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15 of the Best Record Stores in America! (Yes, there are still Record Stores)
Digital music and streaming apps make listening to your favorite albums convenient and accessible, but the old-school music lovers would much prefer the physical copy.
Whether it's your favorite CD, an old cassette or vintage vinyl, having a piece of music to hold in your hands is special.
And what better place to get your hands on those albums than by visiting one of the still-thriving record stores across the country?
While they aren't as common as they once were, there are hundreds of record stores stocked full of vintage merchandise. There is something about sifting through racks of vinyl that digital music just cannot replace.
So get those turntables spinning and #travelfreely for the 15 best record stores in the U.S.
1. A-1 Record Shop, New York, New York
This shop has a huge variety of decades-old vinyl. People who truly love collecting music have to see this store whenever they visit the city. From old school hip hop to new, experimental electronic work, this store can satisfy just about anyone's taste. The store also has a full catalog of lo-fi techno released through their own store label called L.I.E.S. There is a new bunch of merchandise that comes in daily, so whenever you go into the store, expect to see something different. And it's not a large store, by any means, but the area is more accessible and less overwhelming than more spacious shops.
2. Amoeba Music, Los Angeles, California
It isn't much of a surprise that L.A. is home to a world-renowned record store. The store actually has three locations throughout California, but the shop in Los Angeles is definitely the most talked-about. You could spend hours inside of this store and discover new gem after new gem. With 24,000 square-feet of space and 50-foot walls, the volume of this store's collection is beyond impressive. There are over 100,000 CDs, vinyl, cassettes, DVDs and more. Paste Magazine actually called it the best record store in the world. On top of that, the staff is highly knowledgeable, so if you have any music-related questions they can surely help you out with it.
3. Electric Fetus, Minneapolis, Minnesota
This record store is iconic on its name alone, never mind the fact that its selection of music is unparalleled. Electric Fetus, with two more locations in Duluth and St. Cloud, has received numerous accolades from Pitchfork and Paste Magazine. Step inside, smell the incense, and absorb the astonishing collection of just about every genre of music you could possibly need. The racks are filled with rare finds and are rich in history. The shop, which has been around for 40 years, also hosts in-store performances and listening parties for music lovers to gather and celebrate what they cherish most.
4. Forever Young Records, Grand Prairie, Texas
This place is enormous. With a selection of over 250,000 and 11,000 square-feet of space, you could quite literally get lost in this place because of its size. Either way, you'll be losing yourself in the music which features an array of historic works. This gem is hidden away among strip malls and storage lots, but walking inside is like stepping onto another planet. The front entrance is hard to miss, adorned with a giant jukebox. Reminisce on the glorious days of music's past inside this Grand Prairie treasure.
5. Grimey's New and Preloved Music, Nashville, Tennessee
The best record store in Music City is loved deeply by locals, and is recognized all over the country. The legendary spot has hosted performances from artists like the Black Keys. In 2008, Metallica recorded a live album at The Basement, a venue located right beneath the store. Stop by the store on a Monday when they offer a 10 percent discount on all preloved merchandise. Their website is also incredibly up to date with weekly new releases and vinyl, informing their customers about what will be hitting the racks soon.
6. Jackpot Records, Portland, Oregon
Being one of the coolest record stores in Portland is no easy feat, but Jackpot Records is in the running for one of the best in the country. Opened in 1997, Jackpot offers a variety of old and used vinyl, all while operating an independent record label. When a record store operates its own record label, it clearly displays a strong support for the local music scene and all of the artists involved. Jackpot also allows customers to sell the store their old records, offering assistance with the load-in if you need any help.
7. Jerry's Records, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This shop has entire rooms dedicated to genres, reasonable prices and merchandise in pristine condition. The store made Rolling Stone's list of Best Record Stores in the U.S. and its websites declares itself as having the "World's Finest Vinyl." With over 30 years of business, Jerry's is home to over one million albums in a variety of formats. Not only does the selection span musical genres like metal, R&B, and jazz but they also have an assortment of spoken word, children's music and opera.
8. Louisiana Music Factory, New Orleans, Louisiana
This New Orleans hot spot withstood the forces of Hurricane Katrina and was one of the first record stores to reopen in the city. The space was recently relocated to a different neighborhood but still garners the same attention. One exciting feature is in-store brass band performances, something you aren't going to see in just any record store. Louisiana Music Factory stocks strictly less-common and older collections of work. You aren't going to find radio pop albums in this place. Expect to discover blues classics, gospel, and the best soul around. Oh, and you might be greeted with free beer if you stop by on the weekend.
9. Mississippi Records, Portland, Oregon
Portland is home to the hippest of the hip. This place isn't huge but that doesn't mean it isn't any less special. The assortment of music is fascinatingly original with obscure music from all over the globe. In fact, the store started with a specialty in selling music from Thailand and West Africa but has since broadened its selection. Everything, particularly vinyl, is reasonably priced, as well. Its coziness brings a small-town feel to the atmosphere of the store. That feeling is only furthered by the opportunity given to customers to leave their mixtapes for people to listen to, which you can swap out with other people's mixtapes. This promotion of sharing local, lesser-known music is what every record store needs.
10. Princeton Record Exchange, Princeton, New Jersey
Rarities galore! Princeton Record Exchange began in 1980, except it was actually just a man named Barry Weisfield selling used records out of his van to flea markets and on the local college campus. The store is now in a larger space and has been sine 1985, offering more than 140,000 new and used works in an over 4,000 square-foot space. The best part is that a lot of these are very reasonably priced. Due to the increasing rarity of old vinyl, reasonable prices are quite the treat.
11. Redscroll Records, Wallingford, Connecticut
This Connecticut town seems like an unlikely place for an eclectic and rare music collection. But Redscroll provides exactly that. The store made Pitchfork's list of their favorite record stores, ranked among the hottest shops in major cities. With a musically-educated staff and an array of rare gems, it doesn't get much better than Redscroll. It's likely Connecticut won't be a vacation destination for you but if you're passing through and love discovering underground music, this is your place.
12. The Thing, Brooklyn, New York
There are a lot of cool record stores in New York but there is something about the experience of stepping inside The Thing in Brooklyn that separates it from all the rest. First of all, it's a thrift store, so you aren't sure exactly what you're going to discover. The aisles are stocked full of old vinyl, sort of haphazardly strewn about in some areas, but this is part of its charm. The records aren't always in the best condition but this adds to the experiences of digging through bins to find a true gem. Pitchfork named The Thing as one of their favorite record shops and described the store as "a giant black hole, sucking in excess Phil Collins records at a speed the human eye can't follow."
13. Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis, Missouri
What started as a farmer's market booth in 1979 is now one of the most legendary music spots in St. Louis. According to Thrillist, this shop's clientele consists of "fans of home-grown Americana, hard rockers and bluesmen." Fans of all musical genres will be pleased to find that the store's selection has just about everything. Peek into their bargain bin for old CDs that go for around $5. The store is also known for its deafeningly loud in-store performances where you'll be needing ear plugs and also be served free beer. Some notable performances include Marilyn Manson, Incubus, and Queens of the Stone Age.
14. Waterloo Records, Austin, Texas
If you're a music fan and you're traveling through or to Austin, make a point of stopping into this widely-praised record store. Austin's local music scene is vibrant and Waterloo makes sure to highlight that by selling their work. The store also features in-store performances from artists like Willie Nelson. Opened in 1982, the store is surrounded by a college town vibe but remains popular among a more eccentric crowd. Paste Magazine described this one as "the best record store to grow up and grow old with." Clearly, it's a timeless classic.
15. Wuxtry Records, Athens and Decatur, Georgia
For nearly 40 years, Wuxtry Records has been one of the hottest spots in the U.S. to find cool, rare music. The store opened in Athens, Georgia in 1976 and two years later opened another location in Decatur. Rolling Stone named this record store as one of the top 25 in the country. One of the most notable pieces of history is Peter Buck of R.E.M. once worked at the Athens location. Wuxtry's website describes the shop as a "user-friendly retail outlet and walk-in museum of the greatest music of the last century." If that doesn't sound promising, I don't know what does.


