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Posted by Derek
There's a doctor named Matthias Rath who for some years has been taking out big ads in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. Rath is a big proponent of megavitamin therapy for just about everything, and by some cosmic coincidence he also has a line of vitamins for sale. No doubt he has a web site and a half, but damned if I'll link to it.
His ads are thunderous, paranoid denunciations of the pharmaceutical industry, the likes of which I haven't seen since the Church of Scientology took off after Eli Lilly and Prozac in the early 1990s. If you want some Instant Rath, take those and add some Lyndon Larouche-level conspiracy theories (for a while there, Rath was all but blaming drug companies for 9/11), and mix well. Season to taste, but if you've really got a taste for this stuff stuff, there's no hope for you.
His latest manifestos have been targeted to South Africa, and they're just what that country doesn't need. Rath rants about antiretroviral drugs being sinister poisons, while apparently everyone could be cured of HIV if they'd just guzzle his multivitamins without pause. The South African activist groups demanding free retroviral drugs are, according to him, tools of the "international drug cartel" that exists in the fevered reaches of his head.
It's hard to know how to answer such otherworldly accusations. Try, for example, the idea of drug companies funding groups who are screaming for their patents to be abrogated and their profits confiscated. I'm having a hard time making the connection. All in all, I'd rather be stuck in an elevator for three days with a dozen Intelligent Design advocates than spend five minutes with Matthias Rath.
South Africa's attitudes and policies toward HIV are enough of a mess already, as those who remember former president Mbeki's handling of the epidemic know. According to an article in Nature Medicine, the South African Traditional Healer's Association has sided with Rath, and a recent press conference from health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang featured one of her many endorsements of garlic, lemon peel, and beets instead of antiretrovirals. Meanwhile Rath is lobbying South Africa's parliament directly, amid accusations that he's planning to set up a factory to sell his own vitamin pills.
And meanwhile, at least 20% of South Africa's adult population is infected with HIV. What could be a great nation is threatened with an ugly slide back into the third world, while wastes of good carbon like Matthias Rath spend their time fighting the only known treatments. It makes you wish you could just avert your eyes.
Comments (8)
+ TrackBacks (0) | Category: Infectious Diseases | Snake Oil
1. Jerry on June 11, 2005 12:09 PM writes...
Derek may have a good case against the curious Dr. Rath, but I find it hard to take Derek seriously, when he pollutes his argument with such John Bolton-esque whoppers and pure fabrications as this gem.
"...Take those, add some Lyndon Larouche-level conspiracies (for a while there he was all but blaming drug companies for 9/11), and you've got your Instant Rath..."
I am quite familiar with what many people, including Lyndon LaRouche, had to say about 9-11 and its aftermath. Mr. LaRouche called attention to inconsistencies in the official version of 9-11, and asked the all-important question, "Who really benefitted?" I vividly recall his publications comparing 9-11 to the Reichstag Fire--as a pretext for moves toward dictatorship and war.
Given the various subsequent actions of the neo-cons in DC, such as the Patriot Act, Guantanamo/Abu Ghraib torture regimes, and lately the stymied 'Nuclear Option' effort to emasculate the US Senate as a Constitutional check against executive power, I find LaRouche's analysis in retrospect uncomfortably close to the mark.
LaRouche made no mention of drug companies in connection with 9-11, as the author parenthetically asserts. Since even a cursory search of the meticuluous archives at www.larouchepub.com would confirm that, I must assume that either Derek is incredibly intellectually lazy--or he deliberately lied to embellish his argument.
His egregious willingness to mischaracterize LaRouche's analysis does not speak well for Derek's intellectual honesty and calls into question his motives and veracity across the board.
2. zp2k on June 11, 2005 2:16 PM writes...
The validity of Derek's writings are only further called into question by his misguided positions vis-a-vis oxidation chemistry and in particular the Swern reaction. A brief perusal of www.larouchepub.com provides both a more thorough and, dare I say, more compelling treatment of this and other essential topics in synthetic chemistry. Further, I myself have been horrified by Derek's casual dismissal of the combinatorial chemistry revolution. Many far more esteemed thinkers, including but not limited to Mr. LaRouche, have convincingly called attention to the mysterious confluence of factors and agents that have combined to nip this potential goldmine for humanity in the bud. Is it going too far to describe Derek's casual misrepesentations in the service of those drug companies that would prefer to see the status quo prevail as Alger Hiss-ian? Perhaps not.
3. Dean on June 12, 2005 9:19 AM writes...
Jerry: I suggest that you learn to parse a standard English sentence. What Derek wrote was quite clear, and yet you've gone off on a lengthy rant based entirely on your misunderstanding.
zp2k: (interesting name. How do you pronounce that? Is the 2 silent? ) Not everything that is unexplained or mysterious is a conspiracy. In fact, given the track record of conspiracies, I'd say that almost nothing that is mysterious is the result of a conspiracy.
4. qetzal on June 12, 2005 12:08 PM writes...
Dean, time to replace the batteries in your sarcasm-meter? I'm pretty sure zp2k is having some fun at Jerry's expense. (Lyndon LaRouche pontificating on the Swern reaction? Conspiracies to sabotage combochemistry? Alger Hissian? Guffaw!)
5. dp on June 12, 2005 2:29 PM writes...
To my mind, Jerry's comments were to the point, apt and clear whilst Derek's were, for once, in need of clarification. I have, however, one word for Dean's effluent: no.
6. Rebekah on June 12, 2005 3:03 PM writes...
It must be realized that there is no cure to anything if the problem isn't recognized.The problem is always a strong foundation, and that's where the cure must be formed. The problem is greedy people who do what they want, no matter how badly the consequences. The consequences need to be burned into the heads of people, and they need to realize that things will actually happen, due to their actions. If the HIV virus is truly recognized for what it is, then a cure can be formed.
7. qetzal on June 12, 2005 7:02 PM writes...
Jerry's comments were apt? ROFL!
"LaRouche made no mention of drug companies in connection with 9-11, as the author parenthetically asserts. Since even a cursory search of the meticuluous archives at www.larouchepub.com would confirm that, I must assume that either Derek is incredibly intellectually lazy--or he deliberately lied to embellish his argument. His egregious willingness to mischaracterize LaRouche's analysis does not speak well for Derek's intellectual honesty and calls into question his motives and veracity across the board."
Jerry should perhaps re-read the post, then look up the meaning of a common literary device called "hyperbole." Derek didn't say LaRouche blamed the drug companies for 9/11. He said he was "all but blaming drug companies for 9/11" (emphasis added).
I never took that to mean LaRouche actually tried to blame drug co.s for 9/11; rather, that LaRouche espoused conspiracy theories with little or no evidence. Which he clearly did. Here's what LaRouche said on 9/28/01, according to a transcript on the very site Jerry recommends: "[W]e know it's a very high-level rogue operation inside our own country." Not "I think" or "I believe" or "We have evidence to suggest"... "We know...."
Perhaps Jerry thinks Derek's parenthetical comment implied something it shouldn't, but accusations of either incredible intelluctual laziness or deliberate lying are just ludicrous.
In the meantime, it's a shame Rebekah was too coy to come right out and tell us what the HIV virus truly is, so we could get to work forming that cure. (Unfortunately, I think I can guess her answer, and I doubt I'd like it much.)
8. Derek Lowe on June 12, 2005 9:16 PM writes...
I've edited the post to make it more clear that it's Rath who was more or less blaming the drug companies for 9/11, not Lyndon Larouche.
Larouche has yet to take that particular crazy and insupportable position, as far as I know. But he takes so many, that it's hard for a man to keep up.
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Portland Trail Blazers v Memphis Grizzlies
Wesley Matthews of the Portland Trail Blazers rebounds against the... Nieuwsfoto'sBasketbal,Basketbal - NBA Pro,FedExForum,Memphis - Tennessee,Memphis Grizzlies,Portland Trail Blazers,Sport,Tennessee,Terugkomen,Verenigde Staten,Verticaal,Wesley MatthewsPhotographer Joe MurphyCollection: National Basketball Association 2013 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 6: Wesley Matthews #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 6, 2013 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The first book in the bestselling Blackstone Affair series.
Naked desire. Secret satisfaction. An affair you'll never forget.
Brynne Bennett has left scandal in her past and is living the good life. An American grad student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she's getting back on track with lots of hard work and focus on a career in art conservation. When London businessman Ethan Blackstone buys her nude portrait, he wants to possess more than just her image. He wants Brynne in his bed, serving him in every way possible. He has no trouble voicing his desires, and he isn't taking no for an answer.
At first his dominant nature captivates her, but it isn't clear if the force of his powerful desire will ultimately awaken or dispel the demons Brynne is carrying inside. There are secrets on both sides of this relationship - huge ones. Can Ethan erase the scars of Brynne's past so that she can reveal her true self to him? Or will the shadows cast by Ethan's own mysterious former life destroy their chance at happiness?
Naked is the sizzling, unforgettable story of what happens when a strong woman meets the one man powerful enough to strip away all her defenses, leaving her standing naked and perfect before him.
©2012 Raine Miller (P)2013 Simon & Schuster
Audible OBSESSED!
