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- HIVMA Develops Qualifications for HIV Specialists
- To Combat the Wily HIV, Newer and Safer Drugs are Necessary
- Interneuron Says Gel to Be Tested Against HIV
- Roche AIDS Eye Drug Backed by U.S. Advisory Panel
- Merck Starts Human Trials of AIDS Vaccine
- GlaxoSmithKline AIDS Drugs Show Promise
- Glaxo Cuts Price of HIV Medicine
- AIDS Pill Lowers HIV Levels in Clinical Trials
- Bugs Keep HIV at Bay
- Study: HAART Less Costly Than Treatment for AIDS
- Virologic and Immunologic Consequences of Discontinued Combination Antiretroviral Drug Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients With Detectable Viremia
- AIDS Drug Mix Tied to Disfigurement
- AIDS Drugs Help Even When Virus Resistant -- Study
- Many HIV Patients Report Use of Alternative Meds
- Health Care: Abbott Recalls One Lot of HIV-Testing Kits
- Fear of Disclosure and Popular Stigmas Contribute to Bad Outcomes
- [Pennsylvania] Health Dept. Proposes HIV Disclosure
- Suspect's HIV-Status Privacy Upheld
- D.C. Flier on AIDS Cites Bible
- Study Shows Injection Drug Users at Needle Exchange Program Share Few Syringes -- and Those Who Do, Share With Friends
- HIV-Infected Nurse Wants Safer Needles
- Activists Decry Response to Black AIDS Toll
- Undeterred by a Monster; Secrecy and Stigma Keep AIDS Risk High for Gay Black Men
- [Florida] County's New AIDS Cases Rank 5th in U.S. Metro Areas
- Lamivudine Accumulates in Amniotic Fluid
- Protein in Placentas Said to Block AIDS
- Bush to Keep Intact Clinton AIDS Policy Despite Criticism by Some Drug Firms
- Federal AIDS Treatment Money Will Go for HIV Prevention
- UCLA Study Shows AIDS-Intervention Programs Curb Risky Sex and Drug Use by HIV-Positive Youth
- Oxfam Joins Campaign to Cut Drug Prices for Poor Nations
- Annan Urges More Spending to Stem AIDS
- In India and Africa, Women's Low Status Worsens Their Risk of AIDS
- China Admits Having More Than 22,000 HIV Cases
- HIV Virus Infects Vietnamese Prostitutes
- South African AIDS Campaign Targets Pre-Teen Sex
- AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour in Russia: Results of a Population-Based, Random-Digit Telephone Survey in St. Petersburg
- Brazil's Unconventional AIDS Fight
- HIV-Related Viruses Still Cross Species
- Money's Not the Only Problem; Fears and Leadership Flaws Hinder the Search for AIDS Vaccine
HIVMA Develops Qualifications for HIV Specialists. The Infectious Disease Society of America's HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) has unveiled new requirements for doctors who want to become qualified as HIV specialists. The group has presented its proposal to officials in California, where an amendment to state law gives HIV-infected individuals the right to be treated by physicians qualified in the treatment of HIV. According to HIVMA Chair Dr. William Powderly, HIVMA is recommending that any credentialing process for HIV specialists focus on a combination of patient experience and ongoing education and training in HIV care, especially with antiretroviral drugs.
To Combat the Wily HIV, Newer and Safer Drugs are Necessary. Despite the development of at least 15 anti-HIV drugs since the mid-1980s, more and better medications are needed to effectively reduce the number of infections and deaths from AIDS. Current HIV patients continually fight the odds of viral resistance to the drugs, while treatment programs that do work may have to be taken for a lifetime which could be as long as 50 years or more for a young patient. Experts did not predict the majority of the toxicities currently plaguing the anti-HIV drug therapies today, nor do they completely understand why the resistances develop. There are dozens more drugs currently in the experimental and testing stages, but it is not known when or if the FDA will ever license a 16th drug. Even with all the obstacles they have encountered, researchers remain optimistic that new classes of drugs, along with immunologic therapies and other techniques, will ultimately eradicate HIV for good.
Interneuron Says Gel to Be Tested Against HIV. Interneuron Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday, February 28, that it would conduct tests of its PRO 2000 vaginal gel in four countries that have high rates of HIV infection. The tests -- intended to assess the gel's efficacy against HIV -- will be conducted in Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, and India. The Phase II/III study will be run by the National Institute of Health's HIV Prevention Trials Network later this year.
Roche AIDS Eye Drug Backed by U.S. Advisory Panel. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee unanimously voted in favor of Hoffmann-La Roche's new drug to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients. The drug, valganciclovir, is an oral formulation of Roche's intravenous CMV drug, ganciclovir. The FDA advisors recommended approval of the new drug based on tests showing its efficacy in the early stages of the disease; however, the panel did question valganciclovir's effectiveness over the long-term for the treatment of CMV retinitis in AIDS patients.
Merck Starts Human Trials of AIDS Vaccine. Although this certainly will not be the first AIDS vaccine to enter human trials, Merck's testing of a new vaccine appears promising. Dr. David Baltimore, the chair of the National Institute of Health's AIDS Vaccine Advisory Committee, suggested that members of the panel -- which heard details of the vaccine's progress during a closed-door session last month -- "were excited" about the prospects. Merck will combine the vaccine with one it had tested earlier in a new trial for healthy, uninfected patients to check the products' safety, a step in a long process that has impressed researchers because of the thoroughness with which Merck has performed its research to date. Details of animal trials have yet to be revealed, and while panelists who approved the human trials may not reveal any specific information about Merck's testing, they claim the data are impressive and the greater scientific community at large will learn of the vaccine at a forum in Colorado in April. While Merck chief of vaccine research Emilio Emini notes pointedly that the vaccine "might fail," the drug worked well in monkey trials, according to those close to the investigation, and will enter tests in HIV-positive patients in four months, if the present step is successful.
GlaxoSmithKline AIDS Drugs Show Promise. An AIDS vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline has been shown to stave off the disease in monkeys for over a year. Human Phase I clinical tests are expected to start later this year. If the product proves successful in human testing, Glaxo may combine the vaccine with a cocktail of its existing AIDS drugs. Merck, VaxGen, Aventis, and Chiron are among the other companies that have tested or are testing HIV vaccines.
Glaxo Cuts Price of HIV Medicine. Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced Wednesday, February 21, that it would reduce the prices of antiretroviral drugs by 90 percent to non-governmental organizations and employers that can efficiently distribute them in developing nations. GSK's chief executive officer, Jean-Pierre Garnier, noted that more must be done to help HIV patients in the developing world; however, he noted that patents are not the problem. "Even in countries where low-cost generics could be available, they aren't," he said. Garnier said the governments of Senegal, Rwanda, and Uganda have already accepted a previous drug-discount officer, while 31 others have expressed interest.
AIDS Pill Lowers HIV Levels in Clinical Trials. Gilead Sciences, a biotech firm in Foster City, Calif., reported that early results of a Phase III test of its once-a-day HIV drug, tenofovir DF, showed a significant drop in HIV levels in the bloodstreams of AIDS patients who were developing resistance to existing drugs. The study involved 552 AIDS patients who were divided into two groups: one that received tenofovir in addition to the standard AIDS drug cocktail, and another that was given the AIDS drug cocktail and a placebo. Gilead reported Tuesday, February 20, that halfway in to the 48-week study, patients in the tenofovir group saw an average 75 percent decrease in HIV levels, while the HIV levels of the patients in the placebo group remained essentially flat.
