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Healthcare Industry News: repolarization
News Release - November 8, 2007
FDA Approves New SPRYCEL(R) (Dasatinib) Product Labeling for Patients with Chronic-Phase CML
Labeling Now Includes Lower Once-Daily Starting Dose and Data from First Randomized Trial of SPRYCEL and Gleevec(R)*(imatinib mesylate)PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 8 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY ) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new labeling for SPRYCEL to include a lower recommended starting dose of 100 mg once daily and safety and efficacy data in a greater number of patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) resistant or intolerant to prior therapy including Gleevec. The product labeling now also includes data from the first randomized trial of SPRYCEL and Gleevec. SPRYCEL is indicated for the treatment of adults with chronic-, accelerated-, or myeloid or lymphoid blast-phase CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including Gleevec. The effectiveness of SPRYCEL is based on hematologic and cytogenetic response rates. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival.
"The new, lower once-daily dose reduces the incidence of some side effects while preserving the efficacy of SPRYCEL for patients with chronic-phase CML no longer responding to currently-approved therapies," said Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, M.D., Chairman and Professor, Leukemia Department, MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Importantly, the new clinical data now included in the labeling provides further evidence to support the use of SPRYCEL to treat patients with chronic-phase CML, if their disease is no longer responding to currently available treatment including Gleevec."
The updated labeling was granted priority review and was approved in six months based primarily on two studies that enrolled chronic-phase CML patients with resistance or intolerance to Gleevec. A summary of the changes, which are detailed below, include:
-- A lower recommended starting dose of SPRYCEL 100 mg once daily based on
a dose-optimization trial - the first Phase 3 trial in this patient
population. This once daily dose was associated with a lower frequency
of some side effects (severe myelosuppression and fluid retention).
-- Cytogenetic responses from the first randomized trial of SPRYCEL, 70 mg
twice daily, and Gleevec 800 mg (400 mg twice daily), study -017. For
patients receiving SPRYCEL, at 12 weeks 36 percent achieved a major
cytogenetic response, the study's primary endpoint (29 percent with
Gleevec), and 22 percent achieved a complete cytogenetic response (8
percent with Gleevec). With longer treatment and follow-up, 52 percent
achieved a major cytogenetic response (33 percent with Gleevec), and 40
percent of patients achieved a complete cytogenetic response (16
percent with Gleevec).
The updated SPRYCEL labeling encompasses safety data for a total of 2,182 patients.
"We believe that this filing and its subsequent approval further demonstrates our commitment and dedication to patients with this disease," said Claude Nicaise, M.D., Vice President, SPRYCEL Global Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Bristol-Myers Squibb is fully committed to further exploring and understanding the appropriate use of SPRYCEL through a robust clinical development program."
About the Studies
Dose-Optimization (Study -034): The Phase 3, randomized, open-label study was conducted in patients with chronic-phase CML, whose disease was resistant or intolerant to Gleevec, to evaluate the efficacy of SPRYCEL administered once daily compared with twice daily. The primary endpoint was major cytogenetic response in patients with Gleevec-resistant chronic phase CML. A total of 670 patients (498 Gleevec resistant) were randomized to 100 mg once daily, 140 mg once daily, 50 mg twice daily, or 70 mg twice daily. Those patients who received SPRYCEL once daily achieved a comparable (non-inferior) major cytogenetic response to those who received SPRYCEL twice daily. The rate of major cytogenetic response was lower among patients aged 65 years and over. The median duration of treatment was approximately eight months. The study supports the new recommended starting dose, 100 mg once daily, for chronic-phase CML.
Incidence of selected adverse reactions (all grades) in the Phase 3 dose- optimization study in chronic-phase CML patients receiving SPRYCEL 100 mg once daily (n=165) or SPRYCEL 70 mg twice daily (n=167) included diarrhea (23%, 25%); fluid retention events (24%, 32%) such as superficial edema (14%, 16%), pleural effusion (10%, 18%), generalized edema (2%, 1%), congestive heart failure/cardiac dysfunction (0%, 4%), pericardial effusion (1%, 2%), pulmonary edema (0%, 2%), pulmonary hypertension (0%, 1%), and hemorrhage (10%, 14%) including gastrointestinal bleeding (1%, 4%).
In this same study, the frequency of Grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia was 34%, 22%, and 10%, respectively, in the SPRYCEL 100 mg once-daily group and 43%, 38%, and 17%, respectively, in the SPRYCEL 70 mg twice-daily group. The frequency of Grade 3/4 hypophosphatemia and hypocalcemia was 8% and 2%, respectively, in the SPRYCEL 100 mg once-daily group, and 7% and 2%, respectively, in the SPRYCEL 70 mg twice-daily group.
The starting dose for adults with accelerated-phase, myeloid or lymphoid blast-phase CML or adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) resistant or intolerant to prior therapy remains at 70 mg twice daily.
SPRYCEL and Escalated Doses of Gleevec (Study -017): The Phase 2 randomized, open-label study evaluated SPRYCEL 70 mg twice daily and Gleevec 800 mg (400 mg twice daily) in 150 patients with chronic-phase CML resistant to prior Gleevec doses of 400 or 600 mg. For patients receiving SPRYCEL, at 12 weeks 36 percent achieved a major cytogenetic response, the study's primary endpoint (29 percent with Gleevec), and 22 percent achieved a complete cytogenetic response (8 percent with Gleevec). With longer treatment and follow-up, 52 percent achieved a major cytogenetic response (33 percent with Gleevec), and 40 percent of patients achieved a complete cytogenetic response (16 percent with Gleevec). The rate of major cytogenetic response with SPRYCEL was lower among patients aged 65 years and over.
At the time of analysis, 39 of 49 patients receiving Gleevec had crossed over to SPRYCEL; 15 of 101 patients receiving SPRYCEL had crossed over to Gleevec. Crossover to alternate therapy was permitted in the event of disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Median duration of treatment prior to crossover was 14 months for SPRYCEL and three months for Gleevec.
Incidence of selected adverse reactions (all grades) in the Phase 2 randomized study in patients receiving SPRYCEL 70 mg twice daily or Gleevec 800 mg daily (400 mg twice daily) included diarrhea (37%, 29%); fluid retention events (36%, 43%) such as pleural effusion (23%, 0%), superficial edema (17%, 41%), generalized edema (2%, 4%), congestive heart failure/cardiac dysfunction (2%, 0%), pericardial effusion (1%, 0%), pulmonary edema (3%, 0%), pulmonary hypertension (1%, 0%); nausea (24%, 33%); hemorrhage (18%, 8%) including gastrointestinal bleeding (3%, 0%), and vomiting (10%, 24%).
In this same study, the frequency of Grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia was 63%, 56%, and 19%, respectively, in the SPRYCEL group and 39%, 14%, and 8%, respectively, in the Gleevec group. The frequency of Grade 3/4 hypocalcemia was 4% in the SPRYCEL group and 0% in the Gleevec group.
Patients enrolled in this study received SPRYCEL 70 mg twice daily as described earlier. Per the new labeling, the recommended starting dose for these patients with chronic-phase CML is now 100 mg once daily.
Cytogenetic and Hematologic Responses
Major cytogenetic response is defined as complete (0 percent of Philadelphia chromosome-positive [Ph+] cells in the bone marrow) plus partial (less than or equal to 35 percent of Ph+ cells in the bone marrow) cytogenetic responses. Complete hematologic response is a measure of how effective a treatment is in returning blood counts to normal and occurs when blood counts appear normal and patients have no signs or symptoms of disease.
About SPRYCEL
On June 28, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval of SPRYCEL (pronounced 'spris-el), an oral inhibitor of multiple tyrosine kinases, for the treatment of adults in all three phases of CML (chronic-, accelerated-, or myeloid or lymphoid blast-phase) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including Gleevec. The effectiveness of SPRYCEL is based on hematologic and cytogenetic response rates. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival. The FDA also granted full approval of SPRYCEL for the treatment of adults with Ph+ ALL with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy.
Resistance to Gleevec is often due to mutations of BCR-ABL, BCR-ABL over- expression, or activation of new pathways. SPRYCEL is the first approved oral multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor that, at nanomolar concentrations, inhibits BCR-ABL, SRC family (SRC, LCK, YES, FYN), c-KIT, EPHA2, and PDGFRBeta kinases. SPRYCEL is designed to inhibit the overproduction of leukemia cells in the bone marrow of patients with CML and Ph+ ALL and allows normal red cell, white cell, and blood platelet production to resume.
Treatment with SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) is associated with severe CTC Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia. Their occurrence is more frequent in advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL than in chronic-phase CML. Myelosuppression was reported in patients with normal baseline laboratory values, as well as in patients with pre-existing laboratory abnormalities. Complete blood counts (CBCs) should be performed weekly for the first 2 months and then monthly thereafter, or as clinically indicated. In clinical studies, myelosuppression was managed by dose interruption, dose reduction, or discontinuation of study therapy. Hematopoietic growth factor has been used in patients with persistent myelosuppression.
Bleeding Events:
Dasatinib caused platelet dysfunction in vitro and thrombocytopenia in humans. Severe CNS hemorrhage, including fatalities, occurred in <1% of patients. Severe GI hemorrhage occurred in 4% of patients and generally required treatment interruptions and transfusions. Other cases of severe hemorrhage occurred in 2% of patients. Most bleeding events were associated with severe thrombocytopenia. Caution is advised in patients required to take medications that inhibit platelet function or anticoagulants.
Fluid Retention:
Fluid retention was severe in 8% of patients, including pleural and pericardial effusions reported in 5% and 1%, respectively. Severe ascites and generalized edema were reported in <1% of patients. Severe pulmonary edema was reported in 1% of patients. Patients who develop symptoms suggestive of pleural effusion (dyspnea or dry cough) should be evaluated by chest X-ray. Severe pleural effusion may require oxygen therapy and thoracentesis. Fluid retention was typically managed by supportive care measures that included diuretics or short courses of steroids. Patients over the age of 65 years are more likely to experience fluid retention events, and should be monitored closely.
QT Prolongation:
In vitro data suggest that dasatinib has the potential to prolong cardiac ventricular repolarization (QT interval). Nine patients had QTc prolongation as an adverse event. Three patients (<1%) experienced a QTcF >500 msec. SPRYCEL should be administered with caution to patients who have or may develop prolongation of QTc, including patients with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, or congenital long QT syndrome and patients taking anti- arrhythmic drugs, other medicinal products that lead to QT prolongation, or cumulative high-dose anthracycline therapy. Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia should be corrected prior to SPRYCEL administration.
Drug Interactions:
Dasatinib is a CYP3A4 substrate. Drugs that may increase dasatinib concentrations are: Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, atazanavir, indinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, voriconazole). Concomitant use of dasatinib and drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 should be avoided. If systemic administration of a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor cannot be avoided, close monitoring for toxicity and a SPRYCEL dose reduction or temporary discontinuation should be considered. Grapefruit juice may also increase plasma concentrations of dasatinib and should be avoided. Drugs that may decrease dasatinib concentrations are: Strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, rifabutin, phenobarbital). Alternative agents with less enzyme induction potential should be used or a dose increase of SPRYCEL should be considered. St John's Wort may decrease dasatinib plasma concentrations unpredictably and should be avoided.
Dasatinib is a time-dependent inhibitor of CYP3A4. Drugs that may have their plasma concentration altered by dasatinib are: CYP3A4 substrates such as simvastatin. Therefore, CYP3A4 substrates with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., alfentanil, astemizole, terfenadine, cisapride, cyclosporine, fentanyl, pimozide, quinidine, sirolimus, tacrolimus, or ergot alkaloids [ergotamine, dihydroergotamine]) should be administered with caution in patients receiving SPRYCEL.
Long-term suppression of gastric acid secretion by use of H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors (e.g., famotidine and omeprazole) is likely to reduce dasatinib exposure. Therefore, concomitant use of H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors with SPRYCEL is not recommended. The use of antacids should be considered. Simultaneous administration of SPRYCEL and antacids should be avoided. If antacid therapy is needed, the antacid dose should be administered at least 2 hours prior to or 2 hours after the dose of SPRYCEL.
SPRYCEL may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Women should be advised of the potential hazard to the fetus and to avoid becoming pregnant.
Nursing Mothers:
It is unknown whether SPRYCEL is excreted in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue drug.
Adverse Reactions:
The safety data reflect exposure to SPRYCEL in 2,182 patients with leukemia in clinical studies (starting dosage 100 mg once daily, 140 mg once daily, 50 mg twice daily, or 70 mg twice daily). The majority of SPRYCEL- treated patients experienced adverse reactions at some time. Drug was discontinued for adverse reactions in 9% of patients in chronic phase, 10% in accelerated phase, 15% in myeloid blast phase CML, and 8% in lymphoid blast phase CML or Ph+ ALL.
The most frequently reported adverse reactions (reported in greater than or equal to 20% of patients) included fluid retention events (37%), diarrhea (31%), headache (24%), skin rash (22%), nausea (22%), hemorrhage (21%), fatigue (21%), and dyspnea (20%).
The most frequently reported serious adverse reactions included pleural effusion (9%), pyrexia (3%), pneumonia (3%), infection (2%), febrile neutropenia (4%), gastrointestinal bleeding (4%), dyspnea (3%), sepsis (1%), diarrhea (2%), congestive heart failure (2%), and pericardial effusion (1%).
Grade 3/4 elevations of transaminase or bilirubin and Grade 3/4 hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia were reported in patients with all phases of CML, but were reported with an increased frequency in patients with myeloid or lymphoid blast phase CML and Ph+ ALL. Elevations in transaminase or bilirubin were usually managed with dose reduction or interruption. Patients developing Grade 3/4 hypocalcemia during the course of SPRYCEL therapy often had recovery with oral calcium supplementation.
Full Prescribing Information is available at www.SPRYCEL.com.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
For more than 40 years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has been committed to building a unified vision for the future of cancer treatment. With expertise, dedication and resolve, that vision led to the development of a diverse global portfolio of anti-cancer therapies that are an important cornerstone of care today. Hundreds of scientists in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Research & Development organization are studying ways to improve current cancer treatments and identify better, more effective medicines for the future. Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.
For more information regarding SPRYCEL, please visit http://www.SPRYCEL.com
* Gleevec® is a registered trademark of Novartis AG
Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb
Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its
Please address inquiries directly to the issuing company.


