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PITTSBURGH — The patient is an addict. His doctor is an addict, too. Over the last decade, both men hit their own versions of rock bottom. For the patient, it was the concrete floor of a jail where he writhed in withdrawal. For the doctor, it was the food stamp office where, his career as a child psychiatrist in tatters, he ashamedly sought help.
Then they both found buprenorphine, the patient as a user, the doctor as a prescriber. And because of that drug, an opioid used to treat opioid addiction, they both rebounded, even thrived.
The patient, Todd Smith, 27, who had developed a painkiller addiction because of a kidney disorder and — "I ain't gonna lie" — moved on to mainlining heroin, built a life with solidity: a car, a townhouse, a job as a mine safety inspector, a live-in fiancée and "knees worn out from praying."
The doctor, Allan W. Clark, 52, despite losing his Ohio medical license and being on probation in Pennsylvania for eight years, built a buprenorphine business so bustling that five doctors now work under him. His South Hills Recovery Project, tucked behind a 7-Eleven and beneath a hair salon, vibrates with the hubbub of the 600 addicts treated there.
Over the last couple of years, their fates have entwined, with Mr. Smith dependent on "Doc" for the treatment that keeps him stable at an out-of-pocket cost of $7,200 a year and Dr. Clark on "Smitty" and all the other cash-paying patients whose recovery he champions with an us-against-the-world fervor. They have shared, too, a keen awareness that their stability could be precarious.
"In recovery, you're constantly facing down your demons and dealing with the echoes of your past," Dr. Clark said. "But in the crazy world of buprenorphine, where this medicine that saves lives is harder to get and afford than the drugs that ruin lives, you're battling outside forces, too."
It is indeed a crazy world, or at least a vibrant, volatile subculture of people who see "bupe" as a lifeline, often difficult to reach, in an era when drug deaths outnumber those from car crashes. They scramble to find legitimate, affordable treatment even as buprenorphine is increasingly available on the street, with rising indicators of misuse and abuse tainting its reputation.
Buprenorphine was developed as a safer alternative to methadone for treating heroin and painkiller addiction, a take-home medication that could be prescribed by doctors in offices rather than dispensed daily in clinics. But in some areas a de facto clinic scene, unregulated, has developed, and it has a split personality — nonprofit treatment programs versus moneymaking enterprises built by individual doctors, some with troubled records.
The clinics serve as a crossroads where the tumultuous lives of recovering addicts converge and collide with a turbulent treatment environment.
Since March, The New York Times has visited and tracked the patients of two of the largest buprenorphine programs in this region, where addiction rates are high, for-profit clinics have proliferated, doctors go in and out of business and the black market is thriving.
Dr. Clark's hectic, cluttered office in suburban Pittsburgh is an entrepreneurial venture with heart where the rumpled doctor dresses in sweatsuits, the boundary between patients and employees is razor thin, the requirements are minimal and the tolerance for missteps is maximal.
"I know on the surface it might look like a pill mill," he said. "We're seeing a fair number of patients, and they're primarily receiving a prescription. But if you look deeper, you'll see that we don't use the medication in a vacuum. We encourage, we support, we don't judge. There's a kind of love."
Sixty miles away, the more formal, structured treatment center at West Virginia University in Morgantown sits atop a hill, ensconced in a hospital complex and presided over by Dr. Carl R. Sullivan III, a career addictionologist who wears a white lab coat and stands professorially at the front of a classroom when he meets his patients in groups: "Are you clean? How many meetings have you been to?" he asks them.
Dr. Sullivan, 61, primarily treated alcoholism until "a spectacular explosion of prescription opioid drugs" starting around 2000. He considered opioid addiction "a hopeless disease," with patients leaving rehab and then relapsing and sometimes dying, until he started prescribing Suboxone, the brand-name drug whose main ingredient is buprenorphine, as a maintenance therapy in 2004.
He became a paid treatment advocate for the manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser, delivering, he estimated, 75 talks at $500 each. But, he said, "If the company didn't pay me a nickel, I'd still promote Suboxone because in 2013, it's the best thing that's happened for the opioid addict."
Dr. Sullivan is skeptical of the buprenorphine "empires" in Pittsburgh — though not of Dr. Clark specifically, whom he does not know — believing that they feed the black market and tar the medication's reputation. Dr. Clark, in turn, is skeptical of "ivory tower" addiction programs with rigid rules and of doctors who, in his view, collude with the pharmaceutical industry.
"Big Pharma is in it for the super profits; we should be in it for the patients," said Dr. Clark, who nonetheless became a buprenorphine doctor partly because he needed to dig himself out of a financial hole.
An Unlikely Savior
Tall and lumbering, his balding head covered by a plaid cap, Mr. Smith strode into Dr. Clark's office last spring with the familiarity of a clinic V.I.P., somebody whose urine is so consistently clean that he does not need to have his "pee tests" observed.
"Hey, Smitty, good to see you, my friend," Dr. Clark said, propping his sneakered feet on his desk and swigging from his habitual can of Red Bull. By his side, a harness whip, a gift from a patient, sat beneath the framed diplomas hanging crookedly on the wall.
"Hey, Doc," Mr. Smith said, settling his 270-pound frame into an armchair. He had hurried back from a job building windmills in Alaska just in time to get his next month's prescription: four 8-milligram tablets a day, the highest dose recommended, that stave off withdrawal, eliminate his cravings for heroin, keep his mood balanced and alleviate his chronic pain.
Growing up in the hilltop town of Meyersdale — "Pennsylvania's High Point" — Mr. Smith had aspired to follow his grandfather into the family business. "All I wanted to do was towing, in my Pap's footsteps," he said.
A rare kidney condition, treated with surgery and potent painkillers, knocked him off course. After several years, he told his doctor that he wanted to wean himself off the pills.
He said: "The doctor stopped dead like I had my pants on backward, and said, 'You're admitting you're addicted?' I said, 'Well, it ain't no news flash.' " The doctor ripped up his prescription and threw it in the air.
Mr. Smith spent the next week "dope sick," shivering, sweating and vomiting. A friend proposed a solution: heroin, cheap and easy to find. "Things started going south," Mr. Smith said. Then his grandfather died, and he learned that the towing business would be sold.
"I went clean off my rocker," he said. To finance his habit, he burned through $12,000 in savings and finally drove off to sell the contents of his gun safe, including weapons of disputed ownership. A police officer was waiting when he returned to arrest him for theft. Agonizing on that jailhouse floor, he promised himself he would never use again.
A week later, essentially under house arrest in the custody of his father, a corrections officer, he called Dr. Clark's office, crying.
"He saved my life," Mr. Smith said.
That was two years ago. In his session last spring, Mr. Smith told his unlikely savior: "I'm sort of pissed at you. I hear you've been shooting Airsoft without me." (The game involves fake guns and pellets.)
"Yeah, sorry, buddy," the doctor said. "I know you'd be into that. What we all do in getting better is to switch to different ways of getting our ya-yas out, right?"
They talked motorcycles. The doctor drives a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. Mr. Smith fantasizes about "barreling down the highway on a Big Dog" but is in too much debt to buy one. "You know how it is," he said.
Dr. Clark nodded. "I thought losing my credit was the worst thing in the world, but it was the best thing in the world because now I'm living on a cash basis," he said. "Credit is a big scam, man. It uses our addictive nature against us: 'I want it now. I want it now.' "
Mr. Smith loves it when Dr. Clark talks to him addict to addict. "I've heard patients say he ain't no better than we are or he's just in it for the money," he said. "But I think being an addict makes him a better doctor. He's been in our shoes."
Defending the Disparaged
With tattoos commemorating his recovery, Dr. Clark runs the office with his girlfriend, Natalie Tombs, also a recovering addict. Emotive and animated, Ms. Tombs has festooned the walls with inspirational messages on butterflies and hearts and signs warning against sharing, trading or selling medication: "ANY PATIENT CAN BE SUBJECTED TO RANDOM PILL COUNTS."
The couple portray themselves as the defenders of a disparaged segment of society with which they commiserate. Their patients see them that way, too.
"As you know, my pharmacist thinks you're pretty much a joke, and he's not filling your prescriptions," one patient, James Markeley, said recently. "I brought one in, handed it to him and said, 'How long will it be?' He said, 'It won't be.' "
Dr. Clark giggled. "What'd he say again?" he said. "I'm an old hippie? I like that one."
It was not always so.
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Clark did a fellowship in child psychiatry at Yale, served as an Air Force doctor in Germany and then took a job at a Pennsylvania hospital.
In the late 1990s, unhappy and overwhelmed by his patient load, he prescribed himself Adderall, a stimulant. His mood improved, and he focused better. But he kept taking more to get the same effect. After two years, he was a wreck.
Dr. Clark checked himself into a rehabilitation program in 1999.
"I had to cold-turkey it," he said. "Withdrawal from amphetamines is different. It's much more tolerable than from opioids. After detox, though, the obsession and craving for the drug are similar. The relapse rates are similar. The triggers are similar. I had to learn to manage stress better, to rest better, to improve my self-esteem."
Dr. Clark also had to meet the demands of Pennsylvania's physician recovery program: therapy as well as five 12-step meetings and two random urine screens a week.
After a few sober years, he relapsed when his marriage was breaking up. He wrote himself a prescription for painkillers in his son's name. His wife notified his program advocate.
"Just how much pain is your son in?" the advocate asked.
In 2002, a second residential program gave him a diagnosis of depression and narcissistic personality disorder — he disagreed — and discharged him early with a poor prognosis. He agreed to take a reprieve from practicing medicine in Pennsylvania; Ohio suspended his license.
Deeply in debt, Dr. Clark was reduced to collecting food stamps until Pennsylvania let him return to medicine as a prison doctor in 2003.
That same year, after a positive drug test, Dr. Clark entered his third treatment program and promised himself it would be his last. He has been sober since, he said.
His troubles did not end with sobriety, though.
Pennsylvania suspended him for a month in 2010 because he failed to submit to three unannounced drug tests while on vacation. Ohio revoked his license in 2011 because he forged signatures verifying his attendance at 12-step meetings.
In 2008, a Reckitt Benckiser representative approached Dr. Clark at a children's hospital, saying: "There's this great medicine, Suboxone. Why not get certified? It doesn't take much, and it's a nice thing to add to your practice," he said.
Dr. Clark devised a treatment program based on federal guidelines, except he tailored it to what his working-class patients could afford. He mostly prescribed generic buprenorphine rather than the higher-priced Suboxone, which has an additive meant to deter abuse and is favored, though not mandated, by the guidelines.
And he established monthly, rather than more frequent, office visits unless patients violated the rules. He decided to "cut out the middleman" by declining to accept insurance and set his fee at $150 a visit, with a couples' price of $100 a person.
"I made sure my price was the lowest of any of the clinics, and that's why people liked us in the beginning," he said. "Many of my competitors were gouging them."
With his caseload limited to 100 by law, Dr. Clark quickly found himself turning away patients and searching for doctors who wanted to supplement their income by working part-time for him.
He hired the walk-in clinic doctor who monitored his urine drug screens, and an alternative medicine specialist who sees patients by Skype from Virginia. He also hired a 53-year-old internist shortly after a 25-year-old woman died of "acute combined drug toxicity" at the internist's home following an evening together at the Wicked Googly bar in Ligonier, Pa.
"He told me he was feeling some heat in his area and needed to get out of town for a while," Dr. Clark said.
After filing for bankruptcy protection with $1.5 million in debt early this year, the internist quit in May to run his own buprenorphine practice, saying he needed to make money fast, Dr. Clark said.
Dr. Clark scrambled to replace him so his patients would not be abandoned. They often are in this volatile field. Many of Dr. Clark's patients showed up on his doorstep after the authorities had put their previous doctors out of business.
That happened with both Angela Scotchel, 25, and Amanda Rogers, 32. They are like before and after pictures. Ms. Scotchel, a former basketball star, is relatively fragile in her recovery, while Ms. Rogers appears firmly entrenched in hers despite a tempestuous personal life.
'A Classy User'
In certain lights, Ms. Rogers, with her long blond hair and cornflower blue eyes, looks like the cheerleader she was, before the people closest to her started dying from drugs and she developed a yearslong habit.
"I never shot up; I always snorted," she said in March at her home in Toronto, Ohio. "I called myself a classy user. I always made sure the kids were taken care of and the bills were paid first."
In Steubenville, where Ms. Rogers grew up, drugs were everywhere, and almost everybody in her life was an addict: her mother and stepfather, who suffered fatal overdoses; her younger sisters; her best friend; and her boyfriend.
"That town is like poison," she said. "I've probably lost close to 25 friends in the past 10 years."
She was 21 and devastated by her mother's death when she started seeking solace in the "nerve pills" her mother left behind. She became so dysfunctional that she lost custody of her first child to relatives, she said, then quit the pills, had a second child and sought help for back pain and fibromyalgia from a local doctor.
"I didn't know he was a pill pusher at the time," she said of the doctor, who was forced into retirement by the medical authorities in 2010. "He'd get people hooked and then kick them out to hunt for drugs on the street. And once you're on the street, heroin is cheaper than pills and lasts longer. I loved it."
Fearful she would end up killing herself, she found a Suboxone doctor she could afford and placed her first tablet under her tongue on Sept. 21, 2009. She has been clean since, she said proudly, despite traumas that tested her resolve.
In June 2012, her younger sister Tiffany was released from a court-mandated, abstinence-based rehabilitation program. She glowed, Ms. Rogers said. But returning to Steubenville, with temptation all around, proved too much for her. Ms. Rogers said, "She was crying and crying, bawling, saying, 'Mandy, I'm craving.' "
