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Cycling is a pursuit with almost limitless expression. It is efficiency itself, a way to remake cities in the 21st century. It is a magnification of sport, a chance to see competition as the ultimate mastery over chaos (how many other sports may see 20 teams on the field?), as well as a chance to magnify athleticism through the microscope of the time trial. There's the devotion to routine and ritual that comes in daily training, giving us a chance to consider the more spiritual side of the sport. What of the shop wrenches who keep us on the road? They are the doctors of the sport, the GPs who make sure that our society continues to function. Finally, there are the high priests and artists—the frame builders—all consideration of cycling as a craft emanate from them. It is in the exploration of craft, breaking it down, finding those inner drives and how they manifest in someone's work that we learn about artistry and how it's possible to make an individual statement even when working with a set of components that anyone else in the world can purchase.
All the most interesting conversations I've had in cycling have shared a detail in common. Somewhere at the root of that conversation the driver was the creative urge. That urge to create, to find out what is possible has been behind conversations I've had with entrepreneurs like Mike Sinyard, some of the top engineers in cycling, a few of the more insightful pros I've encountered, and of course, most every frame builder I've ever met.
Something RKP hasn't done to my satisfaction is shine a spotlight on great builders. Interviewing frame builders is something I've done since even before my time at Bicycle Guide, where I was one of the editors responsible for the Hot Tubes column. Reader polls told us that Hot Tubes was the single most popular feature in the magazine, so later, when I launched Asphalt, I doubled-down on that, taking a one-page department and turning it into a four-page feature called Torchbearers. Though we didn't take any polls, I can tell you that what I learned from readers was it was wildly popular. For a while, I was responsible for an online column at Peloton called Artisans which traveled much the same territory, though it used a straight Q&A format. Eventually it came to an end, mostly because of my inability to herd cats; delivering a weekly interview with a frame builder can involve a degree of chasing befitting a bounty hunter. Unless you're standing in front of the builder, it can be hard to get some of them to talk. The irony here is that no one ever says no; they just prove to be Higgs-Boson elusive.
The pieces I did for Artisans are still live and can be found here. I'm pleased that they are still up; so many things get deleted off the web with a simple click. However, because RKP fundamentally serves as my calling card, I'm going to reprint the interviews here and begin adding to them with new ones, though without the strain of a weekly deadline. I'll also be pulling in one of our contributors, Irene Bond, to help with the cat herding.
Our first installment is a guy that some have accused of being overexposed, almost too well known. I submit that even though Richard Sachs didn't invent the craft, he's the guy that drew the blueprint from which most other builders have planned their career. In a sense, Sachs is the prototype, the ur-builder. He's also significant in that he has risen beyond just being a frame builder. He is truly a brand. And while his notoriety has rankled some, I submit that he is the model for how to create a real business. There's more to being a frame builder than building frames. It's invoicing, getting someone to design your logo, decals and T-shirts. It's invoicing and paying. It's responding to clients. I've had a number of conversations with builders in which they revealed that they didn't want to do all that stuff. They just wanted to build. Sometimes I'd ask if they'd considered calling Richard Schwinn or Ben Serotta. After all, that's the difference between a craftsman and a frame builder. A frame builder is a whole business.
There is, however, a more compelling reason to start such a series with Sachs. It is because of the many builders I've spoken to over the years, he is the one that understands best what craft is about, that an apprenticeship must take place before once gains mastery. He and I share a love for the dailiness of exercising a craft, him with the torch, me with sentences. He once sent me an interview with Thomas Keller, the chef behind what is arguably the greatest restaurant in the U.S., the French Laundry. In it, Keller talked about craft and how a certain understanding comes once you've scrambled a few thousand eggs. No one in frame building has been as thoughtful about craft as Sachs, no one has been as articulate. This is the best place to start.
PB: Tell us where you're based.
RS: I live in a western Massachusetts hill town of 710 people on a dead end dirt road.
PB: What caused you to move there?
RS: Chester, Connecticut became my home when I arrived back from my frame building training in London. I turned 19 years old there. One day several years ago, we (my wife and I) decided this village of 3,000 was too crowded and made a plan to leave.
PB: What's the riding like there (where you live now)?
RS: The riding here is extraordinary, atmo (according to my opinion). An amazing ride that takes in some of the region's dirt roads, called D2R2, starts about 30 miles from my door. This area's landscape and solitude were major reasons why we chose Franklin County as a landing spot.
PB: How long were you in Connecticut?
RS: 37 years or so.
PB: Where did you grow up?
RS: I am from New Jersey but that hardly speaks to your question.
PB: Why not?
RS: Spending a lifetime riding a bicycle, and racing almost every available weekend, as well as working alone at what is more a creative endeavor than a routine job, and having no children of my own – all of this is a recipe for arrested development. I live within these very margins.
PB: How long have you been building?
RS: My brand began in 1975.
PB: How did you get your start?
RS: It all began serendipitously. I planned to attend Goddard College to pursue my interest in creative writing. This took a turn when admission was granted several months after the usual September semester start. Since I had the summer vacation and some extra months to kill, I took a menial job in Manhattan. One day, I saw an ad in the Village Voice for a bicycle mechanic's position in Vermont. Within a week I was on a Greyhound bus with a one way ticket to Burlington. Sadly, when I walked in to get my job I learned that it had been filled weeks earlier despite that the newspaper was still circulating the classified. Worse yet, in the layers of conversation I had with the staff, they made it clear I was not qualified. I took this personally and was very disappointed. By that point in my young life I was riding quality bicycles, doing all my own repairs, and had already a mild interest in the handmade stuff, being (then) a client in waiting for my first of what would ultimately be three W.B.Hurlow frames. So, rejection in hand, I deliberated on what was next. I had no backup plan to tide me over until my April admission to Goddard. I decided the only way to avenge what happened was to prove how wrong they were for not hiring me. In my mind, the only thing cooler than fixing bicycles would be making them, though I cannot for the life of me recall where that sentiment came from. I grabbed an issue of International Cycle Sport, a spiral bound notepad, some pens, and spent an afternoon at the library at UVM. All in all, I collected some thirty names and addresses of firms that appeared to make bicycle frames on the premises. These became my targets. I wrote letters to each of them explaining my desire to come to England and work for free in return for their teaching me to build frames. Thirty letters were mailed. Three replies were received. Two said no. These were from Bob Jackson Cycles and Ellis Briggs Cycles. The one yes came from Ernie Witcomb, whose eponymous family business was in southeast London. To England I flew.
PB: Who else worked with you at Witcomb?
RS: Well the Witcombs: Ernie, his wife, Lil, and son, Barry, were there. A man named Jim Collier was making frames and so was David Cotton. There was also Charles Barrett and a boy named Rob whose last name escapes me. I was there for about a month when Peter Weigle arrived. In the course of my 10 months in Deptford, another two or three Americans came and went, all chasing dreams similar to mine, or one would assume.
When my stint in Deptford ended, I came back to the states and hung out in New Jersey for a month or so deciding what to do next. I had postponed the Goddard April admission. The Witcomb family had liaisons with a New England firm called Sports East, Limited. They were in the outdoor sports and recreation business but on the agency and sales side. This company, based in East Haddam, Connecticut, proposed to the Witcomb family to represent them and all they could supply to the North American market. This was at the height of the 1970s fitness craze-slash-bike boom-slash-oil embargo and it was a good time to be in the ten speed bicycle business at any level, atmo. I decided that the pull towards staying in bicycles vis-à-vis a job offer at Witcomb USA (the division created at Sports East to market the English bicycles) was stronger than my then fading urge to write or attend college. I took the train to Old Saybrook and began work in East Haddam.
The job description was actually pretty lame and I knew that going in. My position at Witcomb USA was more as a gopher than anything else because, in reality, the division existed primarily as an importer and distributor. My place there was secured mostly because my 10 months in London gave them some much needed insight and credibility when it came to the bicycles they were an agency for.
Everything in Connecticut was going swimmingly well for a year or so until it was clear that the Witcombs (in London) were incapable of supplying frames to meet the demand the sales force in East Haddam had created. The long and short of this is: Ed (the owner) told us (me and Peter Weigle, who had also been there all this time) that we were now going to make the frames that London couldn't. Peter and I hadn't held a torch since we left Deptford almost a year earlier. And when we left, we were not framebuilders, just two cats who worked at a framebuilding shop long enough to see it done. This didn't matter to Ed at all. He had an investment to protect and the salesmen had orders to fill. Peter and I were going to make the frames no matter how much money it would take in tooling and trial and error for us to get up to speed.
Before long, Peter and I got a process dialed in and it was enough to make frames on the premises so that Ed and the crew could ship them to all points nationwide. By some fluke and many thousands of dollars invested, Ed created the Witcomb USA bicycle brand and we were off to the races.
My stay at the company lasted only a year more. In the interim we had hired Gary Sinkus to do set up work and we also trained Chris Chance to do prep as well as paint work. Before my departure, I recall we were making many frames and were very efficient too. There was no standing back and admiring lug edges or celebrating that we were taking part in some creative process. Ed and the salesmen gave us stacks of frame orders, and Peter and I took care of filling them.
Ultimately I left because I felt whatever enthusiasm I was holding to as a young framebuilder in an exciting era was too often neutralized by Ed's all-business approach to what we had become a part of. In hindsight, the reality was that I was too young to have all the responsibility that came with being that important a part of his commercial plan. I wanted to make the frames, but without the routine and impersonal connections that became the norm. Well, that's the short answer.
PB: Have you held other positions in the industry?
RS: No. Actually, I have never done anything else (for pay) since I left The Peddie School in 1971.
PB: When did you strike out on your own?
PB: Do you ever work in a material other than steel??
RS: In the last 10 years or so I have also worked heavily in opinions, atmo. I kept a tight lid on my thoughts through about 1997. One day, I was asked to speak about the framebuilding industry, such as it was, and I found myself having a watershed moment. It was like, after 25 years at the bench it was finally okay for me to have a point of view. I haven't relented since.
PB: Who makes the tubing and lugs you like to use?
RS: I am a dedicated Columbus client. About 6-7 years ago they began to supply a tube set that resulted from collaboration between Dario Pegoretti and me. The two of us felt the need for components which would 1) be made specifically for framebuilders who were using lugs, 2) have all the characteristics of the material so that the makers (us) and the users (clients) had a steady supply, and 3) could be 21st-century sized and shaped, and with a weight that would appeal to the present market rather than the retro one. Spirit for lugs (SFL) was born, though I prefer to call it PegoRichie. Columbus manufactures it and it's already several iterations updated since it all began. I also import and distribute PegoRichie tubing to other framebuilders.
Regarding lugs and parts: I have designed 4 different styles. Richie-Issimo, Newvex, Nuovo Richie, and Rene Singer are the model names. Each set began as a white sheet of paper with the goal of bringing high style, precision cast components to the market so that I would have my own supply and not be dependent upon the ever shrinking inventories that then existed. Along with the tubing I also sell these lugs. There are also 2 fork crowns, a bottom bracket shell, and a front changer braze-on that are part of the menu. By mid winter I will also have an over-oversized version of the Richie-Issimo lugs and shell ready for the market.
PB: Tell us about the jig you use.
RS: I use a Bike Machinery Hydra. It's made in Italy and I have used it since the early 1980s. The first seven hundred or so frames I made predate its arrival and I'd wager that it took 2-3 years before I was comfortable and facile using it. In London, we did things, eh – they did things the old way; there was a forge, town gas, a torch that put out a flame some 20" long, no tools, no power equipment, and no fixtures. The frames I made through 1982 were all assembled using procedures mined or refined from my time abroad.
PB: What sort of cutting and shaping of lugs do you like to perform? Does it vary from bike to bike or are there stylistic elements people can find running through all your bikes?
RS: Oh I don't know. This is one of those button issues for me. To separate out the lug, or any single component or dimension from the whole is to miss the point. I make frames, not stylistic elements, atmo.
For Part II, click here.
8 comments
This is why I read RKP.
Thank you.
Its so refreshing to read about an intelligent man from an intelligent source.
This makes me hunger for the circa 1981 RS frame (built or another racer, not me, but about my size) that I built up myself in my Dad's workshop in the basement of our Old Saybrook home. I rode it for about 25 years before it got cut from it's lock and stolen from me lo about 2 years ago now. I still have a hole in my heart from having that bicycle pinched.
Even so, it led me to David Anderson (no relation) who was listed on Richard's web location as at least a reputable frame builder, whom I contracted to have my current bicycle built – and I would commend you to interview Dave next after installment 2 of the RS saga. I'm about 7 months into riding my new ACB (Anderson Custom Bike) – built with all RS pieces (a testament to the stolen Sachs)- PegoRichie tubes (which I always call Prego Richie (thank you Richard), Richissimo lugs, and the new 2.0 fork crown, which I have to say, i can't quite figure out why you would want to put carbon forks on a perfectly good steel frame because the ACB forks Dave built are awesome. Stainless RS drops…Every day I get on that bike on my ride into work, and I'm calculating how I can get some extra miles in before my boss gets pissed at me for being late for whatever meeting…
Anyway, I digress. Point being, I don't think you get much waxing nostalgic for carbon fiber frames, in as much as you do the old steel ponies I see riding about. Every so often I come along side another rider on an old school steel frame (custom built or not), and the conversation doesn't stop. The grins are wide, and we find the miles tick by like we were dancing.
So humbled
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In 1997 while stationed in nearby Groton, I showed up unannounced at Peter Weigle's "shop" (more of a shed) in East Haddam. Going in, I had no plan and I really didn't know what I was going to say or ask him. But he was patient and took about an hour and walked me through the corners of his domain. I left amazed at the passion he and guys like Richard Sachs have…it's not about numbers.
David K
I still have Talbot's book "Designing and Building Your Own Framset" that I got at least 30 years ago. The pages are a bit bent up from thumbing through it but they don't have any machine shop dirt on them yet. I'd love to take it to RS's shop and get it dirty.
Personally I've made the full circle from steel to aluminum to carbon back to steel. Carl Strong out in Bozeman Montana built what will likely amount to my last frame. He only did so after about a week of long distance measurements and conversations. He builds one at a time start to finish and even sends a large format hard copy blueprint of the geometry. These folks do have a passion for what they do that in my opinion isn't necessarily shared by carbon builders.
Great well interviewed and written article. Thanks!
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|Outfit Details: Black and white chevron stripe dress (c/o OASAP) | Black cami (Forever 21) | Royal blue oversized envelope clutch (c/o OASAP) | Black suede "Ampersand" pumps (Seychelles) | Black tassel earrings (c/o Melissa Velia)
This outfit makes me feel retro and glamorous and kind of cool. The clutch is pretty awesome--it comes in lots of pretty colors, has optional/removable wristlet and shoulder straps, and is only $23 USD. Sweet. I might get another one once my shopping ban is over. I think it's nice to add bright accessories to neutral outfits.
The earrings are also a favorite (especially when I wear my hair up). I like that they add a little drama to any outfit.
(And yes, this was the outfit I was wearing my last post on those colored circle lenses--after I had blinked one out)
Have a great week!
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Welcome to WLF Alumni
Throughout our 126 year history WLF Accounting & Advisory has employed hundreds of talented professionals. The valuable experience gained while working at WLF has given its alumni opportunities in many different careers and industries, locally and around the world.
We've developed this website exclusively for WLF alumni to allow you to stay connected with your former colleagues, connect to other alumni and as a channel for you to keep in touch with us.


