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Summary Meeting Notes: June 21, 2012 Neighborhood Centers PEG
June 21, 2012 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Attendees: Kate Allen, Lisa Bates, Jason Barnstead-Long, Andre' Baugh, Paul Cathcart, Kristin Cooper, Gordon Davis, Justin Douglas, Ivy Dunlap, Ryan Givens, Denver Igarta, Carol Mayer-Reed, Rick Michaelson, Jennifer Moore, Gary Oxman, Dora Perry, Mark Raggett, Nick Sauvie, Allison Stoll.
Presenter: Steve Faust, Facilitator
Summary: Neighborhood Centers PEG members were asked to introduce themselves and give an example of a good neighborhood center or the qualities that a model neighborhood center should have. The qualities identified by members include:
Place where people are comfortable
Reasonable scale
A range of businesses and buildings
Meets needs of the community
Not too dense or too sparse
Contact with beauty and nature
Social connectivity, gathering
Living room to the neighborhood
Employment opportunities
Comfortable at all hours
Strong identity
Sense of place
Community ownership
Amenities – grocery, health, parks, infrastructure
Includes affordable options
Harmony among businesses and residents
A sense of belonging
General Orientation
Presenter: Eric Engstrom, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS)
Summary: Eric described the purpose and charge of the Policy Expert Groups (PEGs), member roles and responsibilities, and the overall Comprehensive Plan Update process schedule.
BPS staff will provide PEG communications guidelines at the next meeting.
BPS staff will provide an Equity Framework for ensuring equity is an integral part of the neighborhood centers discussion.
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
Project Timeline, BPS
Scope of Work (8:35 a.m.)
Presenter: Bill Cunningham
Summary: Review of PEG schedule and resources, including the Comprehensive Plan Website.
Agendas will be posted one week in advance of each meeting.
Meeting summaries will be posted one week following each meeting.
PowerPoint presentations will be posted to the Website.
The deliverable for each PEG will likely be a letter to the Planning and Sustainability Commission, describing areas of consensus and non-consensus viewpoints.
The Discussion Draft is tentatively scheduled to be available in November.
BPS will provide guidance on how PEGs collaborate to address shared topic areas.
Parking should be added to the list of topic areas.
How to maintain quality of life when a center reaches its full potential was also suggested as a topic for discussion.
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
Neighborhood Centers Overview
Presenter: Bill Cunningham, BPS
Summary: Review and discuss scope of Neighborhood Centers topics.
Presentation included household densities required to support a thriving commercial core, projected population and job growth and the 20-minute neighborhood analysis.
Market analysis assumptions often underestimate the buying power of low income households. These faulty assumptions should not shape the policy direction for neighborhood centers.
The list of services in the 20-minute neighborhood analysis is not responsive to the differing needs of different populations and cultures. What elements are essential? What elements are secondary?
Modes should be considered when discussing "walkability," including accessibility for people with disabilities.
What elements are present in existing neighborhood centers and what do residents want to see in addition?
The discussion of displacement and gentrification should be held earlier in the process.
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
Centers Presentation - June 21, 2012, BPS
Compilation of Portland Plan Guidance and Policy Language, BPS
The Portland Plan Healthy Connected City Strategy, BPS
Public Comment
No public comments.
Wrap Up
Presenter: Steve Faust
Future meetings will emphasize shorter presentations and more time for discussion.
- Members are encouraged to visit various neighborhood centers.
Survey Responses (posted 6/27; closed 7/12)
Do you have any questions or comments about the PEG Charter and Protocols or schedule?
- I recommend listing affiliations/neighborhoods of PEG members in written and electronic communication instead of just listing people as "community members." I like that the charter explicitly states that PEG discussions should consider who benefits and who is burdened by policies.
- It seems like there is way more information that needs to be shared than can presented/reviewed and commented on in the meeting time frame. Without assigning a great deal of reading, how can the participant comments/feedback be better handled in the time available? Are the scope and intent of the meetings too ambitious?
Do you have any questions or comments about the Neighborhood Centers PEG Tentative Schedule and Topics?
- I am concerned that the discussion of displacement and gentrification does not take place until September. Policies and strategies that we come up with to mitigate the displacement effects of improving neighborhood centers will ultimately affect whether existing communities benefit from growth and development, or continue to bear the burden. This is one of the most essential equity issues that this group will cover and should be a determining factor in setting policy direction, rather than a secondary consideration. I recommend that we move this discussion to July, or August at the latest.
- I hope there are opportunities built into the process for cross-pollination of PEGs. Economic development, residential compatibility, infrastructure and networks are all closely related to healthy or unhealthy neighborhood centers.
- Again, this agenda seems very ambitious, especially for participants that are not already versed in planning. When a broad opinion is solicited given the participants selected for the PEGs, staff needs to be prepared to respond to the comments, especially when the sensitive socioeconomic/disparity topics are broached. I think these need to be discussed openly. There still seems to be a "one size fits all" approach when the "20 minute neighborhood" is such a strong goal. Many parts of the city will not fit this concept for a number of reasons. These neighborhoods need to evolve and be planned as perhaps different models, not trying to make them all the same. Or making them seem less important if they cannot become one. Identify of neighborhood centers is a fine goal; but they just won't all be of the same character, social purpose or function.
- Given the little time available we will need to narrow our goals and agendas to a few key items
- Yes, would like to see a final list
More people/more amenities. A fundamental principle is that centers serving larger numbers of people (residents and workers, existing and anticipated) should be prioritized for a corresponding broader range of commercial and community services and amenities. These centers should also have a greater role in accommodating growth to maximize the ability of more people to have convenient access to services and amenities.
Agree (7)
Disagree (1)
- I'd add to this principle that centers serving low-income and communities of color should be prioritized for public investment.
- Generally this is true; however there are some areas that have potential to become stronger and play a greater role but have not been prioritized.
- depends on size and type - one could have center that has no commercial activities but still serves the community as a gathering and socializing place – a village square for example surrounded by housing
Base level of infrastructure. Establish a base level of infrastructure/services for centers. This approach implies that each center would have a basic level of public infrastructure, such as good sidewalk and street connectivity, and that public investment would be targeted to centers that lack this minimum level of service.
Agree (7)
- Strongly agree. There are whopping inequities in the level of basic services in different parts of the city. The first step should be playing catch up for the areas that have been left behind. The city's budget mapping is a good first step. That data shows heavy investment in the central city, especially around transportation. We've invested a lot downtown, now it's the neighborhoods' turn.
- Centers serve larger number of people per square feet. More dense areas gets priority. We can serve more people in less area and cost.
- Would include adequate parking as a key infrastructure need.
Distribution of centers. Distribute centers broadly across the city to provide equitable access to commercial and community services. In order to meet our goal that 80% of Portlanders live in complete communities, some centers and much of the future growth will need to be in areas where access to services is good, while also locating and strengthening centers in areas that are lacking good access to services and amenities.
Agree (5)
Disagree (2)
- I agree with the basic premise that the distribution of centers should provide equitable access, but I disagree with the prioritizing mechanism and think it should be reconsidered. I do not support a recommendation to prioritize development in areas where access is pretty decent over areas that have already been waiting in the cue for quite a while (i.e.East Portlandneighborhoods like Powellhurst Gilbert). Priority should be based on an assessment of areas and communities in greatest need and focused in areas that are experiencing high growth rates and have low access to services and amenities.
- I like the 5 Portlands concept and think that its neighborhood districts are much better organized than the existing Office of Neighborhood Involvement boundaries. I value investing in the neglected centers near where most ofPortland's low-income and people of color live.
- Yes, but the establishment of new Centers must coincide with the natural environment, topography, urban form and desired character of that community. Establishing centers is not merely a mathematical equation.
- I think the city needs to distribute centers where they make sense from a population and physical characteristics (topography) standpoint. For example if a planner overlays a set of walkable 20 minute circles over the city, this will not necessarily result in what is right to become a center. Barriers such as freeways, industrial lands, physical constraints and land use, etc have to be major determinants.
Focus housing growth near centers and services. Locate most new housing in and around centers and near services, and include a diversity of housing types to meet a broad range of housing needs.
Agree (5)
Disagree (1)
- Portland's healthiest neighborhood centers have a mix of commercial and residential uses, types and ages of buildings.Portlandshould shift its urban renewal strategy away from blowing up buildings for mega-developments toward subsidizing unique, locally-owned businesses to locate in existing buildings. These types of businesses can't afford new buildings.
- However, housing should be planned (a) where people want to live (not forced to live), (b) that is naturally conducive (e.g. topography), (c) does not require people to live in or around blight and (d) does not require substantial demolition of existing housing.
- This is a good goal, but there may be exceptions too. For example. have the LRT station areas been maximized?
- Most new housing should be in the central city and one or two regional centers. Putting too much housing in some of the centers would overwhelm the system.
Employment in centers. Foster employment opportunities as a key function of centers. Large centers will have a major employment component, including institutions or other major employers that can reinforce their roles as centers of activity.
Agree (7)
- Yes, the city should better engage institutions such as hospitals and colleges.
- Centers should be authentic nodes of activity. They should not just be for entertainment, dining, and drinking.
- Again, a good goals but it depends on what the type of employment is.
Are there any other questions or comments you would like to share?
- Primarily I am interesting in learning more about the specific tools and strategies that will be used to achieve these objectives. Re-examining the way SDC's are charged, providing new mechanisms to fund private developers, and updating design and inspection standards are some ideas that I feel are worth exploring.
- We need to see a map of existing, designated centers? Does this include designated Corridors? Should we designate new centers? Should we de-designate some illogical centers?
- I am still unclear on what the outcome of these PEG sessions will be. Can you provide some examples? Policies by nature tend to be broad sweeping statements. They express goals. But I am unclear on how they are applied or how they lead to actual decisions for any given place in the city. Best of luck; this is a tough assignment!
- More discussion and less presentation.
For more information, please contact Bill Cunningham, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability at 503-823-4203 or email@example.com or Steve Faust, Facilitator at 503-278-3456 email@example.com.