Within a week, Tiffany was dead at 26 of "acute cardiac and respiratory distress due to opioid abuse and dependency," her death certificate said.
"When I got that news, it was like with my mom," Ms. Rogers said. "I just wanted to get in bed and stop trying."
This time, though, she ran a household filled with the grief and need of her sister's traumatized children and of her own. So she coped. Then her Suboxone doctor lost his license for excessive narcotics prescribing, and she had to forage for medication on the street until Dr. Clark's office called in April with an unexpected opening.
Before Ms. Rogers's first appointment with him, her 2-year-old played boisterously as she described feeling achy and nauseous. Her buprenorphine supply had run out and withdrawal had begun.
"If it wasn't for my pain, I might tough it out," she said. "But if I went off the Subs, I'd have to go back on painkillers, and I'm not going back down that road."
A few hours later, clasping a heart pendant containing a vial of her sister's ashes, she told Dr. Clark with tearful defiance that she would not let her children or her sister's children follow in their parents' and grandparents' footsteps.
"I want to break that cycle," she said.
A Basketball Star's Fall
Angela Scotchel was a first-generation user, but her family clung to her as she self-destructed. For her mother, Connie, that included lying by her side on the nights she overdosed to make sure she did not stop breathing. "You couldn't call an ambulance every single time," Connie Scotchel said.
Once a week, Mrs. Scotchel, a small-business owner with her husband, drives her daughter to Dr. Clark's office outside Pittsburgh from Morgantown to ensure she gets there and uses their hard-earned cash to pay the doctor and buy the medication. At home, Mrs. Scotchel keeps the buprenorphine in a locked safe and dispenses it dose by dose.
In her daily uniform of basketball shorts, Angela looks more like the point guard who used to squat 300 pounds than the scrawny addict who worked for an escort service to pay for her substantial heroin habit.
"I would never do anything like that sober in a million years," Angela said. "It was always men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, doctors and lawyers. Me being gay, it was especially disgusting. But I didn't care as long as I got high."
During her senior year of high school, playing a rival team in a packed gym, Angela stole a ball right before halftime, tore down the court, leapt for a layup and was smacked down by an opposing player. A hush blanketed the crowd. She had torn an anterior cruciate ligament. And though she recovered to start on a college team, she soon tore another ligament. After two surgeries, she felt she had lost her game. She also developed a taste for painkillers.
"A lot of people said I could go pro, play overseas," she said. "But I gave it all up for drugs. Every time I used, I hated myself. I felt like I had let everybody down. I wanted to die."
Over lasagna at their home, her parents talked about how bad things got: the times she disappeared, stole money from them, crashed cars, dangerously mixed heroin and Xanax. "I can't count the number of times the police and the municipality walked up these steps," Mrs. Scotchel said. "They assisted us with her overdoses time and time again. I'd have to follow her to the hospital. They'd shackle her. I'd be there all night waiting."
Putting down her fork, Angela Scotchel cried. "I went from a superstar to this lowdown dirty addict," she said.
She first tried Suboxone in Dr. Sullivan's clinic, which is 10 minutes from her home. But it made her ill. She thought she might be allergic to the additive in Suboxone and asked for plain buprenorphine. The clinic said no. She dropped out.
"They lived by the white coat there," her mother said, "while Dr. Clark is like one of the addicts."
Angela's heroin dealer stocked plain buprenorphine, so she tried it. It made her feel great, not sick, she said, so she found a doctor willing to prescribe it last year. After six months, she and her mother arrived at his office to find federal agents in windbreakers.
"We watched the D.E.A. go in and out, and I said, 'Angela, he's busted,' " Mrs. Scotchel said. "Poor Angela was crying, thinking she was going to get sick again."
They drove to Dr. Clark's office, even though they knew his waiting list was long. Seeing how distraught Angela was, the doctor took her on. Early this year, Angela confessed to Dr. Clark that she was injecting her buprenorphine and mixing it with Xanax. He threatened to discharge her unless she stopped immediately. She did.
Mrs. Scotchel insisted that Dr. Clark see her daughter weekly, even though they are uninsured and it adds $3,000 to the yearly cost. The doctor gives her a $20 discount for each Narcotics Anonymous meeting she writes up in her journal.
During her daughter's appointments, Mrs. Scotchel prefers to wait outside in her Subaru Forester, reading her Bible. "When I go in there, I gawk," she said. "It should be a reality show."
Policing Prescriptions
On a typical day last spring, Dr. Clark's waiting room was a tangle of mothers and babies, interlocked girlfriends and boyfriends, bikers in leather and miners with their names on their shirts. As conversation snippets made clear, they were wrestling with eviction notices and restraining orders, insurance headaches and custody problems, parole officers and abusive spouses.
"If he comes back and says, 'I've got a gun,' I'll load up my 12-gauge and it will be war! " said a patient with purple-streaked hair, mascara dripping down her cheeks.
Another woman, juggling two small children, car keys and a lit cigarette, told the office manager she was broke.
"I just gave you guys my last money, and I'm out of diapers and don't got gas," she said. The manager returned $25 to her and told her to get home safely.
Employees wandered about in shorts and flip-flops, shouting, "Can I have a pee cup, please?" Many are recovering addicts themselves, like Thomas Walleck, who staffs the drug testing station, in front of the Wall of Lost Souls — a collage of celebrities who died of overdoses.
Mr. Walleck, gentle and raspy-voiced, said he led patients to believe that his tests were all powerful so they would be forthright.
"I'll also tell them Doc has kicked out 180 people for dishonesty; I exaggerate," he said. "But we got to know if they're dirty for their own good. And if they admit it, it's good for the bottom line, too. Because then they have to come back in two weeks, and that's another $100."
Monitoring patients is a delicate task. Dr. Clark summons them for surprise pill counts; a sign in his office offers "CASH and FREE VISIT rewards for information leading to the prosecution of those who are engaging in illegal activity regarding their Suboxone/Subutex prescriptions."
Yet this policing clashes with the doctor's fierce instinct to take his patients' side and to confide in them about, say, his own reliance on antidepressants or his girlfriend's routine of reading recovery books while eating licorice in bed.
Ms. Tombs, the girlfriend, gets frustrated with his penchant for giving his patients second, third and fourth chances. After he wrote a 30-day buprenorphine prescription for a young man who had admitted to dealing cocaine, Ms. Tombs angrily drew 1,000 stick figures to illustrate those on their waiting list.
"I had to sleep in the office for three days," Dr. Clark said.
Usually the two are united against outside forces: the police who keep a too-watchful eye on their parking lot, the child protection workers who do not consider buprenorphine users drug free, the pharmacists who hassle their patients.
Dr. Clark has frequently felt under siege. He said a Reckitt Benckiser representative cautioned him that he was courting trouble with the authorities by prescribing generic buprenorphine and not Suboxone. Last year, Dr. Clark wrote the Drug Enforcement Administration to ask whether he was indeed tempting fate.
A senior D.E.A. official responded that "what drug to prescribe, what formulation, what quantity" was a doctor's prerogative.
"It is unfortunate to learn that physicians in Western Pennsylvania have received incorrect information," the official wrote, "and that such misinformation may potentially be inhibiting legitimate treatment."
Feeling vindicated, Dr. Clark circulated the letter to pharmacists. But they were concerned, too, about the amounts he was prescribing. While within federal guidelines, his doses were on average twice those of Dr. Sullivan's.
Many of his patients, having flooded their bodies with potent opioids for years, need high doses, Dr. Clark said. Indeed, he noted, studies have shown higher treatment retention rates for people getting higher doses.
Dr. Sullivan, though, spoke with frustration about "prescribing wars" in Pittsburgh between "entrepreneurial doctors" who were "naively or maliciously overprescribing."
"Which is terrible," he said. "Patients will take what they need and sell the rest. And once the medicine is on the street, for the D.E.A., it looks just like heroin: part of the problem. It blows back on all of us."
A Structured Program
Early this year, Dr. Sullivan invited the United States attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia to visit his clinic, which with its mushroom-colored walls and white-coated professionals inspires a kind of institutional hush.
The federal prosecutor, William J. Ihlenfeld II, said he was eager to be "enlightened" given that West Virginia has the country's second highest rate of overdose deaths and that a fifth of its babies have been exposed to drugs or alcohol in the womb.
"We've taken the approach in our office that we can't just arrest our way out of the problems we're facing with prescription drugs and heroin," Mr. Ihlenfeld said. Before his visit, he felt "somewhat close-minded about how effective something like this can be" given that he had "heard a lot of people in law enforcement complain" about buprenorphine.
What he saw inspired him, though, he said: "People benefiting, from a coal miner to a restaurant owner to somebody who had had ankle surgery and got sucked into addiction."
Dr. Sullivan's program, a showcase for buprenorphine treatment, is as regimented as Dr. Clark's is free form. New patients must attend one 90-minute session at the hospital plus four 12-step recovery meetings a week until they achieve 90 continuous days of sobriety, which usually takes half a year.
"There's no data to support it, but people who go to meetings get better," Dr. Sullivan said. "You can't just give addicts a pill, pat them on the head and expect them to turn things around for themselves. These people live very complicated and messy lives."
The new patients often inquire how long they will have to take buprenorphine. Once stable, though, they stop asking, realizing the answer is "maybe forever," Dr. Sullivan said.
"Forever seems like a nice alternative to dead," his patient Joellen Trippett, 48, said dryly.
At a staff meeting one day last spring, a case manager asked Dr. Sullivan how he wanted to handle a younger woman who was vigorously denying her pharmacy's report that she had sought to fill a prescription for Oxycodone.
"I guess we'll do an observed on her," Dr. Sullivan said, referring to a monitored urine test.
"An observed?" the case manager said. "How about a discharge?"
Relapses are plentiful — 12 of 50 patients that day — but patients are expelled only if they lie. Confronting the woman in her therapy group, Dr. Sullivan said that "surreptitious use of opioids is not permitted" and dismissed her with a prescription for one week of Suboxone.
Unlike Dr. Clark, Dr. Sullivan does not meet with patients individually. It would not be cost-effective; more than half of the clinic's patients are covered by Medicaid. Instead, he relies on therapists like Katie Chiasson, whose "advanced" group — those clean of drugs for at least a year and therefore required to come only monthly — was full of angst one day last spring.
Betty Jo Cumberledge, 47, announced in a trembling voice that she had just gotten a text from a fellow patient seeking to buy some of her Suboxone.
"Tell them that if they don't stop, you will expose them in group," Ms. Trippett said.
Ms. Chiasson asked how they could set boundaries.
"We all need to protect our medicine," Ms. Trippett said. "It gets stolen out of our cars and homes." She added that while selling Suboxone would be profitable, she did not want to return to the life she used to lead: "I don't want to be a cheat. I don't want to be a thief. I don't want to be a liar."
Chelsea Kennedy, 21, skinny and pregnant with her second child, reported that seven Suboxone dealers had been arrested in her town the previous week, and talked about her friend who gets a Suboxone prescription in Pittsburgh without even seeing the doctor — "and she's selling, shooting, buying, running the streets."
Ms. Cumberledge threw up her hands: "It's these kind of people who are hurting us."
A Disease's Tentacles
In late spring, Dr. Clark, still on probation, got an anxiety-provoking visit from a state medical investigator. Some pharmacists had complained about his prescribing practices, which led to the discovery that Dr. Clark had violated his 2010 suspension by continuing to write prescriptions for three buprenorphine patients he had not been able to place with other doctors.
When the investigator arrived, Mr. Smith was there. It made him nervous. He was already rattled, dealing with a job change and a custody battle, and did not want to contemplate losing Dr. Clark. "I'd be tossed right back out onto the street to buy drugs," he said.
Addiction is a tenacious disease with tentacles — family problems, legal problems, financial problems — that do not disappear with sobriety. Recovery has its zigs and zags, which many of the patients interviewed experienced this summer and fall.
Angela Scotchel, overwhelmed by anxiety about her future, constantly craved and sometimes gave in to her desire for Xanax. She also heard the siren call of opiates even as she set out to engage in life-affirming pursuits like lifting weights, working for her parents, dating.
"This one dealer called me today and said he got some fire in," she wrote in an email, referring to high-potency heroin. "I can't get it out of my head. I'm not gonna act on it, though. Just threw me off. I needed to tell someone about it."
Ms. Rogers rode a roller coaster of life changes. She broke up with her partner of 21 years and got involved with another man. She found a job as a cashier and lost it because of unreliable babysitters. She placed her late sister's children in a therapeutic foster home. She reluctantly moved back to Steubenville for lower-priced housing. She became pregnant with her fourth child.
Dr. Clark, meanwhile, prepared himself for the possibility that he could lose his license. He aggressively recruited other doctors, figuring he could manage the clinic. He watched the movie "Lincoln" twice; it helped him "deal with 'the negativity.' "
"I figure if Lincoln could fight for the rights of slaves during a time when many people thought this was practically criminal," he wrote in an email, "the least I can do is continue to fight for the rights of a few people suffering from the disease and stigma of addiction in my little part of the world."
At summer's end, though, his probation was lifted. He hired two New Jersey doctors, one a recovering addict, to see patients by Skype. His business grew fatter while he grew leaner, shedding 20 pounds and his sense of dread.
"I feel like I got de-stigmatized," Dr. Clark said. "Like now I got nothing to hide, nothing to fear, and there's hope for me and hope for all my patients. But we'll see."
The Double-Edged Drug: The second of two articles examining the increasing use — and the successes and failures — of buprenorphine as an addiction treatment. Read the first part.