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I recently published my list of The Top 10 Must See Movies of 2013, so I thought it was time to follow up with The Top 10 Must Avoid Movies of 2013.
As with every year Hollywood offers up some very compelling works based on speculative fiction. Some of them are ground breaking, some are entertaining, very few are both. I believe that none of the movies below merit any of these labels and should be avoided in the theater at all cost. Some of these may be worth a rental…maybe. After all, movies aren't getting any cheaper. Tossing money to the studios for movies like this is like tossing chum to sharks.
Now it should go without saying that you should avoid the obviously bad movie franchises like Paranormal Activity, Scary Movie, Resident Evil, Final Destination, Underworld, Saw, etc…right? So I won't be covering the obvious here. But I'll say it anyway: DON'T DO IT! You might as well put your money in a little pile and set it on fire. At least you get something from it that way. A little warmth.
Let's get started!
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
January 25, 2013 (US)
What its about: What happened to Hansel and Gretel fifteen years after the creepy events of the childhood fairy tale? Does anyone care? Hollywood thinks you care, so obviously they grew up to become world spanning witch hunters. Jeremy Renner…what have you done?!
Why you should avoid it: Really? No one else is tired of hastily pumped out mashups of fairy tales/historical figures/the supernatural? Lump this one right in there with The Brothers Grimm and Van Helsing as monumentally bad film ideas. FYI, the movie was produced by Will Ferrell.
When you should avoid the theater: January 25, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 14% – Nailed it!
Warm Bodies
February 21, 2013 (US)
What its about: After yet another zombie apocalypse, teenage zombie R wanders around as zombies are wont to do, craving brains and bumping in to things. One day he runs in to non-zombie girl Julie and rescues her from his zombie brethren. Why? Because he, you know, digs her in a non-zombie, non-platonic kinda way. He's showing signs of life, and hilarity (supposedly) ensues.
Why you should avoid it: Another hastily thrown together film based on a pseudo-popular young adult book. I'm not saying this movie is going to be bad, it might be mildly entertaining on a cold winter night after you've exhausted your episodes of The Real Housewives of _______. But aren't there better movies to drop your $10 on than movies of this ilk? Go buy the book and read it. There, I saved you $2…and putting books on your shelf is a right proper geeky thing to do.
When you should avoid the theater: February 21, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 80% – Missed it!
Jack the Giant Slayer
March 1, 2013 (US)
What its about: Everyone knows the fairy tale, but I'll lay it out for you. Poor boy obtains magic beans. Plants said magic beans. Stalk grows in to the clouds where giants live. Giants descend and kidnap princess. Quest ensues.
Why you should avoid it: First Hansel and Gretel, and then Jack. Hollywood sucks at retelling fairy tales: fact. They're too obsessed with pulling the veil of CGI and 3D over our eyes to actually spend some time trying to turn a simple story in to a meaningful movie. Jack will suffer the same fate. This looks to be a happy/comical telling, while I would have much preferred a more dark version. And the CGI effects on the giants looks very poor.
When you should avoid the theater: March 1, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 52% – Nailed it!
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
March 29, 2013 (US)
What its about: The G.I. Joe operatives are framed as traitors to the United States and must fight through a slew of paper thin villains to save the country and restore their standing in the…blah, blah, blah…why am I even typing these words?
Why you should avoid it: I'm just going to come out and say it…G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Definitely the worst movie I saw in 2009 when it was released. Why should I hold out hope that Retaliation will be any different? Because Bruce Willis and The Rock are in it? Absolutely not. I won't even be renting this one because Cobra scarred me for life.
When you should avoid the theater: March 29, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 28% – Nailed it!
The Host
March 29, 2013 (US)
What its about: Aliens invade Earth and invade people's minds, using them as "hosts." Melanie is carrying around the "soul" of an alien named Wanderer. Melanie's consciousness is suppressed but Wanderer can see all of Melanie's memories, including those that show where free humans may be living…and Melanie's boyfriend.
Why you should avoid it: Two words: Stephenie Meyer. You're really expecting anything different than Twilight? I did try to read the book at the behest of my wife…I gave it the old college try. But I tossed it in the corner after 100 pages. It's utter dreck. And pulling off movies based on material that is heavily laden with inner thought and dialogue to tell the story never works. By all appearances March 29th is the day to avoid the cineplex. It will be full of shambling zombies looking to consume mass quantities of brains…because there will be a serious lack of brains in the seats that day. The Host and G.I. Joe opening in tandem? Yeesh!
When you should avoid the theater: March 29, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 9% – Nailed it, grand slam, out of the park!
World War Z
June 21, 2013 (US)
What its about: A zombie pandemic sweeps across the world and United Nations employee Gerry Lane races across the globe to preserve humanity, governments, and his love interest.
Why you should avoid it: World War Z has been a production nightmare since it was announced. Reshoots. Multiple script re-writes. Release date pushes. Lukewarm response to a CGI heavy trailer riddled with fake looking and swarming zombies. Heavy deviation from the popular book. Brad Pitt playing a character that really wasn't the center of the plot/action in the book. The film was greenlit based on a script treatment that was later thrown in the recycling bin. The list is nigh endless. But it's a zombie cash in on the popular book. What could go wrong?
When you should avoid the theater: June 21, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 70% (But how will rabid fans of the book react?)
July 19, 2013 (US)
What its about: The Rest in Peace Department (yes, you read that right) is on the trail of a killer. The twist? A recently slain cop teams up with undead officers to track down the killer.
Why you should avoid it: Ryan Reynolds is one good reason. Jeff Bridges stomping around looking like a young Colonel Sanders is another. In all seriousness, I like both of these actors in the right roles (especially Bridges) but Reynolds is a pox on most movies he's in. This is an action/comedy so there's a chance it might work. But the whole comic book driven premise of undead cops patrolling the streets is almost too much for this viewer.
When you should avoid the theater: July 19, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 11% rotten. BOOM!
300: Rise of an Empire
August 2, 2013 (US)
What its about: As a prequel to the hit 300 this version tells the tale of the godlike Xerxes marching south towards the major Greek city-states. Admiral Themistocles is forced in to an unwilling alliance with Athens. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.
Why you should avoid it: Okay, 300 was cool…but it's old hat now. The animated, slow motion combat. The CGI flying in all directions. It's everywhere now, and that's the style is what made 300 a success, not the content. And let me get this straight. Rise of an Empire is a prequel but it doesn't include the star of the original (Gerard Butler), nor does it include the director of the original (Zack Snyder)? Who that that was a good idea as a basis for a follow on movie?
When you should avoid the theater: August 2, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 42%, moved to 2014 release, still rotten.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
August 16, 2013 (US)
What its about: Percy and his entourage continue their adventures by searching for the golden fleece that will help protect their Camp Half-Blood from scary sea monsters. How thrilling!
Why you should avoid it: I remember watching Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief. Yes, I remember the actual act of watching it, but I remember absolutely nothing about it except…lightning, and I think water. Lightning Thief was dialed in after hitting the snooze alarm using cookie cutter actors, script writers, and production. Movies that forgettable don't deserve sequels. Yes, I understand there's a young adult market for movies like this, but as with many movies on this page there are more compelling speculative fiction offerings you could watch.
When you should avoid the theater: August 16, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 38% rotten, yep.
October 18, 2013 (US)
What its about: An outcast teenager is bullied at school and she uses her supernatural powers to wreak revenge on her classmates. I doubt that was a spoiler. Surely everyone has seen at least one version of this film by now.
Why you should avoid it: How many times does this movie need to be (re)made before it sinks in that Carrie is not Stephen King's best work. Not by a long shot. Chloe Moretz isn't going to save this film. The remakes don't even present anything new, they're just updated copies with different faces. Footloose recently did this, and it was terrible. Just go rent the original Carrie with Sissy Spacek and call it good.
When you should avoid the theater: August 18, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 49%, rotten!
Honorable Mention
Beautiful Creatures
February 15, 2013 (US)
What its about: Lonely boy to new town has a dream about a girl. He later meets a girl and realizes it's the girl form his dreams…and she's a "caster." Yeah, okay, she's a witch. Romance ensues, and is tested when she is chosen as Light or Dark on her upcoming sixteenth birthday. Yeah, okay, good or bad witch like in Oz. Ugh.
Why you should avoid it: It's an urban fantasy, tween romance, Twilight cash-in. Period.
When you should avoid the theater: February 15, 2013 (US)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Rating: 45% – Nailed it!
© 2013-2019, Neal Ulen. All rights reserved.
All images/videos cited copyright to their respective owner(s).