Bugs Keep HIV at Bay. Two new HIV vaccine compounds, nicknamed "Trojan horse" vaccines, consist of manipulated versions of live bacteria from other diseases. The vaccines are being developed and researched by David Hone and colleagues at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore and also by Yvonne Paterson and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in Philadelphia. Hone's vaccine is based on a weakened strain of Salmonella typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. Animal tests have conclusively demonstrated its effectiveness in protecting the mucosal surfaces in the rectum, vagina, and cervix. Hone hopes to begin clinical testing in Nigeria and Uganda later this year. Paterson's compound, meanwhile, is based on a weakened strain of Listeria moncytogenes. The vaccine has tested effectively on mice, and Paterson hopes to begin testing on monkeys soon.
Study: HAART Less Costly Than Treatment for AIDS. Caro Research, a health care consulting firm in Concord, Massachusetts, has studied and compared the costs of healthcare for persons with HIV/AIDS and found that it is significantly less expensive to maintain a program of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for a person with HIV, than it is to care for a person with AIDS. Judith O'Brien, senior researcher with Caro, says the important point is that HAART will always remain expensive, but the cost must be looked at from the larger context of treating HIV-positive persons in order to prevent them from progressing to AIDS. The study found that of 13,100 hospital discharges of HIV patients and 49,000 AIDS patients, the average annual cost per HIV patient without AIDS was $17,600, compared to $24,900 for individuals with AIDS. Between 1995 and 1998, the number of reported AIDS cases in Massachusetts increased 78 percent, while the rate of hospitalization dropped from 85 percent to 31 percent.
Virologic and Immunologic Consequences of Discontinued Combination Antiretroviral Drug Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients With Detectable Viremia. Researchers evaluated 23 HIV patients in an effort to determine the effect of discontinued HIV-drug therapy in patients taking antiretroviral drugs. Sixteen patients who had plasma HIV RNA Levels greater than 2,500 copies per milliliter while taking the combination drug treatments were chosen to participate in the randomized portion of the study. Eleven of the patients were selected to cease drug therapy, and five patients stayed on the drugs. The remaining seven patients non-randomized portion of the study were also taken off drug therapy. Therapy was discontinued for a period of 12 weeks, during which time plasma HIV RNA levels, CD4 cell counts and drug susceptibility was noted and recorded. Baseline measurements were taken of viral replicative capacities at the beginning of the study and again at the end. The researchers concluded that antiretroviral drug therapy remains a benefit for patients with persistent viremia, reflecting an association between continued therapy and maintaining a lower viral replication rate. The long-term implications of the findings are as yet undetermined, and the authors recommend continued therapy with combination drugs containing protease inhibitors for patients with limited therapeutic options.
AIDS Drug Mix Tied to Disfigurement. A new study suggests that extended use of AIDS drug cocktails, not a single drug, is likely the reason why some AIDS patients developed lipodystrophy. The condition causes pot bellies and fat deposits on the upper back. According to the researchers, who studied nearly 500 HIV patients between 1996 and 1999, lipodystrophy increases with age and use of AIDS drug cocktails. "Our study suggests that the risk of lipodystrophy is mainly related to the total exposure" to the combination drug therapy and "only to a lesser degree to specific antiretroviral drugs," said Dr. Esteban Martinez, who conducted the research with his colleagues at the Infectious Disease Unit at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona. The findings are published in the journal The Lancet (2001; 357:592-598).
AIDS Drugs Help Even When Virus Resistant -- Study. A study of 16 male volunteers infected with drug-resistant HIV investigated the effects of stopping treatment in ten of the patients for 12 weeks. The researchers found that when treatment was discontinued, the amount of HIV in the blood increased faster, proving that the drugs -- despite the resistance -- helped to keep virus levels lower. It was also discovered that the number of disease-fighting CD4 cells declined more rapidly in the group for whom medication was discontinued. The researchers, who report their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine (2001; 344: 472-480), suggest that these findings mean that when drug therapy is interrupted, non-resistant virus particles spark into action, grow more rapidly, and kill more immune cells than the drug-resistant particles.
Many HIV Patients Report Use of Alternative Meds. A new study into the insight of patients' perception of their illness and medication regimen found that many HIV-positive individuals take alternative therapies in addition to their prescribed HIV medications. Alternative therapies micro-nutrients, vitamins, herbal supplements, teas, massage, protein supplements, and anabolic steroids. According to the study, almost 60 percent of the patients who said they used alternative medicines said they had informed their doctors about the therapies, although the data was not generally recorded in the patient's chart; the patients were more likely to tell their physicians only about their use of anabolic steroids or protein supplements. Because of the possible toxicity or negative interactions, the researchers advise patients to inform their physicians of all alternative medicines they are using.
Health Care: Abbott Recalls One Lot of HIV-Testing Kits. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Abbott Laboratories has recalled one lot of its HIV-testing kits, in part because a manufacturing problem could affect the results of the tests. According to the FDA, an incorrect amount of liquid reagent was used in the tests, so the tests could fail to show whether a person is infected with HIV.
Fear of Disclosure and Popular Stigmas Contribute to Bad Outcomes. Some recent surveys demonstrate the very real stigma and misinformation associated with the causes and transmission of HIV. In one study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 18.7 percent of 5,671 people surveyed believed that, "People who got AIDS through sex or drug use have gotten what they deserve." The same survey found that at least one of every four persons who stigmatized HIV and some 40 percent of all the survey participants believed that HIV could be transmitted by sharing a drink with an infected person, or by someone coughing or sneezing. The stigmatizing responses were more prevalent among white males, individuals aged 55 or older, people with an annual income under $30,000, people with only a high school diploma, and individuals in bad health. The CDC researchers concluded that early diagnosis and treatment are essential to the HIV-patients' overall health and well being, reduces hospital costs, and reduces the risks of active, uninformed transmission of the disease. The study noted, however, that "HIV-infected persons who fear being stigmatized are typically reluctant to acknowledge risk behaviors, avoid seeking prevention information, and may experience real or perceived barriers to prevention and healthcare services."
[Pennsylvania] Health Dept. Proposes HIV Disclosure. The Pennsylvania Health Department unveiled in late February a plan that would require physicians to report the names of HIV patients to state health officials. Under the new plan, HIV would be added to the list of 52 diseases and conditions now being reported to the state. According to State Health Secretary Robert Zimmerman, "Confidential reporting by name of patients with HIV is the most effective and efficient way to advance Pennsylvania's public health, and to help ensure those who are infected with HIV have timely access to education, medical care, and social services." Some AIDS activists expressed concern about the plan to use patients' names, suggesting that the proposal could make some people reluctant to be tested if they know the results will be reported to the government. The proposal must still go through several months of public review; however, if it is approved, Pennsylvania health officials hope the new rules could go into effect next year.
Suspect's HIV-Status Privacy Upheld. In Massachusetts, Supreme Judicial Court Justice Martha Sosman in mid-February ruled that a bleeding suspect's HIV status would be protected, despite the risk to arresting police officers. In the case, the suspect allegedly attacked Springfield police with a butcher knife after they responded to a domestic violence call at the individual's home. The suspect, who was shot by one officer, was bleeding at the time of the incident. As a result of the HIV risk, one officer has reportedly started treatment with AIDS drugs to help prevent infection in case he was exposed to the virus.
D.C. Flier on AIDS Cites Bible. During a recent health fair in Washington, D.C., HIV/AIDS pamphlets containing citations from the Bible were distributed to participants. Printed on the cover of the booklet, called "A Christian Response to AIDS," was the D.C. Health Department Administration for HIV/AIDS logo, prompting concern among activists and civil libertarians that tax dollars were used in the purchase of the booklets. Arthur Spitzer, legal director of the area chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, feels it is unconstitutional for the city to be spending tax dollars to promote religion. Officials from the D.C. health department admitted that it was a mistake to have ordered them at department expense and another mistake to have the department logo printed on them. A health department spokesperson said the original order was placed five years ago for a church program and was received without complaint; however, any remaining copies of the booklet will not be distributed.
