text:
Now introducing Phase 2 at Royal Gardens. This uniquely designed condominium offers a striking u-shaped configuration that provides three distinct residential areas - architecturally designed to maximize space and light. The Crown to the north and The Palace to the south are linked by a common lobby and amenities space. The result is a dazzling amalgam of glass and precast, with a striking covered entranceway. Built into the design is a commitment to green building practices and eco-friendly materials. Suites offer spacious balconies or terraces, allowing each residence to extend its living space outdoors.
* This exclusive offer is only from Mila Tcherkhovskaia, Sales Representative and Andrei Baiborodin, Sales Representative. Not offered by RE/MAX PREMIER Inc. brokerage, not intended to solicit buyers under contract & properties already listed for sale. Call for disclaimer & limitations. Certain conditions apply.
RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage, Independently Owned & Operated


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This is my second experiments on Ubuntu. It was performed when I was still joining MSc in Forensic Informatics at the University of Strathclyde. Below is the experiments results which I sent to my colleagues by email on 17 December 2008.
Again, I just wanna share my experiment on using Opchrack for cracking the password of Windows XP. I carried out experiment of Ophcrack application under my Ubuntu 8.10 machine. There are 2 types of Ophcrack, the first one runs in GUI and the second one in command console. For my experiment, I select the first one because it is much easier to perform. Firstly, click Load and select 'From encrypted SAM', then choose the directory containing the encrypted SAM and the SYSTEM file. For this purpose, I used the registry files from the lab session of CS 936 containing SAM, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SECURITY and NTUSER.DAT. After that we will have a list of the users, namely Administrator, Guest, HelpAssistant, SUPPORT_388945a0, johndoe, jane and bob. Because Ophcrack is based on rainbow tables, so we have to download the tables from http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/tables.php. At this website, there are various types of rainbow tables, either free or commercial. For this experiment, I just download the XP free small table which is 380 MBytes, then I extracted it after downloading finished successfully. Click Tables then select the directory where the table set above is stored, after that click Launch. The process for cracking password is just started. In my machine, it took about 7 minutes to crack the password of Windows XP users. The passwords are : Users LMpasswd NTpasswd ----------------------------------------- Administrator DOE doe Guest /EMPTY/ /EMPTY/ johndoe DOE doe jane JANE jane bob BOB bob Besides Windows XP passwords (LM hashes), Ophcrack can also be used to crack Windows Vista passwords (NT hashes). I also perform cracking password of my Windows XP machine by using Ophcrack with XP free small rainbow table. The result was so amazing, it only took about 15 seconds to crack and obtain my password. I hope this experiment could be useful in a positive meaning.
From the description above, it can be concluded that Ophcrack can be used through two different ways. The first one is by using registry files comprising encrypted SAM and SYSTEM, and the second one is by using live CD. It is more flexible to apply by users. It depends on the condition.

subset: commoncrawl


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T-Mobile To Sell 'Apple Products' in 2013
The CEO of T-Mobile's parent company confirmed today that T-Mobile US will sell "Apple products" in 2013. He would not confirm the specific products, but the iPhone and iPad are likely candidates.
"I'm glad we got an agreement. We're going as fast as we can with Apple to bring products to the market and deliver a great customer experience," Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann said.
The deal is clearly expensive for T-Mobile, although Obermann wouldn't break out its exact cost. T-Mobile is lowering its dividend from 70 eurocents in 2012 to 50 eurocents in 2013 and 2014. However, Obermann said the company as a whole would continue to be profitable and growing.
"I can't go into more details, I'm afraid; you'll have to make your own assumptions," Obermann said.
The Apple deal is tied to T-Mobile's rollout of high-speed HSPA+ on the 1900Mhz band and to its LTE rollout, Obermann said. T-Mobile will cover 170 million Americans with 1900Mhz HSPA+ during the first half of 2013 and 200 million by the end of the year, and will cover 100 million with LTE by the first half of 2013 and 200 million by the end of the year.
T-Mobile was the last of the four major U.S. carriers to lack any Apple products in its portfolio.
"The most important game-changer for next year is the U.S.," Obermann said.
Update: For more, see T-Mobile Announces iPhone, Value Plan Deals.


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My Pleating Heart : A Dropcloth Slipcover
Pleats. I love them. I've kept a few photos of the home of Lauren Ross {via Country Living} on file as inspiration for I don't know how long. I mean, how sweet are these?!
Though I hated home economics in high school due largely in part to the half year we spent on sewing and the "C" I was given on my sewing project {a khaki colored jumpsuit that more closely resembled some kind of prison garb, only not made nearly as well}, I know that for me to have any kind of pleated goodness in our home, I'm going to have to create them myself.
One studio project that I needed to tackle was figuring out how to pretty up this Goodwill chair. Yeah. I know. There are three other chairs like it and back a year or so ago, before I was brave enough to pull out my sewing machine, I painted the upholstery on one of them. It turned out great, but I decided I wanted a much softer look for my studio. This chair needed a skirt with pleats o'plenty.
I haven't sewn much since home economics, and it has been years since my last project. But I pulled out my dusty sewing machine
Just to make it clear {and to explain any visible mistakes!}, I have never done anything like this before. My sewing experience has been limited to throw pillows and a couple of little girls' dresses, one of which was never completed because the zipper part befuddled me. So, you see, this was a huge undertaking for me.
Other than the inspiration photos above, I didn't have any other information to go by because all the "how to's" that I tried to read just confused me greatly. Memories of home economics flooded back, so I just winged it and did my own thing - which is what, I'm sure, got me that "C" in the first place!
My pleated slipcover is far from perfect, but considering what the chair looked like before, I think it's a great improvement!
{For those of you who are wondering about the fabric, it's just a new dropcloth that has been washed in warm water and dried to make it nice and soft.}
The first week of the 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway event has gotten off to a great start with over 30 giveaways added already! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There are about 3 weeks left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!


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Wednesday, January 8, 2014
It's Not A Concession Speech
3 comments:
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2014 at 8:03 AM
Sarah - I have been reading your blog for years now, almost since the beginning, but I have never commented. You are an inspiration to me.ReplyDelete
I am 62 years old, and next Monday I will have a full hip replacement of my right hip, an operation that I know will relieve my pain, but which will also result in a loss of flexibility, and permanently close the door on some of the ways I am able to physically be in the world now. This is an operation that will permanently change my body in a major way.
I have been focusing on and mourning only the losses. But now...now, I plan to write the quote you offered in today's post - "And this is not a concession speech." - and keep it with me through every step of the operation, rehab and recovery process. I will keep the quote with me to remind myself to always keep fighting for the best life possible.
Just with this short post, you have brought me to a much better place. Thank You for sharing your thoughts, hope, dreams and personal experiences with us so openly. You are my heroine.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and heartfelt comment. I more than appreciate all of the comments, but felt I must reach out and tell you I am thinking of you and wishing you all the best. You are right, your life is not a concession speech. You are a warrior and have the scars to prove it. Best of luck and lots of love to you.


