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The gray wolf is no longer an endangered species in several U.S. states, thanks to decades of federal protection in the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes. But amid escalating efforts to curb its comeback — namely via public hunting and trapping — many conservationists say the iconic predators aren't out of the woods yet.
One major battleground in America's wolf wars lately is Montana, where state officials last week loosened an array of restrictions on wolf hunting. Passed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in a 4-0 vote, the new rules allow trapping for the first time since gray wolves were removed from the endangered species list last year. They also extend the length of the hunting season, and remove a statewide limit on how many wolves can legally be killed per year.
This is welcome news to many ranchers and hunters in Montana, who often suggest wolves pose an existential threat to livestock and wild elk populations. And with biologists reporting at least 650 wolves in the state this year, up from 500 in 2009, advocates of looser hunting laws have found ample support from local politicians.
"We need to make sure we keep the wolf population in balance so they're not attacking more elk, more deer, more antelope," Gov. Brian Schweitzer told Billings' KTVQ Thursday, "but we're going to maintain a healthy wolf population in Montana as well."
Not everyone agrees that Montana's wolves are a problem, though, or that more hunting and trapping is a good strategy for ecological balance. Montana had a population of 2.5 million cattle and sheep in 2011, notes ecologist George Wuerthner in a recent blog post on Wildlife News, yet wolves killed fewer than 100 of those animals last year. The MFWPC's decision, he writes, "will likely lead to greater conflicts between humans and wolves because [it] ignores the social ecology of predators."
Image: U.S. National Park Service
Gray wolves inhabited most of North America 200 years ago, but they were virtually wiped out of the Lower 48 states in the 19th and early 20th centuries by government-sponsored eradication campaigns, which portrayed them as deadly pests. Only later did scientists realize their importance as a "keystone predator" — an animal that helps regulate the food web by, for instance, keeping grazer populations in check so they don't eat too many tree seedlings and hinder forest growth.
U.S. wolves were added to the endangered species list in 1974, and wildlife officials later reintroduced small numbers to the Northern Rockies in the 1990s. After a slow start, the species is now self-sustaining in several states, including Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, another rebound has unfolded in the western Great Lakes, where Canadian wolves have repopulated parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As wolves return to their former hunting grounds, however, they've found a changed landscape — one populated not just with familiar prey like deer and elk, but also with millions of chickens, cows and sheep. This has predictably renewed their ancient rivalry with humans, ultimately leading to their removal from the endangered species list and the return of legal wolf hunting. And while those hunts have so far been limited to the West, Wisconsin will also hold a wolf season this fall, in which 25 percent of its wolves may be legally killed. Minnesota is similarly mulling a plan that would let 13 percent of its wolves be hunted or trapped per year.
Wolf attacks on livestock are relatively rare, but they can still be costly for ranchers. Wisconsin has about 800 wild wolves, for example, which have been blamed for 64 incidents of livestock harrassment, property damage or other problems so far in 2012. (There were 182 such incidents reported in 2011, but not all were confirmed.) To reduce tension, Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources issues payments to people whose livestock are attacked — it has paid more than $214,000 so far in 2012, up from $155,000 in all of 2011 and $203,000 in 2010.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF: Wolves stare down an elk in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo: NPS)
Another rationale for allowing wolf hunts is to reduce competition for game animals like elk, whose populations are also smaller than they were 200 years ago. But according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, while "elk will probably never return to their historic numbers nor to all of their historic range, far more elk inhabit the United States than at any other time in the last 100 years."
Experts generally agree that wolves are now stable in much of the U.S., and many say they exceed the numbers needed for a healthy population. There is substantial local support for wolf hunting in states that have wolves, but there's also a firm opposition that sees public hunting and trapping as archaic ways to manage wildlife.
"In 2012, it's just mind-boggling to me that we're still talking about trapping. It's such an inhumane and torturous method," Pam Guschausky of Great Falls, Mont., told the MFWPC during Thursday's public meeting, according to Reuters. And beyond ethical issues, Wuerthner argues that unfettered hunting and trapping could make wolf-human relations even worse than they already are.
Montana hunters killed 166 wolves last year, well below the quota of 220, a disparity supporters cite as a reason to soften state laws. Yet conservationists point to the 20th century as evidence that loose hunting laws can push wolves to the brink of extinction, and animal-rights advocates add that tactics like trapping are cruel. "It's barbaric and it's uncalled for," Kim Bean of Helena, Mont., said at Thursday's meeting, according to the Helena Independent-Record. "You need to stop this trapping. It's not fair chase."
As MFWPC chairman Bob Ream said Thursday, such battles over wolves will likely continue long into the future. Rather than trying to end them, he hopes to simply contain them to sustainable levels — much like what Montana wildlife officials aim to do with wolves themselves. "This is a tough issue," Ream said, noting that the MFWPC received more than 7,000 public comments about wolf-hunting rules. "It's become so polarized. My hope for the future is that we can get to the point where we treat this large predator like we do any large predator, like mountain lions."
MNN tease photo of wolf: Shutterstock


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The season finale of My Antonio aired last night with Brooke Barlow coming up victorious. The 30 year old nurse from Mississippi won the heart of Antonio Sabato Jr.
In a new interview with VH1, Brooke opens up about the current state of her relationship with Antonio. According to Brooke, she hasn't spoken to Antonio in 2 – 3 months, and they are no longer together. She opens up about her thoughts on Yvonne, and why she wanted Antonio to sign that contract.
Excerpts from her interview below –
Well, thank you. That's really, really nice to hear. No one's been able to tell me that yet.
Where is your relationship with Antonio at this moment?
I'm just going to be honest with you: I am not in touch with Antonio. We haven't spoken in probably two, three months.
The show was shot when?
In January. We couldn't really court, because we weren't allowed to be seen in public, so it's very difficult to try to have a relationship behind closed doors. We had just met and we tried to pull it off. We saw each other for probably a couple of months after the show was filmed, and then we just decided it was best to see other people, and I haven't heard from him since.
You did give it a try though?
Oh yeah. We put effort into it. I met his children. We would go hiking on the weekends in his back yard in the woods. We saw each other on the weekends, being very careful not to let anyone else see us. If he had any sort of job interview in L.A., he would stop by and visit me in my home. He's adorable. We had a great time — as good of a time as you could have indoors with no outside contact. It was really nice getting to know him and his children.

subset: commoncrawl


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President's Task Force on Undergraduate Education
October 18, 2006
Dear fellow member of the Columbia community,
Columbia has some of the finest undergraduate programs in the world. The educational experience we provide students is properly noted for many things, most especially the Core Curriculum and the dedication of our faculty to teaching undergraduates. Every decade or so, we must reflect on what we are doing well and consider opportunities for improvement of this essential part of our intellectual community. It is for this reason that I write to inform you of the Task Force for Undergraduate Education that will be convening throughout this academic year.
The task force will review a number of broad aspects of our undergraduate education, including how well our curriculum serves the rapidly changing needs of an increasingly globalized world -- a world that will require precisely the combination of highly specialized knowledge and broad general learning to which Columbia has long been committed. We will also explore the balance of general education and disciplinary specialization, interdisciplinary learning, and ways we can continue to take advantage of our location in New York City.
Task force members are representative of our undergraduate community. In our early meetings, we will identify ways in which students, alumni, and other members of the Columbia community can be involved. I am eager for all of us to learn from the collective expertise and experience that this task force brings to our work together. I look forward to sharing with you our progress and ways we can continue to excel in undergraduate education.
Lee C. Bollinger
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alfred V. Aho
The Lawrence Gussman Professor of Computer Science
Paul J. Anderer
Vice Provost for International Relations and the Theodore and Fanny de Bary and Class of 1941 Collegiate Professor of Asian Humanities
Peter Awn
Dean of the School of General Studies and Professor of Religion
Elizabeth Boylan
Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Barnard College
Alan Brinkley
Provost of Columbia University and the Allan Nevins Professor of American History
Andrew Delbanco
The Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities
George Deodatis
Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Nicholas B. Dirks
Vice President for Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Faculty and the Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology and History
Geraldine Downey
Chair and Professor of Psychology
Stuart J. Firestein
Professor of Biological Sciences
Morton B. Friedman
Vice Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Robert D. Friedman
Professor of Mathematics
Zvi Galil
Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor and the Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Mathematical Methods and Computer Science
Steven Gregory
Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies and Professor of Anthropology
Patricia E. Grieve
The Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Professor of the Humanities and Chair of Literature Humanities
Robert E. Harrist
The Jane and Leopold Swergold Professor of Chinese Art History
Jean E. Howard
Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives and the William B. Ransford Professor of English
Martha C. Howell
The Miriam Champion Professor of History
Ira Katznelson
The Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History
Andrew F. Laine
Vice Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology
George E. Lewis
The Edwin H. Case Professor of Music
Claudio W. Lomnitz
Director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and Professor of Anthropology
Ann E. McDermott
Associate Vice President for Science Initiatives and Professor of Chemistry
Christia Mercer
The Gustave M. Berne Professor in the Core Curriculum at Columbia College
Andrew J. Millis
Chair and Professor of the Department of Physics
Vijay Modi
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Shahid Naeem
Chair and Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
Susan G. Pedersen
Professor of History
Sheldon Pollock
The William B. Ransford Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Studies and Chair of the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures
Austin E. Quigley
Dean of Columbia College and the Lucy G. Moses Professor and the Brander Matthews Professor of Dramatic Literature
Elaine Sisman
The Anne Parsons Bender Professor of Music


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Oink oink - it's Peppa Pig! Peppa is a playful little piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Through everyday adventures she plays games, makes new friends and enjoys her absolute favourite activity - jumping up and down in muddy puddles!
The nursery roof is leaking and Peppa and her friends need to fix it - quick! As they set up a fete to raise the money for the repairs, they'll need your help to make sure everything goes smoothly.


