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These are the "words for the journey" that were shared during The Well's Sunday gathering on 9.16.18. They are based on Genesis 12:1-9 and are part of our series, Disarming the Bible & recapturing the ancient, messy, complex, inspired, still-speaking story of Scripture. Throughout this series, we are exploring various ways to engage Scripture. Last Sunday, we engaged with our questions. This week, we were challenged to dig deeper & to move beyond the words on the page.
Sometimes the message is captured best in song, like the one we sang together:
Some heard the promise — God's hand would bless them!
Some fled from hunger, famine and pain.
Some left a place where others oppressed them;
All [at least the people named earlier in the song] trusted God and started again.
These are the stories that make up the Story. There are countless journeys described in Scripture.
Some journeys were made by choice, others out of necessity. Either way, again and again, people left something or somewhere familiar & stepped into an uncertain future.
Why do you think that is?
Why are these the stories that fill the pages of the Bible?
What is there for us to learn from all this coming & going?
I don't know about you, but my life has certainly been a journey. In fact, I would venture to say all of us are on one right now. Some are physical; others spiritual or even metaphorical. Perhaps the reason so many journey stories are included in the Bible is that this is what being human looks like. It means to set out again & again.
Some journeys though, are more painful than others. Like the journey of self-discovery or the journey of waking up to & healing an addiction or the journey through financial devastation or the faith shift journey or the journey of leaving home or of leaving one homeland to move to another.
Life is a journey, so of course, there are many, many journeys described in Scripture, but maybe there is another reason for all this movement.
Today's story describes Abraham's invitation to a journey, but not just Abraham. Sarah may have been named among his property, but she is an equally significant although too often undervalued part of the story.
Digging deeper, we find this is not the first mention of Abraham & Sarah. In Genesis 11, they are named in the lineage of Noah's son Shem (who had a son named Terah who moved his family, including his son Abram & his wife Sarai to a new land). See, Abraham & Sarah already know what its like to move from one land to another. They've done it before.
Their genealogy also tells us something upsetting about this family: Sarah is unable to have children.
Her introduction into Scripture is the first mention of barrenness in the Bible. Not exactly how you'd wanna be noted, especially in a culture where the ability to have children was critical for a woman. She's no doubt a source of shame for her family & I imagine she also faced a fair amount of struggle with self-esteem.
It's in this season of struggling with barrenness that God tells them to move. Now, that feels like really bad timing to me. Personally, I'd prefer waiting until things are coming together & I feel like I've got my ducks in a nice, near row. But that's not this God's way.
God, we are learning, doesn't want us to get too settled in our ways & seemingly out of nowhere says "let's go. I've got something new in mind." That could be the other, even more important reason for all these coming & going stories.
This God is on the move & we get moved, too.
This move God has in mind first involves Abraham & Sarah leaving something behind.
Check out this portrait (to the left): Abraham Leaves Haran by Francesco Bassano the Younger, 1560-1592.
What strikes you about it?
The way I see it, Sarah & Abraham's departure is depicted as untidy & chaotic & abrupt. It's not just a move, it's an uprooting:
"Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."
There is no way to quantify what Abraham & Sarah were being asked to leave behind. In ancient Israel, kinship was everything. Moving from broadest to most intimate, you had your country & then your tribe & then your clan & then your father's house. God covers all the bases. In fact, the writer seems to be chiseling away to get to the point that Abe & Sarah were not just moving to a new home – they were undergoing a radical reconfiguration that would alter everything. Even their names would change.
This can be so super exciting & it also makes me sick to my stomach.
I had an epiphany yesterday about my own spiritual journey.
My journey has been one of moving deeper & deeper into loving all the "wrong" people – people like criminals, like those in prison, like the meanest neighbor, like those considered the worst sinners. Let me tell you something: it's not great for your reputation. It upsets people, especially religious people. It always has. It has caused me to lose some friends. And I don't say that to give myself a pat on the back for losing-friends-for-Jesus, but rather to remind us that being moved out of our comfort zones or away from our "tribes" or popular opinion often does that, but that doesn't mean it isn't exactly where God is moving you.
Leaving is hard. Having our lives or our identities or way of life overturned can make us sick to our stomachs, but it's in the discomfort & the unsettling that God does something important.
Namely, blessing.
Now, that blessing can be very personal. It can look like barrenness overturned. It can look like a promotion or a windfall of money or a new vocation or a marriage or a child or a lot of other wonderful things. It can look like what previously seemed impossible now becoming possible. It would take forever for Abraham & Sarah to bear a child. They would grow weary & impatient & do some pretty desperate things along the way, but eventually, they would have a son.
The blessing would be the overturning of their barrenness, but always, always this personal blessing would be for the sake of the world. That's the intent of blessing. We like to count them, but really blessings are intended to be shared. It's never just about our comfort & our safety & our needs. The whole reason, in fact, that God wants to make Abraham & Sarah into a great nation, is to be a blessing.
And what does it mean to be a "great nation" anyway? In ancient Israel, it meant having control of the land. It meant having the most possessions. It meant having the most male children. It meant a lot of things, but once again here comes God redefining things.
A blessing is not something you have or hoard, it's something you give away. It's not about being the biggest or the best. Blessing is about being a source of love & light & hope & peace & blessing toward the rest of the world.
Look what we find when we dig a little deeper. God is on the move to bless the world through us & it will involve a lot of unsettling & shifting & even some sick stomachs at times, but God will be with us in the midst of our comings & goings. Even when like Abraham & Sarah & Jesus, we become the sojourner, the stranger, the outcast & the enemy, God will be with us.
Where is God moving you? And why haven't you left yet?


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Product Description
Please note, this product has now been discontinued. Please see Sika Sikagard 700 S Aquastop, Mapei Antipluvoil W or Centrecoat All Surface Protector as potential alternatives.
Sika Liquid Plastics K501 stops wind and rain from penetrating into brick, masonry walls natural and artificial stone, lasts at least 10 years before further application is required.
Sika Liquid Plastics K501 is a water based silane siloxane compound offering outstanding waterproofing properties. K501 is a water based solvent-free waterproofer based on a combination silane-siloxane technology. The blend is designed to give excellent water repellency and waterproofing properties particularly, to masonry substrates. It is a high durability system which will provide protection for at least 10 years.
When applied, K501 penetrates deep into the substrate and once dried is virtually undetectable, therefore preserving the original appearance and character. It remains stable and is not prone to slow outward diffusion, therefore, it is longer lasting and gives a greater degree of waterproof protection. K501 can be applied by brush or spray and is ideal for use on brickwork, cement, natural stone and other porous substrates. It also prevents the effects of water damage.
By having wet walls you run the risk of increasing the coefficient of thermal conductivity (λ) of the masonry-finishing coat system, leading to a loss in the insulating capacity of the system by up to 25-30%.
Best Uses
Liquid Plastics K501 is part of the Sika Liquid Plastics range and is best used on concrete, cement/lime sand finishes, brick, rough cast or pebble dash, weathered cement based boards, natural and artificial stone. Once applied, K501 need not be re-applied for at least 10 years, before further maintenance is necessary. It is tested over a 3000 hour exposure to Q.U.V. in accordance with ASTM G53-88.
Sika Wall Exterior waterproofer Liquid Plastics K501 can be applied using a brush or spray, achieving a clear finish in 30 minutes. After 1 hour the surface will be able to repel water and after 24 hours, the surface will be completely waterproof. Once dried, it will leave a transparent finish which preserves the original appearance and natural character of the substrate.
Surface and Environment
Sika Liquid Plastics K501 is an excellent way of waterproofing a number of substrates and surface types. It is suitable for use in all environments, due to the quality of its weatherproofing abilities. Liquid Plastics K501 can be used indoors and outside, but is most effective when being used on areas exposed to moist and wet conditions. The surfaces that Liquid Plastics K501 are designed for include: concrete, cement/lime sand finishes, brick, rough cast, pebble dash, weathered cement based boards, natural and artificial stone.
Technical Details
- Liquid Plastics K501 is waterbased (solvent free)
- Zero V.O.C.
- Transparent finish when dry
- Preserves the original appearance and character of the substrate
- Suitable for application over a wide range of temperatures
- 3000 hour exposure to Q.U.V. in accordance with ASTM G53-88.
- Highly durable, at least 10 years before further application is required
- Suitable for many substrates
- Easily applied by conventional methods
- Non film-forming, allows water vapour to permeate from the underlying substrate
- May be over-painted
- Suitable for concrete, cement/lime sand finishes, brick, rough cast or pebble dash, weathered cement based boards, natural and artificial stone
- Apply by brush or spray
- Touch dry: 30 minutes
- Water repellent: 1 hour
- Waterproof: 24 hours
- Theoretical coverage 3-4 m2 per litre
- Clean tools with water
Data Sheets
The manufacturers data sheets are available for download from this website. It is your responsibility to read and understand all aspects of the data sheets before you place an order and prior to application. Please pay special attention to the preparation, mixing and application temperatures of the product, cleaning of substrate and environmental factors such as temperature, rain etc. Quoted coverage rates are based on the manufacturers theoretical rates and may vary depending upon substrates absorption, texture and application. We always recommend a test is carried out to ensure suitability.
Customer further agrees that Promain have no liability for any errors or omissions contained within the Product Data Sheets and are not liable for failure due to misapplication or inadequate substrate cleaning and preparation. For more information please refer to our Terms & Conditions.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Brian Jonestown Massacre 'If I Love You' Mini LP
Originally released in 1996 , this 180 grm vinyl re-issue the last in the 1990"s EP series on Anton Newcombe"s own "a" Recordings label , this will not be released on CD . This features 3 versions of songs on the A side from the Bravery Repetition & Noise sessions , the B side features 4 tracks from the early beginnings of the band from 1991 & 1992 .
Originally Newcombe was heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones' psychedelic phase - the name comes from Stones guitarist Brian Jones combined with a reference to cult leader Jim Jones, but his work in the 2000s has expanded into aesthetic dimensions approximating the UK Shoegazing genre of the 1990s and incorporating influences from world music, especially Middle Eastern and Brazilian music.
Catalogue number: AUK021LP
Condition: New
Label: A Recordings


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About Barrier Reef Pools
Barrier Reef Pools was established three decades ago in sunny tropical Cairns and today is the largest manufacturer of fibreglass pools in the Southern Hemisphere.
From humble beginnings in Cairns, Barrier Reef Pools has now become one of the premier manufacturers of fibreglass swimming pools in the Southern Hemisphere. The Company remains family owned and operated today.
Barrier Reef pools are sold throughout New Zealand by independent retailer companies who choose to purchase Barrier Reef swimming pools because of their high quality.
To arrange a free no-obligation onsite consultation with your nearest Barrier Reef pool retailer, please call your nearest retailer or fill out the contact form.


