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Coming of age comedies are fraught with seemingly limitless pitfalls, necessitating a well-honed screenplay and persuasive performances to assure audience allegiance. So with consistently entertaining characters and infectious humor, writer-director Maggie Carey's "The To Do List" delivers well above expectations
Even as 1993 valedictorian of her Boise high school class, mathlete Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) can't escape the ridicule of many classmates for her goody-good image and lack of worldliness. Facing her first year in university as a virginal freshman, Brandy decides to re-evaluate her priorities, especially after a drunken mix-up at her very first kegger results in a mistaken make-out session with too-hot Rusty Waters (Scott Porter).
Brandy quickly tosses her college planning when she discovers her latent libido in favor of a to-do list of sexual experiences she hopes will quickly get her up to speed before the fall semester starts. Her more experienced BFFs Wendy (Sarah Steele) and Fiona (Alia Shawkat) are dubious that Brandy can go from bench-warmer status to home base in one short summer, but with the experienced guidance of her semi-skanky sister Amber (Rachel Bilson), Brandy sorts out her priorities and identifies a shortlist of candidates to help her get into the game.
She quickly checks off her first few goals with her crushed-out chemistry lab partner Cameron (Johnny Simmons), but finding out that Rusty is also working at the same public pool where she's lifeguarding for the first time over the summer throws Brandy off her stride.
With Rusty so tantalizingly nearby almost every day and showing growing interest as Brandy sheds her uptight image as well as her one-piece swimsuit in favor of a bikini, she senses her ultimate goal may not be far off. Then Cameron totally bums her out with a squirmingly awkward revelation, forcing Brandy to consider whether there may be some collateral emotional damage associated with her sexual conquests that could derail her grand scheme.
Making a convincingly assured feature debut, TV and Web series writer-director Carey delivers a script that nails the raunchy-sweet tone required to bring off this R-rated teen-centered comedy with remarkable charm and relatability, mining a rich vein of girl-centered sexual curiosity and experimentation "loosely inspired" by personal experience.
Both funnier and kinder than other recent attempts to capture the attention of a disparate segment of female moviegoers, the film achieves a cheerfully ambivalent tone more appropriate to carefree youthfulness. And Plaza's performance, shaped both by Brandy's naiveté and her almost clinical determination to lose her virginity, sets the narrative on a sex-positive journey of discovery, creating ample opportunity for misunderstanding and humor.
* * *
Rating: R (for strong sexual content and language)
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Bill Hader, Scott Porter and Rachel Bilson
Director: Maggie Carey
Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes


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Taylor Swift Named Entertainer of the Year at 2011 CMA Awards
Taylor Swift watched as her name went unread during the first four categories she was nominated for at the 2011 CMA Awards. When Reba McEntire announced the Entertainer of the Year Award winner, it seemed like the world had been lifted from the 21-year-old's shoulders.
The country superstar won her second Entertainer of the Year CMA Award on Wednesday night. Swift jumped from her seat and latched onto Tim McGraw and Faith Hill before making her way to the stage to collect her trophy. "I'm so happy right now," she said, screaming before thanking all of the artists who made cameo appearances on the Speak Now Tour this year.
"You have made my year. Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. Swift's reaction was somewhere between disbelief and relief. She was more discombobulated than she's ever been collecting an award, but didn't shed tears like she has previously.
CMA voters chose Swift over Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Jason Aldean. Aldean had previously mentioned how much he wanted to win the award. As the camera panned to the other nominees, it seemed all four were pushing aside disappointment to politely applaud Swift.
Earlier in the night, Swift performed the song 'Ours' from her most recent album, 'Speak Now.'

subset: commoncrawl


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Regeneration XSaturday, January 3rd, 2009
Just a quick post about the new Doctor Who - Mr Matt Smith.
There's not much I can really add to the thousands of column inches and Internet posts that are no doubt being produced right now but I though I should thrown in my two cents…
I like the look of him - I thought I should get that out the way first. Secondly, I love the fact that he was never mentioned as a possible candidate, although I'm kind of kicking myself now that I never realised that the most likely person was someone that they had purposefully kept secret. Let's face it, it was never going to be Catherine Zeta Jones…
While I normally find it best to ignore myself when it comes to such things, I've had a look back at my previous post on how I would like the next Doctor to be. So let's compare Mr Smith to my criteria, based solely on the 2 minutes or so he was on-screen being interviewed:
1. Older - oh dear. Not only is he the youngest ever, but he's younger than me. Weird. However, as Stephen Moffat said, he does have an old edge to him somehow, so I'll give him half a point.
2. Spooky - he does seem to have a natural weirdness to him. One of my friends commented that he is kind of ugly, with another saying that he looks a bit like a neanderthal. Harsh. A Brother of the Bob also said that he looks like an alien. So he's a weird, ancient, ugly alien. That's pretty spooky and has to be worth a point, plus a couple of bonus points.
3. Acting ability - from the brief clips shown, and on the advice of The Flatmate of The Bob who actually saw the Party Animals programme that he was in, it seems that he's very good. He was also in the History Boys in the West End so he has stage experience which seems like a good thing. Even just the way he was talking about working on the part pleased me, so I'll give him a bonus point.
4. More serious - impossible to know until he's done a few episodes. This is obviously going to be down to the scripts more than anything else anyway, but he does seem quite intense in his style (from the extremely limited number of clips I've seen). Half a point.
5. Not James Nesbitt - He's not James Nesbitt! Huzzah! 5 points!
Which gives him a score of 11. And he's the 11th Doctor. So I've scientifically proven that he's the right choice! Genius.
Ignoring indisputable maths for a minute, ultimately the success of the 11th Doctor will come down to more than just a man himself. The scripts, the production, the music, not to mention the supporting cast, are just as important (let's face it, the first series would have been far less good without Billy). But the Companion issue is interesting. The Brother of The Bob also pointed out that it would be a bit weird now with Captain Jack in it, with him being (or at least appearing) so much older than The Doctor. That said, it would also be weird with a younger female companion, like Rose or Martha, as they will basically be the same age. So it's hard to know which way they'll go on that one. Personally, I hope they have a couple of Companions like some of the previous ones had.
It's all still rather far away though, as we won't seem him in action for about 15 months. I should probably be giving more thought to 2009 instead of worrying about next year…
(Oh, and I realise that the title of this post would have worked much better if he was the 10th Doctor. Damn it!)


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We just moved from NYC, and this place is the as good as any NY deli you can find in the big apple.
G. K., Citysearch.com
I don't know what others are complaining about, we visit Gilbert's almost every weekend.
N. G., Citysearch.com
Best kept secret! Indulge in the Eastside's most coveted place to see and be seen.
Reviewer, Citysearch.com
This stylish, smart urban Deli establishes the Gold standard for the Reuben sandwich, the high bar for pear salads, delicious homemade soups.
Pastrami sandy cannot and will not be beat!
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Game Segment
Expanding upon the body sliding game which appeared in the Agility Competition episode. Here there are 3 gates and they must slide towards the one they think is correct then grab the paper on the other side of the gate before anyone else.
MEGA Download
On-Location Segment ダウンタウンとロケしよう (Can be found subbed in the MEGA Upload List titled Waking up the cast_subbed.avi (40.7 MB))
Imada goes around waking up other members of the cast and pose the half-asleep comedians an impromptu challenge. If they fail Rikiya Yasuoka comes in acting violently towards them and their home.
MEGA Download
Alternate Resolution Source:
MEGA Download
--------------> Compilation Thread Link < | >Housei Tumblr <


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A renter armed himself with a shotgun and refused to leave when an Okaloosa County Sheriff�s deputy with the Civil Process Unit went to his Crestview residence to serve papers Monday afternoon.
57-year old DeWayne Moore of 395 Booker Street is now charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, a second degree felony.
The deputies went to that address to serve Moore, a renter, a �Writ of Possession� for eviction.
After no one responded to numerous knocks on the locked front and back doors, a locksmith was called to open the back door. It was found to have been barricaded with household appliances.
The deputy then spotted a man who entered a bedroom and kept saying �This is my house�.
When the deputy went to the doorway of the bedroom, the man had a shotgun on his shoulder and pointed in the deputy�s direction.
The deputy left out the front door, which had also been barricaded.
The Crestview Police Department arrived to assist and after a more than two hour stand-off, Moore was taken into custody.
Deputies transported Moore to the Okaloosa County Jail.
The property at 395 Booker Street, in the Crestview City limits, was turned over to its owner.


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How do I enable "ANSI color" support?
You can turn on color by using the 'ANSI_COLOR' directive in the citadel.rc file. There are four modes: OFF, which always turns color off; ON, which always turns it on; AUTO, which sends an enquiry to the terminal and turns color on if it discovers that the terminal supports it, and USER, which prompts each user for a color on/off setting in their configuration.


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edited by Alan Brissenden
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside is Middleton's masterpiece of Jacobean city comedy, rich in irony and wordplay. Middleton welds together the themes of corruption, money and sex into a complex whole, in which comedy is mingled with disgust.
Moll Yellowhammer is in love with Touchwood Junior, but her avaricious parents have betrothed her to the rich knight Sir Walter Whorehound, just as they have set up their son Tim to marry a rich Welsh heiress. Sir Walter is conducting an open affair with Mrs Allwit, while her happily cuckolded husband congratulates himself on finding an adulterer to support his household. Meanwhile, Sir Oliver Kix and his wife hope to get their hands on some of Sir Walter's property, but Lady Kix has been unable to conceive, so they employ the ceaselessly fertile Touchwood Senior (the brother of Moll's lover) to make Lady Kix pregnant any way possible.
The play signals its ironic nature even in the humorously ironic title: Cheapside maids were not noted for their chastity. London's busiest commercial area is shown to be a crucible of mercantile greed, where money is more important than either happiness or honour, the most coveted commodities to be bought with it are sex and social prestige, and even true lovers must trick their way to marriage.
The play was probably first performed in 1613 at the Swan theatre, possibly by the Lady Elizabeth's Men and the Queen's Revels together.