"Wow!!!!! I'm speechless."
What a great listen! In a similar vein of FSOG, Bared to you, etc. etc. this book was delicious. It's a quick listen so things get straight to the point. I would be remiss not to immediately mention that two seconds in when the male narrator Shane East began speaking I knew this was going to be a scorcher! Grace Grant is good too, but I can't wait to get to book 2 when it's all Shane. I already am intrigued by the characters, especially Ethan---yummy! This seems to be the beginning of a dramatic romance, and I am HOOKED. I listened to this practically in one sitting. As it was coming to the end as I prepared to leave for work, I was almost late leaving because I HAD to immediately buy books 2 & pre-order 3 so my listening wouldn't be interrupted!
Busy mom who loves to read but doesn't always have the time. I enjoy YA, Romance and the occasional Best Seller.
"So worth it!!! (Thanks audible reviewers)"
WOW! This is why I love audible! I never would have bothered with this book (due to the price and length) but thanks to the reviewers I follow I took a chance! THANK YOU fellow listeners....this one was perfect! And so worth the credit! I loved it so much I already downloaded the 2nd and pre-ordered the 3rd.
"Sexy, Erotic Story"
I have read both books in the series and waiting for book 3 Eyes Wide Open which I have pre-ordered. I'm not going to give you a synopsis of the story line you can read that your self. If your not into erotic sensual dominate males this is not for you, those that are it lovely to hear story come to life with Grace Grant narrating their story Brynne Bennett and Ethen Blackstone. Looking forward to book 2 All In when it's available to download.
I've always been a avid reader so now I'm a avid listener. I prefer the paranormal genre but I do like to switch things up. It's boring if you don't have variety. Of course I do love the romance and the hotter the better. Also, you can't beat a good thriller filled with suspense and a ending you can't even guess at until the very end.
I loved this book. It has everything I enjoy in listening to an audio book. I'm immediately going to listen to the next book in the series!!!! LOVE IT. So you know I'm going to say this one is totally worth the credit or purchase price. Just be warned you will have to get the next book in the series.
Give me a Hot Sexy Book, with a good story to listen to, have that "OH MY" sigh, Love most of what I have, but want more. Tell me it ALL!
"WOW what a great start"
This is starting to be a great top ten!!
It had everything I wanted, A story line, suspense, intrigue, great sex, (who don't like that in a love story..hey, hey!!!) And an ending that had me wanting more. So I got the second book, Up until wee hours of the morning until it was finished. Loving this so far. Thanks for the reviews for those that I follow, You talked me into it and I can't thank you enough. LOVE IT Was said for the time limit. Wanted more to have to hang on to. but have the second one now and beginning to hear his POV.. Can't wait..
For me..it was her coming to his office for the first time.. but then later I found out why he was in such a hurry to find out where she was at. and how the office was looking at her and they were happy he had someone. . Shame, shame, he should of told her in the beginning how you came into her life. And oh the Mexican dinner was cute also..
Yes, but I would of listen to all of this one for 9 hours.. As soon as I ordered it, I noticed the time and it pains me that one credit was only for a few hours. Then after listening, heck I may of paid for it.. It's so worth it.
OH My goodness this was a good listen. I am really starting to love this narrator. I have listened to her in a couple of my other fav's and she does a UK or Irish man;s voice well now. Beautiful Stranger comes to mind. . She has really fined tuned those skills.. Now I am about to listen to his POV. Can;t wait to here his,, Also just to get you started here, They fall for one another fast, and it's a good thing, She needs him to protect her not only from what is going on around her in London,( the 2012 Olympic are beginning to ramp up) but in her past.. (They all have a horrid past, but in some sort of way, don't we all?) But he is so good, kind lovable and good looking to boot. So now they are on the they..traveling in part to a great and healthy relationship on all accounts when a strange phone call comes when they are ...well... about to have desert or even lunch and she finds out he is not who he says he is..or rather, he wan't completely honest with her on what he does OUCH,, that hurt..but she is crazy about him...This is going to be a great book and hopefully at the end of all of this..I won't be saying, this sounds so familiar.. The love scenes in this book are wonderfully yummy.. love it so far.
"Great first book to an excellent series!!!"
I purchased this book series on Kindle and loved them...and when I saw they were available on audible, I didn't waste one minute buying them!!!! I loved them the first time on Kindle and they were even more amazing on audible!!!! I love Ethan Blackstone!
"Started out boring but damn did it get good"
well this was my first audio book so I can't compare.
it has a "50 shades of grey" and "bared to you" vibe, because it has the elements of a strong business man, and a normal girl who is beautiful (but who doesn't know it). They are initially strangers but are drawn to each other, have hot sex, discover each others inner demons and fall in love.
I actually don't really like Grace Grant's voice, I picture Byrn as young and beautiful but Grace's voice does not really capture it, and I was hoping that Shane East(mans voice) would read Eathan's part but he just reads the prologue and Grace does an annoying job of deepening her voice for Eathan's character. But I love the story and I have learned to tolerate her voice.
not at first but as soon as Ethan Blackstone laid eyes on Byrn it got so good.
I heard the 2nd book is so good,
"One of my favorite stories!"
This series is so well written! I found it to be so good that I have listened to all 3 books in the series twice! Book 1 is a bit short but hooked me right away! Shane Easts' voice is dreamy. I will definitely look to see what other works this author has available!
Make no mistake between my personality and my attitude. My personality is who I am, my attitude depends on who you are.........
Yes, this store is a combination of Fifty Shades + Bared to you! I did like the store, however I felt that it was rushed. The book definately should have had more substance and it was too short.
"Short But Sweet"
It was well worth the distraction. The narration was great, good story with well heated scenes.
"Same old same old..."
Let me see... Impoverished student meets 'drop-dead-gorgeous' billionaire who takes complete control of her life. She can't get enough of him, and he of her; his manhood is always monstrous and hard as iron; he only needs to touch her and her panties (if she is wearing any) are almost washed away in a tidal wave of her juices and every orgasm she has is 'the best she has ever had'...
Where have we heard that before?
OK, he only threatens to spank her, but that, and the names of the main characters are about the only differences from the 'original'
Is it good? Yes, I suppose so.
Is it original? No.
Will I be paying for the rest of the series? Sorry, no.
"Naked does exactly what it says on the tin."
Brynne's character is charming and lovable. It lacks depths but this book makes up for it in excitement. Blackstone's infatuation with Brynne will make you want to come back for more. Steaming romance that will get you hot and bothered in no time.
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January 18, 2014
Star News
Police need help finding witnesses
Detectives attached to the Spanish Town Police Station are seeking the public's assistance in locating these witnesses who are vital to a case that is currently before the court.
They are: Allisa Fagan, whose last known address is Glengoffe; Errol Baker, whose last known address is Bog walk; and Donna Quarry, former nurse of the Glengoffe High School, all St Catherine.
They are scheduled to appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, January 21.
These persons, or anyone knowing their whereabouts, are being asked to contact the Spanish Town police at 984-2305, police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.
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Official music video for Bonaparte - Boycott Everything.
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|Like the Ukrainian churches of most east-central Alberta towns and villages, the domes of St. John Church dominate the Lamont skyline. Built in 1947, the structure represents one of the last attempts in the settlement area to build a cruciform (i.e., five-part cross-shaped), as opposed to the more architecturally sophisticated, nine-part church. Although the parish was founded in 1937, this is the second church on the site. The first was a converted one-room schoolhouse that was purchased from the Deep Creek School District for $150 in 1941 and moved to the site.
One of the more interesting features of the current structure is the twin-tower configuration on the facade, indicating a French Canadian architectural influence. Typical for a Ukrainian Canadian church, the windows are round-headed and it is capped by onion domes. The cupolas over the twin towers and on top of the main dome have false windows on each side of their octagonal bases, which were painted in the same pattern as the structure's real windows. This is a design feature used regularly on the Ukrainian churches in the area that were being either built or renovated in the 1940s and 1930s.
A modern steel belltower stands immediately south of the church.


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If ITV, CH4 and CH5 and others are in crisis then so are the BBC - An answer
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14-02-2013, 11:46
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 579
Originally Posted by
be more pacific
Well, Tassium's claim of a "BBC demographic crisis" has been well and truly debunked. It's unfortunate that some people think it's acceptable to make bold, anecdotal claims that evidence of a "crisis" exists while
failing to submit any actual hard evidence
and denying the proven truth.If you want to play the subjectivity card, you can claim that literally
is a "crisis" (in your imagination).
"The BBC has an overuse of the colour red crisis because I say it has!"
Meanwhile, in the real world, there needs to be widespread perception of a crisis before it is taken seriously. Your barely-decipherable and evidence-free posts are unlikely to convince anyone that an actual crisis exists.