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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska man was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life terms in the 2012 shooting deaths of two co-workers at a Coast Guard communications station that mystified an island community for nearly a year before an arrest was made.
Prosecutors had contended that James Wells resented the growing influence of the two victims at the rigger shop where he was a nationally recognized antenna expert. They said Wells meticulously planned an alibi, sneaked onto the station and gunned the men down.
A federal jury found the 63-year-old Wells guilty in April after a 19-day trial. On Tuesday, he maintained that he had nothing to do with the shootings on Alaska's Kodiak Island.
"A tragedy occurred, and we all suffered for it," Wells said in U.S. District Court in Anchorage on Tuesday. "And I know I'm innocent of this crime."
Wells, sporting a long white beard and thinning gray hair, made his comments after the widows of the victims spoke. Both women said Wells had destroyed their lives and the lives of their families.
"May you rot in prison, James Michael Wells," said Nicola Belisle. "And I hope you rot in hell."
Kodiak Island, about 250 miles south of Anchorage, is home to the largest Coast Guard Air Station in the Pacific. The killings of Coast Guardsmen Petty Officer 1st Class James Hopkins and retired Chief Petty Officer Richard Belisle took place 3 miles away at the base's communications station, where personnel monitor radio traffic from ships and planes.
The victims were found on April 12, 2012 in the station's rigger shop, where antennas are built and repaired.
Few details were released in the weeks after the deaths, although authorities said shortly after the murders that there was no credible evidence that the community was in danger.
Wells' arrest 10 months after the killings came after an extensive investigation led by the FBI and the Coast Guard Investigative Service, with support from the Alaska State Troopers.
Hopkins, 41, was an electronics technician from Vergennes, Vermont. Belisle, 51, was a former chief petty officer who continued service to the Coast Guard as a civilian employee.
According to the government's theory, after the shootings, Wells made it home and called Hopkins' work phone, leaving a message saying he would be late for work because of a flat tire.
Prosecutors said the flat tire was a ruse to give Wells a cover story for committing the murders.
According to authorities, Wells told the FBI he started driving to work, detected a soft tire, stopped at a hotel near the Kodiak airport entrance, checked the tire and returned home to change it.
Unbeknownst to Wells, a security camera at the nearby Coast Guard main gate recorded his truck heading for the communication station shortly before 7 a.m. and driving in the opposite direction toward his home 34 minutes later.
Wells' wife was out of town the day of the shooting, and her blue SUV was parked at the Kodiak airport not far from the communications station. Investigators believe a blue vehicle seen in blurry security footage belonged to Wells' wife and concluded he switched cars, waited for Hopkins to drive by, followed him to the communications station and shot him and Belisle.
Federal public defender Rich Curtner said Wells suffered from chronic diarrhea following gall bladder surgery and was delayed the morning of the murders because he spent 20 minutes in a bathroom of a commuter airline.
Wells made no mention of using an airport bathroom to the FBI.
Curtner and defense attorney Peter Offenbecher of Seattle contended authorities immediately focused on Wells and ignored other possible suspects. They said prosecutors had no eyewitnesses, no confession, no murder weapon and no physical evidence linking Wells to the homicides.
Curtner declined to comment after the sentencing.
Wells served eight years in the Navy and 13 with the Coast Guard. Upon discharge in 1990, he was hired as a civilian employee.
In the circumstantial case, it took a jury only one day to find him guilty of two counts each of first-degree murder, murder of an officer or employee of the United States, and possession of a firearm in a crime of violence.
Two of the consecutive life sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline on Tuesday were for each man's murder and the other two were for the firearm violence. The judge also imposed life sentences for the officer murder charges, to run concurrently with the murder sentences.
Federal prosecutors earlier said they would not seek the death penalty if Wells was convicted.
"Hopefully the families can go forward having received justice today," U.S. Attorney for Alaska Karen Loeffler said at a news conference after the sentencing.
Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro


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It will take longer to get to the year 2022 than an Andres Cantor gooooooaaaaalllll call. But hardcore soccer (footie?) fans don't care -- for them Christmas came today.
That's because today's the day that FIFA, in Zurich, announced hosting duties for not one World Cup but two -- in 2018 and 2022.
And the winners are ... oh, wait, you already read the headline, huh?
Yep, in about seven years Russia will host the big event and in just over a decade Qatar will see the globe's most popular sporting event hit its soil. This is the first time either country has nabbed Cup-hosting honors. Russia ousted England, Spain and Portugal to claim the Cup, while Qatar beat a U.S. effort that included lobbying by Bill Clinton and Morgan Freeman.
"Maybe America's best claim to this World Cup is that we have the only nation that can guarantee, no matter who makes the finals, we can fill the stadium with home nation rooters," Clinton had said to FIFA heavies. But it was not enough. The U.S. will now have to wait until the vote for the 2026 Cup to try to bring the tournament back for the first time since 1994.
South Africa hosted the most recent World Cup last year, and some estimates put the total viewership of that tournament's final between Spain and the Netherlands at 700 million. In the United States, World Cup ratings in 2010 were up 50 percent over the previous Cup in 2006.
Part of that leap can be attributed to the U.S team's improbable run to the round of 16. But the sport has also become increasingly popular domestically on its own, with youth leagues seeing rosters bulging with so many would-be Landon Donovans.
And parents are lacing up their kids' cleats at younger ages than ever. The soccer school Lil' Kickers operates 28 national franchises, with players starting as young as 18 months. A New York Times story recently noted that 55 percent of the roughly 100,000 Lil' Kickers playing this year are 3 years old or younger.
Of course, the sport is not without its share of black eyes. Bidding on the 2018 and 2022 Cups involved a FIFA scandal wherein 6 of the 24 executive committee members were accused of accepting bribes. Two of those committee members were disqualified from voting today.
Selected Reading: Salon, New York Times, SB Nation.


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Our Advanced Search is the quickest way to find the perfect Jersey or Guernsey self catering holidayAdvanced Search
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A SEVENTEENTH CENTURY dairy farm originally stood on the site of this informal country style development. The farm (and former hotel) has gone and the property is now a pleasing mix of residential and holiday accommodation. The apartments are designed to be a home from home in a convenient town outskirts location.
On arrival guests are provided with a welcome grocery starter basket with essential food items. There is a launderette on site, bicycle racks for the active and a convenience store within walking distance.
A wander down hill into St Helier town centre will take approximately 20 minutes. In additon to the main town all Uplands guests have access to the swimming pool, bar, dining and entertainment facilities of 3 town hotels.
5 Person apartment - Maximum 4 adults plus 1 child or infant.
Ground floor: Lounge-diner with double wall bed. Kitchen.
First floor: 1 Double bedroom with extra single bed. Bathroom.
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Smoking not permitted. Launderette.
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Kevin Vaughan had a goal and an assist on Senior Day (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's lacrosse team fell behind No. 13/14 Princeton early and could not muster a comeback, as the Tigers held on for a 12-5 win over the Crimson at Harvard Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Kevin Vaughan and Daniel Eipp each scored a goal and added an assist, while Keegan Michel won 12-of-16 faceoff attempts and paced the Crimson with four ground balls. With the loss, the Crimson slips to 6-7 overall and 2-3 in the Ivy League, while Princeton improves to 9-3 and 5-0 overall.
Prior to the contest, Harvard's 11 seniors were honored during a pre-game ceremony on Senior Day.
The Crimson, which is still in the mix for the Ivy League tournament, will close out the regular season at Yale Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. A Harvard win would make the Crimson the No. 3 seed in the tournament, while Harvard could also make the field as the No. 4 seed even with a loss at Yale if Brown loses later today at Cornell or to Dartmouth next week. The tournament will either be hosted by Cornell or Princeton May 4-6.
The Tigers got off to a strong start early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the first 10 minutes. With 4:04 left in the first stanza, Eipp, who was behind the Princeton net, sent a quick pass in front to Will Walker, who finished for Harvard's first goal. Princeon tacked on two more scores later in the frame to pull ahead, 5-1.
In the second, Eipp tallied an unassisted goal for the Crimson, cutting the deficit to 5-2, but the Tigers netted the final two scores of the half and led, 7-2, after the first 30 minutes. Harvard won 9-of-11 faceoffs in the first half, but the Tigers owned an advantage in shots, 23-17.
Princeton opened the third quarter with a goal at 13:52, but the Crimson responded with a tally by Vaughan off a pass from Terry White at 11:07. With 2:56 remaining in the period, Ryan Stevens found Jeff Cohen for a goal, as the Crimson got within four, 8-4.
The Tigers tacked on two more goals early in the fourth frame to make it a 10-4 contest, but Jack Walker scored for Harvard at the 7:02 mark, cutting the deficit to five. Princeton, though, scored again at 5:13 and then at 5:01 to put the game out of reach.
Harvard held the final count in shots, 40-35, ground balls, 22-18, and faceoffs, 16-5, but the Tigers went 21-of-22 on clear attempts.