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UNION CITY — A goal-line stand proved to be the difference in the James Logan High football team's 14-7 win over visiting Liberty in the first round of the North Coast Section Division I playoffs Friday.
Gritty Liberty had a first-and-goal situation on the James Logan 6 and trailed by only one touchdown early in the fourth quarter. But after allowing 4 rushing yards to Liberty's Ivan Oseguera on the first-down play, the Colts defense allowed just 1 yard on three ensuing plays. Liberty (5-6), the No. 12 seed, didn't have another offensive play the rest of the game, as James Logan (9-2) went on a nine-minute-plus drive.
"Our defense played their butts off," said James Logan coach George Zuber, who pointed out a great play by linebacker Tino Mafi on the goal-line stand. "(Liberty's) scrappy. It was everything we saw on film."
Ahki Muhammad scored both touchdowns for James Logan, the No. 5 seed.
The only score of the first half was a 24-yard touchdown run by Muhammad with 6 minutes, 46 seconds left in the half. Muhammad had 54 of his game-high 106 yards rushing in the second quarter.
But despite a 128-32 total-yards advantage in the first half, James Logan hurt itself with three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception). It had no turnovers in the second half.
Muhammad provided the eventual winning score when he took the second-half kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. A two-point conversion throw from Christian Leota to Kavion Augustine gave James Logan a 14-0 lead.
But on its ensuing possession, Liberty drove 92 yards in 13 plays, scoring on a 2-yard run by Alonzo Taylor with 5:59 remaining in the third quarter. The point-after-touchdown kick by Anthony Martinez narrowed the score to 14-7.
"Their offense kept them in the game," Zuber said.
But after James Logan's goal-line stand, Logan took over at its 1 and methodically drove for four first downs, including on a key 6-yard run by Leota with 2:26 remaining, the final first down of the game.
"It was a must. I had to give it my all on that run," Leota said.
Liberty received a punt with 14.8 seconds remaining, but Liberty's Alex Hull was tackled as time ran out.
James Logan 14, Liberty 7
Liberty 0 0 7 0– 7
James Logan 0 6 8 0– 14
JL — Muhammad 24 run (kick blocked)
JL — Muhammad 84 kickoff return (Augustine pass from Leota)
L — Taylor 2 run (Martinez kick)
Rushing: L — Canady 13-73, Oseguera 10-54, Tolentino 4-14, Taylor 4-8, Espinoza 3-7, Cruz 1-3, Lee 2-1, Team 1-(-11). Totals 38-149. JL — Muhammad 19-106, Fualaau 5-37,Leota 8-16, Lealao 5-10, Cruz 1-2, Elisaia 1-2. Totals 39-173. Passing: L — Tolentino 1-6-0-(-1), Oseguera 2-2-0-8. Totals 3-8-0-7. JL — Leota 5-11-1-46. Receiving: L — Espinoza 1-7, Cruz 1-1, Taylor 1-(-1). Totls 3-7. JL — Augustine 2-20, Muhammad 2-14, Sekhon 1-12. Totals 5-46. Fumbles/lost: Liberty — 2/0, James Logan — 3/2. Records: James Logan 9-2, Liberty 5-6.


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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Robin's Nest
I've been doing a quick sketch of the robin hatchlings every morning. I try to be quick because the mother seems agitated whenever she sees me on the ladder, but amazingly both she and the hatchlings seem to be getting used to me.
Three years ago we raised a baby robin that fell out of a nest, and during those two weeks of feeding I developed a great appreciation for the work of robin parents. It was an amazing feeling to see the little guy fly off on his own for the first time.
Posted by James Gurney at Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Labels: Animals, Pencil Sketching
1 comment:
- K_tigress said...
Heh you too. I took a few pics of baby robins which hatched early in the spring around May. You can see them on my blog. Sadly only one baby survived due to accidents on the road.
- August 2, 2007 at 1:00 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Andy Roddick is returning to the tennis courts this summer.
Roddick was the first pick by the Springfield, Mo., Lasers in the Mylan World Team Tennis draft on Tuesday.
Sloane Stephens, ranked No. 17 after defeating Serena Williams at the Australian Open, was selected by the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Roddick, who retired after the U.S. Open, says he looks forward to his seventh WTT season and "the fan energy. I love being on a team."
Venus Williams returns to the defending champion Washington Kastles.
The new WTT team, the Texas Wild, will retain the No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. The former Kansas City squad has relocated to Irving, Texas.
The eight-team league starts July 7, with the winner of the Eastern and Western Conference facing off in the final July 28.