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Color Me Creative - Holiday Color Challenge which was to use Gold, White & Cream! I had so much fun making this card.....and can you believe I used NO dp?! I was in awe myself! I was searching high and low for the perfect gold/cream/white dp and couldn't find what I wanted so I decided to make my own! The glittlery cream cardstock is from DCWV, and then I found some metallic gold cardstock and finally I made my own dp! My dp was made using Brilliance Gold Ink, a Sizzix embossing folder and some white cardstock. And I love how it turned out! My dp was decorated using my SB Edgeabilities (Classic Ric Rac and Classic Scallops) and finished off with some May Arts Lacey Ribbon. Sentiment is from PTI Mega Mixed Messages and was embossed using TH Gold Embossing powder.
Happy Days by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD and she is a part of the Odds & Ends Sampler. I love this collection to pieces! Miss. Happy Days was colored with Copics and accented with my pastel pencils. Her shoes, sweater cuffs, hair ties, and shirt got a gorgeous coat of Diamond Stickles. Her belt buckle was accented using my Gold Spica Pen.
Copic Colors Used: skirt/shirt/shoes/belt: YR20, YR24, Y15, Y26, Y28, Jacket: Y21, Y26, Y32, Hair: E33, E53, E57, E59, skin: E000, E00, E11, R11, R20.
Wild Orchid Crafts arrangement was made using a 35mm Trellis Rose, 25mm Wild Rose, 15mm Roses, 10mm Rose, 8mm Semi-opened Roses, Gold Glitter Holly Berries, Gypsophilas, Gold Heart Pin, and Decorative Crown pin. Flowers were glittered with Diamond Stickles because I love the gold sparkle that this leaves. And finally the arrangements was finished with some Zva Creative Gold Rhinestone Swirls.
Wishing you and your family
a Very Happy New Years!
Challenges I would like to enter:
♥ Thanks for stopping by! ♥


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Donations to the Community of Sant'Egidio are tax deductible
under current regulations
Also this year it can target the 5x1000 to the Community of Sant'Egidio
Write the number 80191770587 in the tax return
What one Catholic Supreme Court justice could do Ending the Death Penalty
by Dale Recinella
DALE 5. RECINELLA, a lawyer in Florida and author of The Biblical Truth About America's Death Penalty (North-eastern University Press, 2004), serves as the Catholic lay chaplain for Florida's death row inmates.
The church teaches that the death penalty should not be used unless there is no other way to protect innocent life in society a situation that in modern American society is simply unimaginable.
WHEN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT reinstated the death penalty in 1976, our nation embarked upon a grand experiment.
The hope was that new detailed procedures would result in a death penalty unaffected by the lingering racial bias of slavery and lynchings and impervious to arbitrary application.
That experiment, however, has failed.
DNA evidence alone has proved that some prisoners on death row were convicted of crimes they had not committed, and they have been exonerated.
The question now is, How do we end the death penalty and extricate ' ourselves from the failed experiment? One obvious answer is that our Supreme Court justices : could change their position on the constitutionality of capital punishment. There is manifest legal justification for them to do so.
And if just one of the five Catholic justices were to change his position on capital punishment, the use of the death penalty would end in the United States. That became clear in June 2006 in a 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in the case Kansas v. Marsh. The specific legal issue in the case concerned the Kansas death penalty statute, which makes death the default option. If a jury finds that the factors favoring a death sentence (aggravators) are equal to the factors against a death sentence (mitigators), the Kansas law requires the jury to impose a death sentence. The five-justice majority on the Supreme Court sustained the constitutionality of the Kansas statute.
A closer examination, however, reveals that the issue actually being argued through the majority, concurring and dissenting opinions in Kansas v. Marsh regards executing the innocent.
The four dissenting justices-none of them Catholics-expressed concern about the state of the American death penalty, its arbitrariness and the consequent great risk of executing the innocent. The five Catholic justices, however, favored continuing the death penalty. The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, notes: "Indeed, the logical consequence of the dissent's argument is that the death penalty can only be just in a system that does not permit error.
Because the criminal justice system does not operate perfectly, abolition of the death penalty is the only answer to the moral dilemma the dissent poses." Thomas then proceeds to rely on precedent: execution of the innocent should not be of concern to the U.S. Supreme Court as long as proper procedures are followed. In his concurring opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia addresses the dissenters without responding to their concern about innocence.
Scalia implies that their concern would in fact end the death penalty in the United States, saying: "Like other human institutions, courts and juries are not perfect. One cannot have a system of criminal punishment without accepting the possibility that someone will be punished mistakenly. That is a truism, not a revelation." The three other Catholics-Chief Justice John G. Roberts and the associate justices Samuel A. Alito and Anthony M. Kennedy-joined with Thomas and Scalia to continue the U.S. death penalty. Scalia's comment does not address the concern of the dissent, which can be paraphrased thus: Why not let mistakes be a basis for sentences of life imprisonment, which is reversible, rather than execution, which is not? New Opportunity Before the Court A case has now been accepted for Supreme Court review that offers a possibility for a re-examination of the death penalty.
In Baze v. Rees, the court has agreed to consider the constitutionality of lethal injection as practiced in Kentucky.
The specific issue is: Does the state's lethal injection process, the mix of drugs prescribed in Kentucky and in all but one of the 36 other states that allow the death penalty, violate the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment because it can inflict unnecessary pain and suffering? A court decision is expected before the end of June 2008. As seen in Kansas v. Marsh, however, the Supreme Court will not be limited in its decision in Baze to the specific issue of lethal injection.
The court could use this opportunity to find the death penalty unconstitutional. There are ample sound legal reasons for it to do so. For over 25 years, the U.S. Catholic bishops have worked to end the death penalty.
'The church teaches that the death penalty should not be used unless there is no other way to protect innocent life in society- a situation that in modem American society is simply unimaginable.
Yet one does not even reach the point of testing the requirement until "the guilty parry's identity and responsibility have been fully determined" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2267).
The thicket of U.S. legal precedents, doctrines and statutes prohibiting courts from hearing late-discovered evidence of innocence and mitigation makes it impossible to satisfy the first requirement of the Catholic catechism.
This is especially true of the legal doctrine called "procedural bar," which limits or prohibits court review of such late-discovered evidence, even if it was hidden by the state. Furthermore, U.S. death penalty jurisprudence contravenes the explicit commands of Scripture. There is no mandate in Scripture or in the Judeo-Christian tradition for maintaining a system of flawed justice that knowingly risks the execution of the innocent.
On the contrary, Scripture commands, "Do not execute the innocent" (Ex 23:7).
From a faith perspective as well as a constitutional perspective, the U.S. death penalty is inherently defective because it unnecessarily creates the risk of executing the innocent. One might be concerned that Supreme Court justices should not be influenced by the teachings of their faith in making decisions.
For at least two reasons such a concern is not an issue in this case. First, the constitutional test for whether punishment is cruel and unusual under the Eighth Amendment is the "evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society." Changes in the fabric of American society, even when driven by principles of faith, are properly recognized in the evaluation of whether the death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Second, the actual numbers and places of executions over the last 31 years indicate that Catholic teaching on the death penalty may have influenced the evolving standards of decency of American society.
Perhaps this is because the number of Catholics has grown up some 65 million in the United States, roughly a quarter of the population, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
That is about four times the size of the next largest denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, with approximately 16 million members; it is over seven times the size of the two next largest groups, the National Baptist Convention USA and the United Church of Christ, each of which has about 8.5 million members. More Catholics, Fewer Executions By integrating execution statistics from the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C., with state-by-state statistics about religious adherents available from the Association of Religious Data Archives maintained by Pennsylvania State University, one can make correlations between religion and executions. Since 1976 there have been 1,096 executions at the state level (excluding three federal executions). That means that across 51 jurisdictions (the 50 states plus the District of Columbia), the average number of executions over the 31 years is 21 per state.
The distribution of these executions, however, is drastically skewed by the predominant religious influence.
Almost 88 percent of the 1,096 executions have occurred in the Bible Belt-the 11 states and territory (Oklahoma) of the former Confederacy and the slaveholding border states-where the greatest religious influence is still Southern Baptist.
The Southern Baptist Convention is the only major American religious denomination to declare formally that Scripture mandates the death penalty June 2000). More than 91 percent of executions have occurred in just 14 states.
Of the other 36 states, 14 and the District of Columbia do not have the death penalty. Of the rest, they are either minimally participating (with small death rows or few executions) or have had no executions since 1976. Even more impressive is the inversely proportional relationship between the size of the Catholic population and the number of executions. In general, the more Catholics there are in a given jurisdiction, the fewer the executions.
In the 19 jurisdictions where Catholics make up more than 21 percent of the population, the average number of executions over the past 31 years is only 3 per state.
In the 19 states where Catholics make up more than 16 percent of the population, the average number of total executions per state over 31 years is 25.
For the 12 states where Catholics are less than 10 percent of the population, the average number of total executions per state over 31 years is 32, more than 10 times the number in states where the Catholic presence is largest. In December 2007, the state of New Jersey, the third most Catholic state in the nation, became the first since 1976 to abolish the death penalty through legislation. New York, the fourth most Catholic state, has ended it judicially. Neither state has had any executions in the last 31 years. The eight most Catholic states in the nation have had a combined total of only two executions in the last 31 years.
The correlation between Catholic presence and America's evolving standards of decency is even more striking at the national level. The annual number of executions climbed from 1976 until it peaked in 1999.
That year Pope John Paul II stood on American soil and renewed his appeal "for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary." While no one can prove a causal link here, a correlation exists: Since then, the annual number of executions in the United States has dropped by more than half, from 98 to 42.
In that same period, the annual number of new death sentences also dropped by 60 percent. The same correlation shows up in national polls.
A Gallup poll in 2006 showed that the percentage of Americans who prefer life without parole instead of the death penalty has grown from 32 percent in 1994 to 48 percent.
Given a choice between the two, the percentage of Americans who favor the death penalty has dropped from 50 percent in 1994 to 47 percent in 2006. For the first time since the death penalty experiment began, the percentage of Americans who prefer life imprisonment is higher than the percentage who prefer capital punishment. This attitude squares well with Catholic teaching, which precludes recourse to the death penalty unless no other means are available in a society to protect innocent life. America's evolving standard of decency, which marks the progress of our maturing society with respect to the death penalty, has been influenced to some extent by the growing presence of Catholics.
Our Catholic Supreme Court justices should recognize the development and change their position on capital punishment. If just one justice were to make the change, the death penalty could soon be abolished in the United States.
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Obama's Tire Tariff Could Raise Prices by 20 to 30 Percent
President Obama's decision to impose a 35 percent tariff on imported tires from China was not an act of statesmanship. The White House admitted as much by announcing its decision at 10 p.m. on Friday evening in order to minimize news coverage.
A few union leaders are cheering, but in just about every other way our country is worse off. Among the biggest losers will be low‐income American families. The tariffs apply to lower‐end tires that sell for $50 or $60 each, compared to $200 for higher‐end tires. As The Wall Street Journal reported this morning:
The low end of the market will feel the impact of the tariff most, as U.S. manufacturers, who joined the Chinese in opposing the tariffs, have said it isn't profitable to produce inexpensive tires in domestic plants.
"I think within the next 60 days you'll see some pretty significant price increases," said Jim Mayfield, president of Del‐Nat Tire Corp. of Memphis, Tenn., a large importer and distributor of Chinese tires. He estimates prices for "entry‐level" tires could increase 20% to 30%.
The anti‐poor bias of U.S. tariffs is one of the themes of my new Cato book, Mad about Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization. With his decision Friday, President Obama has revealed himself to be a friend of the status quo.