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The normal high school student, Raven, needs to analyse...
- by Bells Hunter
- Rating:
- Published: 15 Sep 2012
- Updated: 14 Feb 2013
- Status: In Progress
On a hot summer day, young police Officer Shamus Reynolds finds a letter on his desk. He takes no notice of this innocent piece of paper until he reads it. Somehow, someone has written things about him, things that he has never shared with anyone. And an accusation lies within the letter... something that Reynolds has never done.
A tale of action and excitement. Be sure to tune in.
A tale of action and excitement. Be sure to tune in.
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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EA-98-507 - XRI Testing
February 25, 1999
Mr. Kirk Thams
General Manager and
Radiation Safety Officer
XRI Testing
Division of X-Ray Industries, Inc.
1961 Thunderbird
Troy, MI 48084
(NRC Inspection Report 030-04837/98001(DNMS) and
NRC Office of Investigations Report 3-1998-035)
Dear Mr. Thams:
This refers to the NRC inspection and the investigation conducted by the Office of Investigations (OI) between August 24 and October 8, 1998. The purpose of the inspection was to review the circumstances surrounding a reported event at a temporary jobsite in Mishawaka, Indiana, on August 21, 1998. Apparent violations were identified and discussed in the subject inspection report sent to you on September 17, 1998. The OI investigation was conducted to determine if an XRI Testing (XRI) employee deliberately failed to wear an alarming ratemeter during radiographic operations. A copy of the OI report synopsis was sent to you by our letter dated November 19, 1998. In that letter, potential enforcement action was discussed and you were provided with an opportunity to discuss this case and the apparent violations at a predecisional enforcement conference. As XRI's representative, you elected to decline a conference.
Based on the information developed during the inspection and the OI investigation, the NRC has determined that violations of NRC requirements occurred. These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) and the circumstances surrounding them are described in detail in the subject inspection report.
A violation is cited involving the failure of a radiographer to wear an alarming ratemeter at a temporary jobsite. On August 21, 1998, an XRI radiographer, who was working alone at the time, forgot that the source (92 curies of iridium-192) was exposed, entered the area of operations and manipulated the collimator which resulted in a significant radiation exposure to his hand. This event could have been averted had this individual been wearing an alarming ratemeter. Calculations performed by XRI personnel and the NRC determined that his extremity (hand) exposure was approximately 20 rems shallow-dose equivalent which did not exceed the limit of 50 rems shallow dose equivalent. That notwithstanding, the violation had significant potential to result in a far more serious radiation exposure. This matter is further exacerbated by the OI investigation finding that the XRI radiographer deliberately violated an NRC requirement to wear an alarming ratemeter.
Despite the radiographer's deliberate failure to routinely wear an alarming ratemeter, XRI has a responsibility to ensure that its employees perform radiographic operations in accordance with license requirements.
A second violation involves the failure to have two qualified individuals present during radiographic operations. On August 21, 1998, one of the two qualified radiographers at the Mishawaka, Indiana, temporary jobsite left the facility prior to the event to look for his missing film badge while radiographic operations were in progress. Although XRI has routinely assigned two individuals to all temporary jobsites, it failed to recognize the difference between XRI's policy and NRC's requirement that the second individual actually observe radiographic operations.
In addition, the radiographer who deliberately failed to wear his alarming ratemeter also failed to maintain continuous direct visual surveillance of the operation to protect against unauthorized entry into a high radiation area and failed to conduct a radiation survey of the radiographic exposure device or the guide tube during the radiographic operation as required by NRC regulations.
Because of the willful nature of the XRI Testing radiographer's failure to wear an alarming ratemeter, as well as other violations which occurred during the radiographic operations on August 21, 1998, these violations are of very significant regulatory concern and have been classified in the aggregate in accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600, Rev. 1, as a Severity Level II problem.
In accordance with the Enforcement Policy, a base civil penalty in the amount of $8,800 is considered for a Severity Level II problem. Because the problem involved willfulness, the NRC considered whether credit was warranted for Identification and Corrective Action in accordance with the civil penalty assessment in Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy. Credit was determined to be warranted for Identification because XRI identified the issues and the root causes. In addition, credit for Corrective Action is warranted based on the promptness and comprehensiveness of the actions taken. The corrective actions taken included: (1) the radiographer in question was immediately suspended following the incident and subsequently terminated; (2) all radiography personnel were informed of the Mishawaka incident; (3) all radiography personnel were re-instructed in the requirements and use of all personnel monitoring equipment; (4) XRI Testing revised its "two-man rule" for jobsite activities; and (5) XRI Testing had made a decision to no longer perform work at temporary jobsites outside of the confines of its facilities.
Therefore, to encourage prompt and comprehensive correction of violations and in recognition of the absence of previous escalated enforcement action, I have been authorized, after consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement, not to propose a civil penalty in this case. However, issuance of this Severity Level II problem constitutes escalated enforcement action that may subject you to increased inspection effort. In addition, similar violations in the future could result in a civil penalty or order modifying your license.
The NRC has concluded that information regarding the reason for the problem, the corrective actions taken and planned to correct the problem and prevent recurrence and the date when full compliance was achieved is already adequately addressed on the docket in Inspection Report 030-04837/98001(DNMS) and in our letter dated November 19, 1998. Therefore, you are not required to respond to this letter unless the description therein does not accurately reflect your corrective actions or your position. In that case, or if you choose to provide additional information, you should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response, if you choose to send one, will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
Signed By
E. Dyer
Regional Administrator
Docket No. 030-04837
License No. 21-05472-01
Enclosure: Notice of Violation
|XRI Testing
Troy, Michigan
|Docket No. 030-04837
License No. 21-05472-01
During an NRC inspection and OI investigation conducted between August 24 and October 8, 1998, violations of NRC requirements were identified. In accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions," NUREG-1600, Rev. 1, the violations are listed below:
|Violation Associated
with Dosimetry
10 CFR 34.47(a) requires, in part, that the licensee may not permit any individual to act as a radiographer unless, at all times during radiographic operations, each individual wears an operating alarm ratemeter and either a film badge or a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD).
Contrary to the above, on August 21, 1998, an individual permitted to act as an XRI Testing radiographer did not wear an operating alarm ratemeter during radiographic operations at temporary jobsites. In addition, on August 21, 1998, another individual acting as an XRI Testing radiographer conducted radiographic operations without a film badge or TLD at the same temporary jobsite located in Mishawaka, Indiana.
|Violation Associated with the Two-Man
10 CFR 34.41(a) requires that whenever radiography is performed at a location other than a permanent radiographic installation, e.g., a temporary jobsite, the radiographer must be accompanied by at least one other qualified radiographer or radiographer's assistant. The additional qualified individual shall observe the operations and be capable of providing immediate assistance to prevent unauthorized entry. Radiography may not be performed if only one qualified individual is present.
Contrary to the above, on August 21, 1998, radiography was performed at a temporary jobsite located in Mishawaka, Indiana, a location other than a permanent radiographic installation, with only one qualified individual present.
|Violation Associated with Surveillance
10 CFR 34.51 requires, in part, the radiographer, or other qualified individual, to maintain continuous direct visual surveillance of the operation to protect against unauthorized entry into a high radiation area during each radiographic operation that is not conducted at a permanent radiographic installation where all entryways are locked and the requirements of 10 CFR 34.33 are met.
Contrary to the above, on August 21, 1998, a licensee radiographer, during the time he was alone at the temporary jobsite, did not maintain continuous direct visual surveillance of radiographic operations.
|Violation Associated with Radiation
10 CFR 34.49(b) requires, in part, that the radiographer conduct a survey of the radiographic exposure device and the guide tube after each exposure when approaching the device or the guide tube. The survey must determine that the sealed source has returned to its shielded position.
Contrary to the above, on August 21, 1998, a licensee radiographer, during the time that he was performing radiographic operations, did not conduct a survey of the device or the guide tube prior to manipulating the collimator, which resulted in a significant radiation exposure to his hand.
These violations represent a Severity Level
II problem (Supplement VI).
The NRC has concluded that information regarding the reason for the violations, the corrective actions taken and planned to correct the violations and prevent recurrence and the date when full compliance was achieved is already adequately addressed on the docket in Inspection Report 030-04837/98001(DNMS). However, you are required to submit a written statement or explanation pursuant to 10 CFR 2.201 if the description therein does not accurately reflect your corrective actions or your position. In that case, or if you choose to respond, clearly mark your response as a "Reply to a Notice of Violation," and send it to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555 with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region III, 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532 within 30 days of the date of the letter transmitting this Notice of Violation (Notice).
If you contest this enforcement action, you should also provide a copy of your response, with the basis for your denial, to the Director, Office of Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Under the authority of Section 182 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 2232, any response shall be submitted under oath or affirmation.
If you choose to respond, your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR). Therefore, to the extent possible, the response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction.
In accordance with 10 CFR 19.11, you may be required to post this Notice within two working days.
Dated this 25th day of February 1999