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I think it's only right and proper to begin 2017 with a Michelin nosh up and a night away, don't you? Hero over in Buck/Oxon reviewed The Crown in Bray last summer and absolutely loved it. A Heston eaterie (part of his Fat Duck group), The Crown is a gorgeously atmospheric 16th century building with […]
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My wife pushes against my shoulders, urging me to lay on my back. I don't argue. I mean, why would I? Every man knows that when his woman wants to take control in bed, it's in his best interests to do exactly as he's told. A woman who takes the initiative is every red-blooded man's dream—a dream that currently resides in my bed.
Long, lithe legs that should belong to a much taller woman straddle my waist and she settles over my hardness. My cock strains for attention, but my devil-woman ignores him. Instead she leans over me, one perfectly shaped breast hanging inches from my mouth. I want to pinch the perfectly pointed nipple that taunts me. I want to lick the creamy skin that surrounds the peak until it's red and raw. I want to bite into her perfect flesh and leave teeth marks that she'll still be seeing a week later.
However, I'm a good husband, so I ignore my urges and let my wife call the shots.
"Suck it into your mouth," she orders.
I do as I'm told, sucking her nipple like a man possessed. My hands itch with aching need to seize her by the throat and toss her onto the bed on her back. I play out my next moves in my head, fantasising about what I'll do once I've regained my position of dominance. The plan pops into my head with ease—almost like it's second nature or part of an innate urge that I can't control. When I have her on her back, I'll wrench her thighs apart and thrust my cock home. She'll protest, screams that demand I stop will pierce the night air, but we'll both know that she doesn't mean it. Sharp fingernails will tear the skin from my shoulders which will send a shiver of pleasure down my spine. It's when she oversteps and scratches at my face that I'll get to the really fun part.
Her punishment.
My fantasy comes to an abrupt stop when my head is forced to the side by the impact of a hand against my cheek. I open my eyes, and blink to clear my vision. My bloody wife just slapped me. That's not on. Not that she seems to care, because she takes it a step further before I can complain and ties my wrists together, then binds them to the headboard.
I strain against the bindings. She slaps me again.
"Now, I told you not to touch," she chides, irritation coating each word.
I shake my head to clear it, and my wife slowly changes from a curvy black shadow that looms above me into the beautiful woman that she is. Excitement makes her eyes glitter in the fading light of our bedroom. Somehow, I remember that look, and it makes my heart skip a beat.
I'm in trouble.
Bracing my hips, I watch with a mixture of muted lust and supercharged apprehension as she lifts herself off my hips and takes my dick in her hand. There is nothing loving about the way she impales herself on my cock a second later. It's carnal. Vicious. A way for her to assert her ownership.
My hips lift from the bed as I meet her thrust for thrust. Apparently, she wants me completely submissive tonight because she scowls at me and raises her hand as if to hit me again. I stop moving and wait for her next move.
Nothing comes because my wife pushes my ass into the mattress by lowering her full weight onto me. Leaning over my chest, she strains to grab something from the bedside table. I stay still, uncertainty over whether I should tilt my body to help her reach whatever she's looking for runs through me, and I take back my original thoughts that every red-blooded man wants his wife to take control. I don't like it, at all. Being at the mercy of a woman is not something I enjoy.
I guess it's just another way that having limited memories of my life messes with me.
"Now, where were we?" My wife shuffles herself back into position, having successfully stayed balanced on my cock while she was on her search and retrieval mission. "Oh, I know. You're about to let me use your delicious cock for my own amusement."
I don't correct her assessment of the situation. Not that I know how to manage it without hurting her feelings, anyhow. Part of me wants to be mean and cut strips off her with my sharp tongue while a warning bell that's clanging in my head screams at me to just go along with it.
I run out of time to decide when she pounces. Lifting her hips, she sinks back onto my cock. It feels good, but it doesn't feel right. She's moving too slow for one. Secondly, her rhythm isn't right. There's no way I'm going to come if this is all she has to offer.
"Oh, Jax," she moans, throwing her head back. Her long hair brushes my thighs—and honest to God, the light tickle from the strands on my skin feels better than what she's doing to my dick.
The knot that she's used to tie my hands to the headboard is loosening. While she uses me like a live stud at an artificial insemination clinic, I work on the bindings around my wrist until they've unknotted completely.
Now, it's time for me to play.
Jack-knifing upright like a serpent, I grab her by the throat and throw her onto the mattress at my feet. Pushing to my knees, I leer over her naked form, take my cock in my hand, and—my wife jams a long, black wand into the side of my neck. My body flops around like an epileptic having a grand mal seizure. Blood fills my mouth, pain ricocheting through my tongue from the damage that my teeth have done. The spasms in my hands and legs make every muscle scream.
And, then it's over. She pulls the wand away. Pushing me all the way onto my back, she straddles my hips again and grins down at me. It takes a second, but when it hits, it hits home hard.
This is not my wife.
My wife has naturally thick, brown-black hair—not this straw like bird's nest that tops this woman's head. Amber is beautiful—smooth, alabaster skin, curves in all the right places, and big, brown eyes that can suck my soul from my body with just a smile. The woman above me is older, her plastic surgery enhanced skin is unnaturally tight as she fights the aging process instead of owning it, and her blue eyes are dead.
"You're not Amber." The statement has barely left my lips before she's jammed the wand back into the side of my neck. The spasms start again. I feel my bladder let go, and my eyes roll back in my head, stealing the last remnants of vision from my eyes.
"Stop talking about Amber," the woman pretending to be my wife screams at me. "Forget about her. You're mine now. All mine. Mine!"
Her hysterics begin to fade away as I lose my fight for consciousness. I try to swim through the sticky, black quicksand that's sucking me down, but it's impossible. Giving up on staying cognisant, I change tact, and begin chanting three words over and over in my head.
"Never forget Amber. Never forget Amber. Never forget Amber."
The darkness has almost entirely taken over, but I manage to get one more chant completed before it wins.
"Never forget Amber."
This scene is from Adversary, a Centrifuge Duet | Bonus story. Find more details HERE.


