb Customer on Oct 06, 2009 | Verified Purchase
I was having some serious acne that probably would have required some antibiotics to clear up. Not wanting to go the antibiotics route, I decided to take Neem in combination with Myrrh to calm down my skin. After about two weeks, I noticed a big improvement. My skin had fewer eruptions and the existing acne had dried up.
Love NEEM
Posted by iHerb Customer on Apr 27, 2009 | Verified Purchase
Best for diabetes...even doctors are astonished because something as simple as this and not as costly as meds really does help sugar levels...I take mine 2 caps 3 x day with meals....in the AM I add the supplement Chromium Picolinate 800 mg. Gr8 - Viviana
Great for skin
Posted by iHerb Customer on Aug 18, 2008 | Verified Purchase
My daughter has eczema and has been taking Neem for about 2 weeks. Her skin is looking much better.
Great for eczema!
Posted by iHerb Customer on Nov 30, 2009 | Verified Purchase
This Neem has helped my mom's eczema tremendously. It is a great product and I would definitely recommend it to anybody with skin problems.
Helps with yeast issues.
Posted by iHerb Customer on Oct 02, 2008 | Verified Purchase
Big help if you have yeast infections.
Neem for life
Posted by iHerb Customer on Nov 03, 2010 | Verified Purchase
I have been taken this for a year now and would say I would continue taking neem for life! There is a number of benefits of taking neem but the most visible effects would be in relation to odour – any type of bodily odour as well as bleeding gums. My gums just stopped bleeding and I think this has much to do with neem! Neem is just amazing and of course this particular make is well worth considering – it is reliable and a good value for money – I would keep buying this brand and product!
Superb service and products
Posted by iHerb Customer on Jan 04, 2010 | Verified Purchase
my Husband has suffered from athletes foot for many years. nothing seemed to help, in fact it has now deteriorated into a nail fungus infection. Since using Neem the problem has greatly improved.


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Hello Blake,
After practicing my putting last night, I realized that it was about time to ask for some help. I know that practicing bad form when it comes to putting can actually be more detrimental to your game than not practicing at all.
I find that after changing multiple forms that I have adopted a straddle putt for which I have the most success with, however I hate changing to a regular stance for anything further out than 35'. Overall, I would be much more satisfied with a regular stance if I could become consistant with it.
Of course I have read your articles for putting many many times. One thing that I have noticed about watching many of the pros putting videos is that on their release, their putter seems to flutter. I can see that this could drastically reduce cut throughs (which seems to be a big problem of mine). I have been using a birdie grip for a long time now, and would hate to give that up, as it is most comfortable for me. However, my release seems very smooth and I never have any flutter whatsoever, even if I try.....
My accuracy is so terrible that I have gotten quite frustrated with it. Some days I can't even hit 15 footers. I would say that my putt most resembles a push putt, as I try to keep it in line with the basket, from my chest out to my release. I also use an anhyzer putt, but I believe I can switch to a hyzer putt if I truely needed to. (keeping it flat just doesn't seem to go well for me)
I have switched putters many times and have tried everything out there. I believe I have the most success with my old school classic aviars, big bead (I've had two of them since I was about 10 years old, about 13 years old). I'm not sure if the type of putter I use is relevant, but I thought I would mention it anyways.
I was wondering if you could give me any pointers. I know this may be difficult to identify what is wrong with my putt without seeing video of it, but I would appreciate any help/advice that I could get. Thanks again.


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Advantage: Bears
It had to happen sooner or later and today was the day. For only the second time this year, the S&P 500 dropped more than 1%. The last time that happened, on Feb. 4, the market gapped up the next morning and then continued the slow and steady uptrend. Is it different this time? Are we finally seeing the long-awaited topping process? Are the bears finally going to see the downside they have been warning about since the gap up to start the year?
As I've said many times, let the price action be our guide -- and the price action today certainly warrants caution. What was particularly problematic was that the selling actually accelerated into the close, which is something that we have not seen in a long while. If some downside follows through, it will definitely be a major change in market character....141 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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INSTEON Thermostat with Humidity - Works w/ Heat/Cool Systems - 2732-292Item#: 13290545 | Model#: 2732-292
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Additional Resources
INSTEON Thermostat with Humidity Product Details
INSTEON Thermostat with Humidity
Want to control your home's thermostat from another room? Opt for INSTEON Thermostat with Humidity. This gadget provides you a medium to check home or office temperature, so that you can take corrective action as and when needed. Due to this gadget you can easily save on the electricity consumption. This gadget also preserves the settings in non-volatile memory in case of any power failure. So, don't wait too long, order the INSTEON Thermostat with Humidity at the earliest of time!
What It Is And Why You Need It:
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Note: Requires Insteon Controller
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Simply replace your existing thermostat* and link it to any INSTEON controller such as a Mini Remote, KeypadLinc** or your smartphone using the INSTEON Hub.**
The INSTEON Thermostat also works like a standard thermostat with local control, four automatic modes and 7-day programmable settings--allowing independent settings for individual days, weekdays, weekends and every day--so there's no hassles with training your family on how to use it.In addition to remote control, program the thermostat as an INSTEON controller to activate other appliances in your home based on temperature, humidity or mode changes. Here are just a few of the limitless scenarios:
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- Insteon logos are registered trademarks of Insteon. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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I hope we hear "Rush and Diener in" a few more times this year.
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I hope we hear "Rush and Diener in" a few more times this year.
What a weight off of these guy's shoulders. Sheesh.
No Linking to your own site if it sells something.
Sean Williams may end up being better then Granger... jmho
"He wanted to get to that money time. Time when the hardware was on the table. That's when Roger was going to show up. So all we needed to do was stay close"
Darnell Hillman (Speaking of former teammate Roger Brown)
I doubt it tho
R.I.P. Bernic Mac & Isaac Hayes
finally - beating a team who has won previously!
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
Shawne's +/- is +30 right now...
Diener is hurt with 2 seconds to go. Jesus.
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
Diener looks hurt now
R.I.P. Bernic Mac & Isaac Hayes
THey just hurt our ball boy!
ballby is down!
woohooo Pacers winnnn !!
No Linking to your own site if it sells something.
That is an oversimplification. It's just the same impending sense of doom that the P's have been giving off lately. Glad they broke the habit for one night.
wow, you guys are funny, winning by 20, beating crap out of Jazz, shoooting more free throws yet still complaining about refs? Do you need 40 pts win to be happy?
Just enjoy the win please... congrats.
Hey! Only once did we collectively complain about the refs (and that was with good cause, I might say).


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Bios For Lava Planet, Hive Wars and Nightstorm Predators...
Later this month, Predator fans will be treated to NECA's "Kenner Homage" wave. Taking inspiration from the original Kenner Expanded Universe designs, NECA has applied modern sculpting, detail and articulation to upgrade these vintage Predators for the new millennium. Series 10 includes Lava Planet Predator, Hive Wars Predator, and Nightstorm Predator.
Pictured is a look at the card back and bios for all three figures.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