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DNA Press Release - VAT Education BEFORE Taxation!
According to comments attributed to both John Shewan and Don Brash which ran in the local dailies this week, the government of New Zealand, which has arguably had the greatest success in VAT implementation, attributes the success of that initiative in part to their commitment to an 18 month educational program.
Unfortunately for Bahamians, we have received no such commitment from this administration. For months, the government, while on one hand promising to launch such an educational campaign, has on the other hand, allowed the uncertainty associated with VAT to negatively impact plans for expansion within the private sector. Even now, just 63 days from the originally proposed implementation date, this administration has yet to table the accompanying legislation. They have instead chosen to bully local business owners into compliance with a system that very few people currently understand.
The Democratic National Alliance finds it particularly interesting that some of the recommendations from the government's highly paid consultants are in fact similar, if not identical to the suggestions offered by members of the local business community. Outside of the obvious recommendation for a properly planned and executed education campaign, the tax experts – according to media reports – also suggested that the government finalize its tax design before beginning its VAT campaign in earnest. So far, unfinished versions of the government's tax plan which includes a list of exemptions which may or may not be part of the final plan have been leaked through the media and allowed to further muddy the waters on this matter.
The DNA asserts that this administration could have easily saved itself thousands of dollars in consultancy fees by simply listening to the collective voice of the men and women responsible for driving the local economy.
Also of note was the position that a Freedom of Information Act is imperative to the successful implementation of a VAT system. The DNA has long called for the passage of this key piece of legislation as a means of facilitating the free flow of information to the public as well as keeping our elected officials accountable.
The DNA firmly believes that like in New Zealand, the passage of such legislation in the Bahamas will work to establish a renewed trust and faith in this government's plans for fiscal reforms. While the Democratic National Alliance believes in, and is committed to tax reforms, we simply cannot endorse the government's handling of this effort thus far.
We hope now, that after hearing the recommendations from an outside source, the Christie administration finally takes the necessary steps to ensuring that any fiscal reforms enacted are implemented with a view to stabilizing the economy and improving the government's relationship with the private sector.
Branville McCartney
DNA Leader on Facebook
April 29, 2014