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Becoming an International Humanitarian Aid Worker
Jan. 11, 2017
Considering a humanitarian career? Join us for a special Devex webinar with the authors of the recently published book, "Becoming an International Humanitarian Aid Worker," Chen Reis and Tania Bernath.
Reis and Bernath, both veteran aid workers, will discuss some of the key findings from their research and experience working in this demanding field. From the realities of the job to soft and hard skills required of this career, the authors will provide tips for breaking into and succeeding in the humanitarian sector whether you are just getting started or a mid- to senior-level professional.
First United Nations World Data Forum
Jan. 15-18
Cape Town, South Africa
World Economic Forum
Jan. 17-20
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland
U.S. Presidential Inauguration
Jan. 20
Washington, D.C., United States
The United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum
Jan 30-31
New York, United States
Mobile World Congress
Feb. 2 - March 2
Barcelona, Spain
The Future of Global Health
March 1
Washington, D.C., United States
Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development
March 1-3
Bonn, Germany
17th Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty
March 14-18
Washington, D.C., United States
Global Education & Skills Forum
March 18-19
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Bond Annual Conference
March 20-21
London, United Kingdom
Devex Global Development Career Forum
March 24
Washington, D.C., United States
Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corp. Annual Meeting
March 30 - April 2
Asunción, Paraguay
Land and Poverty Conference
March 20-24
Washington, D.C., United States
Skoll World Forum
April 4-7
Oxford, United Kingdom
World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings
April 21-23
Washington, D.C., United States
Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting
May 4-7
Yokohama, Japan
OECD Forum 2017June 6-7
Paris, France
European Development Days
June 7-8
Brussels, Belgium
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
June 16-18
Jeju Island, South Korea
InterAction Forum
June 20-22
Washington, D.C., United States
World Cancer Day
Feb. 4
International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
Feb. 6
International Women's Day
March 8
World Water Day
March 22
World Tuberculosis Day
March 24
World Health Day
April 7
World Malaria Day
April 25
World No Tobacco Day
May 31
World Environment Day
June 5
World Oceans Day
June 8
World Refugee Day
June 20
Know of an upcoming event that might be of interest to the international development community? Leave a comment below or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world's leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.


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Displaying 1 - 5 of 38 results
The workshop aims at strengthening the capacities of regional law enforcement agencies, their forensic units on detection of NPS and countering illicit drugs trafficking and thereby increasing awareness and knowledge on countering the problem of wide diversion of NPS.
The objective of the meeting is to familiarize participants from OSCE participating States (Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine as well as Romania) with national and regional practices in joint operations, information sharing and needs in combating the phenomena of NPS.
Mission plan was to facilitate two days Regional Meeting of the National Coordinators for fight against Trafficking in Human Beings on topic "Current Situation in the Field of Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings and Suggestions and Recommendations for Improvement", held on 25-26 of February 2010 in Budva, Montenegro.
The aim of the Conference was to share the lessons learned, define concrete measures to increase the exchange of operational information and enhance the level of co-operation between the participating countries.


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Spectrum's Senior Nutrition Program is a healthy and convenient alternative to cooking, and offers freshly prepared, nutritious meals at 25 Alameda County locations. Our dining sites ease the burden of cooking and provide seniors with the opportunity to enjoy tasty food, meet new people, and participate in a variety of activities.
What the Meal Plan Offers
- A Healthy, freshly cooked meal planned by our Registered Dietitian
- An atmosphere that promotes socialization with other seniors in a welcoming environment
- At least 1/3 of your Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) including fruits vegetables rich in Vitamin A & C
- Daily alternative menu options include a hearty Chef Salad (chicken or vegetarian)
View our Monthly Menus
December 2019 - English
November 2019 - English
October 2019 - English - Updated 10/17/19
Nutrition Education
Vitamin D
What is MyPlate?
Reduce Sugar Sweetened Beverages
Legumes: Power Packed Plants
Nuts for Health
Sample Menu
This is a sample menu - click the link on the right for this month's menu.
- Tomato Florentine Soup
- Baked Salmon with a Lemon Caper Sauce
- Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
- Brussel Sprouts
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit
- 1% milk
Suggested Donation
- $3.75 for seniors 60 years and older
- No senior will be turned away due to lack of funds
- $10.00 fee for diners age 2-59 years
View our Dining Site Locations


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Five April Fool's Jokes That May Be Too Mean to Do
April Fool's Day brings out the prankster in all of us. In this day and age when everything is caught on camera, what do you think, want to try one of these joke ideas? You may get some laughs, but you also run the risk of losing friends, or, being arrested, so be warned.
- 1
Say You're Having a Baby
This probably won't be as dramatic if you've starred on 'Teen Mom,' but it will send a jolt to people you know. If you're a woman doing this, you get serious bonus points if you had a baby in the last year.
- 2
Announce You're Getting Married
Up the ante: say the spouse-to-be is a cousin. And that you're only tying the knot because it's right thing, you know, in order to make the baby legitimate.
- 3
Announce You're Getting Divorced
It sounds like a hilarious idea...until your mother reacts by saying, "Thank goodness. What took so long?"
- 4
Call Your Parents to Say You've Been Arrested
Yup, you're gonna freak out the folks, for sure, with this one. Unless you're Justin Bieber, in which case it's par for the course.
- 5
Wear a Ski Mask Into a Bank and Say You're Robbing It
A prop gun is optional, but whether you're armed or not, this may not be a joke as much as a moronic decision to get an arrest on your record because you will be cuffed after revealing it's all a joke. You will also probably be asked to close your account and never come back. If you do this one, it's proof you're three-fries short of a happy meal.