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Gekko is cast as the fictional archetypal hustler; the big-time trader/speculator/corpo- rate raider who made "greed is good" the signature catch phrase of the go-go 1980s.
In the Oliver Stone film, Gekko is played to a tee by actor Michael Douglas. Douglas, in fact, won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Gekko, the unscrupulous corporate raider who stops at nothing to get what he wants.
Nearly twenty years later, the fictional Gekko played by Douglas had left enough of an impression that he was used on the cover of the June 2005 Fortune magazine at right to spotlight a story on the new greed of Wall Street. And more recently, by 2008-2009, during the latest financial crisis, with greed still doing its thing big time, references to Gekko and his quips were once again being heard. And by May 2010, a sequel to the 1987 film, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, was released, featuring a reformed Gordon Gekko, having served his prison term. In the piece that follows here, however, the first film is the focus, exploring its history and audience reaction, and why in some cases its characters were emulated and its central message missed and/or unheeded.
The 1980s
Producer Oliver Stone set his Wall Street film in the mid-1980s, around the time several insider trading scandals and prosecutions were in the news. The film also portrayed the high-flying life styles of New York traders rolling in their Wall Street largesse during that era. In addition to capturing the essence of the Gordon Gekko character and his "take-no-prisoners" school of capitalism, the film also featured the "wanna-be-like Gordon" strivings of young trader, Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen. Fox soon becomes Gekko's protégé and partner in crime, living in the fast lane for a time, with an Upper East Side condo, beautiful live-in companion Darien (Daryl Hannah), while making bundles of money — all courtesy of Gordon Gekko. But young Bud eventually sees through his hot-shot mentor and the damages his wheeling and dealing can cause — including one plan to buy, eviscerate, and sell off as parts, the airplane company his working-class father, Carl Fox, is employed by ( Sheen's fictional dad in this case is also his real one, Martin Sheen, playing a union leader who tries to warn his son that Gekko is using him). Bud gets caught by the Feds while doing some insider handiwork for Gekko, but later turns government informant, wearing a wire, to help send his former boss to jail. The film ends with Bud heading to court, presumably to seal the case against Gekko.One of the more memorable and much quoted moments of the film comes when Gekko gives a speech at a shareholders' meeting of Teldar Paper, a company he is planning to take over. This is the famous "greed is good" speech as Gekko defends his planned takeover, pointing to the bloated and wasteful ways of post-War corporate America, using Teldar's management as Exhibit A, and claiming himself the company's saviour — a "liberator" of value (see sidebar below).
Parts of this fictional speech are reported to have come from actual speeches that real-world Wall Streeters had given — namely by corporate raider Carl Icahn and financial wheeler-dealer Ivan Boesky. Ichan had railed against corporate management who owned little of their own companies, had too many high-level executives, and were otherwise inefficient. And Ivan Boesky is credited with inspiring the "greed is good" line, paraphrased from a May 18, 1986 commencement address he gave at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Business Administration. Boesky said then: "Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself." Boesky was later one of those convicted of insider-trading.
"Greed is Good"
In the film, Gordon Gekko is given the opportunity to address the Teldar Company's shareholders assembled in a large meeting hall. This is the speech that ends with his famous "greed is good" remarks. During the meeting, Gekko takes to the floor, microphone in hand, thanking the company chairman, Mr. Cromwell, for the opportunity to speak — adding, "after all, I am Teldar's single largest shareholder." Gekko then proceeds to walk down the center aisle of the meeting, with shareholders all around him, offering his views:GEKKO: Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality. America has become a second-rate power. Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now, in the days of the free market, when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today, manage- ment has no stake in the company!
GEKKO: All together, these men sitting up here [pointing to Teldar management] own less than 3 percent of the company. And where does Mr. Cromwell put his million-dollar salary? Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than 1 percent.
GEKKO: You own the company. That's right — you, the stockholder. And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats, with their steak lunches, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.
CROMWELL: This is an outrage! You're out of line, Gekko!GEKKO: Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents, each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can't figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost $110 million dollars last year, and I'll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents.
GEKKO: The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them!
GEKKO: The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good.
GEKKO: Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed — you mark my words — will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
GEKKO: Thank you very much.
Not A BlockbusterOliver Stone's Wall Street in 1987 was not a blockbuster at the box office. It grossed about $43 million, finishing at No. 26 for the domestic box office. But 1987, it should be remembered, was a year when the real world stock market had a bit of crash in October. The movie came out in December, and despite what some might have seen as good timing, the audience for business stories then was not exactly torrid. In addition, some reviewers had their criticisms, while others were not especially inclined toward the film. Still, Wall Street had its fans, leaving lasting impressions on some young viewers. Recalling in later years his initial reaction to the film, one reviewer at IGN.com wrote: "…I love Wall Street. When it came out, I read Ken Lipper's novelization to fully immerse myself in it. In my mid-teens I bought the script at a convention and learned it cover to cover…." And at least one Wall Street player who viewed the film at a special Wall Street screening in December 1987 offered his impression to a New York Times reporter: "It laid bare the real motivations," he said, requesting anonymity at the time. "People pretend that they are doing something noble, raising capital to support America's businesses, but Wall Street is just about making money." In the film, the character played by Hal Holbrook, a wizened and more thoughtful stockbroker, attempts to mentor young Bud Fox at the trading firm where both work.
Holbrook represents, in Oliver Stone's words, "the positive forces in the market." He is also part Oliver Stone's father, who was in real life a stockbroker for 40 years and believed Wall Street "could do a lot of good," according to Stone. In the film, Holbrook, represents the old patient school of investing, and he tries to teach Bud Fox the ethics of the business. But Fox, at first, is more enamored of the deal, deal maker Gekko, and the quick, big money."It's easy to see why Gekko's elegant evil is more enticing than Holbrook's broadly played naysayer or even Martin Sheen's appealing father figure," wrote the Washington Post's Rita Kempley in her December 1987 review of the film. "He's cocky as a test pilot, amoral as a vampire and fanatic as the ayatollah." Kempley continues: "Douglas plays Gekko with a terrible intensity. He raves and rants, but he has a rascal's humor. 'The thing you've got to remember about WASPs: They love animals and can't stand people,' he confides to his protégé, explaining his support of the Bronx Zoo."
Gekko, in fact, is quick with the quips that sum up the tough-guy trader ethos: "Lunch is for wimps," he says at one point. And he has a bunch of others as well — "Money never sleeps"; "What's worth doing is worth doing for money"; "If you need a friend, get a dog." "If you're not inside your outside." Here's Gekko boasting to Bud about how he made some of his early money: "You see that building? I bought that building ten years ago. My first real estate deal. Sold it two years later, made an $800,000 profit. It was better than sex. At the time I thought that was all the money in the world. Now it's a day's pay." Gekko also tells Fox during the film:
"…We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you Buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you."
But perhaps one of the best lines in the film goes to Carl Fox, Martin Sheen's character, trying to counsel his son on the better course: "…Money's only something you need in case you don't die tomorrow…" And here's another from Bud Fox's stock-trading co-worker, Marv: "We're all just one trade away from humility."
"What's intriguing about Wall Street…," wrote film critic Robert Ebert in his 1987 review, "is that the movie's real target isn't Wall Street criminals who break the law. Stone's target is the value system that places profits and wealth and the Deal above any other consideration. His film is an attack on an atmosphere of financial competitiveness so ferocious that ethics are simply irrelevant, and the laws are sort of like the referee in pro wrestling — part of the show."Although Wall Street was not a box office smash when it first came out, the film enjoyed a bit of a renaissance in 1989 and 1990 as the prosecutions of Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken unfolded for their insider trading. Milken, best known as the "Junk Bond King" in the 1980s, was indicted on 98 counts of racketeering and fraud and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, though he served less than two. By 1990 Newsweek had a cover story that asked "Is Greed Dead?" Michael Douglas, in any case, left behind a memorable character in Gordon Gekko; a character who has stayed with the culture for some years now, and is periodically mentioned whenever Wall Street excesses flow. Through the 2000s, the film or Gekko received occasional mention, as in the 2005 Fortune magazine story. At the film's 20th anniversary in 2007, a special edition DVD was released that included an introduction by Oliver Stone, extensive deleted scenes, "greed is good" featurettes, and interviews with Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen.
Lessons Learned?Oliver Stone's intention with his film in 1987 was to show Wall Street's excesses and its callousness, and with Gekko, a repulsive character, whose quips and creed were put on display as bad example. Yet if the film's message was meant to discourage Gekko's brand of behavior, it may have fallen short. Some critics, in fact, felt the film was a little too good at glorifying the values it set out to deplore. The film's screenwriter, Stanley Weiser, actors Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, and Oliver Stone would all acknowledge this to some degree, noting that people would tell them they admired the Gekko and Fox characters in their hard-charging Wall Street styles and money-making schemes. Some even said they went into business or became stockbrokers because of what they saw in the film. Douglas told a reporter that the continued resonance of Gekko in this popular vein was "probably been the biggest surprise of my career; that people say that this seductive villain has motivated [them] to go into this business." Oliver Stone has said much the same thing. "I can't tell you how many young people who have come up to me and said 'I went to Wall Street because of that movie'," he said in a 2009 conversation with New York Times reporter Tim Arango. "…So I think the movie was misunderstood by some," Stone explains, "because it was about a horrible thing going on; about how people would worship money at all costs." Stone, who today also teaches college students in a film course, has told them, "Wall Street can be the engine of capitalism," to create opportunity, but he adds that Wall Street has increasingly not done that "because there's more money in speculation."
In more recent years, closer to the 2007-2009 economic crisis, references to Gordon Gekko have come around a bit more as Stone intended. Now Gekko's name appears to be finding some new instructional currency. "Today we are still clean- ing up the mess of the 21st-century children of Gor- don Gekko."
– Kevin Rudd, Australian P.M. In an October 8th, 2008 speech by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, titled "The Children of Gordon Gekko," for example, Rudd takes aim at the financial crisis of 2007-2008. "It is perhaps time now to admit that we did not learn the full lessons of the greed-is-good ideology," he said. "And today we are still cleaning up the mess of the 21st-century children of Gordon Gekko." Similarly, in Italy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a Vatican official, cited Gekko's greed is good slogan in remarks he made in July 2009 to Italian Senators in Rome. Cardinal Bertone said the free market had been replaced by a greed market, blaming such a mentality for the 2007-2008 financial crisis. And in September 2009, former Harvard Business School graduate, Philip Delves Broughton, now a writer for the London Evening Standard, observed:
…Gekko's Greed is Good speech is still shown to MBA students at business schools. It is intended as a morality lesson, but ends up feeling more like a pep talk. At my old business school, Harvard, Gekko's speech electrified a snoozy morning class on leadership. By the time Gekko was done berating the board of Teldar Paper, the entire class was grinning and alert.
For most MBA students that speech is less a parody than a guiding phil- osophy. Over the past year, as Wall Street froze hiring and many MBA students struggled to find work, a wave of ethical re-evaluation swept business school campuses. A group of Harvard Business School students even came up with an MBA oath, vowing to be responsible, law-abiding, civic-minded business people.
It was not the kind of thing anyone bothered with when the economy was roaring along and students could still fantasize about gliding from business school into a world of Gekko-ish riches.
Still, among bankers in recent months, there has been some one-upping of the Gekko creed with a new twist. In November 2009, Barclays CEO John Varley stood at a church lectern in London telling his audience that "profit is not satanic." The 53-year-old head of Britain's second-biggest bank was there in part to defend high pay to bankers. "Profit is not satanic."
-John Varley, Barclays Bank Rewarding high-performing bankers with more pay, he explained, didn't conflict with Christian values. Bankers in Britain had taken to the churches in response to critics who charged them with creating great disparities in wealth and inequality. A few weeks earlier, Goldman Sachs International adviser, Brian Griffiths, giving a talk at London's St. Paul's Cathedral had stated: "The injunction of Jesus to love others as ourselves is an endorsement of self-interest…. We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieving greater prosperity and opportunity for all." Gordon Gekko, no doubt, would be smiling over that one, but others might find it downright un-Christian.
Meanwhile, Gordon Gekko himself is set to make a renewed appearance on the scene in a forthcoming sequel of the Wall Street film, this one set in the current financial world.
The Sequel
A sequel to 1987's Wall Street film has been rumored for years, and in October 2008, it was reported that 20th Century Fox began fast-tracking production for a follow-up film. The sequel, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, is scheduled for release some time in 2010. This film finds Gordon Gekko released from prison, having served a 20-year sentence for his nefarious deeds. Now, however, he faces a much different Wall Street than the one he left. "Gekko would no longer exist in this new Wall Street," says Oliver Stone. "The big players now are major banks and hedge funds … the money's too big." In the new film, Stone says, "greed is now legal." This version of Wall Street will draw inspiration from the current credit crunch and money-making schemes of hedge fund swindlers. There will also be more emphasis on the role of investment banks and less on traditional stock trading. The film will have more of a global scope as well, ranging from Wall Street to Abu Dabai, the Far East, and other locations, including New York's Federal Reserve Bank.
New York Times business columnist, Gretchen Morgenson, learning of the forthcoming sequel in September 2009, and musing on the prospects for a new storyline for the fresh-from-prison Gordon Gekko, offered the following possibilities:
…Gordon Gekko is delighted to see that his views on greed have spawned a growth industry. No longer must he endure criticism when he preaches that greed is good; his concept has in fact gained acceptance at the highest reaches of commerce. Even better, the United States government has taken the view that on the rare occasions when greed goes bad, the taxpayer will be there to pick up the tab.
To be sure, Mr. Gekko is sorry to have missed out on the billions he could have made during the subprime mortgage boom. But he recognizes that his exit from prison is perfectly timed in another way. In the aftermath of the credit bubble, 17,000-square-foot mansions in Greenwich, Conn., go begging, Gulfstream jets can be bought on the cheap and prestigious golf clubs no longer have years-long waiting lists.
Because he went to jail for securities fraud and probably agreed to sanctions in the case, Mr. Gekko is barred from working for a financial firm or becoming a registered investment adviser. Still there are other possibilities: starting a hedge fund that accepts only a handful of wealthy and sophisticated clients, for example. Based in the Cayman Islands, the Gekko Insider Insights Fund will almost certainly specialize in high-frequency trading, the investment strategy du jour. Just as certain: investors, eager to hire a manager of such notoriety and business acumen, will throw billions Mr. Gekko's way.Others are hoping that whatever form the sequel takes, it might actually do some good. "Sequels don't have a great reputation," offers Philip Delves Broughton, writing in the London Evening Standard, "but if Stone and Douglas can pull this one off, if they can crystallize the horrors which unfolded at the summit of Wall Street these past few years, they will do us all a great service."
At the very least, it can only be hoped that Mr. Gekko, or other "greed is good" successors who may emerge in this film, do not go happily sailing off into some loophole-filled Caribbean sunset with new scam intact. Rather, some clear comeuppance and swift justice would be welcome — especially so there can be no doubt about take-away message. Then again, the real world events of the financial melt down of 2007-2008, ably reported in a number of probing book-length accounts to date, offer standing lessons that provide the scarier truths.
Additional business-related stories at this website can be found at the "Business & Society" category page, and include, for example: "Flash Boy Lewis" (covering Wall Street's "flash trading" and Michael Lewis's publishing history); "Celebrity Buffett" (Warren Buffett investing history and his rise to mainstream notice); "Empire Newhouse"( history of the Newhouse publishing empire through 2012 and Reddit.com); and "Murdoch's NY Deals" (covering the rise and 1970s American expansion of the Rupert Murdoch media empire). Thanks for visiting – and if you like what you find here, please make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. Thank you. – Jack Doyle
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Date Posted: 4 February 2010
Last Update: 11 April 2017
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Jack Doyle, "Wall Street's Gekko, 1980s-2010,"
PopHistoryDig.com, February 4, 2010.
Sources, Links & Additional Information
Geraldine Fabrikant, "Wall Street Reviews 'Wall Street'," New York Times, December 10, 1987, p. D-1.
Sheila Benson, Movie Reviews, "'Wall Street' Lays an Egg," Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1987.
Rita Kempley, Movie Review, "Preachy, Punchy 'Wall Street'," Washington Post, December 11, 1987, p. C-1.
Roger Ebert, "Wall Street: Film Review," Chicago Sun Times, December 11, 1987.
Vincent Canby, Movie Review, "Wall Street," New York Times, December 11, 1987.
"Wall Street Movie Speech (1987)," American Rhetoric.com.
"Wall Street" (1987 film), Wikipedia. org.
Michael Cieply, Connie Benesch, "'Wall Street' Makers Look for Upturn; Financial Melodrama Doing Well in Big Cities, but Not Elsewhere," Los Angeles Times, December 19, 1987.
John Gross, "The New Greed Takes Center Stage," New York Times, January 3, 1988, p. 21.
Bettijane Levine, "Fashion 88: Men Are Bullish on Power Styles Seen in 'Wall Street'," Los Angeles Times, January 8, 1988.
James K. Glassman, "The Monster That's Eating Wall Street; Voodoo Credit, Buy-Out Mania Are Killing Value and Values," Washington Post, January 10, 1988, p.C-1.
Otto Friedrich, Richard Behar, Richard Hornik & William McWhirter, "Freed From Greed?," Time, Monday, January 1, 1990.
Steven Pearlstein, "Icon of an Era; Drexel Came to Epitomize Wall Street's 1980s Excess," Washington Post, February 14, 1990, p.1.
"Predator's Fall: Drexel Burnham Lambert," Time (cover story), Monday, February 26, 1990.
David A. Kaplan, "Wall Street: A Greed Apart; The Final Word (So Far) On '80s Insider Trading," Newsweek, October 14, 1991.
Sylvia Nasar, Ideas & Trends, "Adam Smith Was No Gordon Gekko,"New York Times, January 23, 1994, p. 46.
IGN Staff, "Wall Street: Greed is Good. This Movie is Better," IGN.com, November 10, 2000.
Daniel Akst, On the Contrary; "Was Gordon Gekko Right About Greed?," New York Times, August 4, 2002, p.34.
Michael Noer and Dan Ackman, "Gordon Gekko #14: The Forbes Fictional Fifteen," Forbes.com, September13, 2002.
Stefan Stern, "Gordon Gekko May Be Back In Fashion, "Book Review of Hardball," Financial Times, Thursday, October 7, 2004.
Andrew Ross Sorkin, Dealbook, "How to Show That You're No Gordon Gekko," New York Times, March 25, 2007.
Simon Goodley, "Brace Yourself, Gekko is Back," The Telegraph (U.K.), August 28, 2007
Telis Demos, "Oliver Stone: Life after 'Wall Street'," Fortune, September 21, 2007.
Telis Demos, "Where's Gekko? 'Wall Street' Turns 20," Fortune, September 21, 2007:
Alex Cohen, "When Greed Became Good On 'Wall Street'," National Public Radio, NPR.Org, October 16, 2008.
Frank Ahrens, "The Return of Gordon Gekko?," WashingtonPost.com, October 14, 2008.
Tatiana Siege, "Fox, Loeb up for 'Wall Street' Sequel; Michael Douglas Could Reprise Gekko Role," Variety.com, October 13, 2008.
"Gordon Gekko," Wikipedia.org.
Stanley Weiser, "Repeat After Me: Greed Is Not Good," Co-writer of 'Wall Street' Worries That the Movie's Message Is Misunderstood, Especially Now, Los Angeles Times, October 5, 2008.
Kevin Rudd, "The Children of Gordon Gekko," The Australian, October 6, 2008 (edited extract from speech by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd).
Alastair Jamieson, "Gordon Gekko to Return in Sequel as Film-Makers Trade on Credit Crunch," The Telegraph (U.K.), January 19, 2009.
Owen Gleiberman, "Wall Street: What it Still Has to Tell Us," Entertainment Weekly, March 28, 2009.
Flavia Krause-Jackson, "Vatican Slams 'Greed Is Good' Wall Street Mantra," Bloomberg.com, July 28, 2009.
Tim Arango, "Greed Is Bad, Gekko. So Is a Meltdown," New York Times, September 7, 2009.
Zach Wise & Timothy Arango, Video, "A Conversation With Oliver Stone," New York Times, September 8, 2009.
Gretchen Morgenson, Considered, "Fast-Forwarding Gordon Gekko," New York Times, September 13, 2009.
Philip Delves Broughton, "Wall Street 2: Gordon Gekko is Back," London Evening Standard, September 14, 2009.
Bryan Burrough, "The Return of Gordon Gekko," Vanity Fair, February 2010.
"Yearly Box Office – 1987 Domestic Grosses," BoxOfficeMojo.com.