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Laws, Regulations & Annotations
Business Taxes Law Guide – Revision 2019
Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax Law
Article 1. Reports and Payments
Section 30186
30186. Report of sales on common carrier. On or before the 25th day of each month, the common carriers and authorized persons specified in Section 30104 shall file with the board a report of the sales of cigarettes or tobacco products made by them on the facilities of the carriers in California in the preceding calendar month in that detail as the board may prescribe and in the form as prescribed by the board, which may include, but not be limited to, electronic media, submitting with the report the amount of the tax due under Section 30104. Reports shall be authenticated in a form or pursuant to methods as may be prescribed by the board.
History.—Stats. 1967, p. 2520, operative August 1, 1967, substituted "20th" for "fifteenth." Stats. 1968, p. 1101, in effect November 13, 1968, substituted "25th" for "20th". Stats. 1989, Ch. 634, in effect September 21, 1989, added "or tobacco products" after "cigarettes". Stats. 2002, Ch. 459 (AB 1936), in effect January 1, 2003, substituted "that" for "such" after "calendar month in", deleted "and form" after "detail", added "and in the form … electronic media," after "may prescribe" and added the last sentence.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Related Information
- What is Psoriasis? (fast facts, easy-to-read)
- ¿Qué es la psoriasis?(Esenciales: Hojas informativas de fácil lectura
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Order a NIAMS Publication to be mailed
Health Information
Online version updated November 2012
Questions and Answers about Psoriasis
This booklet contains general information about psoriasis. It describes what psoriasis is, what causes it, and what the treatment options are. If you have further questions after reading this booklet, you may wish to discuss them with your doctor.
What Is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects greater than 3 percent of the United States population, or more than 5 million adults. Although the disease occurs in all age groups, it primarily affects adults. It appears about equally in males and females.
Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the surface of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to mature. Usually this movement (also called turnover) takes about a month, but in psoriasis it may occur in only a few days.
In its typical form, psoriasis results in patches of thick, red (inflamed) skin covered with silvery scales. These patches, which are sometimes referred to as plaques, usually itch or feel sore. They most often occur on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of the feet, but they can occur on skin anywhere on the body. The disease may also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals, and inside the mouth. Although it is not unusual for the skin around affected joints to crack, some people with psoriasis experience joint inflammation that produces symptoms of arthritis. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis.
- How Does Psoriasis Affect Quality of Life?
- What Causes Psoriasis?
- How Is Psoriasis Diagnosed?
- How Is Psoriasis Treated?
- What Research Is Being Conducted on Psoriasis?
- Where Can People Find More Information About Psoriasis?
How Does Psoriasis Affect Quality of Life?
Individuals with psoriasis may experience significant physical discomfort and some disability. Itching and pain can interfere with basic functions, such as self-care, walking, and sleep. Plaques on hands and feet can prevent individuals from working at certain occupations, playing some sports, and caring for family members or a home. The frequency of medical care is costly and can interfere with an employment or school schedule. People with moderate to severe psoriasis may feel self-conscious about their appearance and have a poor self-image that stems from fear of public rejection and psychosexual concerns. Psychological distress can lead to significant depression and social isolation.
What Causes Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a skin disorder driven by the immune system, especially involving a type of white blood cell called a T cell. Normally, T cells help protect the body against infection and disease. In the case of psoriasis, T cells are put into action by mistake and become so active that they trigger other immune responses, which lead to inflammation and to rapid turnover of skin cells.
In many cases, there is a family history of psoriasis. Researchers have studied a large number of families affected by psoriasis and identified genes linked to the disease. Genes govern every bodily function and determine the inherited traits passed from parent to child.
People with psoriasis may notice that there are times when their skin worsens, called flares, then improves. Conditions that may cause flares include infections, stress, and changes in climate that dry the skin. Also, certain medicines, including beta-blockers, which are prescribed for high blood pressure, and lithium may trigger an outbreak or worsen the disease. Sometimes people who have psoriasis notice that lesions will appear where the skin has experienced trauma. The trauma could be from a cut, scratch, sunburn, or infection.
How Is Psoriasis Diagnosed?
Occasionally, doctors may find it difficult to diagnose psoriasis, because it often looks like other skin diseases. It may be necessary to confirm a diagnosis by examining a small skin sample under a microscope.
There are several forms of psoriasis. Some of these include:
- Plaque psoriasis. Skin lesions are red at the base and covered by silvery scales.
- Guttate psoriasis. Small, drop-shaped lesions appear on the trunk, limbs, and scalp. Guttate psoriasis is most often triggered by upper respiratory infections (for example, a sore throat caused by streptococcal bacteria).
- Pustular psoriasis. Blisters of noninfectious pus appear on the skin. Attacks of pustular psoriasis may be triggered by medications, infections, stress, or exposure to certain chemicals.
- Inverse psoriasis. Smooth, red patches occur in the folds of the skin near the genitals, under the breasts, or in the armpits. The symptoms may be worsened by friction and sweating.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis. Widespread reddening and scaling of the skin may be a reaction to severe sunburn or to taking corticosteroids (cortisone) or other medications. It can also be caused by a prolonged period of increased activity of psoriasis that is poorly controlled. Erythrodermic psoriasis can be very serious and requires immediate medical attention.
Another condition in which people may experience psoriasis is psoriatic arthritis. This is a form of arthritis that produces the joint inflammation common in arthritis and the lesions common in psoriasis. The joint inflammation and the skin lesions don't necessarily have to occur at the same time.
How Is Psoriasis Treated?
Doctors generally treat psoriasis in steps based on the severity of the disease, size of the areas involved, type of psoriasis, where the psoriasis is located, and the patient's response to initial treatments. Treatment can include:
- medicines applied to the skin (topical treatment)
- light treatment (phototherapy)
- medicines by mouth or injection (systemic therapy).
Over time, affected skin can become resistant to treatment, especially when topical corticosteroids are used. Also, a treatment that works very well in one person may have little effect in another. Thus, doctors often use a trial-and-error approach to find a treatment that works, and they may switch treatments periodically if a treatment does not work or if adverse reactions occur.
Topical Treatment
Treatments applied directly to the skin may improve its condition. Doctors find that some patients respond well to ointment or cream forms of corticosteroids, vitamin D3, retinoids, coal tar, or anthralin. Bath solutions and lubricants may be soothing, but they are seldom strong enough to improve the condition of the skin. Therefore, they usually are combined with stronger remedies.
- Topical corticosteroids. These drugs reduce inflammation and the turnover of skin cells, and they suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids are typically recommended for active outbreaks of psoriasis. Long-term use or overuse of highly potent (strong) corticosteroids can cause thinning of the skin, internal side effects, and resistance to the treatment's benefits.
- Vitamin D analogs. Synthetic forms of vitamin D control the speed of turnover of turnover of skin cells. Excessive use of these creams may raise the amount of calcium in the body to unhealthy levels.
- Retinoids. Topical retinoids are synthetic forms of vitamin A. Because of the risk of birth defects, women of childbearing age must take measures to prevent pregnancy when using retinoids.
- Coal tar. Preparations containing coal tar (gels and ointments) may be applied directly to the skin, added (as a liquid) to the bath, or used on the scalp as a shampoo. Coal tar products are available in different strengths, and many are sold over the counter (not requiring a prescription). The most potent form of coal tar may irritate the skin, is messy, has a strong odor, and may stain the skin or clothing.
- Anthralin. Anthralin reduces the increase in skin cells and inflammation. Doctors may prescribe daily application of anthralin ointment, cream, or paste for brief periods to treat chronic psoriasis lesions. Afterward, anthralin must be washed off the skin to prevent irritation. It discolors skin, bathtub, sink, clothing, and most surfaces.
- Salicylic acid. This peeling agent, which is available in many forms such as ointments, creams, gels, and shampoos, can be applied to reduce scaling of the skin or scalp.
- Clobetasol propionate. This is a foam topical medication, which has been approved for the treatment of scalp and body psoriasis.
- Bath solutions. People with psoriasis may find that adding oil when bathing, then applying a lubricant, soothes their skin. Also, individuals can remove scales and reduce itching by soaking in water containing a coal tar solution, oiled oatmeal, Epsom salts, or Dead Sea salts.
- Lubricants. When applied regularly over a long period, lubricants have a soothing effect. Preparations that are thick and greasy usually work best because they seal water in the skin, reducing scaling and itching.
Light Therapy
Natural ultraviolet light from the sun and controlled delivery of artificial ultraviolet light are used in treating psoriasis. It is important that light therapy be administered by a doctor. Spending a lot of time in the sun or a tanning bed can cause skin damage, increase the risk of skin cancer, and worsen symptoms.
- Sunlight. Much of sunlight is composed of bands of different wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light. When absorbed into the skin, UV light suppresses the process leading to disease, causing activated T cells in the skin to die. This process reduces inflammation and slows the turnover of skin cells that causes scaling.
- Ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy. UVB is light with a short wavelength that is absorbed in the skin's epidermis. An artificial source can be used to treat mild and moderate psoriasis. Some physicians will start treating patients with UVB instead of topical agents. A UVB phototherapy, called broadband UVB, can be used for a few small lesions, to treat widespread psoriasis, or for lesions that resist topical treatment. This type of phototherapy is normally given in a doctor's office by using a light panel or light box. Some patients use UVB light boxes at home under a doctor's guidance.
Another type of UVB, called narrowband UVB, emits the part of the ultraviolet light spectrum band that is most helpful for psoriasis. Narrowband UVB treatment is superior to broadband UVB, but it is less effective than PUVA treatment (see next paragraph). At first, patients may require several treatments of narrowband UVB spaced close together to improve their skin. Once the skin has shown improvement, a maintenance treatment may be all that is necessary. However, narrowband UVB treatment is not without risk. It can cause more severe and longer lasting burns than broadband treatment.
- Psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA). This treatment combines oral or topical administration of a medicine called psoralen with exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) light. UVA has a long wavelength that penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB. Psoralen makes the skin more sensitive to this light. Compared with broadband UVB treatment, PUVA treatment taken two to three times a week clears psoriasis more consistently and in fewer treatments. However, it is associated with more short-term side effects, including nausea, headache, fatigue, burning, and itching. Care must be taken to avoid sunlight after ingesting psoralen to avoid severe sunburns, and the eyes must be protected with UVA-absorbing glasses. Long-term treatment is associated with an increased risk of squamous-cell and, possibly, melanoma skin cancers.
Systemic Treatment
For more severe forms of psoriasis, doctors sometimes prescribe medicines that are taken internally by pill or injection. This is called systemic treatment.
- Methotrexate. Like cyclosporine, methotrexate slows cell turnover by suppressing the immune system. It can be taken by pill or injection. Patients taking methotrexate must be closely monitored because it can cause liver damage and/or decrease the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells, and clot-enhancing platelets. As a precaution, doctors do not prescribe the drug for people who have had liver disease or anemia (an illness characterized by weakness or tiredness due to a reduction in the number or volume of red blood cells that carry oxygen to the tissues). Methotrexate should not be used by pregnant women, or by women who are planning to get pregnant, because it may cause birth defects.
- Retinoids. Oral retinoids are compounds with vitamin A-like properties that may be prescribed for severe cases of psoriasis that do not respond to other therapies. Because these medications also may cause birth defects, women must protect themselves from pregnancy.
- Cyclosporine. Taken orally, cyclosporine acts by suppressing the immune system to slow the rapid turnover of skin cells. It may provide quick relief of symptoms, but the improvement stops when treatment is discontinued. Cyclosporine may impair kidney function or cause high blood pressure (hypertension). Therefore, patients must be carefully monitored by a doctor. Also, cyclosporine is not recommended for patients who have a weak immune system or those who have had skin cancers as a result of PUVA treatments in the past.
- Biologic response modifiers. Biologics are made from proteins produced by living cells instead of chemicals. They interfere with specific immune system processes which cause the overproduction of skin cells and inflammation. These drugs are injected (sometimes by the patient). Patients taking these treatments need to be monitored carefully by a doctor. Because these drugs suppress the immune system response, patients taking these drugs have an increased risk of infection, and the drugs may also interfere with patients taking vaccines. Also, some of these drugs have been associated with other diseases (like central nervous system disorders, blood diseases, cancer, and lymphoma) although their role in the development of or contribution to these diseases is not yet understood. Some are approved for adults only, and their effects on pregnant or nursing women are not known.
Combination Therapy
Combining various topical, light, and systemic treatments often permits lower doses of each and can result in increased effectiveness. There are many approaches for treating psoriasis. Ask the doctor about the best options for you. Find out:
- How long the treatment may last.
- How long it will take to see results.
- What the possible side effects are.
- What to do if the side effects are severe.
Psychological Support
Some individuals with moderate to severe psoriasis may benefit from counseling or participation in a support group to reduce self-consciousness about their appearance or relieve psychological distress resulting from fear of social rejection.
What Research Is Being Conducted on Psoriasis?
Researchers are trying to learn how skin cells form in order to create healthy skin. At the same time, others are looking at the cells and mechanisms which cause lesions in the skin. If any of these mechanisms can be interrupted, researchers may find a way to stop the disease process.
Significant progress has been made in understanding the inheritance of psoriasis. A number of genes involved in psoriasis are already known or suspected. In a multifactor disease (involving genes, environment, and other factors), variations in one or more genes may produce a greater likelihood of getting the disease. Researchers are continuing to study the genetic aspects of psoriasis, and some studies are looking at the nervous system to determine the genes responsible for the circuitry that causes itching.
Since discovering that inflammation in psoriasis is triggered by T cells, researchers have been studying new treatments that quiet immune system reactions in the skin. Among these are treatments that block the activity of T cells or block cytokines (proteins that promote inflammation). If researchers find a way to target only the disease-causing immune reactions while leaving the rest of the immune system alone, resulting treatments could benefit psoriasis patients as well as those with other autoimmune diseases.
Research has suggested that psoriasis patients may be at greater risk of cardiovascular problems, especially if the psoriasis is severe, as well as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Researchers are trying to determine the reasons for these associations and how best to treat patients.
More information on research is available from the following websites:
- NIH Clinical Research Trials and You helps people learn more about clinical trials, why they matter, and how to participate. Visitors to the website will find information about the basics of participating in a clinical trial, first-hand stories from actual clinical trial volunteers, explanations from researchers, and links to how to search for a trial or enroll in a research-matching program.
- ClinicalTrials.gov offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions.
- NIH RePORTER is an electronic tool that allows users to search a repository of both intramural and extramural NIH-funded research projects from the past 25 years and access publications (since 1985) and patents resulting from NIH funding.
- PubMed is a free service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that lets you search millions of journal citations and abstracts in the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and preclinical sciences.
Where Can People Find More Information About Psoriasis?
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse
National Institutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
Phone: 301-495-4484
Toll Free: 877-22-NIAMS (877-226-4267)
Fax: 301-718-6366
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov
Other Resources
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)
Website: http://www.aad.org
National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)
Website: http://www.psoriasis.org
For additional contact information, visit the NIAMS website or call the NIAMS Information Clearinghouse.
The NIAMS gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following individuals in the preparation and review of the original version of this booklet: Kevin D. Cooper, M.D., University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH; Gerald Krueger, M.D., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Mark Lebwohl, M.D., Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY; Laurence H. Miller, M.D., P.A., Chevy Chase, MD; Alan N. Moshell, M.D., NIAMS/NIH; Robert Stern, M.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; and the National Psoriasis Foundation.
The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. The NIAMS Information Clearinghouse is a public service sponsored by the NIAMS that provides health information and information sources. Additional information can be found on the NIAMS website at www.niams.nih.gov.
For Your Information
This publication contains information about medications used to treat the health condition discussed here. When this publication was developed, we included the most up-to-date (accurate) information available. Occasionally, new information on medication is released.
For updates and for any questions about any medications you are taking, please contact
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Toll Free: 888–INFO–FDA (888–463–6332)
Website: http://www.fda.gov
For updates and questions about statistics, please contact
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
This publication is not copyrighted. Readers are encouraged to duplicate and distribute as many copies as needed.
Additional copies of this publication are available from:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse
National Institutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
Phone: 301-495-4484
Toll Free: 877-22-NIAMS (877-226-4267)
Fax: 301-718-6366
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov
NIH Publication No. 09–5040