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JEFF.P from CRONULLADan Orell is a fuckwitt.10 Jun 2004
JONNY HOWARD from CANBERRAi used to love scoring a biccy then going clubbing in coytes hopefully id meet that nice young man again i think his name was teasel or something surelly the best bj in nsw thanx cbah i luv yuz all..........8 Jun 2004
peter tye from cronullaYeah good one Monty
Yeah good one Monty
from who knows
STATEMENT. try saying
what you really think
not just what you think
your supposed friends
nt you ta say,.....19 May 2004
Jim the chick from cronullacoyotes used to be a sweet place to see a band but now every time i drive past i never see any bands up on the board its always trivia or some shit - anyway the floor was getting to sticky in that place and i was getting sick of the walls dripping on me.... better to go to northies17 Mar 2004
Monty from CaringbahAlso Jay if you dont appreciate girls dressed like Brittany then perhaps you should be drinking round Oxford St. you gay c*nt far more suited to your tastes.23 Jan 2004
Monty from CaringbahThis is a great pub if you wanna have a beer and watch some non-locals get seven shades of sh*t get kicked out of them. I love it. Up the sharkies!23 Jan 2004
MAX from GERMANYWho is Max from
cronulla. Im Max and
used to live in
cronulla.Yeah in a way
its true what the others
are saying,did have a
much better band music
scene earlier.Still get a
local legend playing
there every now and
then.Jeffro and Giraffes
Casino.Check em out
some time. Far as the
management being
inbreds is
concerned,dont know
bout that. Chaddys
pretty cool, same goes
for the other staff.To the
inn if ya read this
post your email number
so I can email yas.
keep cool from MAX. ya
know who I am.16 Nov 2003
billy smith from caringbahthis used to be the best pub going around the area untill they started watering down their beer,ah well at least you can still have a yarn with some good people27 Oct 2003
max from cronullamust honestly say I
agree with the other
comments, this place
was once good for
seeing bands ,now its
full oh shit heads on
the weekends who like
disco techno
shit.management sucks
totally.Bunch a pricks.
Old cook was a
dickhead ,well suited for
the place.what a bunch
of inbreds.26 Oct 2003
kenny from dolls pointThis USED to be a pub. What has happened? Has the SHIRE turned into Hobbitville? This place used to be ranked no 1 by the AHA many years ago. It had top quality bands, good security and a good feel to it. Maybe as the SHIRE has become more insular this place is just reflecting the surrounding environment.30 Sep 2003
dave from gymeawhat a redneck hell hole - caome on guys when is the 'Shire' gonna get smart - we are not out West - how about a decent place to go without fear of being bashed by a d*ckhead?25 Sep 2003
jay from sydneyabsolutely agree. over the years this place has taken the biggest dive. no matter what they try, it still gets jam packed by under age brittany wannabes...28 Jul 2003
Pub Bludger from AustraliaMake sure ur either a bricky, a sharks supporter, or dumb as shit.3 Jun 2003
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The Campaigns app is one of the most powerful tools in HubSpot, helping marketers organize and better execute every campaign they run. In case you missed it, Mark Kilens ran an excellent 2-part webinar series on campaigns this month, along with several how-to projects to help you reach your 2015 goals.
The full project page can be found here.
To access the webinar series and slide decks, click here.
The HubSpot Campaigns User Guide can be found here.
Need more inspiration? Check out this blog post for 5 key marketing campaigns you can run with the HubSpot campaigns app.
Content Offer Campaign
This project includes steps to effectively launch a content offer campaign. Steps include building out a conversion process and promoting the content offer to help generate qualified visitors and leads.
Email Newsletter Initiative
This project will teach you how to write an effective newsletter that people will look forward to reading. If done right, newsletters ensure a guaranteed audience that can help accomplish business goals by leveraging existing content.
Lead Scoring Initiative
This project will help you set up lead scoring rules to determine which leads to engage with in order of priority. Lead Scoring is a critical component of an effective lead management strategy.
Lifecycle Stage Initiative
Lifecycle stage is a default HubSpot property that designates where contacts are in your marketing and sale cycle. This project will walk you through the necessary steps of setting up lifecycle stages in HubSpot.
Trade Show Campaign
Webinar Campaign
Thinking about hosting a webinar? This project has all of the necessary steps to plan, build and successfully execute a webinar campaign.
Now that you're an expert in HubSpot campaigns, why not come to our next Brooklyn HUG Meetup and show us what you've learned? :-)


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Wednesday, February 01, 2006
This is another acrylic, painted a few years ago for THORGAL, ENFANT DES ETOILES, a TV series based on ROZINSKI & VAN HAMME's B.D. serial of the same name.
The series didn't happen for all the usual reasons and so belongs now in limbololand.
24 comments:
- Oscar Grillo said...
Jesus Wept, what a picture!!
- 11:17 pm GMT
- LuisNCT said...
it's only acrilic?
- 3:59 am GMT
- A. Riabovitchev said...
I love it !I think when artists start using Photoshop and Painter ther are lose idividuality.
- 7:41 am GMT
- Boris Hiestand said...
it's amazing, truely amazing! was it touched up digitally? looks like some areas are blurred to achieve more depth- very nice
- 9:16 am GMT
- limbolo said...
yes boris, there is some blurring on the skyline ( in photoshop.)
Andrei, I don't agree with you that artists lose their undividuality when working with computer software.
- 9:44 am GMT
- A. Riabovitchev said...
I respect you opinion.You are great artist.But moust artist lose something.They are look sterile .
- 11:51 am GMT
- delu said...
Beautiful, limb!
Riabovitchev; I think computer software gives you more options and liberty to create. Maybe sterile styles come from sterile minds. Nice blog you have, by the way.
- 2:44 pm GMT
- limbolo said...
The hand, the eye, the mind are the same...Of course the tool is different...So the work looks different. As it should.
Artists who seek only to reproduce what they do in paint with digital tools seem to me to be missing the point. But what the hell..It's a free country, (as we used to say.)
I've always loved graphics and print and especially appreciate the graphic quality of working in photoshop (Although I wish they hadn't given it such a silly name.)
What I would like to see more often in computer generated movies - as opposed to Live action /CGI animation combos, viz: Kong - is an awareness of the discoveries of painting as science: the science of colour manipulation...And a more sophisticated graphic sensibility.
Thanks Andrei, for your generous remarks and for introducing a little controversy around here.
- 6:40 pm GMT
- Oscar Grillo said...
I would put a little defense to Andrei's argument..I use the computer and like it BUT it is true that a lot of spontaneity goes out in the over processing of works. I enjoy very much getting into trouble while working with traditional materials.
- 7:56 pm GMT
- Cedric said...
Beautiful painting! I love the colors and the wet-on-wet feel.
- 8:02 pm GMT
- limbolo said...
Well Oscar, you just enjoy getting into trouble anyway.
I think that to some extent the suspicion toward computer generated artwork comes from a feeliing that it is 'inauthentic' and not real....Not actually IN the real world as a hand-rendered piece is. Where does it reside after all? It can be summoned in multiples on as many monitors at the flick of a switch....Where is the original?...The 'actual thing'.
In the ancient world sculpture was esteemed above painting for its dimensional reality as opposed to the more ephemeral craft of painting which showed mere appearances on a surface.
- 11:58 pm GMT
- Boris Hiestand said...
Nice discussion here.
I think that when you hold a brush or pencil, it is like an extension of your own body, from which your ideas flow, directly from you to the paper. Working in a computer, with windows and menus and mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts, can seem like a bit of a detour and does take away alot of your raw energy and expression at first. Then you lose something in the work, yes. But once you master the tool, and don't need to think about what you're doing before and when you do it, there is no reason for your work to look 'sterile'.
And of course different tools inspire different approaches and styles, and don't just emulate 'real' painting, whatever that means in this age.
- 1:15 pm GMT
- alberto mielgo said...
I would like to say so much about it that now I don't know what to say.
My most sincere opinion is that for ME is easyer paint in computer than the traditional way.
I can do more than one finished work in an afternoon with the computer(mixing media),but with traditional painting I use to spend around a moth for a finished canvas...
Technique is so hard and difficult.
I believe there are also people who thinks that is not pure drawing if the artist use an eraser.
- 4:15 pm GMT
- limbolo said...
Alberto, maestro,
Welcome aboard.
Yes, honestly, it's easier to paint in the computer. You can crash around in a way that would reduce paint and paper to a sticky mess. I find working on the computer much more intuitive and experimental than what I prefer to call 'raw' paint.
I'm still conservative enough to believe that you have to do both, although I'm ready to shed that preconception if someone has a convincing argument.
THings on the cusp always have a vibration, a newness...the shock of the new.
Alberto, your raw/CG combos are particularly vivid examples of this.
Anymore?....This is fun.
- 6:03 pm GMT
- A. Riabovitchev said...
I seem to have opened a can of worms here!!! I didn't mean to offend anyone - I use the computer too! but still this has been a great discussion :) it's been interesting to hear everyone's opinion.:o)
- 7:13 pm GMT
- Oscar Grillo said...
Limbó..Today I went to the V&A and saw the Constable oil sketches. They took my breath away!!! and not a single "byte" of Photoshop, I must say!
No to mention the unbelievably beautiful Arthur Rackham and Edmond Dulac watercolours!!!...A feast to the eye.
- 7:26 pm GMT
- limbolo said...
a shame that Constable could'nt keep the vivacity of his oil sketches in his 'finished' paintings, which seem to me to be hideous examples of the sticky mess I mentioned earlier.
It is interesting that there have been significant artists, who have carried us into modernism, who were basically incompetent. Cezanne is the other major example.
But after Vermeer, all painters are redundant.
P.S. Before anyone gets the wrong idea...I am a convinced modernist.
Andrei, many thanks again for introducing us to this debate.
- 7:52 pm GMT
- Alina Chau said...
This is beautiful and grand!
- 8:29 pm GMT
- Oscar Grillo said...
I think this las comment has illuminated the debate with clarity and eloquence.
- 11:11 pm GMT
- Oscar Grillo said...
...I meant "LAST".....
- 11:20 pm GMT
- Matt J said...
Don't worry chaps, technology is advancing so rapidly these days that within a decade drawing & painting on a computer will feel as natural as scratching your balls.
Congrats on the EVA piece on CARTOON BREW. splendid article.
- 1:13 pm GMT
- Alva said...
Oh, my god O__O
Brilliant, mr Limbolo, Bravo
- 6:45 am GMT
- UM said...
I remember the day when limbolo first used a computer. He barely knew where the switch on button was, but an hour later he created a piece of art digitally which was amazingly similar to him painting it on canvas. It is what you create as an artist and not the tool. Granted, there are lucky accidents happening all the time while painting traditionally that can give a piece an unexpected twist and you have to work around that with no step backward option. But eventually it is your choice and your talent that creates the image, no matter what tool.
- 3:08 pm GMT
- limbolo said...
Don't agree with any of this, Uli.
Miles Davis once said "Everybody's got to change man"...Amen to that.
By the way, How do you switch this thing off?
- 4:30 pm GMT


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Welcome to our website! As we have the ability to list over one million items on our website (our selection changes all of the time), it is not feasible for a company our size to record and playback the descriptions on every item on our website. However, if you are an American with a disability we are here to help you. Please call our disability services phone line at 334-281-6400 during regular business hours and one of our kind and friendly personal shoppers will help you navigate through our website, help conduct advanced searches, help you choose the item you are looking for with the specifications you are seeking, read you the specifications of any item and consult with you about the products themselves. There is no charge for the help of this personal shopper for any American with a disability. Finally, your personal shopper will explain our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, and help you place an order if you so desire.
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Seriously, I'm a little confused. If I'm reading things correctly, Delta (great airline) SkyMiles (not quite average awards program) is about to implement a policy change which I don't quite get. If I'm reading things correctly, any changes/cancellations within 72 hours before departure of flights booked with SkyMiles will result in forfeiture of said miles? You can read this FT thread to tell me what you think. I think I'm not a fan. So if I understand things, if I have an award trip booked, and my work cancels my vacation 48 hours before I'm supposed to depart, I'm out of the miles? Delta, please tell me I'm reading this wrong!
I mean, if Delta offered things like one-way awards and consistently decent award seat availability more than 3 days before departure, I might be a little more understanding. In this case, I think this feels like an idea that could seriously tick off a lot of customers. Maybe I'm wrong. Feel free to comment.