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Dubai: DED issues 170 licences to branches of foreign firms in 2006
The Department of Economic Development (DED) has issued 170 licences to branches of foreign firms in 2006. This is about 20 per cent more than the number of licences, 133, issued last year.
British companies were issued the maximum number of licences – 24. German firms were granted 13 licences followed by British Virgin Islands (11), Indian (10) and American (8) companies. Among the Arab countries, Lebanon topped the list with 6 licences issued to businesses from the country followed by Kuwait (3).
"The investor-friendly economic climate of Dubai makes it a preferred hub for businesses from the region," said Mr Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General for Executive Affairs, Dubai Department of Economic Development. "Dubai offers distinctive advantages for businesses and has significant strengths with regard to the labour market, public finance, domestic economy, institutional framework and basic infrastructure. This is highlighted in the 'Dubai in World Competitiveness Report 2005', published jointly by DED and the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development."
DED recognizes the role that the private sector plays in economic growth and has formulated policies and procedures to encourage foreign investment and create the right environment for international investors to do business in Dubai. "The Emirate has grown by an average of 12 per cent over the last five years with enterprises in Dubai standing to benefit from the availability of local capital, an evolved financial market and a pool of skilled workforce," said Mr Ibrahim. "The growth of Dubai is also the result of greater co-ordination between the public and private sectors as is highlighted by the success of the Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Financial Market and the Dubai Quality Award."
"Diversification has been the keyword in Dubai's success story and today, the Emirate has successfully positioned itself as the hub of trade, tourism, IT, Media, finance and healthcare in the region," said Mr Ibrahim. "The Department of Economic Development works towards building stronger and enduring partnerships with the private sector to ensure faster economic growth of the country."
He added: "The Government of Dubai has invested heavily in developing and sustaining the city's state-of-the-art infrastructure and continuously streamlines procedures and regulations to ensure that they are investor friendly. Dubai is easily accessible and has an efficient financial services industry and excellent internal transport network. This places it in the league of the world's most efficient and cost-effective business centres. Add to it the benefits of no tax on personal and corporate income."
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Top Headlines
- Dubai Department of Economic Development issues 1,311 licences in July 2007
- Dubai issues investors instant trade licences
- DED issues 1,177 licences in January 2008
- Department of Economic Development issues 14,360 licences in 2011
- RAKIA maintains strong performance with 491 business licences issued in first four months of 2011