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What should insurers do today to prepare for tomorrow?
Our insurance outlooks for 2019 confirms that technology and innovation are key to driving agile growth in a challenging environment.
What should insurers do today to prepare for tomorrow?
Insurance company enhances payments capabilities to create a seamless client experience
Global professional services provider enhances its payments capability
Insurance M&A markets look increasingly sophisticated
Financial Services Divestment Study 2018
2017 Digital Underwriting Survey
Designing a workforce for the future of insurance
EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017 - Canadian findings
Global tax points for insurers (Volume 2, Issue 2)
Vast potential
The global insurance market is remarkably strong, despite continued fallout from the financial crisis. Low interest rates coupled with relatively poor investment returns have impeded growth, but demand for insurance products and services remains high.
We keep you prepared by providing insights into the nuances of your market, as well as global trends putting pressure on the industry.
Stay nimble amid risk and regulation
Waves of global legislation continue to pressure management and absorb precious resources. Combined with the need to innovate in a highly competitive environment, this is causing some insurers to withdraw from long-standing core markets and product lines.
However, insurers are adapting by leveraging technology and developing operating models that are compliant with Solvency II. New business architectures will enable insurers to release better products more quickly and cheaply.
Gain market insight
The balance of power is shifting toward the customer, and distribution models are rapidly evolving. Emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe are future battlegrounds that offer big prizes – but only if insurers can get it right.
Success will be achieved with patience, long-term investment and genuine understanding of local dynamics.
- Are you ready for Solvency II?
At the recent Trilogue meeting, the European Commission proposed a deferral of the implementation date of Solvency II to January 1, 2015, but the proposal did not reach consensus.
Are you ready?
- Actuarial and risk management strategies
Never has it been more critical for companies to understand and stay in tune with the changing climate of their business. Companies want to achieve competitive advantage and adapt quickly to the evolving business environment. Yet, there is a growing gap between the volume and complexity of risks that companies face today and the techniques available to manage them. We can help fill those gaps by providing services that can enhance your company's decision-making.
We combine global insight and local reach to assist financial services and insurance clients in developing and validating strategies to make sound decisions. The outcome of this collaboration is important to the success of your enterprise.
Our areas of focus include the following services:
- Actuarial transformation
- Actuarial review
- Actuarial operations
- Changes to financial reporting methods
- Performance improvement
Related content
- Be prepared for IFRS/accounting changes
We are increasingly living in a global economy — with trade and inbound and outbound investment a fact of life. It's no wonder capital markets have long advocated for globally recognized accounting standards.
Until recently, that common accounting language has been a missing link. Now, policymakers, lawmakers and regulators are working alongside standard-setters to provide a single set of high-quality, global accounting principles.
Benefit from our timely insights as your prepare for this transition.
- Customer agenda
The buying behaviors, attitudes and preferences of insurance customers worldwide are changing. To understand this transformation, insurers need to determine how they must adapt to attract, deepen and preserve customer relationships.
- Governance facing the industry today
We, along with Tapestry Network, established the Insurance Governance Leadership Network (IGLN), a global network centered around non-executive directors from a select group of the largest insurers from Europe, North America and Asia. The IGLN provides a peer-to-peer platform for participants to discuss critical issues facing the industry globally. Its primary focus is the non-executive director, but it also engages senior management (notably chief risk officers) and regulators, all of whom are committed to outstanding governance and supervision in support of the mission to build strong, enduring, and trustworthy insurance institutions.
Tapestry Briefings – A View from the Boardroom:
- Insurance industry facing real challenges: a view from the boardroom
- Global insurance leaders find common ground amid economic and regulatory uncertainty
- Operations and technology: implementing efficiencies
In recent years, a new generation of technologies has created a renewed appetite amongst insurers for using IT to manage claims more effectively.
Yet there are still a large number of challenges to be overcome in delivering the anticipated business benefits. Are you achieving the improved claims performance you need from your IT investments?
According to our latest research, insurers could get much greater value by changing their approach.
Our survey "Delivering results through claims technologies" explores the challenges and opportunities of investing in claims technologies in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
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Financial Services sector Thought Leadership
In an ever changing financial services industry, how can businesses continue to thrive? The banking, insurance and wealth management sectors are being reshaped by innovation, disruptive thinking, new regulatory demands and evolving tax environments. How will your business keep up?
EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017 - Canadian findings
Our most recent survey of more than 22,000 digitally active consumers worldwide, including more than 1,000 in Canada, highlights the rapid growth in FinTech adoption rate.
2017 EY Canadian life insurance outlook
Quickly-evolving technology emerges as a dominant force shaping the year ahead in Canada's life insurance sector. Leading life insurers will focus on these five actions to guide them through a shifting landscape.
2017 EY Canadian property and casualty insurance outlook
A combination of technological change, talent pressure and customer expectations is forcing Canada's property and casualty (P&C) insurers to embrace innovation more urgently than ever. EY explains what to prioritise in 2017.


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Back When
Back When
from 135.00
All prints are handmade by Peter Ralston on archival rag paper with an archival ink set.
Small Matted Prints - This collection is printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets, matted, ready to be framed.
New Work - This open edition is a collection of images created since January 2004. They are printed on 17 x 22 inch sheets.
The Master Prints - This limited edition (LE) print is limited to 50 prints of this image plus ten artist proofs (AP). They are printed on 24 x 36 inch sheets.
Custom sizes of this image are available by special request.


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The most recent short interest data has been released for the 10/13/2017 settlement date, which shows a 633,899 share increase in total short interest for CVR Energy Inc (CVI - Get Report), to 5,871,023, an increase of 12.10% since 09/29/2017. Total short interest is just one way to look at short data; another metric that we here at Dividend Channel find particularly useful is the "days to cover" metric because it considers both the total shares short and the average daily volume of shares traded. The number of shares short is then compared to the average daily volume, in order to calculate the total number of trading days (at the average volume) it would take to close out all of the open short positions if every share traded represented a short position being closed. Average daily volume for CVI at the 10/13/2017 settlement decreased to 449,847, as compared to 524,743 at the 09/29/2017 report. That brought "days to cover" up to 13.05, a 30.77% increase from the 9.98 days to cover calculated at the previous short interest data release.The below chart shows the historical "days to cover" for CVI at previous short interest release dates:
Top 25 S.A.F.E. Dividend Stocks »


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|Palo Alto
|Previous College:
High School: A three-year Varsity starting infielder and pitcher for Palo Alto High School…as a senior captain, he helped lead the team to a school record 29 wins, including a 24-game win streak and undefeated league championship…hit .398 while recording a school record 13 victories and striking out 71 in 69 innings on the mound…also stole 15 bases in 15 attempts...was named co-MVP of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL), first team all-league as a shortstop, first team All-San Jose Mercury News, Pitcher of the Year by the Palo Alto Daily News, and third team all state as a pitcher by Max Preps…was also a two-year Varsity starter at free safety for Paly's football team…as a junior, led the section with six interceptions and was named second team all SCVAL…as a senior captain, he helped lead the team to an undefeated league championship and was named the SCVAL's defensive back of the year and first team all-league, as well as second team All-San Jose Mercury News.
2011: Started all 40 games at second base for the Stags as a freshman… hit .333 and led the team in doubles (16), total bases (75), slugging percentage (.510), and on base percentage (.434)…co-led the team in home runs (2)…second on the team in walks (19) and steals (10)…third in RBI (21)…his 16 doubles were the 3rd highest in the SCIAC…one of three freshman named to the ABCA/Rawlings Division III West All-Region team (third team)…part of the middle infield that turned a Division III leading 1.44 doubles plays per game.
2012: Started all 40 games in the middle infield for the Stags as a sophomore… hit .333 for his second straight year leading the team in runs scored (31), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.489), walks (22), and on base percentage (.448)…second on the team in hits (45) and steals, successful in 14 of 14 attempts…named first team all SCIAC as a second baseman.
2013: Started all 37 games at shortstop for the Stags as a junior...hit .328 and led the team in runs scored (31), doubles (13), home runs (6), stolen bases (11), and slugging percentage (.565)…second on team in hits (43), RBI (26), and on base percentage (.429)…had 12 multi-hit games including two season high three hit games against Occidental and at Chapman…his 6 home runs were good for 4th in the SCIAC… named to the ABCA/Rawlings Division III West All-Region third team as a shortstop.
Personal: Scott was born and raised in Palo Alto, Ca … is the son of Mike and Sharon Witte … has two siblings, Kristen and Jack …Kristen graduated from Bucknell University and Jack is a sophomore at CMC and plays infield for the Stags … Scott is an Economics—Psychology dual major at CMC.