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Two-ingredient banana pancakes! Yum.
Muffins with no sugar (but no lack of flavor). Totally fruit-sweetened!
Slice n bake rainbow cookies. Bake the rainbow!
3 ingredient quinoa muffins. These quickly became a favorite in my house.
Homemade burger buns. Do this thing.
ZUCCHINI! 14 ways to eat it.
How to bake bread faster. Hasten what can sometimes be a long process with these tricks and tips!
2 ingredient pizza dough. THE BEST!
How to soften messy watercolor edges. The struggle is real!
Tube or pan? The ultimate watercolor question.
What's the best paper for watercolor? Find out.
How to host a craft night. Invaluable tips!


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"Welcome to my world, come on in and make yourself at home...."
I'm Benjamin Bloom, you'll often find me behind a piano, microphone or sometimes both!
I have been a pro musician for over a decade, I have worked as a solo singer, keyboard player, keyboard vocalist, writer, studio musician and an MD.
In originals music I was keyboard player for Rosalita, winners of Channel 4 show 'Road To V', and then as a solo singer songwriter.
I have worked for many corporate and tribute bands including Absolute Bowie, Rolling Clones, Purple Rain, QEII and Solid Gold 70s, and have appeared as a solo piano vocalist all around Europe.
I'm currently MD for Shane Richie and resident musician at Poppies in London.
To hire me for any of the roles mentioned please contact me using the following details!
I am the host of The Blue Monday 'Ipswich Town' Podcast and a contributor to the EPL Index Roundtable Podcast - previously I hosted The Benjamin Bloom Podcast.
To hire me for any of the roles mentioned please contact me using the following details!


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Archive for the 'Lifestyle & Leisure' Category
2007 Trend: Wi-Life
I haven't written much about Wi-Life ("wireless living") in a while, but seeing how the gang over at PSFK have identified it as a 2007 Trend, I thought I would share my thoughts (and theirs).
Bluetooth & WiFi technologies have been serving the professional world for a few years, allowing us to stay chained to our desks, even when we are not at the office. OK, more optimistly, they are freeing having to be in fixed locations to accomplish tasks. This has made us more mobile and has definately changed our behavior.
Many homes now have wireless routers and high-speed internet (although its still way overpriced in the US compared to other parts of the world). I started this post in the kitchen, but am finishing it at 12:13 am lying in bed. Back in the summer, I often wrote posts outside on the patio. The home office is no longer a dedicated room. You can take that spare bedroom back now and turn it into something else. Ours is a scrapbooking room.
PSFK points out that Wi-Life is much more than being able to connect to the web wherever you want and the implications for how we will spend our leisure time in the near-future are really big:
Wireless internet and Bluetooth drives web-telephony as people can make calls from where they want when they want – and the laptop on the sofa offers an alternative to the TV or music center. WiLife means streaming your entertainment however you want. With wireless distribution systems like the Apple iTV, people will be able to use their computers as a kind of entertainment mission control from where they can send video, audio and more through the air to their TVs, Huffs and even your picture frames. (what's a huff??)
Look at your laptop in your home as your new cable box and your additional hard-drive as your Tivo. Download your entertainment media from the web, save to your drive and play to any Wife enabled electronic. In fact, the distribution of media from the home computer to dumb terminals like the TV is a critical factor in the rise of the HearMeSeeMe web.
Of course, WiLife is not just for the home. Ford and Avis have announced a system that will let drivers download directions as they drive and give passengers to download shows and swap files tirelessly in-car. One day the cars will tell you where in the city your WiFi enabled friends are too.
And WiLife continues when you leave your car. Once we've recharged our gadgets with electro-magnetic wireless chargers, we'll walk around with our phones and pods and these will us wireless technology to download entertainment and information from a media hub in the sky (Ryan talks about how he'll use the phone in his video here). We'll take both our record and DD collection around with us once it's digitized and uploaded to our virtual slate on the web. And where will we play our tunes? At the beaches, parks and streets that cities are busy covering with wireless networks.
The impact of this always-on life is going to be pretty huge. Many of us have already seen our professional life become all-but always-on, now our leisure and social life will undergo a similar revolution.
It's All About You!
It's official. Time has named "You" as the person of the year. Good call. Time recognized what many of us already know: Millions of people have embraced the technology, personal media and the internet to create, co-create, share and produce content.
I look at my family as a really small microcosm of the phenomenon. We used to watch TV, network TV. Now, my 12 year old daughter creates websites and entertaining spaces on Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom. I joined with millions of others and began blogging this year. I also have embraced SecondLife.
It's your new world. Have you jumped in?
Can the PS3 Save Sony?
Wired has an excellent article on Sony which covers in great detail, the company's uncertain future and daring strategic gamble focused on the PS3.
The bottom line – Sony has lost its way and is standing at a precipice. It's betting the company on the PS3; a daring strategy which pits them against Microsoft, not just in video games, but across the entire panoply of home electronics, which Microsoft is determined to control through software.
Sony is a great example of what happens when a company stops listening and responding to the needs of their customers. Sony's biggest successes have been as a personal hardware company, coming up with nifty gadgets that delight consumers, but in recent decades, it has pushed a plethora of proprietary standards that the world has consistently rejected. In Sony's current struggle, it is more focused on beating Microsoft than it is on creating great gadgets that customers want. As a result, the PS3 is bloated with expensive, proprietary technology, which has delayed the product's launch, much to the dissappointment of loyal gamers. More importantly, nothing in all that technology indicates that the PS3 will be fun for the customer who shells out a whopping $600 for a console. The Wired article makes the following observation:
"At the root of Sony's precarious position – not just in the industry, but with gamers at large – is the company's overweening ambition. The PS3 is all about power. Sony has said curiously little about whether this amped-up Linux über-computer will actually be fun to play. Meanwhile, Nintendo wowed everyone at this year's E3 with the Wii, a console you can play simply by waving a wand at the screen. And Microsoft has upped the fun quotient by making it easy to play with all your buddies online."
Nana Technology. As in "Technology for Grandma."
<via Untangled Life>
Andrew Carle, an assistant professor at George Mason University coined that term for all the technology that's being developed and aimed at your grandmother or grandfather, Untangled Life reports. Products and services that fall within Nana Technology include Smart Pill Dispensers, Mailbox Alerts, Intelligent Phones and Walking Aids.
Get all the details at the Wibrary at Untangled Life » Nana Technology. As in "Technology for Grandma.":
LATimes/Bloomberg Teen Entertainment Study
With their vast arsenals of electronic gear, they are the most entertained generation ever. Yet the YouTubing, MySpacing, multi-tasking teens and young adults widely seen as Hollywood's most wanted audience are feeling — can it be? — a bit bored with it all.
A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, the first in a series of annual entertainment surveys, finds that a large majority of the 12- to 24-year-olds surveyed are bored with their entertainment choices some or most of the time, and a substantial minority think that even in a kajillion-channel universe, they don't have nearly enough options. "I feel bored like all the time, 'cause there is like nothing to do," said Shannon Carlson, 13, of Warren, Ohio, a respondent who has an array of gadgets, equipment and entertainment options at her disposal but can't ward off the boredom.
They do seem to be passionate about their electronic devices, though, especially their computers, which ranked even above cellphones when respondents were offered a "desert island" choice of one item. Still, the poll suggests that the revolution in entertainment, media and technology for which many in Hollywood are already developing strategies has not yet taken hold.
The LA Times will be publishing details in 4 key categories (Movies, Music, TV, & Tweens) over the remainder of this week. Here is the preview (courtesy of Ypulse):
Aug. 8 – Movies
Hollywood has followed a rigid moviemaking formula for decades: produce long features, show them first in theaters, release them on video, then broadcast them on television. This dusty model just might not be good enough anymore.
Cell phones and video iPods aren't the answers, yet. Teens may not be ready to watch short films on these devices, but they're dying for something new and exciting.
Aug. 9 – Music
In the music industry, copied CDs and so-called "school-yard" piracy is now considered a greater threat than illegal peer-to-peer downloading.
For some teens, copying purchased CDs or DVDs is legal, while copying stolen music or movies is a crime. A look at the widespread confusion that proliferates as the line between piracy and legality becomes ever murkier in the iTunes age.
Aug. 10 – Television
Entertainment purveyors may be rushing to package their content into mobisodes, video downloads and podcasts — that no one needs. Teens and young adults — the generation most likely to be the early adapters of this new technology — have yet to fully embrace it.
Jon Stewart, watch out. Of all media sources, teens and young adults say they're least likely to get their news from edgy comedy shows, MTV or even the Internet. Try local TV news.
Aug. 11 – Tweens
A fun book … music playing on the computer … a PlayStation 2 game in the console … email … and surfing the Web. And homework, too.
The ability to juggle homework, entertainment and communication with friends has become a key requirement for the modern teenager.
The five-part series will be available beginning Aug. 7 at http://www.latimes.com/entertainmentpoll. Corresponding poll results and analysis for each daily installment will be posted at http://www.latimes.com/timespoll.
Study: Women like tech toys more than shoes
Given their druthers, women prefer spending their money on tech toys rather than luxury merchandise or fancy vacations, a new study concludes. Does this mean the tech gap between men and women has closed?
A recent TRU study of 1400 women ages 15 to 49 revealed a strong interest in tech gadgets, contradicting the stereotypical image of women as CE purchasers. For instance:
- More than three out of four women said they'd choose the TV over a diamond solitaire necklace.
- Women preferred a top-of-the-line cellphone to designer shoes by a similar margin.
- A little white iPod narrowly trumped a little black dress.
Given the insight that women are as tech-savvy as men and, by and large, control household budgets, CE marketers would be best served communicating lifestyle benefits of tech products by showing what's useful about them, rather than focusing on specifications. Regardless of gender, it's not the technology itself which is appealing to consumers. People are generally not "Technology Enthusiasts". They are passionate about Photography or Movies or Gaming and marketers should speak to those "Passionistas" in the language they understand .
TiVo To Offer Downloads
Tivo has filed a patent application that will let subscribers download TV shows for a charge, Gizmodo reports.
TiVo Applies For Content-On-Demand Download Service – Gizmodo
TiVo is planning to let you download a show/movie on demand, kind of like pay-per-view. The different types of content are going to be free, subscription or pay-per-view, and are going to be priced accordingly.
Not getting your money's worth out of that GPS? Try Geocaching!
GPS devices are hot and selling briskly despite the sometimes high price tag. Sure, it's cool to have in the car, but how much do you really use it? Are you wishing you had that $500 back? Perhaps you could find another use for it. Why not try Geocaching?
Geocaching is like a high-tech treasure hunt that makes for a great family activity around your home, or while travelling. It's popularity has been growing steadily since 2000 when GPS signals were upgraded. Current estimates indicate approximately 250,000 active geocaches around the world.
A good geocaching FAQ can be found here
A great newspaper story that gives you a feel for the sport in the Pittsburgh area is here.
YouTube Upgrades Site, Aims For Personalization
[via GenDigital]
Video search site YouTube just unveiled a major site upgrade that offers users the opportunity to customize their experience by creating and customizing a series of channels. Here is how it works. Users come to YouTube, set up their own profile and then can find other users with similar interests (sound familiar?). The video site apparently is also creating some soon-to-be stars as well. Rumor has it that a popular 20 year old videomaker known as Brooke, was recently signed by Carson Daly for a development deal at MTV2.
Cleopatra the Electronic Home Attendant
"Electronic home attendant Cleopatra is a digital avatar that appears on screens and wireless tablets throughout ElectronicHouse's 2006 Home of the Year. She greets each resident in the home by name, announces visitors, phone calls, voice mails, emails and deliveries. Cleopatra shows who is home, pictures of recent visitors at the front door, the local weather forecast, stock market changes, and even the national security level."
But wait there's more…… For a look at the near future in Digital Home Services, read the entire story here and be sure to look at all the photos to appreciate the amount of technology in this house
Panasonic Teams Up With YouTube For User Created Film Contest
In yet another example of the growing popularity of User Generated Content, Panasonic has partnered with video kingpin YouTube for a contest where users submit their own short videos. The prizes include a 50 inch plasma television (which is sure to take up a lot of room in a 10×10 dorm room) and digital cameras. The cool thing about the contest is the fact that you don't have to submit a video in order to be eligible to win a prize. Just for reviewing one of the short video submissions, users have the opportunity to win a Panasonic digital camera. How much do you want to bet than some 18 year old ends up with the grand prize?