Some of the new comedys the bbc have tried recentlyhave rated well - these are the ,ones that actually should ,have done so, the royal bodyguard, me and mrs jones for examplei it is justified that due to the stars employed within these series that the bbc has somewhat of a crisis when it comes to using it stars well. The bbc has a similar problem when it comes to entertainment dog eat dog, dont scare the hare, animal antics, secret service for example as well are turgid formats using talent that the bbc have paid highly, these should rate better. one of the crisis that the bbc hasdis how to use their talent. Another crisis is that they have too much filler coast, bargain hunt, escape to the country, flog it, the list goes on and on - why not make new programmes or schedule properly put films in big gaps not episodes of these back to back. Then there is the demographic crisis that others have picked upon which is also very true. Another crisis is that the bbc has movedwith the times when it comes to new technology and social media. \The bbc also has an atitude that they can do what they want to do blow everbody else mentality as if we want to watch tv in this country we have to pay for the previledge .the final crisis concerns jimmy saville and what he did and possibly where he did it, many threads exist on this subject. All in all many crisis exist at the bbc and there are many others, all of the above are very different to itv s issues identified elsewhere.
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Teen driving safety class to be offered by Ventura County Medical Center, CHP
The California Highway Patrol and Ventura County Medical Center will present a traffic safety program for teenage drivers and their parents.
The Start Smart Program is aimed at helping future and new teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities of being a licensed California driver.
Classes are free. The next class will be at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27 in the cafeteria of the hospital, at 3291 Loma Vista Road in Ventura.
The class is designed to reduce the number of teenage injuries and deaths from traffic accidents. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds, according to the CHP.
Start Smart also gives teens and parents information on defensive driving, traffic laws in California, the dynamics of traffic crashes, tips on avoiding crashes and DUI awareness.
For more information, call Officer Steve Reid at 477-4130 or Elena Gutierrez at 652-5904.
Subscribe to the Ventura County Star
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6182.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 6:30am-10:30am / Sunday: 7am-11am


text: [ Hey Jets Fans, Would You Drive This? By Tom Dunphy May 16, 2012 Calling all Jets fans, we've found your dream vehicle. Read More Category: Humor, Monmouth/Ocean News, New Jersey News, Sports Tags: football, For Sale, New York Jets, Tailgating Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Damon Suede...
Love is a many-gendered thing. 2015 has been another banner year for Suede in the the churning waters of gay romance and LGBT genre fiction. Bad Idea keeps rocking it, while I've spent most of the year finishing Pent Up, a new romantic suspense coming this fall from Dreamspinner Press.
In other news, Hot Head was named by Goodreads as one of the "Top 100 Romance Novels of All Time" on a 2014 list that included Gone with the Wind, Outlander, Jane Eyre, and Sense & Sensibility! And it turned up on the NPR list of 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances in summer 2015 alongside a mindboggling array of romance classics.
More books are on the way, with Hard Head delayed but moving along at its own strange clip, and the oft-postponed steampunk novel two-thirds done...and more besides. 2014 was a helluva ride personally and professionally. Deep gratitude to everyone who made it so wonderful.
Want to know where Damon's headed? Check out the Events page for all the poop that's fit to scoop. The happiest endings come at the end of a road that is soft and rough...
Without Merrick: the father of gay romance
I started reminiscing about my early forays into queer fiction, I wrote a fan letter 25 years late to the author who taught me to love gay romance novels way back when I was a mere stripling... Gordon Merrick, inarguably the author of the first gay romantic bestseller in publishing history (Sixteen weeks on the New York Times list!). Take a walk down memory lane with my overview of some of the guiltiest of homoerotic pleasures.
Get your Suede on
People are getting geared up for GayRomLit! After a bunch of requests for promo items, I've built a simple store called Damon Suede Gear at CafePress which features all kinds of gay romance goodness... with my cover art, Suede slogans, and more... CafePress allows me to offer everything from simple Tshirts to thongs to shotglasses to customized Iphone cases. Feel free to have a poke around, and if you don't see something that you know you want, give me a heads up and I'll try to build it for you.
Mass Market M/M
So... the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention has become an annual must-attend, and now I've been heavily featured in a fabulous five-page article about the meteoric rise of gay romance in Romantic Times magazine. RT commands a print circulation of more than 75,000 readers and a genre presence that dwarfs most other outlets, so highlighting the appeal of same-sex love stories under their aegis will carry tremendous weight within the romance community.
A lot of the credit for this article goes to the Rainbow Romance Writers chapter and its networking efforts on the ground in Chicago, which introduced current gay romance to hundreds of new readers and opened discussion with untold "mainstream" outlets, including journalists, bloggers, distributors, librarians, and more. And though the primary focus falls on gay male romance, an accompanying piece parallels the explosion of lesbian romances as well.
Getting this kind of glowing mainstream coverage represents a tidal shift for LGBT romance. Naysayers swore it couldn't be done, and I'm thrilled to report they were flat-out wrong. Though accepted wisdom has been that authors of gay romance need to stick to our ghetto, this editorial is only one of many indications that our books are starting to come out in a big way.
The article highlights a bevy of homo romance folks including RRW chapter's 2012 president Heidi Cullinan, M/M legend Josh Lanyon, and Sarah Frantz, former head of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance. I'm deeply honored to be spotlighted and quoted alongside these heavy hitters. Many, many thanks to RT features editor Mala Bhattarcharjee for including my work in such a positive and persuasive piece on the rise and rise of gay romance fiction. Check it out here!
Professional Authors of LGBT Romance?
I'm a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Rainbow Romance Writers. Why aren't you? Rainbow Romance Writers is the home of career-focused authors and industry professionals interested in promoting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender romances. If you write LGBT romance and you haven't joined, the RRW is up to all kinds of nifty shenanigans. As an active chapter of the Romance Writers of America, we push for research, awareness, and education in unexpected communities. We are changing minds, one heart at a time.
Fighting fires with gasoline
Back in 2011 Dreamspinner Press snapped up my first gay romance novel in less than 72 hours and since then the book took homo-romance by storm sitting at #1 on Amazon's gay romance list for six months. Hot Head is a contemporary love story about a Brooklyn firefighter who has fought forbidden feelings for his best friend since 9/11... until a gay porn site asks them to appear together, forcing him to face his suffocating terror and desire to protect the one person who matters.
Dreamspinner Press released Hot Head June 15th, 2011 in softcover and ebook, with the smash-hit audiobook recorded by Charlie David out in 2012. It's also been a bestseller in Spanish, Italian, and German! Check out a full description here along with an excerpt, reviews and more. Where there's smoke there's fire!
Gearing up
Sweet friction, hot fiction, no restrictions! There's no rest for the wicked... and I have all sorts of trouble brewing at the moment. Up next:
- Pent Up: a romantic suspense novel set on Park Avenue featuring a sweaty collision of blue collar and blue blood in very swanky surroundings.
- Nasty Habit: sequel to 2013's Bad Idea, this novel will focus on Kurt and Ziggy, two prickly geniuses conjuring up a sex demon videogame as they battle an impossible attraction to each other.
- Hard Head: Book Two in the "Head" series featuring Tommy Dobsky, a self-destructive paramedic first encountered in Hot Head... This book's release has been pushed back significantly but I promise it is deep in process!
"It's no trick loving somebody at their best. Love is loving them at their worst."
(The Real Thing - Tom Stoppard)


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Rosie O'Donnell on 'Glee,' 'Family,' Team Coco and Love
The outspoken and philanthropic Daytime Emmy-winner's next project is the HBO special 'A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration,' set to air Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. The documentary's goal is to heighten America's understanding of nontraditional families.
AOL was on the scene at the recent TV Critics Association's winter press tour when O'Donnell shared her thoughts on her HBO show, the pros and cons of TV versus radio and possibly guest-starring on 'Glee.'
10 TV Talk Shows We Wish Hadn't Bit the Dust
Tyra Banks had long been contemplating ways to forge an Oprah-style media empire well before the debut of her eponymous talk show in 2005. Setting aside her guest shots on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' in the 1990s, Banks decided to establish her TV-Q as a host by successfully launching 'America's Next Top Model' in 2003. That gave her the clout to fashion 'The Tyra Banks Show' -- which she segued to just three months after leaving the runway -- into something that was part tabloid, part tasteful.
Now that Banks has announced she's ending her talk show this season -- she'll be focusing on her production company, Bankable Studios, among other projects -- we formally add 'The Tyra Banks Show' to the pantheon of great talk shows we wish hadn't bit the dust.
Ed McMahon in the hospital in very serious condition
TV legend Ed McMahon, 85, has been in the hospital for the last month and his condition has only gotten worse.
TMZ reported a source close to the family said his condition has been upgraded to "extremely serious" since he has been moved into an intensive care unit. He has also contracted pneumonia, which at his age can make things very serious.
And then there's Maude...in the TV Hall of Fame
However, she's had a chance to think it over and when asked again, she agreed to become a Hall of Famer, just like Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby.
As I wrote previously, the TV Academy Hall of Fame will expand to include Bea Arthur, Merv Griffin, Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H), Sherwood Schwartz (Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch), and ABC executives Thomas Murphy and Daniel B. Burke. On December 9 in Beverly Hills, the awards will be presented.
Five reasons I prefer classic Jeopardy - VIDEO
No, no, not to me. For me, the only choice for numero uno is Jeopardy. It's not a game of chance or luck or random spins of a wheel. It's all about brains and thinking on your feet. And maybe having really fast thumbs. Merv Grifffin's creation remains the best gameshow ever in my book.