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Finding a V.I.P. expert to guide you has never been easier.
V.I.P. Mortgage, Inc. does Business in Accordance With Federal Fair Lending Laws. NMLS ID 145502. V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or the Federal Government. V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. is approved to participate in FHA programs but the products and services performed by V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. are not coming directly from HUD or FHA. Copyright ©2018 V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. All Rights Reserved


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Please select your meditation time
Start Meditating
Conclude Meditation
We invite you to reflect on the readings and how they may resonate in your journey of a spiritual awakening in the 12 steps of recovery, and in particular the 11th Step - "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."
Meditation is not about getting into altered states of consciousness or seeing and experience anything out of the ordinary. It is about entering more fully into the ordinary and discovering thereby the absolute wonder of it, the presence of God: that the ordinary is shot through with the extraordinary.
Jesus said he knew where he came from and where he was going. Prayer is a journey into self-knowledge.
As we gradually unhook from our selfish self-centeredness and egotism, we grow in the knowledge of who we truly are. In every journey there are stages, even though, because it is a spiritual journey, we cannot measure them.
In meditation we stop thinking of the past and future and learn to live fully in the present moment. Unfortunately, God often seems absent to us because we are not in the here and now.
Meditation is experiential. That is it is a way of experience, rather than a theory or of thought at all.
Meditation is an incarnate way of prayer. The body is not a barrier between us and God. It is the sacrament of the gift of being which God has given us by creating us.
There is a sentence in Father John's teaching on the mantra which gives a valuable insight into the journey we are making. It is a very simple sentence. "If you chop and change your mantra you are postponing your progress in meditation."


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"Two cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of heart failure (but five can be bad for you)," the Daily Mail reported today. This seemingly contradictory headline is actually a fair but slightly overenthusiastic reflection of a review of research that looked at the relationship between regular coffee drinking and risk of heart failure.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump blood to meet the body's demands, this can have many causes, the most common being a heart attack. This review of five large studies questioned people about how much coffee they drank and then examined whether they went on to develop heart failure. The combined results suggested that, compared to no coffee consumption, four to five servings of coffee a day was associated with an 11% lower risk. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee had no benefit – and is likely to give you the jitters.
Although a systematic review can provide good evidence, the results of this one should be viewed with some caution. All of the included studies relied on self-reported coffee drinking and this can affect the reliability. Coffee consumption was only measured once and did not take into account any changes in consumption over the years. It is also unclear how the studies defined the outcome of heart failure. Because some of the studies included people who had already had a heart attack, it is not clear whether they were currently in some stage of heart failure when their coffee drinking was assessed. The studies were inconsistent in how they adjusted for other factors that can be related to heart failure risk, such as high blood pressure and obesity.
The type, strength and volume of coffee consumed by people in this study will also have varied widely, making it hard to get any clear message about the benefits or risks of coffee consumption.
Overall, this review does not prove that coffee is good for the heart - only a possible association between coffee drinking and the risk of heart failure. The relationship between coffee consumption and heart health remains confusing, with previous studies showing inconsistent results. As in most things, moderation is key.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the University of Alabama. It was funded by the US National Institute of Health. It was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Circulation Heart Failure.
Coverage of the study in the press is confusing. Both the Daily Express and the Mail said that two cups of coffee can reduce the risk of heart failure, but this number appears to be a conversion of US serving sizes and servings in coffee chains.
The Express claim that coffee 'can dramatically reduce the risk of heart failure' was not borne out by this research, which found a relatively small decrease in risk associated with moderate coffee drinking. Both papers reported that drinking excessive amount of coffee is dangerous, but this is also not borne out by the research, which found a slight increase in risk associated with 10-11 cups a day. The newspapers also did not identify the important limitations of the studies included in this review.
What kind of research was this?
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that looked at the association between risk of heart failure and the number of cups of coffee people reported drinking. The authors point out that the results of previous studies looking at this relationship have been inconsistent, while US guidelines on heart failure say that coffee may increase the risk.
Prospective cohort studies can help assess the relationship between lifestyle factors, such as diet and people's health, because they can follow large groups of people for a number of years. However, they cannot prove cause and effect.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies is the best way of identifying and combining the results of all relevant research that has addressed the question of whether a coffee drinking is associated with the risk of heart failure.
However, though it is a high standard of evidence, the review will often have limitations due to the different methods of the studies it included. These studies may have:
- included different populations
- followed them for different periods of time
- assessed exposures and outcomes differently
- variably adjusted for different confounding factors that could also affect the relationship
For more on why this matters, see How to read health news.
What did the research involve?
The authors searched several electronic research databases to find coffee and heart failure data published between 1966 and 2011, following an established meta-analysis protocol.
They included in their review prospective cohort studies that examined the association between coffee consumption and heart failure. They also included studies that had calculated risk figures for new cases of heart failure or mortality. For each study included in the review, they extracted information about:
- characteristics of the participants (including health at the start of the study start)
- level of coffee intake
- number of people at each different coffee consumption level
- estimates of risk at different levels of consumption.
They used the study results that had been adjusted for the greatest number of potential confounders.
What were the basic results?
The researchers included five studies looking at coffee consumption and the risk of heart failure, four carried out in Sweden and one in Finland. In total, they included 140,220 participants and 6,522 cases of heart failure. Three of the studies consisted of participants with no history of heart attacks; one consisted of participants with a history of heart attacks; and one included separate analyses for people with and without a history of diabetes or heart attack.
The study found that compared to no coffee consumption, the lowest risk of heart failure was associated with four or five servings of coffee daily. Above four to five cups, the size of the risk decrease (that is, the benefit) tended to get smaller. At around 10 cups of coffee a day, people had about an equivalent risk to those who drank none. Above 10 cups there was a trend for the risk to increase compared to those who drank none. For example:
- those who reported one or two servings a day had a 4% lower risk of heart failure than those who drank no coffee (relative risk [RR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90 to 0.99)
- those who drank three or four servings a day had a 10% lower risk (RR 0.90, 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.99).
- those who drank four or five servings a day had 11% lower risk (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.99
For levels of coffee consumption higher than this, the apparent benefit gradually disappeared. At 11 servings a day, there was a slight increase in risk (RR 1.03 95% CI 0.89 to 1.19). However, it should be noted, that although there was a trend for the risk decrease to become smaller above four or five servings, and then begin to increase above 10 servings, none of the risk calculations for servings of between 5 and 11 cups a day were actually statistically significant. This means that there is no real evidence of a difference in risk between no coffee consumption and consumption of between 5 and 11 cups, only a trend.
This type of result, in which the associated benefits and risks are dose related, is called a J-shaped curve (because of the shape the data makes when plotted on a graph). It suggested that while moderate coffee consumption is associated with benefits for the heart, the benefits begin to fall and the risk begins to rise at a certain level of consumption. The 11% reduction in risk of heart failure associated with four to five servings of coffee a day was at the bottom of the J-shaped curve.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of heart failure, with the most reduced risk associated with four servings a day. At higher levels of consumption, they suggest there is a potentially higher risk of heart failure. They speculate that this apparent benefit may be linked to the possible effect of coffee on two important risk factors: diabetes and high blood pressure.
Although a systematic review is considered a high level of evidence, its results should be viewed with some caution.
Limited number of studies included
hough the study included a relatively large population size, it only included five studies. A larger number of studies may give a more reliable indication of the whether a clear relationship between coffee drinking and heart failure risk exists.
Unclear definition of heart failure
It is unclear how the studies defined the outcome of heart failure. Some studies included people with prior heart attack and some did not. It is therefore unknown whether some people already had heart failure at the start of the study.
Differences between what the studies accounted for
The studies adjusted for factors that may also have been related to risk of heart failure. Four out of five studies adjusted for important confounders of age, body mass index, alcohol consumption and smoking status. Other relevant factors such as diabetes and cholesterol were inconsistently accounted for, while other relevant factors such as high blood pressure do not appear to have been accounted for in any study.
One of the five studies made no adjustment for any confounders. All of these things can affect the reliability of the pooled risk estimates.
Lack of statistical significance
The review authors observed a J-shaped trend in risk but not all of the risk calculations were statistically significant. For consumption between 1-2 and 4-5 servings a day there was a small but significant decrease in risk compared to no consumption (with the greatest decrease in risk at 4-5 servings). For consumption between 5 and 11 cups a day, none of the risk calculations were actually statistically significant (that is, there is no real evidence of a difference in risk between no coffee consumption and consumption of between 5 and 11 cups, only a trend).
Self-reporting at a single time point
The studies relied on self-reported coffee drinking, which may mean the results are less reliable. The studies also only measured coffee consumption at a single time point so took no account of changes in coffee consumption over the years.
Differing strengths and sizes of coffee
The study did not take into account the strength of coffee that people reported drinking. Nor did it examine:
- whether caffeinated or decaf was drunk
- the method of preparation used (filtered, boiled, espresso)
- the volume of coffee drunk
- whether the coffee was drunk with milk or sugar
There is some confusion in the newspaper reports about the size of servings used in the review. The authors say that four cups of coffee a day is a northern European serving (125ml-150ml), which equates to slightly more than two cups in US coffee chains, where a standard serving varies from 295-590ml. In the UK, servings in coffee shops vary, with one popular chain serving a range of sizes from 89ml for an espresso to 470ml for a grande.
This review cannot prove that coffee is good for the heart and can only show a possible association between coffee drinking and risk of heart failure. While the study is not particularly helpful with regards to making lifestyle choices, drinking 11 cups of coffee a day is probably not a good idea for other reasons.
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
Two coffees a day boosts your heart
Daily Express, 27 June 2012
Two cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of heart failure (but five are bad for you)
Daily Mail, 27 June 2012
Links to the science
Mostofsky E, Rice MS, Levitan EB, Mittleman MA.
Habitual Coffee Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis
Published online June 26 2012