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Three new organizations are appealing scores of parish closings in Allentown, Camden and New Orleans. Nationally this makes a total of fifteen organized groups and designated websites working to preserve parishes. Peter Borré of Boston's Council of Parishes is providing advice and organizing support to new groups. (See ParishWatch at www.futurechurch.org)
After the Allentown diocese began closing some 47 parishes, St. Joseph parishioner, Joseph Fuisz organized a group called The Coalition of Churches. Fuisz says: "We believe that any parish that will be responsibly maintained by its parish community should be permitted to remain open." Newspaper accounts report parishioners from 22 parishes plan to appeal. Fuisz and others were especially offended by a diocesan email describing some parishes as "hot properties" because of their proximity to a popular casino.
As the New Orleans Archdiocese moves to close 18 parishes, a group called No Church Closings is working to keep parishes open. At least four parishes are appealing. On August 14 the group staged a demonstration at the chancery and unexpectedly won a hearing with Bishop Alfred Hughes who promised to consider their request to use lay people for the administrative functions of parishes including finances and capital campaigns. "Because the Archdiocese is saying there are not enough priests, then we'll make it easier for priests to only be priests," said Our Lady of Good Counsel parishioner Cheron Brylski. "There is a national trend, but the national trend also shows that there are creative ways to deal with the priest shortage by involving the laity more in using deacons in different ways, sharing priests between churches, and there have been several proposals that recognize this," said St. Henry parishioner Robert Morton. (As quoted on wwwltv 7/16/08). Unfortunately on August 16, Bishop Hughes issued a statement rejecting the group's suggestions. Parishioners plan to appeal.
After Camden Bishop Joseph Galante announced plans to close 66 of the diocese's 124 parishes, a group of parishioners formed a new organization, The Council of Parishes, New Jersey. The group's website says the Council represents 27 parishes throughout the Diocese of Camden. (http://www.councilofparishes.net)
The situation deteriorated after a July 15 New York Post article detailed Bishop Galante's link to Raffaello Follieri, who has been jailed since early July on federal fraud and money-laundering charges, in a complicated scheme to buy up Catholic churches with investor money. On July 16, Newsday quoted diocese spokesman Andrew Walton who said that in 2004, "The bishop was contacted and encouraged by the Vatican to use the Follieri group where it made sense - if it made sense locally in our own diocese." Even so, he said, the diocese never sold property to Follieri, though Galante last year sold his personal home on the Jersey shore to a partnership controlled by Follieri for $400,000, which was $100,000 less than the bishop asked when he put the property on the market.
In response, The Council of Parishes in New Jersey issued a press release demanding a halt to church and school closings saying: "Many Catholics in the Diocese of Camden have been skeptical of the motivations behind the Bishop's plan to merge 96 parishes into 38 and close many churches in the process... [the mergers] raised questions based on the appearance that churches situated on valuable real estate were particularly targeted for closure, even where such churches were flourishing both spiritually and financially."
Diocesan officials in Camden and Allentown say the priest shortage, demographic changes and financial issues necessitated the changes. In addition to the priest shortage, New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Even though it is currently listed as the fastest growing city in the United States, the population is just half of what is was pre Katrina.
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Best Shots Advance Reviews: CHEW #24, PROPHET #22
Chew #24
Written and Lettered by John Layman
Art by Rob Guillory
Published by Image Comics
Review by David Pepose
'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
Some premises are just gold mines, and John Layman's pitch for Chew is one of them. There are so many weird twists you can take for foodie-based powers, but we're getting to the point where the culinary kung fu is besides the point. This is a book about wallflowers with power, about geeks inheriting the earth. And I think that's why Chew still feels so satisfying, even in a fairly bite-sized chapter like this one.
It's to Layman's credit that for the past few issues, his protagonist, the psychic gourmand gumshoe Tony Chu, has barely made a blip on the radar. Instead, Layman focuses on Chu's supporting cast, such as his rebellious teenage daughter Olive, who has teamed up with her father's rogue former partner Mason Savoy. It's surprisingly action-heavy as opposed to comedic, although the absurdity of someone carving a laser cannon out of chocolate lightens the mood a bit. But where Layman really succeeds here is that he broadens the mythology of the Chewniverse fairly substantially here, showing readers that the potential scale of these foodie powers could be a lot bigger than solving simple drug cases.
Rob Guillory, meanwhile, uses this issue to showcase some surprising action chops. He's always been great at expressiveness, but seeing images like Olive twisting to dodge a hail of gunfire, or the enormously overweight Savoy leaping out of the night like a beer-gutted ninja shows that he's really got a skill for balancing both the fighting and the small, humorous details that make these images so memorable. In certain ways, Guillory also seems to be taking some pages from the Ryan Ottley playbook, because there are a couple of scenes of violence where the bruises and blood splatters are in total overdrive. Guillory's style may be cartoony, but it's definitely adult-oriented fare in this ish.
With this book hinging more or less a fight sequence, with some exposition to anchor everything, Chew #24 is extremely accessible and relentlessly fast in its pacing. That said, for those who have gotten used to a more languid set-up for the inevitable food gag/reveal, it does make this issue feel a little shorter than some of the rest. The other slightly disappointing consequence is something that's also Layman's prerogative — after spending so much time early on with Tony Chu, it's hard not to miss our hapless hero. He lent this book a lot of its trademark humor, and without him, the pall is noticeable.
That said, even without the series protagonist, Chew is a book that continues to surprise with its versatility. Layman and Guillory show no signs of slowing down, building their world up with plenty of new rules and wrinkles, Joss Whedon-style. It's not a perfect home run, but this book is still swinging for the fences.
Prophet #22
Written by Brandon Graham
Art by Simon Roy and Richard Ballerman
Lettering by Ed Brisson
Published by Image Comics
Review by David Pepose
'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
Even though Prophet had its roots in the superhero-heavy excesses of the '90s, this latest reboot of the Rob Liefeld property is something else entirely. And that's not a bad thing — instead of capes and tights, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy have put together some tough-as-nails science fiction, pitting a stranger against a strange land and letting the landscapes speak for themselves.
Roy's art is the main appeal here, as Graham generously gives him plenty of room to strut his stuff. It's some of the more evocative art you'll see on the stands, sort of evoking a little bit of that Frank Quitely/Geoff Darrow lushness in the details. From the luminescent blue creature gripped on Prophet's shoulders to the multi-limbed, Pan's Labyrinth-style anatomies of the aliens, Prophet isn't afraid to be ambitious with the visuals and reach for the stars. The thing about this book is that while Prophet is our protagonist, the real impressive stuff is the visual world building, the sheer scale of the architecture and creatures of this world. In other words, Roy constructs one heck of a primal yet sci-fi infused playground for our wanderer to fight through.
Graham, meanwhile, has a voice to him that, in many ways, has that sureness and deliberateness of a prose author. That's not a bad thing, because it lets the reader not focus so much on the linear, Point A to Point B journey that Prophet's taking, and instead let us stop and smell the interstellar roses, so to speak. It's almost at the risk of ignoring the largely silent Prophet himself, although Graham injects a nice bit of culture shock near the end to liven things up.
Yet this story — almost a cosmic Conan, a Martian Man With No Name — is an investment, not easily taken by the casual reader. If you didn't read the first issue, you might be lost in the dust, and even if you have read the premiere reboot issue, plenty of people might find the pacing a little too slow. It is the scenic route, after all. But at the same time, some of these critiques might be looking at this through the lens of the superhero — and that is the last thing Prophet is pretending to be. It's a breath of fresh air for science fiction, and it's so gorgeously rendered that it demands your attention.Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!