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| 11.3°C Belfast
Unions have expressed shock at plans to close a Dunlop tyre factory with the loss of more than 240 jobs.
Officials said the company had only recently held talks about relocating from its Birmingham plant to another site in the area.
Unite regional officer Andy Taylor said: "We are shocked and dismayed at the announcement made today of the closure of Dunlop Motorsports with the loss of 241 jobs.
"Just four days ago they committed, at a meeting convened by Business Secretary Vince Cable with the support of Birmingham City Council, to seriously investigate the possibility of relocation in the Birmingham area.
"Unite will not accept the company walking away from its commitments or its obligations to fully consult the workforce on this decision and will be looking to challenge and change the decision."
GMB officer Dominic Hinks said: "We are devastated at the announcement made today by Goodyear to move their Motor Sport business to France and Germany.
"Only a couple of days ago the company met with local MP Jack Dromey and Vince Cable and agreed to consider in detail alternative sites in Birmingham and in particular Aston. I am at a loss to understand how those options could have been explored in detail over such a short period of time.
"GMB asked the company over 18 months ago to commit to keeping their Motor Sport business in Birmingham if they were forced to move off its current Erdington site. Despite their promises that relocating in Birmingham was an option it is clear that the company have been disingenuous with us and more importantly its loyal workforce.
"We will now seek an urgent meeting with the company to discuss this announcement in more detail.
"We will make sure the company meets all its legal obligations on the decision to shut the Erdington site."