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Date of Graduation
Document Type
Degree Name
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)
Degree Level
Electrical Engineering
Jingxian Wu
Committee Member
Jing Yang
Second Committee Member
Baohua Li
Pure sciences, Applied sciences, Digital signal processing, Gaussian mixture model, Speaker identification, Speaker recognition, Statistical learning, Support vector machines
The proliferation of voice-activated devices and systems and over-the-phone bank transactions has made our daily affairs much easier in recent times. The ease that these systems offer also call for a need for them to be fail-safe against impersonators. Due to the sensitive information that might be shred on these systems, it is imperative that security be an utmost concern during the development stages. Vital systems like these should incorporate a functionality of discriminating between the actual speaker and impersonators. That functionality is the focus of this thesis.
Several methods have been proposed to be used to achieve this system and some success has been recorded so far. However, due to the vital role this system has to play in securing critical information, efforts have been continually made to reduce the probability of error in the systems. Therefore, statistical learning methods or techniques are utilized in this thesis because they have proven to have high accuracy and efficiency in various other applications. The statistical methods used are Gaussian Mixture Models and Support Vector Machines. These methods have become the de facto techniques for designing speaker identification systems. The effectiveness of the support vector machine is dependent on the type of kernel used. Several kernels have been proposed for achieving better results and we also introduce a kernel in this thesis which will serve as an alternative to the already defined ones. Other factors including the number of components used in modeling the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) affect the performance of the system and these factors are used in this thesis and exciting results were obtained.
Ojutiku, A. A. (2015). Text-Independent Speaker Identification using Statistical Learning. Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1248


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This year my mum & I got a little head start on Christmas! We put up our tree last Thursday on our day off and I'm loving having it up. We bought new lights and decorations that I absolutely love - last year we went all out buying decorations so we only bought a couple more this year. The theme this year is silver, gold and white which is fun. I love a theme.
Let me know your Christmas traditions in the comments and what theme you're going for this year, if you're going for a theme at all. ♥


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We produce online advertising campaigns, that not only get you the traffic you want to receive, but also generate you leads and sales! Our designs, whether static or animated, are carefully structured from the outset to help you attract users and engage with them.
We design to your required dimensions and file sizes, work with you to monitor results and then make any necessary adjustments. This refines the campaign and improves the conversion rate as much as possible.
We can also advise you on a number of advertising services and solutions when it comes to driving more traffic to your site.
Our CMS sites can also offer advertising management if required.
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Well – i am limited by corporate policy on what i can say regarding my business activities and Concave but i really cant hide my excitement about this news for us.
For those who know me personally, its been a long two years getting to this point – millions literally millions of miles on planes by the team, in strange places, and in unfathomable situations.
god knows there have been bumps and fights and worry and stress, and no pay, and little pay, and questions on whether we can really do this – all typical in any start up. Today is one of those rare days in a start-up when one can exhale and be slightly proud of what we have done. have we made mistakes? absolutely. Have we 'cracked it'? not by a country mile…..but does this spur us on to keep swinging – no doubt!
now if John could just put Ireland through with a winner at the death from 30 yards…..


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Boyner Group is the leading non-food and non-electronic retail group in Turkey serving its customers with 7 group companies, more than 25 brands, 500 stores and 10.000 employees. Boyner Group has 21 million unique customers and more than 120 million annual visitors. Leading retail sector in Turkey, with a vision to provide unconditional customer happiness, Boyner Group provides innovative products and services.
As Turkey's leading fashion retailer Boyner Group combines cutting edge digital services with a vast network of exciting stores, working to provide its customers with an unrivalled shopping experience through any channel.
Boyner Holding
Boyner Holding, founded by Boyner family in 1950s, today owns Turkey's biggest retail companies Boyner Retail and Textile Investments, BR Mağazacılık, Hopi and Morhipo.
Boyner Holding leads the growth of its group companies with the same passion and courage it was founded upon.
Boyner Retail and Textile Investments
Boyner Retail and Textile Investments is the parent company of Boyner, Beymen, AY Marka and Altınyıldız Textile. Boyner Retail and Textile Investments is traded in Istanbul Stock Exchange with the code BRTI and its companies are Turkey's leading fashion retailers.
With a heritage of 65 years combined with innovative digital services, BRTI is exceptionally well-placed to deliver value to its customers, investors and wide range of global and local business partners.