subset: commoncrawl


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Featured articles in Skeptics
Mary "Mollie" Derry told the locals their fortunes, removed hexes and curses while casting her own curses. It is believed that in Mollie's early days, the young wife and mother lived an enchanting life filled with magic that quickly made her become known as a witch to all who encounte...
Finding the perfect good luck charm falls onto the eyes of the beholder. The law of attraction, positive feelings, good vibes and the overwhelming feeling of self-fulfilling expectations from every situation and how you perceive it can all affect the outcome, good or bad.
The existence of guardian angels is a good question to be pondered while looking at some examples and facts. A valuable lesson may be learned here.
A look at demons, devils and possession. Looking at the comparison to mental illness and how to disern the differrences.
Since we were small children, we have heard of werewolf folklore, how they transform into hungry beasts on a full moon night and kill people at will. We have often wondered how these stories have come along or what is the truth behind them. This article will help you know what these w...
The words that come from our mouths are powerful beyond measure. Many years ago enjoyed a book It was an old book by the title: "Hung by the tongue" written by Francis P Martin at first the wording was a little difficult to grasp, but, when I had read it through, it became profoundly ...
When you let go of a situation,and ask God to take control...The wonders that happen,are beautiful.
If you think modernization has changed the ways people think, think again. Even with today's fast technological advancement, there are still many people who would use extremely weird methods of capturing the heart of their love interest.
Is there really an Atlantis or is this just a mere legend?
A calm examination of the area known as the Bermuda Triangle
I decided to write this article to satisfy my love for anything paranormal. It's based around the disappearances of many figures through modern day history.
I started wondering about witches whilst viewing one of my kids favorite cartoons Snow White and the seven dwarfs. This is my contribution...
Are Ouija boards really evil? Or is it just a game?
A short article about the mysterious Ayers Rock of Australia.
The truth about the snake skinned children in Inia.


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Rockbox mail archiveSubject: Re: comment on "mid-track resume"
From: Daniel Stenberg (daniel_at_haxx.se)
Date: 2003-02-19
On Wed, 19 Feb 2003, lee donaghy wrote:
> as a fellow audiobook fan you may also want to check out Benjamins
Patches that are in the patch-tracker are still there for many reasons,
o No one has been able to take the time to apply the patch and commit to CVS.
o The patch is not considered "done". More discussions or different code
o The patch may not be considered fine for inclusion in Rockbox.
o Uncertainty of the status of the patch. Several patches are quite old by
The amount of people who apply patches is rather low, so this tend to be the
-- Daniel Stenberg -- http://rockbox.haxx.se/ -- http://daniel.haxx.se/
Page was last modified "Jan 10 2012" The Rockbox Crew


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Please email the EquiP team to purchase this on-demand webinar.
Price: $150+GST per person
This webinar is approx. 45 minutes long.
Elected members are constantly called on to make decisions for their councils. So it is important that they have a strong understanding of the requirements for council decision-making, and what they can do to help reduce the risk of judicial review for their council. This webinar will provide an overview of the key requirements for decision-making in the Local Government Act 2002 and discuss the important new Court of Appeal case on decision-making (Wellington City Council v Minotaur). It will comment on the common problems and risks that arise in council decision-making processes, and discuss what elected members can do to help manage these issues.
By the end of this webinar you will be able to:
Kathryn McLean, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson
Kathryn works with Jonathan Salter in Simpson Grierson's local government and environment team, and is based in the firm's Wellington office. She regularly advises councils on a wide range of decision-making and consultation issues, helping councils to make more robust decisions and to better manage their risks. Kathryn also advises on a wide range of other local government matters, including meeting requirements and Standing Orders, making and reviewing bylaws and policies, elections, delegations, CCO governance, and official information and privacy. She is also experienced in advising elected members on conflicts of interest and code of conduct matters. She very much enjoys helping councils to help their communities.
Please contact the EquiP team for further information on 04 924 1200 or email email@example.com
Training Workshops | Service Level Reviews
Executive Performance | Asset Management
Date updated: 28 May 2019


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For the convenience of our customers, all our vehicles are supplied with a full tank of fuel at the start of the rental. Rental rates do not include the cost of fuel unless expressly stated, so a fuel deposit is taken at the start of the rental which is refunded if the car is returned with a full tank.
However, for rentals of 5 days or more we recommend a fuel purchase option. This gives customers the ability to pay for a full tank of fuel when they collect the vehicle and return the car empty at the end of the rental, rather than worry about finding a garage near the rental location to refuel the vehicle.
The fuel price is calculated at a market competitive rate and varies by make and model of the vehicle rented. The rental location will confirm the cost at the time the vehicle is collected.
The fuel purchase option is also available for other lengths of rental. Please contact the rental location for further details. May 2008
Notes to Editors
Owned by the French private equity firm Eurazeo, Europcar is the European leader in passenger car and light utility vehicle rentals. Since March 2007 with the acquisition of Vanguard EMEA (National & Alamo brands), its network comprises over 5,300 rental outlets in 160 countries. Europcar serves business and leisure customers throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East,
Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. Excluding franchise operations, in 2007 Europcar signed more than 10 million rental contracts, with 7,700 employees and a fleet exceeding 215,000 vehicles. For more information: www.europcar.com


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I submitted the last of my CSM ballots earlier today, with pretty much an identical slate on all of them. The top three were always the same: Sugar Kyle, Mike Azariah, and Steve Ronuken. It's not because they match my … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Steve Ronuken
I've had an interest in third party tools for EVE for a long time — one factor in my support for Steve Ronuken for CSM — and I'm finally getting a chance to mess around with it. Tonight, I wrote … Continue reading


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Police officer. Commercial airline pilot. Firefighter. Surgeon. Enlisted military personnel. They've long been considered the most stressful occupations. But while some occupations certainly generate more stress than others, most people have experienced some form of workplace stress, which can be caused by a number of factors, including:
Submitted questions will be answered by an Arvest banker and may appear on the Arvest Blog.
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Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.