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Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá
Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá
Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panamá Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was laid out on a rectilinear grid and marks the transference from Europe of the idea of a planned town. Abandoned in the mid-17th century, it was replaced by a 'new town' (the 'Historic District'), which has also preserved its original street plan, its architecture and an unusual mixture of Spanish, French and early American styles. The Salón Bolívar was the venue for the unsuccessful attempt made by El Libertador in 1826 to establish a multinational continental congress.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Site archéologique de Panamá Viejo et district historique de Panamá
Fondé en 1519 par le conquistador Pedrarias Dávila, Panamá Viejo fut le premier établissement européen sur la côte pacifique des Amériques. Son plan en damier témoigne de la conception européenne de ville planifiée. Abandonnée au milieu du XVIIe siècle, elle fut remplacée par une ville nouvelle, le « District historique », qui a conservé intact le tracé de ses rues ; l'architecture est un mélange insolite de styles espagnol, français et américain ancien. Le Salón Bolivar a été le théâtre de la tentative infructueuse du Libertador qui voulait créer en 1826 un congrès continental multinational.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
موقع باناما فياجو الاثري ومقاطعة باناما التاريخية
كانت باناما فياجو التي أسّسها المغامر الاسباني بيدرارياس دافيلا في العام 1519، أول منشأة أوروبية على ساحل المحيط الهادئ في اميركا. ويشهد تخطيطها المؤلف من المربعات المنسقة، على المفهوم الاوروبي للمدينة المخططة. وتم استبدالها في منتصف القرن السابع عشر بمدينة جديدة "المقاطعة التاريخية" التي حافظت على تخطيط شوارعها. وكانت الهندسة عبارة عن مزيج غريب من الاساليب الاسبانية والفرنسية والاميركية القديمة. وكان صالون بوليفار مسرح المحاولة غير المثمرة لليبرتادور الذي اراد انشاء مجلس قاريّ متعدد الجنسيات في العام 1826.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Археологические памятники Панамы-Вьехо (Старой Панамы) и историческая часть города Панама
Панама-Вьехо – это старейшее европейское поселение на тихоокеанском побережье Америки, основанное в 1519 г. конкистадором Педрариасом Давила. Город имел планировку в виде прямоугольной сетки, что отразило произошедший в Европе переход к идее планируемого города. Оставленный в середине XVII в., он был заменен «Новым городом» (историческим районом), который также сохранил первоначальный план улиц, архитектуру и необычную смесь разных стилей – испанского, французского и нарождающегося американского. Салон Боливара – место, где в 1826 г. этот освободитель бывших испанских колоний (El Libertador) предпринял безуспешную попытку созвать объединяющий их континентальный конгресс.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Sitio arqueológico de Panamá Viejo y distrito histórico de Panamá
Fundada en 1519 por el conquistador Pedrarias Dávila, la ciudad de Panamá Viejo fue el primer asentamiento europeo en la costa americana del Pacífico. Su trazado en damero es un excelente ejemplo de la concepción europea de la planificación urbana. Abandonada a mediados del siglo XVII, esta ciudad fue reemplazada por otra nueva –el actual distrito histórico– que también ha conservado el trazado inicial de sus calles, así como la arquitectura de sus edificios, en la que el estilo español se mezcla de forma insólita con el francés y el americano primigenio. En el distrito histórico se halla el Salón Bolívar, donde el Libertador trató infructuosamente de establecer un congreso continental multinacional en 1826.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
パナマは1519年スペインの征服者が建設した、太平洋岸におけるヨーロッパ初の植民地。1671年以後発展した歴史地区は、道路設計に初期の様式を残し、建造物はスペイン・フランス・アメリカ原住民の諸様式の混合である。シモン・ボリヴァールのサロンは、1826年開催の不成功に終わったラテンアメリカ諸国の連帯を目指すパナマ会議の会場。source: NFUAJ
Archeologisch gebied Panamá Viejo en historisch district Panamá
Panamá Viejo – in 1519 gesticht door de conquistador Pedrarias Dávila – is de oudste Europese nederzetting van Zuid-Amerika aan de kust van de Stille Oceaan. Het werd gebouwd volgens een rechthoekig patroon en markeert de overname van de Europese manier van stadsplanning. Halverwege de 17e eeuw werd de stad verlaten en vervangen door een 'nieuwe stad' (het 'historisch district'). Hiervan zijn het oorspronkelijke stratenplan, de architectuur en ongewone mix van Spaanse, Franse en vroege Amerikaanse stijlen intact gebleven. In het district bevindt zich de Salón Bolívar; de plek waar visionair Simón Bolivar in 1826 een niet-succesvolle poging deed een Pan-Amerikaans congres op te richten.
Source: unesco.nl
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
Panama City, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Pacific coast of the Americas, was founded in 1519, as a consequence of the discovery by the Spanish of the South Sea in 1513. The archaeological remains of the original settlement (known today as the Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo) include the Pre-Columbian vestiges of the Cuevan aboriginal occupation of the same name, and currently encompass a protected heritage site covering 32 ha. The settlement was a first rank colonial outpost and seat of a Royal Court of Justice during the 16th and 17th centuries when Panama consolidated its position as an intercontinental hub. Its growth in importance, as it profited from the imperial bullion lifeline, is reflected by the imposing stone architecture of its public and religious buildings.
During its 152 years of existence, the town was affected by slave rebellion, fire and an earthquake, but was destroyed in the wake of a devastating pirate attack in 1671. Since it was relocated and never rebuilt, Panamá Viejo preserves its original layout, a slightly irregular, somewhat rudimentary grid with blocks of various sizes. There is archaeological evidence of the original street pattern and the location of domestic, religious and civic structures. The site is an exceptional testimony of colonial town planning; the ruins of its cathedral, convents and public buildings showcase unique technological and stylistic characteristics of its temporal and cultural context. It also offers invaluable information on a variety of aspects of social life, economy, communications and the vulnerability of a strategic site within the geopolitical dynamics at the height of Spanish imperial power.
In 1673 the city was moved some 7.5 km southeast, to a small peninsula at the foot of Ancón hill, closer to the islands that were used as the port and near the mouth of a river that eventually became the entrance of the Panama Canal. The relocated town, known today as Casco Antiguo or the Historic District of Panama, not only had better access to fresh water but could be fortified. The military engineers, moreover, took advantage of the morphological conditions that complemented the wall surrounding the peninsula, all of which prevented direct naval approaches by an enemy. The area within the walls had an orthogonal layout, with a central plaza and streets of different widths; outside the walls the suburb of Santa Ana had an irregular layout. There is a centrally-located main plaza (which was enlarged in the 19th century) and several smaller post-colonial plazas on the fringes. Most of the seaward walls of the colonial fortifications and parts of the landward bastions and moat survive. Several buildings within the District are identified as important for the country's 17th-20th century heritage. Most outstanding are the churches, above all the cathedral with its five aisles and timber roof; San Felipe Neri, San José, San Francisco and especially La Merced with its well-preserved colonial timber roof. The Presidential Palace originally built in the late 17th century and partially reconstructed in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, is a revealing example of the transformations that characterize the Historic District as a whole. The House of the Municipality, the Canal Museum building (originally the Grand Hotel), the National Theatre, the Ministry of Government and Justice and the Municipal Palace are outstanding buildings of a more recent period. There are several exceptional examples of domestic architecture from the colonial period, above all the mid-18th century Casa Góngora, and also several hundred houses from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries that illustrate the transformation of living concepts from the colonial period to modern times. These include not only upper-class houses from the entire period, but also 2- to 5-floor apartment houses and wooden tenement buildings from the early 20th century erected to satisfy the requirements of a more stratified urban society
Particularly relevant is the Salón Bolivar, originally the Chapter Hall of the convent of San Francisco, which is the only surviving part of the 17th-18th century complex. The Salón Bolívar has special historical importance as the site of the visionary, but abortive attempt by Simon Bolivar in 1826 to establish what would have been the world's first multinational and continental congress.
The present-day appearance of the Historic District is marked by a unique blend of 19th- and early 20th century architecture inspired in late colonial, Caribbean, Gulf Coast, French and eclectic (mostly Neo-Renaissance) styles. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, building styles evolved significantly, but spatial principles were fundamentally preserved. The Historic District's layout, a complex grid with streets and blocks of different widths and sizes and fortifications inspired in late Renaissance treaties, is an exceptional and probably unique example of 17th-century colonial town planning in the Americas. These special qualities, which differentiate the Property from other colonial cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, resulted from the construction, first of a railroad (1850-55) and then a canal (1880-1914) that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The construction of the canal, a landmark in the history the Americas and the world, had a tangible effect on the development of the Historic District and its surrounding area.
Criterion (ii): Panamá Viejo is an exceptional testimony of town planning of its period and culture. It exhibits an important interchange of human values since it bore great influence on subsequent developments in colonial Spanish town planning, even in areas vastly different in climate and setting. The Historic District's layout reflects the persistence and interchange of human values, which have been oriented towards interoceanic and intercontinental communications for several centuries at this strategic site on the Central American Isthmus.
Criterion (iv): In both Panamá Viejo and the Historic District, house and church types from the 16th to the 18th centuries represent a significant stage in the development of Spanish colonial society as a whole. Panamá Viejo is an exceptional example of the period's building technology and architecture. In the Historic District, surviving multiple-family houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries are original examples of how society reacted to new requirements, technological developments and influences brought about by post-colonial society and the building of the Panama Canal.
Criterion (vi): The ruins of Panamá Viejo are closely linked to the European discovery of the Pacific Ocean, the history of Spanish expansion in the Isthmus of Central America and in Andean South America, the African diaspora, the history of piracy and proxy war, the bullion lifeline to Europe, the spread of European culture in the region and the commerce network between the Americas and Europe. The Salón Bolívar is associated with Simón Bolívar´s visionary attempt in 1826 to establish a multinational congress in the Americas, preceding the Organization of American States and the United Nations.