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Friday, March 27, 2015
FDA Hard-Pressed to Approve Biomarin, But Not Sarepta Drug
16 comments:
Sarepta's 12 patient Phase II trial was not conducted in the worst possible manner. It was smartly designed in light of poor finances and small drug supply. Importantly, this trial was designed to inform the company, not achieve FDA approval.It has become crystal clear that the 30 NT MO is vastly superior to the 20 NT 2'-OM PT in every way you compare them. And FDA got it when they approved Sarepta's open label Ph III studies. Still there's risk left in the program, and your new-found love for SRPT may be tested by their uncertain executive and regulatory skills.
- March 27, 2015 at 9:38 AM
not going to happen. SRPT study too small and not controlled. they need to confirm results in a larger study. Hopefully they can do that by early 2016
- March 27, 2015 at 10:58 AM
Eteplirsen before drisapersen. The FDA needs to get their heads out of their butts and approve Eteplirsen. People should have the choice to take this medication without being told no when it does work If anyone at the FDA had family members with DMD they would've already approved it.
- March 27, 2015 at 10:05 PM
These are rare disease drugs so whoever is first on market has exclusivity, unless second drug has advantage in safety and/or efficacy. So FDA may approve both but better drug has to be approved second.
- March 28, 2015 at 5:58 AM
"not going to happen. SRPT study too small and not controlled. they need to confirm results in a larger study. Hopefully they can do that by early 2016"
This response shows a clear lack of due diligence and understanding of the facts. The SRPT study most certainly had a control group. Those kids were switched over to taking Eteplirsen after 24 weeks but not before it was apparent that a STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT increase in dystrophin had been produced. This person should learn the facts before polluting with information that is patently false.
- March 30, 2015 at 7:19 AM
FDA panelist confirms conflict of interest following Sarepta drug discussions
Dr. Eric Hoffman, a member of the FDA panel, confirmed the disclosure oversight during in an email to the BBJ. Hoffman was one of several speakers at the all-day workshop, and he submitted a signed disclosure form saying he had no financial affiliation "in the past three years with any products or firms relevant to the discussions on the development of assays or therapeutics that involve dystrophin."
Contacted by the Boston Business Journal this weekend, Hoffman acknowledged he is a co-founder of two firms that have developed a method of measuring dystrophin based on mass spectrometry. That approach is different from a competing method used by Sarepta, called immunofluorescence, over the past three years.
In an email to the Boston Business Journal, Hoffman acknowledged that he should have disclosed his association with those two firms — Hoffman is founder and vice-president of Agada Biosciences, a company whose technologies help measure dystrophin, and is CEO of ReveraGen, which is developing a drug to treat Duchenne — and attached a revised disclosure form which he says he sent the the FDA.
While Hoffman was one of 17 people who spoke at the workshop, he was one of just five who were on a panel toward the end to sum up take-aways for the day, according to the FDA's webcast of the meeting. Indeed, at one point, he responded to a question from the FDA moderator about whether mass spectrometry measurement — the preferred measurement approach used by Hoffman's commercial interests — ought to be included in measuring dystrophin by saying, "maybe a next step would be to identify a couple labs in the country that were able to run (mass spectromety analysis) ... you still need a relatively good mass spec."
- March 31, 2015 at 12:55 PM
Why we should care that an FDA panelist forgot to disclose conflicts of interest
The news that a participant at a recent Food and Drug Administration panel failed to disclose his financial conflicts of interest ahead of time has raised a slew of question over the past 24 hours. One of those is: Why should people care?
A brief synopsis: Yesterday, I broke the news that Eric Hoffman, a doctor at Children's National Medical Center, failed to disclose his involvement in two companies prior to being in the workshop. The workshop itself addressed how best to measure a protein called dystrophin, and could play a big role in approval of a drug by Cambridge-based Sarepta Theraputics (Nasdaq: SRPT). It's dystrophin which is lacking in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and all three of the drugs soon to come before the FDA seeking approval all work by "fixing" the gene mutation that causes the body not to produce dystrophin.
Hoffman told me that he simply forgot to disclose his financial interest in the two companies, and that he since sent in a revised disclosure form. One may ask, what's the big deal? Hoffman was just one of several speakers at the all-day workshop on March 20. The panel didn't even make any formal decisions regarding approval of Duchenne drugs, and the FDA allows experts with financial ties to participate in such forums as long as they disclose those ties. And in the end, the panel didn't even mention any of the three companies that expect to file for approval this year (besides Sarepta, there is BioMarin (Nasdaq: BMRN) and PTC Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PTCT).).
But here's why it matters: The FDA has yet to respond in any way other than to say it is "looking into the allegations."
- March 31, 2015 at 6:17 PM
Wide gap in reactions of patients vs. investors over Sarepta CEO exit
The reaction from the families of patients affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, however, who saw Garabedian as their champion, has been very different. "It's a huge loss," said Christine McSherry, head of the Kingston-based nonprofit Jett Foundation. She said the patient community still supports the company's efforts to get the drug approved as soon as possible, but blamed the FDA for "moving the goalposts" (i.e., its requirements to consider approval), which undermined investor support for Garabedian.
"The FDA is really more at fault," she said. "It's a broken system. It's a broken drug approval process. And they finally broke Chris."
- April 2, 2015 at 5:49 AM
ALS patients press FDA for quick access to controversial biotech drug
Then in the fall, a small California biotech company named Genervon began extolling the benefits of GM604, its new ALS drug. In an early-stage trial with 12 patients, the results were "statistically significant," "very robust" and "dramatic," the company said in news releases.
Such enthusiastic pronouncements are unusual for such a small trial. In February, Genervon took an even bolder step: It applied to the Food and Drug Administration for "accelerated approval," which allows promising treatments for serious or life-threatening diseases to bypass costly, large-scale efficacy trials and go directly to market.
ALS patients responded by pleading with the FDA, in emotional videos and e-mails, to grant broad access to the experimental drug. Online forums lit up, and a Change.org petition calling for rapid approval attracted more than a half-million signatures.
"Why would anyone oppose it?" asked ALS patient David Huntley in a letter read aloud in the past week at a rally on Capitol Hill. Huntley, a former triathlete, can no longer speak or travel, so his wife, Linda Clark, flew from San Diego to speak for him.
"This disease is evil," Huntley wrote. "It doesn't just kill you; it takes away everything that you care about, one at a time, then it kills you. Tell me how some as-yet-to-be-detected side effect is going to degrade my quality of life?"
- April 3, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Mark Veilleux: FDA needs to move quickly to save young lives
You might ask how do I know all this? My son Mark succumbed to this cruel and hideous disease on Sept. 30, 2013. Though most days I find it difficult to set my own two feet on the floor and get moving, I made a promise to him to help those afflicted with Duchenne enjoy a better life. Through Mark's life and strength, my family found its own. We will continue to fight this disease so that others affected will have more of an opportunity to celebrate their own sons' and daughters' strength — one more day, then another, and another.
The Food and Drug Administration has made it clear it does not share our urgency. The FDA should be held accountable for its lack of action taken in not approving a drug called Eteplirsen. The FDA instituted its accelerated approval program to allow for earlier approval of drugs that treat serious conditions, and that meet three main criteria. The drug must treat a serious condition, address an unmet medical need, and be reasonably likely to lead to a clinical benefit. Eteplirsen meets all three.
For more than three years, a group of 12 boys have been enrolled in a clinical trial of Eteplirsen, an experimental therapy being developed by Sarepta Therapeutics of Cambridge.
During that trial, the drug has proven to be 100 percent safe; muscle biopsies have confirmed that all of the boys are now producing dystrophin, the missing protein that leads to Duchenne; and the study has consistently demonstrated dramatic improvement in mobility for boys on Eteplirsen when compared to those who are not being treated. Dr. Jerry Mendell, a pediatric expert at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who is heavily involved with the trial stated the following: "Clearly it's a breakthrough drug. It has minimal side effects. I say minimal, we haven't seen a single one, which is incredibly remarkable, and we unequivocally showed efficacy over a two-year period, which is unheard of in clinical trials."
Despite these very positive results, the FDA has not yet allowed the company to file a New Drug Approval (NDA), the first formal step in the FDA approval process.
The FDA has failed to provide consistent guidance to the company.
The FDA continues to inexplicably add requirements and delay the process — while boys with Duchenne continue to suffer, getting worse every day.
The FDA must be consistent and Congress must hold them accountable.
- April 5, 2015 at 2:42 PM
The push for an ALS drug, and why the FDA has such a tough job
In King's eyes, the small trial size and short duration are not valid arguments for the FDA's not allowing patients access to the drug, called GM604. The life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years. Her symptoms emerged two years ago. In a very real sense, she has little to lose.
"If this drug is as promising as the clinical trials suggest it could save thousands of lives, including my own," she told me. "The approval of the speedy release of GM604 by the FDA could be the only hope for many of us that have already been diagnosed with this awful disease have of survival."
King is just one of 30,000 Americans who suffer from the disease. Another is Rob Letendre, a 63-year-old Ludlow, Masachusetts, resident who has a slow-progressing form of the disease which only affects his arms. He told me this week he just found out in the last year-and-a-half that he has the disease. While in his case the disease will probably not be fatal, he said he's pushing for approval of GM604 for the sake of all the people half his age who will die, since the only drugs now available for the disease only extend a patients life for a couple months. He believes the Ice Bucket Challenge that swept the nation last year, raising awareness of the need for research on new drugs, could help convince the FDA to grant accelerated approval to GM604.
"I think the FDA is going to have to come out and bargain with the ALS community," he said.
The ALS patients have an uphill battle, to say the least, to convince the FDA to approve a drug with such little data, especially considering it has as yet been reluctant to approve Sarepta's Duchenne drug based on far more data. But talking to such patients would make anyone question the role of the FDA and its rules regarding drugs when it comes to deadly, rare diseases. Should the FDA judge drugs differently when there are no alternatives, and the disease will surely result in death otherwise? What's the point of the FDA's desire to make sure drugs for deadly diseases are "safe," anyway?
- April 12, 2015 at 6:18 PM
After 13 years of wariness, FDA approves five potentially harmful new diet drugs
After 13 years of rejecting new diet drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed five potentially harmful products on the market in the last three years — including two in the last four months.
The agency approved the drugs despite the potential for serious side effects — including suicidal thinking, increased heart rate and cancer risk — and no proof the drugs improve the main health concern posed by obesity: heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.
Critics worry the new products will repeat the diet-drug mistakes of the past, which have led to decades of injuries, deaths and, in the end, products forced off the market.
The FDA's about-face comes after pressure from the companies that manufacture the drugs, medical societies that get pharmaceutical company funding and even the U.S. Senate, which in 2011 called on the FDA to approve new obesity treatments.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation found diet-drug manufacturers paid at least $9 million to doctors to promote their products and to medical societies that advocate their use since 2013.
Those same companies also spent $51 million lobbying Congress and the FDA on a host of issues, including obesity, in the last five years, records show.
The Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation found 3,000 cases in the FDA's own "adverse event reports" system where drugs used as components in one of these new diet drugs were the "primary suspect" in a patient's death.
Another 11,000 hospitalizations were reported with those drugs as the primary suspect.
The drug bupropion, part of the formula for Contrave, was the primary suspect in at least 1,500 patient deaths since 2004, according to the data. Phentermine and topiramate, the drugs used in Qsymia, were connected with a combined 670 deaths.
In an email, FDA spokesman Eric Pahon said the four weight-loss drugs were approved because the benefits were determined to outweigh the risks.
"All drugs carry risks of potential side effects," he said. "Each drug is evaluated individually, and the decision whether to approve a drug must consider the balance of its benefits and the known risks for its intended use."
well that says it all...recurring sales more important than life saving drugs for those with no time to spare.
- April 19, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Rally for Faster Drug Approval
We are people with ALS (PALS) and their families and friends and we're advocating faster drug approvals to treat ALS. With over 100,000 people dying from ALS every year, the conventional drug approval process (10-15 years) is too long!
Please join us to express your concern about the slowness of the FDA to utilize the "accelerated approval" program (AAP) to provide quicker access to promising new drugs, especially for fast-moving terminal illnesses.
- April 22, 2015 at 8:41 AM
"Scientists value prestige and security no less than anyone else, which inevitably fosters convergences of interests with political agendas that control where the money and jobs come from. And far from the least, scientists are members of a social structure with its own system of accepted norms and rewards, commanding loyalties that at times can approach fanaticism, and with rejection and ostracism being the ultimate unthinkable." J. P. Hogan
- April 30, 2015 at 6:40 AM
J&J Changes 'Compassionate' Care Independent panel to review requests from seriously ill patients for unapproved medicines
Amrit Ray, chief medical officer of J&J's Janssen pharmaceuticals unit, said the setup should be easier for patients because the company is establishing a single website and toll-free hotline for requests, rather than the current patchwork of entry points across the company and its drug trials. Dr. Ray expects the committee could issue recommendations within days for urgent requests.
In its arrangement with NYU, J&J physicians will first see if a patient could be the subject of a clinical trial or some other early-access program. If not, J&J will forward the request to the independent panel for review. J&J said it is possible the company could decide differently, but it expects to take the committee's advice. The patient would still have to get compassionate use clearance from FDA.
Arthur Caplan, the head of NYU School of Medicine's division of medical ethics, who will oversee the new committee, said the panel would start slowly, focusing on a single, still-undetermined experimental drug and taking a few months to figure out criteria for making decisions. He said the goal was making sure each request is reviewed on its merits, rather than influenced by media campaigns or personal connections.
"Most people will have a fair shot by having a process that is really going to be hard to lobby and manipulate," he said.
The Compassionate-Use Advisory Committee will report to NYU School of Medicine, but J&J will compensate the committee's nine to 12 members and subsidize expenses such as travel and telephone fees, according to Dr. Caplan, who will serve as a nonvoting member and not receive a salary himself. J&J doesn't charge patients for any unapproved drugs given for compassionate use.
- May 7, 2015 at 5:24 AM
Sarepta....for DMD.....watch video.
Austin has been on drug 25 weeks. We saw undeniable benefit that shocked us both today
kid should not be able to do that...even the FDA should know that???????????????????
- May 14, 2015 at 9:52 AM
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity who is a citizen or resident of, or located in any locality, state, country or other jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, availability or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject the author or any of his collaborators and contributors to any registration or licensing requirement within such jurisdiction. This blog expresses only my opinions, they may be flawed and are for entertainment purposes only. Opinions expressed are a direct result of information which may or may not be accurate, and I do not assume any responsibility for material errors or to provide updates should circumstances change. Opinions expressed in this blog may have been disseminated before to others. This blog should not be taken as investment, legal or tax advice. The investments referred to herein may not be suitable for you. Investments particularly in the field of RNAi Therapeutics and biotechnology carry a high risk of total loss. You, the reader must make your own investment decisions in consultation with your professional advisors in light of your specific circumstances. I reserve the right to buy, sell, or short any security including those that may or may not be discussed on my blog.