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Oncothyreon CEO on Next-Generation Cancer Vaccines, Two Key Zymonites, and Serious Luck
Biotech companies can be resilient little animals, and one example in Seattle is Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: ONTY). This company looked like a goner a little over a year ago, when it was down to its last few months of cash and its stock was trading for less than a buck.
Somehow, when his back was against the wall, CEO Bob Kirkman found a way to renegogiate a deal with partner Merck KGaA a year ago which brought in $13 million, shifted the expense of manufacturing a cancer vaccine called Stimuvax off his books, and still retained a "double-digit" percentage royalty on sales if it becomes a marketed product.
But that wasn't all. By April, Seattle-based Dendreon came along and shocked the cancer research world by proving that its immune-boosting treatment could help men with prostate cancer live longer. Investors were suddenly on the prowl for other companies in this long-suffering field, and they started beating a path to Oncothyreon.
Two months later, Merck KGaA showed more confidence in Oncothyreon's Stimuvax by plowing ahead into a pivotal clinical trial of patients with breast cancer, before waiting for results from another ongoing trial of lung cancer patients. Oncothyreon's stock gained enough—from 80 cents on January 1 to $5.06 at yesterday's close—that the company was able to raise another $24 million from investors and start plotting more aggressive moves for the year ahead.
So much has happened over the past year that I figured it was time to stop by Kirkman's office in Belltown to bring readers up to speed on what to watch for from this company in 2010. This starts off with some technical stuff about how Oncothyreon's next generation vaccine is different from Stimuvax, and moves into more business strategy questions later on:
Xconomy: I've noticed that you are advancing your second cancer vaccine candidate into the clinic. But at back in March, I noted that it's been "Goodbye Cancer Vaccines, Hello Cancer Drugs" at Oncothyreon. Has that balance, or emphasis, changed?
Bob Kirkman: It's changed, partly because we have more resources now than when we had that discussion before. We've had follow-on vaccine in our portfolio for several years, but frankly, didn't have the resources to take it forward, nor necessarily the strategic reasons to do so. Both of those are different now.
It's probably worth talking a little about what's different and why we're developing it. There are two main differences between BGLP40 and Stimuvax. One relates to the antigen. The antigen in BGLP40 is a 40-amino acid glycosylated peptide. That's compared to Stimuvax, which has a 25-amino acid peptide which doesn't have any sugars on it.
The theory is that if we use this glycosylated antigen, we'll get an antibody response as well as a T-cell response. We know that Stimuvax primarily produces a T-cell response. What's not really known is whether producing an antibody response as well would be beneficial from a tumor response perspective. This will be one of the first times that question could be directly answered in the clinic.
X: Can you back up a little and explain the differences between these two vaccines a little more?
BK: Both of these vaccines are constructed in the same way. They take an antigen, which is a peptide, and take an adjuvant—which happens to be different between the two vaccines, and I'll come back to that. They also take three fats, which are the same. You make a liposome, or a fat globule, that presents the antigen, and the adjuvant, to the immune system. That basic construction between Stimuvax and BGLP40 is the same.
So the antigens are different, as we talked about. But the other difference is in the adjuvant. Stimuvax uses MPL, which is a lipid-A adjuvant from GlaxoSmithKline, and really the old [Seattle-based] Corixa. It's a biologic adjuvant derived from a bacterial source.
BGLP40 uses a totally synthetic form of the same adjuvant. They are both lipid-A adjuvants. In the case of BGLP40, chemists at what was then Biomira learned how to synthesize it. So it's made from scratch, as opposed to derived from a biologic source.
X: What's the advantage of going with a synthetic adjuvant?
BK: Manufacturing control. And we own it.
X: So that means you won't have to pay royalties to anyone?
BK: Exactly.
X: Is there a difference in speed of manufacturing, or consistency of the adjuvant?
BK: I'm talking about consistency. It's a chemical synthetic process as opposed to something from a biologic source.
X: So you think you have a better adjuvant?
BK: Potentially. We don't know it's better, but we own it, and that helps. From a scientific perspective, the question we're asking with BGLP40 is really whether there's an advantage to a vaccine that elicits both an antibody and a T-cell response against the target. It's an unknown question.
The other scientific thing we want to know is about our adjuvant. It hasn't been tested in man yet, and this will be the first time. We think what we'll learn from that could enable that adjuvant to be the subject of a licensing program, in and of itself, for other vaccines.
X: Like flu, or any other kind of vaccine?
BK: Yes. Some other vaccine. Either for infectious disease or oncology. That's both a scientific and clinical question, and a business issue.
We've tried to license it in the past, but it's not been far enough along in the clinic for it to generate real value for us. We'd like to build that value.
X: Is there any significance to the difference in amino acid length between the vaccines? Does that have anything to do with provoking both the T-cell and B-cell responses?
BK: No. We believe that's related to the fact that there are sugars present on the BGLP40 antigen and there are not sugars on the Stimuvax peptide.
The natural targeted protein, MUC-1, is glycosylated. It has sugar on it. It turns out you can get a perfectly good T-cell response without the sugars. That's what Stimuvax does. Clearly, Stimuvax has been demonstrated to have a T-cell response, and based on the Phase II trial, it looks like it works. We're not saying Stimuvax isn't adequate. That's not the message we're trying to send. We think Stimuvax does work. The question is whether this is better. If so, it also provides an obvious product life-cycle management tool for Stimuvax.
X: Now you're saying Stimuvax works. But isn't there a history where it went into a pivotal trial and didn't work, but it did in a subgroup?
BK: It wasn't a pivotal trial. It was a randomized Phase II trial which enrolled patients with both Stage IIIb and Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. It is true that in the overall trial, there was a little over a 4-month survival advantage for the Stimuvax group which wasn't statistically significant. It's also true that in the pre-stratified group of Stage IIIb patients, there was a 17-month survival advantage. That wasn't a pre-specified endpoint of the trial, but the group was stratified in advance. The randomization for that worked. You're right, it was an exploratory analysis of a Phase II trial, but there wasn't a lot of data mining required to get to that result.
X: That's what gave rise to the START trial, right?
BK: Yes, those are the data that led our partner, Merck KGaA, to initiate the START trial. It's designed to look at just patients with Stage III disease.
X: When do you expect data on that one?
BK: Merck has said all along that the trial would conclude sometime in 2011. There are two interim looks in that trial. The first of which occurs when 50 percent of the expected deaths in the trial have occurred. It's really hard to predict exactly when that's likely to occur. If the trial's going to end in 2011, a reasonable guess would be that has to happen sometime before the end of 2010. It's likely we'll get the first interim look at that trial sometime before the end of next year.
X: And in parallel, they also have a pivotal trial going on for patients with breast cancer, and for lung cancer patients in Asia, right?
BK: There are two other Phase III trials now ongoing. There is the Asian lung cancer trial that just started, called INSPIRE, and then there's a trial in breast cancer that's being given to patients with hormonally sensitive, advanced breast cancer. So it's patients with metastatic or recurrent disease that would normally be treated with hormonal therapy like tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor. They'll get the hormonal therapy, plus or minus Stimuvax. That trial started a few months ago.
X: I'd like to take a step back again. You raised a lot of money, $24 million, you've got more resources. Can you help me understand how you and the board are thinking about where you're going to take this in the year ahead now that you have more options? I didn't think you were going to survive a year ago.
BK: The ability to raise some money this year has clearly put us in a stronger position than we were a year ago. The combination of the restructuring we did in December, selling the Edmonton facility to Merck KGaA, and then raising $24 million in cash above and beyond what we got from the Merck KGaA deal (about $13 million), really puts us in a position where we can get some of these important milestones without necessarily having to do additional fundraising.
We're going to get data from Stimuvax as soon as the end of 2010 and on into 2011. We can get to those data points without really having to worry about it. You're right, a year ago that was absolutely not a true statement. I think that's reflected now in how people view us. They recognize we can do that now.
We're going to take our resources, and we're not going to spend so much that we can't get to our milestones, but we are actively going to do some development. One of those things, which we've been talking about, is going ahead with BGLP40. The strategic thinking is clear that if Stimuvax succeeds, this will be a very valuable property. It will take a relatively small investment to create that value. We will be spending 2010 finishing the preclinical development of that so that we can go into the clinic with it in 2011.
We're also going to be actively going forward with our small molecules. This is already public, but we've made a commitment that we're going to take PX-866, our PI3 kinase inhibitor, into Phase II in 2010. We expect to start at least two Phase II trials of that drug by the end of 2010. We haven't yet discussed what those trials will be. But that will be the major focus of our activity in 2010. The PI3 kinase is clearly a hot topic in oncology. We think we have an interesting and unique compound in that field. PX-866 is the only irreversible inhibitor of the PI3 kinase that we're aware of in clinical trials. We think that will give the molecule a significant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic advantage over the competition.
X: I remember you have talked about doing a partnership with that drug before. Why not do that this year? Was it a matter of actually having resources to develop it yourself?
BK: What we always wanted to do was take one of our two actively developed small molecules into Phase II and to partner. If we were going to have two in Phase II, we'd have to partner to do that. I'm committed to the notion that if you're going to take a molecule into Phase II, you had better run a pretty broad Phase II development program and really learn how to use your molecule. That's what Phase II is all about. You can't do that in a single Phase II trial. We can't meet our strategic goal of having sufficient resources to get to the Stimuvax endpoint AND do adequate Phase II development programs for two small molecules with existing resources. That just doesn't work.
One solution to that is if you do have two to go into Phase II, and you partner one or the other. We never said which one it would be.
X: So what about the HIF-1 alpha drug, your other small molecule?
BK: We haven't finished Phase I. And we haven't made a decision about it. That's exactly my point. If it turns out at the end of Phase I trial, that we need to go ahead with another trial, then we'll partner that one, or PX-866.
X: So given your finite resources, you have committed to take one drug into Phase II, and that's going to be PX-866?
BK: We've committed to take forward PX-866.
X: When you say a broad program, what do you mean by that? Is it a couple of different indications, or are those randomized trials to give you a real answer?
BK: We haven't disclosed that. I can't answer that.
X: It sounds like you're trying to get your ducks in a row before the big event of 2010, which will be the interim analysis of the START trial. If that comes a year from now, you've got BGLP40 poised to enter the clinic, and your Phase II of PX-866 would be well underway.
BK: That's a correct view of what we're trying to do. The goal all along—and I've said it since the day I joined this company—the goal was to have an oncology therapeutics development company that had multiple products in development so we had more than one opportunity for success and that we had mitigated our risk. That was the strategy from September 2006. That's why we brought in the small molecule pipeline and pushed that forward. That's what we wanted. It's why we're moving forward with BGLP40. And it's what we intend to do. To look for interesting early-stage molecules, take them through early-stage clinical development, and then partner for later-stage clinical development and commercialization. That's the model. So far, we've been able to execute on that.
X: Not only do you have more capital around here, you have some more human capital around here. I've noticed there's a mini-migration of people from [Seattle-based] ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: ZGEN). I see Doug Williams (CEO of ZymoGenetics) has joined your board. Any significance we should take from that, other than the fact that they got out of cancer research? What does it mean to your ability to push things forward?
BK: That was not a planned event. They made a decision to exit from cancer research at a time when we needed some additional people, and that just happened to work out. Doug is somebody that several members of our board have known for a long time, and we're happy that Doug has agreed to come on board with us. But there shouldn't be any more read into it. It happened to happen that way.
X: I'm actually thinking just as much about the impact of Scott Peterson and Diana Hausman. They are here full-time.
BK: Scott was part of the decision to exit oncology research at Zymo, and came very highly recommended to us, by Doug, actually. We're delighted to have him. He's a great employee. Also, knowing that we wanted to go into later-stage clinical development with some of these small-molecules, we wanted to bring somebody in-house to run that. We had been doing clinical development entirely on an outsourced basis. That's just not feasible with what we have in mind for Phase II. So we were glad to get Diana.
X: How many people do you have, 16?
BK: Today, that's probably right. We need to replace some people who chose not to come up here from the Tucson facility that we closed.
X: Do you have any guidance for 2010on what your strategy is on partnering for PX-866?
BK: No, I don't.
X: Do you want to take it all the way through Phase II before you open it up for talks?
BK: I'm more opportunistic than that. We will actively develop the compound. If there's a partnership that lets us develop that compound better, then that's what we'll do. But we have the ability to take that molecule through Phase II ourselves, and that's what we're planning to do.
X: Did you get any more interest around ASCO when [South San Francisco-based] Exelixis did their huge deal with Sanofi-Aventis? Did that change the value of this asset?
BK: It put a marker out there for what PI3 kinase programs can be worth. There have been two pretty good sized deals. That one, and the Roche/Genentech purchase of Piramed the year before were both for substantial amounts of money. It should be a signal to folks about what the potential of this program is.
X: Did anything bad happen to you this year?
BK: (laughs, pause).
X: Well, what are you worrying about these days?
BK: We worry about the same thing everybody in this business worries about. That's whether the clinical data you get in later-stage trials doesn't replicate what you see in early-stage trials. It's the big worry for everybody. It comes with the territory. All you can do is look at your data and make the best choices you can based on what you've seen. You worry about that, and will something happen in the external world that makes it impossible for you to get resources to develop your products.
I'd certainly like to take credit for everything that happened in 2009, but obviously we were the recipient of some serious luck this year. The markets changed around, and the good news wit [Dendreon's sipuleucel-T (Provenge)] had a dramatic effect on the perception of the therapeutic vaccine space. There's no question that has changed the perception. Obviously, there's a big event coming for that product in May. I have no control over that one, but the outcome will clearly have an effect.
A year ago, I was completely dependent on the external world in terms of my ability to get resources for the company. Now I am not. I now know that I have the resources to get to the major event for our lead program. That's a dramatically better place to be than we were a year ago.
X: I think of you guys as exemplifying something that happened here in Seattle this year, among the public companies. There were a number of companies last fall, running low on cash, heading into this horrific downturn, backs against the wall, needed to do a deal, needed to raise money, needed to do something to ensure the company's financial future. You guys did it. And there were several others. Dendreon would have been in the same boat if its drug had busted, Seattle Genetics raised a lot of money, OncoGenex in Bothell had some good data and got a big boost. When you look around Seattle biotech, is it in a stronger position?
BK: I think Seattle biotech is definitely in a stronger position than it was a year ago. The public companies have done reasonably well this year. There continues to be an interesting private company sector in the city. Compared to maybe San Diego, this has been a good year for us in Seattle. It's great. It's good for the city. It makes it easier on everybody. It's easier to recruit people into the city when there's a strong base of biotech here. It's easier to get people to visit, whether it's bankers, or analysts, or any other people we depend on.
X: Are you finding it easier to recruit?
BK: It's certainly easier for us. It's a lot easier to recruit when people can look at your cash position and prospects in the next year or two and see some stability and some positive upside.