Study Shows Injection Drug Users at Needle Exchange Program Share Few Syringes -- and Those Who Do, Share With Friends. Public health researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and the New York Academy of Medicine report that most injection drug users who take part in community needle exchange programs do not share their needles. The researchers note in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health that because the results of the two-year study indicated that some drug users continue to share needles, despite the risks of contracting HIV and hepatitis B and C, "programs need to renew efforts to discourage further sharing of syringes obtained from the program." The authors studied nearly 1,200 injection drug users who participated in a Baltimore needle exchange between 1995 and 1997, and they found that about 17 percent of the addicts reported recently sharing a syringe, usually with a friend. Study co-author Thomas W. Valente, an associate professor at the Keck School at USC, said, "People working in HIV prevention need to get the message out that sharing with friends might seem natural and safe, but that isn't necessarily so. It is safer to use your own needle, and even safer to stop injecting altogether."
HIV-Infected Nurse Wants Safer Needles. Massachusetts nurse Karen Daley is behind a new legislative bill in Colorado that would require public employers to use a new, more protective type of needle for administering intravenous medications or drawing blood. An emergency room nurse, Daley became infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being accidentally stuck with a needle. She has urged other states and Congress to mandate that public institutions adopt measures to prevent accidental needle sticks. Under the Colorado bill, HB 1333, employers would be able to decide how to reduce needle sticks using special needles, for example, or a needle-less system. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, using safety needle devices could reduce needle sticks by as much as 76 percent.
Activists Decry Response to Black AIDS Toll. Valerie Papaya Mann, director of the D.C. Care Consortium, asserted Friday, February 23, that immediate and extensive action is needed to fight the high rate of HIV infection and mortality rate among African Americans. The activists noted that Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of HIV infection of any city in the United States, and they said that not enough effort is being made to reach the communities where African Americans live. "The challenge for those of us who are committed to reducing and eliminating HIV infection in the African-American community is to get our community to understand the severity of the current crises and the devastating impact this epidemic can have in the future," said Ron Simmons, executive director of Us Helping Us. Some activists said that Mayor Anthony Williams has been too silent on the issue, noting that the D.C. HIV Advisory Committee has not met in over two years and that there are no city-funded programs or conferences to encourage citizens to openly discuss issues surrounding the disease.
Undeterred by a Monster; Secrecy and Stigma Keep AIDS Risk High for Gay Black Men. A study of 529 young men who have sex with men in New York City revealed that one-third of the African-American participants were infected with HIV, compared to 16 percent of all the men and 2 percent of the white men. African Americans made up just over 25 percent of the total group. The findings have researchers questioning how -- after years of news, political protests, and educational efforts -- some people do not understand the dangers of high-risk sexual practices. The reasons for this are many, and they include how a man perceives his homosexuality and how that affects where and when he decides to engage in intercourse. Other factors include how funds are directed to fight AIDS, poverty, drug abuse, and youth. Under conditions of homelessness and poverty, for example, some individuals use sex as a way to make money or find temporary housing. The social distress is so great in some communities that sex is used as a means to gain self-esteem, especially among young participants. Some health care workers assert that larger AIDS organizations have failed to properly address the specific issues of African-American homosexuality, in contrast to the same issue that mobilized white gay men infected during the first years of HIV. However, many have also noted the failure of some African-American AIDS groups to discuss or talk to homosexual men.
[Florida] County's New AIDS Cases Rank 5th in U.S. Metro Areas. Palm Beach County, Florida, now ranks fifth among 101 large metropolitan statistical areas in the United States for the highest rates of new AIDS cases. The country ranked eighth in 1999 and sixth the previous year. New statistics reveal an increase in new AIDS cases last year that terminated what had been a four-year decline in cases per 100,000 people in the county. Countywide, HIV cases dropped 24 percent, even as newly reported AIDS cases among adults increased 16 percent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently gave Palm Beach County $20,000 to support the establishment of a health team focused on identifying four "hot spots" where HIV transmission occurs frequently. The Rapid Assessment and Response Evaluation project will include resident volunteers to nightly patrol the streets of the targeted areas, identifying people who might be at risk or appear to be spreading HIV, and getting them in for testing and treatment.
Lamivudine Accumulates in Amniotic Fluid. According to new research from Dr. Laurent Mandelbrot and associates at the Service de Gynecologie-Obstetrique in Paris, lamivudine seems to collect in the amniotic fluid of HIV-positive pregnant women. The researchers measured levels of lamivudine in the amniotic fluid, maternal blood, and cord blood of 57 mother-infant pairs, and found that maternal and fetal concentrations of the drug were highly correlated. The authors noted that while the high concentrations of the drug may prove to be beneficial in post-exposure prophylaxis against vertical HIV transmission, they are concerned about mucosal toxicity in infants. Their findings are published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2001;184:153-158).
Protein in Placentas Said to Block AIDS. Researchers have discovered that a small protein found in the human placenta may be a natural protector against HIV. The protein, called leukemia inhibitory factor, or LIF, may naturally protect many fetuses from contracting HIV from their mothers. The findings were presented by Dr. Bruce Patterson of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues at the Eighth Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in early February.
Bush to Keep Intact Clinton AIDS Policy Despite Criticism by Some Drug Firms. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Tuesday, February 20, that President George W. Bush will maintain the existing U.S. AIDS policy. The pharmaceutical industry had hoped that Bush would implement changes because it feels that the current system allows some poor African countries to circumvent its intellectual property rights. The industry is especially against South Africa's proposals to reduce the cost of AIDS drugs through parallel importing and compulsory licensing. A Pretoria court will soon hear a legal challenge to the government action by the country's pharmaceutical manufacturers association. According to the U.S. Trade Representative's statement, "Consistent with our overall effort to protect America's investment in intellectual property, [the Bush administration will] work with countries that develop serious programs to prevent and treat this horrible disease."
Federal AIDS Treatment Money Will Go for HIV Prevention. In an effort to reduce by half the number of new HIV infections in the United States by 2004, government-funded health clinics that care for poor AIDS patients will emphasize prevention among their patients to keep them from spreading the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Dr. Helene Gayle, head of the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, notes that the move aims to address the gap between AIDS care and prevention. Last fall, Congress allowed AIDS clinics to access federal monies through the Ryan White Care Act, in an effort to reach infected individuals into prevention and primary care programs. New language has been added to the law requiring that states and cities that are applying for grants must now report local HIV infection rates, in addition to AIDS cases, as part of an effort to help health officials reach the estimated 300,000 people who are unaware of their HIV infection.
UCLA Study Shows AIDS-Intervention Programs Curb Risky Sex and Drug Use by HIV-Positive Youth. A recent study from the University of California at Los Angeles found that HIV-infected youths participating in an AIDS-intervention program voluntarily decreased their high-risk sexual behavior by 82 percent and their drug use by one-third. The findings, reported in the March edition of the American Journal of Public Health, offer some encouragement in the effort to curtail the spread of HIV among young people. During the study, researchers worked to assist participants in maintaining emotional wellness, take responsibility for their health, and reduce their high-risk behaviors. The "Stay Healthy" part of the program involved 12 sessions aimed at helping participants change their behaviors. The teens were introduced to modified behavior routines designed to keep them healthy, and they were educated about how to cope with their HIV status, disclosure issues, and medical decision-making. The second section, called "Act Safe," targeted the prevention of disease transmission to others.