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$20,000 awarded by Manor Lakes Community Fund
Oct 13, 2016
Twenty-three not-for-profit groups operating in the Wyndham area have shared in $20,000 of financial grants provided through the 2016 Manor Lakes Community Fund.
The Community Fund was set up in 2004 to provide financial assistance to local community groups. Since its establishment, the fund has distributed approximately $250,000 to a range of organisations to help make possible a wide variety of special programs and activities.
The annual grants are distributed by Manor Lakes estate project manager the Dennis Family Corporation. This year's successful applicants each received grants of $500 or $1000 at the presentation function held at the Manor Lakes Land Sales Office on 12 October.
"We are extremely proud that our Community Fund at Manor Lakes continues to provide much needed assistance to local groups each year," Dennis Family Corporation Chief Executive, Peter Levinge stated.
"Each of these community organisations has a valuable role within the Manor Lakes community and the broader Wyndham area," he said.
The Dennis Family Corporation congratulates this year's grant recipients –
• 1st Iramoo Cub Scout Pack
• Grasshoppers Playgroup
• Imaroo Community Centre
• JET Australia Foundation
• Kaizen Martial Arts Australia
• Manor Lakes Auskick
• Manor Lakes Basketball Club
• Manor Lakes College P-12
• Manor Lakes Football Club
• Manor Lakes Netball Club
• Rachana Natyalaya
• Ragaamrutha Music School
• Relay for Life/Cancer Council
• Sapphire Angels Netball Team
• Shoestring Gardening Inc.
• The Western Suburbs Lymphoedema Support Group
• Werribee Masters Football Club
• Werribee Mercy Hospital
• Western Special Needs Basketball Club
• Wyndham Diwali Incorporated
• Wyndham Twins Plus Inc
• Wyndham Vale Fire Brigade
• Wyndhamvale Football Club