As I was thinking about Jeopardy, I realized that for me, the best Jeopardy is not today's Alex Trebek version. I mean, it's great -- don't misunderstand me. It's the one I still prefer to watch today, but my favorite Jeopardy remains the pre-syndication edition, the one that played on NBC daytime from 1964-1975. No, I'm not nuts. I have five very good reasons why I prefer the original, classic Jeopardy.
Maude, Merv & M*A*S*H man entering Emmy Hall of Fame
According to ATAS chairman and CEO John Shaffner , "The Hall of Fame is a special recognition for those who have made significant contributions and have left an indelible mark on the television business." As Maude in the 1970's and Dorothy on The Golden Girls in the 1980's (into the '90s) Beatrice Arthur, made her mark. She was more effective on TV than she was in the theater, and she was a dynamo on stage.
Some Wheel of mis-Fortune - VIDEO
Watch these great examples and you'll see what I mean (a sample is after the jump). Like Jay Leno's simple "man in the street" questions about common knowledge, you see that there's no telling how stupid people can be, especially with a camera and microphone in their face.
[via digg]
Out of the Blogosphere
Here's what on the other blogs via the internets.
- Is this a sign that the writers strike is about to end?
- Jaime Weinman has episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati at his site, including this one.
- Chris Matthews tries to explain his comments about Hillary Clinton.
- Here's video of Howard Stern's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman the other night (here's part 2).
- OMG, there are two Hannah Montanas!
- Another celebrity feud in the making: Roseanne Barr goes after Oprah.
- Some gravestones of the stars. I like Merv Griffin's. [via PopWatch]
Out of the Blogosphere
- The secret that everyone already knew.
- Hurricane Dean is coming, and that means the news networks are going crazy.
- Get ready for a ton of "How are Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira doing one year later?" stories (Sept. 5 for Katie, the following week for Meredith).
- Paris Hilton has a new line of children's clothing.
- Here's video of Alex Trebek screwing up on the Jeopardy! set and swearing.
- The art of the TV Mashup.
- Jaime Weinman shows up some of TV's most depressing intros.
GSN to salute Merv Griffin this weekend
The Game Show Network will have a special tribute to Merv Griffin, who died earlier this week of cancer at age 82.
On Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, GSN will run two different Griffin marathons, from 10am to 3pm. The shows included in the marathons will include a Chuck Woolery-hosted episode of Wheel Of Fortune and the first episode that featured Vanna White. We'll also see the first NYC-based episode of Wheel (not sure why this is so special, but I guess I'll wait and see) and a Jeopardy Masters Tournament of Champions. On Sunday night we'll see a 1960 episode of Play Your Hunch, a game show Griffin hosted, and then at 3:30am we'll see a To Tell The Truth episode that Griffin guest hosted.
That's a lot better than their tribute to Kitty Carlisle earlier this year, when they ran her game show appearances in the wee hours of the morning and that was it.
Merv Griffin dead at 82
Businessman and talk show host Merv Griffin died last night of prostate cancer. He was 82. Rich had told you the other day, there were rumors floating around that Griffin was very ill and that it didn't look good. Those reports turned out to be true.
Griffin started as a singer in San Francisco and had roles on TV shows and movies, though he went on to greater fame as host of The Merv Griffin Show, the daytime talk show that lasted several years.
Prognosis is not good for Merv Griffin after recurrence of cancer
The news is not good for 82-year-old talkshow host and game show producer Merv Griffin. It is being reported that the TV legend is in grave condition after a return of prostate cancer.
Griffin was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center back in July for a recurrence of the cancer, which he first battled in 1996. Various media outlets, such as Entertainment Tonight and KNBC, are reporting that the prognosis is not good and that Griffin is currently in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Griffin's representatives have yet to reply to press inquiries.
Merv Griffin being treated for cancer
Griffin is hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The cancer was discovered last month during a routine doctor's visit. According to his son Tony, Griffin is getting "great care." His doctors wanted to treat the cancer in a controlled setting, which is why Griffin has been hospitalized, and Griffin remains optimistic. Griffin went through prostate cancer once before.
Griffin has another game show coming up, Let's Play Crosswords. The show will premiere in syndication this fall across the country.
Megan Mullally gabs about her new talk show
Rolling Stone takes break from Britney coverage to talk to Merv Griffin
That being said, they do have a very interesting profile of television legend Merv Griffin in the latest issue. The profile, written by John Colapinto, mostly examines Merv's entertainment career, discussing the various versions of The Merv Griffin Show, which ran for over twenty years. Of course, Colapinto also talks to Merv about his two creations that live on to this day, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune (he wrote the famous J! theme; Merv recounts opening a big royalties check for a J! ringtone, even though he had no idea what a ringtone was). The article follows Merv around to meetings and to his sprawling house in La Quinta, CA. And Colapinto goes the extra mile, interviewing everyone from Pat Sajak to good friend Nancy Reagan.
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Warning: this post is very long and very detailed…continue at your own risk.
A recent report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), entitled "The 2012 Long-Term Budget Outlook," describes the fiscal forces currently at work. Specifically, it focuses on the long-term effects of mandatory spending programs (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), the coming "fiscal cliff," and
the impact they would have on America's long-term debt. The report states that, under the current trajectory, total spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security alone will increase from 10% of GDP to 18% of GDP over the next 25 years. As a comparison, total government spending (entitlement programs plus discretionary spending plus interest on the debt) has averaged 18.5% of GDP over the last 40 years.
It is well understood in Washington that any type of solution to the long-term fiscal challenges will require reform of entitlement programs, but the political will has been lacking. In this article, however, I will focus on the more pressing concern: the fiscal cliff, otherwise known as "taxmaggedon." The same report by the CBO shows that if currently scheduled spending cuts and tax increases – what they call the Extended Baseline Scenario – are allowed to take place, the debt held by the public as a share of GDP will gradually decrease from 73% in 2012 to 53% in 2037. Sounds great, right? On the other hand, if Congress rejects the previously instituted cuts to military spending and extends the so-called Bush Tax Cuts – what they call the Extended Alternative Fiscal Scenario – public debt as a share of GDP will rise to 93% in 2022 and 199% in 2037. Sounds terrible, right? As with many things, it's not so cut and dry. The scenarios are explained below.
Before we can discuss this analysis, we have to gain a greater understanding of what the coming "taxmaggedon" actually is. Essentially, it terrifyingly refers to the day of January 1st when the Bush era tax cuts – income tax, capital gains, dividends – expire and the mandatory spending cuts go into effect. This scenario is compounded by the fact that estimates place the date of the next raising of the debt ceiling sometime between November and January, which is also a lame duck session of Congress. The amalgamation of various complex factors into one small window, combined with the political leadership of either a recently reelected president to whom Republicans will be hesitant to give a victory or a recently defeated president with little political clout, compounds the fiscal and economic dangers. Each of the factors, which I will briefly discuss, will need to be dealt with carefully, although (as has become the custom) they will all most likely be wrapped into one omnibus bill.
Bush Tax Cuts:
The period between March 1991 and March 2001 was the longest continuous expansion in U.S. economic history, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. But the sunset of this period, with the bursting of the Dot Com bubble and the attacks on 9/11, marked the beginning of a two-year recession. In response, the Bush Administration passed what they believed to be the solution: tax cuts. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 instituted a broad range of tax reforms. The top tax rates were reduced by 3%; the lowest rate was reduced by 5%; rates were reduced for capital gains and dividends; the Child Tax Credit was expanded and the "marriage penalty" was all but eliminated; and the Dependent Care Credit was expanded.
The Bush Administration sought to address two inefficiencies in the tax system which they felt were hindering economic growth. The first is a foundational principle of conservatism: capital is better allocated by families and individuals then by government. Lower individual income tax rates allow the people to spend their own money as they please and, in doing so, stimulate the economy as consumers; thus the income rate reduction. The second inefficiency was the double-taxation of dividends, which are earnings distributed by corporations to shareholders. Prior to the Bush Tax Cuts, dividends for high-income earners were taxed at 35% after the corporate profits had already been taxed at the same rate; thus the double-taxation. As Bush Treasury Secretary John Snowe explains here, this distortion of the tax code "favors debt financing over equity capital formation, because interest is deducted as a cost of doing business and lowers taxable income, while dividends are taxed twice."
Congress didn't eliminate the double taxation, but they substantially reduced it; dividend and capital gains tax rates were reduced to 15%. It is hard to judge the success of an individual policy over a decade as there are various influencing factors (wars, losses in manufacturing, financial crisis) and the Bush Tax Cuts are no different. As a Pew report entitled "States of the Union Before and After Bush" explains, real median household income dropped slightly, the unemployment rate increased, and the national debt doubled. At the same time, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by almost $2 trillion, GDP per capita increased by almost $4,000, and inflation was essentially zero. While the tax cuts contained a sunset provision so that they would expire in 2010 (this was meant to avoid the Byrd Rule which is another story altogether), they were extended in the 2010 lame duck session for two years.