Oxfam Joins Campaign to Cut Drug Prices for Poor Nations. Oxfam, a British charity, has begun a campaign to force drug companies to reduce the prices of lifesaving drugs to poor nations, by joining forces with Doctors Without Borders, ACT-UP, and others who have been of similar mind-set. The group plans to concentrate primarily on the world's largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline. Oxfam and advocates plan to attack the drug company through addressing audiences of its major financial backers on Wall Street and in London. "Our message to the big financial house will be that unless the big drug companies do something dramatic soon, they run a serious reputation risk," said Sophia Tickell, head of the campaign. Oxfam is also calling for a $5 billion fund to subsidize drug research for diseases like malaria, elephantiasis, tuberculosis, and sleeping sickness, all of which exist in epidemic proportions in poorer nations. The charity has requested that drug firms contribute part of their royalties from drug sales surpassing $1 billion to the effort. In response to Oxfam's announcement, Glaxo Chairman Sir Richard Sykes called it, "political rhetoric to point the finger somewhere else from where it should be."
Annan Urges More Spending to Stem AIDS. In a 29-page report released Tuesday, February 20, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the AIDS epidemic "the most formidable development challenge of our time." The report, part of an effort to encourage foreign governments to increase their funding to fight the disease, is expected to set the pace of the first special AIDS session being held by the General Assembly in June. Annan urged governments to fund vaccine research, direct resources to high-risk groups, and determine goals regarding the overall reduction of the spread of infection. He also called on drug companies to provide more affordable medicines.
In India and Africa, Women's Low Status Worsens Their Risk of AIDS. A combination of poverty and powerlessness is putting women in Africa and Asia increasingly at risk for HIV infection. A recent report from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted, "The gender dynamics of the epidemic are far-reaching due to women's weaker ability to negotiate safe sex, and their generally lower social and economic status." Despite years of international family planning efforts and education regarding women's rights, some countries still have practices in which a widow is married to her late husband's brother; however, if the husband died of AIDS, the widow might be infected, and might then pass HIV on to her new husband. In order to fight AIDS, Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the U. N. Development Program for Women, asserted that governments and international agencies must focus on women. In addition, Adrienne Germain, president of the International Women's Health Coalition in New York, called for increased education in sexual behavior that "emphasizes gender equality and power relations more broadly, not just biologically."
China Admits Having More Than 22,000 HIV Cases. There were 22,517 known HIV patients in China as of year-end 2000, but a new report indicates that the actual number could be substantially higher. State television quoted experts from the health ministry as saying the country could have over 600,000 cases of HIV infection. Unless aggressive measures are taken, the United Nations has predicted that China could have at least 10 million cases of HIV/AIDS by 2010. According to the television report, about 70 percent of China's HIV cases are among drug users, two-thirds live in rural communities, and nearly 90 percent are between the ages of 20 and 50.
HIV Virus Infects Vietnamese Prostitutes. A new report reveals that over one-fifth of commercial sex workers in Vietnam are infected with HIV, up significantly from just two years ago. The findings are based on a survey conducted late last year by the Vietnamese ministry of labor and social affairs on 13,600 prostitutes.
South African AIDS Campaign Targets Pre-Teen Sex. In an effort to stem the spread of HIV among young people, AIDS activists in South Africa are focusing on the risks of starting sexual activity too early. On average, South African children begin engaging in sexual activity at age 12, although the official age of consent is 16. South Africa is also plagued by high rates of rape, and some people believe the myth that having sex with a virgin can cure a man with AIDS. LoveLife -- an AIDS organization established two years ago with funding from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and others -- is working to halve the incidence of HIV infection among 15- to 20-year-olds within five years, targeting 12- to 17-year-olds with aggressive television advertisements and education and awareness programs.
AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour in Russia: Results of a Population-Based, Random-Digit Telephone Survey in St. Petersburg. Researchers conducting a population-based, random-digit telephone survey in St. Petersburg, Russia, identified a number of factors associated with high HIV risk. Just 6 percent of the participants reported consistent condom use, while more than 13 percent reported having three or more sexual partners in the past 12 months. In addition, 13 percent reported occasional or frequent anal sex. While approximately 66 percent of the subjects admitted they were at risk for contracting HIV, less than one-quarter said they had taken risk reduction measures. Many of the respondents also had mistaken beliefs about how HIV could be transmitted, such as through mosquito bites or by sharing cigarettes. The researchers note that more HIV/AIDS prevention efforts are needed in Russia, both for the general public and for high-risk groups.
Brazil's Unconventional AIDS Fight. Brazil has an unusual leader in its fight against AIDS. Jacqueline Rocha, a transsexual who is infected with HIV, has been credited for being the spirit behind the also unusual AIDS program the nation has undertaken. Part of the program involves the free distribution of generic AIDS drugs for the patented versions. Brazil's program is acclaimed for its unconventional combination of powerful advocates, including Rocha, Roman Catholic priests, and government officials. International health officials, who are used to seeing conflicts between governments and advocacy groups, say they are impressed with the progress that Brazil has made and the nation's ability to use diversity as a tool for success. Rocha is a member of the National AIDS Commission, which discusses prevention, care and how to control the epidemic. The commission also includes prostitutes and drug users, and all members must be consulted before any ad campaign is launched. Rocha has worked to fight a shortage of drugs for AIDS-related infections; demanded assurances from the government that locally produced AIDS medications will meet the standards of those made in more developed countries; and has also tried to combat rights violations, such as workplace discrimination of HIV-positive individuals.
HIV-Related Viruses Still Cross Species. Most researchers concur that the simian viruses that most closely resemble HIV started with chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys and was eventually contracted by humans. Variations of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) exist in other nonhuman primates and continue to infect the human population in Africa. In an effort to discern how prevalent the virus is among wild nonhuman primates, researchers performed blood tests on 17 different species of 384 baboons and monkeys from Cameroon and found that 18 percent of the animals possess SIV antibodies that bind strongly to HIV antibodies. According to Eric Delaporte of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, another 14 percent of the animals had antibodies that bind less strongly to HIV, and several of the SIV subtypes identified had not been seen before. The findings were presented recently at the Eighth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago.
Money's Not the Only Problem; Fears and Leadership Flaws Hinder the Search for AIDS Vaccine. In his new book, Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine, author Jon Cohen writes that the search for an AIDS vaccine has been fraught with egos, institutional politics, and rogue scientists. Cohen, a contributing correspondent for Science magazine, argues that the goal should be to develop a vaccine that works even if the reasons why it works are not immediately understandable and even if it is not perfect. Cohen notes, "A mediocre vaccine today would do the world more good than a 100 percent vaccine 10 years from now." There are several key obstacles to vaccine research, Cohen asserts, including funding, a reluctance by some to participate in testing, the ability of HIV to rapidly mutate, a lack of political support from world leaders, and a lack of interest from major drug companies.


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Sundance Proves A Filmmaking Renaissance Is Happening In The Bay Area/
What would Variety, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, The Wrap, MovieCityNews, Filmmaker Magazine & Deadline report if a single film company took the following awards at Sundance this year?
- Narrative Grand Jury Prize
- Audience Award For Narrative Film
- Best Directing of a Narrative Film
- Best Directing of a Documentary Film
- Special Jury Award For Documentary Film #1
- Special Jury Award For Documentary Film #2
I can't help but think they would announce the arrival of a powerhouse.
Well, allow me the pleasure of breaking such an announcement. In case you missed it: a filmmaking renaissance is happening in The Bay Area. All of the following films that premiered at Sundance and won an award there had a major Bay Area connection: Fruitvale, Afternoon Delight, Cutie and the Boxer, Inequality For All, and American Promise.