text: Business From Corporate Climber To Reverent Farmer: The Evolution of Bruce Nelson By Dana Terry & Frank Stasio • Jul 1, 2019 Long before he was CEO of Office Depot, Bruce Nelson was a young kid who had to work to earn his keep. Why Successful New Businesses Are Still A Black And White Issue By Jennifer Brookland & Frank Stasio • Feb 6, 2019 Courtesy of Aaron Pruzaniec The Great Recession is behind us, and business is booming: new business especially. After a major slump, entrepreneurs are opening shop every month, from mom-and-pop stores to high-growth tech firms. But not all aspiring business owners are able to create the companies they would like to. IKEA Scraps Plans For Cary Store By Will Michaels • May 23, 2018 The Swedish furniture company IKEA will abandon plans to build one of its superstores in the Triangle. IKEA had planned to open a location in Cary in 2020, but town manager Sean Stegall confirmed Wednesday the retailer will not expand to Cary Towne Center. How 'Family Friendly' Are NC Businesses? By Jennifer Brookland & Frank Stasio • Feb 14, 2018 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools New research from the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation found that companies across the state are interested in making their businesses more family friendly. That includes policies from offering health insurance and family medical leave to paid time off, job-sharing and flexible work hours. Study: Diverse Companies Are More Innovative By Rebecca Martinez • Jan 10, 2018 Tech Jobs Tour / Flickr, Creative Commons, http://bit.ly/2CWQ6LQ Companies that promote diversity are more innovative, according to a new study from N.C. State University's Poole College of Management. McCrory Says NC Chamber Helped Write HB2; Chamber Denies Involvement By Will Michaels • Sep 8, 2016 Hal Goodtree / Flickr Creative Commons The North Carolina Chamber is again denying any involvement with helping to write the controversial state law known as HB2. "The North Carolina Chamber had no part in suggesting, drafting or reviewing House Bill 2 and anyone who suggests otherwise is misrepresenting the facts," the Chamber said in statement Thursday. From The Battlefield To The Boardroom: An MBA Degree Just For Veterans By John Ismay • Jun 15, 2016 The University of Southern California is doing something unique -- offering a college degree called an MBV – a Masters of Business for Veterans. Meet Jim Goodmon, A Force Behind Durham's Revitalization By Anita Rao & Frank Stasio • Mar 28, 2016 Capitol Broadcasting Company Jim Goodmon was immersed in the world of broadcasting as a young kid, watching his grandfather build Capitol Broadcasting Company from the ground up. He spent his teen years driving around eastern North Carolina giving away free TV antennas to encourage people to start tuning into WRAL. Wall Street And Silicon Valley Converge In 'The Underwriting' By Frank Stasio & Will Michaels & Andrew Tie • Jun 11, 2015 Sasha Israel Michelle Miller's life has taken her from her hometown of Asheville to the depths of two important economic engines in America – Wall Street and Silicon Valley. She studied business at Stanford, got a job at financial giant JP Morgan, and then gave it all up to become an author. She wrote a 12-part online serial last year, drawing on her experiences from the financial and tech worlds. Employee-Owned Businesses By Laura Lee & Frank Stasio • Mar 19, 2015 Mike Kalasnik / Flickr Creative Commons In many workplaces, "the boss" is a board or group of investors. But in a growing number of businesses, employees are taking ownership. Some use an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, and others use a cooperative structure. For companies like Southwest and Publix Super Markets, employee engagement is critical because employees are the bosses. The structure can also offer tax incentives. Greensboro Leaders, Owners Conflicted About New Security Ordinance By Jeff Tiberii • Jan 16, 2015 Drew Wofford Elected officials in Greensboro are working to create a security ordinance for entertainment venues. Calls for new regulations came after several violent incidents at nightclubs in recent months. Late last year, a man was stabbed in the neck at a lounge near UNC-Greensboro. Another person was killed when shots were exchanged outside of a downtown nightclub. What GSK Layoffs Mean For Pharma In North Carolina By Will Michaels, Laura Lee & Frank Stasio • Dec 4, 2014 GlaxoSmithKline Listen Listening... / 31:06 Triangle Business Journal reporter Jason deBruyn; BBC business reporter Russell Padmore; and UNC-Chapel Hill professor Atul Nerkar talk about the changing landscape of pharmaceuticals Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline eliminated 900 jobs yesterday. How Will North Carolina Tax And Regulate Airbnb And Uber? By Jorge Valencia • Nov 19, 2014 North Carolina General Assembly North Carolina lawmakers are taking their first look at how to regulate networks of individuals who buy and sell services between each other, a billion-dollar global industry that already operates in dozens of cities across the state. One of the peer-to-peer economy's biggest exponents, Airbnb, accounts for about 2,700 residential rental listings across North Carolina, and drivers who pick up passengers with their personal cars using the application Uber operate in ten cities here. NC's BB&T To Acquire Susquehanna Bank By WUNC News • Nov 12, 2014 Wikipedia Commons Winston-Salem based BB&T has announced a today to buy Susquehanna Bank. The $2.5 billion deal adds 245 new branches to BB&T, and extends the bank's reach into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Much of Susquehanna's growth comes in more rural markets - something BB&T hopes to capitalize on: Women In The Meat Business By Anita Rao & Frank Stasio • Nov 11, 2014 Briana Brough Listen Listening... / 17:29 A panel of experts discuss opportunities for more women in the meat business As the demand for local food and farm-to-table restaurants rises, the American agriculture and food production industries are expanding. Women Find Power Through Collaboration By Hady Mawajdeh & Frank Stasio • Nov 4, 2014 Matty Stern/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv Listen Listening... / 17:29 A conversation with co-founders of The Mulberry Partners, a leadership coaching and consulting firm, Maggie Ellis Chotas and Betsy Polk Forming partnerships and working in a collaborative setting can be difficult. Wake Forest University Bids Farewell To The Traditional MBA Program By Leoneda Inge • Oct 24, 2014 www.wfu.edu Wake Forest University's business school is ending its traditional full-time MBA program. Controversial? Practical? Charles Iacovou is Dean of the Wake Forest Business School. "It was about time and it was the right time," said Iacovou. HBO Without Cable, Coming In 2015 By Linda Holmes • Oct 15, 2014 HBO has built a robust and popular online presence over the past couple of years with its app, HBO GO. But to get it — as is the case with many streaming services that offer television over the Internet — you've needed a cable subscription. In other words, HBO GO was an add-on for people who already had HBO, not an alternative way of getting shows for people who didn't. Asheville's Just Economics Impact on Workers By Hady Mawajdeh & Frank Stasio • Aug 27, 2014 http://justeconomicswnc.org/ Listen Listening... / 11:50 Host Frank Stasio talks with Vicki Meath, executive director of Just Economics The Asheville nonprofit Just Economics has been pushing for local businesses to pay a living wage. Fashion Retailer Zara Pulls Kids Shirt Resembling Concentration Camp Uniform By editor • Aug 27, 2014 The clothing retail giant Zara is apologizing and has pulled a kids' shirt from its stores after hearing complaints that it resembled the uniform worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. In a tweet, Zara said the shirt was "inspired by the sheriff's stars from the Classic Western films." Reporting from Spain's Canary Islands, Lauren Frayer tells our Newscast unit that this isn't the first time the Spanish retailer has gotten into trouble. She filed this report: North Carolina Pork Had Been Surging In Russia... Not Anymore By WUNC News • Aug 7, 2014 Eric Mennel / WUNC Last year, according the State Department of Agriculture, North Carolina exported about $3.7 million in meat products to Russia. So far this year, that number has increased ten-fold, to $40 million. Now that Russia has banned the import of American beef, pork, and poultry products, that surge will come to a halt. Restaurant's 'Prayer Discount' Sparks Mix Of Praise, Anger By Scott Neuman • Aug 1, 2014 Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET. When Jordan Smith got her tab after breakfast at Mary's Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, N.C., she was pleasantly surprised to find a 15 percent discount — for "praying in public." Durham County Library Has An $87,000 Book Sorter By Carol Jackson • Jul 28, 2014 Durham County Public Library A friend of mine sent me this note recently: "Apparently the Southwest branch of the Durham public library has an insane automatic book sorter worth 180K." I checked into it and I can report that it did not cost $180,000, nor is it insane. It's actually pretty cool. Comcast 'Embarrassed' By The Service Call Making Internet Rounds By Elise Hu • Jul 15, 2014 When a customer service call is described as "Kafkaesque" and "hellish," you pretty much know how it's going to go down before even taking a listen. But in case you haven't heard the condescending, tedious call that's lit up the Internet, here it is: Dirty Business By Meghan Modafferi & Frank Stasio • Jul 10, 2014 kenan-flagler.unc.edu Listen Listening... / 11:56 Business professor and researcher Michael Christian Former stockbroker Bernie Madoff and former New York Times journalist Jayson Blair share infamy for their unethical business decisions. A new report considers the psychology behind these transgressions and shows that misdeeds tend to escalate into larger scandals over time. Life's difficult choices rarely present themselves in one dramatic question or one big decision. Instead, our most important choices in life, including ethical ones, present themselves in small baby steps. -Jayson Blair Raleigh Considers Making Businesses Remove 'Ad Cars' From Roadside By Rebecca Martinez • Jul 1, 2014 Nicolelajones / Wikipedia The Raleigh Planning Commission wants to close a loophole in the city's sign ordinance. This morning, they'll present a proposal to the City Council that would force businesses to move vehicles emblazoned with company information away from the street. The measure would require the vehicle to be parked behind the building or near the entrance to the business. Iron Man 3, Hunger Games, Homeland, And The Tax Incentives To Film Them In NC By Jorge Valencia • Jun 27, 2014 Showtime, Marvel Studios, Lionsgate North Carolina could see fewer hits like Iron Man 3 or Homeland filmed in the state. That's because tax incentives that encourage the film industry to make movies here are set to expire in January. Some lawmakers are trying to pass a measure that would give grants to the film industry to keep production companies here. But while budget negotiations are underway, time is running out to pass legislation. [VIDEO] Alamance County Dairy Farmer Has Innovative Idea That Might Save Farm By Carol Jackson • Jun 24, 2014 Mike Oniffrey Randy Lewis almost lost the family dairy farm in 2009. The price of milk had bottomed out, and costs for feed, fertilizer and fuel had gone sky-high. "It was either find some other way to make money or sell the cows and quit," he says. But Randy had an idea that might just save the farm. He's bottling milk right on-site. Of the 150 dairy farmers in the state, only five bottle their own milk. And Randy's figured out how to do it without shelling out a lot of money. Watch the story here: Raleigh Controls The Writing On The Wall By Rebecca Martinez • Jun 6, 2014 Shop Local Raleigh The Raleigh City Council has created a task force to review the city's sign ordinance. The measure determines what signs certain businesses can have, what they look like, and where they put them. Raleigh recently overhauled its planning code, but didn't change the sign ordinance much. Local businesses and associations have complained that the rules are too restrictive. This week, Raleigh appointed 11 business people and residents to study the issue. Planning and zoning administrator Travis Crane says he's looking forwards to what the task force finds. The South And Canada 'Do Business' Face To Face By Leoneda Inge • May 6, 2014 Leoneda Inge The business-to-business matchmaking continues today at the Raleigh Convention Center where the leaders from southern states and regions of Canada will try to make deals. It's the first time the Southeastern U-S Canadian Provinces Alliance or, "SEUS CP," has met in North Carolina. The kick-off to the conference had fingers snapping and heads rocking as musicians jazzed up the meeting room, welcoming dignitaries to the conference. Pages1 2 next › last »