The conditions of authenticity of both components of the Property —the Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and the Historic District of Panamá— have been maintained. Upon abandonment, the core area of Panamá Viejo was never rebuilt and retained its original street layout. No reconstructions of archaeological remains have been carried out and all conservation and intervention work amongst the ruins has been done in accordance with international standards. Within the boundaries of the protected heritage area there are a few modern structures, but these are clearly identified and differentiated from the archaeological remains.
The urban layout of the Historic District of Panama City may be considered to be entirely authentic, preserving its original form largely unchanged. The organically developed stock of buildings from the 18th to the 20th centuries has changed little over time. Most of the fabric of the buildings and fortifications, as well as the public spaces, is original. There is evidence that dressed stone and other building materials from the ruins of the Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo were quarried and recycled to help rebuild the relocated settlement and for the construction of buildings and fortifications of the Historic District, thus providing a measure of material continuity between the two components of the Property. In some well documented cases, such as La Merced, entire church facades were reconstructed on the new site.
The property has maintained the street layout, structural volumetry and the urban scale. Many streets retain the brick paving characteristic of the early years of the 20th century. Although a certain level of gentrification has taken place, the traditional use has been largely preserved, with a mixture of residential, commercial, institutional and religious activities coexisting with non-traditional touristic and entertainment uses. Since the modern habilitation of interior spaces in the buildings can potentially compromise the essence of the site by replacing traditional structural systems with modern structural materials, clear guidelines need to be enforced in the implementation of restoration and rehabilitation projects for historic buildings.
Both components of the Property meet the conditions of integrity. As a Pre-Columbian and Historic Archaeological Site with both historic ruins and stratified contexts, Panamá Viejo includes all the elements necessary to convey the Outstanding Universal Value for which this component was included as an extension of the Historic District and Salón Bolívar's original inscription. The size of the protected area is consistent with the distribution of the relevant physical attributes, constituting a coherent and clearly defined whole. In 2012, the Via Cincuentenario was relocated from the core area of the site, generating a new border that will contain growth from the neighbouring communities. With the implementation of zoning regulations (Ministry of Housing Zoning regulation 2006) and a National Law (2007), a land and marine buffer zone that regulates the development of the neighbouring communities and the waterfront has been established to control the erosion of its borders.
The Historic District maintains, within its boundaries and those of the locally-protected adjacent area, a sufficient representation of all the attributes that convey Outstanding Universal Value, particularly the urban layout, the dimension and distribution of ground plots, the remaining colonial fortifications and non-residential buildings of monumental value. A great variety of residential building typologies is also present. In almost all cases, the volumetry, rhythm of facade openings and long, open balconies have withstood the substantial number of architectural interventions that have taken place since the 1997 inscription, most of which have adapted the inner distributions of houses and open places within the plots to current requisites of privacy and safety.
Development and significant conservation challenges are the most critical aspect threatening the integrity of the Historic District. To address threats, the legislative and regulatory framework needs to be enforced and comprehensive interventions implemented to reverse lack of maintenance of historic buildings.
Protection and management requirements
The Property enjoys diverse legislative and regulatory measures to ensure its protection and conservation. The original delimitation and conservation regulations for the areas of heritage protection date back to 1976 (Law 91/1976). This law recognizes and legally defines national culture and heritage. It was complemented by the National Heritage Law of 1982 (Law 14/1982), which created the National Heritage Directorate as part of the National Institute of Culture and became the State entity responsible for the protection and management of Panamá Viejo and the Historic District. An Advisory Commission was also created by this law. The heritage law provides for administrative sanctions for destroying heritage assets; fines were increased five-fold by a 2003 law (Law 58/2003). Moreover, the Penal Code was modified in 2007 to include jail sanctions for the criminal destruction of heritage assets (Law 14/2007).
Each component of the property has been provided with a management framework responding to its particularities within Panama City's urban dynamics and the administrative realities of a centralized State. Whereas Panamá Viejo is an uninhabited public land archaeological park surrounded by unregulated working class settlements, the Historic District is a living city centre with a mixture of residential and institutional functions presenting social and conservation challenges associated to processes of re-occupation and use of private and public property.
The management role of the National Institute of Culture over protected historic sites has been complemented and reinforced by private-sector philanthropy and the technical and administrative resources of other State institutions. In the case of Panamá Viejo, the Patronato Panamá Viejo, a mixed private-public non-profit organization with a legal mandate to administer central government subsidies and raise its own funds, supports site maintenance, architectural conservation and research projects.
In the case of the Historic District of Panamá, a 1997 law (Decree-Law 9/1997) established specific guidelines for architectural interventions and expanded protection to an adjacent area. It also provided for a series of fiscal incentives for restoration projects and reinforced the role of the Advisory Commission to make the process of heritage project approvals more efficient and transparent. More detailed regulations were passed (Executive Decree 51/2004), with guidelines incorporating zoning and infrastructural aspects as well as providing a conservation handbook with specific recommendations for architectural interventions and new construction. The protection and management roles of the National Institute of Culture were complemented by the creation of a new inter-institutional public organization: the Oficina del Casco Antiguo (OCA), which produced a Master Plan and assumed the role of inter-institutional coordination. A buffer zone was established around the peninsula where the Historic District stands. Construction and occupation permits and the corresponding taxes remain the responsibility of elected municipal authorities, yet the approval of architectural plans and documents for projects located within the Historic District remains the exclusive responsibility of the National Heritage Directorate. The formulation, implementation and periodic review of a comprehensive Heritage Management Plan will be required to ensure that conservation and management of both component parts occurs within a coordinated scheme.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fidel is not the only Castro in Cuba, nor the only hard-liner; his brother Raúl has been the de facto ruler of the country for two years now. February elections elevated Raúl to the office of the presidency and other hard-liners to positions of greater power, muting expectations of rapid change. But Raúl has spoken publicly about the need for structural changes in Cuba, and is believed to favor more widespread economic reforms. His advanced age also suggests his rule will not be a long one, and a new generation of younger Cuban leaders may soon take on more responsibility.
Cuba is blessed with prodigious natural resources and a well-educated population, but is bedeviled by the same forces (including a brain drain of skilled professionals to other Western nations) that have brought low so many of its Caribbean neighbors. Should Cuba's internal security apparatus break down in the aftermath of any transfer of power from the Castros, Cuba and the United States could face an enormous wave of attempted immigration to the United States, straining American resources while further damaging Cuba's prospects for economic prosperity. Much as South Korea has done in preparation for the eventual fall of Pyongyang, so too must American politicians and diplomats work for a "soft landing" for Cuba in the coming years, helping its people make the transition from a socialist state to a market economy with a minimum of economic and political disruption.
A useful first step will be a measured easing of the American economic embargo, which has played just as much a role in the economic privation of Cuba as the most misbegotten of Castro's policies. It is also a relic of a bygone age, begun as a bulwark against socialist revolution but now little more than an expression of an irrational grudge. Worse, it has given Castro a raison d'être. Recent years have seen Canadian and European investment in the Cuban economy growing, while the vast resources of the Cuban-American community are not directed toward its own roots. Should the sitting president lift the embargo, there is no question that many Cuban-Americans would be outraged and express their dissatisfaction demonstrably. President Bush is in a unique position to make such a potentially unpopular choice, since his status as a lame duck gives him some freedom from traditional political pressures.
While it is important to recognize the legitimate grievances of Cuban exiles in Florida and elsewhere, the United States will need to make clear to any future Cuban government that the United States will not support efforts toward repatriation of land or economic assets and is willing to bury its historical grudges, much as we have done in recent years with the government of Vietnam.
The United States can also recognize the legitimate accomplishments of the Castro regime, including its achievements in education, health care and racial harmony. The Cuban people may seek capitalism's prosperity, but not at the expense of socialism's gains. Any careful transition to new economic structures should not repeat the mistakes the United States made in Russia and Eastern Europe after the cold war, endorsing an economic free-for-all but failing to support local social institutions. Changes in Cuba provide a chance for the United States to restore the international reputation so damaged by the war in Iraq. With Cuba, America can show that its seeming arrogance is matched by appropriate munificence.
John F. Kennedy, whose support for the failed Bay of Pigs invasion convinced Castro that the United States could not be trusted, nevertheless once spoke to the newly free nations of the world in words of particular pertinence now, promising that "one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny." Fidel Castro has long accused the United States of seeking to return Cuba to a colonial outpost of its imperialist ambitions. The actions we take toward Cuba in the next few years can be our chance to assuage similar reservations among the Cuban people.
Two scholars discuss "The Boys from Dolores: Fidel Castros Classmates from Revolution to Exile." Read "Debating the Boys from Dolores" I and II.