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Comparison between Indian GAAP and US GAAP
Both big and small enterprises engage in the process of accounting. Most governments all over the world set guidelines have engaged in setting guidelines of how businesses should undertake their book keeping chores. Most of these guidelines are the same in most countries although there may be slight differences from country to country. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) refers to these basic guidelines that set the procedures for preparation and presentation of financial statements. This includes recording transactions and preparation of annual final books of accounts. All these transaction should be kept while keeping in mind the existing laws governing presenting of financial accounts. Both Indian and US GAAP are set under the same basic guidelines but they differ to a small extent. The article outlines some of the areas of difference.
Indian GAAP
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is responsible for setting the guidelines that all business enterprises have to adhere to while presenting their financial statements. Among these are 32 basic guidelines that have not been accepted by most people in the accounting profession in India. The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was established in 1973 and has encountered a lot of challenges in harmonizing India's standards to those of the world but major progress has been made in the last few years.
All the accounting rules are based on the major assumption that asks that the companies should 'Provide for all losses and anticipate no profits'
US GAAP are a set of rules and guidelines that companies are required to follow are when preparing financial statements by all companies and individuals in the United States. The US government has left to the professional working in the area of accounting to come up with the rules that will govern them in their accounting. However, the government intervenes with corrections whenever required. Statements issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are accepted by all accounting professionals as rules and norms by all accountants in the country. These direction are however different from those issued by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Dissimilarities between Indian and US GAAP
Despite the changes that India's accounting standards have undergone, there still are a lot of differences between these and those in force in the US. These weaknesses in India's accounting standards have often been used by MNC operating in India to escape tax liabilities by reporting less profit than they make. The major differences are:
- Presentation of financial statements – the format of the accounts is defined by Indian GAPP, as set out under the VI schedule of the companies Act, 1956. In USA, these take no specific format.
- Indian GAAP says that the Cash Flow statement is a mandatory end of year statement only for those companies listed in stock exchanges. All companies in USA are required by US GAAP to make a stamen of cash flows.
- the Companies Act of 1956 sets out the depreciation rate that are to be adopted to depreciate assets while depreciation of assets under US GAAP is dependent on the asset's useful life.
- In US long term debt is a current liability but under Indian GAPP, there is no such requirement. Interest accrued on long term debt is consequently not taken as current liability.


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Do you like food? As I personally love food. Over the past twelve months I have been exploring different places to east out around my local area. It's easy to walk past these places and never venture into them, the prices can be off-putting when other places do meal deals. I have realised over time though that smaller businesses may be dearer yet the food justifies the prices. I also think it is important to help small local businesses, our local town has had so many shops, cafe's and many other places shut down over the recent years. The Cornish barn is one of my favourite places to go to during Autumn and Winter, when they serve Sunday roasts. I love a good roast – Nothing beats my mums roast though.
The Cornish Barn is a rustic restaurant, it's so snug and warm, I would happily go there everyday to sit in front of the fire-place with a hot chocolate and a book. Rob and I have always said that we would one day have a home with a wood burner. the staff have always been very polite and catered to all our needs which include showing me to the baby changing facility.
A place can look beautiful but really it's the food that has to be on point for me. I have always favoured beef over chicken, until I tried the beer can chicken, my mind was blown away as it has become my favourite dish that I have ever tried. After trying it the first time I have been back many occasions for more. Have you ever been to The Cornish Barn and tried the beer can chicken?
The one thing that annoys me I've found when visiting some restaurants is that you don't get chips with the meal, you have to order them as a side dish paying even more. I keep going back though so I guess it's a winning trick. You do get vegetables with your Sunday roast so that is my favourite time to go, it's also cheaper to go on a Sunday as it was £15 for half a chicken with no chips during the week. You get a quarter of chicken with the Sunday roast but for me it was plenty to save room for desert, it's £19.50 for two courses on a Sunday.
Above is the half chicken and below is the Sunday roast.
The desserts are served to perfection. I found a new love for cinnamon and apple crumble last winter, a recipe I made myself recently. The deserts are different this year being a choice of an ice cream sundae, or rum – infused creme brûlée, dark chocolate orange mousse with Honey comb and mascarpone ice cream. There is so many to choice from! I went to The Cornish Barn yesterday and got the ice cream sundae with no regret.
My son always goes for the ice cream even when the weather is chilly outside.
The drinks are very photogenic as well as tasty. The strawberry lemonade is a must try as well as the hot chocolate, I am not keen on the cocktail menu.
I tried a few of the cocktails one night last summer with a few of my friends, I found them very strong so each sip made me wince. I know cocktails are supposed to be strong but for me personally I like them more fruity.
Outside around the back there is a garden with shelter, seating, a bar, ping pong and a football table. There is also heated lamps for cold evenings. You can find a separate terrace near the garden with seating.
There is plenty more things to try on the menu, after seeing how I have only ever tried the beer can chicken I think I may try the black treacle beef brisket next time. During the week you can get stuff like a burger or fish which is stuff they get from local suppliers. There's a breakfast menu as well was a daytime and evening menu. I like a place with variety which I find The Cornish Barn do offer, I just need to explore the menu more. I do love the chicken though if I have not already mentioned that enough. Where is your favourite place to eat out around Penzance or even Cornwall? Have you popped into The Cornish Barn before?