Mandatory Spending Cuts/Debt Ceiling:
In the spring of 2011, a newly-elected Republican Congress claimed a mandate from the American people to cut spending at any cost. Twice – in February and April – Congress came within hours of a government shutdown before short-term spending measures (Continuing Resolutions) were passed, cutting spending in each case.
As spring moved to summer, it became clear that a larger fight was brewing, one over the debt limit. Some freshman Republican members campaigned on a promise not to raise the debt ceiling, which is the legal limit on borrowing by the federal government. Many economists, in a letter organized by two liberal think-tanks, warned that failure to raise the debt ceiling, essentially risking the "full faith and credit of the United States" for political purposes, would "have a substantial negative impact on economic growth at a time when the economy looks a bit shaky. In a worst case, it could push the United States back into recession."
But Republicans were determined to attach significant budget cuts, with no tax increases, to any deal to raise the debt limit. Various negotiations ensued, including ones led by Vice President Biden, which involved $1-2 trillion in cuts, and President Obama, which involved $4 trillion in cuts. Both failed after each party's base revolted against the leaked details of revenue increases and entitlement reform. On July 31, the deadline instituted by the Treasury Department, Congress and the White House reached a deal which raised the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion, imposed caps on discretionary spending that, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will "reduce their funding by more than $1 trillion," and mandated another $1.2 trillion in cuts. The cuts, however, were not determined at the time; a bipartisan Congressional commission ("super committee"), which included Republicans and Democrats from the House and the Senate, was created to determine which programs, department, and expenditures were to be cut with a deadline of the last week of November. Even with this agreement and the prevention of default, S&P, one of the three ratings agencies, downgraded the U.S. credit rating for the first time in American history citing "political brinksmanship."
If the committee of six Democrats and six Republicans failed to reach a deal (and fail they did), Congress instituted a sequester – mandatory spending cuts, split evenly between Defense spending (a Republican sacred cow) and non-Defense spending, including entitlements (a Democratic sacred cow). The exact breakdown can be seen here.
When the super committee failed, the sequester was triggered; the $1.2 trillion in mandatory cuts are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2012, the same day the Bush Tax Cuts are scheduled to expire and near the estimated date of when the debt ceiling must be raised again.
The Politics:
In his book "Do Not Ask What Good We Do," Robert Draper recounts a meeting that Republican pollster Frank Luntz had with most of the incoming freshman Republicans in November of 2010. He asked how many of them would vote to raise the debt ceiling; four raised their hands. He asked how many would not vote to raise the debt ceiling; the rest exuberantly raised theirs. Luntz responded, "Good for you, because your base is going to kill you if you vote to raise the debt ceiling." It was a reflection of the ideals of the Tea Party movement, a movement that opposed the foibles of government profligacy and Wall Street arrogance alike. The overt truculence, which created the movement in the first place, got the fight they were looking for, but ultimately failed to prevent the debt ceiling's increase.
But the Tea Party has remained resilient, and the Republican Party has maintained, even doubled down on, its emphasis on reducing government spending and lowering taxes to spur economic growth. President Obama proposed extending the Bush Tax Cuts, but only for those earning less than $250,000 a year, and allowing the remaining taxes cuts to expire. Republicans, meanwhile, counter that raising taxes on anyone during a recession is bad economic policy, particularly since many small businesses making over $250,000 file individual income tax and would thus see their taxes raised.
Further compounding the political picture is the fact that this debate is taking place in the midst of a presidential race. President Obama and his campaign feel the tax issue is a political winner for them, while Governor Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as his number two reflects a doubling-down on the small-government, low-tax, individual-freedom philosophy of the House Republicans. With the debate playing out on the campaign, and most of Congress campaigning for their own reelection, nothing will happen until after November when the results of the election mandate (or lack thereof) will bring some clarity to the opinions of the American people.
The Fiscal Cliff:
The question is now: Which is more important: economic growth or deficit reduction? The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the Bush Tax Cuts expire and the mandatory spending cuts go into effect, the result would be to "lower taxable incomes and raise unemployment, generating a reduction in tax revenues and an increase in spending on such items as unemployment insurance." Growth for the 2013 fiscal year would be an abysmal 0.5% resulting in a double-dip recession. The CBO also estimates, however, that allowing current law to be implemented on January 1st would reduce the deficit by $560 billion in 2013 alone, even allowing for lost tax revenue as a result of a recession.
Democrats argue that while raising taxes on the middle class in a recession is bad economics (and bad politics), allowing taxes to go up on high-income earners is both politically and economically palatable. As President Obama often says in his stump speech, you grow an economy "not from the top down, but from the middle out and from the bottom up." Republicans argue that while raising taxes on high-income earners may be a great political talking point, they – in the form of small businesses and those involved in capital formation – are the ones creating the jobs that will allow businesses to hire and the middle class to thrive. They also argue that maintaining lower tax rates will not only allow business to grow, but also increase tax revenue at the same time, a point first diagrammed by Reagan economic advisor Arthur Laffer on a napkin.
What is clear is that if nothing is done between now and January 1, the American economy will see a significant downturn. As investor Donald Luskin points out, the increased taxes on dividends alone – which would go from 15% to 43.4% – creates the potential for the market to significantly contract. In simpler terms, Luskin states that "on Jan. 1, an investor won't keep $8.50 of that dividend—he'll pay a 43.4% tax and keep only $5.66. Suddenly, a stock that yielded him 8.5% now yields only 5.66%." To think this won't have a significant impact on the market is to be naive.
The fiscal cliff is the result of an amalgamation of various problems that politicians have failed to adequately deal with. While it presents serious fiscal and economic challenges, it also presents an opportunity for real bipartisan reform to take place, either to stimulate the economy or to address the deficit. As John F. Kennedy once famously said, "In a crisis, beware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity." Whether debt or economic growth is the focus of an agreement, the opportunity that has presented itself should not be squandered.


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Movies about real people
Published On: Oct 10 2013 09:55:59 AM EDT Updated On: Jan 09 2015 10:23:28 AM EST
As "Selma" opens in theaters, take a look at some other movies that are based on real people.
The views expressed are not those of clickorlando.com, WKMG or its affiliated companies. This is a community moderated forum (Please note the 'Flag' button). By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms Of serviceblog comments powered by Disqus


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Toyota is recalling 907,000 vehicles, mostly Corolla models, around the world for faulty air bags and another 385,000 Lexus IS luxury cars for defective wipers.
Most Popular
Initially, the Japanese automaker had said there were no accidents related to either problem. In total, it received 46 reports of problems involving the air bags from North America, and one from Japan, and 25 reports of problems related to the windshield wipers.
Some 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix cars in the United States and thousands of similar vehicles in Japan, Mexico and Canada that were manufactured between December 2001 and May 2004 are being recalled for air bags that can improperly inflate.
The air bags inadvertently inflate when the vehicle's electronic signals damage a chip in the part that controls the air bags, Fuse said. Under the recall, the part will be corrected to be able to block such signals, he said.
The problem wipers, which can get stuck if there is heavy snowfall, affect three kinds of Lexus IS models, manufactured from May 2005 to October 2011, including 270,000 vehicles in the United States.
Toyota's reputation for top quality was undermined in the past few years by massive recalls for a spate of problems, including bad brakes, gas pedals and floor mats, mostly in the United States.


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Quick Links
A-Z Index | Find a Health Care Provider
Contact Us | Maps and Parking
Cheryl LostonExecutive AssistantPrevention Research Center University of Colorado Department of PediatricsMail Stop 8410Edu 2 South, Rm 531513121 E. 17th AvenueAurora, CO 80045
Phone: 303-724-2893Fax: 303-724-2901Email: Cheryl Loston
In 2004, the Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health (PRC) began responding to inquiries from researchers and/or government health agencies abroad that were interested in possibly developing the Nurse-Family Partnership program in their country. Since 2004, the PRC has entered into seven contractual agreements to consult on the development, adaptation, and testing of the NFP programs in other societies.
Dr. Olds and his staff at the PRC have developed a model for adapting and testing the Nurse-Family Partnership program in international contexts that is grounded in the same rigorous research standards that serve as a foundation for the U.S. program. In general, an international implementation effort has four phases:
Current international collaborators include Australia, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Randomized controlled trials are currently under way in the Netherlands, England, and British Columbia (Canada).
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Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.


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Matt Prior can't get enough of adventuring. Now he's launched an academy in Hong Kong to teach others to do likewise. There's nothing like a language barrier to complicate matters when...
Social Progress Index could be a good reference for CSR measurement
It may not be politically correct to say so, but according to a neo-liberal thinker, profit alone is the best metric for determining the success of an organisation's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. The rationale for this view is that profit is an aggregated measure covering all the constituent parts of the company's activities – including CSR. A commercial organisation's purpose is to provide returns for the owners. In the long term, returns can only come from adherence to government laws and regulations. Therefore, this particular theory holds that if managers of a corporation decide to be more socially responsible – at the cost of profit – they are violating their fiduciary duty, and this should be corrected.