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The ideal replacement for 150W outdoor reflector lamps in homes or commercial premises.
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Just as they have been for aaalll the other Broncos' appearances at Super Bowls of the past (six), Denver football fans are showing their support of the team for Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014.
Young and old, new and long-time fans come together to party, cheer their heroes and revel in victory. So, here's to the fans of the Denver Broncos, who never really leave the stadium…
In the photo above, fans cheer the Broncos on TV at the London House Restaurant as the team starts a play in the 1978 Super Bowl (XII). The Broncos lost a heart-breaker to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-10, who were led by star quarterback Roger Staubach. Quarterback Craig Morton led the Broncos in a frustrating game of catch-up all the way.
Above, the hype for the 1987 Super Bowl appearance by the Broncos got imaginative, with "Kathy and the Cheerleaders" doing a salute to John Elway with a no-doubt sparkling rendition of "Oh Johnny Angel… how I love him…" etc., etc.
Quarterback Elway made his first Super Bowl appearance in XXI in Pasadena, Calif. The loss to the New York Giants at 39-20 was a tough one.
Elway brought the Broncos back for another Super Bowl appearance in 1988 (XXII). His three young wide receivers, The Three Amigos, were a popular trio (Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson & Ricky Nattiel). But the party was short-lived as the Broncos fell 42-10 to the Washington Redskins.
In 1990, they tried again in Super Bowl XXIV, but took a crushing blow from The San Francisco 49ers, losing at 55-10.
Ah! But the NEXT Super Bowl appearance in 1998 (XXXII) might just prove to be a memorable one…
The fans above drove from Colorado to San Diego to be part of the scene at Super Bowl XXXII when the Denver Broncos outplayed the Green Bay Packers 31-24 on January 25, 1998, giving John Elway his, and the Broncos', first Super Bowl victory.
Could they possibly do it again, asked fans? COULD they?? Just watch…
In 1999, the Denver Broncos pulled off an amazing repeat of their first victory, defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII with a 34-19 score. A joyous team and fans celebrated mightily, like it was 1999!
That year, the fans' beloved quarterback retired from football after 16 years of play, five Super Bowl appearances and back-to-back championships in his final two years.
Here's to all the Denver Broncos fans, who, win or lose, stand by their team year after year.
And, now that the 7th Super Bowl appearance of the Denver Broncos is out of the way, an expert has assessed the team's performance. After careful deliberation and consideration of the film of the game, he delivers:
Thank you, Benjamin Hochman! Follow his witty, pithy, cogent observations here:


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Court mismatch makes OUI justice elusive
Lawyers who specialize in defending drunk drivers enjoy huge legal advantages built into state law, and have the ear of some judges prone to favor their arguments, no matter how far-fetched
This story was reported by Globe Spotlight Team members Marcella Bombardieri, Jonathan Saltzman, and editor Thomas Farragher. It was written by Bombardieri.
Last of three parts
"You got me.''
The young financial worker said it four times, according to police, as he flubbed each field sobriety test near a Papa Gino's in Plymouth, where he had almost caused a head-on collision.
He'd had a few beers, he said, and hadn't eaten since noon. Now it was 1 a.m. When he blew into a breathalyzer, it registered .25, more than three times the legal limit.
They had him. Almost.
Most defendants would have pleaded guilty to a first offense like this, but the 23-year-old had another idea: He came up with the big money it takes to hire Stephen L. Jones, the dean of drunken driving defense lawyers in Massachusetts.
After a string of bad decisions, that move paid off.
Jones got the breath-test result thrown out of court. Then he masterfully recast his client's feeble performance for police as a by-product of fatigue, not beer. The judge's verdict: not guilty.
"I probably look like the cat that ate the canary,'' Jones said, beaming after a hearing.
Call it OUI Inc., the cottage industry of lawyers and expert witnesses whose livelihoods are built on getting drivers charged with operating under the influence of alcohol off the hook - and back on the road.
When drunken driving cases go to trial in Massachusetts courts, it is often a clear mismatch, a Spotlight Team review has found - and not just because some judges, as the Globe has reported in this series, are inclined to find defendants not guilty no matter the weight of evidence against them. There are also lawyers like Jones, with thousands of trials behind them, who time and again triumph over relatively inexperienced prosecutors struggling under heavy caseloads.
The scales of justice tip their way, and that's no accident. It's the way those who write the laws here, and those who adjudicate them, appear to want it.
The stars of the OUI bar know when to tip off their clients to bypass the vagaries of the jury for a sympathetic judge. But more important, they go into battle with special legal advantages in this state, especially the prohibition on putting a driver's refusal to take a breath-test into evidence.
It is a devastating advantage for the defense, making proof of intoxication entirely circumstantial: the staggering step, slurred speech, boozy breath, and so on. Only one other state has anything like it. It makes OUI lawyers here the envy of their colleagues across the country.
Massachusetts, like other states, also enforces intricate procedures police must follow in making OUI stops, procedures that some officers complete imperfectly, sometimes carelessly, opening easy lines of attack for aggressive counsel.
Indeed, the defense lawyers' favorite courtroom targets are the often inartful investigative reports by the police officer on the scene and the officer's recollection of events long past. There are rarely other witnesses to the alleged crime. Police officers are trained to look for specific markers of intoxication, but the resulting lingo - "glassy eyes'' and "thick tongued'' speech - is often unimpressive to judges who have heard it hundreds of times before.
It is, in short, a lopsided competition, and Jones is unapologetic about the fact that his success often means that someone who was in fact driving while impaired gets off without penalty. Like any litigator, his obligation is zealous advocacy for his client.
"If he gets a break, you know, who's hurt?'' said Jones, an affable 55-year-old. "Most people learn their lesson just by their arrest.''
For lawyers who specialize in drunken driving cases, business has never been so good.
As drunken driving penalties in the state have gradually gotten more severe, the incentive to go to trial has only grown. Lawyers increasingly encourage their clients to fight rather than plead out.
Melanie's Law, passed in 2005, lengthened license suspensions and imposed on second-time offenders the humiliation of having to blow into a breath-testing device before their cars will start.
And a little-noticed 2002 law eliminated any sunset on prior offenses. Defendants with convictions more than a decade old used to be treated like first-time offenders. Not now. A middle-aged father who had a couple of youthful indiscretions in his teens but stayed out of trouble for 30 years now faces six months in jail if convicted on a third offense.
"Now I tell everybody who's got a first offense, if it's at all triable, try it,'' said Quincy defense lawyer and former district court judge Daniel W. O'Malley.
What makes a case triable is usually the defendant's ability or willingness to spend. Hiring a garden variety lawyer to fight a drunken driving charge can easily cost $5,000. Jones charges $10,000 to contest a first offense, $15,000 for a third offense. For defendants with another $1,500 to $5,000 to spare, expert witnesses will attack the breath test or raise novel medical defenses.
Even in handcuffs, some suspects are already boasting they can buy their way out of trouble.
When a 43-year-old driver was arrested she "informed me that she has money and this will all go away and when it does she will have my job,'' a Lakeville police officer wrote in a 2008 report.
The woman admitted drinking eight beers. She blew .24 on the breath test. But Judge Rosemary B. Minehan acquitted her after her lawyer argued the network of roads in the large housing development where she was arrested was not a public way and therefore not subject to the drunken driving laws.
While police and prosecutors blame judges like Minehan, defense lawyers have a more benign explanation for the overwhelming tendency of some judges to acquit. They argue that the not-guilty verdicts in Massachusetts bench trials - for four of five defendants statewide - reflect good judgment.
They say most defendants who confront damning evidence plead out. The lawyers reserve dubious cases for the jury, they say, where only one of six people needs to find reasonable doubt, and send cases to a judge to rule when a simple matter of law is at issue.
"I put slam dunks before a judge,'' O'Malley said.
District attorneys, lawyers say, refuse to dismiss or negotiate cases even when the police lack credible evidence. Drunken driving is more politically radioactive than drug dealing and many other crimes thanks to decades of vigilance by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others, the defense lawyers say.
"There is no mothers against petty larceny or mothers against assault third,'' said Peter Gerstenzang, a nationally prominent OUI lawyer who practices in New York.
Indeed, only 5 percent of OUI charges are dismissed on the day of the scheduled trial, compared with half of assaults. (Assault victims often fail to appear in court.) Several Massachusetts district attorneys insist they drop bad cases, but one generally agreed with the defense lawyers' view.
"The district attorneys across the Commonwealth have a zero tolerance for operating under the influence,'' said David E. Sullivan, the district attorney for Hampshire and Franklin counties. "When we get a case from a police department, 99 out of 100 times we're going to prosecute that case.''
Moments later he softened that assertion. His office dismisses cases it can't support, he said.
A cozy familiarity
They are hardly the dandies of white-shoe law firms.
O'Malley, the former judge, broke his nose in his days as a heavyweight fighter, when he trained in an upstairs ring in the shadow of the old Boston Garden with Dicky Eklund, the Lowell boxer whom actor Christian Bale portrayed in "The Fighter.''
Jones quit optometry school and bought a sub shop before bartending his way through law school, then working as a prosecutor. In the early 1990s, Jack Diamond, a prominent OUI lawyer based in Hingham, poured beers at Copperfield's in Boston to supplement his meager wages as a prosecutor.
Each took up defense work and found an affinity for OUI law. Today the three lawyers, who once shared office space, are among the busiest and most handsomely paid in their specialty.
The three, who each handle on the order of 100 cases a year, are loath to claim a specific success rate, but Jones and O'Malley both say they rarely lose a case with a breath-test reading below .10.
"I don't like criminals,'' said Jones, who is based in Norwell. "As a general rule, I represent nice people who, at the worst, are somebody with an alcohol problem. That is not something that is easily controlled. No one wants to be an alcoholic, and sometimes you just are.''
When they walk into a courtroom, court officers smile and clerks nod. The lawyers gossip with police about the latest dim-witted robbery, tease prosecutors over battles past, lean in as court officers whisper their personal verdict on the friendliness of a new judge.
It's a cozy familiarity whose value is not lost on OUI defendants.
One judge's "demeanor clearly changed for the positive when Jack's name was announced,'' according to a typical testimonial on Diamond's website. O'Malley's website lists 18 courts where they still remember him as Judge O'Malley.
Jones calls his advertising in the restrooms of bars a decade ago a "weak moment.'' But he still proudly hands out business cards that tell drivers how not to incriminate themselves, with five rules of the road, including, "Don't take the breathalyzer test.''
A number of other local OUI specialists maintain flashy websites. Joseph Waldbaum's is bursting with exuberant testimonials that play up how much evidence was stacked against clients he successfully defended, like the accused three-time offender who crashed his snow plow into a house: He had a vodka bottle on the dashboard and his 5-year-old in the front seat. He called Waldbaum "a panther in the courtroom.''
"I was dead guilty,'' wrote another. Waldbaum "told me to try the case in front of a certain judge and not a jury.''
A third explained that Waldbaum scheduled his trial for "a date he knew the judge on duty to be the most lenient.''
When first contacted by the Globe, Waldbaum said he was willing to be interviewed, but only if the newspaper published his website address. The next time the Globe called him, he said, "I don't give lessons,'' and hung up.
To those who are active in the fight against drunken driving, these OUI specialists contribute to a legal system that too often exonerates drivers who go on to endangers lives.
"I have a very low opinion of people who not only will knowingly use a loophole to put someone that they have to in their heart of hearts know is dangerous . . . back on the road, but then brag about it,'' said Ron Bersani, whose granddaughter was killed by repeat drunk driver. "They're just going to go out and drive until they kill somebody.''
But the lawyers see it as their job to bring every possible weapon to the fight. Jones wrote an 800-page handbook on drunken driving defense in Massachusetts. Earlier this year at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston, he was eagerly detailing the centerpiece of his playbook: how to cross-examine a police officer.
"I'm sort of like an OUI nerd; I love this stuff,'' Jones told his audience of fellow attorneys, joking, "I wouldn't do it for nothing - I wouldn't even do it for a reduced fee - but I really like doing it.''
Police officers tend to write reports full of gaps, he said. At the end of a long night, they may record the 10 worst things the driver did but leave out many other details over an hour or two of observation.
Defendants usually get their day in court months after their arrest, so officers can forget precise details. If any single action is not in that report, the officer will often concede on the stand that the suspect performed it correctly.
"The gold...is what they haven't written,'' Jones said.
Jones practices what he preaches. He deployed the strategy in May in the Plymouth trial of the financial worker whose .25 breath test had been suppressed. Jones peppered Officer James Vachon with questions about his client's behavior that night a year before.
"He's not slumped over . . . or trying to hide anything?'' Jones asked.
"Walking to the rear of the vehicle, he's walking normally?
"As you would expect a sober person to stand?''
"He gets out of the vehicle with his hands cuffed behind his back . . . and he's not unsteady?''
Time after time, Vachon agreed with Jones. And on a video taken at the police station, the suspect's speech sounded slow but not slurred, and he was able to recite his Social Security number.
Judge Kathryn E. Hand told the young man that she found the officer believable, and that he had certainly driven dangerously. But "I cannot say beyond a reasonable doubt that the cause of your operation in that way was your use of alcohol,'' she said.
The police station or cruiser videos that some departments record sometimes make defendants look less intoxicated than arrest reports indicate. Diamond says the state should mandate the recording of every arrest.
"Some of these [officers] should be writing fiction, the elaborate phraseology they use,'' he said. "If it's that graphic, wouldn't you love to have a half-hour of footage showing this?''
Police say that video is expensive and does not capture the subtle behaviors that officers are trained to recognize, and that you do not have to be throwing up or falling down to be impaired. An unpracticed drinker might be unconscious at .25, but an alcoholic with a high tolerance could look almost sober, they say.
As for why Judge Hand threw out the breathalyzer result for Jones's client, the video showed a genuine police mistake. The device's operator did not observe the young man for 15 uninterrupted minutes, as state rules require. They are supposed to watch to see if the suspect burps, which can bring alcohol from the stomach into the mouth and distort a reading. That odd-sounding requirement of the law is clear but, state officials say, redundant. Today's machines are able to detect mouth alcohol, voiding tests when it is found.
Much of the time, Jones and his counterparts are going up against a prosecutor of limited experience who has had little time to prepare.
"District courts have some of the newest prosecutors and some of the most experienced trial attorneys,'' said Sullivan, the Western Massachusetts district attorney. Rookie assistant district attorneys statewide earn $37,500.
Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Gillespie, 28, juggles up to 10 cases a day in Essex County - more OUIs than anything else - and scours law books during her lunch breaks.
"It's obvious that [defense lawyers] have more resources,'' said Gillespie, who earns $42,000 after two years on the job. "You always feel if there were a couple more hours in the day you could do more. But I'm going to try the case, and I have to do the best that I can.''
In mid-April, Gillespie handled an OUI trial in an overheated courthouse in Haverhill. The 45-year-old defendant waived his right to a jury trial after his lawyer whispered, "I like this judge.''
Busy with other cases that morning, Gillespie interviewed the defendant's father, a witness, in the hallway just minutes before trial. And then she guided the police officer through damning testimony: The defendant was found, apparently passed out, in a McDonald's drive-through and held up his cellphone when asked to show his driver's license.
The driver, a crane operator, admitted drinking three beers, the officer said. He first said he had not taken his Percocet that night but later said he did, the officer said.
After a 48-minute trial, Judge Michael A. Uhlarik said he did not hear any evidence about the effects of combining alcohol and pain medication. Not guilty, he said.
Gillespie quickly gathered her files and moved on to her next case.
Pulling rabbits out of hats
Edward L. Fiandach zigzagged around a hotel ballroom in midtown Manhattan, so pumped up about defending drunk drivers he could barely contain himself.
His words pushed the speed limit. His audience of lawyers attending a refresher course was rapt. His suspenders were adorned with rabbits pulled from magicians' hats.
Fiandach, based in Rochester, N.Y., flung his arms in the air and yelled: "Not guilty!''
His specialty is representing people accused in drunken driving accidents that result in death or serious injury. For these most serious cases, he said, winning often means a shorter sentence, not a walk.
One PowerPoint slide read: "Winning'' requires that you recognize that your client is very guilty.''
The speakers at the New York State Bar Association continuing education course were some of the most successful drunken driving defense lawyers in the country, men - and one woman - paid handsomely to pull rabbits out of hats.
Over muffins and bagels - no cocktail hour - they told war stories that involved clients who were "smashed,'' or "toasted.'' They confided that teachers and heavy drinkers are bad jurors. They argued that field sobriety tests are more difficult than driving.
Texas lawyer Doug Murphy gave a primer on undermining evidence from breath-test devices. Crying and stress, he said, can raise a person's temperature and thus the alcohol reading.
A Washington State lawyer attacked the science behind field sobriety tests. They have been studied by researchers during real roadway stops, and most of those impromptu research subjects have been quite intoxicated. So how do we know they really distinguish between sober people and drunks? Why not test 500 senior citizens? Or 500 drywallers who have had back surgery?
Even some of these courtroom magicians were astonished by the rules of the game as their Massachusetts brethren get to play it.
The fact that Bay State prosecutors cannot tell the judge or jury that a suspect refused the breath test?
"Steve Jones is going to kill me for saying this, but I don't understand why they can't use that,'' Fiandach said. "Are you sure? You've got me amazed. Boy, do I wish I could do that.''
Only Rhode Island has a similar prohibition. In sharp contrast, states such as California, Nevada, and North Carolina allow police to forcibly draw blood samples from motorists who refuse the breath test.
Melanie's Law was supposed to make refusing the test unpalatable by inflicting severe driver's license penalties on those who refuse. It didn't quite work out that way.
Former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and House Judiciary Chairman Eugene L. O'Flaherty - both, at the time, among the state's most powerful defense attorneys - strongly opposed several provisions of the bill that Governor Mitt Romney and Senate leaders sought, arguing they threatened the constitutional rights of defendants.
For months, Bersani, the grieving grandfather, haunted the State House, as he later wrote, sharing the story of his 13-year-old granddaughter, Melanie Powell, who was on her way to a birthday party when she was killed by a drunk driver. Bersani left several legislators in tears, but O'Flaherty "just looked at him with the dead fish eyes,'' recalled Daniel P. Haley, then Romney's deputy legal counsel, who accompanied Bersani.O'Flaherty remembers the encounter differently. "My heart broke for the gentleman,'' he said.
Under Melanie's Law, first-time offenders who refuse to take a breath test lose their licenses for six months, two-time offenders for three years, four-time offenders for the rest of their lives.
In many states, similar penalties stand even for drivers acquitted of drunken driving, because refusing a breath test is a separate offense: violating the terms of a driver's license.
O'Flaherty opposed such sanctions.
"You have a constitutional right to not cooperate with law enforcement,'' he said Friday. "You have a right against self-incrimination.''
So the bitterly fought final compromise opened a loophole: A driver who refuses the test gets his license back if he is acquitted. Unless prosecutors can make a special case he is a danger.
In a way, it was a double win for defense lawyers.
Stiffer punishment means more people hire a lawyer to fight the charge. And taking the sting out of refusing the breath test makes it that much easier to win in court.
"It caught people's attention that there were OUI defense attorneys in the House who were essentially doing everything they could to gut the thing,'' said Haley, who wrote Romney's version of the bill. "There is still an incentive for drunk drivers, particularly serial drunk drivers . . . to refuse a breathalyzer. And it's a huge incentive.''
Melanie's Law also created new business opportunities. Just weeks before the law began requiring repeat offenders to install ignition interlock devices on their cars in 2006, Jones helped his then-wife start a business that supplies the devices. The business, a franchise of the Texas-based Smart Start Inc., today has the largest share - about 40 percent - of a market split among seven state-approved vendors. Jones said he has never been involved in running the franchise or profited from the endeavor.
Questioning the science
For those who do take the breath test, the basic science behind the machines is not in doubt.
In 2008 the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the reliability of the Alcotest 7110, the same device used in Massachusetts, after a special master spent four months hearing evidence about its accuracy. This year, a Massachusetts district court judge reached the same conclusion, ruling against more than 60 defendants who argued that the test is scientifically unreliable.
But those rulings have not dampened the enthusiasm of defense attorneys for far-fetched breath-test defenses.
Listerine, acid reflux, diabetic attacks, and even a high-protein diet can inflate the reading, they have argued.
Then there are the experts called on to convince a judge that the driver who was drunk when he blew into the machine was sober when the police officer's blue lights went on. The theory behind this popular argument is that while he was behind the wheel, the driver was still absorbing alcohol, and the full effect didn't hit him until he got to the station.
That can happen, but only under rare circumstances.
In Northampton District Court in March, a welding student, who at 18 was too young to drink legally, acknowledged drinking a 40-ounce beer, swigging vodka, and lying when he told the officer he hadn't been drinking. He blew .09 on the breath test. But his lawyer called to the stand a doctor who offered his own calculation for what the reading would have been at the time of the stop. His conclusion? He would have been "around .077'' when he was pulled over.
Judge W. Michael Goggins found the young man not guilty, suggesting that he did not look impaired on the police video. In a statement to the Globe, Goggins noted that the prosecutor called the case a "close call'' and did not bring in an expert witness to counter the doctor.
Common challenges to a high breath-test reading don't hold up to scrutiny, said Guy M. Vallaro, chief science officer at the State Police crime lab, who described several ways the machine tends to underestimate a person's blood alcohol level. What if the defendant was running a fever? To raise a breath-test result by .01 percent, a driver would have to have a temperature of at least 103, he said.
"It's a very sophisticated instrument,'' Vallaro said. "It's very robust in proven science.''
David M. Benjamin is a Chestnut Hill toxicologist who teaches college classes and frequently testifies for the defense. By and large, he agrees with Vallaro.
"If somebody calls you up on the phone, and they tell you, 'My client blew a .25,' I tell them they need Merlin, not David Benjamin,'' said Benjamin.
Expert witnesses offer defendants another advantage, because assistant district attorneys rarely have the time or the budget to arrange for their own expert. Nor do they often make much effort to challenge a witness's bona fides, even when they believe the expert has less than credible credentials.
But in August 2008, Essex Assistant District Attorney Maura Carlin Officer launched an assault on the qualifications of a familiar face in Massachusetts OUI trials: New Hampshire toxicologist JoAnn Samson, who has testified scores of times in the state. She is Jones's go-to breath-test expert, partly because she charges only $1,500.
Under Officer's questioning, Samson acknowledged that her physiology master's thesis was on termites, and that her doctoral work was on a drug used to treat hookworm in dogs. Samson acknowledged that she did not belong to any professional toxicology organization, and that until a few years earlier she spent most of her time working as a lawyer. The three publications on a recent copy of her resume include a letter to the editor.
"She really seemed to be stressing that her qualifications as an expert are based upon the fact that she reads extensively. That's not good enough,'' said the judge, Michael Uhlarik. "I'm also troubled with possible misrepresentation - I'm not saying its intentional - as to her educational background.''
Uhlarik refused to let Sampson testify. But other Massachusetts judges continue to accept her testimony.
In an interview, Samson said that she is too busy testifying to publish or to maintain a laboratory that would help her gain admission to professional toxicology groups.
Samson, who is active in the Anglican Church, sees her work as a ministry and said she tells defense lawyers when she thinks their clients are guilty and should plead out.
She recalled telling one defendant: "God saved your butt. You're lucky you didn't have an accident, and that some of your friends weren't killed.''
The creative defense
For drivers who refuse the breath test - more than a third of suspects - creative lawyers have no trouble cobbling together a narrative to explain the erratic driving or failed roadside tests that led to an arrest. Often, the driver's attack of nerves when confronted by police, or his fatigue, is enough.
The 18-year-old swigging vodka could not count backward because he has dyslexia, his lawyer said. And perhaps smoke from the bonfire where he had been hanging out reddened his eyes.
Jones often argues that a long day at the computer can leave anyone with bloodshot eyes.
Being older, heavier, or not dressed for the cold will put a driver at a disadvantage, lawyers say. Hip replacements or knee surgery are often blamed for failed sobriety tests. One officer testified that the defendant leaning on a cane in Dorchester District Court last fall not only did not have the cane the day of his arrest, but he also sauntered into the courthouse bathroom the day of trial without leaning on it. The lawyer representing Ron Bell, an aide to Governor Deval Patrick arrested for drunken driving last month, said gout may have affected his performance on the sobriety tests.
When a 26-year-old woman tapped another car with her Mercedes in Hingham last year, she told the officer she had been "out with the ladies doing what ladies do.'' She had no physical problems that would interfere with field sobriety tests, she said. Four days later her lawyer, Jack Diamond, sent her to a podiatrist, who diagnosed lateral ankle pain from her marathon training. He introduced the medical records at trial.
Judge Beverly Cannone found her not guilty.
"It was sort of another peg for someone to hang their hat on to say not guilty,'' Diamond said, stressing that his client's pain was real. "Sometimes, that's all people are looking for, a little hook to hang their coat.''
O'Malley, the former judge, is also something of an artist at putting his client's actions in the best possible light.
Michael J. Cedrone, who had a previous OUI conviction, got pulled over in Stoughton in February after running a red light in his Ford pickup truck right in front of a police officer. He said he had "had a few,'' and later refused to take a breath test.
At trial in August, O'Malley asked Sergeant John P. Bonney of the Stoughton police if Cedrone made his left turn perfectly, "except for running the red light.''
Yes, except for that, the officer agreed.
Touching heel-to-toe only half the time was "batting .500,'' and "an extraordinary performance,'' O'Malley argued. Holding his leg up for 3 seconds was a great effort, even though the test calls for 30 seconds.
O'Malley was incredulous when the sergeant insisted that he remembered Cedrone's smelling of alcohol, because it was not in his report from six months earlier. Bonney, whose sister Lisa was killed by a drunk driver 21 years ago, was emphatic.
"I am under oath, and I stand by my testimony,'' he said.
O'Malley argued to Judge Angel Kelly-Brown that there was no evidence of that odor and concluded, "My client just did too many things well.''
Kelly-Brown said that while the evidence was relatively thin, it was enough to convince her beyond a reasonable doubt. She surprised the courtroom with that rarest of bench trial verdicts: guilty.
It was a verdict that wouldn't stand for long.
Two weeks later, O'Malley was back in court with a motion for a new trial. He argued that Bonney's testimony that Cedrone smelled of alcohol should have been disclosed before trial. It undermined one of his key defenses.
O'Malley asked Kelly-Brown to order a new trial "out of an abundance of caution.'' The judge agreed.
O'Malley and his client are due back in court in January.
Matt Carroll of the Globe staff performed database analysis for this project.