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A Phase 2 Exploratory Study of Erlotinib and SNDX-275 in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Who Are Progressing on Erlotinib
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00750698
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : September 10, 2008
Last Update Posted : March 18, 2011
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
|Drug: SNDX-275 Drug: erlotinib
|Phase 2
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Estimated Enrollment :
|70 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Phase 2 Exploratory Study of Erlotinib and SNDX-275 in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Who Are Progressing on Erlotinib
|Study Start Date :
|August 2008
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|May 2010
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 2010
Experimental: 1
"Erlotinib-responsive" patients are those who progressed following either a complete or partial response to erlotinib or a period of stable disease lasting at least 3 months.
Drug: SNDX-275
SNDX-275 (10 mg fixed dose PO Q2W) on days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles
Other Name: entinostat
Drug: erlotinib
erlotinib (150 mg PO QD) for up to six (6) 28-day cycles
Other Name: Tarceva
Experimental: 2
"Erlotinib-nonresponsive" patients are those who either progressed immediately during treatment with erlotinib (i.e. after at least 1 full cycle of erlotinib treatment) or had an objective response or period of stable disease lasting less than 3 months.
Drug: SNDX-275
SNDX-275 (10 mg fixed dose PO Q2W) on days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles
Other Name: entinostat
Drug: erlotinib
erlotinib (150 mg PO QD) for up to six (6) 28-day cycles
Other Name: Tarceva
- Disease control rate (complete response, partial response, or stable disease for at least 3 months) [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
- Progression-free survival rate at 2 months [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
- Progression-free survival rate at 4 months [ Time Frame: 4 months ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
- Cytologically or histologically confirmed NSCLC of stage IIIb (pleural effusion) or IV
- Disease is progressing (either no response to treatment or subsequent relapse after an objective response) on erlotinib treatment, based on at least 2 scans (the last being within 4 weeks of study enrollment and can serve as the baseline scan for the patient's screening into the study )
- Recovered from any toxicity associated with the most recent cancer treatment (no greater than grade 1 toxicity on CTCAE scale or to prior baseline condition)
- At least 1 measurable lesion ≥ 20mm by conventional CT scan or ≥ 10mm by spiral CT scan
- ECOG performance score of 0, 1, or 2 and life expectancy of at least 3 months
- Paraffin-embedded tumor specimen available for correlative studies
- Male or female over 18 years of age
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL; platelets ≥ 75 x 10⁹/L; ANC ≥ 1.0 x 10⁹/L without the use of hematopoietic growth factors
- Coagulation tests within the normal range
- Bilirubin and creatinine less than 2 times the upper limit of normal for the institution
- AST and ALT less than 3 times the upper limit of normal for the institution
- Potassium, magnesium and phosphorus within the normal range for the institution (supplementation is permissible)
- Willing to use accepted and effective methods of contraception during the study (both men and women as appropriate) and for 3 months after the last dose of SNDX-275
- Patient or legally acceptable representative has granted written informed consent before any study-specific procedure (including special screening tests) is performed
- Prior stem cell transplant
- Symptomatic CNS involvement
- Prior treatment with an HDAC inhibitor
- Concurrent anticancer therapy, with the exception of radiotherapy for a non-target study lesion
- Currently taking medication(s) on the prohibited medication list
- Systemic chemotherapy or treatment with an investigational agent within 28 days before enrollment
- Current use of valproic acid
- Untreated or unstable brain metastases, or taken steroids for this condition within 4 weeks of study drug administration
- Currently active second malignancy, or any malignancy within the last 5 years other than cured basal or squamous cell skin carcinoma, cervical carcinoma in situ, or superficial bladder cancer
- Inability to swallow oral medications or a gastrointestinal malabsorption condition
- Uncontrolled infection requiring IV antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals, known HIV infection, or active hepatitis B or C infection
- Abnormal cardiac function as defined as clinically significant findings on ECG (multifocal PVCs, ST-T wave changes consistent with myocardial infarction or acute ischemia, QTc greater than 500 milliseconds), tachycardia, or left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% on MUGA scan
- Another serious or uncontrolled medical condition within 3 months of enrollment such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or suppressed immune system
- Known hypersensitivity to benzamides
- Morbid obesity
- Women who are currently pregnant or breast-feeding
- Patient is currently enrolled in (or completed within 28 days) another investigational drug study
- Patient unavailable for on-study or follow-up assessments
- Patient has any kind of medical, psychiatric, or behavioral disorder that places the patient at increased risk for study participation or compromises the ability of the patient to give written informed consent and/or to comply with study procedures and requirements
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00750698
|United States, California
|City of Hope
|Duarte, California, United States
|University of California San Diego
|La Jolla, California, United States
|Sharp Memorial Hospital
|San Diego, California, United States
|United States, Florida
|University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
|Miami, Florida, United States
|United States, Georgia
|Medical College of Georgia
|Augusta, Georgia, United States
|United States, Illinois
|RUSH University Medical Center
|Chicago, Illinois, United States
|United States, Maryland
|University of Maryland Medical Center
|Baltimore, Maryland, United States
|United States, Minnesota
|the Mayo Clinic
|Rochester, Minnesota, United States
|United States, New York
|Roswell Park Cancer Institute
|Buffalo, New York, United States
|United States, North Carolina
|Blumenthal Cancer Center
|Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
|United States, South Carolina
|University of South Carolina
|Charleston, South Carolina, United States
|South Carolina Oncology Associates
|Columbia, South Carolina, United States
|Study Chair:
|Alex Adjei, MD
|Roswell Park Cancer Institute
|Responsible Party:
|Jeannette Hasapidis, Executive Director of Clinical Operations, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|September 10, 2008 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|March 18, 2011
|Last Verified:
|February 2010
lung cancer
non small cell lung cancer
Lung Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Respiratory Tract Neoplasms
Thoracic Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Lung Diseases
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic
Bronchial Neoplasms
Erlotinib Hydrochloride
Antineoplastic Agents
Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors


text:
a lovely little chinwag with… chromat
When Marvel asked Chromat to design an outfit for their Black Panther fashion show, they knew they had to use Ankara, a traditional Nigerian block-printed fabric – and call in a little help from Mum.
No matter how accomplished you are, you can always use a little help from your parents. Just ask designer Tolu Aremu from Chromat. When Marvel asked the architecturally inspired label to whip up an outfit for the Black Panther show at New York Fashion Week, the first person Tolu reached out to was her own superhero – her mum. We asked the super-talented Tolu and Chromat's founder Becca McCharen-Tran how their eye-popping creation came together – and how pieces like these are dismantling the European beauty ideals that permeate the industry.
Chromat ladies Becca (left) and Tolu (right).
Tell us a bit about your design process. Tolu Aremu: The starting point for me was my mum. As soon as we talked about Black Panther, I thought, OK, what's the fabric? Ankara. Immediately I called my mum. I was like, "Mum, we're doing this thing," and she was like, "What?" She reached out to her cousin in Nigeria who sent us a bunch of Ankara to choose from. Then seeing the film and the technology behind it just made it more impactful and powerful – and seeing all the strong black women that are in the film. Chromat is known for being unapologetic, strong women, so I feel like this collaboration between these three things flow very seamlessly together.
Chromat is an architecturally inspired fashion label. You use architecture to augment the body, for example. In what way does that come through in this design? Becca McCharen-Tran: I first started Chromat back in 2010. I was working as an architect and experimenting after work with corsetry and different ways to create scaffolding for the body, so that structural language is the foundation of everything we do now. We're always thinking about the body's structure and connecting moving points. The look that we have designed today incorporates that structural cage element in the skirt.
How does Black Panther and seeing an African superhero in mainstream culture change the world for you? Tolu: It really didn't change my world, because Africans have always been superheroes in my mind. I'm Nigerian. But I think it definitely shined a light on a world that people just didn't think existed. People didn't think that Africa could be this rich or cultural or as vibrant as we are. It's important for people to know we're not just barefoot running in the wild.
Would you say it has a political meaning for you as well? Becca: The movie really touches on the politics of the US today. Michael B. Jordan's character, for example, is seeking revenge. This country is based on white supremacy. Even in fashion you still see the heritage of white supremacy in the Eurocentric beauty ideals. So I think with projects like this, merging Black Panther and fashion, we're able to break down the beauty ideals and hopefully break down the barriers of white supremacy that are still entrenched in the industry.
Chromat's creation at the Black Panther fashion show, Welcome to Wakanda.
Do you think that you've changed in any way as a designer through the work that you've done on this piece? Tolu: Not really. I feel like Ankara in my design aesthetic has always been a thing. If anything, it made me feel like a stronger African designer after finishing this piece. And I feel like now is a time to be very unapologetic and very African, because the light is on us, so you have to shine.
Tell us a little bit more about Ankara. Tolu: It's a Nigerian textile. It's essentially a stiff fabric that's block-printed in all these different, fun, colourful patterns and prints. When you get married you have your traditional Ankara. When I get married, everybody will wearing the same Ankara, because the bride picks it. It's a traditional fabric that you always see in our culture – and throughout Black Panther, too.
How was this fabric printed? Tolu: My mum's cousin printed it in Nigeria.
Artists' and designers' mums are the unsung heroes of everything that we do. Tolu: Absolutely. We've been working on this dress for the past 24 hours, so when I came home, I was exhausted. My mum, who's in town, said, "Do you need anything?" I said, "No, I think I'm going to go to sleep." And she was at my door with breakfast and my laundry that she'd washed. I was like, "What's wrong with you?" [laughs] I was going to cry. Becca: She's going to be at the runway show tonight. Tolu's whole family came for this event.
Anything else you'd like to tell us about this design and this opportunity? Tolu: Just that it's been an honour and a privilege to be any part of this film, Black Panther, whether that's designing this look, going to the film, falling in love with Michael B. Jordan – whatever contribution we can make is really awesome. This is a movie that's shining a light on Africans in a beautiful way.
Black Panther is in cinemas now.
See more cool digs from Chromat just over here.
Snaps by Mia Timpano.