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About Crypto-currencies and Your Gravatar Profile
What is crypto-currency?
Crypto-currency is a new form of digital currency, the most popular being Bitcoin. A currency is held in what is referred to as a digital wallet and identified by the wallet address.
Read more about crypto-currency on Wikipedia.
How are crypto-currencies exchanged and managed?
Crypto-currencies are held in a "digital wallet," apps or online accounts that store your currency and allow you to send and receive it. Each wallet contains a set of unique addresses, a random string of characters like D8gGzLc8thi5isaxHBtRLyxaQiij6KsyF1
. You can obtain your crypto-currency address from the wallet software or service you use (e.g., Coinbase or DogeVault).
These addresses are needed to send and receive crypto-currency. If you want to send currency to or "tip" another person, you'll need their address. Anyone who'd like to send you currency will need your address.
Why share your crypto-currency address on Gravatar?
Since they are long strings of random characters, crypto-currency addresses are not as friendly to share as an e-mail address or username. On Gravatar, you can associate your address with your account, making it simple for people to see what currencies you use and find the associated addresses.
Gravatar supports the top three crypto-currencies, Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin.


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Cape Fear's "Seneca Guns"
Mysterious noises, often compared to rolling thunder or distant cannon fire, are frequently heard off the Cape Fear coast and the Myrtle Beach area. Although reported regularly at points up and down the Eastern Seaboard, Seneca guns seem particularly concentrated off the Carolina's.
To date, no satisfactory scientific explanation for the phenomenon has been found.
The name "Seneca Guns" seems to come from Seneca Lake in upstate New York, where the sounds are often heard. In 1850, James Fenimore Cooper (author of "Last of the Mohicans") wrote a story, "The Lake Gun," describing the phenomenon, which seems to have popularized the term. (An alternate explanation, linking "Seneca Guns" to an obscure Civil War battle in Seneca, Ga., seems dubious.)
The sounds are heard in coastal areas; observers insist they are never heard at sea. In 2005 and 2008, residents in Brunswick County reported they were loud enough to rattle windows and shake houses. In December 2001, a Seneca gun event prompted more than 100 calls to New Hanover County authorities. No serious damage, however, has ever been attributed to a Seneca gun.
Some Seneca gun events are attributed to military jets breaking the sound barrier, but the phenomenon has been reported in this area periodically since at least the 1850s, well before the air age. Southport historian Susie Carson insisted that the noises are most common in fall, although reports have been logged at all times of the year.
In 2005, Tyler Clark, chief geologist with the N.C. Geological Survey, guessed that the most likely cause for Seneca guns would be shallow earthquakes occurring offshore. The problem, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, is that many Seneca gun reports cannot be connected to quakes detected by seismographs. Seneca gun-like noises were reported,
however, in connection with the Charleston, S.C., earthquake of 1886.
Peter Malin, a seismologist formerly with Duke University, speculates that the "guns" are somehow atmospheric in origin; his experience suggests the vibrations come from above ground level, rather than below. In the summer of 2001, Malin installed a seismograph in a 1,300-foot bore hole near the Fort Fisher State Historic Site, in an effort to detect mini-quakes; the project was never properly funded, though, and Malin was never able to record any results.
The "guns" seem connected to similar phenomena heard in different parts of the world, such as the "Barisal guns" in parts of India and Bangladesh, the "uminari" of Japan and the "mistpouffers" on the coast of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Explanations as exotic as UFOs and the angry ghosts of Indians have been put forward.
The U.S. Geological Survey Web site rules out a few causes: Tidal waves (none reported in connection with Seneca guns), lightning (Seneca guns often occur during clear skies in fair weather), shifts in tectonic plates (the nearest plate boundaries to Southeastern North
Carolina are hundreds of miles away, in the mid-Atlantic and Caribbean), loud meteors called bolides (might explain some but not all of the guns), landslides off the continental shelf (none reported
during recorded history), sink holes forming (not enough limestone deposits in the area, although plenty of sink holes occur near Boiling Spring Lakes in Brunswick County), cold air
meeting warm Gulf Stream air (no explanation for how this could cause booming noises) or pockets of air, trapped underground being released (such seepage rarely makes a sound).
Several people have suggested that the noises may be caused by the release of bubbles of methane; deposits of methane clathrate hydrateare known to occur in the area. Again, however, methane seepage does not usually cause a noise, and it does not come up in large enough quantities to cause explosions.