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Paraguay Phone Number Lookup:
Capiata, Paraguay phone number: +595 - 28 - Local Number
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Local Time:
Time Zone: Paraguay Time (PYT)
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ISO Codes: PY/PRY
Total Population: 6,375,830
Continent: South America
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text:
Press Release
<< Back
Cytokinetics Announces Phase I and Phase IIa Clinical Trial Results
for Omecamtiv Mecarbil Published in the Journal Lancet
for Omecamtiv Mecarbil Published in the Journal Lancet
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Aug 19, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
Cytokinetics, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CYTK) announced today the publication of results from two clinical trials of omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac myosin activator, in the August 20, 2011 issue of the journal Lancet. These two manuscripts present data regarding the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of this investigational drug candidate from a Phase I first-time-in-humans clinical trial in healthy volunteers and a Phase IIa clinical trial in stable heart failure patients, each sponsored by Cytokinetics. Together, these publications provide evidence for the translation into humans of this unique mechanistic approach to activating cardiac muscle contractility and support the further development of omecamtiv mecarbil as a potential treatment for heart failure. Amgen Inc. holds an exclusive, worldwide (excluding Japan) license to omecamtiv mecarbil and related compounds, subject to specified development and commercialization participation rights of Cytokinetics.
"We are pleased that these results from earlier clinical trials of omecamtiv mecarbil, which demonstrated that this novel drug candidate increased certain measurements of cardiac function, have been recognized by these side-by-side publications in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal," stated Fady I. Malik, MD, PhD, FACC, Cytokinetics' Vice President of Biology and Therapeutics. "These two clinical trials have proven especially informative to the further advancement of this novel mechanism drug candidate which is now proceeding in a comprehensive development program under our collaboration with Amgen."
"These results form the foundation for the larger, international Phase IIb clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil that is currently enrolling heart failure patients," stated Scott M. Wasserman, M.D., F.A.C.C., Executive Medical Director at Amgen. "We are enthusiastic about the potential that omecamtiv mecarbil may represent for patients suffering from this grievous illness and look forward to advancing the development program in collaboration with Cytokinetics."
Clinical Trial Publications of Omecamtiv Mecarbil in Lancet
The first publication, titled "Dose-dependent Augmentation of Cardiac Systolic Function with the Selective Cardiac Myosin Activator, Omecamtiv Mecarbil: A First-In-Man Study," summarizes the results from a Phase I clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil. The primary objective of this trial was to establish the maximum tolerated dose and plasma concentrations of omecamtiv mecarbil in healthy volunteers. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of omecamtiv mecarbil and its safety and tolerability profile. The authors concluded that these first-in-man data showed highly dose- and concentration-dependent augmentation of left ventricular systolic function in response to omecamtiv mecarbil and support potential clinical use of the drug candidate in patients with heart failure.
The second publication, titled "The Effects of the Cardiac Myosin Activator, Omecamtiv Mecarbil, on Cardiac Function in Systolic Heart Failure: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover, Dose-Ranging Phase II Trial," summarizes the results from a Phase IIa clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil. The primary objective of this clinical trial was to assess the safety and tolerability of omecamtiv mecarbil in patients with stable heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the relationship between the plasma concentration of omecamtiv mecarbil and its echocardiographic effects and to define a range of pharmacodynamically active, well tolerated target plasma concentrations for subsequent clinical trials. The authors concluded that omecamtiv mecarbil improved cardiac function in these patients with heart failure caused by left ventricular systolic dysfunction and could be the first in a new class of therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure.
Development Status of Omecamtiv Mecarbil
Omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac muscle myosin activator, is currently the subject of a clinical trials development program designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles of both intravenous and oral formulations of omecamtiv mecarbil for the potential treatment of heart failure across the continuum of care, in both hospital and outpatient settings. In April 2011, a Phase IIb clinical trial of an intravenous formulation of omecamtiv mecarbil opened to enrollment. This trial is being conducted by Amgen in collaboration with Cytokinetics and is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an intravenous formulation of omecamtiv mecarbil in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction hospitalized for acute heart failure. Cytokinetics and its partner Amgen are discussing plans for the initiation of additional studies designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of multiple oral formulations of omecamtiv mecarbil, to occur first in healthy volunteers and then in stable heart failure patients.
Prior to the ongoing Phase IIb clinical trial, omecamtiv mecarbil was the subject of a clinical trials program conducted under Cytokinetics' sponsorship. Two Phase IIa clinical trials of omecamtiv mecarbil were completed in patients with systolic heart failure. In addition, five Phase I clinical trials of omecamtiv mecarbil were completed in healthy volunteers: a first-time-in-humans study evaluating an intravenous formulation, an oral bioavailability study evaluating both intravenous and oral formulations, and three studies of oral formulations: a drug-drug interaction study, a dose proportionality study and a study evaluating modified-release formulations. Data from each of these trials have been reported previously.
About Cytokinetics
Cytokinetics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics that modulate muscle function for the potential treatment of serious diseases and medical conditions. Cytokinetics' lead drug candidate from its cardiac muscle contractility program, omecamtiv mecarbil (formerly CK-1827452), is in clinical development for the potential treatment of heart failure. Amgen Inc. holds an exclusive license worldwide (excluding Japan) to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil and related compounds, subject to Cytokinetics' specified development and commercialization participation rights. Cytokinetics is independently developing CK-2017357, a skeletal muscle activator, as a potential treatment for diseases and conditions associated with aging, muscle wasting or neuromuscular dysfunction. CK-2017357 is currently the subject of a Phase II clinical trials program and has been granted orphan-drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the potential treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a debilitating disease of neuromuscular impairment in which CK-2017357 demonstrated potentially clinically relevant pharmacodynamic effects in a Phase IIa trial. Cytokinetics is also conducting research and non-clinical development of compounds that inhibit smooth muscle contractility and which may be useful as potential treatments for diseases and conditions associated with excessive smooth muscle contraction, such as bronchoconstriction associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). In addition, prior Cytokinetics' research generated three anti-cancer drug candidates that have progressed into clinical development: ispinesib, SB-743921 and GSK-923295. All of these drug candidates and potential drug candidates have arisen from Cytokinetics' research activities and are directed towards the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is a complex biological infrastructure that plays a fundamental role within every human cell. Additional information about Cytokinetics can be obtained at www.cytokinetics.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Cytokinetics disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and claims the protection of the Act's Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Cytokinetics' and its partners' research and development activities, including plans for and the initiation, conduct, design and scope of omecamtiv mecarbil clinical trials, the significance and utility of clinical trial results for omecamtiv mecarbil; and the properties and potential benefits of omecamtiv mecarbil (including the use of omecamtiv mecarbil as a potential treatment for heart failure) and Cytokinetics' other drug candidates and potential drug candidates. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, potential difficulties or delays in the development, testing, regulatory approvals for trial commencement, progression or product sale or manufacturing, or production of Cytokinetics' drug candidates that could slow or prevent clinical development or product approval, including risks that current and past results of clinical trials or preclinical studies may not be indicative of future clinical trials results, patient enrollment for or conduct of clinical trials may be difficult or delayed, Cytokinetics' drug candidates may have adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or foreign regulatory agencies may delay or limit Cytokinetics' or its partners' ability to conduct clinical trials, and Cytokinetics may be unable to obtain or maintain patent or trade secret protection for its intellectual property; Amgen's decisions with respect to the design, initiation, conduct, timing and continuation of development activities for omecamtiv mecarbil; Cytokinetics may incur unanticipated research and development and other costs or be unable to obtain additional financing necessary to conduct development of its products on acceptable terms, if at all; Cytokinetics may be unable to enter into future collaboration agreements for its drug candidates and programs on acceptable terms, if at all; standards of care may change, rendering Cytokinetics' drug candidates obsolete; competitive products or alternative therapies may be developed by others for the treatment of indications Cytokinetics' drug candidates and potential drug candidates may target; and risks and uncertainties relating to the timing and receipt of payments from its partners, including milestones and royalties on future potential product sales under Cytokinetics' collaboration agreements with such partners. For further information regarding these and other risks related to Cytokinetics' business, investors should consult Cytokinetics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: Christopher S. Keenan Director, Investor & Media Relations (650) 624-3000
SOURCE: Cytokinetics, Inc.


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VANCOUVER, B.C. — Six innovators in senior fitness received recognition from the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), which honored them in November with the 2004 ICAA Industry Innovators Awards.
Arnold Eppel, director, Baltimore County Department of Aging in Towson, MD, won one of the awards for empowering older adults to enhance their health and quality of life through several projects including a CD with information for caregivers of older adults.
The second recipient was Walking the Way to Health-Countryside Agency/British Heart Foundation in Gloucestershire, England. Launched in 2000, the initiative has led to the development of more than 300 community-walking schemes in England.
Winner TEXERCISE from the Texas Department on Aging in Austin, TX, is an intergenerational health and fitness program that educates and involves older Texans and their families in physical activity and proper nutrition.
NIHSeniorHealth-National Institute on Aging and National Library of Medicine, both part of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, won for developing the NIHSeniorHealth Web site (www.nihseniorhealth.gov), which is the first Web site developed to accommodate the cognitive and visual needs of adults ages 60 and older.
The fifth winner was Active Community Environments Grassroots (ACEs)-Washington State Department of Health in Olympia, WA, for its ACEs, which incorporates the bicycle and pedestrian community design needs of older adults into transportation policy decisions.
The last winner, the Center for Successful Aging-California State University in Fullerton, CA, has contributed work that has advanced active aging. Research conducted at the center has furthered the industry's education and led to standards such as the Senior Fitness Test, a battery of functional fitness tests, and FallProof, a fall prevention program.


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The Denver Post won a Pulitzer Prize on Monday for its coverage of the movie theater massacre in Aurora, Colo., while The New York Times captured four awards for reporting on a harrowing avalanche, the rise of a new aristocracy in China and the business practices of Apple and Wal-Mart.
The Associated Press received the award in breaking news photography for its coverage of the civil war in Syria.
In awards that reflected the rapidly changing media world, the online publication InsideClimate News won the Pulitzer for national reporting for stories on problems in the regulation of the nation's oil pipelines.
The Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received the public service award for an investigation of off-duty police officers' reckless driving, and longtime Pulitzer powerhouses The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post were recognized for commentary and criticism, respectively.
The Star-Tribune of Minneapolis captured two awards, for local reporting and editorial cartooning.
Cheers erupted in the Denver Post's newsroom when word came that the newspaper had won the Pulitzer in the breaking news category for its coverage - via text, social media and video - of the shooting that killed 12 people during a midnight showing of a new Batman movie last summer.
The honor was bittersweet for some, and people teared up and shared hugs.
"We are part of this community. The tragedy touches us, but we have a job to do," said Kevin Dale, the Post's news director. He added: "It's great to win the prize, but we'd rather win for a different story."
The Pulitzers, journalism's highest honor, are given out each year by Columbia University on the recommendation of a board of journalists and others. Each award carries a $10,000 prize except for the public service award, which is a gold medal.
After years in which journalism has been buffeted by technological change and financial problems, this year's awards are a reminder of "how important it is to aim high" and a signal that both new and established players are doing so, said Jacqui Banaszynski, a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism.
The New York Times' David Barstow and Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab won the investigative reporting award for stories that detailed how Wal-Mart Stores Inc. systematically bribed Mexican officials with millions of dollars to get permission to build several stores across the country. The Times' reporting spurred federal investigations.
The Times' David Barboza received the international reporting award for his look at a how a "Red Nobility," made up of relatives of top Chinese officials, has made fortunes in businesses closely tied to the government.
The Times staff won the explanatory reporting award for looking at the business practices of Apple Inc. and other technology companies and illustrating "the darker side of a changing global economy for workers and consumers," the judges said.
In the feature writing category, John Branch of the Times won for a gripping narrative of an avalanche that trapped 16 skiers and snowboarders in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. Told through photos, video, graphics and magazine-style text, the piece was lauded in the industry as setting a new standard for multimedia journalism.
The paper's editors "view the wonderful bounty of prizes as a real tribute to the newsroom's excellence and dedication," Executive Editor Jill Abramson told the staff, adding that editors were "proud to have broken new ground in multimedia storytelling and global investigative journalism."
The AP's Rodrigo Abd, Manu Brabo, Narciso Contreras, Khalil Hamra and Muhammed Muheisen were recognized for "producing memorable images under extreme hazard" while covering the Syrian war, the judges wrote.
Their images depict the dazed and weeping wounded; a heartbroken man cradling the body of his bloodied, barefoot son; a sobbing, fatherless child; an 11-year-old aiming a toy rocket-propelled grenade.
AP Director of Photography Santiago Lyon called the winners "some of the bravest and most talented photographers in the world."
The same conflict was the subject of the winning entry in feature photography. Javier Manzano, a freelance photographer, won for an image of two rebel soldiers guarding their position as light streams through bullet holes in a nearby wall. The photograph was distributed by Agence France-Presse.
Founded five years ago, New York-based InsideClimateNews reports on energy and the environment. Writers Lisa Song, Elizabeth McGowan and David Hasemyer were recognized for a project that began with an investigation into a million-gallon spill of Canadian tar sands oil into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010. The reporters went on to look more broadly at pipeline safety and the particular hazards of a form of oil called diluted bitumen, or "dilbit."
Larger online publications have won Pulitzers in the past, including The Huffington Post and ProPublica. Sig Gissler, the administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, said the emergence of online-only winners "really shows the way the journalism ethos reconfigures itself as times change."
At the Sun Sentinel, reporters explored speeding by off-duty officers. The reporting led to suspensions, firings and police policy changes.
"It feels great to win for that story because it really changed things here for the better," Editor Howard Saltz said.
At the Star Tribune, Brad Schrade, Jeremy Olson and Glenn Howatt captured the Pulitzer for local reporting for examining a sharp rise in in infant deaths at day-care centers, reporting that spurred stronger regulation. Minnesota authorities reported last week that day care deaths have dropped significantly.
It was "really satisfying we had an impact," Schrade said.
Steve Sack, who has been at the paper for 35 years, won for editorial cartooning.
While many in the industry have worried that regional newspapers have been losing news muscle amid the upheaval in the business, "what's happening in Minneapolis suggests that must not be the case," said Roy Peter Clark of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
In opinion writing categories, Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal received the commentary award for columns on American foreign policy and domestic politics. The judges noted that his writing is "often enlivened by a contrarian twist."
The Washington Post's chief art critic, Philip Kennicott, was honored for writing on the sociology of images. In one case, he focused on a picture of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hugging, calling it a portrait of a modern marriage.
The editorial writing award went to Tim Nickens and Daniel Ruth of the Tampa Bay Times for a series of editorials that helped reverse a decision to end fluoridation of the water supply in Pinellas County, home to 700,000 people. Formerly the St. Petersburg Times, the newspaper is owned by the nonprofit Poynter Institute.
"Tim Nickens and Dan Ruth went to bat for hundreds of thousands of people, many of them poor, who were being deprived a chance at better health," Tampa Bay Times Editor Neil Brown said in a statement. "If we don't do this work, if the Times doesn't speak up, who will?"
Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela and Jake Pearson in New York; Jim Fitzgerald in White Plains, N.Y.; Brett Zongker in Washington; Alexandra Tilsley in Denver; Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis; and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.