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Patent Lather
This story appears in the June 2000 issue of . Subscribe »
While a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, 22-year-old Ronald Demon created the technology behind the ThinkShoe, high-tech footwear that adjusts its cushioning to the wearer's activity. If you're playing basketball, for instance, air pressure will push fluid into the cushion to provide extra comfort. "Everybody started calling me when the news of my invention first came out in the media," says Demon. "I was approached by Nike, Adidas and Reebok, among others, to see if I was interested in licensing my technology."
Demon, however, has different ideas-he's decided to introduce the product himself. At press time, the product, named Raven, was scheduled for a 13-city test run this summer. Demon believes the initial success will expedite the final licensing agreements and help him negotiate a better royalty rate.
Essentially, Demon's long-term success depends on his patent, which will prevent competitors from snagging his idea. His original patent offers broad protection, he says, but he's filing additional patents to broaden the claims even further. Any time you have an invention like Demon's with broad commercial potential, you'll want to follow his lead and try to patent the product in a way that keeps the competition at bay. That's easier said than done, especially on a product like Demon's, where similar products-like Reebok's air pump sole-are already on the market. But it can still be done, as long as you're willing to go the extra mile to cover every design variation.
Don Debelak (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a new-business marketing consultant who has been introducing new products for more than 20 years. He is the author of Bringing Your Product to Market (John Wiley & Sons, $19.95, 800-225-5945).
Details, Details
According to Donald Grant Kelly, director of the Office of Independent Inventor Programs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO, www.uspto.gov), broad vs. narrow is really an issue of establishing barriers to market entry by competitors. The issue relates to a patent's claims, which are the heart of a patent.
A patent claim presents details of the invention. Just how precise those details are determines whether a patent is broad or narrow. For example, says Kelly, broad claim language would be a phrase like "container of fruit," while narrower claim language would be "a bowl of apples."
The problem for Demon and other inventors is that the PTO doesn't like to issue patents with broad claims. "When an inventor succeeds in gaining a patent on an invention, this means that the other 250 million Americans will be excluded," says Kelly. "There's an important line that must be drawn by the patent examiner [that] delineates the inventor's right to a newly developed and precisely defined invention and the right of the general public to freely enjoy that which is already in the public domain. If the inventor's claim is too broad, it will impinge on that technology that is already owned." Since the concept of cushioning shoe soles was already known, the patent office is going to restrict Demon's patents to specific claims.
Counter Attack
Demon wanted to be sure to do everything he could to protect his technology. On his original patent, he had to define his product in detail-with a list of features for his main claim. He also had a variety of additional, or secondary, claims. "Secondary claims continue to define an invention with increasing specificity," says Kelly. "If a patent is challenged in court, a judge might find that certain claims are invalid and the patentability "line" will fall somewhere between the broadest and narrowest claims." In other words, secondary claims can narrow the scope of a patent's protection.
Demon's strategy was to patent many different variations of the shoe to get broad coverage. His original patent had 15 claims. Demon also has several additional patents pending that would cover even more options on how his technology could be produced. Demon's aim is to patent every manufacturing option so that a competitor can't design around his patent. Demon's strategy isn't as effective as getting a patent with a broad claim, but it can come pretty close if Demon is able to identify every possible design configuration.
The drawback to this strategy is the cost-the first three claims are free, but each claim after that will cost you $39 (unless you have 21 or more claims, in which case they're $9 apiece). That's on top of the $345 filing fee for a utility patent. Then there are patent attorney fees, which could easily run $15,000 or more. But in Demon's case, that money is a fraction of what he might earn on licensing agreements. Demon's already signed a deal with major retailers in southern California to distribute his shoes, further pumping his product's value. So if you're going to make the investment in a patent, be sure to get one that provides meaningful protection. If you can't get a patent with a broad claim, try to sew up the idea by patenting as many product variations as possible.
Runnin' Down A Dream
Inventors can always strike a better licensing deal if their products are already successful in the market. In some cases, it can even double the final negotiated royalty rate. Ronald Demon has decided to introduce the Raven, a sports shoe with his ThinkShoe technology, in 13 cities nationwide (including Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle) where there are high percentages of runners who have been known to embrace new shoe technology. Demon has also arranged for some of the top runners in the Boston Marathon to wear the Raven shoe. Demon selected a smaller market for three reasons:
1. He doesn't have the funds to promote the product nationwide.
2. He wants the product to be a big success in its early sales so he can strike licensing contracts with better terms. Going to markets with a large number of early adopters should improve his chances of having a successful introduction.
3. Demon's limited-introduction strategy-pre-selling his product in 13 target markets-is the best approach for most inventors. Potential licensees just want to know the product will sell, and selling it in 13 markets reduces the chances of the product flopping in markets where it wouldn't receive the proper marketing and pre-sale support.
Contact Source
VectraSense Technologies Inc. (maker of ThinkShoe), (978) 232-9778, www.thinkshoe.com


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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Sophomore swimmer Andrea Ward was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Athlete of the Week after an outstanding weekend at the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational, which saw her break three UCSB school records.
Ward opened the weekend by shaving .45 seconds of her own 100 butterfly record with an NCAA 'B' cut and 10th place finish (53.38). On day two, she posted a new 200 freestyle record (1:48.55), won her heat and placed 17th in the event. She wrapped up her individual weekend effort with the 200 butterfly record in the event's prelims (1:59.40). She ended up placing 15th overall (1:59.46).
Ward also swam in four Gaucho relays as UCSB took 10th in the 800 Free (7:30.84), 11th in 400 Medley (3:43.84), 12th in the 400 Free (3:23.79/'B' cut) and 200 Medley (1:42.95/'B' Cut).
This is Ward's second MPSF Athlete of the Week honor this season; she also garnered the award the week of Nov. 23.


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Lloyd wrote:I don't know what you think you're doing differently than what we're doing.
There is no difference of kind -- it's more a matter of degree. But IMO, Mathis' redefinitions are so fundamental that to have anything at all, he really has to go all of the way back to the source data, and rebuild physics from the ground up. Making slight modifications to fix logical errors, which involve new definitions of G, E, M, T, and D, actually invalidates the entire premise, and necessitates a whole new structure. It would be like saying that "F = M * A" is only correct if you redefine multiplication to yield a different type of product -- that isn't just a little fix to one formula -- it's redefining algebra, and now you no longer have a platform to stand on -- you have to rebuild everything. If you do not, the whole thing is just an exercise in sophistry.