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Blenderizing Terms in Chronic Pain
By Steve Ariens
Editor's Note: Steve is a retired pharmacist who has written for the National Pain Report. Today he looks at some of the terminology that has evolved recently in chronic pain and reaches an interesting conclusion
Don't bother looking up the term "blenderizing". It is a made up term. Basically have you ever put ingredients into a blender and turned it on frappe and after a short period of time, who believes that there is any hope of identifying any of the individual ingredients that was started out with? Most likely, whatever is now in the blender is a homogeneous "blob".
Some of the terms – and definition – normally used in the abuse of opiate drugs are:
Epidemic: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time
Crisis: a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger
Abuse: the improper use of something
Misuse: use (something) in the wrong way or for the wrong purpose
Addiction: physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects
Dependency: Dependence develops when the neurons adapt to the repeated drug exposure and only function normally in the presence of the drug. When the drug is withdrawn, several physiologic reactions occur (withdrawal)
Our previous Surgeon General stated that (all) addiction(s) are part of mental health disease(s) and not a moral failing.
Many want to claim that the overdoses from opiates are part of an epidemic, but if addiction(s) is a mental health disease, mental health IS NOT a contagious disease. So now, some are starting to address this as a CRISIS, but if we are dealing with a CRISIS. Are we dealing with the failure of our healthcare system to recognize and readily treat mental health disease issues? So we are now seeing the interchanging of the terms CRISIS and EPIDEMIC.
The war on drugs has always referenced "drug abuse", but now it would seem that more literature is attempting to make ABUSE and MISUSE synonymous. If a patient's disease issues goes into a "flair" and/or increased activity induce above average pain and over a month's period of time take a few extra doses to compensate, that MAY be considered MISUSE by some, but some seem to be trying to change the nomenclature so that they could be accused as ABUSING their medication(s) ?
The CDC produced opiate dosing guidelines in early 2016 and created the term MME (Morphine Mg Equivalents) and even the websites that produce MME calculators ignored those same websites that clearly state that these conversion tables are highly inaccurate to calculate accurate MME's. Here is an article on National Pain Report that elaborates on this When Equal Isn't Really Equal
In 1917, our judicial system declared that opiate addiction was a CRIME and not a DISEASE. Now that we are in the 21st century and more and more experts – outside of the judicial system – are starting to realize that addiction is a symptom of a mental health disease. Should we start focusing on diagnosing and treatment?
Should we start looking at those we currently label as "drug addicts", are mental health patients, whose undiagnosed mental issues became FULL BLOWN substance abuse when they were prescribed or experimented with some substance with abuse potential.
Perhaps all those patients suffering from any/all chronic diseases, especially those who suffer from subjective diseases and have a medical necessity for controlled substances. Ban together, and seek to declare the 1917 judicial system's declaration that addiction is a CRIME is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
There will be no more need for the declaration by many "… we are chronic pain patients … not addicts ."
There will be no more need for bureaucrats proposing to create a "opiate medication tax" to pay for treatment of those with a mental health disease and abusing opiates.
The drug cartels will lose their $100 billion per year illegal drug market, and massive opiate OD's will be a thing of the past.
Other articles for the National Pain Report by Steve Ariens can be viewed here.
To the poster on why chronic pain patients aren't more activist: We are chronic pain patients, by nature, meaning many of us could barely even write or type.. now that the necessary meds to treat our pain is being outlawed, the disability of writing and calling paradoxically goes up, while the needed attention and results go down. We need advocates so badly!
To comment on Cindy Diem post, I totally agree, if each of us would write or email weekly about the new regulations in the works, those which will hurt us, maybe we would start to be heard. I have not heard of one lawmaker or physician speak up for us in the news. Especially, Tom Price, Secretary of Health & Human Services. He's too busy flying around in private jets costing taxpayers thousands of dollars, all of which were unnecessary.
Write, email, call your congressman/woman frequently, PLEASE!
I don't really give a damn if the "experts" cite opioid medication not beneficial for long term, lifetime pain, even though documented prescribing has shown otherwise. I don't care through words, if I am labeled addicted or dependent on medication. The fact is, I have, was exposed to ALL methods of pain reduction from a low back generating HEALTH CONDITION. The insistent pain was indicative of a herniated disc, followed by surgery. I.5 years later, the pain still persisting it was decided I needed a more radical approach to curb…….the pain. A fusion surgery was offered (with no way out) to stop the pain. It included an invasive procedure, surgical metal plated and screws. My medical report stated that the surgeon has a patient (me) HIGGHY motivated to remain working. This surgery was far less than effective, also. Thus began after post op to use every "treatment" short of full time opioid medication to manage the pain. Infusions, steroid injections, physical therapy, water therapy, chiropractic and all but, acupuncture. It was decided that I was NOT a further candidate of surgery. The surgeon that performed the surgeries has become known as a "high volume general surgeon". Does nothing about this title sound suspicious? The surgeon, no longer to prescribe opioid medication after adequate healing time from the surgery, referred me to a pain management specialist where I spent the next 2 years trying different medications. After about 2 years a dosage and type medication was found, at the current place in time that was NOT considered an over appropriate amount of medication. With that pain management specialist, I was using 50% MORE medication then, than I have been using with the current provider for 6.5 years until the CDC "mis-guided-line". Like everyone else, January, 2017 it was announced that the medication prescribed for over 15 years or so MUST be reduced to an 80% less dosage according to the CDC "policy".I had my doubts that I could adjust, but for the sake of others' overdose, I have given it my best attempt. I have not been employed since the last or February, 2017. I have been given no OTHER resource to manage documented beneficial use of opioid medication from my state medical board, Department of HHS OR the CDC after phone conversations, e-mails, or letters. My state representatives have shown little interest at all. Down your throat "treatment"."Shrug it off". This is NOT addressing the real critical situation that 90 mme daily, maximum has come to place me in. I was being self providing with now "laws" broken prior to 90 mme. At present having been reduced an asinine amount of medication, I have had to file for SS Disability where I KNOW I will not be granted a disabled status. I can't sit, lie down, or stand to alleviate continuous pain. Even IF granted disabled status, this may help my monetary critical situation but, the pain…..will still remain. I choose not to use illicit substances, or drink alcohol so… Read more »
Some of these words were "Blenderized" because they sound more sensational. The real Epidemic is ignorance and gullibility. Like everything else we need to ask who benefits. Most of the more popular Articles on this subject, leave out pain patients and only use the word pain in conjunction with Killer, Pain Killers. By blurring these terms, they can apply whatever spin they want, depending on their Ideology or financial Interests. The Term "Misuse" has been re-interpreted to mean anything from Taking the Medication to get high, to not taking it, because they can't afford it. When they use the word, it give the implication that it has do do with Addiction.
I just read with shock that CVS will begin controlling the quantity of pain medication and length of time prescribed in February, 2018, regardless of the written prescription!!!!!!!!!
Ya'll, what is happening here? Are you kidding me? This is a physician/patient right and privilege not the business of the local drug store! Who do they think they are? Boycott NOW!
I am at a loss for words at the moment. I feel as though this is the beginning of taking the entire opioid medications off the market eventually. Why? How can they do this to us? This is my lifeline, the only reason I get out of bed and go to work every morning.
I never believed it would get this serious and we must unite and do something just as shocking!
I plan to mail my CVS card back to them with my letter, please do the same.
Shut them all down..
Heroin hass been in high use only for the use of getting high for hendreds of years. In this country it was over the counter medicinne becore it was out lawed.
Over the years the hard working people of this country acquired extremely painful conditions. Nothing was working. They developed pills that contained opioids. Those pills were a god send. However the heroin addicts figured out they can.legally get a very similar high legally. They rook advantage.if the SYSTEM. Even though it was a very small percentage the dea figured they can look good by arrestimg the abusers. They then created a data base and were able to shut down the illegal users and bad doctors. THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH THOUGH A GROUP OF DRS TGOUGH THEY COULD.MAKE HUMDREDSNOF MILLIONS BY SAYING NOBODY NEEDA PAINESICARION AND GROUPES THE ABUSERS WITH TRUE PATIENTS. THAT WAS THE 1ST BIG MISTAKE. THEN THEY SUCKED IN THE CDC BY FALSIFYING NUMBERS AND COMBINING HEROIN USE WITH THE ILLEGAL PILL USE AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PROBLEM. HENCE THE TERM EPIDEMIC. THEY HAVE YET TO ADMIT PAIN PATIENTS ARE NOW BEING SHUNNED BY THOER DRS. BEING FORCESLD TO FIND PAIN RELIEF FROM THE STEEETS AND ALL OF RHE SEATHS ARE FROM HEROIN. FOR ME TO GET A PRESCRIPTION I MUST GET APPT. WAIT AT LEAST 5 DAYS. THEN GO THE PHARMACY. THEY ARE OUT OF STOCK 90% OF THE TIME. I MUST WAIT A WEEK FEOM THERE TO GET IT FILLLED AND IT CANT BE FILLLED UNTIL THE 29th day.
HOW MANY JUNKIES HAVE THAT PATIENCE. TJEY FIMDNTHE JUNK IN 15 MINUTES AND ITS INTHIER VEINS OR UP THOER NOSE IN 5 MINITES. SO WAKE UP MORONS OF THE CDC. CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO WHAT EVER DOSE THE DOCTOR RECCOMENDS WHETHER OT 2 norxosnanday or Ten 80 mg oxyxontins. Od they werw going to os or die they would have. Theyre just looking for pain relief and were getting it.
If a few people sell them theyll eventually get caught or not passna pillcount or urine test. If they use too many. Tjeyl.make a habit of going ro dr way to soon for a refill. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NOW CVS WANTS DISABLED PEOPLE TO COME TO THEM every 7 days. For a chronic pain patient thats like asking him to paint his house every week. Im surw theyll charge 4x the copay too.
Shamen on all of you. My those that agree with this feel the pain we do and not have the benifot of relief. Oh mostnof you are doctors. Youl just have a griend write you a presription.
B careful what u ask for guys😉
The clinical additionologists standards will blur the lines of Prohibitionist.
I ain't jokn' either.
Honestly, I'm not sure why chronic pain folks are as complacent as they are. I write on average 2 letters a week, at least. To everyone. If all of us would do so maybe there would be some movement.
Great Article, Steve!! You always tell it like it is, and pull no punches. So convenient, how the CDC continues to use language that furthers their propaganda, however when something does not support their archaic and flawed way of thinking, it is quietly released with no fanfare….case in point, the admission that their way of measuring deaths caused by pain medications, was flawed from the beginning due to the manner in which they were pulling information from Death Certificates. If only they spent as much time providing the public with factual information, as they do with do using the media to further their "witch hunt," then maybe those in the Pain Community wouldn't feel as though they are being attacked from every direction.
Seriously, what was the point in them hiring a firm, to provide them with constructive criticism/feedback, if they refuse to do something with said feedback….they know that Doctors/Insurance companies do not consider their suggestions as just that, suggestions for Primary Care Doctors, they consider it an Edict from a government agency. I have been lucky, I have a PM doctor that while he prescribes responsibly, has been compassionate and realistic when treating his patients. Unfortunately, most are not as lucky as I am.
Sorry for a comment, that somehow turned into a novel….I am just passionate about this subject and the effect it has had on my fellow Pain Warriors. Thanks again for the insightful and honest article. As always, you make me want to take action, rather than just complain about the current atmosphere.
Excellent article, Steve. Thanks for writing it. I wish it would go viral!
I am thinking what you have written about should be relabeled PC SPEAK for this current agenda. And make no mistake. It is a big agenda.
Great article Steve! I agree that we need to do something instead of declaring that we are not addicts & being upset about it. We need to do what you said, "Ban together, and seek to declare the 1917 judicial system's declaration that addiction is a CRIME is UNCONSTITUTIONAL." I've been writhing to my House Reps, Senators etc & even to Christie himself. I get form letters back that say nothing of my original letter. But I'm not giving up, I'm just going to try a different approach! Thank you! For the ideas and incentive! Have a great weekend!
This is so true!!!! Steve Arians knows what needs to be done. I have been wandering for years how long we are going to keep allowing them to deny us medical treatment before we ban together and go straight on. It has become a thing of the past here to get any treatment for pain including injections etc. The pain specialist have went into other fields so they don't have to worry about going to prison for treating their patient's. It won't be long before the whole country is like that.
The CDC risks the trust we place in it by misusing the term epidemic.
The definition of addiction Steve is 'COMMITTING CRIMES TO OBTAIN THE DRUG OF ADDICTION'. Well it is in the U.K. I like my Pain Consultant's terminology which is much more accurate: Chronic Pain Patients are on PALLIATIVE CARE FOR LIFE. I am having some success approaching the End of Life Studies team at Glasgow University to get them to include Chronic pain patients in their work. Using the Palliative Care label
would be so much more productive. Thanks for your post.