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Corky, a 7-month-old kitten born with a rare birth defect, was scheduled to be euthanized in March, but a vet tech at the pound took a liking to the cat and called CATS Cradle, a Fargo, N.D., no-kill shelter.
"She refused to describe that cat over the phone," says shelter co-founder Gail Ventzke. "She just said 'you have to see this'." So Ventzke and co-founder Carol Stefonkek went to meet the mysterious little kitten.
"When we arrived, she brought this tangled little guy out of the cage area, and from that moment on he was ours," says Ventzke.
She and Stefonkek named the cat Corky and took him straight to North Dakota State University for X-rays. They learned that Corky had been born with a genetic deformity called bilateral arthrogryposis of tarsus, meaning his back legs were backwards and overlapping. The disease is common in cattle, but rare in cats.
They contacted several vets, and all of them were wary of operating on the mangled kitten, but when they took Corky to Casselton Veterinary Service, they finally found a doctor willing to take a chance on him.
Dr. Dan Burchill examined Corky, noting that he was a "happy, healthy, engaging cat who dragged his back legs around," and after considering all his options — including amputating his legs and putting him in a wheelchair — he decided to give surgery a shot. Burchill, who's been practicing veterinary medicine for 17 years, had performed similar surgery on dogs, but this would be the first time he'd be attempting it on a cat.
The operation was originally estimated to cost $2,500, but the surgery lasted four hours and cost roughly $1,000 an hour — in addition to medication and veterinary fees. The operation was a success and the price doesn't faze Ventzke, who says that CATS Cradle will fundraise to cover Corky's bill.
However, Corky's healing process has been anything but smooth. A few days after surgery, he almost lost a leg due to poor circulation, and he's had to undergo two additional surgical procedures, including one to address swelling and a skin graft. Then, on April 25, Ventzke learned that Corky was going to lose one of his legs after all.
"It's now clear to us that the circulation will not return and the foot has begun to die, so the difficult decision had to be made to amputate a portion of his left leg. He will be going into surgery tomorrow afternoon (April 26) to have his leg removed from the lower portion of the tibia," she said. (Pictured right: Corky on the day before amputation.)
"This will hopefully put an end to all of the acupuncture and laser therapy he has had to endure for the past three weeks. Dr. Burchill has assured us that this is the best route to go, as taking just the foot would require further treatment on the leg and a much longer recovery with higher risk of infection."
Other than the circulation problem with his foot, Corky has been doing well, and last week he even stood on his own and learned to walk on his legs for the first time. Despite the amputation, Ventzke expects Corky to be just fine.
"Many cats live wonderful lives on three legs and we are betting that Corky will indeed be one who will thrive," she says.
On April 30, Ventzke announced on Facebook that Corky would finally be leaving the hospital: "Today will be a special day. We will be meeting with Dr. Burchill around 4 p.m. and after that, loading Corky up and bringing him home from the hospital. Corky has spent more time in the hospital than he has at the shelter with us!"
Since having his first operation, Corky has been undergoing physical therapy, which includes acupuncture, laser therapy and hydrotherapy, and due to the extended hospital stay and additional surgeries, the costs continue to mount — but it doesn't look like CATS Cradle will have to foot the entire bill. The shelter has received donations from almost every U.S. state, as well as from other countries.
What will happen to Corky once he's recovered? Ventzke says no final decisions have been made, but she and Stefonkek — who visit Corky daily — are considering having him stay at the shelter and become certified as a therapy pet.
"Our hope is to have him certified as a therapy pet and take him to visit children recovering from surgeries or disabilities so they can see that with determination and drive you can overcome anything," Ventzke says.
Donations toward Corky's surgery and recovery can be made online at catscradleshelter.org or on the shelter's Facebook page. CATS Cradle will put any excess funds toward rescuing more cats from local pounds. Since the shelter opened in January, not a single cat has been euthanized in any of the metro area's three pounds, according to Ventzke.
Check out a recent video of Corky below to see how he took to his new legs after surgery. For more recent videos of Corky, and to see how he's learning to walk on three legs, check out his Facebook page.
Also on MNN:


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Vikes edge Jags in OT
Minneapolis, MN – Blair Walsh booted a 38-yard field goal in overtime as the Minnesota Vikings edged the Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-23, in the season opener for both teams at Mall of America Field.
After Walsh knocked through the game-tying 55-yarder in the closing seconds of regulation, Minnesota won the toss and began the overtime period with the ball at its own 25.
Adrian Peterson, playing in his first game since suffering torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee late last season, got the Vikes into Jacksonville territory with a 20-yard run to the 42. Christian Ponder hit Toby Gerhart for eight yards on 3rd-and-13 to get down to the Jags 20, and Walsh easily booted it through the uprights to give his team the lead.
As per the new overtime rules, Jacksonville got the ball and needed at least a field goal to keep the game going, but Blaine Gabbert threw an incomplete pass on 4th-and-2, sealing the win for the Vikings.
"It sure does feel good to play at home and open the season with a win," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. "You just have to take your hat off to our players for the effort that they gave."
Peterson ended his day with 84 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns, while Ponder threw for 270 yards on 20-of-27 passing for the Vikings (1-0), who finished last season 3-13.
Percy Harvin led the receiving corps with six receptions for 84 yards and Kyle Rudolph contributed five catches for 67 yards.
Maurice Jones-Drew, who ended a lengthy contract hold out last Sunday without a new deal, rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries. Gabbert threw for 260 yards and two scores on 23-of-39 passing for the Jags (0-1), who went 5-11 last season.
"I'm obviously disappointed for the players," Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said. "But we stayed in it to the end and had a chance to win there. I was very proud of them for that."
Jacksonville opened the scoring on its first possession of the game. Gabbert led an extensive 17-play, 77-yard march that ate up over nine minutes of game time. The drive stalled deep in Vikings territory and Josh Scobee was good on a 19-yard field goal to give the Jags the lead.
The Jags extended their lead to 9-0 in the second quarter thanks to another lengthy drive. Facing a 2nd-and-11 from his own 21, Gabbert gave the Jags some breathing room with a 26-yard completion down the right sideline to Laurent Robinson, placing the ball at the 47.
Gabbert connected with Marcedes Lewis on a 1-yard TD strike, capping the 11- play, 78-yard march. Scobee's extra point try was blocked.
The Vikings got their offense rolling in the latter stages of the second quarter. Starting with excellent field position at their own 41 and 2:28 on the clock, Ponder hit Harvin on a 16-yard strike to move into Jacksonville territory.
Four plays later, Ponder found Jenkins on a slant for 14 yards to the Jags' five, and Peterson capped the 7-play, 59-yard drive with a 3-yard TD scamper up the middle, cutting the lead to 9-7 at the break.
Minnesota began its first possession of the second half at the Jaguars' 44 thanks to a fumble recovery by Kevin Williams.
Faced with a short field, Peterson took a handoff on first play of the drive around the right end for 19 yards, and Ponder hit Harvin over the middle for 19 more yards down to the Jacksonville six. Two plays later, Peterson burst through the middle for a 2-yard score and a 14-9 lead.
The Jacksonville defense came up with a big play midway through the third as Terrance Knighton sacked Ponder, who lost the ball. It was recovered by C.J. Mosley at the Minnesota 16.
From there, the Jags drive stalled and Scobee was good from 26 yards out to cut the deficit to 14-12.
On the Vikings' ensuing touch, Ponder led his team 75 yards in 11 plays and Walsh capped the drive with a 20-yard field goal to widen the margin to 17-12.
Scobee nailed a 47-yarder to finish off a 10-play, 51-yard drive on the next Jacksonville possession, but the Vikings came right back with a 9-play, 57- yard drive which culminated in a 42-yard field goal from Walsh to make it a five-point game.
With 1:18 on the clock, the Jags started their last possession of regulation at their own 24. Gabbert went 4-for-6 on the drive, including a 39-yard touchdown strike to Cecil Shorts, and the two-point conversion gave Jacksonville a 23-20 lead.
But, Ponder got his team to the Jacksonville 37 on the ensuing drive and Walsh booted a 55-yard field goal to send it to overtime.
Game Notes
Shorts finished with four catches and 74 yards ... Jones-Drew was fined $1.2 million by the team for his 38-day holdout ... Minnesota leads the all-time series, 4-1 and has won the past three meetings ... Minnesota finished with 389 yards of total offense, while Jacksonville had 362 yards ... The Vikings converted 2-of-10 third down opportunities, while the Jags went 9-of-18 on third down.


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I don't feel like writing a coherent, thought out, potentially useful post today. So I'm not going to. Instead I'm going to sit here with some coffee (ok, I'm lying, I haven't taken the coffee machine out of the moving boxes yet – I'm actually drinking beer) and ramble. I'd apologize but I'm not sorry and I know you don't mind anyway.
I didn't answer comments
I didn't answer any comments from the last post. Don't worry, I read them all and I love that so many of you took the time to share your own drinking-during-heroics strategies. I edited in a reply to one of the points that came up a few times (you can't miss it: italics at the end!) but otherwise I thought it best to leave the comments section alone. I had already explained the logic behind my strategy and the comments were everyone else's turn to share their own strategies.
I'll say this, though: I like my heroics fast. Like really fast. Like once I even got annoyed at some dps who were eating instead of letting me heal them.
I think most healers underestimate themselves. Ok, I don't know most healers. Let me rephrase that. I think most vocal-in-the-blogosphere healers underestimate themselves. You guys kick ass, you really do. You can squeeze way more out of yourselves than you believe. And it's fun to be challenged at times.
Of course, just because you're awesome doesn't mean that its ok for your pug-teammates to be rude. And yes, standing in shit, hitting random mobs instead of the tanks' target, breaking CC, ignoring the healer, etc. is rude. Just making sure I'm not misunderstood here!
Strength in Numbers
I've been getting all my Marks of the World Tree and capping my Valor Points for the past few weeks. There was a lot of chatting about To Cap or Not To Cap awhile back. Me, I stick with my Social Contract theory. If your team as a whole tends to cap VP, then you'll want to cap VP. You don't want to hold them back. If no one caps their VP and you do, though, it's a different story. You need to be uber motivated or else you'll get very frustrated very fast.
As I mentioned earlier, I've been capping my VP. And to my utter and deepest delight, so have most of my teammates.
Just not at the same time as me.
When you're only killing one, maybe two raid bosses a week, running the same two instances 5-6 times every week is tedious. That's when I discovered Real ID.
Real ID + Twitter = Weapon of mass dungeon obliteration!
Whenever I needed a friend, I shouted out it on Twitter. I've been teaming up with Entropia, Anslym and Jed over the past few weeks and it's been wonderful. (I share my real name with a celebrity so if anyone googles me, they'll think I'm a rather attractive gaming company CEO. I don't mind being mistaken for her.) I've been getting to know them better, hanging out on vent with them and laughing with them about nothings. And after a few hours of good times with friends, I end up with all these Valor Points.
Lodur even joined Entropia, Jed and I one night, finally earning me the ZA bear run achievement. I'd been wanting to do it since forever, but I haven't gotten lucky with pugs. (I also teamed up with Lodur for dailies- we're on the same server- and OMG they're so much smoother when you do them with a friend!)
Oh, and one night my raid leader fished in his Real ID list and pulled out WoW Insider's Fox Van Allen! I got so giddy fangirly, you'd never believe it! I don't think I was able to type in a single thing all run.
So I gotta say, going out of my way to VP cap every week has been frustrating at times, but it's also has some really awesome moments. As proud as I am of my associalness, I have to admit I've been converted to Real ID.
Gossip Corner
If I were reading this post, my eyes would be instantly drawn to the gossip section.
So, the decision everyone (well, not everyone, but everyone who has to put up with me on a regular basis) has been waiting to hear! I decided to stay with my guild for now. The general sentiment has been one of wanting to get more serious about raiding. And my sentiment has been that I've been looking for a project. Also, if you remember my post on the kind of leaders I want to follow, you'll be interested to hear that the post was inspired by the common traits of a few of the WoW leaders I've met in my life. Including my current raid leader. (He doesn't read my blog, so I can flatter him all he wants without worrying that he'll get embarrassed.) While I do miss 25 mans and more progressive raiding, I think that, at the moment, I'm pretty spoiled.
Oh and there is also certain, um, possibly good news IRL. Which has nothing to do with my guild. Or WoW even. But its very exciting and fun. And that's about as much as I can say on the blog. For now…


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Enrollment in health insurance exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act begins Oct. 1, but the executive director of The Free Clinics doesn't expect any changes for the organization's low-income, uninsured patients until at least 2015.
Enrollment in health insurance exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act begins Oct. 1, but the executive director of The Free Clinics doesn't expect any changes for the organization's low-income, uninsured patients until at least 2015.
The Rev. Judith Long told a group of 10 citizens during a "Lunch & Learn" program Wednesday that most uninsured clients of The Free Clinics won't have much cause to shop federal insurance marketplaces beginning Oct. 1 because out-of-pocket expenses will be too steep.
The Affordable Care Act caps the maximum premiums for Americans buying insurance based on income. For most Free Clinics patients, it means premiums cannot exceed 6.3 percent of their family's gross income, Long said.
Regulators delayed capping out-of-pocket expenses until 2015, she said, but are still fining those who don't opt to buy insurance from a private insurer or a government-sponsored exchange. That penalty is $95 per uninsured person, which goes up to $695 by 2016.
"So our patients are looking at $229 to $1,447 a year in premium costs with no maximum out-of-pocket expenses, versus perhaps a penalty of $95," Long said. "Bottom line, we do not anticipate our patients will be able to purchase insurance. So we will still be here and we'll still need everyone's support."
Long said those exempted from penalties include those who don't pay taxes because they're income is too low, those for whom the cheapest plan exceeds 8 percent of income, undocumented or incarcerated people and Native Americans.
Henderson County has about 13,700 people who are uninsured and low-income, or roughly 1 of every 4.5 residents. Many of them receive free-and-reduced school lunches and food stamps and defer medical care because they can't afford it, Long said.
That makes them likely to remain uninsured even after health care reform is fully implemented, she said. That could change slightly in 2015 when out-of-pocket expenses are capped for most clinic patients at $2,250 a year, but Long anticipates The Free Clinics still will not see a reduction in caseloads.
Since 2008, The Free Clinics has experienced a 303 percent increase in patient encounters, she said. In 2012-13, the clinic saw 8,884 patient visits, arranged 68 surgeries through coordination of services and made 158 referrals to specialists who provided free services.
The Free Clinics serves low-income residents who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, but cannot afford insurance.
There are between 49 million and 50 million uninsured in America currently. Long said if every state had accepted Medicaid expansion, 92 percent of all residents would have access to care within four or five years. But state-by-state participation leaves 32 million people uncovered, she said.
"So all this hoopla and noise and Congress and everything, and less than half the people currently uninsured will be covered because the states with the largest percentage of uninsured are not expanding Medicaid — Texas, North Carolina, Florida," she said.
Long said Henderson County is fortunate to have the strongest safety net for poor, uninsured residents in the state, crediting the collaboration of nonprofits such as The Free Clinics and Blue Ridge Community Health Services, county Department of Social Services case workers, local hospitals and physicians.
"We're not miracle workers, but you would be amazed what we've been able to get on behalf of patients who come through our doors who need care," she said. "However, with reform and the lack of Medicaid (expansion), it's an incredibly destabilizing force that we don't know what the impact is going to be."
The Free Clinics is sponsoring two more "Lunch & Learns" programs focused on the Affordable Care Act from 12-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 and Nov. 20. Space is limited and reservations are required. Call Kathryn Killian at 697.8422 or email@example.com for a spot.