I don't know when was the last time a film won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance as Fruitvale did this year. Not only is director Ryan Coogler from Oakland, not only was the story and subject from The Bay Area, not only was the film shot in The Bay Area, and not only was it mixed at Skywalker, but the San Francisco Film Society & The Kenneth Rainin Foundation granted the film $200,000.
If that wasn't enough to crow about, allow me the thrill of mentioning that this is the second year in a row that a film supported by the San Francisco Film Society & The Kenneth Rainin Foundation won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Yup, Beasts Of The Southern Wild received similar support last year as Fruitvale did this year. Do we need non-profit support in order to make ambitious socially relevant cinema in America? It sure damn looks that way, and if it is not necessary, it sure helps! A market-driven entertainment economy encourages one thing; if we want diversity we must support our cultural institutions (and build new ones!).
But allow me to go on with the glory that this year's Sundance has bestowed upon the cities by The Bay... I don't know when the last time a producer had both a documentary film and a narrative film in each of the Sundance competition. I definitely don't think a producer who managed that feat ever won awards for both films (okay, I once had a film in each section, but only one of them one an award). Winning an award for each of their films is exactly what 72 Productions accomplished with Afternoon Delight's Best Directing of a narrative film award (directed by Jill Soloway) and Inequality For All's U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award (directed by Jacob Kornbluth). And did you know that 72 Productions' Jen Chaiken sits on the San Francisco Film Society's Board of Directors? And that the SFFS was Inequality For All's fiscal sponsor? Surely you know that I4A's incredibly inspiring subject, Robert Reich, teaches and lives in Berkeley, and yup, that is in The Bay Area. I imagine your collective head is now reeling in wonder about what is happening here; I know I am impressed, verily.
Yes, it's true that the Directing Award at Sundance is one of the great honors. Yes, the aforementioned Afternoon Delight won that award for Narrative, and Cutie and the Boxer, directed by Zachary Heinzerling, won for Documentary. The San Francisco Film Society's Doc Film Fund gave Cutie and the Boxer's $50,000... That ain't chicken feed. And that's a Bay Area connection for both sections' Directing Award. It must be something in the water!
But The Bay Area's dominance continues on from there. It kind of takes your breathe away, doesn't it? The other winner of a Special Jury Prize For Documentary Film, Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson's American Promise, also received funding from The San Francisco Film Society. How great is it to give money away to films that lift our culture up? I suppose you don't know that feeling until you've done it, but know what? You too can do it and I will tell you how below...
Yup. Five films. Count 'em and tells what it all adds up to...
That is five films, six awards, at Sundance 2013 with Bay Area connections. Pretty awesome. In addition to all of that, the Bay Area was represented by other filmmakers at Sundance too; Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman were there with TWO films, one narrative, one doc: Lovelace and The Battle For AmFar. The list goes on and on and on.
If we added in all the films that did sound or mixed at Skywalker (Ain't Them Bodies Saints among others) or did that AND had a key crew person from the Bay Area, like World Cinema Grand Jury Prize Winner, A River Changes Course (with editor Chris Brown), our list could be even longer. When you combine what is happening here and what is going down in Texas (Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Before Midnight, A Teacher, & Upstream Color), it sure seems like the regions are rising over the center. And this may just be the wave before the flood...
That is not a rumbling you are feeling underground, that is the roar of a community's heart beating as one, and quite rapidly at that mind you. You don't just have to be from Poland to have that flutter (if you watched the Awards, you will understand the reference).
I think it is now abundantly clear that if you love independent film, if you want diverse, ambitious film to prosper, you have to act now. You must not delay. You can either pack your bags and get the hell out of town and arrive in Fog City or one of it's many surrounding communities, or you can show your love for such cinema by helping to support the San Francisco Film Society. Either one will do. Just take some action. The momentum will carry you forward.
I am investing my time, labor, & mind to help building a better infrastructure for such cinema through the SFFS. But it takes more. Money almost always helps. Please consider doing what you can to keep this exciting time alive. Join SFFS & become a member. Support SFFS here. It takes more than a village if we are going to build it better. We can only do it together.
The San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in the Americas. I hope to see you there this year (April 25- May 9th); we have some great stuff planned for you. The San Francisco Film Society was founded 56 years ago. It was built by the passion and commitment of several key individuals. We lost one of those individuals just as the Sundance Film Festival began this year. George Gund's love and knowledge of cinema was as legendary as his great spirit and generosity. I can not help but think of how wide his grin would be now in knowing the legacy his support has helped build. Thank you, George.

subset: commoncrawl


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Move over meat! With Grills Gone Vegan, plant-based proteins, vegetables, and even fruits take center stage on the grill to bring out their rich, deep flavors. Veteran vegan chef and cookbook author Tamasin Noyes shows how readers can think beyond burgers and kabobs and create everything from quick appetizers and sandwich fillings to side dishes and even a surprising array of sweets—all on the grill. Tamasin's rubs and sauces make tofu, tempeh, and seitan explode with flavor, and her marinades infuse portobello mushrooms and other succulent vegetables with savory depth. Every recipe offers indoor cooking options, so readers can put together a satisfying and delectable grilled meal in any weather or season, with any type of grilling equipment. Information is included on the art and science of the grilling process, along with guidance for how to buy both outdoor and indoor grills and how to use smoker boxes. Tamasin also shares her tips for prepping plant-based proteins and veggies so they can be grilled to perfection. Inspiring menus help readers create the perfect mood or party, or grill with the bounty of the season.
Printed in the USA. (paperback, 192 pages, recycled paper.)


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The Many, Many Curious Cases of Benjamin Button
Because it was published before January 1, 1923, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is in the public domain. And because of the film, a slew of new editions has been released in the last few months. Here's a mix of US and UK covers, most of them pretty horrible.


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Research today for a cancer-free tomorrow.
The Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) is helping to create a world with less cancer...and more birthdays. CPS-3 is a grassroots effort where local communities from across the country can support cancer research not just through fundraising efforts, but also by participating actively in this historic research study.
The American Cancer Society's Epidemiology Research Program is inviting men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 years who have never personally been diagnosed with cancer to join this historic study. The ultimate goal is to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the U.S. The purpose of CPS-3 is to better understand the lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer and to ultimately eliminate cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations.
Participation is easy and enrollment is available in your local community. Local enrollment is being made possible in partnership with Texas Medical Association & St. David's Episcopal Church. Your initial enrollment requires two steps and will involve the following:
Following enrollment, you will periodically receive mailed surveys at home every few years to update your information. You will also receive annual study newsletters to update you on research taking place in the Cancer Prevention Studies.
All personal information and any individual results of blood analyses that may be performed will be kept strictly confidential by American Cancer Society research staff. There will be no cost to you to participate.
For more information about CPS-3, please visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or email firstname.lastname@example.com or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.
Sorry, you have missed the last day to sign up for this event.


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New beyerdynamic HS 400 Signum / HS 400 Rotor
Pilot Headsets for the highest Demands
Pilot Headsets for the highest Demands
Heilbronn, 13th July 2010: At the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh/USA the German
audio specialist beyerdynamic will present the two headsets of the new HS
400 series for the first time. In August at the Tannkosh Fly-In in
Tannheim/Germany beyerdynamic will hold the European presentation of
these headsets at its exhibition pavilion.
The HS 400 Signum is to live up to the market success of the HS 300
Individual, which will be discontinued at the end of August. While the HS 400
Signum is the standard version with double jack plugs, the HS 400 Rotor is the
helicopter version with a coiled cable and a single U-174/U jack plug. The HS
400 have been designed as premium headsets with passive noise attenuation.