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Tax professional cricket: Hockey's debacle shows the distortions in India's sports markets
Subroto Roy
First published in The Statesman, April 1 2008, Editorial Page Special Article http://www.thestatesman.net
All cricket involving professional international-level players, whether Indian or foreign, that comes to be broadcast to Indian audiences or played before Indian spectators, deserves to be subjected to a new, severe, discriminatingly specific excise-tax. Cricket below professional international level would be unaffected. Revenues received by the Union or State Governments from a new "International Cricket Tax" should be specifically "earmarked" to subsidize other sports as heavily as possible. Individual Indian athletes, gymnasts, swimmers, archers etc. as well as Indian teams in soccer, hockey, rugby, volleyball and other sports would be encouraged and enabled to train or compete at sporting events around the world using revenues raised from taxation of professional international cricket involving India. Had our Ministry of Finance or any other New Delhi ministry any serious sense of the economics of public finance, they would have proposed such a simple device of national policy years ago, certainly after the Hansie Cronje gambling scandal broke.
National policy
The distortions of our sports markets have come to be highlighted today by the collapse of Indian men's hockey coinciding with Indian men's cricket ballooning from a little international success and a lot of greedy consumer-fed wealth. The public is hardly aware of it but Indians have in fact done very well recently in several international sports ~ especially women's and men's boxing, women's weight-lifting, athletics, archery, table-tennis, swimming, women's hockey and men's soccer. Yet youngsters around the country face extremely distorted decisions between investing their time and energy in any sport other than cricket ~ on the outside chance they might hit gold like a Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni or Irfan Pathan and improve their families' material well-being for ever more, rather like buying a winning lottery ticket. As a general rule, the structure of economic incentives should be such that a physically talented 10 or 11 year old male or female child should be indifferent between choosing among different sports in which to specialize, cricket being one possibility. Physical fitness through sport along with proper nutrition for all children in the country needs to be the general national goal.
Notwithstanding its virtues, joys, pleasantries and sportsmanship, cricket cannot be considered a nation-building sport for India's masses. Cricket in England and the West Indies has long declined in face of more vigorous mass sports like soccer and basketball ("West Indian" athletes emigrating to North America). Australia and New Zealand love cricket but they tend to love and excel in many sports and cricket to them is just another ~ if cricket suddenly vanished they would merely move more towards rugby, swimming, tennis etc.
In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as South Africa and Zimbabwe, cricket does have some political nation-building role via the secular symbolism involved in choosing a representative national team on merit ~ but that still does not make cricket the single most suitable sport for mass physical or moral upliftment among scores of millions of poor children.
Cricket is similar to baseball and American football in requiring quite a lot of equipment per player; in requiring relatively high technical specialized training (opening batsman, spin-bowler, pitcher, quarter-back); and in not providing all who play it a "total body workout" within a short length of time. One may need to be fit to play cricket but playing cricket in and of itself is not the best route to physical fitness.
Professional international cricketers thus need to be provided with a lot of support ~ gyms, massages, fitness sessions, physiotherapy etc. Field games like rugby, soccer, hockey or basketball do provide "total body workouts", do not require nearly as much equipment per player and call for much less technical specialized training.
For sake of national policy-making, relevant comparisons should not be made at first class or professional levels but rather on the level of school playing fields, village playgrounds or urban parks and open spaces on any bright day where a bunch of lads have nothing better to do than create a game for themselves. In India as around the world, all that a dozen or more lads need to make a game of it is a ball that can be kicked between them. America's inner cities have a single basketball hoop around which a game comes to be played.
The high life-time earnings of professional international Indian cricketers arises ultimately from television advertising of mass consumer goods and services ~ aerated sweet drinks, mobile telephone services, chocolates, potato-chips, soaps, shampoos, detergents etc. There is in general nothing wrong with such outcomes of a free process of contracts. The late libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State and Utopia gave a classic case of the great basketball player Wilt Chamberlin earning a vast income and wealth because very large numbers of people were freely choosing to part with their money to watch his genius at play.
America, however, has had a long history of sports during which sporting markets have become very competitive in the economic sense. Indian cricket reveals monopolistic trends. Selection at national level, hence to an international professional career of about a decade or so, contains a strong random or arbitrary element to it. At the same time, since the early 1990s professional cricketers in India (unlike those in other countries) have refused to gracefully retire even after poor performance and have had to be chucked out after titanic political struggles that sometimes find mention in Parliament. There is hardly any of the "free entry" or "free exit" that define competitive conditions in an industry.
India's international cricketers play under India's Flag and sing the Indian National Anthem; the economic externalities involved are so obvious and the monopolistic or cartel power of Bombay's cricket and TV businesses so severe that even nationalization of the sport at professional international level might have been considered ~ except for the sheer incompetence our government displays at handling any nationalized industry properly. Thus taxation of cricket and earmarked transfer of those revenues to other sports in India may be the most effective way to move towards a proper structure of incentives.
Sin taxes
Though our Finance Ministry seems quite unaware of it, excise taxes are supposed to be "sin taxes" only ~ e.g. on tobacco and alcohol to try to reduce their consumption and, if demand is inelastic, to extract as much revenue as possible out of them to put to healthier purposes. One reason consumption of professional international-level cricket in India has become unhealthy has undoubtedly to do with the gambling that takes place behind the scenes on innumerable aspects of the game. Placing a severe "sin tax" on professional international cricket will reduce its consumption and hence reduce the gambling deriving from it too. Even the masses who do not gamble but merely watch it on TV for vicarious pleasure and entertainment may need a jolt to prevent addiction. The way to implement a severe discriminatory tax on professional international level cricket in India may be by government control or nationalization of the public arenas in which it comes to be played as well as of course control of the television-broadcast rights. One of our many problems has become that our politicians and senior bureaucrats long to mingle freely with big business and cricket and Bollywood icons themselves; amidst all the glamour and fun that they would much rather be part of, they are unable to think about the public interest less obscurely than they might have done.


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Starting MSRP from * $22,855
**EPA Estimates Only
New 2018 Chevrolet City Express Cargo Van at David Maus Chevrolet in Sanford
Discover the new Chevrolet City Express Cargo Van, available to buy or lease today at David Maus Chevrolet. On this page, you will find the 2018 City Express Cargo Van vehicles that are currently available to buy or lease at our Sanford dealership, be able to see the exterior color options, view photos, and more. If you have a question about this new City Express Cargo Van or any other new and used vehicle at David Maus Chevrolet, please give us a call at 877-813-0649, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.


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These stuffed tomatoes are very flavorful, but honestly they look more attractive before they are baked, so here they are before baking.
I like them as a main dish, but you can also serve them along with any grilled lamb.
Tomatoes Stuffed with Lamb and Pinenuts
4 tomatoes (medium size)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon water (or more if needed)
1 to 2 teaspoons teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon fresh
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (fresh is best for this recipe)
Salt to taste (can use dark soy sauce)
Freshly ground pepper
Optional topping: Additional tablespoon of one of the following (for topping the stuffing): fresh bread crumbs, crumbled Feta cheese, or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes (save to use as lids for the stuffed tomatoes); set aside. Scoop out the seeds and jelly of the tomatoes with a melon baller tool, or a teaspoon. Squeeze as many seeds, and excess liquid from the extracted pulp and coarsely chop, set aside.
In a small saucepan heat the oil, then add the onion and cook until translucent, add the garlic and oregano, cook another minute.
Add the grond lamb and cook until lightly browned.
Add the pine nuts, reserved, chopped tomato flesh and breadcrumbs. Stir in the water, lemon juice, and soy sauce (or salt), and pepper. Cook another minute or 2 until the mixture is well combined. Taste for seasonings & adjust.
Place the tomatoes in shallow, oiled baking dish. Spoon the lamb mixture into each tomato, press filling into tomato firmly.
Place the lids on top of the tomatoes and push down on top of the mixture.
Cover with foil and bake in a moderate oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
After the first snowfall I'm always surprised (and delighted!) to walk through the herb garden to see the condition of the heartier herbs.
It's such a treat for the senses to snip some fragrant, fresh herbs in the midst of cold weather. The new oregano leaves grow close to the soil in winter in my climate, but they are healthy and green and were perfect for this tomato dish yesterday.
Of course you can use any baking dish for the tomatoes. I'm particularly fond of these Spanish Cazuelas, and I use them for many baking and serving needs.
The smallest ones are perfect for preparing and serving Tapas and condiments. It's crucial to soak them in water briefly before cooking/baking with them.
If you cannot find cazuelas locally, there are a number of internet sources.
Amazon offers an excellent selection; click to see:
Cazuelas can be used stovetop, in the oven and the microwave. They are relatively inexpensive, too.


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We like building things around here and to build things you need to commence to drilling and driving, and we like that too. We like boring holes, driving nails and spinning screws with absolute precision at lightening fast speeds. That's why we're big fans of the new Milwaukee M18 2-Tool Combo Kit. We've always been big fans of Milwaukee.
It's a 2-Tool Combo Kit so you've got two tools, naturally. First, there's the 1/2" Hammer Drill Driver with a 4-pole frameless motor that can bring down as much as 550 in-lbs of torque on an unsuspecting screw head. Then there's the 1/4" Hex Compact Impact Driver and it's own 1400 in-lbs torques of bad-assness. These drivers may be slightly heavier than other lightweight drills we've used, it's hard to say, but it's doubtful that either one weighs more than four pounds soaking wet (Don't get them wet). The difference is negligible, however, and is hardly worth mentioning because it is more than made up for in the way the M18s handle in action. The increased run time (thanks to the lithium-ion battery, more on that below) and easy to hold contour grips (very ergonomic) means we could spend more time drilling and driving and less time massaging cramped hands. This can be crucial for professionals on the job where time is money, but helpful as well for those working on their own home projects. Both drivers feature easy action triggers (variable speeds of up to 1700 RPMs for the Hammer drill).
The helpful charge level indicator will let you know how much juice you're working with and when the driver is ready to call it quits. The drivers work right up until recharge time when they will simply cut off. There's no teasing trailing off of power. When it's time to recharge, you recharge. Speaking of recharging, the 30 minute charger (included) is extremely kind to what can be very expensive batteries. Kind in the sense that it will not kill the battery even if you let it sit on the charger long after the driver has got it's juice on. This is thanks to the Digital Power Management feature which protects from charge overload. You can concern yourself with other things without that particular worry weighing on your mind. There's also a charge indicator on the battery itself.
About the battery, one of the best attributes of the high energy density lithium-ion is its ability to conserve power when the drill is not in use. You want to get the most out of your charge but sometimes you have to take five. You can do that without worry thanks to slow charge loss. Milwaukee, the company, has always been ahead of the curve on lithium battery technology much in the way that Milwaukee, the city, is ahead of the curve on beer, brats and baseball. Well, maybe not baseball (no offense Brewers fans).
Like all Milwaukee tools, these drivers are built to last and the kit comes with a five year warranty. The carrying case is a durable hard plastic shell that can take a whacking from 2x4s all day long and not give an inch. It could surely take a good fall from scaffolding, although we didn't put it to that particular test and we DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING SO. Points is, if your tools are going to get knocked around, (and they are) you're going to want them safe and snug in a box like this. Some kits come with a contractor bag, so if you have a preference then you have a choice.
Other attributes worth mentioning: bit retention on the drill is fantastic and bit loading is a breeze. There's no need to set the drill down as one-handed bit exchange is no problem, especially with ample bit storage built into the drill itself. A handy glow ring allows for improved accuracy in situations where lack of good lighting might be problematic. In addition to punishing screws and bolts the driver is also useful for running wire or pipe.
In sum, these drivers have a great lightweight feel that will be easy on the wrist and arm, they get plenty of power from a charger that won't fry your battery and they both have ample torque so you can drive and drill like a son-of-a-gun. And, as insurance, there's the five year warranty and the Milwaukee name to back it up. So get building.