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The White Boxxx 26Favorites [+]
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Running Time: 102 minutes
Studio Name: LetsDoeIt
Series: The White Boxxx
Director: Louis Moire
Categories: Euro All Sex Glamour High Definition
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4 Scenes from The White Boxxx 26
The White Boxxx 26: Scene 1
Starring: Adel Morel Jia Lissa ... More Details
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Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Masturbation
Positions: Crouching/Squatting, Kneeling, Laying, Sitting
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Starring: Sabrisse Jia Lissa ... More Details
Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Bondage, Masturbation, Breast Play
Settings: Bedroom
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Starring: Leanne Lace ... More Details
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Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Masturbation, Breast Play, Vaginal Sex
Positions: Crouching/Squatting, Laying, Missionary, Side Saddle, Spoons position
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Starring: Nathaly Cherie Casey Nohrman ... More Details
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Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Bondage, Vaginal Sex, Masturbation, 3-Way
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text:
Hello, crafty friends!
Its time for another New Release by Scrapper's Delights! Our talented design team has created these lovely projects to showcase the new release!
We hope they inspire you to join us in our current challenge! Please click on the banner below to join in the challenge!
And now, lets take a look at these lovely projects!
Using: Twilight Owl
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Using: Rosalie Fairies & Pixies V2
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text:
So Sad: Cops Taser A Naked Man Which Led To His Death!
NYPost Shows Cops in NY Taser kill naked mentally disturbed man who falls from ledge after waving what was apparently flourescent light bulb or metal rod. He later died in the hospital
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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text:
Saving data with notebook
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg111888] Saving data with notebook
- From: "Kent A. Vander Velden" <kent.vandervelden at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:21:18 -0400 (EDT)
My routine is typically to Import[] data into Mathematica (often multiple files), perform some manipulation, and plot the results. I'd like to be able to use the Mathematica notebook as the archive of the raw data, analysis, and results. To do this, I'd like to save the contents of some if not all the variables associated with a notebook, preferably into the notebook. I've searched for methods to do this and the only thing I've found is to print the contents of variable and reformat this to form an assignment that can be save with the notebook. This is not so great in my case as often the input data is several 100 megabytes. I suspect this is a common need and I'm curious how other handle it. I'm probably overlooking an obvious option. Thank you


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The UK has one of the highest penetrations of smartphones at 58 percent, while just under one in five (19 percent) adults have a tablet computer, according to research from communications regulator Ofcom.
Ofcom also found that UK consumers are using laptops, smartphones and other mobile connected devices to access the internet more often than other countries. It found that half (51 percent) use a laptop most often to connect to the internet, while 6 percent prefer smartphones and 6 percent other connected devices.
Only 37 percent use a desktop computer as their most frequent means of accessing the internet.
For the first time, said Ofcom, UK consumers are downloading more data on their mobiles and tablets than any other major nation, ahead of Japan in second place and the US in sixth place.
One sixth (16 percent) of all website traffic in the UK was on a mobile, tablet or other mobile connected device, higher than any other country in Europe. Four in ten (40 percent) of UK adults now use their mobile phones to visit social networking sites, while among 18-24 year olds almost two-thirds (62 percent) do so - more than any other major country.
Internet shopping is also now more popular in the UK than any other major country, and this is increasingly driven by the use of mobile devices. UK consumers have now broken the £1,000-a-year spend barrier on internet shopping.
In 2011, the per-head spending on e-commerce was £1,083 in the UK, up 14 percent from £950 in 2010. Australia spends the second highest at £842, with Sweden third at £747.
UK adults also like to shop on the move. Over a fifth (23.1 percent) of UK smartphone users use their device to visit retail websites, the highest level out of the five largest European countries. Germany is second with 22.6 percent.
In November it was found that almost three-quarters (73 percent) of UK CIOs working in retail want more technology in shops to help sales in the run-up to Christmas.


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Royal Oak explosion leads to Consumers Energy policy changes
Consumers Energy suspends all state boring projects
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Consumers Energy announced Thursday it has suspended all boring projects throughout the state following the Feb. 27 gas explosion in Royal Oak.
"The safety of our community, customers and employees remains our top priority, and our thoughts continue to be with the deceased victim's family and friends. As we implement our comprehensive safety program in the affected Royal Oak community, our experts are standing ready 24/7 responding to questions and concerns from the community."
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Royal Oak home explosion
In addition to the boring suspensions Consumers Energy said it has taken the following steps:
- Performed extensive gas safety testing in the area as residents returned to their homes on Friday and Saturday.
- Employees tested for the presence of gas in and around homes, made sure appliances were relit and operating, and pressure-tested the customer-owned fuel lines of each home to help allay residents' concerns.
- A team of employees met with residents and businesses in a wider area around the site, identifying any concerns and offering additional safety testing.
Reached out to the Royal Oak School District offering safety training and educational programs for students, teachers and administrators
Consumers Energy also announced a comprehensive Integrity Management Plan in place to maintain and evaluate pipelines, as part of the federal Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. We review the structural integrity of our pipelines using methods that include:
- Running an electronic device inside the pipeline to transmit images and gathering data about the condition of the pipe;
- Pressure testing pipelines using water and above-ground test instruments; and
- If potential problems are indicated during these processes, we will excavate and examine the pipe and make repairs.
The company went on to say, "Consumers Energy continues to fully cooperate with the Michigan Public Service Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board and local authorities. We will provide more details on findings following the conclusion of the investigation."
Dan Malczynski, 58 was killed Feb. 27 when his home on Cooper Avenue was ripped to pieces by a suspected natural gas blast. Consumers Energy has blamed a ruptured service line. Dozens of other homes and businesses were damaged by debris.
Photo courtesy Jim Charbonneau
Previous stories on Royal Oak explosion:


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Brian says I am completely pretentious, and perhaps that's true, but I have no interest in reality shows like "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." For me, television is an escape. I want to view the unattainable, like Giuliana Rancic or any of the professionals on "Dancing With the Stars."
I don't want to see sloppy, mess, unkempt people who urinate on the couch and puff their bad breath in one another's face.
For me, reality TV is like the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog: I look through (or watch) to see what I could never have. I watch (or read) to dream and to live in that fantasy for 22 minutes a week.
If Honey Boo Boo and her entourage were part of anything, it would be my panic-filled dreams, not my fantasies.
Listen to the segment below.


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The Good and Bad About the Best Kitchen Countertop Materials
With the right materials, your countertop can greatly complement your kitchen at home. There are plenty of materials to choose from when replacing your kitchen countertops, and while each one might have its pros, these materials have cons to consider as well.
The upsides of this material include its amazing visual likeness to stone, without the accompanying maintenance requirements, resistance to damage caused by knives, pots and stains, and its availability in many different colors and patterns. The downsides, on the other hand, include the material's vulnerability to chipping at the corners and edges and the requirement of a professional for repairs. In order to avoid chipping, rounded edges are recommended.
The compelling reasons for getting a granite countertop: each piece of the material is entirely unique, it comes in colors normally hard to acquire with different materials, it isn't easily damaged by scratching, cutting or heat, and the material is highly resistant to staining with the right sealing. The few reasons that might deter some from using granite is its need for occasional reapplication of sealant, and as with quartz it tends to chip at the edges and corners.
You might want to choose a laminate countertop because of its inexpensiveness, painless installation and appealing look due to high quality printed surfaces, but it is also tough against heat and stains. The only real con to look out for is its ability to experience permanent damage from cutting on its surface. However, this one issue is easily avoided with the use of a cutting board.
Marble is definitely a classic material for counters, with a great look that fits in most kitchens. You should, however, consider its vulnerability to damage from heat, nicking, cutting and scratching. It is easily stained as well.
Solid Surfacing
Countertops with solid surfacing come in a wide variety of patterns and colors, with an even sleeker look due to nearly invisible seams. This material resists most stains as well, but it is unfortunately susceptible to scratching and cutting. Cuts and scratches are fairly easily repaired, though.
Recycled Glass
This material can bring a great modern look to your kitchen, with large shards serving as unique decoration. A majority of recycled glass countertops perform well in stress tests, but the issue with this material is that it tends to differ between brands. Depending on where you purchase the material, it might be easily scratched and cut, or cracked by heat.
When looking for materials for kitchen countertops in or around Aurora, Illinois, there are kitchen remodeling companies that can help you determine which material is the best to pick for your counters.


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I'm going to be part of a seminar at the Watershed Media Centre in Bristol on the 6th of October which is one of a series of events programmed to mark the centenary of Marshall McLuhan's birth. The panel I'm part of will be discussing the phenomena of 'walled gardens in the global village,' with the panel description being:
McLuhan's sense of the Global Village was not as a Utopian place, but an increasingly tribal site of conflicts. Web 2.0 raises the fundamental issue of 'walled gardens', areas of segregation for commercial purposes (e.g. Facebook and iTunes). This panel debates the phenomenon of the walled garden and how other 'plants' may subsist or not in the digital world.
In addition to the live events, the Watershed has created a website which has some interviews with some contemporary theorists who engage with the legacy of McLuhan's ideas along with a piece I've written titled 'Technological Determinism and Neuroplasticity,' which looks at ways that current evidence from cognitive science reflects on the debates between McLuhan and Raymond Williams about technological determinism in media studies.