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Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller left the game against the New York Jets with a knee injury.
That's an injury, if at all serious, the Bills cannot afford. As impressive as rookie quarterback EJ Manuel has been, much of his success can be attributed to Spiller.
Spiller, a workman out of the backfield, is able to take substantial pressure off of Manuel. He and Fred Jackson have alleviated the stress that Manuel would be under if the entire offense depended solely on his arm.
But against the Jets, Spiller had not done much at all before leaving. He was picking up less than a yard a carry, while Jackson was toting the heaviest load.
Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley left the game against the Cincinnati Bengals after sustaining a concussion.
Finley took a hit in the head from Bengals safety George Iloka while attempting to make a catch in the first quarter Sunday. There was no flag on the play, but Iloka may face punishment from the NFL—more than likely in the form of a fine.
Finley tried to get up and run off the field, but he was wobbly and fell to his knee before he was helped to the sideline.
Clay Matthews left the Packers game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
The star linebacker did not return, and it was moments after he left that the Bengals scored a touchdown—A.J. Green hauling in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton. The Bengals went on to win, 34-30.
"It's very frustrating, especially in the manner in which we lost," Matthews said afterward.
Matthews was wreaking havoc before leaving with the injury. He'd forced consecutive fumbles, mistakes the Packers turned into 10 points.
"I'll be good," he said about the hamstring injury. "I think today was more of a preventative measure than anything. I felt like I could go out there, but we have to be smart with this, especially going into the bye week. I don't see myself missing any time."
Texans receiver Andre Johnson entered the game a week after sustaining a concussion.
He left the game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, limping off the field. His exact injury was immediately disclosed. At that juncture in the game, Johnson had five catches for 36 yards, and the Texans trailed 24-9 in the third quarter. He appeared to have an ankle or foot injury.
The Ravens went on to win, 30-9.
Baltimore was playing without Ray Rice, who injured his hip last week. Without him, Baltimore could generate little offense.
All but one touchdown came from the defense. Daryl Smith returned an interception 37 yards for a score. Tandon Doss took a punt 82 yards into the end zone. Justin Tucker nailed three field goals.
Ed Reed, a longtime feared safety for the Ravens, did play for the first time with the Texans. On the same day, retired Raven Ray Lewis was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor.
49ERs PATRICK WILLIS LEAVES WITH GROIN INJURY
Patrick Willis has had his share of bumps and bruises over the years, and the 49ers hope his injury sustained Sunday turns out to be just that.
Willis, widely regarded as one of the best inside linebackers in the league, left Sunday's 27-7 loss against the Colts with a groin injury.
The All-Pro linebacker underwent surgery in August to repair a fractured right hand suffered in training camp, and didn't play the remainder of the 2013 preseason.
A six-time Pro Bowler, Willis has a long history of hand injuries dating to his college years at Mississippi. He played through broken hands in 2007 and 2010 with San Francisco.
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Jason Jones is out for the year with a left knee injury.
Jones ruptured his left patella tendon in the second quarter of the Lions' 27-20 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Jones was carted off after a pass play with 5:55 remaining in the first half.
"We got other guys," Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said. "Willie Young is playing outstanding ball. Ziggy (Ezekiel Ansah). And Devin Taylor had a heck of a football game, and it will be his time to step up."
Jones signed with the Lions as a free agent in March. The 2008 second-round draft pick spent four years with the Tennessee Titans and then played last year with the Seattle Seahawks.
Drew Brees, QB, Saints. Brees had been so-so for the first two games, but rode another huge day for go-to tight end Jimmy Graham to Brees-like all-around numbers (29 of 36 passing, 342 yards, 3 TDs, INT, 6 rushes, 21 yards, TD) vs. Arizona.
Jake Locker, QB, Titans. Tennessee is a surprising 2-1, and decided to unleash the versatile Locker with splendid results (23 of 37 passing, 299 yards, game-winning 34-yard TD, 5 rushes, 68 yards, TD) in a last-minute victory over San Diego.
DeMarco Murray, RB, Cowboys. Murray loves running against the Rams, and stole the show from another former Oklahoma star (Sam Bradford) in Big D with 26 carries, 175 yards and a TD in Dallas' big 31-7 home victory.
Bilal Powell, RB and Santonio Holmes, WR, Jets. Yes it's true, rookie Geno Smith and New York are 2-1 after beating Buffalo, and they can thank Powell's rushing (27 for 149) and Holmes' big-play ability (5 for 154 yards, game-winning TD) for it.
Josh Gordon, WR, and Jordan Cameron, TE, Browns. Gordon (10 catches, 146 yards receiving, 22 yards rushing, TD) returned from suspension with a bang in Minnesota, and Cameron (6 catches, 66 yards, 34 3 TDs) added to his early 2013 breakout with his best game yet to help Brian Hoyer pull out a high-scoring road shocker.
Greg Hardy, DE, Panthers. Hardy dominated rushing off the edge against Giants left tackle Will Beatty, and churned out three of Carolina's seven devastating sacks while helping it pitch a 38-0 shutout.
Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers. He sparked their dormant offense with 9 catches, 196 yards and two touchdowns, boosting Ben Roethlisberger to a 406-yard night. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly enough (see five turnovers) in a 40-23 loss to the Bears.