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Today I woke up with severe period pains and decided I'd stay in bed all day… one of the many things that get in the way of women trying to just be involved in every day stuff (because every day stuff these days means getting out to protest in the rain and mud!) So I lazily reached out for my mobile to check twitter and catch up on what's been happening during the few hours that sleep and I flirt with one another. The only thing that was getting my attention between the hundreds of tweets about the Muslim Brotherhood and the elections and whether people were going to vote or boycott the elections, were the tweets that there were only 4 people, yes ONLY FOUR people outside C28, the military prosecutors, where Mikhail Nabil Sanad's trial was happening. Here was everyone, so caught up in the new frock of the mockery of democracy in a country where only 4 people turn up to support a conscientious objector, now prisoner, dragged from his own home for writing his opinions in a blog post.
I am told the lack of support Mikhail has inside Egypt is because not many agree with what he has to say. What an embarrassment of an excuse is that?! How can I deserve the freedom that so many are dying for if I cannot support the freedom of someone who is expressing views different to my own?! So, I decided to just deal with the pain and get out of bed and get out and stand not for Mikhail Nabil, but for myself, and for what I believed in. Mikhail was doing me a favour, not the other way round! He was giving me the chance to fight for what I believed in, a chance to deserve the freedom he was fighting for.
I arrived outside C28 and there were 5 people. 3 Egyptians, a German lady and an Irish man. There was no chanting and none of the familiar faces. The splitting had begun and there's too much going on in the country to even expect a crowd, but three Egyptians?! Three?!! and the three had come all the way from AlHaram despite the rain, the mud and the callings from Tahrir and else where today.
We waited till Mikhails lawyer came out saying he was refused and that Mikhail had an appointed lawyer the judge had chosen (I was beginning to feel I was watching a badly written sitcom by this point). He said the case was postponed till the 4th December. This will be the 7th time the case has been postponed and Mikhail will have spent over 100 days on his hunger strike. He also said Mikhail was coming out to be transferred back to prison in a few minutes. We decided to wait. We wanted him to see that he was not forgotten and that people with faces unfamiliar to him were there representing many (or so I convinced myself)… and indeed a couple of minutes later, the military truck transferring him came out… we knew it was him because his voice came ringing "Down with the Military Rule" "Yaskot Yaskot 7okm El3askar"… He led our chants for all of 30 seconds… and we, sending every atom of love, strength and support to him back in our echos could not help but cry as they drove off with him. I am not sure why we cried. We may have been ashamed at how few we were, maybe because we weren't sure Mikhail would make it through the hunger strike till next week, maybe because with the elections coming up we feel Mikhail will be forgotten…. but what ever the reason, we all cried… I haven't heard chants that caused me goosebumps this way in a long time… and I know I will be hearing Mikhail Nabil's voice for many nights to come.
(You can read how right Mikhail Nabil was here http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/03/army-and-people-wasnt-ever-one-hand.html)
Whatever happens, I decided today that I would not look back and regret not having stood for the freedom to all that I believe in… and I am writing this today to tell you that I believe with all my heart, that the best way to fight for your freedom is to fight for the freedom of others, fight for the freedom of those you do not necessarily agree with. Be there for Mikhail Sunday 4th December. It counts. It matters.


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Harefield Recovery Protocol Study for Patients With Refractory Chronic Heart Failure (HARPS)
|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: NCT00585546
Recruitment Status : Terminated (No longer could obtain clenbuterol)
First Posted : January 3, 2008
Results First Posted : December 15, 2017
Last Update Posted : December 15, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|December 26, 2007
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|January 3, 2008
|Results First Submitted Date ICMJE
|March 25, 2017
|Results First Posted Date ICMJE
|December 15, 2017
|Last Update Posted Date
|December 15, 2017
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|July 2007
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|March 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Percent of Subjects Who Experience LVAD Removal and Subsequent Freedom From Mechanical Circulatory Support or Heart Transplantation for 1-year After Explantation [ Time Frame: One year after LVAD explant or until transplant or death (if not explanted) ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Percent of subjects who experience LVAD removal and subsequent freedom from mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation for 1-year after explantation. [ Time Frame: One year after LVAD explant or until transplant or death (if not explanted) ]
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00585546 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Current Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Original Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Harefield Recovery Protocol Study for Patients With Refractory Chronic Heart Failure
|Official Title ICMJE
|Harefield Recovery Protocol Study (HARPS): A Nonrandomized, Open Label, Multicenter Evaluation of Potential Recovery of Heart Function in Patients With Refractory Chronic Heart Failure by Treatment With Combination of Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), Drugs to Induce Maximal Reverse Remodeling and the Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonist Clenbuterol.
|Brief Summary
|The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether patients with chronic heart failure not due to coronary artery disease who require use of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for refractory heart failure can recover sufficient heart function to allow the pump to be explanted. The study aims to avoid the need for transplantation in these patients by using standard heart failure medications to reduce the size of the left ventricle and then using the investigational drug, clenbuterol, to further improve left ventricular function.
|Detailed Description
The hypothesis of this study is that patients with dilated nonischemic cardiomyopathy who require support with an implanted left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for chronic refractory heart failure can, with a specific two-staged medical regimen designed to enhance maximal reverse remodeling (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, beta blocker, angiotensin receptor blocker, aldosterone antagonist and digoxin [stage 1]) and prevent/reverse myocardial atrophy (the β2 agonist clenbuterol [stage 2]), recover adequate left ventricular systolic function to allow LVAD explantation and subsequent intermediate-term survival without need for mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation.
Within one year of this study's start, a new LVAD became the standard of care for implantation, so the study device became an inferior standard of care shortly thereafter. By 2012 the trial was stopped for futility in enrollment. Thus, certain original outcomes have been deleted, specifically because there was only a single subject explanted, multivariate analysis for sustainability of reverse remodeling following LVAD explantation and predictors of recovery of left ventricular function/remodeling and of LVAD removal could not be done.
Similarly, and for lack of funding, biobank components were not collected; therefore no data exists to present biochemical, structural, cellular and molecular changes in the myocardium resulting from the HARPS protocol interventions, changes in systemic inflammation, circulating progenitor cells and growth factors, or DEXA scan based data: changes in body mass, lean muscle mass, muscle strength and maximal and submaximal exercise capacity. All remaining outcome measures have been edited to more precisely show the outcome measures intended.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase ICMJE
|Phase 1
|Study Design ICMJE
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Drug: clenbuterol
Clenbuterol 20 mcg tablets uptitrated from 20 mcg PO TID to a maximally tolerated dose not to exceed 700 mcg PO TID. Patients will then be switched to the equivalent dose of clenbuterol liquid 59 mcg/ml PO TID. Clenbuterol will be administered for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months.
Other Name: Spiropent
|Study Arms ICMJE
|Experimental: LVAD and Clenbuterol
Intervention: Drug: clenbuterol
|Publications *
|Birks EJ, Tansley PD, Hardy J, George RS, Bowles CT, Burke M, Banner NR, Khaghani A, Yacoub MH. Left ventricular assist device and drug therapy for the reversal of heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2006 Nov 2;355(18):1873-84.
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Actual Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Actual Study Completion Date ICMJE
|March 2010
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|March 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with refractory symptomatic heart failure (NYHA Class IV, or Stage D) due to dilated, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy who meet the following criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|Sex/Gender ICMJE
|Ages ICMJE
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers ICMJE
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|IPD Sharing Statement ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Francis D. Pagani, University of Michigan
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Francis D. Pagani
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|University of Michigan
|Verification Date
|May 2017
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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|By Mike DiPetrillo
Article Rating:
|November 12, 2008 11:00 PM EST
Mike DiPetrillo's Blog
Yesterday, VMware announced that they were buying Trango. Trango makes virtualization solutions for the mobile phone or other embedded devices. Now why would VMware do this? Well, if you were at VMworld then you heard all about VMware View. Basically it's the thought that once you put an app on top of a virtualization layer then the layer actually stretches all the way down to the end device so you don't have to worry about which app works with what. This is really key when you start looking out at cloud.
Cloud is just the middle glue that gets the user to the data. In order for that to work you really need a layer on every possible device that the user could come from. VMware had most of the bases covered already since it's been in the client virtualization game since the very beginning in 1998. The one missing piece was the cell phone and other embedded devices like set-top boxes.
The play is nice for those in the embedded industry. That industry stretches from the obvious (phones and set-top boxes) to the not so obvious (control systems in most automobiles or on-board missile guidance systems). The real pain the these devices is keeping up with the change in processors, applications, and operating systems. Let's say you're cruising along and developing an app for the iPhone. All of a sudden Apple makes someone mad and you get rid of all of the iPhones and go with Blackberries. What do you do with that app? Even worse is when you're someone like Motorola who has hundreds of set-top boxes and all of them have different architectures. How do you write one app to run across all of these systems?
What this acquisition does is give VMware the keys to the kingdom. They're now in a position where you can deploy your app on VMware View and know that it can truly get to any device in any location at any time. It also opens a whole new slew of customers to go after in a space where there really aren't many competitors. It will definitely be interesting to see how this pans out.
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- Ulitzer Names the World's 30 Most Influential Cloud Computing Bloggers
- Cloud Expo 2011 East To Attract 10,000 Delegates and 200 Exhibitors
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- Publishing Synergy: Blog, Twitter and Ulitzer
- Cloud Expo, Inc. Announces Cloud Expo 2011 New York Venue


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Finally, add the coconut milk and it's done! The recipe called for 6 tbsp of coconut cream but since I bought an already squeezed packet which had at least double that amount, I added it all in.
|photo credit: eatdrinkkl
With a little help from Ratha Raub's Curry Paste, you now have a Fish Curry that not only can you whip up in mere minutes but one's that able to feed quite a lot of people too. Game to cook something different for your Chinese New Year Eve dinner? ;)