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Bugwise for Schools - a new perspective
An internship in science communication at the Australian Museum has provided an exciting twist on science.
After years of working in academia I felt roguish watching science being transformed from an intimidating topic only discussed in the fluorescently lit world of research labs to an accessible topic being discussed by animated 9 year olds in Sydney parks.
Joining the Australian Museum as a science communication intern I discovered an entirely new perspective on science. Science wasn't just about who can discuss the intricacies of snail reproductive organ morphology in the most detail (although it is that too), but about skills in investigation, problem solving and sharing knowledge at a level everyone can appreciate. I was hooked on science communication.
Bugwise in Schools was in its initial stages when I began the internship and the concept was fascinating. Scientists had created a tool to survey biodiversity and now the tool was going to be used by both the public and schools to collect data in their own areas. Not only was this a great way of collecting data on biodiversity, but engaged non-scientists in scientific method and made science fun and engaging. Science was not a topic forced on students but a topic the students wanted to be involved in.
Since beginning the internship I have worked on Bugwise, helping implement the Web2spider program in schools and helped deliver the program successfully to children as part of Scientist for Day and Science in the Suburbs. In an exciting new extension of Bugwise we have just completed Plant2Pollinator which was successfully launched last week and gained much interest from schools and learning centres around NSW. Plant2pollinator will be trialed in schools this term and delivered as part of Science in the Suburbs in May and Scientist for a Day in July, 2010.
Plant2pollinator is available on the Australian Museum website for you to use and we would love to hear any feedback!


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Atrium Hospitality is a leading hotel and asset management company, overseeing a portfolio of 84 hotels in 30 states licensed primarily through the Marriott, Hilton and Intercontinental brand families. We strive to bring to life a culture that promotes the four simple values that drive our business: Perseverance, Respect, Service, and Teamwork.
Job Purpose:
To administer the most professional, personalized skin care, hair care, nail care or any service treatment to our members and guests.
Job Responsibilities:
Job Skills:
Job Qualifications:
Full-time associates are eligible for the following benefits:
Working for Atrium Hospitality offers more than a great job; it offers the ability to make a difference in a meaningful way every day. Whether you are a recent graduate, new to the industry, or an experienced professional, Atrium provides extraordinary opportunities for growth and competitive compensation and benefits in an exciting, customer-centric workplace.


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The Only Thing You Can Do Legally If You're on the Terror Watch List Is Buy a Gun
If you're on the FBI's terrorist watch list, you can't get on a plane. You can't get 9/11 responder health benefits. But you can buy all the fucking guns your little jihadi heart desires—247 of you did last year, according to the FBI—because the NRA is out there protecting the Allah-given right of suspected terrorists to buy guns.


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Welcome to Using English.
Your question is more complicated than you might think.
The -ing words are a combination of a verb and a noun. Speaking, driving, telling, etc.
Under strict rules of grammar, the possessive is needed. I'm angry about his telling you. I'm angry about Mark's telling you.
However, this "rule" is often not followed. I'm angry about him telling you. I'm angry about Mark telling you. In fact, most people would tell you that "Mark's telling you" looks funny.
If the subject is the action itself, then you need the possessive: Mark's driving scares the bejeesus out of me.
If you want to try a few full sentences, we can tell you that it's required or it's optional under the rules of common use, if not the rules of strict grammar.
Student or Learner