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FAIRFAX CONNECTOR Bus Service Remains Closed Until Further Notice
Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Sept. 18, 2003
FAIRFAX CONNECTOR Bus Service
Remains Closed Until Further Notice
Due to concerns about passenger and operator safety associated with projected weather conditions from Hurricane Isabel, FAIRFAX CONNECTOR bus service will remain closed until further notice. FAIRFAX CONNECTOR service may resume sometime Friday afternoon if roads are clear and passenger safety is no longer at high risk. Fairfax County expects to make a decision about Friday afternoon bus service on Friday morning at 11 a.m., after FAIRFAX CONNECTOR staff members have had a chance to assess bus routes and safety conditions.
The decision to remain closed is being made for public safety reasons and in consultation with the federal government, Metro and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Commuters are encouraged to stay home during this severe weather and stay tuned to local news media.
For more information, call the FAIRFAX CONNECTOR Information Center at 703-339-7200, TTY 703-339-1608, or visit the Web site at www.fairfaxconnector.com.
Additional information is also available on the county's Web site, www.fairfaxcounty.gov.


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Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Monday:
BCI - BC IRON - down 32 cents, or 9.7 per cent, at $2.99
IOH - IRON ORE HOLDINGS - up 37.5 cents, or 39.5 per cent, at $1.325
Pilbara iron ore miner BC Iron is taking control of another miner owned by Kerry Stokes in a deal worth $250 million.
BEN - BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK - up 28 cents, or 2.3 per cent, at $12.46
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has delivered a better than expected profit in the face of growing competition and customers getting ahead on loan repayments.
GEM - G8 EDUCATION - up 13 cents, or 2.7 per cent, at $4.91
Childcare company G8 Education continues to buy up more centres, a strategy that has helped deliver a 48 percent jump in half year profit.
JBH - JB HI-FI - down $1.53, or 7.9 per cent, at $17.84
JB Hi-Fi is pinning its hopes on families wanting to sit around big-screen TVs playing computer games to make up for declines in tablet sales.
TWE - TREASURY WINE ESTATES - up 20 cents, or 3.9 per cent, at $5.33
A takeover battle is under way for Treasury Wine Estates, with another private equity firm lodging a bid to buy the Penfolds owner.
WPL - WOODSIDE PETROLEUM - up nine cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $41.69
Woodside Petroleum has bought a 40 per cent stake in a joint venture deep water exploration project off west Africa.


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Gender equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination are principles protected by the Constitution and the laws of Bhutan. Still, some gaps remain in implementing these general principles in practice. Trade policy can be used to make the commitment to gender equality meaningful and operational. This was one of the conclusions reached at the Workshop organized by UNCTAD on 18 May in Thimphu, Bhutan's capital, on the occasion of the launching of the study "Who is benefitting from trade liberalization in Bhutan? A gender perspective". The workshop was chaired by Sonam Tshering, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and attracted participants from different government departments, the private sector, the academia and the resident United Nations agencies.
Traditional views about women's role in the society have resulted in few women in key positions in public offices and in the economy of Bhutan. However, some recent progress is visible in this regard. The country has achieved gender parity at the primary and secondary levels of education. A Government-sponsored programme for informal education is targeting in particular girls who have left the formal schooling system. There has been a significant reduction in maternal mortality, and women's access to health services has improved. More women are found at present in the services sector, especially in tourism and in education. Support services are increasingly being targeted at women. Women now account for more than 40 per cent of rural credit, and Community Information Centres, a newly established tool by the Royal Government of Bhutan to bridge information gaps, are increasingly catering for women. As a consequence, more women are setting up small enterprises.
Even sectors that traditionally have not provided employment for women, such as the hydropower sector, are now attracting them, especially younger women. Despite these achievements, women still need more education and better skills to meet the challenges of the open market, the meeting concluded.
Product identification and product differentiation emerged as key policy tools to distinguish products manufactured in Bhutan in accordance with traditional methods and know-how from similar industrial or semi-industrial goods produced in neighbouring countries. Such a strategy based on linking products to values such as environmental preservation, organic production, conservation of biodiversity and preservation of the cultural heritage, could make Bhutanese products appealing to consumers in foreign markets. Geographical indications, trademarks, collective marks and other Intellectual Property Rights instruments can be used as a source of niche marketing to identify products of Bhutanese origin.
Women are already involved in the production of organic agricultural products, of forest-based products, such as mushrooms and medicinal herbs, and of traditional textiles. Value added strategies would, therefore, make women's participation in these economic sectors more profitable. Critically, extra value unlocked by such instruments should be passed onto producers, including women, and not be captured by middlemen, the participants agreed.
The experts also identified the forging of linkages between traditional and dynamic sectors as a strategy from which Bhutan, and more specifically its women, could benefit. For example, agro-processing industries and the expanding tourism sector could be linked in this way. Tourist outlets could cater on food products manufactured locally. This strategy would be commercially sound under the condition that local suppliers meet stringent safety and quality requirements imposed by the tourist outlets.
Multilateral assistance frameworks, such as the Aid for Trade Initiative, the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical Assistance to the Least Developed Countries and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework were identified as possible instruments to address the gaps that hamper women's broader participation in production and export. The experts listed extension services, market information, and technological upgrading as possible areas where the development assistance schemes could provide concrete support to women in Bhutan. For this to happen, Bhutan should include such activities among its trade-related priorities, export strategies and/or trade-related poverty reduction policies.
The meeting recognized that "one size fits all" is not the appropriate approach to mainstreaming gender in trade policy. Instead, a country's productive capacity, education, employment, trade flows, trade engagements at all levels, and gender commitments should be carefully assessed in order to tailor trade policies to women's needs. This is what UNCTAD aims to do through its series of country case studies on gender mainstreaming in trade policy. The study of Bhutan is the first one in this series, which also includes Cape Verde, Lesotho, Rwanda, Uruguay and Angola. These studies are being conducted by UNCTAD's work programme on gender and development.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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Many Will Enter, One Will Win!...
Now's your chance to take home two recently released martial art epics at once! One lucky winner will take home both Assassins and Tai Chi Zero on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA and Figures.com on blu-ray!
The Assassins stars Chow Yun Fat as Cao Cao, King of Wei during the Han Dynasty in 198 B.C. Seeking to take over the Emperor's thrown, this action-packed martial arts epic is filled with political intrigue and secret wars.
Tai Chi Zero finds Lu Chan seeking to learn martial arts from the members of the legendary Chen Village, where everyone is a martial arts master. Unfortunately, the village doesn't share its secrets with anyone - even those who can help them overcome the railroad barons and their mighty, steam-powered war machines!
One lucky winner will take home both movies on blu-ray, a prize package worth $59.96.
Many will enter, one will win.
Giveaway ends Monday, February 4, 2013.