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|How to cross-compile for Android. These notes were last updated on
|17 Feb 2012, for Valgrind SVN revision 12390/2257.
|This is known to work at least for :
|Android 4.0.3 running on a (rooted, AOSP build) Nexus S.
|Android 4.0.3 running on Motorola Xoom.
|Android 4.0.3 running on android arm emulator.
|Android 4.1 running on android emulator.
|Android 2.3.4 on Nexus S worked at some time in the past.
|Android 4.0.3 running on android x86 emulator.
|Android 4.1.2 running on android mips emulator.
|Android 4.2.2 running on android mips emulator.
|Android 4.3 running on android mips emulator.
|Android 4.0.4 running on BROADCOM bcm7425
|On android-arm, GDBserver might insert breaks at wrong addresses.
|Feedback on this welcome.
|Other configurations and toolchains might work, but haven't been tested.
|Feedback is welcome.
|You need the android-ndk-r6 native development kit. r6b and r7
|give a non-completely-working build; see
|For the android emulator, the versions needed and how to
|install them are described in README.android_emulator.
|You can get android-ndk-r6 from
|Install it somewhere. Doesn't matter where. Then do this:
|# Modify this (obviously). Note, this "export" command is only done
|# so as to reduce the amount of typing required. None of the commands
|# below read it as part of their operation.
|export NDKROOT=/path/to/android-ndk-r6
|# Modify this too. Tell the build system which Android hardware you
|# are building for. It needs to know this so it can compile in
|# support for the right Android-hw-specific ioctls. (sigh.) As with
|# NDKROOT above, this is merely to avoid repeated typing; none of the
|# commands read it.
|# Currently the supported values are: nexus_s pandaboard
|# So choose one of the below:
|export HWKIND=nexus_s # Samsung Nexus S; also Xoom (for now)
|export HWKIND=generic # A generic Android device. eg, Pandaboard
|export HWKIND=emulator # Android emulator
|# Then cd to the root of your Valgrind source tree.
|cd /path/to/valgrind/source/tree
|# After this point, you don't need to modify anything; just copy and
|# paste the commands below.
|# Set up toolchain paths.
|# For ARM
|export AR=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-ar
|export LD=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-ld
|export CC=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-gcc
|# For x86
|export AR=$NDKROOT/toolchains/x86-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/i686-android-linux-ar
|export LD=$NDKROOT/toolchains/x86-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/i686-android-linux-ld
|export CC=$NDKROOT/toolchains/x86-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/i686-android-linux-gcc
|# For MIPS32
|export AR=$NDKROOT/toolchains/mipsel-linux-android-4.8/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/mipsel-linux-android-ar
|export LD=$NDKROOT/toolchains/mipsel-linux-android-4.8/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/mipsel-linux-android-ld
|export CC=$NDKROOT/toolchains/mipsel-linux-android-4.8/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/mipsel-linux-android-gcc
|# Do configuration stuff. Don't mess with the --prefix in the
|# configure command below, even if you think it's wrong.
|# You may need to set the --with-tmpdir path to something
|# different if /sdcard doesn't work on the device -- this is
|# a known cause of difficulties.
|# The below re-generates configure, Makefiles, ...
|# This is not needed if you start from a release tarball.
|# for ARM
|CPPFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-3/arch-arm -DANDROID_HARDWARE_$HWKIND" \
|CFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-3/arch-arm" \
|./configure --prefix=/data/local/Inst \
|--host=armv7-unknown-linux --target=armv7-unknown-linux \
|# note: on android emulator, android-14 platform was also tested and works.
|# It is not clear what this platform nr really is.
|# for x86
|CPPFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-9/arch-x86 -DANDROID_HARDWARE_$HWKIND" \
|CFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-9/arch-x86 -fno-pic" \
|./configure --prefix=/data/local/Inst \
|--host=i686-android-linux --target=i686-android-linux \
|# for MIPS32
|CPPFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-18/arch-mips -DANDROID_HARDWARE_$HWKIND" \
|CFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-18/arch-mips" \
|./configure --prefix=/data/local/Inst \
|--host=mipsel-linux-android --target=mipsel-linux-android \
|# At the end of the configure run, a few lines of details
|# are printed. Make sure that you see these two lines:
|# For ARM:
|# Platform variant: android
|# Primary -DVGPV string: -DVGPV_arm_linux_android=1
|# For x86:
|# Platform variant: android
|# Primary -DVGPV string: -DVGPV_x86_linux_android=1
|# For mips32:
|# Platform variant: android
|# Primary -DVGPV string: -DVGPV_mips32_linux_android=1
|# If you see anything else at this point, something is wrong, and
|# either the build will fail, or will succeed but you'll get something
|# which won't work.
|# Build, and park the install tree in `pwd`/Inst
|make -j2
|make -j2 install DESTDIR=`pwd`/Inst
|# To get the install tree onto the device:
|# (I don't know why it's not "adb push Inst /data/local", but this
|# formulation does appear to put the result in /data/local/Inst.)
|adb push Inst /
|# To run (on the device)
|/data/local/Inst/bin/valgrind [the usual args etc]
|# Once you're up and running, a handy modify-V-rebuild-reinstall
|# command line (on the host, of course) is
|mq -j2 && mq -j2 install DESTDIR=`pwd`/Inst && adb push Inst /
|# where 'mq' is an alias for 'make --quiet'.
|# One common cause of runs failing at startup is the inability of
|# Valgrind to find a suitable temporary directory. On the device,
|# there doesn't seem to be any one location which we always have
|# permission to write to. The instructions above use /sdcard. If
|# that doesn't work for you, and you're Valgrinding one specific
|# application which is already installed, you could try using its
|# temporary directory, in /data/data, for example
|# /data/data/org.mozilla.firefox_beta.
|# Using /system/bin/logcat on the device is helpful for diagnosing
|# these kinds of problems.


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This Blog focuses on Ancestor Stories, both the stories themselves about my family's ancestors and discussions of where they come from and how to prepare and share them. These stories may be non-fiction or fiction – we will always tell which is which, of course. Also see my KINNICK blog and The HOMEPLACE Series Blog, left sidebar, scroll down.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Celebration Saturday - a week late - First Blogiversary!
Families are Forever! ;-)
10 comments:
NICE...Happy late Blogoversary my friend!ReplyDelete
Happy Blogiversary, Bill!ReplyDelete
Happy Belated Blogoversary, Dr. Bill!ReplyDelete
Happy Blogoversary, Dr. Bill! I look forward to continued reading!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 25, 2010 at 7:02 PM
congratulations. I so enjoy reading your stories.ReplyDelete
It's been a fantastic year. I hope you have many more blogoversaries.ReplyDelete
Thank you, so much, for the comments. I've been pulled away on several other projects, but hope get back to regular posts as we get into fall... so nice! ;-)ReplyDelete
Happy Blogiversary!ReplyDelete
Happy Blogiversary Bill...looking forward to many more.ReplyDelete
Happy Belated Blogiversary Dr. Bill!! You were one of the first to leave a comment when I started my blog at the end of December and I really appreciate that.ReplyDelete


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One of the best parts of running this blog is finding the images to put in my posts. However, as I search for applicable images I often find pictures that are beautiful, interesting, or thought-provoking, but are off topic. I have decided to introduce a weekly feature of great transportation images to utilize that surplus.
To lead off the feature I have chosen the title-appropriate "Takeoff Group" by photographer Carlos Rubin.
Hot air balloons are not likely to be featured often in this blog, as their transit relevance seems dated to Jules Verne. However, they are a striking sight to see (and I would imagine quite a thrill to ride in).
My readers have many-times-before provided me with great resources. If you have any suggestions of where to find great images of transportation, please let me know in the comments.


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REGINA – Will Ford wasn't sure if he'd be the Saskatchewan Roughriders' starting running back when he signed with the CFL club earlier in the week.
But after a three-touchdown performance Saturday night to lead the Riders over the visiting Toronto Argonauts 37-9 at Mosaic Stadium, Ford made a strong case for himself.
An East Division All-Star with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2013, Ford says he came to Regina ready for any chance he'd get.
Roughriders hope bye week helps turn around early slump against Argos
Saskatchewan Roughriders add Will Ford to practice roster
"Opportunities are limited, so you've got to take advantage of them no matter what," he said. "I came here to work and put the team in a position to win."
The newly signed running back scored first-half touchdowns of 20, three and two yards in his debut for Saskatchewan (2-2), while running for a total of 113 yards. He also had 24 receiving yards.
Ford's three touchdowns on the ground were one shy of the single-game franchise record held by Ferd Burket, Milson Jones and George Reed.
The injury-depleted Argonauts (1-4) meanwhile, dropped their third straight game. Toronto's lone victory came against the Riders at Rogers Centre in Week 2.
As good as Ford was in his debut, Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant held off on referring to him as the team's "answer at running back."
"Man, you can never crown anyone off of one game — it's a long way to go," said Durant, who connected on nine of 17 pass attempts for 155 yards and an interception. "I think Will still has some improving to do … He did a great job of running the ball in key situations.
"But we all have to pick our game up."
Ford echoed his quarterback's words.
"It's going to take time," he said. "I've got a few mistakes that I've got to work on. I stay down on myself when I make mistakes. I'm going to watch film, correct those mistakes and see what happens."
Roughriders coach Corey Chamblin said he wasn't expecting a perfect game from Ford.
"He hadn't even been close to a training camp for us," Chamblin said of his new running back. "Just throwing him in there, we expected some mistakes. … But we just wanted to play fast in spite of it, and I thought the guys did that."
Durant surpassed the 2,500 career rushing yards mark, picking up 28 yards on the ground and running in a touchdown during the game.
Argos quarterback Ricky Ray, meanwhile, was 23-of-35 passing for 221 yards and two interceptions. Toronto backup Trevor Harris completed 8-of-12 passes for 80 yards.
While Durant and Ford took care of the offence, Saskatchewan's defence also played its part, stifling Ray and the Argos throughout the game.
Toronto running back Curtis Steele was held to just 32 yards on the ground on seven carries. Maurice Mann led Argos receivers with 62 yards.
Tyron Brackenridge intercepted Ray on his first pass attempt of the night, and Tearrius George forced and recovered a Ray fumble when the Argonauts returned to the field — the second of five turnovers forced by Saskatchewan.
The Riders also forced Toronto to punt on four second-quarter possessions. Mark Legree notched a late second-half interception, shortly before the half ended with the Riders up 28-6.
Roughriders kicker Chris Milo nailed a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter, and booted field goals from 38 and 43 yards in the fourth.
Toronto kicker Swayze Waters replied with field goals of 17, 16 and 40 yards for the only Argos points of the game.
Durant opened the scoring, taking advantage of the Brackenridge interception with a 10-yard touchdown run on the Riders' first possession.
Ford scored his first touchdown two minutes later to give the Riders a 14-0 edge.
Waters replied with two field goals to get the Argos to within eight points as the first quarter drew to a close.
Ford's second TD made it a 21-6 game less than a minute into the second quarter, and his third two minutes later gave the Riders a 28-6 advantage.
The Riders visit the Ottawa Redblacks Saturday while the Argos host the Montreal Alouettes on Friday.