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In today's society, nearly all businesses and companies require technology in order to keep up with the outside world. These enterprises require computers to communicate from employee to employee, to communicate with outside connections, to organize and interpret data, to advertise their product or service, and much more. However, the employees working at these companies are usually specially trained in the company's specific field, not in technological practices. These employees are far too busy with their own work to puzzle out the technological issues that their company's system may encounter. Therefore, it is vital for all enterprises to possess an IT, or Information Technology department, to organize and maintain the business's technological needs.
The computer and information systems manager is in a sense the leader of the IT department, overseeing the technology's research, planning, and engineering. These managers help a business run smoothly by ensuring the good operation of its technological systems.
Salary Overview
The salary of a computer and information systems manager varies based on experience, education, and location of work. (The larger the IT department that these managers must oversee, the larger the salary they receive.)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the bottom ten percent of computer and information systems managers earn less than $47,440, while the middle fifty percent of these managers earn between $88,240 and $109,950 per year. The top ten percent of computer and information systems managers earn over $141,890 annually.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Job Description and Outlook
It is the job of a computer and information systems manager to make sure that their department provides the company with all of their technology related needs. This could include Internet maintenance, website upkeep, network security, or software creation and development. If a problem arises concerning the company's technology, it is the computer and information systems manager's job to ensure that this problem is solved. These managers must constantly lead their department in an orderly, efficient manner that will result in a smoothly operating company.
Computer and information systems managers must make sure that the company's computer network is in good function at all times. The company's network is vital for communication, both within and outside of the business. If there are defects in the network, the computer and information systems manager must identify the issue and make sure that it is fixed. They must also anticipate any possible failures or disasters, implementing preventative measures and planning emergency back-up plans should something ever go wrong.
Computer and information systems managers must also work closely with the company's top executives to ensure that all of the company's needs are being met. These executives may have specific requests, such as the development of programs and software to help employees perform their jobs more efficiently. The computer and information systems manager must take these requests into account and strategize the IT department accordingly. Because of this, computer and information systems managers must have excellent communication skills in order to comprehend the enterprise's individual needs.
The job outlook for a computer and information systems manager is quite positive. The amount of jobs available for this career is expected to grow at a faster than normal rate, with an increase of about seventeen percent through the year 2018. As technology continues to become more and more advanced, companies will require additional workers to implement these new innovations. The more technological workers there are, the more managers there must be to organize and oversee them.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Training and Education Requirements
To become a computer and information systems manager, one must normally obtain at least a bachelor's degree in a pertinent field of study, such as computer engineering, computer science, or mathematics. Employers generally prefer applicants to possess a graduate degree, and managers who have obtained this degree enjoy larger wages and greater benefits than those who have not.
One usually cannot start off his or her career as a computer and information systems manager. It is oftentimes required that employees possess at least a few years of experience working in a subordinate IT department position before achieving a managerial status. This experience usually constitutes as sufficient preparatory training for a position as manager.
Certification is not required to become a computer and information systems manager, but the possession of such certification demonstrates a proficiency in a specific technological area, which may increase one's chances of being hired. Companies generally want their computer and information systems managers to have some expertise regarding the company's specific technological needs. There are many certification programs available which help computer and information systems managers gain this expertise through rigorous educational programs. These programs are administered by private software or technology companies, specified according to the software that the company wishes the manager to understand with special proficiency.
Professional Associations
Because technology is constantly becoming more advanced, there is always something new for computer and information systems managers to learn. Professional associations are available for these managers to share their knowledge of technological advancements and practices. These associations include the Information Technology Association of America, the Computer Technology Industry Association, and other such organizations. These associations are invaluable for managers who wish to consistently improve their skills and quality of work.
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Grassroots activism is credited with once more staving off drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest
Items by Laura Paskus
The military is seeking national security exemptions to federal environmental laws on the 25 million acres of land it controls
The Natural Resources defense Council examines the Bush administration's environmental record in the grim but necessary report Rewriting the Rules: the Bush Administration's Assault on the Environment
Money is coming in for Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park & Baca National Wildlife Refuge; studies show cumulative impacts of oil development on Alaska's North Shore; EPA ends water studies at Denver's Lowry Superfund site; General Accounting Offic
New Mexico keeps cockfighting and dogfighting; western sage grouse not listed; too many Mormon handcart pullers in Wyoming; Lake Powell and other reservoirs dropping; and Colorado studies "Big Straw" and "logging for water."
In Native River, William D. Layman uses words and photographs to explore an earlier era of the Columbia River, before it was tamed and transformed by dams
Seventy percent of full-time National Park Service jobs may go to private sector; northern pike still thriving in California's Lake Davis; traffic accident damaged nuclear waste container on way to WIPP in New Mexico; Washington state fears plans to down
BLM releases draft EIS on drilling in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve; Pentagon plans more exemptions to environmental laws; Terry Lynn Barton pleads guilty to Hayman Fire arson; Interior gives green light to coal-fired plant near Yellowstone; and st
Congress has exempted the U.S. military from an international law , the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in a move environmentalists fear sets a bad precedent.
Judge rules against Forest Service on New Mexico's Copper Creek grazing allotment; Clinton's roadless rule is reinstated; Forest Service ordered to obey Montana Wilderness Study Act; lynx arrive in Colorado for reintroduction and California Fish and Game
In Nevada, the BLM has retained federal ownership of the skeleton of "Spirit Cave Man," preventing both tribal reburial and scientific study of it.
A judge's ruling giving Kennewick Man's skeleton to scientists for study rather than to tribes for reburial may actually undermine federal authority over excavation on public lands.
New Mexico and the Navajo Nation tackle cattle rustling; details of Vice President Dick Cheney's Energy Plan won't be released; "anaerobic digester" in the works to clean up hog-farm waste; Imperial Valley farmers refuse to sell water to San Diego, Calif.
Beef checkoff rule upheld by courts; California red-legged frog loses critical habitat; Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility will not be shut down; Neal McCaleb announces resignation as director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and EPA eases rules on coal-fir
The "Brownfields" program, an offshoot of Superfund, is designed to redevelop contaminated sites into real estate, but critics say it is not always up to the challenge.
Most green initiatives fail in West; a few bright spots; "Indian vote" helped Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., but not George Cordova in Arizona; Sen. Wayle Allard, R, re-elected in Colorado; Dems gain 11 seats in Idaho; Northwest keeps to status quo
Whistleblower says Fisheries Service followed politics, not science; decision to release water for the silvery minnow is reversed; Farmers get money for destroyed crops; Report says Bush admin. acted improperly when it overturned environmental regs.
BLM allows seismic exploration gas in Utah; Chemical Depot ordered to cease test burns; Colorado streams hit record lows; Sen. Chuck Grassley asks why ranger was pulled; and National Treasury Employees Union says no control of employees' politics
The Bush administration says the National Environmental Policy Act needs to be "streamlined," but conservationists say the act is in danger of being "steamrolled."
HCN takes a state-by-state look at the most important elections coming up in the West.
San Gabriel Watersheds Study Act passes House; Sisters' cattle removed from BLM land; Gold mine resurrected for land sacred to Indians; Utah Rep. Jim Hansen makes deal to sell site to Mormon Church; and Mont. Gov. says miners are "true environmentalists."
Thousands of steelhead and chinook and coho salmon have died in Northern California's Klamath River, and conservationists blame the Bush administration's decision to lower river flows.
Environmentalists are battling the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in northwestern Oregon over its plans to burn chemical weapons.
Groups appeal White River Plan; Wyoming Game and Fish wants dual classification for gray wolf; judge orders BuRec to release Rio Grande water; Interior Sec. and Assistant Sec. held in contempt; woman's body strapped to hood of vehicle.
"Bovines or Biodiversity: The National Campaign to End Abusive Public Lands Grazing," is this year's RangeNet conference, set in Boise, Idaho, October 9.
A new report, the ATV Safety Crisis Report, blames off-road vehicles for death and injury and suggests that their use should be regulated.
A new study shows Columbia River fish to be contaminated with chemicals that could harm the health of the Native Americans that eat them.
A draft policy released by the National Marine Fisheries Service in July does little to resolve the controversy over whether hatchery salmon and steelhead deserve equal protection with wild fish.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs rescinds the official federal status of the Chinook Indian tribe.
In drought-stricken northern New Mexico, ranchers are pushing to open the Valles Caldera National Preserve to livestock grazing.
- Elizabeth Warren's claim to Cherokee ancestry is a form of violence
- Interior attorney gave false information to Congress about contact with Koch Foundation
- The Blackfeet Nation is opening its own national park
- Why a wildlife biologist became a social justice advocate
- Pay to play: Interior Secretary's old clients spend big and profit bigly
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Local and regional parks can be used to mitigate the urban heat island effect and minimize local climate change. Unfortunately, this idea is not often shared, discussed, and/or adequately understood. If you do a search on the web on "climate change and parks," you will find that most of the results are links to information about how climate change is impacting national parks. Examples include a discussion on the National Park Service (NPS) website, and recent articles published by National Geographic and Scientific America. Continue Reading Parks and Climate Change: The L.A. County Story
Cedar Gateway Apartments Completed in Downtown's Cortez Neighborhood
San Diego – the Cedar Gateway project was recently completed in the Cortez Hill neighborhood. The six story 65 unit residential apartment building is located at 1620 Sixth Avenue on the block bounded by 5th and 6th Avenues, Cedar Street and I-5. It is an affordable housing project with 23 one bedroom apartments set aside for people with special needs who will receive supportive services. Additionally, these units are reserved for households making less than 25% of area medium income (AMI).Continue Reading Cedar Gateway Apartments Completed in Downtown's Cortez Neighborhood
Infill in the Suburbs…
So you are probably wondering what 50 vacant lots in an unfinished subdivision in Yorkville, IL has to do with UrbDeZine. Yorkville is a suburban community located 50 miles southwest of Chicago. You can barely go a day without reading an article about the impending death of the Suburbs and how to fix it. The promise of the American dream that the suburbs once embodied is under serious attack.. Continue Reading Infill in the Suburbs…
The Greenest Building Is One That's Already Built
If the biggest threat to human survival is climate change, then American construction is probably the industry most responsible for causing it. Every new construction site represents the climate being changed, the environment being degraded, energy being consumed, and irreplaceable natural resources being used.Continue Reading The Greenest Building Is One That's Already Built
Castle Square Retrofit Nearing Completion
This past Friday, Bruce Hampton AIA with Elton Hampton Architects presented and discussed the retrofit project at the South End's Castle Square Apartments. As the principal in charge of the 1960s era renovation project, Hampton focused on the project process, design strategy, retrofit scheduling and collaboration needed to make this the largest retrofit in the country.
GreenBuild 2011: Report from Toronto (Part 2 of a series)
Sustainable Design – Why even the best of us aren't practicing it and how we can begin
Using the Ecological Goods and Services model as the basis for understanding and developing measurable ecological sustainability as it relates to the creation of green buildings.
The Problem: It's way too easy being green.
We in the architectural community are guilty of promoting ourselves as something we are not, and doing so on a massive scale. What we are not, is green. What we do not do is create projects that are ecologically sustainable.Continue Reading Sustainable Design – Why even the best of us aren't practicing it and how we can begin