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Collecting Nectar Points
Special Offer: Book by 2 August 2017 and collect double Nectar points!
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
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Popular property highlights
Situated in the business district, this hotel is within 3 mi (5 km) of Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Lollipop Park, and Centennial Center Park. Westlands Park and Park Meadows Mall are also within 3 mi (5 km).
Hotel Features
This hotel features an outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, and a bar/lounge. Free buffet breakfast is provided, as well as free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free area shuttle. Additionally, a snack bar/deli, a spa tub, and a 24-hour business center are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 136 rooms feature kitchens with refrigerators, stovetops, microwaves, and dishwashers. Free WiFi and free wired Internet are standard, as are flat-screen TVs with cable channels.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
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Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to an outdoor pool, HYATT house Denver Tech Center provides a spa tub and a 24-hour fitness center. The hotel offers a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast as well as a complimentary manager's reception (may not be available daily). Public areas are equipped with complimentary wired and wireless Internet access.
Business-related amenities at this 3-star property consist of a 24-hour business center and meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 1,100 square feet (102 square meters) include conference space. This business-friendly hotel also offers a terrace, barbecue grills, and multilingual staff. An area shuttle within 5 mi and a train station pick-up service are complimentary for guests. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
HYATT house Denver Tech Center has designated areas for smoking.
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 136
- Number of floors - 3
- Bar/lounge
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free breakfast
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms 2
- Multilingual staff
- Terrace
- Picnic area
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Conference space size (feet) - 1,100
- Conference space size (meters) - 102
- Free reception
- Snack bar/deli
- Free self parking
- Free grocery shopping service
- Free RV, bus, truck parking
- Spa tub
- Outdoor pool
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Television in common areas
- Wedding services
- Express check-out
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Designated smoking areas
- Pool umbrellas
- Grocery/convenience store
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Year Built 1997
- Free area shuttle
- 24-hour business center
- Number of meeting rooms - 2
- Shopping on site
- Free train station pickup
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Separate living room
- Free Wi-Fi
- Kitchen
- Area shuttle (complimentary)
- Grocery/convenience store
- Snack bar/deli
- Laundry facilities
- Separate dining area
- Sofa bed
- Full-sized refrigerator/freezer
- Microwave
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Free self parking, Free RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Premium bedding
- Separate sitting area
- Air conditioning
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- DVD player
- Designer toiletries
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Sofa bed
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Separate dining area
- Cable TV service
- Separate living room
- Daily housekeeping
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Separate bedroom
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Flat-panel TV
- Dishwasher
- Full-sized refrigerator/freezer
- Stovetop
- Cookware, dishware, and utensils
- Pillowtop mattress
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast. The hotel offers a complimentary manager's reception on select days.
Nearby Things to Do
An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a 24-hour fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Surfing/boogie boarding nearby
- Rafting nearby
- Kayaking nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Water skiing nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Skydiving nearby
- Ecotours nearby
- Ski equipment rental shops nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Personal motorized watercraft on site
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 75 per accommodation, per stay (maximum USD 175 per stay), plus a one-time cleaning fee of USD 100
- Dogs and cats only
- 2 per room (up to 50 lb)
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Deposit: USD 15 per night
Optional extras
- Pet fee: USD 75 per accommodation, per stay (maximum USD 175 per stay) plus USD 100 one-time cleaning fee
Hotel Name
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center Hotel Greenwood Village
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center Hotel Englewood
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center Greenwood Village
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center Hotel
- HYATT house Denver Tech Center Englewood
- Hyatt Englewood
- Englewood Summerfield Suites
- Hyatt Summerfield Suites Englewood
- Summerfield Suites Englewood
- Hyatt Summerfield Suites Denver Tech Hotel Englewood


text:
Is Reliance on Lateral Hiring Destabilizing Firms?
More than ever, firms look to laterals to boost profitability. But the data shows that it's not working.
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What's being said
At last a reasoned and well written piece confirming what many of us have known for years - lateral hires make very little economic sense for the hiring firm. This becomes even more convincing when third party recruitment fees are involved. The prospect of any meaningful profit (in cash) being delivered in years one and two after is zero. Factor in the time lag of billing an collecting the first bills after moving and the disruption factor as the new partner (or worse, team) becomes familiar with the operational protocols and most of these exercise are economically moribund. When looking at individual motivators for lateral hires the spectre of personal gain appears to be far too prominent.
Insightful and provocative article!cdr
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MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, 29 November 2004
The Gender and ICTs Network came about following a workshop on the gender dimensions of ICT policies in Senegal, held in November 2002.
Regentic, as the network is also known, is working to promote gender analysis of the ICT sector in Senegal and initiate a dialogue process between the regulation authorities, women's organisations and civil society working for gender justice in Senegal. ENDA Synfev is one of the network coordinators.
The network works in partnership with actors from the public, private, national and international sectors engaged in cooperation for development.
A major achievement in 2003 was the setting out of a Plan of Action for 2003–05 for the network, looking ahead to the second phase of WSIS in Tunis 2005.


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This morning on a scheduled birding drive along the banks of the Grumeti River, within our Grumeti Migration Camp concession area, one of the first sighting of the day was a Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina). This bird is listed as being very rare in the region, and nowhere in Africa is it particularly common. For the last month or so I have been keeping a birding list of actual bird sightings along our bird routes and in and around the camp in order to get a sense of what is around. This is distinct from the generic bird list covering any potential sighting and numbering over 450 species. I have logged an impressive total of over 100 species in that time, and I have been looking for an opportunity to make a bit of a noise about it. When a Trogon landed on the list I though this was probably about as good as it gets, and so the time had come to shoot out a quick blog to alert you all to our in-house birding program.
The Grumeti River in probably one of the most rewarding birding destinations in Africa. It does not offer the kind of vast, mono-species numbers associated with phenomenon like the lake flamingo populations in Kenya or Botswana, or the ganets of the Western Cape, but in terms of the sheer diversity of woodland and riparian species it is quite extraordinary. In my experience as a bird watcher in Africa I can recall to mind only a handful of places that have stood out. The Chimanimani in Eastern Zimbabwe is one of these, Gorongosa in Mozambique another, Chobe River in Botswana another, and of course the Okavango Delta itself among the best. However I think the Grumeti River competes very well with all of these. It offers a classic African riverine environment, dominated by acacia and fig tree species, but also offering stretches of gallery forest and dense thickets and open wooded grassland on the edges. At the end of this blog I have included my personal list as mentioned above. This of course does not include the ubiquitous 'little brown jobs' among which prinia and cisticola are the usual suspects, but does list quite a few common, and even mundane species, along with some unique and quite startling encounters that all birdwatchers look forward to.
On a bird-watching trip staged from Grumeti Migration Camp there are two possible options, and over the course of a few days we will usually cover both. These are the acacia/commipora woodland habitat that makes up the bulk of the wildlife reserve and the riparian forest that comprises the banks of the Grumeti River itself.
Quite apart from the Narina Trogon, which, lets face it, is a once, twice or at the most three times in a lifetime sighting, commonly seen birds are the woodland and riverside kingfishers, the butterfly-like Grey Helmet Shrike, the rather common van der Dekken's Hornbill, the superbly loquacious Slate Coloured Boubou, and this morning alongside the Narina Trogon I spotted a small brace of Green Pigeons. I also regularly see Brown Parrots, and once or twice an African Orange Bellied Parrot, and I had the great pleasure a few days ago of enjoying a long tete-a-tete with a most beautiful pair of Pearl Spotted Owlets.
Raptors are also well represented. The Bateleur Eagle is an ever present regular, and is the African Fish Eagle, but such delightful encounters as with a Sooty and Eleanora's Falcon, Grey Kestrel and Shikra are not uncommon. Among the larger raptors the Tawny Eagle is perhaps the most common, but I regularly sight Steppe Eagle, Long Crested Eagle and I believe, although it is unconfirmed, that a Martial Eagle touched down in camp recently. There are, of course, many others, but these are the day to day sightings. Cuckoos and oddities. At around about this time of the year (June/July) the cuckoos begin to arrive. The expanses of woodland are suddenly replete with the endlessly repeated and plaintive calls so easily associated with this elusive species. From their calls I have identified Jacobin, Lavaillant, Black, Emerald, African, Klaas and Diederick's Cuckoos. Quite a haul for a single area! Other exciting little snippets have been the unusual local turacao, the Plantain Eater, an Anualts Barbet, a Spotted Creeper, both the Eastern and the Southern Black Flycatchers and a Grey Woodpecker which is common around here but a bit of a novelty for me. So this in a nutshell is birding at Grumeti Migration Camp. For anybody with any interest in local birding, or who would like any information about birding in East Africa, and Africa in general, drop me a line and I would be happy to help organise a trip out here.
This is a general and ongoing list of bird species to be found at the Grumeti Migration Camp in the Grumeti Reserve of Northern Tanzania…