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INTRODUCTIONS - Please tell us all about you & your MGB / OAGB / OmegaLoop Journey
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Recent Status Updates
I discovered I can eat and also I like watermelon.· 5 replies
So now I eat watermelon.
All day, just watermelon. To each meal.
Love watermelon too. Ate it every second day through our summer. Great way to get additional fluids in too. Also enjoy red pawpaw. Yumm!
Enjoy it.
It is delish! And it is also just 25-30 cals pr 100grams, so that means I can eat the entire thing during a day without even being close to my calorie target😂😂
I stopped slicing it, just cut it half and eat from one half with a spoon 🍽🍽 No dishes!
Nom nom nom.
Now that they have seedless watermelon, I can eat it in droves! Nothing beats watermelon on hot days.
Felt like crap on the last miles of my bike ride. My stomach decided to start hurting during the ride and I couldn't hydrate properly and I also couldn't eat my energy bar. Puked up the bite I took a mile later. I felt a little weird to the stomach since noon but I didn't think it would become that bad.· 0 replies
The last 10 km felt like hell. 😩
I feel better after coffee, a carrot-ginger soup and a protein pudding but still... wasn't fun.
- This update has no replies.
It's Pfingsten this weekend so today and tomorrow people will all be out in the nice weather. Not really sure if I should go on a bike ride today. There will be quite a few people out there and it's still Corona Time.· 0 replies
Yesterday we walked into the nearest town and at the tables outside the ice cream parlor were sitting loads of people. I guess without Corona there would've been way more people there but it seems like everyone is going crazy as soon as the sun comes out.
Also people are going to restaurants again. We definitely won't. We picked up the food and ate at home on Thursday.
Maybe I'm simply cleaning my bikes today, they need it after the last rides. 🙄
- This update has no replies.


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i hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
forgive me for the lack of posts..i've been out of town.
today's feature goes to this super bright and fun
truck party
created by, pizzazzerie!
i love the adorable lollipop centerpiece...what a fun way to decorate for a party!
this dessert table is so simple, yet so original and fun!
congrats on being the winning feature today! great party!


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General Visitor FAQs
Can I sketch in the museum?
Pack your pencils and get inspired in the galleries. Small notebooks (11 x 14 inches or smaller) and pencils are welcome, but please leave colored pencils and pens at home.
Can I take pictures inside the museum?
Snap those pics! Photography is welcomed in all of the permanent galleries, but the flash must be off at all times. You will find a sign at the gallery door or on the object label if photography is not allowed. If you're not sure, ask a security officer.
Can I carry bags in the museum?
Please use our free lockers on level one or the lower level to stow your bags, lunches, and packages.
Family Visitor FAQs
Thinking of making a trip with the family to the museum but need more details? We have the answers to commonly questions that will make your visit a breeze. Also, explore the Kids & Families page.
- Restrooms and water fountains: every level
- Family restrooms: lower level and levels one, two, and three
- Strollers: level one—free checkout at welcome center
- Snacks are allowed in the cafe, the cafe terrace, the plaza terrace, and in the lobbies on each level.
Things to Try in the Galleries
Ask questions:
- What is the first thing you see in the painting?
- Does this artwork remind you of any place you have been?
Don't be bashful—explore through movement and sound:
- Pose like the people, shapes, or lines you see.
- Make up a story.
- Imagine what you would hear, smell, or feel if you were in the art.
- Let your children choose what interests them.
- Take time exploring. You don't have to see the entire museum in one visit!
- It's OK of you don't know much about art—have fun figuring it out and imaging it together!
School & Teacher FAQs
Have questions about how to book a field trip? Not sure about where to park? Check out the Plan Your Field Trip page on the DAM's Creativity Resource for Teachers.
If you have additional questions, contact the DAM by e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com. Also, visit Creativity Resource to learn about all the teacher workshops, field trips, online resources, and more that we offer.
Artwork FAQs
I found a painting in my grandmother's house. Is it real? What's it worth?
The museum does not perform authentications or valuations. You can find a certified appraiser at www.appraisers.org. An auction resource like Christie's or Sotheby's—or even an online auction site like www.ebay.com or www.artprice.com—can help you learn more about the value of your object.
Where can I learn more about a specific artist or type of art?
You can research artists and art in many different ways. Start your search online at a site like www.artcyclopedia.com or www.askart.com. The Denver Art Museum Library is available by appointment for art researchers. You should also search your local library—librarians are great at getting hard-to-find information, so be sure to ask! The Denver Public Library's librarians offer online assistance at www.denverlibrary.org/ask. For information about public art in Denver, visit http://artsandvenuesdenver.com/public-art.
I'm a college student conducting research. How can I get information about an artwork in the galleries?
We're glad that you are interested and will do our best to provide the information you seek in a timely manner. Please follow our guidelines for college students.
I'm an artist. Would the DAM consider me for a solo exhibition?
Solo exhibitions are extremely rare. Artists may send exhibition announcements of their work. We'll happily review these announcements and, in some cases, may attend the show. Artists may send digital images or links to online portfolios to a curator through email@example.com.
How do I donate an artwork to the museum?
We appreciate your consideration and are happy to review the object with a curator to determine if the artwork fits our collection policies. Please send a photograph and a letter about the object to Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver, CO 80204.
Does the museum buy art?
We do occasionally consider art for purchase and ask that you send us a photograph with a letter telling us about the object (include information on how you acquired the piece) and the terms of your sale. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words! Please do not bring it to the museum unless you already have an appointment.
May I talk to a curator?
Curators are often traveling or heavily scheduled, so an appointment is absolutely necessary. When making an appointment, it is important that you state the reason for your call. In most cases, questions can be answered with a little research on your part or by the department's support staff.
Can I request an image from the DAM to use in a scholarly publication, school project, or other use that is not covered under standard editorial use?
Yes; for details on the process please visit this page and submit the Image Rights Request Form, which can be accessed here.
(For editorial use in reviews, etc., please contact the Press Office at email@example.com.)
I have an artwork that needs to be cleaned. Who should I call?
The museum cannot endorse specific conservators. Excellent information on selecting a conservator is available on the American Institute for Conservation website at http://www.conservation-us.org.
I need to move a large painting or sculpture. How do I do it?
There are a limited number of companies that specialize in fine art handling and shipping both locally and nationwide. For crating or shipping in Denver and the region, contact www.terrydowd.com or www.shipart.com. For crating or shipping outside the region, you can try www.usart.com, www.artexfas.com, or www.atelier4.com. The museum does not endorse any specific art handling and shipping companies.
I need to have a work of art framed. Can you recommend someone?
Matting and framing is done by many companies in our area. Some practice the most current conservation methods available. It's up to you to request the level of care you want. The American Institute for Conservation can tell you what kinds of questions to ask; visit http://www.conservation-us.org/treasures.
Donation FAQs
Will the Denver Art Museum donate to my fundraising event?
The Denver Art Museum receives numerous requests for donations for fundraisers, silent auctions, and benefits throughout the year. While we are happy to donate to nonprofit groups, we must require that all groups requesting donations:
- Send a self-addressed and stamped (SASE) business-size envelope large enough to hold our 4-1/2" x 9-1/2" brochure. One Forever letter postage stamp should be enough postage.
- Mail a letter of request (include the date you wish to receive the passes by at the beginning of the letter) and the SASE to: Denver Art Museum, Attn: Communications/Donations, 100 W. 14th Avenue Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204
Generally, your request will be fulfilled one month prior to your event. Donations will be sent by mail (not available for in-person pickup).
We only donate once a year per nonprofit organization, for fundraising events only. Our policy is to donate to nonprofit organizations for silent auctions but not for raffles, gifts, goodie bags, drawings or other prizes.