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If you're looking from tips on how to pronounce the name of this week's drink, you're barking up the wrong tree. For one thing, my secretive communications with the dark forces that provide me with free booze and some very decent cocktails from time to time are all done via e-mail and gaelic doesn't happen to be one of my languages. (My languages include English and, of course, fluent Pig Latin.) I'm pretty sure, it's not pronounced "the faulty," however.
I do know that it was developed for Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, a brand which we've featured here before but of which you should not be ashamed to be ignorant. It had very limited distribution here in the States prior to be being picked up by the Jim Beam liquor monolith last year. Now, this brand is getting enough attention that even I'm hearing about it repeatedly and getting bottles thrown at me. The whiskey itself is a very decent choice, particularly for Irish whiskey fans who might be looking for reasonably priced alternatives to the two very well known — and admittedly very lovable — iconic Irish brands. I also appreciate the effort they're taking to making up more Irish whiskey cocktails.
Today's drink was actually created by Declan Byrne. Aside from having a very cool name that makes me think he might be actor Gabriel Byrne's cooler older brother, he's the President of the Irish Bartender's Association. I imagine that to be an extremely august body, similar to the Jewish Tsuris Purveyor's Guild. It's actually a pretty delightful drink, though we discovered one controversial element, which we'll deal with after the recipe below. Also, fáilte means "welcome," which is nice.
The Fáilte
2 ounces Irish whiskey (preferably Kilbeggan, naturally)
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 ounce amaretto liqueur
1/4 ounce cherry syrup
2-5 dashes chocolate bitters
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake as if possessed by a mad leprechaun. Or, if that's a bit too much, shaking vigorously will also do. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Sip and contemplate how very rarely chocolate and whiskey have been combined.
Which brings us to the interesting apparent disagreement regarding the Fáilte. I've actually altered the recipe above from Mr. Byrne's original to allow for somewhat less of the chocolate bitters for a very specific reason — I didn't really care for this drink when I went with the full five dashes. However, I liked it a lot when it cut the dashes down to 2, 3, or even 4. While I fully expected the combination of Irish whiskey and chocolate to be a case of two great things that go great together, for me, the flavor of the Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters I was using just dominated the drink in a way I didn't find at all pleasant.
Wondering if perhaps I was using the wrong type of chocolate bitters, I found that my source at Kilbeggan had actually used exactly the same brand as I and loved the result. Could our taste buds be so different? Maybe. Or maybe it was something to do with the fact that they were using Monin cherry syrup and Luxardo amaretto, while I was using Torani cherry syrup and Disaronno amaretto. These are all pretty standard brands; could the flavor be so different? Well, I'm too cheap/poorly paid to find out, so I resorted to cutting down a bit on the chocolate bitters and the result was pretty darn good. Might the five dashes be perfect with those different brands? Could the flavors be so different?
Readers are, of course, fáilte, to try out both combinations of brands and amounts of bitters for themselves, but I found what works for me.
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.


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Experts Claim There Is A Lost, Underground 'City' Beneath The Pyramids Of Giza
There is an incredible 'Lost' underground city located beneath the Pyramids of Giza, and despite the fact that only a few know about it today, it was extremely well documented in the past.
The mysterious Giza Plateau is even more mind-boggling once you realize the ancient city of Memphis (modern-day Giza) is filled with subterranean passageways, shafts, a cavern system and chambers which hold in their walls, thousands of years worth of history together with countless artifacts. However, Egyptian authorities are not willing to reveal what is found beneath Giza to the general public, like many other discoveries made throughout the years in Egypt.
There is a lost history completely ignored by mainstream scholars when it comes to the Ancient Egyptian Civilization and the enigmatic Pyramids which according to many predate the Egyptian Civilization itself. In order to comprehend to the full extent the partial pieces of history we have been taught in school, we must understand that countless discoveries on our planet have been completely ignored by mainstream scholars.
One of those discoveries took place in Egypt, where a massive subterranean tunnel system with chambers and rooms was discovered below the surface of the Pyramid Plateau. A genuine history of what happened beneath the sands thousands of years ago is not present in mainstream teachings of our civilizations past, and reflection of that are the countless discoveries made in the last decades which clearly indicate, history as we know it is only partial.
In order to understand the enigmatic underground 'city' located beneath the Giza Plateau, we venture out the Fayum Oasis district located a few miles outside the Memphis Nome. It is noteworthy to mention that in the past, Lake Moeris bordered the Fayum Oasis and just at its shores was the enigmatic Labyrinth described by Herodotus as "an endless wonder to me."
It is said that the mysterious 'Labyrinth' of impressive size, contained up to 1500 rooms and an equal amount of subterranean chambers which the Greek philosopher was not permitted to inspect. According to the keepers of the Labyrinth, "the passages were baffling and intricate", created in order to keep the countless ancient texts and scrolls safe in the many underground chambers.
In fact, this ancient complex impressed Herodotus in such a way that he felt compelled to speak about the mysterious structure:
There I saw twelve palaces regularly disposed, which had communication with each other, interspersed with terraces and arranged around twelve halls. It is hard to believe they are the work of man, The walls are covered with carved figures, and each court is exquisitely built of white marble and surrounded by a colonnade. Near the corner where the labyrinth ends, there is a pyramid, two hundred and forty feet in height, with great carved figures of animals on it and an underground passage by which it can be entered. I was told very credibly that underground chambers and passages connected this pyramid with the pyramids at Memphis.
In fact, ancient Memphis (Giza) has a humongous underground system that combines a set of intricate man-made passageways and subterranean rivers and tunnels. While these were described thousands of years ago, the gigantic underground cavities were mapped since 1978 using ground penetrating radar thanks to explorations led by Dr. Jim Hurtak, who is said to have entered massive chambers that are larger than the largest cathedrals ever erected by modern man.
However, in addition to the above, he also spoke of the gigantic underground metropolis located beneath the Giza Plateau said to be at least 15,000 years old.
Interestingly, there are numerous ancient authors who supported Herodotus' record of underground passages connecting major pyramids. It is important to mention that Iamblichus, also known as Iamblichus Chalcidensis, or Iamblichus of Apamea, a Syrian Neoplatonist philosopher recorded information about an entrance through the body of the Sphinx leading inside the Great Pyramid of Giza:
This entrance obstructed in our day by sands and rubbish, may still be traced between the forelegs of the crouched colossus. It was formerly closed by a bronze gate whose secret spring could be operated only by the Magi. It was guarded by public respect, and a sort of religious fear maintained its inviolability better than armed protection would have done. In the belly of the Sphinx were cut out galleries leading to the subterranean part of the Great Pyramid.
These galleries were so artfully crisscrossed along their course to the Pyramid that, in setting forth into the passage without a guide throughout this network, one increasingly and inevitably returned to the starting point.
Crantor (300BC) claimed that a set of underground pillars in Egypt contain written stone records of pre-history, Crantor too supported Herodotus' writings.
However, even more interesting is the fact that written on ancient Sumerian cylinder seals are the records of the Anunnaki and their secret abode, which was described as:
"an underground place… entered through a tunnel, its entrance hidden by sand and by what they call Huwana… his teeth as the teeth of a dragon, his face the face of a lion".
This extremely ancient texts, fragmented into several pieces also records that "He [Huwana] is unable to move forward, nor is he able to move back" but they crept up on him from behind, and the way to "the secret abode of the Anunnaki" was no longer blocked. (source)
The Ancient Sumerian texts surprisingly provided a relatively good description of the lion-headed Sphinx at Giza, a monument that surely predates the Ancient Egyptian civilizations and was set in place to guard the Pyramids and countless chambers and tunnels located beneath Giza.
However, we find more evidence of vast underground chambers in the writings of first-century Roman historian Pliny, who documented that located beneath the mighty Sphinx there is a concealed "tomb of a ruler named Harmakhis that contains great treasure." Surprisingly, the Great Sphinx was once called "The Great Sphinx Harmakhis who mounted guard since the time of the Followers of Horus."
Further proof supporting the existence of the subterranean vaults is documented by fourth-century Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus who documented the existence of passageways that lead to the interior of the Great Pyramid at Giza:
"Inscriptions which the ancients asserted were engraved on the walls of certain underground galleries and passages were constructed deep in the dark interior to preserve ancient wisdom from being lost in the flood."
More evidence is found in a manuscript documented by Arab writer Altelemsani and preserved in the British Museum. Altelemsani documented the existence of an extensive square underground chamber located below ground, between the Great Pyramid and the River Nile. Altelemsani wrote there was something enormous blocking the entrance from the River Nile.
Altelemsani wrote:
"…In the days of Ahmed Ben Touloun, a party entered the Great Pyramid through the tunnel and found in a side-chamber a goblet of a glass of rare color and texture. As they were leaving, they missed one of the party and, upon returning to seek him, he came out to them naked and laughing said, "Do not follow or seek for me", and then rushed back into the pyramid. His friends perceived that he was enchanted.
Upon learning about strange happenings under the Pyramid, Ahmed Ben Touloun expressed a desire to see the goblet of glass. During the examination, it was filled with water and weighed, then emptied and re-weighed. The historian wrote that it was "found to be of the same weight when empty as when full of water." (source)
Interestingly during the 10th century, a writer by the name of Masoudi claimed that advanced mechanical statues were guardians of the subterranean galleries located under the Great Pyramid of Giza. His description, one thousand years ago can be compared in significance to computerized robots seen today. According to Masoudi, these robots were programmed to destroy all "except those who by their conduct were worthy of admission".
He wrote: "…written accounts of Wisdom and acquirements in the different arts and sciences were hidden deep, that they might remain as records for the benefit of those who could afterward comprehend them…".
Masoudi confessed: "…I have seen things that one does not describe for fear of making people doubt one's intelligence… but still I have seen them…".
According to Herodotus, ancient Egyptian priests spoke of a long-held tradition of the creation of underground chambers by the original builders of ancient Memphis. Interestingly, these stories were confirmed when large cavities were discovered during a survey conducted at Giza in 1993.
Reports supporting the existence of vast chambers was documented by a newspaper report called "Mystery Tunnel in Sphinx":
"Workers repairing the ailing Sphinx have discovered an ancient passage leading deep into the body of the mysterious monument. The Giza Antiquities chief, Mr. Zahi Hawass, said there was no dispute the tunnel was very old. However, what is puzzling is: who built the passage? Why? Moreover, where does it lead…? Mr. Hawass said he had no plans to remove the stones blocking the entrance. The secret tunnel burrows into the northern side of the Sphinx, about halfway between the Sphinx's outstretched paws and its tail." (source)
In 1935, incredible stories emerged after a decade-long clearing project took place. An article published the same year by Hamilton M. Wright described the existence of the areas under Giza. This information, like many other discoveries, are still denied by Egyptian authorities despite extensive evidence proving their existence.
The article read: "…We have discovered a subway used by the ancient Egyptians of 5000 years ago. It passes beneath the causeway leading between the second Pyramid and the Sphinx. It provides a means of passing under the causeway from the Cheops Pyramid to the Pyramid of Chephren [Khephren]. From this subway, we have unearthed a series of shafts leading down more than 125 feet, with roomy courts and side chambers…". (source)
The existence of the extensive underground chambers az Giza is extremely well documented, even though a few people around the world know of its existence. Media reports in the 1930's described subterranean chambers and passageways located between the Temple of the 'Solar-men' located on the plateau and the temple of the Sphinx in the Giza Valley.
Located in the middle between the Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, four enormous vertical shafts, each approximately eight feet square, leading into inner chambers through solid limestone were also discovered.
"…It is called "Campbell's Tomb" on the Masonic and Rosicrucian plans, and "that shaft complex," said Dr. Selim Hassan, "ended in a spacious room, in the center of which was another shaft that descended to a roomy court flanked with seven side chambers…".
According to reports, inside of the secret rooms were huge, sealed sarcophagi of basalt and granite, 18 feet high.
In 1935, when Dr. Selim Hassan was exploring the area he wrote:
"…We are hoping to find some monuments of importance after clearing out this water. The total depth of these series of shafts is more than 40 meters or more than 125 feet… In the course of clearing the southern part of the subway, there was found a very fine head of a statue which is very expressive in every detail of the face…". (source)
In addition to the above, Dr. Selim Hassan also reported the discovery of three inner and outer courts and a room they called the 'Chapel of offerings,' cut into a massive rock outcrop found between Campbell's Tomb and the Great Pyramid. Reports indicate that at the center of the chapel are three ornate vertical pillars positioned in a triangular-shaped layout. The pillars are extremely important points in the report since their existence is believed to have been recorded in the Bible.
It is believed that Ezra, the initiated Torah writer had knowledge of the existence of the passages and large chambers beneath Giza even before he wrote the Torah.
Interestingly, reports of 'sophisticated moving machines' discovered at Giza, together with a previously unknown subterranean city are found in an article written by the Sunday Express of 7 July 1935.
However, despite extensive ancient texts documenting the existence of vast tunnels, chambers and passageways underneath Giza, Egyptian Authorities have long denied the existence of these, together with a number of other incredible discoveries in Egypt.
According to reports, the now 'inaccessible' underground city can be accessed from inside the Sphinx (but other parts as well), with stairs cut into solid rock, leading down to the cavern system below the bedrock of the river Nile. The huge, complex, underground system below the Giza Plateau extends east, leading towards Cairo.
In an article written in 1972 the following statement was made:
"No one should pay any attention to the preposterous claims in regard to the interior of the Great Pyramid or the presumed passageways and unexcavated temples and halls beneath the sand in the Pyramid district made by those who are as associated with the so-called, secret cults or mystery societies of Egypt and the Orient.
These things exist only in the minds of those who seek to attract the seekers for mystery, and the more we deny the existence of these things, the more the public is led to suspect that we are deliberately trying to hide that which constitutes one of the great secrets of Egypt. It is better for us to ignore all of these claims than merely deny them. All of our excavations in the territory of the Pyramid have failed to reveal any underground passageways or halls, temples, grottos , or anything of the kind except the one temple adjoining the Sphinx." (source)
Historical texts document the extensive amount of excavations made during the 20th century, incredible mindboggling discoveries that are kept away from society.
As we have mentioned in previous articles, there is a specific and strict pattern implemented in today's society where only certain information is released to the world, while most parts are kept locked away from prying eyes, almost as if there is a hidden level of censorship in operation, specifically designed to protect parts of the history belonging to mankind, a species with amnesia.
Atlantis: A Dane Maddock Adventure
Gaston Maspero, The Dawn of Civilization, 1901.