text: Upcoming Shows No upcoming events scheduled yet. Stay tuned! Past Shows January 26, 2019 Ottawa, The Rainbow Bistro The Cardboard Crowns / Bitter North / Jumpin' Joel Flash December 1, 2018 Ottawa, Irene's Pub Bitter North with Casa Lagarto and Ginny at Irene's October 27, 2018 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin Acoustics For Cancer Awareness September 29, 2018 Ottawa, Babylon Night Club Frequency Collective Presents: A Night of Music and Arts September 28, 2018 McCloskey's with The Haig September 22, 2018 Mayo , Mocktoberfest Mocktoberfest 2018 August 18, 2018 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin Bitter North at LIVE! on Elgin July 28, 2018 Mayo , Mayofest Mayofest 2018 July 14, 2018 Ottawa, Mooney's Bay Park HOPE Volleyball SummerFest July 5, 2018 Ottawa, House of TARG Bitter North, Onionface, & Dant Danners at House of TARG June 9, 2018 Ottawa, Rainbow Bistro Po Lazarus with Bitter North & Flowers for Daniel June 3, 2018 Chesterville, Art on the Waterfront Art on the Waterfront June 2, 2018 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin LIVE! on Elgin's 3rd Anniversary Party May 11, 2018 Orleans, Orleans PoutineFest Orleans PoutineFest April 14, 2018 Ottawa, Rainbow Bistro Glass Hour with What If Elephants & Bitter North December 2, 2017 Ottawa, Black Squirrel Books & Espresso Bar Bitter North's "Vacation Days" EP Release Party! November 4, 2017 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin Bitter North with Lost at Sea & The Blooms October 23, 2017 Ottawa, Rainbow Bistro Forest, Bitter North and Bull Domino at The Rainbow Bistro August 26, 2017 Toronto, Cherry Cola's Rock 'N' Rolla Cabaret Lounge Fat Mob//Bitter North//King Beez//TVDE//Los Senores August 25, 2017 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin The Bandicoots with Bitter North & Ferraro August 25, 2017 Kingston, The Mansion Dan Taylor Band Ft. Bitter North at The Mansion July 28, 2017 Trenton, Stix & Stones Rye and Silence with Down and Loaded, and Bitter North July 14, 2017 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin Lemon Cash at LIVE! on Elgin w/ Bitter North and Dan Taylor Band June 2, 2017 Ottawa, Rainbow Bistro Cast in Cadence w/ Bitter North and Iduna March 4, 2017 Ottawa, Bar Robo SOP at Bar Robo with Rob Allen + Bitter North February 11, 2017 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin James Blonde with Bitter North & Bull Domino January 20, 2017 Ottawa, Cafe Dekcuf Beautiful Nothing, Bitter North, Riishi Von Rex at Cafe Deckuf December 1, 2016 Ottawa, House of TARG Shadow Hand/BITTER NORTH/Charlie the Kid/Crossing Jane at TARG! September 29, 2016 Ottawa, CKCU 93.1FM Bitter North Live on CKCU 93.1FM September 24, 2016 Ottawa, LIVE! on Elgin Bitter North, Lost at Sea, and Chase Cameron at LIVE! on Elgin


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My Favourite Hot Cross Buns!
Yay it's Easter! To me this means I get to head to my home town of Yass in NSW where my extended family and cousins all get together for a picnic in the paddock with my almost 90 year old Grandmother.
It's my favourite time of the year for so many reasons - it's cold, so we get to light a fire; there's an abundance of chocolate available (this year Ill be making my own - recipe will be up soon!); Gran makes the world's greatest pork spare ribs (if you're lucky I'll share this recipe one day too) and best of all, there are butter-smothered Hot Cross Buns. Yum.
Because I'm a teensy bit anal about food I will be making my family gluten-free Hot Cross Buns this year and so here is my favourite recipe. Make sure you don't eat too many even though they're healthy - everything in moderation :)
BUT if you do happen to overindulge make sure you join me and my brand new Better Body Project when the Easter holidays are over! Those who sign up during the month of April receive 20% off their plan! So now you can have your chocolate and eat it too! Email firstname.lastname@example.com to sign up today.
GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS BUNS - Makes 14 (recipe also found at Flamingo Pink)
300 g (3 cups) almond meal
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda (baking soda) + lemon juice to activate it
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil or olive oil
2 good tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 free range / organic eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
80 g dried cranberries or cherries
50 g organic dark chocolate 85% + extra for crosses (optional)
Preheat oven to 160 C. Combine all the ingredients including dried fruit and chocolate and mix well. Scoop or spoon out 14 small portions onto a baking tray. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool. Drizzle dark chocolate crosses on top if you like, or use this Lemon Cashew Cream:
Lemon Cashew Cream Cheese for the Crosses, from The Holistic Ingredient
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Place the cashews, yoghurt, lemon juice and rice malt syrup in a blender or electric mixer and combine until smooth yet still thick enough not to be runny. Using a piping bag (or a snap log bag with a small hole cut in the corner), pipe lines/crosses across the buns.
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These recipes come from my Grandmother who is the love and inspiration of my life and hands down, the best cook in the whole world. Some recipes I've tweaked to make into a healthier version, others I've left for you to enjoy as a treat.
January 2015


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Yesterday was probably a day that will live on in my memory for a long time, forever actually. I have said many times before that growing up I was never a runner. I had every excuse in the book to get out of running, and I continued evolving those excuses well into adulthood. I started running 2 years ago, and while it started out as an occassional thing and something i still wasn't really enjoying the farther I could go and the more often I actually ran the more I began to kind of like it. Fast forward to now, seven 5k races later and a very grouchy Tera if I DON'T get to run, and here we are. But yesterday was the icing on the cake because you see yesterday Zac, my 5 year old son, ran his first race! Zac and my hubby participated in the Monster Dash Mini Youth 1k in full Captain America gear, and I was the proudest mama in downtown Providence. Check out the video below, and I apologize for my LOUDNESS!
My son is on the Autism Spectrum, for those who don't know, so let's just take in what a HUGE deal this is.
1) he's in full costume
2) it was soooooooooo crowded and loud
3) it was cold
4) he just started running with me over the summer
5) he ran the entire race and was so happy afterwards
6) Zac is the most amazing little boy in the world and he's my hero
I was so proud, happy, overjoyed, elated, and even now as I type and think about it my eyes are filled with tears. Something that I hated doing when I was his age is something that makes him feel good, makes him excited, and it's something we do together and enjoy…..I'm not sure it gets any better.
After Zac's triumphant race it was my turn to run the Monster Dash 5k, and it was just a weeeeee bit crowded for the first .75 mile or so. The course took us through the heart of downtown Providence and wound it's way over to Point street and back through that same tight area to finish where we began at the Dunkin Donuts Center. I was a little nervous as I hadn't run in a few days but despite having to walk, due to lack of space to actually run in, I ran my fastest 5k to date!
I'll take it! I can't wait until Zac is old enough to run the 5k's with me and I'm so thankful that he enjoys it…… secretly I'm thankful because of him I'll keep running, I'll do almost anything to make that little boy happy.
Next up Family Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day!!! Being the obnoxious Mom I am I just have to share one more photo collage with you……
Healthy Wishes, T


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The Nevada Department of Taxation announced this week that they will allow businesses outside of the alcohol industry to apply for cannabis distribution licenses. Distribution rights have been a major issue with the state's rollout of legal weed, as alcohol distributors have been fighting for the right to be the sole distributors of cannabis.
The initial ballot measure that legalized cannabis in the Silver State gave alcohol distributors exclusive cannabis distribution rights for the first eighteen months of legalization. Earlier this year, state legislators allowed medical marijuana dispensaries to begin early sales of recreational weed, which prompted a legal battle with the alcohol industry, who demanded the exclusive rights promised by the ballot measure.
This week, Deonne Contine, executive director of the state taxation department, said in a telephone conference that there is now an inadequate number of liquor distributors expressing an interest in getting involved in cannabis distribution. Contine said that only nine alcohol distributors submitted cannabis applications to the tax department, four of which have been licensed already, with two more applications pending.
However, Nevada officials do not believe that these distributors will be able to provide enough product to service all 50 of the state's licensed retail stores, especially in light of the recent cannabis shortages that occurred after the state began early sales last month.
"The capacity of only liquor wholesalers to serve the market seems lacking," Contine said. "I think the evidence is fairly clear today that this market needs to be opened up."


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Today's Post by Joe Farace
In the dustup over at the Jezebel log entitled "Bloggers Are Banned From the White Moose Lodge and We Deserve It," Elizabeth Boyce wrote, "As an author, my earning potential has been absolutely ravaged by the number of free or deeply discounted copies of my books given away to reviewers or by my publisher for promotions (not to mention book pirate sites.) One of my most pirated books is Better Available Light Digital Photography that I coauthored with Barry Staver. When Barry discovered it was available as an illegal download, we informed the publisher who could care less.
These days it seems like people expect to get everything for free, and to hell with the people who actually create something. Customers seem somehow feel affronted at being expected to actually pay for things. Boyce writes that, "I, on the other hand, feel affronted that I'm banging out my ninth novel on this shitty seven-year old laptop and sweating my grocery bills, while literally tens of thousands of people have received my books for nothing…"
There is no more powerful word in the English language than free but while everyone knows free stuff is good, photographers have to realize there's no free lunch. If you get something for free, somebody somewhere has to pay for it.
One question I often hear from photographers competing against studios using freebies as inducements to new sales is "how can I compete with this?" You have two choices and I prefer the second:
It's a business fact of life that clients like to feel appreciated and it doesn't cost a lot of money to say "thanks" to them from time to time so don't confuse freebies with expressions of appreciation to existing, supportive clients during the holidays. That's why an important part of competing is knowing the costs of doing business.
When I hear photographers moaning about profitability, I'm reminded of an encounter between photographer, Charles Lewis and someone attending one of his seminars. The gentleman tells Mr. Lewis, "I'm loosing $50 for every wedding I shoot." Mr. Lewis looks him in the eye and replies, "You know what you need to do, don't you?" Excitedly, the man replies, "Yes, I need to do more of them."
Most of the time, "free" doesn't work as part of a business plan, and using freebies to get new customers breaks the most important of Farace's Laws: It's hard to make money when you give stuff away.
Along with photographer Barry Staver, Joe is co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography that's now out-of-print but new copies are available from Amazon $21.88 or used starting at $4.00 as I write this, a bargain no matter how you look at it.