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Wednesday night, Uh Huh Her rolled back into town as part of the Keep A Breast tour. They are back on the road through October as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Now if only they had been aware of their sound a little more.
First, let me confess that I did not stay for the entire show. That was due in part to Uh Huh Her's underwhelming stage presence and sound. The band attracted a healthy crowd of young ladies screaming "I Love You" to the band. But otherwise, even the audience felt a bit tepid. A long, droning intro that felt rather indulgent played before they took the stage. When they entered from the side of the stage, they appropriately rocked out with heavy guitar play, but it wasn't close to the synth-pop sounds of their albums. The band was strong in musicianship, but it wasn't the sound I expected and wasn't sure what they were going for. Are they hard rockers now?
Even as such, Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey didn't offer a charismatic presence. Hailey looked tired and Grey never seemed into the seven songs I stayed for. Other than their first hit, "Not a Love Song" (which I caught a snippet of on the video after the jump), all other songs just played out. There was simply no emotional punch from the band in the first part of their show.
Since I only saw the first chunk of the show, maybe the ladies were having an off night. I mean, they have been through a lot lately. But the show was more Nuh Huh Her, if anything.
For a slideshow of the concert, click here.


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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer NiGHTmaren > Costume of Schala Zeal (Chrono Trigger)
- Most Recent Photo
- 06-14-2013
- Series
- Chrono Trigger
- Character
- Schala Zeal
- Year Completed:
- 2012
- Construction Difficulty:
- Very Easy
- Costume worn at:
- Animazement 2013
- Youmacon 2012
About this Costume
- Construction Details:
Completed November 2012 I had yards of a gorgeous purple microsuede lying around and wanted to make something from Chrono Trigger or Cross for Youmacon, so this costume came to fruition! Plus it would keep me somewhat warm in chilly Detroit. I used a Lord of the Rings Simplicity pattern for the top half - it was almost identical to Schala's outfit, with the addition of princess seams - though in retrospect I should have modded them out, Schala's top is a bit too loose to warrant them, but what is done is done! The skirt is a very simple three panel skirt and the waistband is elastic. The seams are all finished on the inside and the overlapping collar piece is interfaced. The earrings are craft foam attached to clip ons (no pierced ears for me lol). The pendant is a resin gem I cast backed on model magic with a silver rope attached.
This costume is super comfy and very easy to get into/out of. Love it! Also a good costume for cooler/colder conventions, especialy since I can layer up underneath the garments to stay warm (and trust me I can get cold VERY easily ;_;).
- Personal Thoughts:
- I had the fabric lying around, and I love Chrono Trigger. It only made sense to make this. :) Schala is a character I didn't appreciate much at first - maybe because she wasn't playable, or maybe because I had not yet had my eyes opened up to all of the theories and connections in the Chrono saga, which reveal Schala to be quite the interesting and vital character to the plot. I'm glad I decided to give cosplaying her a go!
Wig Details
- Styling Notes
- Wig is a long, straight base wig with a clip-on - the bangs were trimmed in and the base layered and shortened in the back as originally this wig was about 50" long! I used an orange wrap for the finished look. I distributed the weight of the ponytail so it wouldn't weigh too heavy on my head/slip around too much. I love how it turned out but it ended up being a bit too tight and put a temporary dent in my forehead - ouch.
- Wig Review
- The fibers on this wig are amazing. I don't think it is kankelon but a much nicer blend that is very resistant to tangle.
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A reader asks Miriam if wishing an ex-boyfriend mazel tov on his recent marriage on Facebook will make her seem like a "crazy ex."
Dear Miriam,
What is the Facebook protocol for wishing an ex-boyfriend mazel tov on his recent marriage? We are friendly with each other now, absolutely no hard feelings. If he were just an acquaintance with no romantic history, I would have written a message on his wall and not thought twice about it. But I've been "that crazy ex" before and I don't want to do that again.
Totally Normal Well-Wisher
Dear Well-Wisher,
I'm beginning to think I should have a category just for Facebook etiquette because wow, I get a lot of questions like this!
Write a message on his wall. That's it. Now how the heck am I going to fill the rest of this column?
Seriously, since you're bothering to ask, of course, it's not that simple. Write "mazel tov," on his wall (but, excuse me, isn't it called a timeline now?!). Look through the online photo album if you want to have that experience, see who you know in the pictures, wonder if there's an alternate universe in which you're the woman in white. Then move on. He'll probably see your post and think, "That's nice. I wonder what she's up to." Then he'll look through your photos and recent posts and have the same what-if experience before going back to his newly wedded bliss. Or maybe you don't want to look through the pictures and maybe he won't either because you've both moved on and you're just not that relevant to each other.
Since you say you're friendly, I'm going to assume that you really are and that he doesn't have any reason to think you're a crazy ex. If you've never given him a reason, then he won't think that. Your description of your current relationship essentially makes you into a casual acquaintance at this point in your lives, and you should feel absolutely free to act accordingly. That could also mean not writing on his wall if it slips your mind or just doesn't seem that important.
Another option is to write an email or private Facebook message that says nothing more than, "mazel tov," so that fellow onlookers who know your former relationship status won't have the opportunity to wonder whether or not these nuptials broke your heart. However, writing to him more privately may make him wonder why you chose that method of contact. Or, again, maybe he won't think anything of it because it's just not that remarkable, and in the middle of a sea of good wishes, yours is just going to be one more.
It's nice to wish someone well, whether it's an ex, a casual acquaintance or even someone further removed from you who has good news. Treat this news as you would treat any other. If someone does mention your post to you, respond truthfully that you're happy for him and wanted to make sure you told him so.
Be well,