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Photo - Food Network |
Good Reviews:
- "Been a customer of Miss Lynns for years and have never gotten bad service or bad food. You get the same kind of service at ANY OTHER BBQ JOINT IN EAST TX. The whiners are haters and just want a business to fail."
- "Me and my husband had dinner at Bryan's Smokehouse...of course we was curious if and how the food had improved and we was pleasantly surprised with our meal..... Everyone was nice and made us feel very comfortable. The owner came over and talked to us and it was really comforting. I love the new look and feel. I wish them the best"
Bad Reviews:
- "We ordered at the drive thru, horrible service. The lady looked unclean that served us with slicked back bleached hair and dirty t shirt.. She did not know prices. We asked for an item and she said they were out and just stared at us....Oh the prices are too expensive for that low quality food and service."
- "I rarely got a drink refill and if I got a chance to order, I spoke quickly as I knew they might not come back to the table. I went a second time and the same problems were still there, except on the return visit I found the food had no seasoning."
- "Sorry Chef Robert, but this place still needs a lot of improvement. My guess is that they've backtracked quite a bit since his renovation. Although, the best decor in the world can't make up for bad food and bad service."
- "Not one customer there and no one wanted to wait on us, so we left. I have been looking forward to trying this place since the makeover, but probably will not go back :("
- "Very disappointed. Price was outrageous for 1 sandwich, tea and 1/4 cup coleslaw. Over 11 dollars. ???? I guess they have to pay for makeover. Not with my money ever again. Sorry, I know they have been here a long time but pay attention to your competition."
- "Well, we found out what 10k and an Englishman did for Bryan's today. Raised prices. Food is still cold. Service is still horrible. I do believe it's time to turn out the lights. This party is definitely over."
- "The service the night of the grand opening was pathetic over an hr wait for our food it was nasty and expensive. "
Other Stories:
From a Blog Review of the restaurant, the owner Lynn supposedly responded with a comment stating:
"You are sad person and taking those pics was a Big Big Mistake you will no what I mean soon enough lol hope your evil ways pay off for you lol Bryan's smokehouse is a great great place Christian ran ,locally owned, they feed the hungry and help family's who are in need , donate to everyone who's in need , put kids thru church Camps and help the kid that are sick so you being ugly will only hurt you in the end you sad person !!!' Learn to only speak good things for a change be happy not a sad mad jerk"
A few days ago (May 22nd), someone from Bryan's Smokehouse replied to a bad Urbanspoon Review with:
"Johnathan, my name is E.G. Mathews. I am truly sorry for your BAD EXPERIENCE as far as the "reservations" that was done for the first couple of days for the staff to get the feel and flow of the menu and store. I have taken over a month ago as General Manager and have brought in a knowledgeable and well trained staff I would like to invite you back in for Lunch on me so as to see this restaurant is not a so-called TURD, and we are returning Bryan's Smokehouse to it's glory days. Thank You, E.G. Mathews"
The reviews of Bryan's Smokehouse are overwhelmingly negative. They still seem to have problems with terrible service, bad food, and now high prices. They are definitely not taking advantage of trying to turn new customers into repeat customers with the way they seem to be treating them. Also, there is a lot of barbeque competition around there which people seem to prefer.
With a barbeque restaurant, I think decor doesn't play that much of a factor as people care more about the food than what the place looks like. Who knows if Robert knows how to barbeque with the best in Texas, but it is hard to change a barbeque process in 2 days, as it takes hours to make good barbeque.
It looks like they have hired a GM, who claims to have brought in a new staff. Who knows if that will help at all, but at least they are trying. This is going to be another restaurant that we will have to watch.
UPDATE 2/2014 - Bryan's Smokehouse has been sold. More information on the sale.
*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant Impossible Updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter


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LONDON – The Formula One test driver who lost her eye after crashing during a team exercise had more facial surgery on Friday and is no longer in critical condition.
Maria de Villota was on her first official test with the Marussia team on Tuesday when she hit the support truck in a straight-line exercise at an airfield in England.
De Villota had surgery late Tuesday and the follow-up procedure was planned if her condition remained stable.
"This morning the medical team were sufficiently happy with her progress to allow the operation to go ahead," Marussia said in a statement. "The surgeons successfully completed the next phase of surgery required to address Maria's facial injuries.
"After the lengthy initial procedure, which commenced on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday, today's secondary operation took significantly less time. Since the operation today, Maria's condition in relation to the head trauma she received has further improved, to the extent that she is now 'serious but stable.'"
The team believes this marks "significant progress" for the 32-year-old Spaniard.
The team noted she remains "acutely ill" but "she has been responding well to the treatment she has received since her accident."