However, it is hard not to recognise that a good CSR programme is rapidly becoming a source of competitive advantage and thus a means to increase profits. In more mature economies, consumers are demanding more attention to CSR and seem more willing to pay a premium for it in their purchases. So, it is worth remembering the "non-PC" view about profits being the best metric for measuring the impact of a CSR programme. Consider how much of a premium a company with a reputation for CSR can obtain when selling a product also available from a competitor not known for its socially responsible policies.
More specifically, how much additional net margin does CSR-friendly Whole Foods, a grocer in the United States, earn over and above a rival without such a programme? This could be considered a brand differentiation strategy, but that takes us back to profits again.
If this profit-focused argument sounds familiar, it is because I am simply reiterating the view of renowned economist Milton Friedman as outlined in a September 1970 article in the New York Times. It comes down to the idea that CSR can be strategic, but it should not be driven by altruism.
There is also the statement that "if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it". CSR certainly needs to be managed, especially since such programmes are include principles which guide the day-to-day work of an organisation. Simply counting the number of times those principles are violated is an effective place to start. For an oil company, that could be the number of spills each year – hopefully zero. For a chemical company, it could be how many incidents leading to the levy of a fine for poor environmental practices. For a management consultancy, the initial measure could be the number of client complaints and why they occurred. These are simple metrics and each is easy to quantify, although the numbers don't necessarily reveal the seriousness of each case.
Fortunately, there is a global initiative underway to promote a metric called the Social Progress Index (SPI). Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School has supported this metric, which at present works at country, not corporate, level. However, it does provide some bearing on how to start measuring CSR programmes at corporate level. SPI has numerous metrics dealing with what are considered desirable sub-goals of social progress, even if that is a subjective matter.
In short, though, any corporate CSR programme would do well to study and follow the SPI approach.


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28 year old woman | Xenia, OH, United States | Seeking men 25-30 within 50 miles
I'm an open book wanting to be read.
My name is Ashley. I certainly am not for the faint of heart or weak spirit. I have two amazing daughters who I put above all else, and I have big plans and goals I will see to fruition. I'm looking for someone to share my successes with, as well as my failures through life. If you're willing to come second to my daughters and want a driven, passionate, loyal and independent woman to share your life with, I'd love to talk to you.
Book club , Camping , Coffee and conversation , Business networking , Cooking , Dining out , Fishing/Hunting , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing cards , Playing sports , Political interests , Religion/Spiritual , Travel/Sightseeing , Video games , Wine tasting
Billiards / Pool, Cycling, Dancing, Inline skating, Other types of exercise, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis / Racquet sports, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines, Yoga
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Cats, Dogs
I like Birds, Exotic Pets, Fish, Horses, Other
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|What she is looking for
|5'4" (162cms)
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|High school, Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree


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100% ALLEGED Showbiz, Blind Items and Gossip Thread (Part 4)
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30-10-2012, 22:35
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Originally Posted by
This former A list actress who hit it big in her teens is all grown up now and is married with children. She still acts, but has a tough time finding the same level of jobs or fame she once had when she was on top of the world. Anyway, she and he husband are splitting because the threesomes they have always enjoyed are turning into our actress and the other woman on an almost regular basis being alone and spending time together. They are even talking about having babies of their own.
This foreign born A list model was at an event recently. She has dated some big names in the past and is one of those rare models who people know the name of. Anyway, at this event she was approached by a handler for an A+ R&B singer. The handler said that ______ would love for the model to come sit next to him and have a drink. The model said, "Sorry, but I don't like being around black people very much and there is no way I would date one or have people think I date one. So, thanks, but no thanks," and walked away.
does the first one have a (first half of a) surname the same as Goop's eldest's first name?!
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WUFT News
Author Archives: Mitchell Wohl
Government Employees Catch Up With Lost Work After Shutdown
By Mitchell Wohl on October 19th, 2013 | Last updated: October 21, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Franklin Percival, a government employee who was out of work because of the partial shutdown earlier this month, is back to work after a 16 day vacation he never wanted.
Government Shutdown Could Have Negative Effects On Research
By Sarah Daly and Mitchell Wohl on October 4th, 2013 | Last updated: October 4, 2013 at 1:44 pm
UF research departments have been heavily affected by the government shutdown. Some researchers are unable to come to work, and others are unable to contact their federally employed colleagues.


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Philippine Stocks: AgriNurture, ATR KimEng, DFNN, Metro Pacific
Shares of the following had unusual moves in Philippine trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are as of the close in Manila.
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index increased 0.8 percent to 4,201.08, the first gain in three days.
AgriNurture Inc. (ANI PM), a fruit and vegetable grower, increased 2.8 percent to 10.02 pesos, the sharpest gain since Oct. 6. The company is planning three or four more acquisitions this year to double sales, BusinessWorld reported, citing Antonio Tiu, AgriNurture's president. Tiu couldn't be reached at his office for comment.
ATR KimEng Financial Corp. (ATRK PM) climbed 1.4 percent to 4.40 pesos, the highest close since Aug. 12, after saying Kim Eng Holdings Ltd. will offer to buy the shares that it doesn't own in the company.
DFNN Inc. (DFNN PM), a provider of Internet-based stock market investing services, decreased 5.7 percent to 6.65 pesos, the sharpest loss since Sept. 26. The company said it's in talks with shareholder MAA International Assurance Ltd., which plans to boost its stake in DFNN to close to 10 percent.
MAA, which owns 571,000 shares of the company, is interested in buying additional primary shares through a so-called private placement, a stock-exchange filing showed.
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPI PM), a unit of Hong Kong's First Pacific Co., advanced 1.7 percent to 3.05 pesos, snapping four days of losses. Metro Pacific said it agreed to buy the company that operates the Cardinal Santos Medical Center for 300 million pesos ($6.9 million).


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(1) Why did the kid throw the clock out the window?
He wanted to see time fly.
(2) A cowboy told his grandson the secret to a long life.
He said, "You gotta sprinkle a little gunpowder on your oatmeal, see. If you do, you'll live to a nice ripe old age."
So the cowboy did this religiously every day, and sure enough, lived to the nice ripe old age of 96.
When he died he left behind 4 children, 8 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren
...and a 16 foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.
(3) Q: Where did the sheep get its haircut?
A: The ba-ba shop
(4) Q: Why is the math book always upset?
A: Because it has a lot of problems.
(5) Little Johnny was playing with his father's wallet when he accidently swallowed a quarter. He went crying to him mom, choking on the quarter. They took him to a doctor, who said that the quarter was impossible to remove without surgery, they consulted a surgeon who was of the same opinion. Then came a man who said he could get the money out in a jiffy. He turned little Johnny upside down and patted him with great precision on the back of neck and, sure enough, the quarter rolled out. Everyone was amazed, the father said You must be an expert! The man replied, No sir I'm just a tax collector.
(6) Where would you learn how to make ice cream?
At Sundae school.
(7) Q: How do you catch a squirrel?
A: Climb up a tree and act like a nut!
(8) Q : What do you call a doll on fire?
A : Barbie-Q!
(9) How did the telephone operator propose to his girlfriend?
He gave her a ring.
(10) A man noticed a woman in the grocery store with a three-year-old girl in her cart. As they passed the cookie section, the little girl asked for cookies and her mother told her no. The little girl immediately began to have a conniption, and the mother said quietly, "Now Missy, we just have half of the aisles left to go through - don't be upset. It won't be long."
In the candy aisle, the little girl began to shout for treats. When mom said she couldn't have any, she began to kick her mother and scream. The mother said softly, "There, there, Missy, don't cry - only two more aisles to go and then we'll be checking out."
When they got to the checkout stand, the little brat immediately began to reach for the gum and freaked out when her mom said she couldn't have any. The mother patiently said, "Missy, we'll be through this checkout stand in five minutes and then you can go home and have a bottle and a nice snooze."
The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Missy," he said.
The mother sighed and replied, "Oh, no, my little girl's name is Francine - I'm Missy."
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
Ha Ha they are funny
Those were good, ganesh!
ha ha
People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.
~ Anton Chekhov
Cheer up, emo kid.
1. What type of monkey can fly? A hot air baboon!
2. What kind of tooth lives in Antarctica? A molar bear!
3. What did the mushroom say when he was kicked out of the nightclub? Don't kick me out, I'm a FUN GUY!
4. What organ of the body is the last to die? The Liver!
5. What country is always going after Turkey? Hungary!
6. What animal should you never play cards with? A cheetah
7. What time is it when you know you need to go to the dentist? Two-thirty!
8. What are goose bumps for? To keep geese from speeding!
9. What kind of shorts do clouds wear? Thunderware!
10. What kind of ants are the biggest? Giants!
11. Why did the germ cross the microscope? To get to the other slide!
12. What do you call two recently married spiders? Newlywebs!
13. Did you hear about the cat that ate yarn? She had mittens!
14. What did the tablecloth say to the table? "Dont move, I've got you covered."
15. Why did the child study in the aeroplane ?
He wanted a higher education !
16. Q: How do you stop fish from smelling?
A: Cut their noses off.
17. Q: Why do you always walk with the right foot first?
A: Because when you put one foot forward the other is always left behind!