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Skin Products for Enlarged Oil Glands?
Your skin pores, or tiny openings in your skin, are essential because they provide a system to protect your skin's surface. Sometimes, however, these skin pores enlarge, particularly those around t...
Read More »
What good facial products help with enlarged pores?
i hve good luck with the following products:1.seaweed face wash2.seaweed exfoliator3.seaweed spf 15 4.blue corn maskall from the body shop.
How to Get Younger Looking Skin by Shrinking Enlarged Pores?
As we get older, the outer layer of our skin thickens and new skin cell production is slower. Excess sebum in oily skin fill up pores causing them to enlarge. On top of that, skin cells themselves ...
Read More »
Treatment for Oily Skin & Enlarged Pores?
Oily skin and enlarged pores go hand-in-hand. Enlarged pores are created by overactive sebaceous glands, which create excess oil that clogs, hardens and stretches out pores. Over time, this produce...
Read More »
How to Reduce Size of Enlarged Skin Pores?
Everyone wants soft, flawless skin, but only a fortunate few are blessed with it front birth. The most common skin problem is enlarged pores, which are not only unsightly, but also a haven for the ...
Read More »


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Article structure
- Title page
- Abstract and key words
- Background
- Research Method
- Result & Discussion
- Conclusion and Suggestion
General guidance
- Use American English
- Use page layout with margin 3 cm, A4
- 12 -16 pages length
- Single space, single column, TNR 12 pt.
Essential title page information
- Provide in separate page.
- Title. Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
- Author names and affiliations. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name, and the e-mail address of each author.
- Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure to provide the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Contact details must be kept up to date by the corresponding author.
- Present/permanent address. If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a "Present address" (or "Permanent address") may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes.
Abstract & Key Words
A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.
Immediately after the abstract, please provide 3 until 5 keywords, using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, "and", "of"). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible.
These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.
Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field at their first mention. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.
Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and do not, therefore, include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, etc.).
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI).
If other units are mentioned, please give their equivalent in SI.
Math formulae
Present simple formulae in the line of normal text where possible and use MS Equation to construct the formulae. Use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal line for small fractional terms, e.g., X/Y. In principle, variables are to be presented in italics. Powers of e are often more conveniently denoted by exp. Number consecutively any equations that have to be displayed separately from the text (if referred to explicitly in the text).
Footnotes should be avoided. In the case that it is very important, used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article, using superscript Arabic numbers. Many wordprocessors build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Should this not be the case, indicate the position of footnotes in the text and present the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.
Color artwork
Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF, EPS or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable color figures then we will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in black and white in the printed version. For color reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from us after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for color in print.
Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise by converting color figures to "gray scale" (for the printed version should you not opt for color in print) please submit in addition usable black and white versions of all the color illustrations.
Figure captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure.
A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate them with superscript lowercase letters. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article
Divide your article into clearly defined sections or subsections but no need to be numbered.
Sections are marked with full capital and subsections are marked with capitalized first letter for each word, underline and bold.
Keep appendices to minimum. If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and equations in appendices should be given separate numbering.
This style of referencing requires that you acknowledge the source of your information or ideas in two ways:
- in the text of your work, when you refer to ideas or information you have collected during your research. Each reference is indicated by including the author/s (only surname) and year of the publication referred to, or cited.
- in a reference list at the end of your text, which gives the full details of the works you have referred to, or cited.
Reference list
The reference list, normally headed 'References', should appear at the end of your work, and should include details of all the sources of information which you have referred to, or cited, in your text.
Order of items in the list
The items in the reference list are arranged alphabetically by the authors' surname. Where you have cited more than one work by the same author, those items are then arranged by date, starting with the earliest.
Format of citations in the reference list
The details which need to be included in each citation in the list depend on the type of item referred to, e.g. book, journal article, or website.
The details, or elements, which are included in most citations, should be presented in this order : author - date- title of work - title of larger work (if any) - publishing details
Bessant, J. 2001 'The question of public trust and the schooling system' Australian Journal of Education 45(2) 207-226.
Bessant, J. & Webber, R. 2001 'Policy and the youth sector: youth peaks and why we need them' Youth Studies Australia 20(1) 43-47.
Robbins, SP. 2004 Organizational behaviour 11th edn, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Robbins, SP & DeCenzo, DA. 2004 Fundamentals of management: essential concepts and applications, 4th edn, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Works by the same author, published in the same year.
In your reference list, order these works alphabetically according to the title of the work and use the letters a, b, c ... after the publication date to distinguish between them in your citations.
Reference list:
Blainey, G. 2003a Black kettle and full moon: daily life in a vanished Australia, Penguin/Viking, Camberwell, Victoria.
Blainey, G. 2003b The rush that never ended: a history of Australian mining, 5th edn, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic..
Scutt, JA. 2003a 'Future access - discrimination and the Disability Discrimination Act' Access 5(3) 6-10.
Scutt, JA. 2003b 'Without precedent: sex/gender discrimination in the High Court' Alternative Law Journal 28(2) 74-77.
Citing example:
Scutt (2003b) looks at the issues arising from the lack of High Court precedents in sex/gender discrimination law.


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1. MFT Sale:
I saw the email and flipped! 30% off!!! MFT is, by far, one of my favorite stamp companies out there. Totally going to check to this out tonight!
Again, I saw this in my email and flipped! 30% off!!! Definitely browsing and shopping this weekend!
3. Lil' Inker Designs Sale - Starts Friday:
Smaller stamp company but have lots of great stuff! I have several stamps and die from them. Very clever and punny products. The best thing about this sale is that no code is needed!
4. Concord & 9th Sale:
This is a newer stamp company with great products. I only have two stamp sets from them and I like them a lot. Definitely worth checking out.
Happy shopping crafters!


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An Inexpensive Laptop WorkstationReviewing: My Place Workstation | Rating:
Sometimes I don't feel like sitting in what I call, 'my computer room', while I'm online. Many times I like to be in the livingroom area while I'm surfing the Internet. I have a sofa-table, desk-like, setup in there, but after a while I want to relax on my cushy furniture while I'm using the laptop. Never having a decent laptop desk, (that actually fit over my lap), I used pillows to prop the computer up. However, today I ran across the "My Place" Laptop Workstation" at my local drug store! This was just what I've been looking for!
I took it out of the box and went about setting it up. It's made from heavy black plastic, so it's pretty stable yet lightweight. There is nothing to assemble, which is a good thing since there aren't any directions in the box. By fiddling with the workstation I found that the legs fold out to two different positions, although one of the positions seems too high to use over a lap! It has a mouse pad built into the desk on the right side, so if you're left-handed this could be a problem. You can angle the position of your laptop for comfort, by adjusting the bracket under where the laptop sits. Another feature is a small integrated LED light powered by 3 AAA batteries. The light it puts out is very weak though, and the adjustable arm it's attached to seems a little noodle-y. It doesn't hold it's *bend*. On further inspection, I noticed that the mouse pad panel had hinges, so I lifted it and found a small storage place for pens, clips, or maybe even the mouse itself! So other than the useless attached light, I was pleased with this inexpensive desk!
No more propping the laptop on my throw pillows! I even use it on top of my make-shift-sofa-table desk! It lets me adjust the laptop so the monitor is more eye level. This little workstation fits my needs for those times I want to surf the Internet from my couch. Just add an ottoman...
Here's a link to see what it's all about. http://www.myplaceworkstation.com/


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|How I will remember the Summer of 2012...
Trying to stay positive, I can come up with 2.5 good things that have come of this boot wearing.
1. My feet are beautifully soft and smooth - no hard, rough or dry skin here. Husband says they are softer even than Little Imp's baby bottom!
2. I've hired a house cleaner. This is the winning point. She started today and I think she might be here to stay, even after the moon boot is no more.
Oh, and the half point of a good thing goes to Little Imp who has well and truly mastered the words 'shoe' and 'boot', and knows the difference between the two.
Look at what I did this morning in the time it took Cleaning Lady to clean the house. Both productive ventures with good outcomes, but I know which I prefer!