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Johannesburg, South Africa -- While the scientific world has long accepted that HIV causes AIDS, a fringe group of scientists has stubbornly denied that the virus plays any role in the disease. Now, these so-called AIDS dissidents have captured the attention of Thabo Mbeki, the powerful president of South Africa, where a staggering 12.5 percent of adults are estimated to be infected with HIV.
The news has exacerbated the long-standing conflict between the South African government and frontline AIDS doctors, scientists, and activists, who accuse the government of shirking its duty to combat the raging epidemic. And it raises profound questions about Mbeki's leadership on the most pressing health issue facing southern Africa.
Mbeki has not said publicly whether he believes HIV causes AIDS, and presidential spokesperson Parks Mankahlana insisted that Mbeki is "not an advocate of the dissidents." Still, Mankahlana told the Voice that Mbeki has ordered his health minister to assemble an international panel to look into "everything about AIDS," from the merits of various treatments such as AZT to "whether there's this thing called AIDS, what it is, whether HIV leads to AIDS, whether there is something called HIV, for an example. All these questions."
It was news of this international panel, first reported by the South African Press Association two weeks ago, that brought the matter into public view and sparked immediate protest. The Treatment Action Campaign, a local activist group modeled on ACT UP, took the lead, charging that giving any credibility to the "inaccurate and harmful medical ideas" of the AIDS dissidents would "cause tremendous confusion among people at risk and undermine prevention efforts."
The health ministry hastily issued a response, down-playing -- but not denying -- the possibility that the panel would address the views of AIDS dissidents such as California virologist Peter Duesberg. The statement, which acknowledged that AIDS is "the most serious health challenge facing South Africa," said that the panel's primary objective would be "developing prevention and treatment strategies that are appropriate to the African reality." Given the apparent split between the health department and the president's office, it remains unclear what kind of public airing the dissident views will receive.
Meanwhile, the government insists it is going ahead with its current AIDS programs, including research into an HIV vaccine, and it is putting the best face on Mbeki's musings. The president, an Internet enthusiast, "has read much literature on the issue of AIDS, including the literature of those who might not hold the conventional view," said Joel Netshitenzhe, chief of government communications. "And the question he has posed from time to time is whether there has been sufficient interrogation of the issue. He merely says, 'Instead of believing, be sure you have established the facts.' And I thought that would be a measure of a good president."
But Mbeki may have gone beyond mere academic questioning. There is evidence that the dissident arguments influenced one of his most controversial acts: the decision to delay making AZT available to pregnant women in order to reduce the number of babies born with the virus -- thought to be as many as 60,000 infants a year. Moreover, critics say, the fact that Mbeki would give serious credence to views that have long been discredited indicates a desperate urge to deny the epidemic rather than grapple with it head-on.
"It's irresponsibility that borders on criminality -- and I know those are harsh words," said Mamphela Ramphele, vice chancellor of the University of Capetown and a physician who is famous for her anti-apartheid activism. She said that if the government gives credibility to "this voodoo science, there's a real danger that people might say, 'I don't have to worry about condoms.' "
Scientists in other African countries also reacted with shock and dismay. "I can't believe it," said Peter Mugyenyi, a veteran Ugandan doctor and researcher. "This would be a highly dangerous and retrogressive step with very serious public health consequences. It could cost lives." His colleague David Serwadda added that Duesberg's ideas were considered in Uganda, "but we realized his theories would not help us. If he finds fertile ground in South Africa, it would be very unfortunate."
Just how seriously is Mbeki taking the AIDS dissidents' views? One of South Africa's most senior scientists, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Voice that Mbeki asked four top South African researchers to review large dossiers of literature written by the AIDS dissidents. Some of those handpicked scientists presented their case that HIV does cause AIDS to the president this February, and yet last week Mbeki's spokesperson was still saying that the president wanted an international panel to review the issue. "I think we may have a president who doesn't believe HIV causes AIDS," said this source.
In addition, David Rasnick, a prominent dissident who has long argued that AIDS is not infectious, told the Voice that Mbeki's office asked him to answer faxed questions about AIDS and to comment on answers to those same questions provided by the health minister. Rasnick, a chemist and colleague of Duesberg, also said that Mbeki had personally telephoned him this January, telling Rasnick that he was planning "a public airing" of issues such as whether AIDS is sexually transmitted and whether HIV causes AIDS. Mbeki's spokesperson refused to confirm or deny whether he has asked researchers to review dissident literature and whether he has had contact with Rasnick.
Well-connected South African scientists and activists have known for months that Mbeki was flirting with the dissident theories, and their e-mails, some of which have been obtained by the Voice, show an ever increasing concern. The first tip-off came last October, when Mbeki ordered his health minister to review the safety of AZT, saying that "a large volume of scientific literature" alleges that the drug is so toxic that "it is in fact a danger to health." That effectively put on hold plans to make the drug available to pregnant women. "That's when I started feeling a very strange plot was afoot," said Ashraf Grimwood, a physician who chairs the National AIDS Convention of South Africa.
Mbeki's statement sharply contradicted the international medical consensus that the benefits of AZT outweigh its risks, and it also ran contrary to a South African study of AZT used in combination with another drug, 3TC. That large study found no more side effects among women and infants taking the drugs than among those taking a placebo.
Mbeki's office has consistently refused to divulge what scientific literature prompted the president to remand AZT for a new medical review. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said there is "lots of literature," but cited only the package insert that comes with the drug, adding, "I don't keep authors in my head." She added that no study had followed patients for more than five years.
But three well-placed sources, who requested anonymity, reported that Mbeki has privately cited well-known AIDS dissidents such as Duesberg and a group of Australian scientists as sources for his concern about AZT. In addition, the large dossiers of dissident material given to four of the country's top scientists contain a great deal of material alleging that AZT is dangerous.
If Mbeki did call for a review of AZT based in part on the dissidents' writings, it would mark the only time that their opinions have influenced a government decision to withhold life-saving medication.
Why would Mbeki take the dissidents seriously? Many observers chalk it up to denial, but Salim Abdool Karim, scientific chairperson of the World AIDS Conference that will be held this July in South Africa, isn't so sure. "The president's talk on World AIDS Day was excellent -- and he writes most of his own speeches," said Karim. "He clearly understands this epidemic. So I don't know. It's not denial, it's more complicated than that."
Mbeki is famously inscrutable, almost sphinx-like. What is known is that he is proud and considers himself an intellectual. When he was a little boy, according to an extensive profile that ran in South Africa's largest-circulation paper, the Sunday Times, he read letters aloud for the illiterate adults in his village, and even wrote their letters. He is accustomed, therefore, to feeling intellectually superior to people with much more experience.
He is also a contrarian. Though a member of the Communist Party, he was one of the first and fiercest ANC advocates of market reforms. And, of course, he himself was a dissident until apartheid was overthrown -- and may very well still consider himself one. After all, whites still control most of the wealth in South Africa, and Americans and European pharmaceutical companies have priced the life-saving AIDS drugs far out of South Africa's reach. It is often said that Mbeki, unlike Mandela, is bitter.
And so, it is entirely possible that Mbeki, in one of his frequent Internet trawling sessions, came across one of the dissident Web sites, read its contrarian arguments, and began to doubt mainstream Western science. The AIDS dissidents are "a small group of people who spend an enormous amount of time making sure their message will have an impact," noted Malegapuru William Makgoba, president of South Africa's Medical Research Council. "When you see it for the first time, and if you are not experienced, you are likely to be seduced by it."
Using scraps of truth, along with distortions and outright misstatements, the AIDS dissidents patch together a coherent, if erroneous, theory of AIDS. In the industrialized world, they believe that AIDS is caused by "lifestyle" factors -- especially the use of various recreational drugs -- and even by anti-HIV drugs such as AZT. Even before the drug cocktails reduced AIDS death rates throughout the industrialized world, that theory had been demolished by epidemiological studies. According to a report from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "Individuals as different as homosexual men, elderly transfusion recipients, heterosexual women, drug-using heterosexual men, and infants have all developed AIDS with only one common denominator: infection with HIV."
Of course, the Western lifestyle theory is patently absurd for AIDS in Africa, where illicit and pharmaceutical drugs are rare, so the dissidents argue that AIDS in underdeveloped countries is simply a new name for long-standing diseases caused by malnutrition, unclean water, and the other scourges of poverty.
Thus Rasnick and fellow AIDS dissident Charles Geshekter wrote to Mbeki asking his government to consider "what evidence is there that people with antibodies to HIV live shorter, poorer lives than people in the same community who do not have antibodies to HIV? We know of no such evidence." But various studies in Africa have answered exactly this point. A study of 1400 Rwandan women, for example, found that those who tested HIV antibody positive were 20 times more likely to die than their negative counterparts, while two studies from Uganda also found stark differences in the death rates between HIV-positive and -negative adults.
Despite a decade of vociferous argument, the dissidents have failed to convince a single major medical authority -- and precious few doctors. Ugandan physician Elly Katabira recalled a visit by an AIDS dissident to his clinic in Kampala years ago. He has forgotten the dissident's name, but he remembers an exchange. At the time, his clinic couldn't afford to give patients HIV tests, and so Katabira was asked, "'How do you know these people have AIDS if you don't test them?' I said, 'What we are seeing now is not what we used to see. Do you think we are stupid?'"
For South Africa, the larger issue is leadership. It has been more than four months since the president asked the health minister to review the risks and benefits of AZT, and despite having received three official reports, she has not acted, telling the Voice that she will not act until the new advisory panel gives her its advice, which will take at least another month or two. Thus, whether the government will fund AZT for pregnant women or use that money for some other pressing priority remains undecided. Last week, it was revealed that the health ministry failed to spend a shocking 40 percent of its AIDS funds. (The government said that most of these unspent funds "are committed.") And now, the president seems to be entertaining a discredited theory.
So, protest is building. Ramphele, the University of Capetown vice chancellor, made a speech charging the government with having "no coherent management strategy" on AIDS. Last week, at a national convention of people with HIV, the health minister was booed and jeered. And at the same convention, Edwin Cameron, a judge on South Africa's Constitutional Court, the equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court, took the highly unusual step of castigating the government's failure to lead, saying, "It simply does not seem that the government can begin to get it right on AIDS." After referring to the reports of Mbeki's flirtation with AIDS dissidents, the openly HIV-positive Cameron said, "There are too many lives, too much happiness, too much human prosperity at stake for flirtation with dangerous and wayward theories."
Research intern: Elinore Longobardi
This article was originally published in the Village Voice.
More articles by Mark Schoofs.


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Reducing HIV Stigma for African American Women
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01893112
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : July 8, 2013
Last Update Posted : May 8, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
African American women account for 66% of HIV infections in women in the U.S., AIDS is a leading cause of death for African American women, and African Americans have the lowest medication adherence rates compared to other groups in the U.S. One of the reasons for low medication adherence among African Americans is fear of stigma. HIV stigma has been linked to depression, psychological distress, poor quality of life, poor medication adherence and service utilization contributing to morbidity and mortality. Research has found that stigma is a moderator to poor adherence via depressive symptoms.
The current study is a randomized control trial with a time and attention control group to test the effectiveness of a stigma reduction intervention adapted for use with African American women. A total of 224 African American women will be recruited to participate in the study. Half of the women will be from Chicago, Illinois (112) and the other half will be from Birmingham, Alabama (112). A workshop will be held once a study site has recruited 28 women, half of the women will be in the intervention group (14) and the other half will be in the control group (14). Each study site will have 4 cohorts of 28 women.
The main aims of the current study are:
- to determine the long-term effectiveness of the intervention to reduce stigma for African American women living with HIV in Chicago Illinois and Birmingham, Alabama
- to examine whether stigma reduction due to the intervention is associated with improved physical health biomarkers (CD4+ T cell count, viral load), mediated by reduced psychological symptoms (depressive symptoms), improved engagement to care, and improved medication adherence
- to explore whether stigma reduction due to the intervention is moderated by location (Chicago vs. Birmingham), transmission risk factor, time since diagnosis, and perceived social support
We expect that the multimedia workshop intervention will demonstrate effectiveness in reducing internalized stigma through an easily-disseminated method, and that it will have a positive impact on medication adherence and engagement in care for African American women living with HIV.
|Condition or disease
|Behavioral: Unity Workshop Behavioral: Breast Cancer Screening
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|240 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Supportive Care
|Official Title:
|Reducing HIV Stigma to Improve Health Outcomes for African-American Women
|Study Start Date :
|June 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|November 2016
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|February 2017
Experimental: Unity Workshop
The intervention is a workshop facilitated by a peer advocate (an African American woman who is also HIV positive) and a social worker. It has exercises, videos and group discussions intended to equip participants with coping skills to overcome HIV related stigma and the negative outcomes related to stigma. The workshop will last about 8 hours total across 2 two days (4 hours per day). The researcher in the current study has done a lot of work in adapting this intervention for African American women. The workshop has been piloted in Seattle and had promising results. Based on results in the pilot study, a 2 hour booster session has been added 6 months after the initial workshop
Behavioral: Unity Workshop
The intervention is based on other stigma reduction programs that are being used internationally (HIV Stigma Toolkit developed by the International Center for Research on Women and trigger videos developed by International Training & Education Center for health).
Breast Cancer Screening
The time and attention control group workshop will be facilitated by a research coordinator. The control group program is based on another program that is designed explore issues related to breast cancer screening among African American women. The program has the same format as the Unity Workshop, with video and group discussion. Although breast cancer may be associated with stigma, we anticipated that breast cancer stigmas would not be related to HIV-associated stigma, which is our primary outcome of interest. The control groups will be held during the same week as the Unity Workshops, and control group participants will complete assessments on the same schedule as the Unity Workshop participants.
Behavioral: Breast Cancer Screening
- Change in stigma scores from baseline to 12 months. [ Time Frame: baseline, after intervervention, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 12 months ]We will see if the intervention/workshop reduces HIV related stigma after 1 year in the study. We will use the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness to measure stigma.
- Location as a moderator variable [ Time Frame: baseline, after intervervention, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 12 months ]This is a multi-site study (Chicago and Birmingham) and we are interested in seeing if location is a moderating variable
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist [ Time Frame: baseline, 12 months ]
- Adherence to HIV Medication [ Time Frame: baseline, after intervention, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 12 months ]Adherence to HIV medication will be measured by participants self report of adherence using commonly used set of questions.
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) [ Time Frame: baseline, after intervention, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 12 months ]We will look at the correlation between stigma scores and depression scores over time.
- Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale [ Time Frame: Study duration ]We are going to use a validated social support scale, and analyze social support as a correlate.
- substance abuse [ Time Frame: baseline, 12 months ]substance use and stigma of substance use will be measured using: Alcohol Use disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) Substance Abuse Self Stigma (SASS)
- Engagement in Care (from patient record) [ Time Frame: baseline, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months ]Research assistants will access participants' medical records to see if patients have missed any HIV related visits (i.e. medical, counseling). Engagement to care will be measured as a proportion (missed visits over total scheduled). Rescheduled visits will not count as missed visits. At baseline, we will look at visits for the past 12 months.
- HIV viral load (from medical chart) over 1 year study duration [ Time Frame: baseline, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months ]We want to examine whether stigma reduction due to the intervention is associated with improved physical health bio-markers such as suppression in HIV viral load in the blood (taken from medical chart/previous clinical blood tests).
- Change in CD4 count [ Time Frame: baseline, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months ]We want to see wither stigma reduction from the intervention associated with improved physical health bio-markers such as CD4+ T cell count.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- they are women who identify as having an African American racial/ethnic background
- born in the U.S. (including women of Caribbean origin if born in the U.S.
- speak and understand English as their primary language of communication outside the home
- they are 18 years of age or older
- have a documented HIV positive status (women are on antiretroviral treatment and women who are not on antiretroviral are eligible)
- able to see and interact with a touchscreen computer in English.
Exclusion Criteria:
- women who not self-identify as African American
- women who are African born or born outside the United States
- younger than 18 years of age
- unable to provide informed consent
- life expectancy less than 1 year per physician report
- unable to see and interact with a touchscreen computer in English.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01893112
|United States, Alabama
|University of Alabama Birmingham
|Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
|United States, Illinois
|Northwestern University (NU)
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
|Principal Investigator:
|Deepa Rao, PhD, MA
|University of Washington
|Responsible Party:
|Deepa Rao, Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, University of Washington
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01893112 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
R01MH098675 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|July 8, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|May 8, 2017
|Last Verified:
|May 2017