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Hi again everyone,
I'm working to convert some of my sounds and ambient stuff to youtube format so you can all hear what I have done. I've create many ambient pieces over the years, roughly 3-400 sounds alone, not all from ambient packs, most are, but some are singles I've released over the years and some I've never released before.
I do sound design cause I love it. I'm currently between jobs due to health issues with my heart so I'm trying to make extra income to help support my family (my wife and I and our lovely Lucy our dog, 3 cats and two birds which act as our kids since my wife couldn't have kids in this lifetime unfortuneally). I work on android App stuff for my sounds such as a sound engine, I have extreme haunt sounds on the Google Play store free to all. Extreme sounds is another fun one that is free and shows off my work. I also made about 6 Hallow Screams Haunted Farm apps in various formats such as a 3d app, clown only haunt app, basic app.. you get the idea. Again, all these are on the store free to download and check out if you have a Android phone. Just search dlstorminc or Hallow and I should pop up.
Now, I'm working hard to try to make a name for myself selling my ambient packs and sounds and custom work to haunters but I'm stumbling on price points. How do you set a price point for a custom pack that is going to be heard by the masses? I had my packs priced for game designers, depending on how many sounds was in the pack and the quality of the pack overall. So my sound packs ranged anywhere between $15 and $59 each depending how complex the pack was to design. My question is should I stick to the same pricing structure or could I charge a little more since the haunts that might use my packs could generate an income from my works? Oh and by the way, a good way to look at it is like a movie without sound... sound and the music is what makes the movies come to life, so audio design is an important part of the experience. Have bad sound, or no sound, and it could hurt your haunt... am I right or wrong in this way of thinking?
I was thinking of leasing my sounds... such as a pack of say 18 sounds that the client selects personally from my huge list of tracks and would pay, say, $1500 a season which grants the haunt complete unlimited usage access to the sounds for that season. They don't buy the sounds, they would be borrowing them for the season, then next season they have the option to buy the sounds or newer sounds for the same price to use again the following year (adjusted up or down with the number in the pack depending what the haunt owner wanted to do).
Another area I was looking at was custom building owners quality CD's based off the list of sounds they hear and want. Based off, for example, 18 quality sounds the haunt owner liked. I could charge PER sound or a custom package deal to sell them the CD for, say, $100 a copy? I don't know if this is right thou. I look at others CDs and they are not selling at these prices and for the record, I'm NOT trying to millk anyone or the haunt owners or backyard haunters with these prices, i'm simply trying to find a stable price point for my Ambient stuff to sell to the masses at the haunt conventions like MHC and TW shows that I will be attending in the next year or two.
I am looking for a simple pricing structure that will be fair to both the haunters and myself for my time spent in the mixing room with the sounds. I average about 3-6 weeks per pack of about 8-16 sounds, depending on the pack. Again, depending on how the sounds actually sound and how useful they are, is what I finally price the pack at. Some packs, like my $15 packs have taken a weekend to make, while others, like the Graveyard Audio Pack that sells for $59.00 has taken me 2-3 months with a ton of quality sounds in it in WAV/MP3 and OGG formats.
My goal is to make a business doing custom sounds for haunted houses, both backyard haunts and those like the Indy Scream Park here in Indianapolis, IN. Searching for a good price point is a haunting nightmare in itself as it must remain fair to myself for my effort put into the pack or pieces of sound and fair to the owner of the event or haunt. My goal is NEVER to milk anyone and just be honest about the sounds and try to make a living doing what I love, sound design.
If I could do this for a living I would in a heart beat. Something I grew up living by and still do today is a simple saying. Follow your dreams with all your heart and you will never go wrong. I do what I do because of the love of doing what I love, not for the money. Sure, the money is nice to follow something you really love to do, but sometimes you have to follow the money, and when you do, sometimes things go wrong cause you followed the cash vs what you really loved doing. I've ran into that several times as a truck driver over the 12 years I did drive.
Well that is it for me, I will try to get some sounds together soon and post some on my youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyHauntedNightmares so please stop by and join my channel if you like. Thank you for such a great forum to post in. I hope you all have a great weekend and if your going to MHC please have a safe trip to and from. Expect to see me there in the next year or two for sure once I get pricing down. I do offer custom work if anyone is interested, and if anyone would like hire me for a gig I am free.
Here are some samples of my many works:
Please IM me if you have questions. Talk to you soon and be safe out there.
No announcement yet.
Questions about proper price point pricing on a sound product
new posts
Questions about proper price point pricing on a sound productLast edited by dlstorminc; 05-19-2013, 05:04 AM.Tags: None
When you say someone who worked in the industry BEFORE, why doesn't your friend do it anymore?
Leave a comment:
Allen and NightmareAftershockLLC
Thanks guys for the reply.
The main idea was to see what pricing worked. Another sound designer who has worked in the industry before gave me suggestions and said pretty much what you guys did here. So I must be on the right track with my pricing now. Was told to never under cut myself but never over price my stuff either, it has to remain balanced for the customer. I think I got a good starting pricing layout down for now and great advice to work from. Lets see where it takes us. I can always adjust it as time goes on.
Thanks again for the feedback, it helped. Be safe guys!
Leave a comment:
Price point is typically 10- 25 dollars per hour of music. Bottom line. Ergo Adam's 25 cd's - 300-350 bucks. I'd never pay that much unless it was an artist like Delirium Dog (Glenn) writing a custom soundtrack like he did for Scarehouse with "Stay" and something that was out of this world. Sorry.
Leave a comment:
1500 to lease when Hollywood FX folley and sound effects guys like Adam from PoisonProps.com is selling his entire amazing collection of CD's for 350??? AND he lets you use the ambient sound effects on your site with only a requirement to link back to his site.
You're crazy if you think people will pay that much for sound design.
Sorry, but few are responding because, as Allen said, guys like Midnight have a great foothold, give great products, and are REASONABLY priced.
Leave a comment:
The only question I found in your post-
" How do you set a price point for a custom pack that is going to be heard by the masses?"
Honestly, I have no idea. I think though that you need to look at industry standard for CD's and use allowance- That seems to be about $30 for a 20 track CD and $0- $300 for use. Midnight syndicate are very successful and you may wish to look at their model and follow that.
Im not a sound guy, but I am a Haunt guy. The concept of leasing sounds for $1500 a season is alien to me and makes me cringe. I think that will be a hard sell to all haunts aside from the biggest spenders, and they are already in a pattern of spending their money elsewhere on their show. I would go the pressed CD route myself and sell as many as I could at shows like MHC, West coast, and Hauntcon.
Allen H
Leave a comment:


text:
by Chet Raymo
"My mother was part of the last generation of Americans who were welded into a national cohesiveness by the classroom memorization of poems by English language poets - Longfellow, Whittier, Riley, Lowell, Field, and all the rest. All her life, lines of verse were on her lips...
"All at once, and nothing first,
Just as bubbles do when they burst."
Oliver Wendell Holmes, "The One Hoss Shay"
"Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose."
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose."
Longfellow, "The Village Blacksmith"
"The more we listened, the more our wonder grew,
how his small head could contain all he knew."
Oliver Goldsmith, "The Village Schoolmaster"
"My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light!
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light!
Edna St. Vincent Millay, "First Fig"
...and so on. Memorized poems provided young scholars of her generation with a common language that defined a national consciousness and expressed respectful continuity with the past. Not mere rote. It was called "learning by heart," and heart was very much at work.
Is there a common canon of scientific knowledge that global citizens of the 21st century should have at heart? Here are six bits of knowledge that might constitute minimum scientific literacy for every grade-school graduate:
1. The world is big. With our best telescopes we observe a universe of tens of billions of galaxies. Each galaxy consists of hundreds of billions of stars. Most of those stars probably have planet systems. Our Earth is a typical planet of a typical star in a typical corner of a typical galaxy.
2. The world is old. Human time is not cosmic time. If a year is represented by the thickness of a playing card, all of recorded human history would be a pile of cards about 10 feet high. The age of the universe is about 14 billion years; lay this pile of cards on its side and it would reach from New York to San Francisco.
3. The world is made of atoms. Nature's construction set is astonishingly simple: protons, neutrons, electrons. Of these, nature makes 92 kinds of atoms, and these combine into molecules. Out of simplicity comes complexity - the clear liquidity of water, the smell of bananas, the blue of the sky. A molecule called DNA determines my species, my gender, the color of my eyes.
4. The world evolves. The history of the universe is an unfolding of matter and form from a seed of pure energy. Stars, planets and life have histories, determined by law and contingency. Everything alive on the planet Earth today is related by common descent from primordial ancestors.
5. Everything is connected. Our bodies are made of stardust - atoms forged in earlier generations of stars as they lived and died. Stars, planets, plants, animals, rocks, soil, sea, and atmosphere are interrelated in a fabric of wondrous refinement and resilience. We disrupt the fabric at our peril.
6. The world is wonderful. The more we learn about the form and function of the world, the more we realize the depth of our ignorance, and the more we appreciate the creation as a source of wonder, awe, reverence, praise - or, if you prefer, as revelation of a power worthy of our wonder, awe, reverence, praise."
- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/