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Obama Administration Says It Can Spy On Americans, But Can't Tell You What Law Allows It
from the secret-laws! deptRemember how President Obama, while campaigning, promised to reject the questionable spying practices of the federal government of President Bush? Yeah, forget all that. Over the past two years, we've seen time and time again that he's actually extended those abuses even further. The latest to come out is that the Justice Department is now claiming that the FBI has the right to get phone records on any call made from inside the US to an international number without any oversight. You may recall a few years back that there was a similar controversy, when it came out that the FBI would regularly just call up phone companies and ask for records -- despite the fact that this violates certain laws designed to protect consumer privacy. Sometimes, they would just use post-it notes.
Apparently, a year ago, McClatchy newspapers put in a FOIA request, asking for the details of a particular Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memo that was mentioned in the (previously released, but highly redacted) report that showed how frequently the FBI abused the law in this manner. The OLC took its sweet time responding, but finally responded, and in the cover letter admitted that the Obama administration believes it is perfectly legal for the FBI to route around the in-place oversight for getting access to such records and claimed that the law said so.
Which law says so? Oh, see, that they can't say. Yes, the part of the letter that explains which law lets the FBI get these records without oversight was redacted.
It's a secret law! And here I thought, in the US, if the government was going to base actions on a particular law, at the very least, they were supposed to tell you what law. Apparently, the Justice Department under the Obama administration does not believe that to be the case.
Basically, what this means is that the federal government believes that it's free to request information without first getting court approval -- and without telling the public what law says they're allowed to get this information. That's not what the laws on the books seem to say at all. But, of course, big telcos such as AT&T, who are so closely tied to the government, are going to roll over and give the government such info (or, perhaps, give them direct access to the info), even if it violates other laws. Why do you think President Obama voted to support giving telcos retroactive immunity on this issue, while he was running for President despite having earlier said he was against it? Now that he's in power, he apparently is perfectly happy to let the FBI twist the clear intentions of the law to spy on Americans without oversight, and then to refuse to reveal what law he's relying on to make such spying on Americans without oversight legal.
McClatchy quotes Michael German, a former FBI agent, who now works for the ACLU pointing out the obvious:
"It's wrong that they're withholding a legal rationale that has to do with the authorities of the FBI to collect information that affects the rights of American citizens here and abroad.... The law should never be secret. We should all understand what rules we're operating under and particularly when it comes to an agency that has a long history of abuse in its collection activities."And so far, it doesn't seem like most people care. About the only politician who really seems concerned about this is Senator Wyden, who says this level of secrecy "is a serious problem" and he's "continuing to press the executive branch to disclose more information to the public about what their government thinks the law means." Once again, kudos to Senator Wyden for being one of a very small number of politicians who seems to consistently be concerned about the rights of individuals. But it's sad that the rest of our elected officials aren't up in arms about this. The government shouldn't be spying on Americans, and if it is, it should at least have to tell Americans what law it's basing that decision on.
Filed Under: fbi, justice department, phone records, spying, warrantless


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Tag Archives:is playing electric guitar easy
Private Guitar Lessons London Music Tutors share
Private Guitar Lessons London Music Tutors
London Guitar Academy guitar lessons are full customised for each student, and LGA have an approach which is designed to include your own musical interests as much as possible. Private Guitar Lessons London Music Tutors all over London! Structured lesson plans tailored for the individual will give you the tools you need to take your playing ability to new heights. Private music lessons focus on building solid fundamentals as well as allow for creative expressions of music, along with training in improvisation.
Guitar Instruction Guitar Lessons At Home
Children's Music London share
Children's Music Lessons London
Children's Music Lessons in London with London Guitar Academy. Quality guitar lessons at your London home as well as small group music lessons at our London studio. You can find lots of family fun in our jam-packed music lessons!