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MADRID - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi took their La Liga goals tally this season to a record-breaking 41 each on Saturday. First, Ronaldo broke his own mark of last season by scoring in the 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Sporting Gijon.
Later Saturday, Messi grabbed a brace as Barcelona also hit back from a goal down to defeat Levante 2-1 as the champions stayed four points behind Real with the mouthwatering, season-defining El Clasico to come next weekend.
On a night of landmarks, Real's third goal was their 107th of La Liga this season. It puts them level with John Toshack's Real Madrid team of the 1989-90 season with Jose Mourinho's side still with five matches to play. "The records come as a result of the work of all the players who have given so much and deserve to be champions," said Real assistant coach Aitor Karanka.
"For those who say that Jose Mourinho is a defensive coach then you just need to look at these statistics." A Sergio Ramos handball had seen Miguel Angel De las Cuevas put Sporting ahead from the penalty spot after half an hour before Gonzalo Higuain equalised with a header after 36 minutes.
Ronaldo finally broke Sporting's resistance with a header after 73 minutes and, following the dismissal of Roberto Canella for a second yellow card, Karim Benzema hit the third. Nuri Sahin began in midfield for Real alongside Sami Khedira, with Xabi Alonso suspended.
Jose Callejon was included in a four-pronged attack with Benzema on the bench, with Mourinho holding him back for the Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Sporting won a controversial penalty after Ramos slid in to clear the ball and the referee claimed he handled. De las Cuevas sent the ball straight down the middle of the goal to give Sporting the lead.
Real responded with Khedira going close with a shot from the edge of the area before Higuain headed in the equaliser. Ramos crossed for the Argentine, who had not been picked up by Sporting defence, and he knocked the ball past keeper Juan Pablo. Mourinho brought on Benzema and Angel Di Maria for the second half.
Ronaldo had further shots from distance and Benzema missed a half chance but they appeared to be lacking inspiration before Ronaldo headed in a 74th-minute Di Maria cross. Canella, who was already on a yellow card, picked up a second for a foul on Di Maria and then, nine minutes from the end, Benzema sealed the win with a shot from a Mesut Ozil pass.
Levante went ahead against Barcelona from a 23rd-minute penalty converted by Jose Barkero. But Messi then hit a second half brace with his second goal, from the penalty spot after a foul by Pedro Botelho on Juan Cuenca, drawing him level with his great Portuguese rival Ronaldo on 41 league goals.
"This result is important in lifting us for the upcoming match in London and then the Madrid game," said Barca coach Pep Guardiola with his side facing Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. "Now we are going to think about the Chelsea match and then Madrid which will be a very hard game. We have won the last three titles but if they win this time then that will be that."
Barcelona had a depleted defence with Dani Alves and Gerard Pique only fit for a place on the bench along with Andres Iniesta who was rested. Pedro Rodriguez had a shot saved by Levante keeper Gustavo Munua and Thiago Alcantara headed wide as Barca looked comfortable in possession.
Levante set their stall to defend deeply and try and find the pace and strength of frontman Arouna Kone on the counter. It was a policy which paid dividends as they took the lead against the run of play from the penalty spot after a handball from Busquets.
Keeper Victor Valdes was unable to hold a corner and Busquets blocked a header from Juanfran Garcia with his hand. The referee awarded a penalty which was converted clinically by Barkero.
Barca's cause was starting to look increasingly forlorn when Messi drew them level from the edge of the area on 64 minutes. Then, following a foul by Pedro Botelho on Juan Cuenca, Messi won the game for Barcelona from the penalty spot with 18 minutes left.


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'Weiner Monologues' raising cash
Anthony Weiner may be out of the spotlight (somewhat), but his story is still earning bright lights.
"The Weiner Monologues," a play centering around the ex-congressman and mayoral candidate, hit its fundraising goal recently to help support its November run at New York City's Access Theater, and the show is getting some pitches to take it even bigger.
Story Continued Below
"We're getting feedback from people who say they want to do it in a different stage or are interested in producing it in a bigger venue," said John Oros, one of the show's collaborators. "We're definitely having those talks but I can't say much right now."
( QUIZ: Do you know Anthony Weiner?)
To those who might think that the story of Anthony Weiner is fading from Americans' radar screens, Oros says, not so fast.
"I think right now he's still on everyone's mind, especially in the New York region. … People aren't sick of it yet."
To that end, Oros is quick to point out that, title aside, the show isn't just about Weiner.
"It's a bigger commentary and a bigger perspective not only on political sex scandals, but also the role that media and social media plays in this day and age. Things were once very private, like having an affair, can become very public when the Internet gets involved."
And "The Weiner Monologues" will have a bit of fun with that very concept. While most shows ask attendees to turn off their cellphones, they're asking those in the audience to turn them on, download their app and watch as they're sent "surprises throughout the show that obviously plays off the scandal itself."
Oros says they haven't been in touch with Weiner, but they're open to a cameo.
"We'd love to have him come to the show," he said.


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The state's budget crisis is not only being felt by the little people. Next month California's elected officials could find their wallets a little lighter and their lives a little less perky.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission, a voter-approved board that is appointed by the governor, will hold its annual meeting in April and members are set to discuss the possibility of cutting salaries and eliminating state cars.
Chuck Murray, the chairman of the commission, told the Los Angeles Times that he believes elected officials should have their pay slashed by 12 percent, per diem expenses cut and have state-owned cars taken away.
"They have to share what everybody else in the state is going through," he told the paper. "We have a state budget that is out of control."
Two years ago the commission voted to reduce salaries from $116,208 to $95,291. But last year, members refused to cut salaries again after some politicians argued that further cuts would hurt the state's ability to attract top talent to run for office.
California is facing a $26 billion budget shortfall that Gov. Jerry Brown has been trying to cut. Brown has already taken small measures, such as taking away state-issued cell phones, swag and cars, to make a dent in the gap but more is needed.