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In light of this weekend's tragedy the knee-jerk reaction will be to blame speed first and ovals second. Blaming the speed misses the point and blaming ovals neglects that death has occurred on road and street courses in the past as well. Also, just a few weeks ago we saw Kanaan's car launch at Baltimore (a street course). It's wheel to wheel contact that is the problem. I do admit this Dallara chassis has had its share of launches but I'm not sure how much of that is the chassis and how much of that has been the amount of wheel to wheel racing this spec series racing has brought. We've never seen everyone in the same car and engine combo for this many years. That bears (IMHO) a LOT of examination heading forward.
The cars have so much downforce and the matching engines are so equal that on a high banked track they can get no separation. It's smash the gas and go. Nobody has to brake. In fact, slowing down is not a good idea because the car behind you is so close he'll run over you if you do.
Everyone's pretty much figured out the aero and the gearing on these cars.
Honda has advertised the engine reliability. Yes, that is impressive on the surface. But then you have to consider the 'detuned' nature of the engines. Since they are competing with no one but themselves the Honda engines aren't running at peak performance. They are not trying to tweak it to be faster than another engine manufacturer. They are not running on the edge. They are running in a comfortable powerband. Another reason for the pack racing we see on high banks.
Cars have to run in the pack to stick in the draft and maintain contact with the leaders.
In the race Sunday there were 34 cars. Any time you have a start or restart you're going to have a potential issue because that is when the cars are bunched up. But, as stated, on the high banks these cars aren't really going to separate. Maybe the 34 cars could've been a factor in a similar circumstance, but it wasn't here IMHO. Dukie made a statement about Vegas being too narrow. I'm not sure that's the case. The cars were 3 wide because the track has some of the highest banking in the series (in fact I think Vegas is the highest banking they've raced on). And from what I gather it's a smooth track. No bumps to unsettle the car. So, 3, even 4 wide was not too scary for anyone who wanted to stay or get as close to the front as possible.
We need an engineer to tell us whether there really is anything and a number on the high banks that would allow the cars separation. Slowing the cars down just guarantees they will be together. It creates unnatural competition and equalizes the drivers (holding the good drivers back while making the less experienced and less capable drivers just as able to shove it and hold it). But do we really want to equalize the drivers? Shouldn't that be high on a list of things for Indycar to be talking about now?
Back to the banking... The banking helps keep the cars stuck to the track as it is. Take the rear wings off and remove the rw drag.... I assume that would force them to brake for the corners... but they'd be smoking fast down the straightaways. But does the banking at a track like LV still let them keep it smashed to the floor even with faster straightaway speeds?
And at what point are the speeds too much for the track?
Back to the point about airborne cars... When all 4 tires are touching pavement Indycars have made tremendous strides in predicting and understanding various impacts and creating ways to handle them. The forces are at least somewhat understood and predictable. But when the wheels lose contact and a car takes to the air then it's really Russian Roulette. Any number of things can happen to you or a surrounding car and a couple of inches one way or the other could literally be the difference in walking away with a concussion at worst, or being killed. Wheel to wheel contact is clearly the most likely scenario to get a car airborne.
The series has been really, really, really lucky that a driver hasn't been killed before now. Every time they've ran on these high banks they've really tempted fate. In fact, Renna was killed by getting airborne at a test in Indy but AFAIK nobody really knows what exactly happened in that case. But lost in that is that it clearly showed if a car gets airborne, death is a possibility. I'm not sure why it happening in practice by himself didn't set off more alarm bells than it did because we clearly know launching is possible with other cars on the track. Further, we know that pack racing and launching are potentially always a possibility because of the tight running (I hesitate to call it racing) and how little time there is to react when something happens in front of you. And when it does it's several cars, not just a couple, that are randomly getting together.
So I say all that to say (ask?) this... WTF was Randy Bernhard thinking to create this 5 million challenge to any driver to "challenge Indy's best"... on a high banked oval? Never mind it would be throwing a wild card into the drivers racing for championship points, how could anyone think it would be safe to put someone into an Indycar for their first race on this kind of track??? Fortunately, it never materialized and nobody took the series up on it (although it appeared Pastrana would've been in it had he not broken an ankle this summer). I'm sure there would've been testing and practice... but seriously... how could you prepare anyone for that racing experience? And even IF you could prepare them... the other drivers need to be familiar with the driving habits of those they race with. They would have no idea what to expect with a new guy on the track. Let alone if it would've been more than that.
Thankfully that never got off the ground and it morphed into this ride for Wheldon as a replacement idea. And there's no questioning Wheldon's ability so fortunately that wasn't a factor. And honestly, I think series officials would've worked hard to get Wheldon (current 500 winner) in a car for this final race anyway. The race was self-promoted by Indycar and they were hoping for a showcase event. The 5 mil challenge just gave them a marketing angle to use and probably a little face-saving along the way (for the failure to attract a Nascar driver or whatever).
I've wondered if traditional ovals like Loudon and Milwaukee were hurt by these high banked ovals? Do fans equate all ovals the same as far as racing goes? I wonder how many people ultimately were turned off by the manufactured close 'racing' of the high banks and spec cars? And/or saw that as too dangerous? Something the series need to look into.
I've always been a little confused with the desire for spec cars and the closed rulebook. Wouldn't costs be contained just as much by the economy as being contained by the rulebook and dumbing down racing? Why did that not need to be the way in the past if it's so important these past several seasons? In the past if someone got too big of an advantage either everyone else eventually figured it out or the series clamped down on the guy stinking up the shows. Not sure why that isn't the better way.
With the 2012 car coming online I was really disappointed to hear they were postponing the multiple aero packages. It would've been another way to separate the pack racing as well as allow for some innovation. Sometimes I wonder what the series actually costs themselves while trying to save money....
As far as the spec cars goes.... SOME of the problems mentioned here are being addressed. Too little too late for Dan Wheldon. Ironic, that the new car he was the test drive for was being built with features to address some of the problems noted and in particular the launching aspect that ultimately took his life. While there's been grumbling about how much the new cars protected the wheels I wasn't one doing any grumbling about that aspect. I also didn't grumble about the airbox remaining on the car. I figure more mass for the airbox means more protection and attenuation for an upside down car to protect the driver.
Racing is never going to be 100% safe. But also, part of the attraction is the speed. And it's not just going fast, it's the quest for speed. You cannot take that away without harming the sport IMHO (having Indycars qualifying in 2011 at the same (or less) speeds as in the early 90's is part of the problem of the sport and 500 losing the imagination of fans IMHO)... So the sport has to balance driver (and fan) safety with allowing competitors to always chase speed. Otherwise, what's the point?
If the ultimate outcome of this past weekend is deciding pack racing is always going to be the way no matter the rules on high banked tracks then I'm fine with never seeing an Indycar on a high banked track. Pack racing must stop. OTOH, if the take away is slowing the cars down and even more spec racing and pack racing then I think we're going to see the series slowly decline into oblivion. You can't just keep slowing race cars down. Sure slower is safer (altho never safe)... but where's the line? If that is the only goal then would 100MPH be too fast for an open-wheeler to keep it safe? 50MPH? It loses it's fascination. And maybe that's where we're at. Maybe AOW has crossed the threshold and the technology of speed has went past the bounds of safety that society is willing to accept? Maybe not chasing speed records is not interesting to the public but seeing drivers tempt fate is no longer acceptable either. Indycar needs to figure that out. If so, then that means there needs to be a drastic re-think on a lot of levels.
Several bullets were dodged at these high banks over the years where severe injuries and rehab was the worst case in the end. But that was more for luck than it was anything else. Sunday was likely inevitable, and could've been worse. That it happened on the last race of the season in the last race for this current spec chassis was just a cruel twist of fate... but exactly within the odds that the bullet wasn't going to continue to be dodged.


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For gamers who need a reprieve from the bombastic press conferences and celebrity cameos that made up the huge, loud E3 gaming conference, Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot just released their documentary Indie Game: The Movie, which was one of our favorites from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
The movie follows three independent game companies and their struggles to produce something different than the titles that stock the shelves of your local GameStop. Indie Game this week became the first movie released by the online video game marketplace Steam, and it will also be available as a direct download and through iTunes.
So what kind of games have these independent developers cooked up? Here's a rundown.
Developer: Jonathan Blow
Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, Steam ($10)
It's kind of like... The Legend of Zelda, in that you explore worlds and collect things as you go.
Except that... It's far from the typical hero-saves-girl fairy tale. Also, you can control time.
On the surface, Braid is the story of Tim, the hero, looking for his princess and seeking her forgiveness for his mistakes. He travels from world to world in the hope of reuniting with her in the end. But he can reach the end only after collecting the puzzle pieces in each world, many of which seem impossible to reach until Tim learns how to manipulate time. Each new power speaks to that particular chapter's central theme, like rewinding time in the section about forgiveness. Braid is one of the first games to link its story so intimately with its gameplay.
How Assassin's Creed III Re-created the Revolutionary War