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Mobile Shredding Services in Arlington Heights, IL
If you live in Arlington Heights and have paperwork with confidential information that needs to be shredded, mobile shredding is an extremely secure and convenient service option.
Wherever you are in Cook County we will find a provider who will come to your location and shred your materials for you. Mobile services are ideal for 4 or more boxes full of paperwork, and allow you to watch as the shredding process occurs.
If you are interested in secure mobile shredding services for your Arlington Heights home or business, call us today at (847) 235-6094 and we will quickly connect you to our network of reliable providers. Shredding is the best way to ensure the safety of your documents.
How Onsite Shredding in Arlington Heights Works
Onsite shredding is one of the most secure shredding services available in Cook County. Here is how it works:
1. Start your project with free quotes from capable service providers. Call us at (847) 235-6094 or fill out the form on the right and we will connect you to our network of local contractors and get you quotes on their services for free.
2. Choose the quoted option that best meets the needs of your project and budget, and your new provider will set you up with locking shredding bins to collect your materials in.
3. When your bins are full, contact your provider and they will drive over to your Arlington Heights location and shred your materials in the back of their truck. You get to watch the entire process without lifting a finger.
4. Once your documents have been shredded your provider will give you a certificate of destruction, verifying that the process was done in accordance with all federal and Illinois laws. Then they drive off with the shredded mess to recycle the paper bits.
Is Arlington Heights Mobile Shredding Secure?
We understand the importance of security when shredding your private documents, especially when you are trusting them in the hands of a third party shredding company. Mobile shredding complies with all federal and state information security laws including HIPAA and FACTA.
Mobile shredding offers an additional layer of security as you get to watch the entire process to ensure it is done thoroughly. You can ask your provider if they are NAID AAA Certified, which holds them to strictest quality and security standards.
How Much Does Mobile Shredding in Cook County Cost?
The industry average for mobile shredding services is about $100, but the price can fluctuate based on where you live. Drop off shredding services, on the other hand, charge around $1 per pound of paper.
If you have less than three full boxes worth of paperwork we recommend drop off services at one of our many Cook County drop off centers.
If you have four boxes of paper or more, mobile shredding will be not only more affordable than drop off shredding, but it will be more convenient, and you don't have to do any of the work yourself.
Get Free Quotes on Secure Onsite Shredding Services throughout Arlington Heights
If you live in Arlington Heights and need help shredding a medium amount of papers– typically 3-10 boxes (roughly 100-300 pounds), mobile shredding services may be right for you. But before you sign a contract, let Shred Nations help ensure you are getting the best local service at the best price.
Call us today at (847) 235-6094 or fill out the form on the right and we will connect you to our extensive network of Arlington Heights shredders and get you several quoted options on the services you are interested in for FREE. We can set you up for scheduled services for as often as you need:
- One Time Purges
- Weekly, Bi-Weekly, or Monthly scheduled service
- Drop Off Services for a small amount of paperwork
Shred Nations Arlington Heights Location
Shred Nations Arlington Heights
126 E Wing St
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
(847) 235-6094
Email: email@example.com
Our hours of operation are Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Shred Nations is proud to service Arlington Heights and these nearby cities:
Northbrook | Buffalo Grove | Highland Park | Bloomingdale | Addison | Franklin Park | Evanston | Skokie | Lake Forest | Barrington | Carpentersville | Elgin | Bartlett | St Charles | Chicago


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Free 2-Day Shipping
This product is currently out of stock, but we have some other styles below that you'll love. You can also shop our New Arrivals
Quay Australia
Quay Australia Hidden Hills Shield SunglassesUPC:9343963017519
Free 2-Day Shipping
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Stay hidden, but keep 'em staring with the ultimate boss babe sunnies. HIDDEN HILLS' oversized shield frames are perfect for hiding your eyes but guaranteeing that all eyes are on you. These sunnies feature reflective pink or a non-reflective black lenses with contrasting metal studs and plastic arms for an endlessly chic look.
Sunglass Details
Lens Type: Solid
Frame Material: Plastic
Shape: Shield
Polarized: Not Polarized
Fit: Standard
Frame Measurements
Lens Width: 55 MM
Bridge: 15 MM
Temple Length: 150 MM


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At P&A Smith Auto Maintenance, our Volvo specialists are just as passionate about your Volvo vehicle as you are. Our highly trained technicians know how to take care of your Volvo so you get the most return on your investment. The manufacturers have already created an exceptional vehicle, but the rest is on us. The moment you drive it off the lot you need to find an affordable service provider with factory-level skills. The search should begin and end with P&A Smith Auto because we perform Volvo repair and maintenance services on par with, if not better than, any dealership. Whether you drive a V40, XC90, S60 Cross Country, or even older models like an S80, we can service all Volvo models. We know your automobile is important to you. That's why we are committed to maintaining its lifelong performance and safety features. You can trust our Volvo expertise to enhance your vehicle's performance and retain its resale value. Any of your Volvo repair and Volvo services should be handled by our specialists right here in Cary, NC!
While your Volvo is capable of being a longstanding family car, it still needs routine maintenance and auto repair services to keep it reliable. That's where our Volvo specialists come in! Since we have the appropriate tools and training to service your Volvo, you can count on us in every situation. Our ASE Certified Technicians are well-educated and experienced at providing quality service to the Volvo engine and all of its functions. We have the diagnostic tools and equipment to accurately examine your Volvo to quickly determine the cause of any issues. Our goal is to safely get you back on the road as soon as possible. Whether your vehicle needs an oil change, brake repair, engine repair or more, our Volvo service specialists can get the job done. No matter what year or model your Volvo is our P&A Smith Auto should be your first call!
Our auto repair shop is conveniently located in Cary, NC, close to Morrisville, Raleigh and Chapel Hill. Give us a call today at (919) 467-7016, or easily schedule your appointment online, or make the quick drive to P&A Smith Auto Maintenance and our friendly team will be happy to help you with all your Volvo repair and Volvo maintenance service needs!


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Comprehensive Management of Parotid Disorders, An Issue of Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, Volume 49-2
1st Edition
This issue of Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, devoted to Parotid Disease, is guest edited by Drs. Babak Azizzadeh and Babak Larian. Articles in this outstanding issue include: Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve Anatomy; Parotid Gland Imaging; Evaluation of Parotid Lesions; Benign Parotid Tumors and Management; Diagnosis and Management of Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors of the Parotid Gland; Parotitis and Sialoendoscopy of the Parotid Gland; Parotidectomy for Benign Parotid Tumors; Parotidectomy for Parotid Cancer; Parotid Tumors and the Facial Nerve; Loco-Regional Parotid Reconstruction; Free Tissue Transfer in Parotid Reconstruction; Facial Paralysis Reconstruction; Periocular Reconstruction in Patients with Facial Paralysis; Rare Parotid Diseases; and Management of Frey's Syndrome.
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Elsevier 2016
- Published:
- 15th April 2016
- Imprint:
- Elsevier
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780323447560
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780323447577
About the Authors
Babak Larian Author
Affiliations and Expertise
Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery, Beverly Hills
Babak Azizzadeh Author
Affiliations and Expertise
Director, The Center for Facial and Nasal Plastic Surgery, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Audrey Skirball-Kenis Center for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Beverly Hills, California


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kyrredyr necesitaba un nuevo diseño de camiseta y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 29 diseños de 12 diseñadores freelance.
The designer is free to use his own imagination. Below is a couple of proposals from me, but if you have your own ideas, don't be afraid to use them!
Accepted File Formats:
.jpg, .bmp
Designer is free to use his imagination when creating the t-shirt design. However, it is important that it is rather funny and attracts people's attention. My idea is something along the lines of a guy (maybe a charicature or cartoon) grinning and then there's a punchline below the image followed up by the address DingDingPoker.com
Good punchlines:
Do you Ding?
Ding Ding!
etc... Use your imagination!


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Disney All Star Resorts, Orlando
Includes flights & taxes
Imagine yourself sharing the spotlight with some of your favourite Disney friends; the entire family will enjoy the whimsical atmosphere at one of Disney's All Stars Resorts.
Disney All Star Resorts
Imagine yourself sharing the spotlight with some of your favourite Disney friends; the entire family will enjoy the whimsical atmosphere at one of Disney's All Stars Resorts.
Everywhere in these Disney Value Resorts; gigantic icons celebrating the fun as well as excitement of movies, sports or music to welcomes guests.
Featuring 3 Hotels, the Disney All Stars Movies Resort salutes the legends of Disney films; from the dotted pups of 101 Dalmatians to the playful toys of Andy's Room. Disney All Stars Music Resort pays homage to some of the world's most popular music genres; including country, jazz, rock 'n' roll; calypso and also Broadway-style show tunes. Get in the game at Disney All Stars Sports Resort with competitive sports; including baseball, basketball, football, surfing as well as tennis. Go the distance, celebrate your inner fan, amid sporty décor, also starring some of your favourite Disney characters.
Disney All Star Resorts package includes flights from South Africa, airport taxes, transfers, 5 nights accommodation, as well as a 4 day Disney's Flexible Date Base Ticket.
Magic Kingdom® Park
Fairytale dreams come true for children of all ages at Magic Kingdom park. Delight in classic attractions, enchanting fireworks, musical parades as well as beloved Disney Characters across 6 whimsical lands. See fantasy become a reality as you explore Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland—open while undergoing the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history!—Tomorrowland as well as Main Street, U.S.A. areas. Zoom through space, become a swashbuckling pirate and watch fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella Castle
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Encounter exotic animals as well as exciting adventures at Disney's Animal Kingdom park; one of the largest animal theme parks in the world. Home to more than 1,700 animals across 250 species, the park reflects Walt Disney's dedication to conservation and is also committed to animal care, education and research. Explore 6 enthralling lands: Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia and DinoLand, U.S.A. areas.
Disney's Hollywood Studios®
Movie magic comes to life at Disney's Hollywood Studios, awash in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age. Step into the action with attractions based on blockbuster movies and top TV shows, and delight in exciting entertainment that puts you centre stage. With the vibrancy of a bustling movie set; this park features 8 sections: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Sunset Boulevard, Streets of America, Commissary Lane, Pixar Place, Mickey Avenue as well as Animation Courtyard areas.