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More than 70 5"x5" works of art have been donated by various artists to help us promote visual arts in our York County community.
The Yorktown Arts Foundation offers free children's classes in the summer, adult and children's classes throughout the year. During the winter months, we dedicate our rear gallery space to three separate exhibits for Elementary, Middle, and High School students' artwork. This fundraiser will support these and other worthy events along with general expenses of our gallery operation.
The small works were created and donated by YAF members and a six "select" influential artists: Holland Wentz Etheridge, Katherine Maloney, Joe Miller (aka Cheap Joe), Jon Moneymaker, Melanie Chambers Hartman and John Tobin.
The 5×5 art will be on display for previews at Riverwalk Restaurant, 323 Water Street, from September 24 to October 9, and at On the Hill Gallery October 10 through the event. During the event, visitors may bid on works through a silent auction and enjoy hors d'oeuvres, desserts from The Carrot Tree and wine from Williamsburg Winery. Other generous sponsors are Triangle Arts and Culture League, Riverwalk Restaurant, Water Street Grill, Viccellio's Goldsmith, Auntie M's American Cottage, and Towne Bank of York.


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Robert Weston Smith walked across the snow-covered parking lot carrying a small plastic container of his poop.
Weston considered himself a healthy guy. At thirty-three years old he still had a six-pack, the result of working out three times a week. He followed a strict macrobiotic diet. He practiced yoga and tai chi. The last time he ate processed sugar was during the Reagan administration.
Weston kept his head down and beelined for the nurse. The poop container was blue plastic, semi-opaque, but it might as well have been a police siren, blinking and howling. Everyone in the room much have known what it was. And, if they didn't at first, they sure knew after the nurse said in a loud voice, "Is that your stool sample?"
Shapeshifters Anonymous is by far, the funniest book I think I have ever read. It's a short story by J. A. Konrath that everyone should read. It'll only take you an hour or so, but it is so worth the 99 cents. You'll never look at Santa Claus the same way again!
What's this about Santa Claus? Oh, nevermind. That's for later.
So, Weston visits his doctor. He shows the doctor the poop sample he brought in. He assures the doctor that he only eats the best foods. However, Weston sometimes finds little stones and scraps of material in his poop. The doctor is skeptical, and of course, does the obligatory explore of his anal cavity. The doctor finds a button, a zipper and 63 cents in change.
"You think I'm lying to you."
"These things didn't just materialize inside you from another dimension, Mr. Smith. And you probably don't have a branch of the US Treasury inside you, minting coins."
At least someone seemed to be enjoying this. Weston wondered when he'd ask him to break a dollar.
Ok, so what's this all got to do with Santa? I'm getting to that.
So, Weston goes home and does a little internet search, coming up with endless jokes, diet problems like anorexia and cannibalism, and fairy tales. He can't find anything that is even remotely helpful, until he comes across a 1-800 number for real therianthropes. On a whim, and not expecting much, he calls the number.
In case you don't know, a therianthrope is an animal that changes into something else. For example, a weresquirrel. That's what Zela, the lady who took his call, turns into.
Weston hung up, ending what was easily the most surreal conversation he ever had in his life. An hour ago, he'd been a normal guy with some odd bowel movements. Now, he was 99% sure he was some sort of therianthrope.
But what kind?
On the way to the SA meeting, he comes across an unruly, nasty Santa standing out front of a store with his kettle pot of loose change. Weston just figures he's a drunk Santa, loaded up on cough medicine that has forgotten to take his real meds. Weston thinks that there should be some sort of screening process for hiring Santa volunteers.
Weston finds out that there is a SA meeting that day at noon at one of the churches. He joins in and then the action starts. Yup, Santa arrives.
Santa isn't who you thought he was, and quite frankly, I can understand why some kids might be frightened of him.
"And, this is for real?"
Scott reached up and pulled down his collar, exposing a terrible scar along his neck.
"Kringle gave this to me when I was seven years old, right after murdering my parents."
"I thought he gave orphans toys."
"He also gave me a train set."
You won't have any trouble enjoying this short story. It'll make you laugh about his bowel movements, his troubles at the SA meeting and with Santa Claus, and you'll cheer on every therianthrope (and the one that isn't) until they have defeated the enemy.
Do yourself a favour today and buy this book. You won't regret the 99 cents! I give this book 5 stars.


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On November 4, 2016, the most recent international treaty to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions went into force; the goal is to limit the average global temperature rise below 2˚ C. Emissions can linger in the atmosphere for centuries after being produced and trap more heat from the sun. The average global temperature has already risen 0.87˚ C above pre-industrial levels according to a 2015 report from NASA; it has increased by more than 3˚ C in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. With the future of our planet riding in the balance, it is important to accurately capture emissions.
GHG data is self-reported by each country, but there is not an easy nor consistent approach to record or track emissions over time. Emissions come from a variety of sources, however human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, has significantly increased the volume of GHG emissions entering the atmosphere. Measuring these volumes is often estimated based on an underlying factor, for instance the number of kilowatt hours of energy produced via specific fuel types, with fossil fuels such as oil and coal contributing more than renewable sources. Similarly, miles traveled by car, train or airplane are aggregated, or the number of cows per acre, to determine emissions produced. There are other metrics that are harder to quantify, including emissions from buildings which may be the leading source in dense-urban areas. The variety of housing stock, including age, insulation, energy consumption and fuel source, can vary significantly from building to building, never mind city to city. Waste is another factor that has wide variance on methane production. Complicating these measurements are the various carbon sinks that absorb emissions, which are being rapidly depleted. How can all of these various sources be quantified into one national total?
If any real effort is to be made to reduce GHG emissions, we need a consistent method for calculating an accurate estimate. The Global Protocol for Community-Scale GHG Inventories (GPC) responds to this challenge by establishing guidelines and methodology. The inventory outlines three primary factors: establishing the boundary within which the measurements will be conducted, an overarching and sector-specific account method, and a way to track performance over time. Sources for GHG emissions are grouped into six sectors, including stationary energy, transportation, waste, industrial processes and product use, agriculture and forestry, and out-of-boundary emissions (GHG emissions that take place outside the prescribe boundary); these are divided into sub-sectors. Finally the emissions are categorized by scope, with Scope 1 covering emissions created within the boundary, Scope 2 capturing all energy/heat related emissions, and scope 3 capturing the out-of-boundary emissions. Breaking down the complexities of what and how to measure each factor creates a consistent approach on how each sub-sector can be calculated into the total. This also helps identify the larger contributors, including energy production in Scope 2, so that they can be prioritized for remediation. Additionally, these measurements can be more easily tabulated to create a baseline and revisited to ensure reduction targets are being met.
New York City has successfully implanted effective measurement and GHG reduction efforts under differently titled, but similarly themed, programs under mayors Bloomberg and DeBlasio. New York is already a green leader due to its concentrated development, mass transit system, and lack of a manufacturing sector. However, there are still many ways to reduce emissions including the expansion of bike lanes for alternative bipedal transportation, increased green space, and building policies that call for tighter emissions standards in new construction and retrofits. New York's Governor Cuomo also has a goal of adding more renewable energy to the mix to decrease emissions and reliance of fossil fuels. Without reliable reporting methods none of these successes could be captured or computed against a baseline. New York City also leads by example and shares its plans via the Compact of Mayors, which includes leaders from over 400 cities.
Measuring GHG emissions is going to become increasingly critical as we move into an uncertain future. By establishing a method for capturing these numbers, and continuing to modify it for ease of use, will help all parties, especially those in the developing world who may not have the resources to measure their impact. A takeaway is how to ensure this measurement is universally adopted so that self-reporting is as accurate as possible; perhaps it should be a condition established by COP23 in 2017. By facilitating the capture of this vital statistic will make it easier to accurately capture updates and determine areas for remediation.
Image Credit: NASA Global Climate Change
Measure your Carbon Footprint


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We greatly appreciate generous donation. Your contribution will be used to support a plenary lecture at the AAS annual meeting, travel awards for young investigators and seed research grants to young investigators. Your donation to the The American Autonomic Society is critically important to ensure that our work continues.
Thank you again, and we look forward to your continued support.