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Pocket as many pool balls as you can before the time runs out!
Win races by beating the target times and unlock new vehicles and tracks! Use Nitro for an extra boost and drift the the many twists and turns, but be careful not to overheat your engine.Help
There are no awards for this game!


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Latest members
It's Your Turn to Find Better Love Today!
Findbetterlove.com We offer a better way to meet that very special person that can change your life. While our process is somewhat similar to others, our approach and system are like no other dating site out there. Want to know how to Find Better Love? All you have to do to get started on the road to bliss with that special person is create your profile. Once your profile is up and ready to go, you can start finding someone out there that is not out to play games, but is actually looking for a serious relationship. Our many communication tools make it simple to connect with people on the site that you find interesting or intriguing based on their profiles that you find through browsing FindBetterLove is the first website of its kind dedicated to helping those serious about finding love connect with like minded individuals and make a perfect match. There are no games here, no hoops to jump through and no hookups. FindBetterLove was created for people just like you; for people serious about finding that someone special, and those who want to create a lasting, meaningful relationship. Whether you are sick and tired of playing the dating game or just want to find someone who feels as strongly as you do about forging a committed relationship, FindBetterLove is for you. It's the one place where you can find better love. If you have been looking for a dating site with a real difference, you have found it. Not only are all members on the same page in terms of looking for something more than a casual relationship, but it is a comfortable, welcoming online community. Hundreds of thousands of other people have already signed up and are using the site's tools to connect, flirt, communicate and share their thoughts. It's time for you to try. It's your turn to find better love.


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
copynoun cast, counterfeit, counterpart, duplicate, ectype, facsimile, fake, forgery, image, imitation, impress, impression, imprint, likeness, offprint, print, reissue, repetition, replica, representation, reprint, reproduction, simulation, tracing, transcript, transfer
Associated concepts: certified copy, conformed copy, correct copy, true copy
copyverb adopt, ape, approximate, assume, borrow, caricature, cartoon, cheat, conform, depict, ditto, do like, double, draw, duplicate, echo, emulate, falsify, follow, follow suit, follow the example of, forge, give an encore, imitari, impersonate, infringe copyright, iterate, make a dupliiate of, make a transcript of, make a replica, mirror, mock, model, parrot, pattern after, personate, pirate, plagiarize, portray, pretend, print, rebuild, recapitulate, reconstruct, recreate, reduplicate, reecho, reestablish, refashion, rehash, reiterate, remake, repeat, replicate, represent, reprint, republish, restate, retell, retrace, revive, rewrite, take after, trace, transcribe
Associated concepts: counterfeit, impersonate, infringe
See also: certification, correspond, counterfeit, counterpart, delineate, document, duplicate, facsimile, fake, forgery, form, imitate, impersonate, mock, model, parallel, personify, pirate, pose, record, reflect, repeat, reproduce, semblance, simulate, trace, transcript
COPY. A copy is a true transcript of an original writing.
2. Copies cannot be given in evidence, unless proof is made that the originals, from which they are taken, are lost, or in the power of the opposite party; and in the latter case, that notice has been given him to produce the original. See 12 Vin. Abr. 97; Phil. Ev. Index, h.t.; Poth. Obl. Pt. 4, c. 1, art. 33 Bouv. Inst. n. 3055. 3. To prove a copy of a record, the witness must be able to swear that he has examined it, line for line, with the original, or has examined the copy, while another person read the original. 1 Campb. R. 469. It is not requisite that the persons examining should exchange, papers, and read them alternately. 2 Taunt. R. 470. Vide, generally, 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 3106-10; 1 Stark. R. 183; 2 E. C. L. Rep. 183; 4 Campb. 372; 2 Burr.1179; B.N.P.129; 1 Carr. & P. 578. An examined copy of the books of unincorporated banks are not, per se, evidence. 12 S. & R. 256. See 13 S. & R. 135, 334; 2 N. & McC. 299.


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Fibers or filaments although all thin, still have a wide variety in thicknesses and tensile strength and need very particular gripping methods.
The Lever Action Grips provide the ideal means to hold single fiber specimens. The grips are simple, lightweight, and symmetrical in design.
The O-Ring type of grip is designed to hold very small diameter fiber specimens during tension testing. The rubber v-groove provides a gradually increased frictional hold on the specimen and helps reduce grip face pinching and subsequent specimen jaw breaks. Special considerations are built into the design, where the U-shaped bend provides sufficient area for specimen loading.
Principle Of Operation
Lever Action Grips are generally used for the thicker range of specimens. These grips have an adjustable clamping force, self-aligning hard rubber coated faces, and provide ease of operation similar to a clothes pin.
Another approach used for the much thinner fibers is the Micro Fiber Grip or the O-Ring Fiber Grip. This grip utilizes two rubber o-rings sandwiched between two knurled wheels. These wheels thread on a stud and compress the o-rings to achieve desired gripping force on the specimen.
Application Range
- Type of loading: Tensile
- Specimen Material: Fine wires, filaments
- Specimen shapes: round, flat
|Item Name
|Cat #
|Fiber Clamps, Lever Action
|Fiber Clamps, O-Ring


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Special Guest Tours
Be guided on your Tour by a Club Legend, learning all the stories from their playing days.
Join one of our Club Legends and be taken on an unforgettable journey of our Stadium and Club.
Discover our history first-hand, and walk in the footsteps of your favourite players as you take a journey through the stadium.
Listen to all the anecdotes from the changing rooms with your Club Legend, and hear from them how the stadium has changed over time.
See the pitch from Pep Guardiola's perspective, as you sit in the dugout and then see how it feels to be grilled by the media in our press conference area.
The tour will give you a look around The Tunnel Club – a new hospitality suite and the first of its kind in world football.
You'll learn all about the history and heritage of the club, and hear fascinating stories from your host's time at Manchester City, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and take photos.
The tour lasts for approximately 90 minutes.
Tour includes:
- Interactive exhibition
- The Tunnel Club hospitality area (new!)
- Away Team dressing room (new!)
- First Team warm-up area (new!)
- Home Team dressing room (new!)
- Players Tunnel (new!)
- Pitch-side visit
- Players dugout
- Press Conference room
- Post-match interview area (new!)
- CityStore (10% discount to all Tours customers)
NB: All areas are subject to availability
- Adult - £35
- Students & Seniors (over 65) - £30
- Child (under 16) - £25
- Carers - FREE
- Children under 5 - FREE
- Groups of 15 or more - Group rates available
Please note: Please be aware that due to concerts taking place at the Etihad, certain areas on the tour route will not be available on the following dates: May 10th, 11th, 12th and from May 23rd to June 20th 2018.
More information:
Please try to avoid bringing any baggage to the Etihad Stadium. All baggage will be searched before gaining entry to the Stadium. Suitcases and cabin bags will be searched and stored in a secure location.
Terms and conditions apply
*Bookings via telephone incur a £2.50 booking fee per ticket.
**Subject to availability. Please note operational requirements may impact both tour times and the tour route, however we will endeavour to provide a suitable replacement.


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This property features approximately 551 - 2,139 sq. ft. of office space on Old Forest Road in Lynchburg, VA. These units can be custom built to the exact specifications of the tenant, and divided in a variety of ways. Building features a clean modern exterior, great visibility, & a dedicated parking lot. Rental rate $15/Sq. Ft. (depending on buildout needs).
- Site Link
- Style Office Bldg -General
Related Listings
2 Pictures
Approximately 3 acres at corner of Timberlake Road and Misty Mountain Rd. near the Leesville Road intersection. Rental rate - $3500/month - NNN Ground Lease (Property Only). Property lays well with approximately 150' of road frontage on Timberlake Rd. and 853' of road frontage on Misty Mountain Rd....
Office Bldg
2 Pictures
1,840 sq. ft. available - Suite F - Large offices throughout, 1 conference room, 2 restrooms, 1 breakroom and 1 work/copier room per Suite. Great location, plenty of parking available.
Office Bldg
3 Pictures
13,000 SF Office space available - Numerous private offices, large open cubicle areas, Owner will remodel to suit. Rental rate is based on renovations. Just off of Lynchburg Expressway Odd Fellows Road interchange. Convenient to 460 Bypass.
4 Pictures
Fairview Square Shopping Center is a Food Lion anchored center consisting of approx. 85,209 SF with retail spaces available from 2,000 SF up to 8,450 SF with many size variations. High visibility, easy ingress & egress to the center, public water & sewer and there is plenty of parking...
2121 Florida Avenue Lynchburg, VA
85,000 sqft,
Office Bldg
1 Pictures
McConville Park Condominium - 4 units available for lease from 2,262 SF to 4200 SF. Units have either a drive-in door or a loading dock depending on location in the complex. Various floor plan options. Rental rates at $6.75 sq. ft./yr. base year with 3% annual increases + POA dues calculated at...
1030 McConville Road Lynchburg, VA
42,000 sqft,
Land -Retail
3 Pictures
Ground Lease - 2.045 acres with 213' of road frontage on Timberlake Rd. (Rt. 460 Business) which is one of Lynchburg's main thoroughfares. Site has great visibility and easy ingress/egress featuring a cross-over and two existing entrances. Located between Lowes Home Improvement and a Kroger...
Courtesy of: Commercial Read & Co.
Office Phone: +14344552285
Listing Agent: Ricky Read
Updated: 8th April, 2020 2:18 AM.