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Ideas for future expansion
- coining of the term "totalitarian"
- degree of control needed to qualify as "totalitarian"
- totalitarian twins
- Leftist objections to usage of the term "totalitarian"
The parallel article at Wikipedia suffers from editwaritis. --Ed Poor 09:37, 10 April 2007 (EDT)
Saudi Arabia
Monarchy, surely? Granted Wahabism prevails, but it's the King who's boss, not the imams. --Robledo 16:12, 11 May 2007 (EDT)
They do have a religious police, lashes are still lawful punishment, Islamic polygamy is allowed, women are restricted form obtaining a driver's license.
Yes, there is a king, but the last king was a fundamentalist Muslim, his son has promised progress and reforms but so far we haven't seen a lot.
Agreed. But the key test is in the actual balance of power between the king/princes and the religious authorities. My suggestion is this: at the moment, the religious authorities have power because of the royal family. If at any time they fancied ridding themselves of a few turbulent priests, as it were, then they could do exactly that.
The day I see a Saudi prince dragged before the religious authorities for some Sharia transgression, is the day I'll say, yes, Saudi Arabia is a true theocracy. I don't see it happening any time soon, fella. --Robledo 11:30, 12 May 2007 (EDT)


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The field of OB focuses on understanding the behaviour of individuals, groups and organizations. This field uses theory and methods from a wide variety of disciplines including psychology, sociology, political science, anthropology, statistics and economics.
The research of Ivey's OB faculty group reflects a wide range of interests, including: leadership, personnel selection, gender and diversity in the workplace, discrimination and prejudice, expatriate management, goal-setting, group learning and team processes, errors, high performance work systems, and organizational mindfulness.
Faculty research is regularly published in the top management journals, including ASQ, AMJ, AMR, Organization Science, OBHDP, Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP), Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Organizational Behavior (JOB), The Leadership Quarterly (LQ), as well as others.