18. Why don't cannibals eat comedians? Because they taste funny
19. What did the apple say to the orange? Nothing stupid, apples don't talk
20. Why did Robin Hood only steal from the rich ?
Because the poor have nothing worth taking !
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
Thats funny!
Presenting the Prinny dance.
Take this dood! Huh doood!!! HUH DOOOOD!?!? DOOD HUH!!!!!! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
more funny ones
People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.
~ Anton Chekhov
Cheer up, emo kid.
Spelling checker
Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rarely ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it's weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Other may stumble but not you
On hiccough, thorough, lough and through
Well done! And now you wish perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead; it's said like bed not bead,
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And there is not a match for here,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose
Just look them up - and goose and choose
And cork and work and card and ward
And font and front and word and sword
And do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.
A dreadful language? Man alive
I'd mastered it when I was five.
2. What kind of tooth lives in Antarctica? A molar bear!
Um even though part of that is a joke
scroll down please \/
POLAR BEARS DON'T EVEN LIVE IN ANTARCTICA :lol::lol::):):)
Last edited by jU (2006-02-19 16:05:55)
(a) "I've just had the most awful time," said a boy to his friends. "First I got angina pectoris, then arteriosclerosis. Just as I was recovering, I got psoriasis. They gave me hypodermics, and to top it all, tonsillitis was followed by appendectomy."
"Wow! How did you pull through?" sympathized his friends.
"I don't know," the boy replied. "Toughest spelling test I ever had."
(b) "Isn't the principal a dummy!" said a boy to a girl.
"Say, do you know who I am?" asked the girl.
"I'm the principal's daughter."
"And do you know who I am?" asked the boy.
"No," she replied.
"Thank goodness!"
(c) Teacher: Milton, how can you prove the earth is round?
Milton: I can't. Besides, I never said it was.
(d) The parents were very disappointed in the grades that their son brought home. "The only consolation I can find in these awful grades," lamented the father, "is that I know he never cheated during his exams."
(e) A quiet little man was brought before a judge. The judge looked down at the man and then at the charges and then down at the little man in amazement. "Can you tell me in your own words what happened?" he asked the man.
"I'm a mathematical logician dealing in the nature of proof."
"Yes, go on," said the astounded judge.
"Well, I was at the library and I found the books I wanted and went to take them out. They told me my library card had expired and I had to get a new one. So I went to the registration office and got in another line. And filled out my forms for another card. And got back in line for my card."
"And?" said the judge.
"And he asked 'Can you prove you are from New York City?' ...So I stabbed him."
(f) After Receiving an Invitation to a Mathematicians' Ball:
Augustin Louis Cauchy said he surely will manage to integrate well with everyone.
David Hilbert was afraid he will be pretty spaced out for most of the party.
Paul Erdös asked: "Are epsilons invited too?"
John Forbes Nash insisted on playing n-person zero sum games.
Zeno of Elea said he will come with two friends - Achilles and the tortoise.
Bertrand Russell was wondering: "If the cook only cooks for the guests, who cooks for the cook?"
Kurt Gödel insisted that the invitation is incomplete and never will be.
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
I liked the first one.
so did I
True comedy, the lot of them!
Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being saught. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.
Suddenly her husband burst into the kitchen.
"Careful. CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!"
The wife stared at him. "What the heck is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"
The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
1. Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in a paper with
fire at one end and a fool at the other.
2. Love affairs : Something like cricket where one-day
internationals are more popular than a five day test.
3. Marriage : It's an agreement in which a man loses
his bachelors degree and a woman gains her masters.
4. Divo rce : Future tense of marriage
5. Lecture : An art of transferring information from
the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students
without passing through "the minds of either".
6. Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by
the number present.
7. Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a
way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.
8. Tears : The hydraulic force by which masculine
will-power is defeated by feminine water-power ..
9. Dictionary : A place where divorce comes before
10. Conference Room : A place where everybody talks,
nobody listens & everybody disagrees later on.
11. Ecstasy : A feeling when you feel you are going to
feel a feeling you have never felt before.
12. Classic : A book which people praise, but do not
1 3. Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things
14. Office : A place where you can relax after your
strenuous home life.
15. Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to
open their mouth.
16. Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know
more than you actually do.
17. Committee: Individuals who can do nothing
individually sit to decide that nothing can be
done together.
18. Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.
19. Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.
20. Philosopher : A fool who torments himself during
life, to be spoken of when dead.
21. Diplomat : A person who tells you to go to hell in
such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.
22. Opportunist : A person who starts bathing if
he accidentally falls into a river.
23. Optimist : A person who while falling from Eiffel
Tower says midway "See I am not injured yet."
24. Pessimist :- A person who says that O is the last
letter in ZERO, Instead of the first letter in word
25. Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die
26. Father : A banker provided by nature.
27. Criminal : A guy no different from the rest...
except that he got caught.
28. Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and
late when you are early.
29. Politician : One who shakes your hand before
elections and your Confidence after.
30. Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills,
and kills you with his bills.
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being saught. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.
24. Pessimist :- A person who says that O is the last letter in ZERO, Instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY.
I liked that alot
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What music do I listen to? Clicky click
Three people are alone and stranded on a desert island - a biologist, an engineer and an economist. They don't have anything to eat, but somehow find an unopened can of beans on the shore. The biologist says 'lets leave it for a while, the sea water will errode the tin'. The engineer says 'I have a better idea, we should find a rock and bash the tin open'. Finaly the economist says 'Ok, lets assume we have a tin opener...'
It makes the atmosphere colorful. Everyone likes it.
Last edited by aaronmark (2011-03-28 16:05:04)
A beautiful lady was shopping in a mall.when she had come face to face with soldier returned from war.Then she quickly,tears in her eyes,thrust out her hand and said,your services were valuable to our nation.The soldier took her hand and said,thank you,it's people like your that keep me going.
Last edited by Jameslaker (2011-04-17 21:32:35)
Pages: 1


text:
Reporter: Claire Doan
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Two new elephants are roaming at the just-completed exhibit at Reid Park Zoo this week: a male named Mabu and a female named Lungile. They're the first of a new breeding herd to come here from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
However, there have been concerns about Mabu's possible involvement in the death of another elephant before coming to Tucson.
Vivian VanPeenan, Reid Park Zoo's Curator of Education, said the transition of the new elephant herd into their exhibit took years to plan.
"It is a really great opportunity for Tucson not only to have an amazing exhibit to interact with elephants, but to learn from them throughout their lives," VanPeenan said.
9 On Your Side has learned that Mabu, who at 5 tons weights twice as much as female elephants, was part of a San Diego herd that saw the death of another elephant named Umoya. She died of traumatic injuries last November.
"We don't know if that occurred from the result of a fall, if elephants got scared and bumped each other or if there was some kind of scuffle," said Christina Simmons, spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "Whatever happened, happened very quickly before keepers could see or intervene. They are very big animals, they move very quickly."
Sources told KGUN9 News Mabu and Umoya spent a lot of time together. But officials don't know if another elephant was involved in the death and if so - which one it might have been.
9OYS asked whether there is anything caretakers can do to prevent the same thing from happening at Reid Park.
"No…We maintain our elephants very much like they would it the wild. They have the same social systems and the same social grouping," Simmons said. "There are sometimes scuffles or pushing, shoving or even flight responses that cause them to bump into each other."
Van Peenan said they are focused on making the transition seamless, modeling the training and language at Reid Park Zoo after San Diego. They said Mabu and Lunguile are happy and healthy in their new home.
"They arrived here with no issues. They walked into the new barn like they owned the place and have been amazingly calm," VanPeenan said.
Three more elephants will join the herd in two weeks - another female and her two young boys. The new exhibit will open at the end of March.
Zookeepers said Connie and Shaba, the other two elephants, are getting acclimated to their crates and will soon be transported to San Diego.
- Latest


text:
Elbit Systems Ltd. reports that C-MUSIC anti-missile system for commercial aircraft passes tests • Israel has made efforts to design protective measures against shoulder-launched missiles since 2002 attack in Mobasa, Kenya on an Israeli charter plane.
An Israeli defense technology company, Elbit Systems Ltd, says it has successfully tested an anti-missile system designed to protect commercial passenger jets.
On Wednesday, Elbit said its C-MUSIC system to protect large jets against shoulder-launched missiles from the ground passed tests. Elbit said it proved effective a number of times in protecting a Boeing 707 aircraft.
The Israeli Ministry of Transportation contracted Elbit Systems Ltd. in 2009 for the initiative; the systems are to be supplied by the Elbit subsidiary Electro-optics El-Op Ltd.
In 2002, militants fired two surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli charter plane shortly after takeoff in Mombasa, Kenya. The missiles missed their target but spurred an Israeli effort to improve countermeasures.
Elbit says the new system can be applied to any aircraft. It says it integrates advanced fiber laser technology with a thermal camera to protect against missiles fired from the ground.
All rights reserved to Israel Hayom


text:
On the Shoulders of Giants
What follows is a critical essay originally published in Spectra Pulse magazine in 2008. I am reprinting it here today in memory of Ray Bradbury.