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Another amazing Portfolio Review Week has come to an end, but the stories of the events all around the world are still being told on blogs and in the press. We've rounded up a few favorites below!
Sketchbook Magazine: Behance Portfolio Reviews at the Al Turki Business Park Tower in Khobar
"Through the hustle and bustle of the event that took place on the 1st floor of the Al Turki Business Park tower, visitors ooh-ed and aah-ed over the spectacular work of the participants. Art in all it's mediums, including digital art, sketch art, animation, comic book art, and photography, gathered in the same spot."
Illustrator's Ireland: Portfolio Review at The Copper House Gallery in Dublin
"The crowd on the night was a brilliant mix of people coming from design, photography and illustration. The opportunity to speak and hear about how people develop their work is always fascinating and it opens communication between those working in different creative fields."
Design Assembly: Yoobee School of Design in Auckland's Portfolio Review
"With over 40 attendees there was mingling, networking and drinks, followed by a short welcome, then 60 minutes of portfolio reviews held in a friendly, discussion format with industry professionals."
dnaIndia: Pune, India Portfolio Review at Lokusdesign
"Our aim is to promote fresh talent, giving them a chance to work on some of the top brands in the industry. With global design firms entering the Indian markets, it is important that the Indian designers are equipped to face the growing competition."
The Davaoist: 5 Reasons Why You Should Join Behance Portfolio Reviews in Davao
"#4: You and your artworks will finally get the recognition (or exposure) that they deserve."


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I hereby grant The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society ("DFMS") permission to use the photo and/or video which I am submitting to DFMS in any and all publications and/or multimedia, including website entries, without payment or other consideration. If the photo and/or video submitted portrays recognizable people, I certify that I have received informed consent to have the photo and/or video taken and used by me.
I understand and agree that these materials will become the property of DFMS and will not be returned. I irrevocably authorize DFMS to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish or distribute this photo or video for purposes of publicizing DFMS' programs or for any other lawful purpose. In addition, I waive the right to inspect or approve the finished product, including written or electronic copy.
Additionally, I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising or related to the use of the photo or video. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless and fully release and forever discharge DFMS from all claims, demands and causes of action which I, my heirs, representatives, executors, administrators, or any other persons acting on my behalf or on behalf of my estate have or may have by reason of this authorization. This indemnification and hold harmless agreement also applies to any claims, demands and causes of action which any person depicted in the photo or video or having any interest in such photo or video may have.
I am 21 years of age and am competent to contract in my own name. I have read this release and fully understand the contents, meaning and impact of this release; OR
I am under 21 years of age and my parent/guardian does hereby give his/her consent without reservation to the foregoing on my behalf.


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Moderna Appoints Divakar Ramamakishnan, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Process Development, Manufacturing and Quality
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., January 16, 2013—Moderna Therapeutics, which is developing a new platform designed to spur the body to create its own therapeutic proteins to treat a wide range of diseases, announced today that Divakar Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., is joining the company as Senior Vice President of Process Development, Manufacturing and Quality. His appointment is effective immediately.
Moderna is pioneering messenger RNA Therapeutics™, a new biotherapeutic modality to restore protein function by enabling the body to produce its own healing proteins. In his new role, Dr. Ramakrishnan will lead drug substance, drug product and analytical development. He will also be responsible for scaling production of high purity mRNA in a current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) environment to support preclinical and clinical programs and designing a pilot manufacturing facility.
"I am very pleased to welcome Divakar as the newest member of our executive team," said Stéphane Bancel, President and founding CEO of Moderna. "As we begin our transition into clinical development, we need a leader with unwavering commitment to quality, and the expertise needed to manage complex processes to manufacture mRNA products at the highest purity. Divakar brings unrivaled expertise in bioprocess development, manufacturing and supply chain management, and has personally led a GMP commercial plant and a network of six sites. His addition will enable us to continue our rapid progress to deliver a new, safe treatment modality to clinicians and patients."
Dr. Ramakrishnan joins Moderna from Eli Lilly and Company. As vice president of manufacturing he supported Lilly's animal health business with operational and supply chain responsibilities for six global sites and more than 60 contract manufacturers. He joined Lilly in 1998 as a senior scientist in Lilly Research Laboratories, and subsequently held positions including head of bioprocess development, senior director of biotech manufacturing strategy and manufacturing strategic planning and vice president of manufacturing science and technology. Dr. Ramakrishnan was also general manager of the Lilly Kinsale site in Ireland, where he led commercialization and manufacturing operations for biotech and chemical technologies, and has served as a management consultant for Cook Pharmica, LLC, developing business strategy and recruiting and directing their start-up operations and technical teams. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
"I am so pleased to join the Moderna team and help maximize the potential of Moderna's innovative mRNA technology platform to address unmet medical needs for patients," said Dr. Ramakrishnan. "I believe that Moderna has the same transformative power as recombinant DNA technology, which marked the advent of modern biotechnology thirty years ago, and expect this advance will have a similar impact for patients as well as industry."
About Moderna Therapeutics
Moderna is revolutionizing the restoration of protein function with messenger RNA Therapeutics™, a new treatment modality that enables the body to produce healing proteins in vivo. Moderna has created a novel method for producing a wide range of drugs in the body through the delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) and is using this approach to develop first-ever treatments for a wide range of diseases that cannot be addressed today using existing technologies, and to drastically reduce the time and expense associated with creating therapeutic proteins using recombinant technologies. Visit www.modernatx.com to learn more.


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Another insanely accurate work DB, thanks for sharing!I've always wondered about the obviously distinctly unnatural part of the cave that appears like a carved hallway or manufactured in some capacity. It's been one of those things that's always stuck in my mind... What is it? Why is it there? What does Yoda know about it? What does he reveal to Luke about it that we never learn after he exits the cave and they go over his failure in the test? It's a freaky thing that appears like nobody's going to elaborate on it any more than what there is, which is basically nill.
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So do I. I'm looking for a core group maybe 15-20 bloggers. The deal is simple we all sign up as followers of each other's blogs, read the posts and comment. If you're on Twitter- follow each…Continue
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So do I. I'm looking for a core group maybe 15-20 bloggers. The deal is simple we all sign up as followers of each other's blogs, read the posts and comment. If you're on Twitter- follow each…Continue
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I remember the days and nights well. My baby would not sleep. Oh, let me clarify. He would sleep but for about 3 hours at a time. That meant right when mama was about to drift to that happy place of deep restore-my-sanity sleep, baby would start crying. I made a promise after I got through that phase I would do whatever I could to help other new parents. Hence, my new blog http://parentsdesk.com was created.
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Hi there and welcome from The Girlz Korner in upstate New York where you'll find light, witty and rather entertaining articles on every topic imaginable from beauty, health, fashion, parenting, sex and everything else in between. So if you get a chance to kick back and exhale, if only for a brief moment, we'd love to have you. Hope you enjoy your stay :) http://www.thegirlzkorner.com
Hello, welcome to Mom Bloggers. This is a wonderful community where you can meet other interesting moms.
I am Nekky from Reflexions, a fun loving mom of two who like to meet people, make friends and share opinions. I have some weekly blog hops: GET CONNECTED TUESDAY BLOG HOP and WELCOME TO WEEKEND BLOG HOP. Always feel free to link up every week as this will enable you gain some new followers. Come and also make new blogger friends from around the world.
Hope you enjoy your stay here. Happy Connections.
Welcome to MBC! We are glad to have you here. We look forward connecting more with you here. I'm a Super Mama who has a family friendly blog. I also have a weekday blog hop called Exposure 99%.Come find out for yourself! This weekday blog hop helps you get more dedicated readers and blog followers. Hope you link up weekly. If you have any questions about how to link up do not hesitate to let me know.
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