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Research areas:
1. History of sociology, sociological theory, sociological methodology
2. Principle institutions: family, education, healthcare, economics, politics, religions, laws
3. Social interactions between individuals, social groups, the maintenance of norms and values, processes of conflicts and consensus
4. Social structures, inequality and social stratification
5. Social change: processes of transformation, trends of change, social development
6. Interactions between humans, society and natural environment
7.Social issues in the period of social transformation, international integration and globalization
Experts working at the Institute have trained generations of undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students in the last twenty years.
It was in the last two decades that the Institute markedly proved its training capacity.
In addition to formal training, the Institute has attended to informal training for young researchers through participation in scientific workshops, research projects, and seminars.
The Institute stresses on young researchers' self studying and continuous learning as a means of building the next generation of sociologists.
Institute of Sociology
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After successfully forcing the Indian government to support sweeping anticorruption legislation, activist Anna Hazare broke a 12-day fast Sunday that expanded the space for citizen participation in the world's largest democracy.
On a stage before tens of thousands, Mr. Hazare drank from a metal cup of coconut water and honey held by two children. The crowd at Delhi's Ramlila grounds erupted in cheers, music played, and victory marches touched off across the country.
"This is your victory. This is the fruit of your work," Hazare said.
Hazare agreed to eat food after Parliament passed a nonbinding "sense of the house" resolution Saturday night supporting his team's three key demands. Lawmakers expressed their support by thumping their desks – not voting individually. A lot of wiggle room remains in the process of bringing this bill into law, which is why Hazare wants demonstrations to continue.
Citizen activists inspired
Regardless of the final outcome of the anticorruption law, Hazare has shown the tens of thousands of Indians who turned out to demonstrate peacefully that they can have a strong voice. Citizen participation in India's democracy has heretofore been mostly limited to periodic voting and political party sloganeering.
"This has been the first time when people in such large numbers come out on the streets. Until now, if ever, only parties have been able to bring people out," says Anil Bairwal with the Association for Democratic Reforms, an electoral reform group that also supported the anticorruption movement.
"We have to wait and see how many of these people will continue to be a part of this movement," he adds.
Some of the demonstrators at Ramlila say they intend to stay involved.
A village medicine man named Ram Krishna Tripathi says he will go village to village to teach people about the pending anticorruption law.
How the 'Lokpal' bill could make a difference
The Lokpal (ombudsman) bill will set up an independent agency that can receive citizen complaints about corrupt officials.
"I will not only tell people in every village how to use the Lokpal [proposed independent ombudsman body] as a weapon against corruption, but I will also try to mobilize young people in village to help other register their complaints," says Mr. Tripathi.
Such grassroots activism has been seen before after the passage of the Right to Information Act in 2005.
Activists have taught many ordinary citizens how to file applications to get information from officials. That uncovered much petty corruption, especially the pocketing of welfare money by officials.
But helplessness also crept in: Just having the information wasn't enough to fix problems. The Lokpal would become an ombudsman agency to redress those wrongs.
A young farmer named Vinod Rathi is among the many pro-Hazare demonstrators who have never before joined a public protest. Now he's got the bug.
"I would definitely like to protest for farmers' rights and the way [officials] are taking over our lands and paying us what they want to – not the market value," says Mr. Rathi.
He says there's a local chapter of a farmers union near his village in Haryana state. He never joined, but he says he will now. "This is my right to protest," he says.
A new land acquisition reform bill also sits before Parliament now and could become one of India's next big issues. Most experts doubt another issue could unite such a cross-section of Indian society, however.
Stick with the issue at hand, say many
And for the medic Tripathi it's too early to move on to other issues.
"I would like to follow the implementation of this anticorruption drive," he says. The government "will try to make the Lokpal not work."
Hazare won Parliament's support for three key provisions: the inclusion of low-level bureaucrats under the lokpal, the creation of state-level Lokpal laws, and passage of citizen's charters that would set time limits on the provision of government services.
Mr. Bairwal notes that the bill that gets passed could look different. And then the law must be notified, which is a process of writing up detailed rules. One law, the Benami Transactions Bill, passed two decades back but has yet to be notified, he says.
"Much depends on the follow up. If the people who have been attracted to Hazare's efforts to clean up Indian politics continue to raise this issue and remain vigilant then it could have a salutary impact," says Sumit Ganguly, coauthor of the forthcoming book "India Since 1980."
He remains concerned that the Lokpal entity that emerges will depend on appointees being honest, not corrupt themselves.
"This is why I don't like relying on personalities of goodwill," adds Dr. Ganguly. "What happens when the people of goodwill are not there? I'd much rather rely on procedures and institutions, all of which exist in India, but which have all been allowed to go to hell."


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Back in the depths of the Great Recession, regional airline operator Republic Airways (OTC:RJETQ) made an opportunistic leap into mainline service with the purchase of two small, troubled carriers, Midwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. At the time, The Wall Street Journal speculated that Republic hoped to salvage investments it had made in the two carriers, while taking over more of their flying. The move turned into a disaster. While Republic had previously produced reliable (and growing) EPS, the company's earnings turned volatile and Republic posted several ugly losses.
Republic eventually phased out the Midwest brand and now operates all of its mainline service as Frontier Airlines. Moreover the company has returned to profitability. Additionally, Republic plans to spin off Frontier Airlines during 2013, which could be a catalyst for the stock to move higher. While experts debate whether corporate spin-offs create value or not, Republic's struggles in the past few years are proof enough that Republic and Frontier are better apart. Both halves of the company are likely to see better stock performance after the spinoff occurs.
Republic's blunder
There are big differences between operating a regional carrier and running a mainline "branded" airline. For regional carriers, flights are marketed under the partner airline's name, (e.g. United (NASDAQ:UAL) Express), and the latter also sells all the tickets. The regional carrier receives a fixed fee, typically through an arrangement called a "capacity purchase." Since the mainline partner is responsible for filling the plane, regional carriers can focus solely on keeping costs low. By contrast, for a mainline carrier to be profitable, it must fill its seats at acceptable prices, in addition to keeping costs in check.
Republic learned this distinction the hard way after acquiring Midwest and Frontier. In Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines had already come under pressure from AirTran in the years leading up to Republic's 2009 acquisition of Midwest. AirTran's lower-cost model allowed it to undercut Midwest's fares and gradually chip away at its market share. Then, low-fare leader Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) entered the market in late 2009. Southwest's purchase of AirTran has now given it a dominant share of traffic in Milwaukee. Midwest (which was eventually folded into Frontier) could not compete, and the Milwaukee hub was eliminated in stages.
A similar pattern of events occurred in Denver, Frontier's main hub. Southwest entered the market in 2006, seeing it as strategically important. Southwest tried to acquire Frontier after the latter declared bankruptcy in 2008, but was outbid by Republic. However, Southwest grew rapidly in Denver, which is now its fifth-largest focus city with 152 daily departures. Frontier is now in the unfortunate position of being the No. 3 carrier in its home market, behind Southwest and market leader United Continental. Heavy competition thus weighed down performance at both Midwest and Frontier after they were acquired by Republic.
Improving performance
However, Republic's performance is finally improving, in both its "legacy" regional operations and the Frontier subsidiary. A restructuring at Frontier has cut costs while improving revenue performance. Frontier has focused on cutting short routes in favor of longer, more profitable trips. As part of this strategy, the carrier is dropping service in Colorado Springs, previously one of its biggest markets. Instead, Frontier is starting to build a small focus city operation at Trenton-Mercer Airport, a small New Jersey airport roughly halfway between major airline hubs in Newark and Philadelphia. Frontier has already begun flights from Trenton to various warm weather destinations, and is planning to add service to several major East Coast and Midwest cities in April. The carrier is banking on convenience and low fares to attract leisure travelers to Trenton, where it faces no direct competition. So far, the service appears to be a success.
Meanwhile, Republic's renewed focus on its regional operations is improving performance. Like many operators of small regional jets (50 seats or less), the company's Chautauqua Airlines subsidiary has been hurt by rising fuel prices, which have made these aircraft generally uneconomic to operate. However, Republic has reduced its exposure to this market, and is in the midst of restructuring Chautauqua to improve cash flow by $60 million annually.
Furthermore, Republic is benefiting from the industry shift toward larger regional aircraft. Last year, the company's Republic Airlines subsidiary signed an agreement with United Continental to operate 32 large Q400 turboprop aircraft, replacing flying done by now-defunct Colgan Air. More recently, Republic won a contract from American Airlines to operate 53 large regional jets for 12 years. As a result, the company has ordered 47 new Embraer (NYSE:ERJ) 175 aircraft, with options for another 47. Since all three major legacy carriers are looking to increase their usage of large regional jets, there is a significant growth opportunity here.
Republic traded between $4 and $6 for most of the past year, but jumped more than 50% last month following a bullish investor update.
However, even at last week's closing price of $9.58, Republic trades at just above six times the average analyst estimate for 2013 EPS of $1.56. Republic's rapidly improving fundamentals make the company an intriguing value play at this time. The expected spinoff of Frontier Airlines later this year should also improve shareholder returns, as the two businesses have minimal synergies and should benefit from being managed separately.


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