text:
Admit it -- you felt it.
That feeling of superiority as you watched East Coasters freak out over a relatively mild earthquake as though it were the end of the world. Heck, back in DC they evacuated the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.
For a mere 5.8? Wimps.
For a day, at least, Californians could call or email or text their friends and relatives back that way and, patronizingly, dole out advice about coping.
Because reacting to earthquakes is still something we know how to do better than just about anyone.
Californian superiority was so much in evidence that the folks at Gawker complained that we were being insufferable. (And if you read Gawker, you must admit that they are experts on insufferability).
Of course, the bad feeling about California superiority is that it's something we don't feel much anymore.
We don't have much to brag about.
Our unemployment rate is the second worst in the country. Our budget is a mess. Our schools lag the country's in performance.
Yes, we have great weather and most of the country's venture capital and the best looking people -- and those are three pretty darn important things.
But it's rare these days that we get to do a touchdown dance.
Californians of previous generations had that feeling of superiority all the time.
They could brag about the finest public university system in the world, the most advanced infrastructure, a rocket-fueled economy. The fact that we need an earthquake on the other side of the country to feel a little superior these days.
Well, it shows how far we've fallen.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


text:
I'm giving you plenty of advanced warning, because I know it'll take you a bit to arrange air flights and all that. Our first Cafe Scientifique of the new school year will be on 24 September, at the Common Cup Coffeehouse in downtown Morris. Biologist Pete Wyckoff will be telling us about
The Impact of CLIMATE, DEER, EARTHWORMS, and the INVASIVE EUROPEAN BUCKTHORN TREE on the FORESTS of WESTERN MINNESOTA
Wait, what forests of Western Minnesota? I guess we'll find out what happened to them.
As a special inducement, we have charismatic and cheerful students doing all the introductions — no more bearded old guy being boring. And also…door prizes! And a trivia contest! With prizes! Brush up on your tree lore before coming around, because you'll be getting quizzed on trees and forests.
Wait, this is Western Minnesota. These will have to be really simple questions, like "what is a tree?" and "is it a plant or an animal?" and "what do you call a herd of trees?" Maybe Pete will show photographs of forests so the locals will learn to recognize them.


text:
Preparedminds101, Dark Timber Custom Knives and LT Wright Handcrafted Knives present the JX3 as the companion knife of the Jessmuk. The JX3 was designed to do one thing... everything.
The knife has an overall length of 6 3/8 inches. It has been tested by multiple bushcrafters and found to perform nearly any task easily. This knife excels at slicing, food prep, fire craft, camp chores, carving, and game prep. It is also adept at the many uses of the sharp 90 degree spine, such as debarking a stick or scraping a ferro rod. The point of the JX3 makes tasks like making a bow drill divot easy and the handle is designed to be used for long periods with zero hand fatigue.
We've incorporated thumb scallops in the front, a built in finger guard, and backed it with our lifetime guarantee. It's been tested and the 1/8 inch thick, A2 tool steel blade is just right for maximum strength while still feeling like a KNIFE.
The hand made leather JRE sheath comes stock with a belt loop and plenty of open rivets to allow neck carry.
The JX3, excels at everything. take one to the woods and discover for yourself!


text:
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With the best part of a million views on YouTube, the trailer for Dead Island has whipped zombie enthusiasts into a minor frenzy of expectation. That anticipation is piqued further by the game's intro, a thinly veiled tribute to The Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up music video, albeit set on a tropical island at the outset of a zombie infestation. As well as setting the tone, it briefly introduces the four playable characters, further investigation of whom reveals that they each have a troubled past, and are no stranger to death. If this were a 1970's portmanteau Hammer Horror film, they'd all be stuck in a lift, and probably already dead.
As it is, whoever you choose, be it the washed-up rapper, the fading sports star, the feisty female ex-cop, or the other token woman, you are mysteriously immune to the bite of a zombie, and hence an extremely useful asset to the petrified holidaymakers fighting for their lives. As such, they will draw on your good nature to have you running all over the island carrying out errands of varying degrees of importance, be it finding a teddy bear for a hysterical woman, or hunting down insulin to save a child's life. And of course trying to escape.
At its core, Dead Island is a role-playing game, with all the mainstays associated with the genre: quests, levelling up, even crafting weapons, i.e. sticking some nails into the end of a baseball bat. Carrying out your quests is hampered at every turn by the legions of the undead, and the slightly clumsy melee system by which you have to dispatch them. Whether wielding a shovel, a rusty pipe, a hat stand, or a battered piece of wood, combat is a hit-and-miss affair, with little sense of depth to enable you to land a satisfying blow. With practice it becomes manageable, and the most effective technique is to kick a zombie to the ground and proceed to stove its head in, replete with extraordinary levels of gore. This approach become trickier in a crowd scene, although unleashing the contents of your fury meter takes out a swathe of enemies with a side weapon. You do eventually pick up guns, but they're not as useful as you'd hope, and the bulk of combat is melee-based.
In an apparent appeasement to zombie purists, the undead come in three main types: self-explanatory Walkers, 28 Days Later-style runners called The Infected, and great big lumbering Thugs who can knock you on your back in one blow. As formerly alive holidaymakers, they are a mixed bag, although a lot of your time is spent battering feral women in bikinis, which is arguably a gaming first.
Structurally, the game consist of a series of safe houses populated by survivors who will send you out to do their bidding in return for XP, weapons and cash. It's here that the real interest lies, as you come across pockets of survivors and their desperate hopes for escape. There are a number of different approaches, from the lifeguard who gets you to effectively build a tank, to the lighthouse of hopefuls writing messages in the sand, and even a church full of weirdoes praying for redemption. There is some genuinely dark content: at one point a distraught father begs you to go out and kill his zombified wife and daughter to put them to rest. Other snippets of weirdness include a porn shoot gone wrong, and a cabin full of revellers intending to see out the apocalypse in a blur of champagne and threesomes. Which certainly never happened in Resident Evil.
In terms of scares, the bright outdoor settings prevent any of the real creeping dread perpetuated by Japanese zombie titles, but there are still some shocks to be had when a dead freak grabs you from behind. Generally, the atmosphere is one of mournfulness and desperation, punctuated by plaintive piano riffs and a sense of hopelessness in the face of overwhelming odds. You do press on though, not really to gain the largely arbitrary XP (which is rendered somewhat pointless by the zombies levelling up concurrently) but because you genuinely feel that you are doing your bit for humanity. It's certainly a far more persuasive incentive than picking up magic potions for pixies in more traditional RPGs.
In terms of its sheer 'zombieness,' Dead Island is a strong entrant into the pantheon. Sadly, as a game it is hampered by technical issues that can render it almost unplayable. Items disappear, quests inexplicably repeat or reach dead ends, and without a manual save option, continuing a game seems to be largely arbitrary in terms of both location and timeline. Indeed, it sometimes feels like you're playing someone else's game. The path finding is a mess, and the physics bear little relationship to the real world – in Dead Island, a pick-up truck can be stopped by a picnic hamper. The lip-synching is primitive, the script doesn't even acknowledge your gender, and while it would be churlish to criticise the AI of a zombie, they're certainly not the brightest.
Nevertheless, there is some gleeful fun to be had, and mowing down zombies in a pick-up truck recalls the glory days of Carmageddon, as hinted at in one of the game's trophies. There is certainly value for money for those with the resolve to push on, with some 20 hours of play either as a lone hero or part of a four-person co-op team.
Although it's a hugely ambitious affair, Dead Island is writing cheques that the game engine can't cash, and it will probably be consigned to history as a heroic failure. Undoubtedly set to garner a cult following, it's essentially the gaming equivalent of a B-Movie. If this were Hollywood, they'd already be talking about a big money American remake. Which might not be the worst idea…
Despite the hype, Dead Island is a technically crippled affair with none of the panache hinted at by the stylish marketing campaign. Nevertheless, for those prepared to overlook its shortcomings, there is a deeply involving role-playing game that lures you into its nightmarish shambling world.