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Fabulous! Portraits
Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei on view October 12, 2012–January 19, 2013.
Drawn from an expansive group of photographic portraits by artist Michele Mattei, Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei presents a selection of large-scale images of women painters, sculptors, designers, dancers, musicians, and collectors who have shaped contemporary culture. The women represented in the exhibition have helped redefine women's roles over the last century and continue to provide inspiration for the next generation.
Mattei was motivated to create portraits of visual artists Louise Bourgeois and Faith Ringgold, author Bette Bao Lord, dancer Carmen de Lavallade, and others because she believes their faces reflect their commitment to advancing culture and women's experiences. Mattei notes, "In their face is written their challenges and their fights, their badge of honor and their reward for having given us the life we live."
Interview with Michele Mattei
Watch the interview of Michele Mattei about her exhibition Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei.
Mattei discusses the inspiration for creating this project, the women she considers role models, the response she has received, and the common threads that tie the photographs together.
Related Blog Posts
- Mattei's interview with assemblage artist Betye Saar
- Mattei's interview with author and human rights advocate Bette Bao Lord
- Mattei's interview with artist Beatrice Wood
Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei is organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts and is generously supported by the members of NMWA.


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- Product Code: TROLLEY-CALF-BLACK
- Availability: In Stock
€ 1,800.00
Crafted in Italy with four wheels and a handle for easy navigating, this trolley case is a refined choice for any globetrotting gentleman. Destined to become more characterful with every use, the rich grained-leather will make a refined impression on business trips and holidays. The fully lined interior features a zipped pocket for small essentials and elasticated straps to keep all your belongings securely in place.
Measurements :
- Depth: 21.5 cm
- Height: 54 cm
- Width: 35 cm


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- Corded Amplifiers
- › Plantronics
Plantronics Headset Amplifiers
Free 3-Day Delivery
Plantronics Vista Headset Amplifier (M22)$139.95
Plantronics Amplifier for Corded Headsets$222.95
Let Us Help You Sometimes it's easier to talk through your headset decision with a real person. We'd be glad to help.
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We're here to help you with your purchase Mon-Fri 9:00-7:30 Eastern Time
Leave Your Number Don't call us — we'll call you! Leave your digits here and you'll get a call back within two business hours
Send Us an Email Email us and a Headset Specialist will respond within 2 business hours!
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Our Volume Purchasing Team is here for you. Call us at 1-800-319-7315, or have
us call you


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ASUS P5NT WS is of course an "all-solid" design, which was expected at an €200,- price target. Instead of using the 430MCP, ASUS decided to use the older nForce 570i SLI chipset. The only benefit compared to similar boards is SLI in x16 mode for both cards. Of course the 570i SLI is more power-hungry.
The power-voltage-regulator is a 8-phase analogue part, we would have wished for an digital VRM. The power-connector is positioned under the memory slots. The 8-pin CPU-power connector is well placed on the outer edge next to the cpu socket. The CPU area is clear, mounting big coolers is easy.
The colour-scheme is quite pleasing, black PCB on the front, dark-blue PCB on the back. Dual Channel memory is easy identified with the yellow and black memory slots.
nForce 570i SLI supports six SATA II ports and one IDE. An extra SATA port is provided by the Silicon Image controller, but for eSATA only. Four of the SATA ports and the IDE port are angeled 90°, this should help with the cable mess.


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Our Philosophy
We aim to be great at software design and development, and to improve the practice of software engineering as a real engineering discipline.
We promise to tell the truth and to act ethically. We promise to do our best. We promise to answer when customers ask for help. And we promise to fix our mistakes. We have learned that this can only be achieved by sharing what we know, and absorbing what others can teach us.Learn more


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Looking for a great place for a family gathering, relaxing getaway or quality kayaking and canoeing? Marathon, NY has the best spot in the area to meet all of your outdoor water adventure needs!
Lighthouse Landing, located in Marathon, New York off of I-81 between Syracuse and Binghamton, provides the ultimate affordable getaway experience. Our campsite offers a scenic and friendly place to go camping with family and friends away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's a place for reflection, recreation, peace and maybe a little adventure. Plus, we have great RV and rustic campsites by the river.
Our Marathon, NY campground has a wide array of attractions. From canoeing and kayaking to fishing and live music, we've got just what you need to enjoy time in the open with nature. Our guests can raft down the the river for hours, attend our summer events or just relax around their campsite. We truly have something for everyone to enjoy here at Lighthouse Landing.
If you're interested in buying a canoe or kayak, Lighthouse Landing is an authorized dealer for Old Town canoes and kayaks. Stop by our store for the latest models and end of season specials.
This year we have camping by the Tioughnioga River starting at $20 per night. This includes bath house and showers.
**Please Note that Events are Postponed until further notice as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Ready for a refreshing outing? Come enjoy Marathon, NY canoeing, kayaking and camping at it's best at Lighthouse Landing! Call to reserve your stay today! 607-423-5639


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Charity & Volunteering (September 10 through November 30)
Saturday, September 20
Wednesday, October 22
- 5:30 PM Ebola Teach-In
Friday, November 14
- 3:00 PM ARROWS Official Launch Event
17 March, 2020 at 8:51 PM
Boston University has canceled in-person classes and moved to remote teaching and learning for the balance of the spring semester and final exams. The University has directed undergraduate students to return to their homes, canceled all events and athletics, and strictly limited gatherings on campus. For now, we are minimizing lab research activity to the extent possible. Please visit our COVID-19 website for more information about the University's operation during this period.


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S&P report says Iran will disrupt Strait of Hormuz, pushing oil to $150
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov says that a decision by the U.S. and Israel on whether or not to launch a military attack on Iran will be taken before the summer.
"Iran, of cause, is a sore spot. Some kind of decision should be taken, probably nearer to summer," Makarov told RIA Novosti.
He added that Russia has created a new crisis center that receives information regarding Iran in real time.
Discord between the Obama administration and Israeli leaders over the timing of a planned strike on Iran's nuclear facilities has characterized the build-up to war.
Newsweek reported yesterday that Mossad boss Tamir Pardo made a secret visit to officials in the United States earlier this month to determine what the consequences would be if Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities without first receiving the green light from Washington.
Pardo had a number of questions, including: "What is our posture on Iran? Are we ready to bomb? Would we [do so later]? What does it mean if [Israel] does it anyway?"
Meanwhile, the ratings agency Standard & Poor's has issued three reports that predict Iran will engage in "low-level provocation" in response to sanctions by disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil choke point that Tehran has repeatedly threatened to close.
"Iranian authorities could disrupt supplies of oil from the Persian Gulf by imposing tanker inspections or boarding merchant ships in its territorial waters, supporting oil prices because markets would increasingly view armed conflict as "a real, if remote, possibility," the report stated.
This would be beneficial for oil-producing states in the region such as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, notes the report, because such tension would push the price of oil to $150 a barrel.
Israel blamed Iran for two attacks yesterday targeting cars belonging to the Israeli embassies in New Delhi, India and Tbilisi, Georgia. Iran has denied having any involvement in the attempted bombings in which the wife of Israel's defense attache was injured, saying they were false flag attacks launched by Israel itself to "tarnish Iran's friendly ties with the host countries."
A man thought to be an Iranian national was also maimed by his own bomb today after throwing a grenade at a taxi in Bangkok. When police attempted to apprehend him, he then threw another grenade which bounced off a tree and blew both of his legs off.
A "senior Israeli official says Thai police believe incident was botched terror attack," reports Haaretz, though why the man chose an unknown Bangkok taxi driver as the target of his "terror attack" and what this has to do with Israel has not been properly explained.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show and Infowars Nightly News.
This article was posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 4:55 am


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One of those hardcore social games, Dungeon Rampage shows off just how hard it can get with this trailer for the new Red Ranger skin and its festive bonus outfit.
To tell the truth, I like this video mainly because it reminds me of what Christmas is like at my mother's house, only instead of narration it's a loud dialog. Hooray for the holidays, right?


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National: Justice Department to take on states over voting rights | McClatchy
The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will legally contest a series of laws around the country as part of an aggressive campaign to fight a recent Supreme Court ruling that it says could reduce minority voting. The Justice Department filed its first challenge Thursday, asking a judge to require Texas to seek permission from the federal government before making voting changes because of the state's history of discrimination. Several states in the South and Southwest could face similar lawsuits. "This is the department's first action to protect voting rights following the (Supreme Court) decision, but it will not be our last," Attorney General Eric Holder said at a National Urban League conference in Philadelphia on Thursday. "My colleagues and I are determined to use every tool at our disposal to stand against discrimination wherever it is found." Civil rights groups and African-American lawmakers welcomed the decision, as did the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP.Full Article: Justice Department to take on states over voting rights - Richmond Times-Dispatch: National & World News.


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Arthritis Medication Side Effects
10 Arthritis Symptoms Not to Ignore
What may seem like a minor medical problem could be a red flag. Here are 10 symptoms you should never ignore – and when to call your doctor about them. Read More >>
Afraid of Drug Side Effects?
Don't be afraid of the side effects of arthritis medications. Experts weigh in on common side effect concerns to help you understand the risks. Read More >>
Getting to the Root of Hair Loss
Experiencing hair loss? Your arthritis meds may be the culprit. Find out what you can do to stop it. From Arthritis Today magazine Read More >>
Solutions to Medication Side Effects
Worried about prescription medication side effects but feel overwhelmed by technical information? Here's how to guard against dangerous medication side effects. Read More >>
Five Tips for Dealing with Nausea from Medication
Do you suffer nausea from medication you take for arthritis? Here are five ways to manage nausea, including healthy, anti-nausea habits as well as when to take nausea medication. Read More >>
Be Heart Smart
The medications you count on to soothe the painful, swollen joints may also affect your heart. That's of special concern if you live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), because research has shown that the chronic inflammation that is the hallmark of the disease can double your risk of a heart attack. Here is what experts have to say on some of the most common arthritis drugs and your risks for heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. Read More >>
Side Effects Possible With Arthritis Medications
All medications – even ones you buy without a prescription – have the potential for side effects. Arthritis medications are no exception. Here is a list of possible side effects to some arthritis medications. Read More >>