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We help millions of people to live better!
Continuous investments in the quality and development of new and more biocompatible formulations
Our values
We nurture the inseparable bond between man and nature devoting our attention to biocompatibility and ecology, the basic values of Omisan.
Continuous search for quality and product safety is one of our core strengths.
Prodotti dalle caratteristiche uniche per la cura dell'occhio, con formulazioni delicate e biocompatibili.
Our Credo
We believe our first responsibility to our products' users: millions of people that choose and recommend our products every year, renewing their confidence in us and in our work.
If not required by the current laws on Medical Devices, OMISAN farmaceutici does not agree and conduct animal testing on its products, being in principle absolutely contrary to unnecessary suffering and bloody practices.
Product Portfolio
OMISAN farmaceutici is specialized in the development, production and commercialization of Sterile Medical Devices. Our product portfolio comprises innovative products designed as the response for diverse consumers' needs in the field of Eye care and Contact lenses Solutions: drops, sprays and eyewashes, disposable ophthalmic gauzes, contact lenses and solutions for their complete maintenance.
NebuVis range
Omisan innovative concept in eye care: Micro-nebulizer corneal sprays (for open eyes)
Oftyll range
All flower extracts based eye and contact lens care products.
PharmaVis range
Hyaluronic acid and plant extracts based eye care products
EasyDay range
Daily care of the last generation of contact lenses (silicone hydrogel)
Lady Pink range
Especially designed for women: delicate products for eye and contact lens care with hyaluronic acid
OmiVis range
Daily eye hydration and hygiene with natural ingredients for adults and children
Sodyal range
Dry eye, hyaluronic acid based, highly lubricating and moisturizing products
BioXesin range
All Aloe vera based products, eye and nasal care.
Quality management
Certified according to all the most recent European norms and Iso standards, our production is characterized by the continuous pursuit of the process quality and final product safety and biocompatibility. (CE Mark Certification, ISO13485, BRC).
Our story
OMISAN farmaceutici is an Italian company, founded during the '90s. Specialized in the production of Ophthalmic Medical devices and Eye Care products, OMISAN provides innovative solutions for pharmacies, drugstores, opticians and optical stores in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Private Label and Contract Manufacturing (CDMO)
OMISAN farmaceutici is the official manufacturer and supplier of many of the leading multinationals of the ophthalmic sector.
Thanks to its experience of 20 years in Ophthalmic Medical Devices manufacturing, its brand new production facilities, its R&D Departement, OMISAN can satisfy the needs of any type of customer, offering a high quality product as:
- Personalization, Private Label, in-licencing, of its own CE certified products and formulations,
- CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) matching the highest productions standards.
To date OMISAN farmaceutici is the leader in the production of sterile open eye-sprays, but has a unique portfolio of Class 2B Ophthalmic Medical Devices (eye drops, eye washes, contact lens care solutions), and of all the most innovative preservative free technologies available:
- singledose,
- OSD Aptar,
- 3K Aeropump,
- Novelia Nemera.
Certified according to all the most recent European norms and Iso standards, our production is characterized by the continuous pursuit of the process quality and final product safety and biocompatibility. (CE Mark Certification, ISO13485, BRC).


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We have re-installed the Sentinel RMS License manager with a fresh install. How can I install the current license keys again?
Answer by EgeOr (7011) | Sep 12, 2019 at 04:58 AM
If you have already generated your authorization codes, I recommend you to download and install Sentinel License Manager via the link that I provide you under private post. In order to get a concurrent user license up and running, follow these steps:
1) Install the Sentinel License Manager (latest version is 9.1) on the new machine (tools and manager).
2) Add your license to the Sentinel license manager by using the licenseactivator:
a. Open a command prompt (Start > Run and type "cmd").
b. Change the directory to the Sentinel License Manager directory:
cd "\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\SafeNet Sentinel\Sentinel RMS License Manager\WinNT"
c. Once in the installation directory, run the licenseactivator command line with your authorization code. For example:
licenseactivator abcdefghij1234567890
d. Open the WlmAdmin tool to see the newly added license
note: Restart the Sentinel RMS License Manager service in case you don't see the license active in WlmAdmin
As each version has it's own license code, check your IBM SPSS License Key Center for your authorization codes: https://spss.subscribenet.com/control/ibmp/login
How to add a license to Sentinel License Manager is described in following Technote: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21488416
Kind regards,
Ege OR
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Slow news day yesterday. A combination of event-lag and a head cold which has taken up residence and is now inviting a large group of noisy friends has meant that I mostly wandered around like a hopeless drunk whilst C unpacked, abused Richard and Caroline's washing machines and reloaded Doris. Horror of horrors she went for a run round the big field out the back of their house and I resorted to taking my ailments for a walk – well done her. But that did give Richard and I another hour or so to put the world to right – he's got wide ranging military and adventure training background – from recently walking in Georgia to canoeing in the Antarctic – so there's always something we can wrestle with.
Our latest, and I'll try and summarise this in a short paragraph, is the impact that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is having on the West and how we (that is Richard and I) would have done things differently in hindsight. My view has always been that whilst we have to defend ourselves what gives us the right to impose liberal democracy on other people? You might argue that what we have is better than the previous regimes in those countries, but with 'our way' comes a myriad of subtle, complicated and unpleasant issues such as drugs, alcohol, mass consumerism (shopping as a pastime), racism, rampant ambition, broken marriages, lack of respect for the elderly, gun crime, fear of crime, sexualising young people, over-the-fence jealousy…..I could go on. I've not been to Iraq, but I have been to and worked in a number of third-world countries including Afghanistan, and whilst the poverty, disease and, in some oppression, is appalling and not something I would exchange my life for, I'm totally unconvinced that blanketly applying our way of life with all its rubbish add-ons is the right solution. And I guess the aftermath of the West's incursions in Iraq in particular must support my view. Afghanistan will follow after we've all gone…
But more important – and absolutely why we will not be able to apply a solution to these countries – we have to ask ourselves and then answer the question 'why is there an issue in the first place?' We eventually did this in Northern Ireland where we engaged with the terrorists and amended the imbalance of civil rights between the Catholics and the Protestants. We took away the core reason for the need for one side to feel aggrieved and, with no remaining reason to fight the terrorists lost the general support of the side they were purportedly fighting for. I know that there are still very small elements of that society on both sides that would like to kill each other and sectarianism still exists, but we did ask and then answer the question (eventually). For much of the Middle East the Arab/Israeli issue is central to general disenchantment and the West's, particularly, as the Arabs would see it, the right wing Christian US's underpinning of Israel, wholly exacerbates the problem. Add to that US/Christian soles treading the tarmacs of their towns (come on, what would we think if the Saudi military patrolled the streets of Wolverhampton?) and mix in mass poverty ruled over by an uber-rich elite and, have a guess what? I certainly would be taking up arms against the infidels. Come and join me?
Bombing and killing the terrorists is not the answer. It's part of the problem. Yes we must protect ourselves and yes that means we have to stop terrorists and that might mean surgical involvement with special forces and spies. But, and I know it's a cliche, for every one terrorist you kill you spawn ten more. We absolutely have to help answer the Arab/Israeli question in a meaningful way; it must be the top of everyone's foreign policy list. We do have to help regimes become better regimes and close the gap between rich and poor. We have to help regimes see that human rights are key to building a future in their countries. But we must not, never, believe that the way we live our lives is so special everyone should get some of it. And, anything other than an UN mandated, Arab led force, the west should not but boots on the ground unilaterally. We should always be seen as the last people they call, and we can diplomatically help them make that call, but not force them to; then come along in a supporting role, sheepishly but effectively. I appreciate that this approach is neither instant nor will it attract many right-wing votes, but in a basket case of a region it will not stoke the fire, it might eventually dampen it.
So that's told you.
Leaving the v kind hospitality of Richard and Caroline's today for a CL near Frome (I have an ENT appointment tomorrow in Frome). The consultant's going to love it when I sneeze all over him. But back in Doris – yippee!


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As the EU prepares to debate the latest draft measures in the "Fourth Railway Package", policy makers, legal experts and rail trade unions have met in Brussels today to discuss how Europe's decision makers can learn from the experiences of rail liberalisation in Britain and Sweden.
The Fourth Railway Package - laws that would shape the future of rail across the EU - combines a number of technical, safety and co-ordination reforms (known as the "technical pillar") with a raft of legislative proposals concerning competition and ownership (the "political pillar") in the rail sector.
Central to the "political pillar" is a proposal to further liberalise Europe's railways, by pushing national governments to privatise their rail networks.
Lucy Anderson MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on transport, said:
"Labour MEPs want to make sure that the mistakes made in Britain when rail privatisation was pushed through are not repeated at EU level.
"We also want to ensure the UK is able to shift away from its current model, which has resulted in prices rising, customer satisfaction falling and working conditions being undermined."
MEPs in the European Parliament have already voted to give national governments the choice as to whether they privatise or maintain state operated rail services.
However, ongoing disagreement between the Parliament, Commission and Council over the "political pillar" has left important technical concerns unresolved, as the political and technical aspects of the bill are currently being considered as a package.
Lucy Anderson MEP added:
"As the most privatised railway nations in Europe, Britain and Sweden are often cited as examples of how the Fourth Railway Package might work, but we know these systems are far from perfect.
"If we are to achieve a fair and efficient European rail market we must learn from past mistakes, and make sure any EU legislation works in the interest of rail workers and passengers."