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Cisco on Wednesday announced two products and a rich media capture platform to extend its contact center capabilities.
One product is SocialMiner, software that lets companies search the Web for relevant material. The other product is Cisco Finesse, a Web 2.0 collaboration desktop for customer care representatives.
Cisco's network-based rich media capture platform supports the recording, playback, live streaming and storage to capture, preserve and mine conversations for business intelligence.
"We've been in the contact center business for about a decade, and this is an extension of that business," John Hernandez, vice president and general manager of Cisco's customer collaboration business unit, told CRM Buyer.
Details of the Products
Cisco SocialMiner lets companies search for postings on the open Web about their products, services or areas of expertise. It also lets companies focus campaign searches by sifting through social contacts based on preconfigured campaign filters.
SocialMiner also lets companies route social contacts to the appropriate customer care representatives or company experts. Further, it provides metrics for social media customer care activities and campaign and team reports.
Cisco Finesse combines traditional contact center functions with Cisco's Quad enterprise social software. The architecture lets businesses integrate collaboration technology and business apps to give contact center agents more flexibility and access to a wider range of knowledge when dealing with customers.
"Think of Quad as Facebook for the enterprise," Hernandez said. "We're extending that capability for consumers to interact with companies."
Will Finesse's leveraging Web 2.0 architecture expose the enterprise to security breaches?
"We've purchased a variety of companies over the years — security companies, policy management vendors — and their engines are inherently a part of the Quad solution," Hernandez pointed out.
When it's released in early December, the media capture platform will be able to capture both sides of the conversation between a customer and an employee, Hernandez said. It will also be able to capture full-motion video. In spring, Cisco will add desktop capture and merge all the input from these various channels into a single record.
Why Unity Is Strength
"We've unified our various technologies around a collaboration center and added in social media so consumers can interact with companies," Hernandez said.
"We saw that corporate customers had two or three or 10 or 20 people in a back room searching to find out what was happening on the open Web that related to their company. Some CRM players then came out with operational models but didn't have an engagement model," he added.
Cisco's offerings let businesses search social networks on the open Web; prioritize the results according to what they're searching for; summarize the results through a dashboard; and, through an algorithm, assign the results to the appropriate person to deal with. Only publicly posted information will be searched, Hernandez said.
"It's not just finding information out there, but putting that information into an operational model that exists in the contact center and extending that model through marketing and sales," Hernandez explained.
Salesforce.com, one of the major players in the CRM space, has offered social site monitoring tools for a while, Denis Pombriant, principal at Beagle Research, told CRM Buyer. "Salesforce has some nice functionality in the service cloud that monitor social sites and identify issues," he elaborated. "It's a blend of customers helping customers, a knowledge base, and vendor employees helping customers."
Cisco appears to be leveraging a trend.
"Social media embedded into business applications and business processes is the hot idea these days, and many vendors want a part of it," Pombriant remarked. "I think the majority of vendors are at the 1.0 level, but some have thought through the business processes better than others and they have an edge."
Monitoring social media is seen by businesses as an important aspect of marketing and publicity. Many are hiring senior executives to monitor public postings on social media sites.
One such firm is Sony Corporation of America, which is seeking a director of social media communications to monitor, analyze and regularly engage in social media with respect to corporate issues initiatives in the United States.


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Rogue Software Programs Pose Security Threat
NEW DELHI: 'Spiderman','Chinaking'...These are not Hollywood blockbusters. Rather they are two software programs related to celluar technology that are giving a headache to central security agencies.
The IMEI number is a 15-digit unique number of every mobile handset and comes handy for security agencies in the event of cellular technology being used for any terror or criminal activity.
A case in this regard being handled by Madhya Pradesh Police rang alarm bell for the security agencies as they did not find any relevant law to handle those indulging in such crimes of changing the IMEI numbers and had approached the Department of Telecom for advice, official sources said today.
The DoT supported the decision of the MP Police in which it had slapped Sec 65 of Information Technology Act.
"Whoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroy, or alter any computer source code used for a computer, computer programme, computer system or computer network, when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the time being in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both," the Act says.
The government has already asked telecom operators not to register any mobile which has an incomplete IMEI number and even the Commerce and Industries Ministry has imposed a ban on any import of mobile handsets with such a defect.
The Union Home Ministry has asked the DoT to look for ways to block the softwares but the Telecom department expressed its inability to do so as the names kept changing as well as the domain thereby posing problems for the internet service providers to block them.


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Senate blocks Trump's ability to make recess appointments
The Senate left for its August break on Thursday, but it won't technically be in recess. And that will stop President Donald Trump from filling executive branch spots without senators' OK.
Posted — UpdatedThe Senate left for its August break on Thursday, but it won't technically be in recess. And that will stop President Donald Trump from filling executive branch spots without senators' OK.
Using a procedural tool often invoked by senators in the past, the Senate has set up a series pro forma sessions. Essentially, they'll gavel into session every few days -- perhaps even for just minutes at a time -- through Labor Day to keep the lights on.
Concerns arose last month that the President might attempt to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and appoint a replacement of his choosing while the upper chamber was out during the August recess.
The new attorney general would then be in charge of federal investigations into the 2016 presidential election and would have the power to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
"If that comes to pass, we will have a constitutional crisis on our hands. The Senate should remove even the possibility of it coming about," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday, while making the case for pro forma sessions. Democrats would have been able to filibuster a motion to adjourn, helping push the pro forma session arrangement.
Tensions appear to have eased, at least publicly, between Trump and Sessions. The President hasn't been making disparaging comments about his attorney general in recent days, and Sessions has seen wide support from members of Congress.
Still, the Senate went into a pro forma -- it's a Latin term meaning "as a matter of form" -- session anyway, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, presiding Thursday afternoon when the announcement was made.
The maneuver was used when George W. Bush was President and Democrat Harry Reid was the Senate majority leader, then continued under President Barack Obama.
The strategy, however, hasn't always prevented presidents from still trying to make appointments. In 2012, Obama made appointments to the National Labor Relations Board despite the Senate being in a pro forma session. The White House at the time labeled the pro forma sessions as "gimmicks" and insisted that the Constitution gave the president powers to make temporary recess appointments despite congressional moves.
Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Obama's three recess appointments to the NLRB were unconstitutional.
The whole Senate is scheduled to return to a normal session on Tuesday, September 5.
Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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This is the time of year when wild animals give birth to their young and Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks that you not approach, touch or handle young animals.
"We know that people are trying to be helpful, but the young animals are best cared for by their own parents," said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "The best thing people can do is to leave young wildlife alone."
During spring and early summer, people often see young animals that appear to be alone in the forest, in backyards, on or near trails or along the sides of roads.
"The animals have not been abandoned. Young animals are often left alone to allow the mother to feed, to help them avoid predators and to learn how to live in the wild," DelPiccolo explained.
Deer provide a good example of how wildlife adapt behaviors to help them survive. Young fawns have no scent and are born with speckled coats that provide a natural camouflage. These two factors help them avoid being found by predators. When the mother doe senses a predator might be close by it moves away. Many other animals use similar survival techniques.
Elk and moose calves are also left alone by their mothers. If you see one, move away quickly. Do not move closer or attempt to get the animal to move.
A disturbing situation occurred in Vail earlier this week when a moose calf was apparently chased by children into a hotel lobby where it collapsed. The animal was picked up by a wildlife officer and is now at a CPW facility in Fort Collins.
Young birds often fall out of their nests or are pushed out of nests by parents to encourage them to fly.
"If a young bird is on the ground it will quickly learn to fly. So let nature take its course," DelPiccolo said.
If you see a bird on a hiking trail and you think it might be stepped on accidentally or easily found by a dog, you can pick it up and move it a short distance to cover.
People also need to keep their pets under control. In the woods, dogs acting on their natural instincts can find animals and attack them. The stress of being attacked often is fatal for young animals.
In neighborhoods and backyards cats are adept at finding eggs and young birds. Cats are pets – but they're also predators.
"Many studies show that cats are damaging the songbird population. Please, don't let your cat roam free," DelPiccolo said.
Cat owners who are concerned about songbirds will place a small bell on the cat's collar and the sound will alert small animals.
Food should never be given to wildlife. There is plenty of natural food available for wild animals. Providing food causes animals to bunch up in small areas and that makes them vulnerable to diseases and predators. If they're provided food they also become habituated to humans and will stay in residential areas instead of natural lands.
People also need to understand that not all newborn animals will survive.
"In the case of all wildlife, we have to understand that mortality is part of the natural cycle," DelPiccolo said.
If you see a young animal, admire its beauty from a distance, and then move on quietly. CPW encourages parents to explain to their children not to disturb wildlife.
For more information about Colorado Parks and Wildlife, see cpw.state.co.us.
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7 dead when NJ-bound plane crashes in MA
(AP) -- Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was killed along with six other people in a fiery plane crash in Massachusetts, his business partner said Sunday.
Harold H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest confirmed Katz's death to The Associated Press, saying he was informed by their lawyer, Richard Sprague. The pair bought out their partners last week with an $88 million bid for the company, which also operates the Philadelphia Daily News and the news website Philly.com.
The Gulfstream IV crashed as it was leaving Hanscom Field at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday for Atlantic City, New Jersey. There were no survivors.
The identities of the other victims weren't immediately released. Nancy Phillips, Katz's longtime companion and city editor at the Inquirer, was not on board.
Officials gave no information on the cause of the crash. They said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
When bidding on the company, Katz and Lenfest vowed to fund in-depth journalism to return the Inquirer to its former glory and to retain its editor, Bill Marimow.
"It's going to be a lot of hard work. We're not kidding ourselves. It's going to be an enormous undertaking," Katz said then, noting that advertising and circulation revenues had fallen for years. "Hopefully, (the Inquirer) will get fatter."
Katz, who grew up in Camden, New Jersey, made his fortune investing in the Kinney Parking empire and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in New York. He once owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils and was a major donor to Temple University, his alma mater.
The fight over the future of the city's two major newspapers was sparked last year by a decision to fire the Inquirer's Pulitzer Prize-winning editor. Katz and Lenfest wanted a judge to block the firing. Katz sued a fellow owner, powerful Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, saying his ownership rights had been trampled. The dispute culminated last week when Katz and Lenfest, a former cable magnate-turned-philanthropist, bought out their partners.
Lenfest said Sunday that the deal to buy out the company will be delayed but will proceed.
Three previous owners of the company, including Norcross, said in a joint statement that they were deeply saddened to hear of Katz's death.
"Lew's long-standing commitment to the community and record of strong philanthropy across the region, particularly Camden where he was born and raised, will ensure that his legacy will live on," they said.
When the crash occurred, nearby residents saw a fireball and felt the blast shake their homes.
Jeff Patterson told The Boston Globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet high and suspected the worst.
"I heard a big boom, and I thought at the time that someone was trying to break into my house because it shook it," said Patterson's son, 14-year-old Jared Patterson. "I thought someone was like banging on the door trying to get in."
The air field, which serves the public, was closed after the crash. Responders were still on the scene Sunday morning.
Hanscom Field is about 20 miles northwest of Boston. The regional airport serves mostly corporate aviation, private pilots and commuter air services.
Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi in Bedford, Massachusetts, contributed to this report.