Online polls, market research at exhibitions and last but not least the direct
contact to pilots at several beyerdynamic flight tours had an impact on the
customer requirement specification for the new premium HS 400 headset
series. The customers for one requested a smaller audio box to connect a
music player, mobile phone or iPhone. The new audio box comes with two
volume controls (left/right) and an LED to display the remaining capacity of the
two AA batteries or rechargeable batteries. The look of the two HS 400
models reminds of high-quality active headsets. The most comfortable soft
skin ear seals with viscoelastic filling of the HS 400 are taken from the active
HS 600 DANR. The ear cups come in a silver metallic surface. Customised
versions of the HS 400 can be ordered within the online MANUFAKTUR,
located at www.beyerdynamic.com/aviation, where different colours and a
laser engravement for personalisation are available. As with all Aviation
headsets beyerdynamic also ensures a five-year warranty for the HS 400
Signum / Rotor. With a recommended retail price of 289 Euro including VAT,
beyerdynamic provides with the HS 400 Signum a great headset "Made in
Germany". The new headsets HS 400 Signum and HS 400 Rotor can be
purchased at the beyerdynamic online shop at www.beyerdynamic.com or at
selected dealers.
Characters incl. space characters: 2.099
Number of lines: 32


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Home » 5 Gallon Wacky Bubble Filter Bags
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Does the OPC believe that faith in God's healing power in every area of life in this world is applicable today for each of us who believes that we are given authority by Jesus to do soto use this God-given NT authority to defeat any work of Satan in our lives, by the faith given us by Christ?
Thank you in advance for your reply to this.
My answer is a resounding "Yes!" But there is so much misunderstanding with respect to prayer and healing that I believe I need to add these comments. Even Paul the great Apostle did not receive the healing he requested though he asked for it three times (2 Cor. 12:8
8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
). This does not prove that Paul lacked faith, nor does it prove that he did not believe "in God's healing power." No, what it proves is that even true believers should not make the mistake of thinking that we are given authority by Jesus to always get a "yes" answer to our prayers. Sometimes, as in this case, God's answer is no!
It is also a mistake to think that we, today, can expect to be able to do everything the Apostles of Jesus did (as recorded in the New Testament). On two occasions that I can think of, both Peter and Paul restored dead people to life (Acts 9:36-42
36Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
and Acts 20:9-10
9And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
10And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
). There is no credible record of anything like this in the history of the church after the time when the original apostles were still alive. The Bible itself draws attention to this when it speaks of "the signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12
12Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
). These were supernatural miracles which were done only in connection with or "through the hands of the apostles" Acts 5:12
12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
. To expect such today is like expecting another virgin to conceive and bring forth a son as Mary did.
This does not mean, however, that God does not heal. He does. I was once quite ill and so I did what James (the Lord's brother) said I should do (James 5:14
14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
). I called for the elders of the church while I also made use of medicine. They prayed for me and I was healed. The fact that I used means does not in any way diminish the fact that God was pleased to grant me healing.
To speak of a "God-given N.T. authority to defeat any work of Satan in our lives" also needs some qualification. Paul spoke of his physical malady as "a thorn in the flesh" and "a messenger of Satan" (2 Cor. 12:7). But he also recognized that this was given to him, in a sense, by God himself through the agency of Satan. Listen to his testimony: "lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Cor. 12:7-9). You can see from this that Paul was not defeated by Satan. Far from it. But Satan was not defeated by Paul being granted his request not to be buffeted by Satan, but by his being sanctified by enduring something very unpleasant for God's glory.
John 5:18 says "He who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him." The meaning is that a true believer is secure. There is nothing that Satan can do to make him forsake his faith. It does not mean that there is nothing that Satan can do to put that faith to a test. The whole Bible book of Job proves otherwise.
I hope this is a helpful answer to your interesting question.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2019 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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An allergy to exercise might sound like a couch potato's dream, but for Kasia Beaver, a mom of four who lives in the UK, it's a nightmare.
Whenever her heart beats too fast and she sweats, it sparks a potentially fatal allergic reaction. Her eyes swell shut, she breaks out in hives and her throat closes up.
"It's terrifying, especially if I'm alone with the children," she said.
The 33-year-old is just one of a handful of people who suffer from a life-threatening allergic reaction to exercise known as exercise-induced angioedema – or EIA. The condition and a less severe form of exercise allergy called exercise-induced urticaria are so exceedingly rare, there are no estimates for the number of sufferers.
College Freshman with Peanut Allergy Dies After Eating Cookie
But Dr. Dennis Cardone, a sports medicine specialist at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, said exercise allergy is a real condition.
"Typically we see it in combination with another type of allergy, usually to food or hot weather," Cardone said.
As Cardone explained it, people with the condition may be able to eat peanuts or shellfish with no reaction and they may also be able to exercise with no problem. But if they eat peanuts or shellfish before they exercise, it triggers an attack.
EIA doesn't appear to have any association with exercise-induced asthma or any other type of breathing or exercise-related disorders. Cardone said the chemistry is the same as for most other allergies. The immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous intruder and responds by producing antibodies. These trigger special "mast cells" to produce chemical "histamines" that react with the rest of the body to produce the physical symptoms of an allergy.
An allergy to exercise generally isn't considered life-threatening. However, in Beaver's case it is. Doctors have told her that running for a bus or chasing after her children could kill her.
Axe Allergy Prompts School Plea
Oddly, Beaver didn't suffer her first attack until she was in her early 20s, just before she became pregnant with her first child, now 12. At first she thought it was an allergic reaction to a new eye shadow but after she stopped using it, her eyes remained swollen for three days.
One day she went to the gym and did her normal workout. Afterward her eyes felt tight. Her mother became so alarmed at her appearance, she immediately took her to the nearest emergency room. There doctors prescribed antihistamines that Kasia said helped, but the reactions continued and over time, became more severe.
"I was ice skating with my husband when I had a really bad attack. I had to use an epiPen to bring the swelling down," she recalled.
"It took me years to realize that exercise was the trigger."
Doctors were also baffled by Beaver's strange allergic reactions. When an eye specialist couldn't find anything wrong with her eyes, she was referred to a dermatologist. Finally after seeing one specialist after another she was diagnosed with EIA.
"It was a relief in a way because I could put a name to it. I wasn't going mad. I'd been tested for all sorts over the years. I thought it could be hay fever, a blocked tear duct or sweat gland," Beaver said.
Now, thanks to an antihistamine called ketotifen , Beaver can walk to the park for the first time in 10 years without having an attack. She still can't exercise for any great length of time so she's joined a weight loss group in an effort to drop a few pounds.
"People don't believe me when I tell them I'm allergic to exercise. They think it's just an excuse to be lazy," she said.


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Road Trip Itineraries #3 - The Northwest Wilds
From Wellington to Auckland via Taranaki, spectacular and dramatic scenery, outdoor activities, cultural and historic experiences await you!
1 / 2
Wellington to Kapiti
Wellington certainly deserves the 'coolest little capital in the world' title awarded by Lonely Planet: the city offers a rich dining, coffee and craft beer culture and is built around a beautiful and bustling harbour. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, be sure to check out the Weta Cave or visit film locations in the Mt Victoria Reserve, which also happens to be a great place for recreational walking and mountain biking. Continue to the Mt Victoria lookout for stunning 360o views of the city and harbour.
A scenic drive around the rugged south coast, starting at the entrance to Miramar at Shelly Bay Road, through Seatoun, Lyall Bay (a popular spot for local surfies) to Ohiro Bay and Redrocks. Redrocks is famous for colonies of fur seals during May-October; you'll have to walk the last 30 minutes, the surface is too rugged for most of our vehicles!