Until recently, science fiction has been deeper than it is wide. Its foundations are narrow. The cornerstone of the genre is Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, who in 1818–at the age of 21–anonymously published a book so visionary and entertaining that its title character has entered the language as adjective, verb, and noun.
Later writers set foundations in their own ways, works forming a basis for the modern architecture of the genre. Among them are the ABC of science fiction–Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke.
Each of these writers have at times treated on similar themes. In the idea that by examining their work and comparing it to a stationary object, we can obtain a kind of motion parallax view of the evolution of the genre, I have chosen to examine a classic story by each author.
Now I'm going to ruin them for you, so if you haven't read "Nightfall" (Isaac Asimov, 1941), "The Nine Billion Names of God" (Arthur C. Clarke, 1953), and "All Summer in a Day" (Ray Bradbury, 1959), go do so and please come right back.
Ready? Comfy? We'll do 'em in order of publication.
In "Nightfall," due to a trick of orbital mechanics, a world with six suns experiences darkness only once every 2,049 years. While technologically advanced, the inhabitants have no artificial sources of light besides fire. They have an ingrained, compulsive fear of the dark, so profound that fifteen lightless minutes can drive them mad.
The story structure is problematic. The narrative essentially consists of three characters awaiting the end of the world, while two of them explain the premise to a third. The construction is clumsy. The narrative arc is nearly nonexistent, the point of view wanders, and there are certain logical flaws. The prose is rife with howlers like: Eyes held each other as though the whole matter were a personal affair of respective willpowers.
It does thirteen thousand words of work for perhaps three thousand words worth of story, because Asimov felt he had to do all that work to tell that story, to set up that his closing line, which is a masterpiece. It is a naive work of art and flawed. And yet.
For all the naiveté of its construction, "Nightfall" betrays psychological and thematic sophistication. Asimov gets denial, and demonstrates it through his protagonist. The journalist Theremon 762 is a skeptic. He does not believe that night will fall, and if it does, he does not believe that the populace will be driven mad. We are rational beings, he believes. We can endure a little dark.
Whatever the unlikely conjugal relations between eyeballs it may posit, the sentence quoted above contains a telling phrase: as though the whole matter were a personal affair of respective willpowers.
The protagonist, Theremon 762, believes that will alone can hold back madness.
He's wrong.
Through the metaphor of light and darkness, Asimov explores tension between superstition and science and brings us to a conclusion exactly Lovecraftian: neither faith nor analysis can save his characters; the universe is bleak and crowded with uncaring stars; and the story devolves unrelentingly to its final, chilling line: The long night had come again.
"The Nine Billion Names of God" is scarcely more structurally sound. It is nearly without conflict, consisting almost entirely of expository dialogue. (However, the story contains fantastic idea-nuggets. For example, the motor-driven prayer wheels–of course! There are motor-driven prayer wheels. How wonderful. Of course.)
This is another story of the triumph of superstition over science. More, it's a story of the subversion of science to the ends of superstition. In it, Clarke has Tibetan monks purchase a powerful (by the standards of 1953) computer. In an ingenious repurposing of Émile Borel's million Shakespearean monkeys, they mean to calculate the nine billion names of God.
Unlike Asimov, Clarke doesn't need to sit us down and patiently explain his world, his logic, and consider each of our objections and dismiss it with a detailed argument. Because earlier foundations–shortcuts–are in place, he can tell us: the monks believe this, the scientists do not, the monks subvert the scientists into ending the world, because when God is named, its work is done.
This story too is an extended setup for a killer last line. In this case: Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.
It doesn't matter how awkward the story that comes before is. That line breathes quiet, calculated horror.
Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day" shows a different level of craft than the other two. For one thing, Bradbury's prose is elegant and controlled, evocative and hushed. Listen:
…they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone.
"All Summer in a Day" is the tale of a Venus upon which it always rains, except for an hour every seven years. It's a story about the cruelty of children, the horror of their unthinking behavior–and it is also a story about the conflict between reason and superstition.
Like the others, it uses light and darkness as a metaphor. The darkness in Bradbury's story is the darkness of an alien world, of rain. It is the default state, rather than a threat to the existing scientific rational world, and it is broken only briefly. But that sun changes everything.
Those children are cruel to one who knows the truth. When they are enlightened (literally) it's too late to undo the terrible thing they've done. But they have changed. They try.
"All Summer in a Day" ends: They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out.
It's fascinating–and I think a sign of the development of craft in the genre–that while Asimov and Clarke are presenting an argument, a kind of technical essay leading up to a punchline, what Bradbury is doing is telling an actual story, in which the interesting–and heartbreaking–bit is what happens after the catastrophe. In Bradbury's treatment, exposition exists as an underpinning to the story rather than the story standing as an excuse for the exposition.
Bradbury is trusting us to get it. Part of the reason he can trust is because the setup has been done. The foundations are down there.
(Actually, I find it very interesting that in all four of these stories, including the ones by pioneers of modern science fiction–superstition wins out over science, at least briefly. And only in Bradbury's does science make even a slight comeback.)
And so into the future. Science fiction writers seem to be telling stories better these days: more skillfully, more craftily. But it's in part because somebody else went in and did it first, established the conventions, dug the cellar and mortared the stones.
What is the next revolution? Well, we'll know it when we see it, and until then, we'll keep looking. I suspect it may be the merging of genre science fiction into the mainstream, and a broadening in the voices telling the stories, but that's just a guess.
Historically, science fiction has valorized the idea of newness, innovation, having the new idea upon which the story is hung. It's part of our mythology. But Asimov was writing Singularity stories ("The Last Question") in 1956. A new idea is harder to find than it was fifty years ago.
But that's okay. Shelley's Modern Prometheus is thematically similar to the Asimov, the Bradbury, and the Clarke. It's a story about light and darkness, fire and ice, vision and blindness. It's a story about the conflict between science and superstition.
And it still needed to be retold when they retold it, and it needs to be retold now.
Not that this is all we're doing, but we're still telling stories about the intersection of the science and superstition. We are still attempting to construct a humane pattern in a bleak, arbitrary, inexorable universe. We are still using light and darkness as metaphors. We're building on those foundations–Asimov's particular scientific rigor, Bradbury's nuance and luminous prose, Clarke's barrage of perfect jewel-like ideas.
But we're doing it from a wider set of perspectives. From a genre populated by middle-aged, heterosexual, white males with engineering degrees, science fiction has opened, and continues opening. When different voices tell the same story, as we have seen above, the story changes.
There is nothing new under the sun. Or in the darkness between suns, for that matter.
But the angle from which one views them matters. Because that's how you get parallax, and parallax is how you measure where things really are.
Posted: Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 @ 3:56 pm
Categories: Uncategorized.
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text:
Anna Maria Virzi | April 20, 2012 | Comments
BabyCenter-Nielsen research reveals how women - once they become moms - change their media consumption and shopping behaviors.
Motherhood results in dramatic shifts in media consumption and shopping behaviors, a BabyCenter-Nielsen study found.
"Marketers need to understand this is a dramatic transformation - when a woman becomes a mom," Mike Fogarty, global publisher, BabyCenter, said in an interview Friday. "That transformation affects virtually every aspect of her life, from the criteria for all the products she buys to the brands she prefers."
The study found that the more devices that a mother owns, the more media she consumes. On average, moms spend 10.9 hours daily with media. Moms who own a smartphone, tablet, and Internet TV device spend a total of 17 hours consuming media.
"How do you fit in 17 hours? She's doing a lot of it all at the same time. [Moms] are leading the charge in terms of the variety of devices they use to consume media - all types of media," Fogarty said. That means a mother may be simultaneously watching TV and texting with a friend on a tablet or smartphone.
Consider these other factoids:
-American moms spend an average of 66 hours a month online, which is twice as much as the general public. American moms also spend an average of 16 hours a month on Facebook versus eight hours for the general public, according to Nielsen NetView data for October 2011.
-The American mom is 38 percent more likely than the general population to own an Internet TV device (e.g., Apple TV, Roku), 28 percent more likely to use a tablet, and 38 percent more likely to own a smartphone.
-Women, once they've become moms, spend three hours a day feeding their children, 1.5 hours a day putting their children to bed, and a little more than an hour a day on kids' activities. They also said they spend less time exercising, participating in hobbies, and sleeping.
-Moms feel more rushed, overwhelmed, and deal-driven than the general population.
Takeaways for marketers? Products and messaging must address the new mindset, such as emphasizing good value (e.g., free shipping) and products that simplify their life.
Moms also expect more from advertising than the general population.
The findings were the result of in-home interviews with moms, survey research among over 2,500 moms and other online adults, and a three-screen behavior analysis with Nielsen.
Anna Maria Virzi, ClickZ's executive editor from 2007 until 2012, covered Internet business and technology since 1996. She was on the launch team for Ziff Davis Media's Baseline and also worked at Forbes.com, Web Week, Internet World, and the Connecticut Post.
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text:
Michael Lewis reflects on it:
My case illustrates how success is always rationalized. People really don't like to hear success explained away as luck — especially successful people. As they age, and succeed, people feel their success was somehow inevitable. They don't want to acknowledge the role played by accident in their lives. There is a reason for this: the world does not want to acknowledge it either.