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Lindsay Lohan didn't wuss out for her Playboy shoot -- TMZ has learned, the actress will BARE ALL in her upcoming spread ... i.e. the holy trifecta ... or as one source close to Playboy put it, "boobs, ass, and vag."
As we previously reported, Lindsay recently locked down a nearly-million-dollar deal with PB for a full pictorial -- and yesterday, she finally wrapped her 4-day shoot.
Reports circulated Lindsay would pull one of those lame semi-nude fiascos -- all sideboob, no fun -- but sources close to Hef & co. tell us, that is NOT the case. Lindsay did insist the photos be "tastefully done," but we're told she's still going the full monty.
It's unclear when Lindsay will grace the cover -- but it could be the life-giving jolt Playboy needs for a comeback.


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Gen Con LLC produces the largest and longest-running gaming convention in North America. Powering this annual event is a unique technology platform that supports registration and event planning for tens of thousands of attendees, event hosts and vendors, and online and on-site operations tools for hundreds of staff and organizers.
The Gen Con platform engineering team owns the development, maintenance, and commercialization of this system and seeks a Web / Mobile App Developer to help ensure it delivers a premier experience for all stakeholders. You'll join an existing Seattle-based team that is as passionate about software development as they are about gaming and serving the gaming community.
Gen Con's corporate office resides in the beautiful Leschi neighborhood of Seattle, located on the shores of Lake Washington. Employment also includes annual attendance to the Gen Con convention in Indianapolis.
Company benefits include:
Gen Con does not offer relocation assistance or sponsor visas at this time. All submitted resumes must be accompanied by a cover letter.
Send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Applicants only, please. No recruiters or agencies.


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The Internet: a puppy mill's best friend
Oct. 2010
Imagine… you're searching online for a new puppy and you stumble onto a web site that appears to have just the one you've been looking for. According to the site, the pup is vaccinated, in good health, and has his official papers. There are even photos: in one, the puppy is scampering through a field of daisies; in another, he's curled up by the fireplace in a comfy little bed.
Now imagine that everything you've just seen and read is a lie.
The truth is, the vast majority of puppies bought and sold online come from puppy mills, which have recently been fully exposed for the gruesome and inhumane business ventures they are. In the last year, national animal welfare groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), have conducted undercover investigations and spearheaded high-profile busts of these operations, revealing the cruelty and suffering puppy mill dogs are forced to endure. And on March 29, Oprah Winfrey devoted an entire show to puppy mills, putting the tragedy indelibly on the national radar.
Thanks to the recent exposes, you probably know that puppy mill dogs receive little or no medical care, even when they're clearly sick or in pain. The animals are kept in tiny wire crates, stacked on top of each other several stories high. There's barely room to stand, let alone turn around, and urine and feces leak through the mesh flooring to the crates below. The dogs live year round in warehouses with no heating or cooling, even though temperatures can reach below zero in the winter and over a hundred degrees in the summer.
On the Internet, deception is easy
What you may not have heard, however, is that puppies sold online usually come from such places. A new term has even been coined to describe the phenomenon: puppy e-mills. Because the Internet allows for relative anonymity and provides wide exposure to anyone who seeks it, breeders and puppy mill operators can present a picture very different from the one that actually exists.
Mass breeders may say they house the dogs in their own home and post photos to "prove" these claims. In fact, they commonly set up fake web sites to purposely mislead potential buyers. "In general, the Internet makes it very hard to know who and what you're dealing with," says Karlin Lillington, who runs cavaliertalk.com, a website for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels enthusiasts. "Remember the famous cartoon, 'on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog'? Well, no one knows where that dog really comes from either."
Even when a site features pictures of adorable pups running through a meadow or curled up on a couch in someone's living room, the truth can be much more harrowing. Bob Baker, Investigator for the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) emphasizes that the only way to be sure your new puppy isn't a product of cruel and inhumane conditions is to see for yourself where he lives. Even if a breeder says all the right things online, some go to great lengths to ensure that the true nature of their business is not exposed.
"One man in Philadelphia spent $40,000 on a fence to block the view to his operation. He'd rather spend the money there than invest in what it takes to breed and care for animals responsibly," Baker says. Which raises the question: Does one guy breeding dogs in his backyard qualify as a puppy mill?
Puppy mills defined
People tend to think of puppy mills as places where hundreds of puppies are born, kept in filthy conditions, and then shipped out to the first available buyer. And often, that's the case. But whether a particular property is home to a few litters, or a few dozen litters, is a moot question. A puppy mill is any situation where the breeder cares more about the profit than the pup. "Good breeders are most concerned with finding loving, secure homes for their puppies, not how much money they will make," says Daisy Okas, Spokesperson for the American Kennel Club (AKC). While not all are disreputable, the vast majority of breeders who advertise online do not have the puppies' or their adult breeding dogs' best interest in mind.
Okas adds, "Breeders will ask questions about your lifestyle so that they can make a good match
between one of their puppies and your family and will be able to provide insight into the pup's personality so that the most suitable situation will result for both dog and owner."
Think before you ship
A little investigating can provide more than enough information. Megan Lee, a copywriter from Pleasanton, California, says that when she was looking for a Yorkie pup, she emailed several breeders she found online. Despite claims of being raised in the home with loving care, two sellers offered to ship her their pups at seven weeks of age, a serious red flag. According to Baker, even shipping a pup a week later, at eight weeks of age, is not a good idea. "Immune systems aren't developed by then and all kinds of health issues could arise."
In fact, the idea of shipping dogs of any age is controversial. The experience can be traumatizing for older dogs, and for puppies, it can leave lasting scars. Baker warns that anyone who is willing to ship a puppy on the basis of a valid credit card, without having met the family, does not qualify as a reputable breeder. "The breeder should be screening you harder than you're screening them," he says.
Reject puppies sold here
The Internet also happens to make a great dumping ground for dogs. In fact when breeders are left with "reject" puppies that mass brokers or pet stores won't buy, usually due to health or form problems, the dogs are sold online. "Online puppies may come in slightly cheaper but buyers frequently end up with huge vet bills or paying in heartache when they end up with a sickly, poorly bred pup," says Lillington.
While there are laws in place to govern the practice ofbuying and selling animals, they're often not a high priority and can be difficult to enforce, especially when breeders are shipping across state lines. In most cities across the U.S., municipal resources are stretched thin, and busting a puppy mill can be very expensive, both in prosecuting the offender and providing care for all the animals.
"Local shelters can barely cope logistically or financially when a few dozen, much less hundreds of breeding dogs and puppies, many of them sickly and all needing vet evaluation, arriving at once," Lillington says.
The bottom line is that if you're purchasing online, it's impossible to know whether you're dealing with a reputable breeder. "The internet is a great resource if you're looking for information about dogs, but it's not a good place to order a dog," says Baker. He recommends that anyone set on a particular breed first check their local shelter and then a local rescue." At HSUS, we're seeing more and more complaints about unhealthy puppies from people purchasing online, whereas it used to be almost all pet stores."


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No Brainers: Borderlands 2, DLC
Borderlands 2 is probably going to happen, if comments made in this interview are to be believed. Mike Neumann told the award-looting VG247.com that "Everyone here loves the franchise, and it seems like the public is really coming back with praise and love. So yeah, if everything makes sense, Borderlands 2 seems like a no-brainer to me."
The downloadable content, Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, will reportedly cost $10 and is out on the 24th of November (not clear if that's for the PC). Still no patch addressing voice and connection issues though, eh? Or did I miss that? Anyway, what do you want to see in a sequel?


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Iphone X demand will be substantial, but not exceptional: survey
Days before Apple Inc's
Heightened anticipation around the 10th anniversary iPhone, which opens for preorders on Oct. 27 and begins shipping from Nov. 3, has already dented demand for the just-launched iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
Apple shares fell last week after reports of iPhone X production delays and weak sales of iPhone 8 models.
"The excitement surrounding the iPhone X appears to be magnitudes higher than actual purchase intent – 48 percent of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that they were 'excited for the iPhone X,'" Bernstein said, citing a survey of 1,112 iPhone owners in the United States, UK and China.
Apple launched iPhone 8 and 8 Plus last month amid muted reception as fans awaited the iPhone X, and a survey by broker KeyBanc Capital Markets had pointed out that older iPhone 7 models outsold iPhone 8.
While it was doubtful how many iPhone users will upgrade to the $999 iPhone X, an overwhelming majority will still choose an Apple device, according to the survey.
"Consumer loyalty to iPhone remains remarkably strong, despite persistent complaints about high prices and worries about declining innovation, with only 3 percent of respondents stating that their next phone would *not* be an iPhone," Bernstein said.
Apple shares were up 0.5 percent at $157 Monday afternoon.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)