You're likely to have built up an appetite at this stage, and Zest Food Tours are the perfect option for introducing you to the best Wellington has to offer in food and wine from the region.
Time to head north along the scenic west coast of the lower north island to Kapiti and its long stretching sandy beaches. A great time to drive this route is at dusk to capture the magnificient sunset.
Activites to try:
- Zest food tours, Wellington
Kapiti to Whanganui
From here we continue north to Palmerston North, a must stop for all rugby nuts with the New Zealand Rugby Museum, or for the not so rugby mad always the renowned gardens of Victoria Esplanade A little further on is Feilding, home of the largest working stock saleyard in the Southern Hemisphere which operates each Friday. Then head to the Feilding Farmers' Market for tasty artisan treats and locally sourced produce. Take a step back in time at the Coach House Museum for an amazing collection of 140 years of rural history, including restored vehicles and farming equipment.
The Whanganui National Park, is home to the famous 'Bridge to Nowhere', part of a Government initiative in the mid 1930's to provide farm land to returning servicemen. Not long after completion, the scheme was abandoned, adjoinging roads never completed and the bridge hardly used! Walk or mountain bike in to the bridge and boat, canoe or jetboat back along the Whanganui River, interestingly classified as one of New Zealand's nine 'Great Walks'.
Whanganui is abound with artists including Louise Herdman of Louise Herdman Mosaics. Louise shares her passion for all things mosiac, including workshops so you can learn the art yourself (you need to book in advance).
Activites to try:
- Mosaic Studio - Louise Herdman Mosaics, Whanganui
Whanganui to New Plymouth
Time to stretch those legs? Stop off in Ohakune, sitting serenely at the foot of the majestic Mt Ruapehu, for a mountain bike ride along the old coach road (grade 2) with a Mountain Bike Station tour; it's mostly downhill so not too taxing on the thighs. Before you start, be sure to visit the film location for the 1981 movie 'Smash Palace' with over 15 acres of vehicles, collected over 60 years and still collecting today!
Pump up the music as you drive along the western edge of the Tongariro National Park towards the 'Forgotten World Highway 43' (running south from Tamaranui to Stratford ), New Zealand's oldest heritage trail. Take a small diversion on Moki Forest Road up to Mount Damper Falls, one of the biggest water falls in the North Island - 85 metres! Back on the highway, you'll go through the historic 180-metre Moki Tunnel before approaching Whangamomona, the only small settlement along the way. Whangamomona declared itself a republic in 1989 and if you nip into the local hotel be sure to grab a Whangamomona passport as well as a refreshment!
New Plymouth
New Plymouth has loads to offer both cultural and outdoor junkies. Be sure to check out the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery featuring a permanent display of works from Len Lye, famous for his unique film and kinetic art; the gallery building is an artwork in itself. The Taranaki region has an array of stunning gardens and parks, 14 of them acknowledged as 'Gardens of Significance'.
Feeling a little more energetic? Climb to the summit of Mt Taranaki (8-10 hour return walk), one of New Zealand's most accessible mountains. It's vital to be well prepared. Head to Fitzroy Beach, one of the best mid-city surf spots in the world; renowned for its hollow waves. You don't have to be a surfie to be captivated.
Activites to try:
- Mountain Bike Station, Ruapehu
- Tongariro National Park
New Plymouth to Hamilton
An hour south of Hamilton, Waitomo Caves are a must - try the thrill of blackwater rafting, it's fun, safe and spectacular. Or choose from a range of other more sedate options to explore Waitomo's stunning Gloworm Caves or neighbouring Ruakuri and Aranui Caves. There's more surf to be had at Raglan, as well as great fishing, or head over the hill to Kawhai where you can dig your own hot pool in the sand at Ocean Beach. A slight detour on your way back to Auckland, Matamata is well worth a visit, for the setting of the Shire in Sir Peter Jackson's Hobbiton movies.
The west coast beaches of Auckland (40 minutes from CBD) - Karekare, Piha, Anawata, Bethells Beach and Muriwai - are spectacularly dramatic, whether you're visiting on a calm, clear day or a wild one. Footwear is a must for the beach, the black sands can get extremely hot! Grab fish & chips from the local kiosk at Piha or bring a picnic. Slide down the sand dunes into Lake Wainamu at Bethells Beach, or make a day of it on the fabulous cliff top hike to neighbouring Muriwai Beach and its Gannet Colony, best viewed from October to March.
Back in town, be sure to visit the bustling suburb of Ponsonby for its eclectic array of designer boutiques, eateries and bars. Catch a ferry from downtown Auckland to the quaint and very popular seaside bay of Devonport or to Rangitoto Island, where you canwalk to the top of this active volcano with its spectacular views back to the city.
After such an action packed 10 or so days on the road, be sure to treat yourself to one final night of luxury at the Heritage Hotel, Auckland.
Activites to try:
- Glowworm Caves, Waitomo
- Black Water Rafting, Waitomo
- Piha Beach
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text: /March 15, 2016/Wendiva Blaze /No Comment/5059 views 360nobs – masturbating ninja 2share on:FacebookTwitter Google +Pinterest Linked InEmailSend to Email Address:Your NameYour Email AddressEmail check failed, please try againCancel previous article360nobs – masturbating ninja 2 Wendiva BlazeI'm just a vibe you won't find anywhere else. That Sanguine Sapio-sexual. I Love 360nobs Pop Culture Journalist/ Publicist/ Presenter Leave a Response Cancel reply CommentName Email This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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if you want to book for more than 15 persons, please contact us via our group enquiry form.


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
|When the financial bailout plan was announced earlier this week, why did the price of oil shoot up? In this segment, we'll take a look at energy and our economy, including the latest on the renewable energy tax credit extended by the Senate this week. Plus with energy prices a top issue this season, we'll get a roundup of other current energy news -- from new stores specializing in solar energy, to those television ads featuring cars running on natural gas.


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text:
It wasn't until the dog got off the train at 16th Street that I realized he'd taken it by himself.
I saw him first at the 24th Street stop. I thought he was a rat. He's a tiny thing.
He was wearing a nice, new-looking collar, so when he boarded the train behind a young woman, I assumed he belonged to her. Then he began prancing up and down the aisles, balls proud and in tact, sniffing the feet of the passengers.
An older gentleman with a sour yellow shirt sat beaming at the small dog. He was obviously delighted by the pup's presence, and looked about the train car for faces of recognition, people who were as happy as he was about this small animal with free rein.
I wasn't going to be one of those people.
I didn't pet the dog when it sniffed curiously at my shoe. I didn't smile back at the man in the sour yellow shirt, either. I wanted no part in the pet sitting that was being forced upon all of us in that train car.
Watch your dog. Use a leash.
The train halted. For the first time I noticed that the dog's nails were either curled and long or jagged and broken.
The doors slid open, and eight blocks away from where he boarded, the tiny dog looked out to the right, then out to the left, then trotted off the train alone.


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To Sun Today readers:
The response to the launch of your new Sun City weekly newspaper has been tremendous. We have received a large number of positive comments on the content of the first issue, and we know future issues will get even better with more and more news about the people, events and happenings in the community and the surrounding area.
Like all new endeavors, there is always room to tweak and improve. One area where we certainly can improve is in initial distribution and sweeping the neighborhood in the afternoon for copies that haven't been picked up by residents.
We started your new weekly newspaper with brand new carrier routes and brand new carriers. We certainly didn't have flawless delivery and our team worked throughout the day and into the afternoon to redeliver papers to neighborhoods and individual homes.
Our resources responsible for sweeping the neighborhoods came up short as we had them doing redelivery and sweeps, instead of one of these responsibilities. Because of this, it took us into Thursday to rectify the leftover papers.