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Beyond FICTION: THE LITTLE BRIDE by Anna Solomon
In a recent talk and book signing at the Boulder Jewish Community Center, Anna said one of the reasons she was drawn to the topic of Jewish pioneers was the connection she felt to what she imagined they must have endured. A native of Gloucester, MA, a fishing community comprised "mainly of Irish and Italian Catholics" with a very small Jewish community, Anna says she was one of only two Jewish students in her school and was very self-conscious about the holidays she was missing and her curly hair.
Though she felt "connected to the landscape" via her familiarity with fishing, hunting for mussels in her small motorboat, sailing, and skiing while growing up, she later realized she had a "second-generation complex" as she "wanted to feel something innately New England," something she "would never achieve as a Jew."
"Pioneer Jews were farmers where there were few other Jews," she explains, adding that when she began to learn about them she understood "they'd experienced an exaggerated version of what I've gone through" living as a Jew in New England.
Stories Untold
Anna confesses she first learned about Jewish pioneers in the U.S. when she Googled her name (before Google Alerts made this unnecessary, she jokes) and discovered a website called Stories Untold. The site features Jewish pioneer women, one of whom was named, serendipitously enough, Anna Solomon. That discovery led Anna to learn about mail-order brides, especially one named Rachel Calof, also featured prominently on the Stories Untold website. Rachel not only was a mail-order bride, but she wrote a memoir about her time as one living in North Dakota in the 1890s.
Her memoir, discovered by her daughter in the 1980s and translated from Yiddish in the 1990s, was published as RACHEL CALOF'S STORY by Indiana University Press in 2009. This year, the same year in which THE LITTLE BRIDE was published, a one-woman play called RACHEL CALOF: A MEMOIR WITH MUSIC was produced in New York.
History + Fiction = Historical Fiction
Anna notes a wide range of opinions exist on how historical fiction ought to be written, on how much of a historical novel should be made up versus how much its author should stick with historical details. Anna's own concerns about misrepresenting historical details led her to consult not only online and printed resources but professionals on everything from antique farm equipment to the type of grass settlers in South Dakota might have struggled to keep from taking over their land. "I am concerned with getting details right," she says.
Another special challenge inherent in writing about Jewish pioneers from the late nineteenth century involved translations from Yiddish. "Many words in Yiddish have multiple definitions or spellings," Anna explains, adding that ultimately it's impossible to make everyone happy on that front. Finding documented evidence about mail-order brides was also challenging as so many of the transactions were not publicized. Citing the resemblance of the practice to the Jewish matchmaking tradition, Anna says the process was not as scandalous back then as current readers might think. Still, much of it was conducted via word of mouth and scams that cost many men their money—and led many women into slavery as prostitutes—were widespread.
Any such lack of documented details didn't deter Anna, who says a historical fiction author "fills in the gap between what is known and what is lived." The first scene of THE LITTLE BRIDE deals with "The Look," a humiliating examination Rachel Calof mentioned almost as an aside since it was a common aspect of becoming a mail-order bride. Anna placed her main character, Minna, in a scene that involved such an exam, adding the emotion she imagined countless women like Rachel must have experienced at such low points in their lives.
From there, Anna continued to weave the story of her main character, Minna, an Eastern European teen in the 1880s when she was orphaned and sent to Odessa to work. Minna eventually applies to be a mail-order bride in order to escape escalating violence against Jews in the region. She's grown up with dueling myths about her mother's absence, myths that have greatly impacted her childhood. These myths continue to impact her development as a woman and eventual wife and mother when she lands in South Dakota, far from the coastal city she'd imagined she'd live in when she was sent to the U.S. Her husband, a much older Orthodox Jew who's still learning how to farm with his two sons, is not exactly what she'd expected, either.
The Eternal People
Am Olam, Yiddish for Eternal People, was a name assigned to a theory of sorts among some late nineteenth-century Jewish leaders that asserted discrimination of Jews would lessen if more Jews pursued "productive" lines of work such as farming. Such an effort would result in Jews who were more robust and self-sufficient flourishing on farms far from overcrowded settlements. Am Olam advocates considered The New World a sort of Eden with its promise of free land due to the Homestead Act, and were anxious to try out their experiment there.
Wealthy established Jews in the U.S., many of whom hailed from Germany, had practical reasons to support such efforts. They did much to help newly immigrated Jews from Eastern Europe, whom they considered a blight of sorts on the upscale public image they'd labored for years to establish. A very likeable character, Jacob, states in THE LITTLE BRIDE that the "rich old Jews" who'd helped immigrant families like his at first were very kind, until thousands of immigrants arrived in need of help…and education. Of special concern was how to teach the immigrants to "dress properly, clip their beards to a hygienic length, and walk without their feet flopping and their heads in the sky, and talk without their hands flailing, and tell their women to stop looking, every one, like a widow."
Some were sent to colonies in places as far-fetched as the Dakotas, the Pacific Northwest, or the wilds of Louisiana, though most did not have the skills they needed to select ideal farm land, or to farm it. So Am Olam proved to be a relatively short-lived experiment, but it did have a widespread impact on the cities that eventually grew in these regions. As Anna puts it, the Jews who'd been sent to these areas and whose descendants stayed brought to these eventual cities a new perspective due to their direct ties to the land. Ultimately, they "challenged beliefs about what Jewish Americans can be."
Questions of Faith and Identity
THE LITTLE BRIDE also explores the challenges faced by Jewish pioneers whose livelihood might have contradicted the demands of their Orthodox faith, or whose obligations to that faith was challenged by a spouse who held different beliefs. The question of whether Jews in the United States consider themselves Jewish Americans or American Jews continues to be a factor in "how we identify ourselves and live out this identity in a culture that isn't largely Jewish," Anna states.
For a young mail-order bride, such issues were jumbled into a heap of questions about identity as she struggled to overcome often brutal conditions, to be a pioneer and wife and mother despite significant language and cultural barriers, to come to terms with the fact she would never see her home again. To become a whole new person and not only survive, but prosper while she was at it.
These are just some of the challenges faced by Minna in THE LITTLE BRIDE. Anna Solomon's storytelling skills and obvious love for her subject matter bring these challenges—and Minna—to life among a backdrop of fascinating, and widely unknown, details from American history. Mazel Tov on a beautiful book, Anna!


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TAC returns with the next installment in an ongoing series of words that are good to know as an architect in training: The Architect's Companion "Word of the Day".
Today's word of the day comes to us straight from the cavity wall: the weep (see also, weep hole). According to Wikipedia, a weep is defined as follows:
A small opening that allows water to drain from within an assembly. Weeps are located at the bottom of the object (cavity wall) to allow for drainage; the weep hole must be sized adequately to overcome surface tension.
Masonry is an inherently "absorbent" material. Weep holes (along with adequate air space) are an essential piece of cavity wall construction, providing an outlet for water or moisture to escape from behind the masonry veneer in said wall system. Typically located just above the flashing, these openings also provide an inlet for ventilating air to reach behind the veneer and dry the system. Properly installed weep holes are a preventive measure to reduce mold growth or deterioration of the masonry veneer itself due to the presence of moisture.
If you didn't know, now you know.
Happy designing.
*Weep hole image courtesy of ABI Home Services


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What Is the Difference Between a Skid Steer & a Bobcat?
A skid steer, also known as a skid loader, is a compact machine used for digging. It also has the ability to push, pull and lift material. It is lighter and more maneuverable than a tractor front loader, and is used typically in construction and landscaping work.
The Skid Steer
Skid steers are available in various sizes. As the size increases so does the load capacity. Skid steers have a load capacity of less than 800 pounds to over two tons. Skid steer attachments enable the machine to perform various tasks that generally would take significant time and effort without machine assistance.
The Bobcat
Bobcat is a brand name. Bobcat offers skid steers and many other types of construction equipment. There are over a dozen models of Bobcat skid steers. Bobcat also offers more than 70 attachment options.
Attachments for Skid Loaders
Skid loaders have numerous attachment options, including buckets of various types and sizes, backhoes, forks, hammers, brooms,and augers. These attachments enable the loader to move material, dig, aid in landscaping tasks and perform many other jobs in construction.


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Pastors Struggling with Porn: Christianity Today
Christianity Today is reporting on the results of a Barna Group study of nearly 3,000 adults, teenagers, and pastors about the effect of pornography on pastors, churches, and the general population. Most pastors (57%) and youth pastors (64%) admit they have struggled with porn either currently or in the past. 70% of youth pastors said that at least one student had asked them for help related to pornography usage in the past year.


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A skid is a loss of traction from a vehicle's wheels, which can cause it to move uncontrollably. A front-wheel skid (more likely in a front-wheel drive car and also known as under-steer) either occurs under heavy breaking, where the front wheels lock up, or when trying to take a corner too quickly for the road conditions.
The steering wheel may also feel strangely light. When this happens, the car will typically carry on in a straight direction regardless of how you try to steer it.
No back up
A rear-wheel skid can occur under heavy breaking in both front- and rear-wheel drive cars, especially if there is a fault with the rear brakes. It's more common for it too happen when driving round a corner too quickly. In this case, it's likely to happen in rear-wheel drive cars and is also known as over-steer. It may feel like the car is going to spin round, but unlike in a front-wheel skid you have the ability to control the front wheels.
How to react
If you experience a front-wheel skid, it's important to keep the wheels in the direction of the skid. However, with a rear-wheel skid, you need to steer into it for example, if you go round a corner and the car slides out to the right you need to carefully steer right towards the skid to counteract the effect. In both cases remove your feet from the pedals in order to allow engine braking to take effect.
Early detection, staying calm and smoothness of movement are all vital and will give you the best chance of successfully dealing with a skid.
Risky business
Brakes and tyres are less effective on wet or icy roads, so bad weather conditions dramatically increase your chances of skidding. Avoidance is your best plan. If a forecaster predicts extreme weather conditions, don't travel unless it's absolutely essential. Be aware of the dangers of driving through standing water.
Make sure you know how deep it is and that it could cause your car to aquaplane (where a layer of water builds up between the tyres and the road, causing a loss of traction and the vehicle to become unresponsive to steering, braking or accelerating.) If this occurs while travelling in a straight line, ease off the accelerator and don't turn your steering wheel or apply the brakes. Where braking is unavoidable, lightly pump them.
If your rear wheels aquaplane and cause an over-steer, steer in the direction of the skid until they regain traction then rapidly steer in the opposite direction to straighten. Be aware that if the noise from your tyres is very quiet or the steering feels light, you could be driving on ice so take great care. Leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front in bad weather and slow down.
Effective maintenance
Keeping your car in a top mechanical state will help guard against skidding. Don't allow your tyres to become worn, do ensure your brakes are working effectively and check the tyre air pressure weekly.
A vehicle fitted with an ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) or ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system will help prevent skidding, but you should also fully understand how to control the car yourself. Gentle manoeuvres, with smooth movements and no sudden braking, acceleration or sharp steering are the key to safe driving.


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What you are about to read is a mere echo of what we have grown to know about The GOP and conservative American core value. You will read via the link below a published remedy regarding the officials racism.
If you are naive enough to believe the apology and the "relieved of duty, I hope you are not so naive you feel the remedial actions cure the problem. The problem is as real as Donald Trump carrying the 2016 GOP primary polling with a message that is almost solely based in bigotry and racism.
"Used with permission from the TPM websites, a service of TPM Media LLC."
Minnesota GOPers Get Heat For Posting About Democrats' 'Negro Problem'
The chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party was forced to apologize Tuesday after a local GOP branch posted about state Democrats' "#Negroproblem" on social media.
The 7th Congressional District GOP borrowed the term from a blog post they shared on Facebook and Twitter on Sunday, according to the alternative weekly Minneapolis City Pages.The blog post, written on the website Our Black News, was about the state's Democrat-Farmer-Labor party, which the author wrote had called for a "special session" to address the "Negro problem in Minnesota."
"MN DFL now propose a 'special session' to deal with their self-created '#Negroproblem," the posts read, according to City Pages.
The DFL party quickly put the The 7th Congressional District GOP on blast.
"You don't have to look far to find ignorant hate speech masquerading as acceptable party messaging," DFL state Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement, according to the report.
"However, this is not the first time the Minnesota Republican Party and their affiliates have posted racially insensitive material."
The local party had tweeted earlier this month about Muslims on welfare:
Only 10% of imported Muslims can stay off of Welfare. Obamalims are Deadbeats until they get AK47 in their hands fb.me/URWG0XGv