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text:
by Pete Mazzaccaro
Iron Hill Brewery, the Wilmington, Del. chain of family-sized brew-pub restaurants, will open its first Philadelphia location in Chestnut Hill later this year.
The restaurant announced the move into 8400 Germantown Ave., the former home of Express, in a release yesterday afternoon. The Chestnut Hill restaurant will be the chain's ninth.
"We've wanted to join Philadelphia's restaurant scene for a long time, but we were looking for a place with a vibrant community where we could become a part of a great neighborhood, and Chestnut Hill fits that perfectly," said Iron Hill founding partner Kevin Finn the statement.
Finn and co-owners Kevin Davies and Mark Edelson opened the first Iron Hill in Newark, Del. in 1996.
Iron Hill hired Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors, who have designed each of their 8 other locations, to design a 250-seat restaurant featuring an open kitchen, a spacious bar area and an exposed microbrewery for the Chestnut Hill location, according to the release. All the features are hallmarks of Iron Hill's other locations
Iron Hill brews and sells its own beer on location. It carries six standard varieties plus seasonal offerings. According to its release, Iron Hill's menu features "seasonally, changing new American dishes that go beyond typical brewpub standards. Available for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, the menu will include soups, sandwiches, made from scratch pizzas, salads and entrées, and cover a variety of cuisines from ethnic to hearty comfort foods."
Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District board chairman Seth Shapiro said in a statement that he was very pleased to welcome Iron Hill to the neighborhood.
"Chestnut Hill is very happy to welcome Iron Hill to Germantown Avenue," he said. "[A]s Ben Franklin said, 'Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.'"
For more information about Iron Hill, visit their website at www.ironhillbrewery.com To follow the progress of the Chestnut Hill opening, follow them on twitter @ironhillbrewery or @IronHillChief.


text: 25 June 2012 How a rape survivor feels when you use rape jokes as smack-talk in video games "Imagine for a moment what it's like to have game time, the thing you do to relax and escape from your troubles, interrupted by painful memories." Sign UpGet the New Statesman's Morning Call email. Sign-up The internet outrage cycle has a clockwork regularity. We're now at the backlash-backlash stage of the Lara Croft/attempted rape story. We've done the disgust at Ron Rosenberg's badly phrased comments, and are now in a two-step of either railing about killjoy feminazis or feeling sorry for the exec producer, given the amount of heat his words attracted. Whatever your personal feelings about that story were, at least one good thing has come out of it: a wider discussion about the use of rape as a plot device in videogames, and more particularly, the widespread use of "rape" as smack-talk in voice chat. Over at The Escapist, an anonymous male gamer and rape survivor has posted a heartfelt blog on why he finds rape as a "character building" trope problematic. The experience of being raped has touched every aspect of my life. People like Ron Rosenberg, the PR head for Tomb Raider, tend to talk about rape like it's some character-building challenge to overcome, a wound that heals into scar tissue, making you tougher. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. Rape isn't a scar, it's a limp -- you carry it with you as long as you're alive, and it makes life harder, not easier. Being raped does change you: it's more than non-consensual sex, it's psychic murder. The person you were beforehand ceases to exist and you can never, ever be them again. He also explains why gamers should reconsider using the phrase "you got raped" as a synonym for "I beat you at this game" when using voice chat in online play. First of all, let's get one thing straight: Using the word "rape" in an online game is not some kind of longstanding tradition or a definitive part of the culture. [...] Second, games are not the last place where telling someone you "raped" them is ok -- it's not okay to say that to strangers in any place. I'd even caution you about using that term around friends. Rape victims in general don't advertise, and you have no idea when you'll be in our company [..] Imagine for a moment what it's like to have game time, the thing you do to relax and escape from your troubles, interrupted by painful memories. He was echoing sentiments expressed by Patricia Hernandez in an article for Kotaku, who described the odd experience of using the phrase "I raped you" to opponents in Gears of War multiplayer - despite having been raped herself in real life. She concludes: Trash talk makes it obvious that the implicit understanding of the language of dominion isn't just sexualised. It's gendered. That power struggle is culturally understood to be a man versus woman thing, even though rape doesn't just happen to women. Most of the slurs of choice point toward the same thing. Someone is a bitch, they're a faggot — feminine — and if you beat someone, then you raped them. The imagery there for most of us will be the same: a man physically assaulting a woman, not the other way around. Personally, I find the whole "I raped you" thing in voice chat deeply peculiar. It seemed to arise out of nowhere a few years ago, and has even leached into real-world "banter". To me, it feels like a way to reinforce the maleness of online multiplayer, reaffirm that this a frat-boy-ish place where Mom isn't around to tell you not to cuss. The assumption is that other men will know what you mean -- because rape isn't considered to be something that happens to men. But I'd be intrigued to hear what others think. › Reviews Round-Up The Lara Croft story is now in the "backlash backlash" stage. Photo: Getty Images Helen Lewis is a former deputy editor of the New Statesman, who is now a staff writer on the Atlantic. Her history of feminism, Difficult Women, will be published in February 2020. Subscribe £1 per month


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In the previous America's Cup World Series round in August, England's Ben Ainslie finished next to last out of 11 boats in the regatta.
Since then, he hasn't been resting on his Olympic laurels.
He guided J.P. Morgan BAR – it stands for Ben Ainslie Racing – to victory in the first fleet race of the new round Thursday off Marina Green. Then he grabbed a third place in the second race and stands atop the early standings.
Ainslie is also part of Oracle Team USA. He receives technical assistance from Larry Ellison's outfit, trains with the Oracle boats and will skipper the second 72-foot catamaran during in-house racing against Jimmy Spithill's crew in preparation for the 2013 America's Cup final.
Spithill rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the first race to take the second Thursday. He's in second place in the standings.
At the London Olympics, the 35-year-old Ainslie became the first person to win sailing medals in five different Games and the second to win four gold medals in the sport.
Russell Coutts, who took a third and a fifth on a fine first day for Oracle, wasn't surprised to see Ainslie's improvement after his shaky start in August.
"The first time around, he had no time in the boats" after arriving from the Olympics, Coutts said. "This time he had some time in the boats. … He's an Olympic sailor, and what they've been doing in Olympic sailing is highly relevant" to this form of racing. "I knew it wouldn't take long for Ben to start winning."
Ainslie said training with Spithill and Coutts and working with Oracle coaches Darren Bundock and Philippe Presti made all the difference for him.
"You'd never learn the skills that quickly without that support," he said.
In Race 1, Ainslie made his move against leader Nathan Outteridge, skipper of Sweden's Artemis Racing Red, at the second gate. After Outteridge steered toward the right gate and the shore, Ainslie went left, away from the shore, and the strong wind there helped him take the lead for good.
"We wanted to split from them," Ainslie said. "We were more toward the left gate, and that opened the door for us."
Dean Barker's Emirates Team New Zealand, which had struggled in August, was second and Coutts third.
In the second race, Spithill's crew ran away from the field. Artemis Racing White, skippered by Terry Hutchinson, was second.
"We just got our act together," Spithill said. "In the first one, we just made a lot of mistakes. It was pretty disappointing really. Obviously, the pressure was on in the second race."
In the match racing quarterfinals, Hutchinson showed why he was the 2011-12 World Series match racing champion, beating Team Korea and first-time skipper Peter Burling by 53 seconds.
In the second quarterfinal, Emirates Team New Zealand took the lead from France's Energy Team on the second leg and won the five-leg race by 43 seconds.
The two Oracle Team USA boats swing into action in Friday's quarterfinals. Coutts goes against Artemis Racing Red at 4:05 p.m., and then Spithill takes on Ainslie at 4:22.
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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GLENWOOD, Ill., Jan. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Landauer, Inc. (NYSE: LDR), will release financial results for the fiscal first quarter of 2011 pre-market on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.
The company will host a conference call for investors on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors may access the live call by dialing 877-941-2928 (within the United States and Canada), or 480-629-9726 (international callers), or by visiting the "Investors" page on the company's website at www.landauerinc.com. Please log on to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software.
Investors may access a replay of the call by dialing 800-406-7325 (within the United States and Canada), or 303-590-3030 (international callers), passcode 4404862#, which will be available through Tuesday, March 1, 2011. The replay will also be available on Landauer's website for 90 days following the call.
About Landauer
Landauer is the world's leading provider of technical and analytical services to determine occupational and environmental radiation exposure and is the leading domestic provider of outsourced medical physics services. For more than 50 years, the Company has provided complete radiation dosimetry services to hospitals, medical and dental offices, universities, national laboratories, nuclear facilities and other industries in which radiation poses a potential threat to employees. Landauer's services include the manufacture of various types of radiation detection monitors, the distribution and collection of the monitors to and from clients, and the analysis and reporting of exposure findings. The Company provides its dosimetry services to approximately 1.6 million people globally. In addition, through its Global Physics Solutions subsidiary, the Company provides therapeutic and diagnostic physics services and educational services to the medical physics community.
For the latest news releases and other corporate documents on Landauer Inc., visit www.landauerinc.com
|SOURCE Landauer, Inc.
Copyright©2010 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


text:
(By Delegates Manypenny, Swartzmiller, D. Poling,
Caputo, Frazier, Moore, Morgan,
Barill, Moye and Sumner)
[Introduced February 9, 2012; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then the Judiciary.]
A Bill to amend and reenact §60A-9-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the controlled substances monitoring generally; permitting specific law-enforcement officials who are members of federally affiliated drug task forces access to certain confidential pharmaceutical information to identify unusual prescription drug behavior; requiring the State Board of Pharmacy to issue reports to certain law-enforcement officials, licensing authorities and prescribers that identify abnormal prescription practices; establishing an advisory committee to recommend the parameters of abnormal prescribing patterns and to recommend other actions that could reduce the amount of misuse of prescription drugs; establishing a felony offense for misusing information from the controlled substance database; requiring the Board of Pharmacy to implement a real-time database when available and when resources permit; requiring implementation of the parameters of abnormal prescribing patterns shall be contingent on available funding; requiring a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability; granting rule-making authority; and providing immunity to prescribing practitioners for certain reporting based on review of patient specific information contained in the controlled substances monitoring database.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §60A-9-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
§60A-9-5. Confidentiality; limited access to records; period of retention; no civil liability for required reporting.
(a) (1) The information required by this article to be kept by the State Board of Pharmacy is confidential and is open to inspection only by inspectors and agents of the State Board of Pharmacy, members of the West Virginia State Police expressly authorized by the Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police to have access to the information, authorized agents of local law-enforcement agencies and deputy sheriffs as a member of a federally affiliated drug task force, authorized agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, duly authorized agents of the Bureau for Medical Services and the Workers' Compensation Commission, duly authorized agents of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for use in post-mortem examinations, duly authorized agents of licensing boards of practitioners in this state and other states authorized to prescribe Schedules II, III and IV controlled substances, prescribing practitioners and pharmacists and persons with an enforceable court order or regulatory agency administrative subpoena: Provided, That all law-enforcement personnel who have access to the controlled substances monitoring database shall be granted access in accordance with applicable state laws and Board of Pharmacy legislative rules and shall be certified as a West Virginia law-enforcement officer and shall have successfully completed U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Training and National Association of Drug Diversion Investigation Training. Provided, That all All information released by the State Board of Pharmacy must be related to a specific patient or a specific individual or entity under investigation by any of the above parties except that practitioners who prescribe controlled substances may request specific data related to their Drug Enforcement Administration controlled substance registration number or for the purpose of providing treatment to a patient.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the board shall also review the West Virginia Controlled Substance Monitoring Program database and issue reports that identify abnormal or unusual practices of both health care professionals and patients who exceed predetermined parameters. All reports produced by the board shall be kept confidential and may only be used in furtherance of communicating with licensing boards regarding abnormal prescription and dispensing practices or by prescribers to more effectively manage the medications of their patients. The board shall maintain the information required by this article for a period of not less than five years. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the contrary, data obtained under the provisions of this article may be used for compilation of educational, scholarly or statistical purposes as long as the identities of persons or entities remain confidential. No individual or entity required to report under section four of this article may be subject to a claim for civil damages or other civil relief for the reporting of information to the Board of Pharmacy as required under and in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(3) The board shall establish an advisory committee to develop, implement and recommend parameters to be used in identifying abnormal or unusual prescribing or dispensing patterns in this state. This advisory committee shall:
(A) Consist of the following members: A licensed physician member of the West Virginia Board of Medicine, a licensed dentist member of the West Virginia Board of Dental Examiners, a licensed physician member of the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy, a member of the Controlled Substance Advisory Board of the Partnership for Community Well-being, a licensed physician certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine and a licensed physician board certified in medical oncology recommended by the West Virginia State Medical Association, a licensed physician board certified in palliative care recommended by the West Virginia Center on End of Life Care, a member of the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy, a licensed physician member of the West Virginia Academy of Family Practice Physicians and a representative of a controlled substance wholesaler chosen by the Board of Pharmacy.
(B) Recommend parameters to identify abnormal or unusual prescribing or dispensing patterns of use of controlled substances for both patients and health care professionals in order to prepare reports as requested in accordance with subsection (a), subdivision (2) of this section.
(C) Recommend parameters unique to different health care professionals due to the nature of their work such as palliative care physicians, oncologists, and pain medicine specialists.
(D) Make recommendations for training, research and other areas that are determined by the committee to have the potential to reduce inappropriate use of prescription drugs in this state.
(b) Upon receipt of the committee's recommendations of parameters for prescribing and dispensing specific to each profession and subspecialty therewithin, each professional licensing board shall adopt parameters for the profession and subspecialties thereof and provide them to the board.
(c) The Board of Pharmacy is responsible for establishing the advisory committee and providing administrative support. The advisory committee shall elect a chair by majority vote. The board shall promulgate rules with advice and consent of the advisory committee, in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code on or before June 1, 2012. The legislative rules must include, but not be limited to, the following matters: (1) Identifying parameters used in identifying abnormal or unusual prescribing or dispensing patterns; (2) processing parameters and developing reports of abnormal or unusual prescribing or dispensing patterns for both patients and health care professionals; and (3) establishing the information to be contained in reports and the process by which the reports will be generated and disseminated.
(b) (d) All practitioners, as that term is defined in section one hundred-one, article two of this chapter who prescribe or dispense Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances shall, on or before July 1, 2011, have online or other form of electronic access to the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database;
(c) (e) Persons or entities with access to the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database pursuant to this section may, pursuant to rules promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy, delegate appropriate personnel to have access to said database;
(d) (f) Good faith reliance by a practitioner on information contained in the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database in prescribing or dispensing or refusing or declining to prescribe or dispense a schedule II, III or IV controlled substance shall constitute an absolute defense in any civil or criminal action brought due to prescribing or dispensing or refusing or declining to prescribe or dispense; and
(e) The Board of Pharmacy is hereby authorized to promulgate an emergency rule under chapter twenty-nine-a to effectuate the amendments to this section enacted during the 2010 Regular Session of the Legislature.
(g) A prescribing practitioner may notify law enforcement of a patient, who in the prescribing practitioner's judgment may be in violation of section four hundred ten, article four, chapter sixty-a of this code, based on information obtained and reviewed from the controlled substances monitoring database. A prescribing practitioner who makes a notification pursuant to this subsection shall be immune from any civil, administrative or criminal liability that otherwise might be incurred or imposed because of such notification if such notification is made in good faith.
(f) (h) Nothing in the article shall be construed to requirea a practitioner to access the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database.
(i) Unauthorized access or use or unauthorized disclosure of the information in the database is a felony punishable by incarceration in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years or fined not less than $3,000 nor more than $10,000, or both.
(j) The Board of Pharmacy shall make every effort to update the database to a real-time database as soon as a system is available and when funding is available. The implementation of the parameters to identify abnormal or unusual prescribing or dispensing patterns or practices as established by this article shall be contingent on available funding.
(k) The Board of Pharmacy shall provide an annual report on the West Virginia Controlled Substance Monitoring Program to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability with recommendations for needed legislation.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit specific law- enforcement officials access to certain confidential pharmaceutical information to identify unusual or abnormal prescription drug behavior.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.


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Dogs that undergo training in an innovative program led by Connecticut State Police prove their value.
The Connecticut State Police (CSP) have a new weapon in the fight against child pornography: electronics-sniffing dogs that find hidden data storage devices during searches.
The dogs, trained by CSP, are routinely sent out alongside the department's other specialized canines, which include dogs trained for bomb, arson and narcotics investigations. And CSP's reputation is growing: Rhode Island State Police are now using one of the specially trained dogs, and nations from around the world are looking to Connecticut for training tips.
It's amazing what their dogs can do, said Spokesperson Lt. J. Paul Vance. "We're very proud of the canine training we provide here and the specialization that we're able to develop," he said. "I am totally amazed at the success the animals have had, especially when we're doing search warrants, both in private homes and commercial establishments, where they're able to sniff out electronics that are beyond belief."
One graduate of CSP's electronics training program, named Thoreau, is now working with Rhode Island State Police. After 22 weeks of training, he can now sniff out electronic devices stashed at least "four layers deep."
How the department trains its animals is to remain a secret, Vance said, but doing so has proved very useful in finding additional information during investigations.
"It came to fruition because there are many times when criminal investigations are under way, especially, say for example, child pornography, and people have exterior hard drives they want to hide away from public view," he said. "When we go in with a search warrant pursuant to that investigation, we want to find all the evidence and all the information. They've been successful in locating electronics, we've used them in narcotics investigations to obtain electronics that may have narcotics records on them. There are many other reasons why the animal would be a great addition to law enforcement."
The CSP program was initiated several years ago, and as electronics become more prevalent in daily life, electronic-sniffing dogs could become more common.
In 2006, the Motion Picture Association of America piloted a similar training program, in which it trained two Labradors to sniff out DVDs. The MPAA sent the dogs, named Lucky and Flo, to Malaysia to help take down a movie pirating ring.