To mitigate any future issues and to complete newspaper deliveries and sweeps in a more orderly fashion, we are immediately implementing the following improvements.
• We will separate redelivery from sweeping in order in to reduce confusion. We will deliver any missed papers until noon on Wednesdays. If you do not receive a newspaper, you can call our customer service center at 843-815-0808. A dispatch message will be sent to our redelivery person in Sun City and a copy will be delivered in a timely fashion.
• The customer service number should also be used to start or stop the paper or for any other customer service concern. Personnel are on duty throughout the day to service your delivery needs.
• Every Wednesday, we will deliver 100 copies of The Sun Today to the Community Association office at Palmetto Commons. If you need additional copies after delivery is complete at noon, you can find them there.
• Additional sweepers will be assigned to neighborhoods throughout the community. Sweeps will start at 2 p.m. We expect the sweeps to take no longer than three hours with completion around 5 p.m. With additional personnel, the size of each sweeper's territory will be smaller to allow for greater focus.
• A circulation supervisor will be on-site on Wednesday afternoon to perform verification. As the adage goes, "what gets measured gets done." Our sweepers will have a checklist with assigned streets and each sweeper will be required to attest that each street has been canvassed for leftover newspapers. Copies of the completed checklist will also be reviewed for completeness and accuracy. Our supervisor will also be spot-checking neighborhoods as well.
If you are interested in earning some additional income by being a sweeper or carrier in your neighborhood, we would love to hear from you. Our circulation manager in South Carolina is Dave Ellis. He can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 912-652-0420.
We appreciate your patience and support as we tweak and improve service this week. And, thank you for all the great feedback on the first issue. We know we will only get better with your involvement, content contributions and comments.
Thank you for reading us.
The Sun Today


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(20 min.) Whenever a worker leaves the ground, the risk of an accident occurring increases dramatically. With more than 10,000 scaffold related injuries reported each year, OSHA has mandated that workers be trained on how to safely erect and use these work platforms. These products will help employers meet the training requirements of OSHA''s Scaffolding regulation.
SafetyInstruction's training products on "Suspended Scaffolding Safety in Construction Environments" help employees understand the dangers of working with scaffolds, and how these risks can be minimized by knowing the correct ways to erect, maintain and use scaffolding equipment. Topics covered in these products include:
• Responsibilities of a "scaffold expert".
• Platforms and planking.
• The danger of power lines.
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• Guarding against falling objects.
• and more!
Program comes with a comprehensive leader's guide, reproducible scheduling/attendance form, employee quiz, training certificate/log, and employee booklet. DVDs are indexed for easy navigation and include subtitling for the hearing impaired.
The kit includes 30 employee booklets and 5 topic related posters.


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My journey through my RootsMagic database is moving along quite nicely. Maybe too nicely…
I have gone through 4 of the 13 original pages of my ancestor list. A few wonderful surprises and a major sense of accomplishment. For each and every ancestor page that I have reviewed, I have completed the source page for every fact (with only a few "special" situations exempted). I have uploaded tons of images to my Picasa Web Albums and reorganized the genealogy files on my hard drive.
But, you can only look at so many census pages and marriage indexes. To be honest, the journey was getting kinda boring. I needed to shake things up a bit.
To this end, I have modernized my blog template and created a few new pages, including Ahnentafel and Surname pages for handy reference.
The biggest change is the addition of a Select Biographies page. It is here that I plan to write the histories of my "direct line" ancestors, derived from the data that I have acquired through diligent research. These are intended to be more in-depth life stories of each person than what the typical "Individual Summary" might produce.
The subject of my first Select Biography is Miles Chappell, my 4th great-grandfather. Please stop by and meet him!


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Ex Tax: £3.33
- Availability:
- In Stock
- Product Code:
- Silver/Black Optical Cable
Toslink Digital Audio Cable by AKORD® provides you with the cleanest possible signal, even at extreme volume levels. These cables use 1mm low-loss core, 6.0mm OD, low-jitter synthetic fiber and heavy metal connectors to dampen vibration, giving you the ultimate listening experience.
Optical cables transfer the signal using light; thus completely eliminating any chance for RFI, EMI or ground loop interference. The stylish PVC mesh shielding helps prevent cable damage and adds flexibility and durability for years of listening pleasure. Mouldedstrain reliefs reduce stress where cable and connectors meet.
Gold-plated ferrule prevents corrosion and provides for maximum protection of the fiber tip. Precision polished fiber tips for maximum signal transfer (includes tip protectors). Connect to your Home Cinema, PS3, XBOX, BluRay, DVD, CD, Mini Disc, DAT other digital audio equipment for clear, full and richly detailed sound.
- Connectors: 24k Gold-Plated
- 0.6mm OD
- Toslink Male to Toslink Male
- Compliance: RoHS
- Highly attractive alloy shells and nylon braided cable
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- Completely brand new and sealed
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- Compatible with all equipment that supports TOSLink digital optical audio
- 12 months warranty
- Connect optical digital audio equipment together to experience Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound
- High-performance TOSLink Digital Optical cable for the perfect signal transfer
|Optical Cable
|1 Metre
|Build Quality
|Highly attractive zinc alloy shells and nylon braided cable
|Transmission of lossless audio data
|Uncompressed (Dolby Digital and DTS) compressed (DolbyTrueDH and DTS-HD)
|All equipment that supports TOSLink digital optical audio
|12 months
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In our country today, most early childhood environments reflect diversity of some kind: cultural, social, or individual. The children we care for can come from a variety of backgrounds, but even if they do not, it is our responsibility to help them develop awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of the shining web of diversity of which they are a part.
New technologies and the media have shrunk our world and expanded our experience, so that our children are increasingly exposed to the pluralistic heritage of our nation and diversity of all types. Whether the children you currently serve are a homogeneous or diverse group, it is important to remember that young children are alert and curious, and that even those as young as two years of age notice differences of color, gender, and physical ability. By age three, children are at a stage where they can be influenced by the biases of others. We must be very aware, therefore, of our responsibility in providing bias-free environments which encourage acceptance of others, reflect the culture and characteristic of families in our facility, community, and larger society, and help children see how people may be different yet similar on a human level.
As care givers and teachers, what steps can we take to help children value themselves and those different from themselves? At the Southern Region Early childhood Programs, we have found the following factors extremely helpful.
Learn more about the families and children with whom you work. Without being inquisitive, ask questions, find out what the family values, who its members are, what its concerns and goals for its children may be. Culture influences child rearing patterns and behaviors, including those associated with meals, sleep, dress, gender, interaction with adults and other children, toilet training, guidance, health care, ways of showing affection and respect, ways of celebrating and occasions to celebrate. Children bring these cultural influences to the child care facility. Thus, we need to know and understand the family's cultural orientation to make a child feel comfortable and secure, and provide a sense of continuity.
Many different family structures exist today. Include them all. When the family is accepted and involved, the child feels safe and is more accepting of others. Celebrate moms, dads, grandparents, extended family members, siblings, and others important to children. Have photographs of family members on display. Get to know your children's people well.
Celebrate festive occasions often and joyfully throughout the year, not just at "traditional" times, and not just as a one-time, "tourist" affair. Festivals are important aspects of cultural life and experience, so celebrate them, but do not focus on these only. For example, food cooked specially for certain holidays can be a wonderful treat; however, share ethnic food eaten by a family at other times as well. Remember, food holds special significance in most cultures. Similarly, it is fine to share exotic clothes of various cultures, but everyday clothes should also be acknowledged. See people as they really eat, dress, and live.
Exposure to diversity through everyday materials can make children more accepting of differences.
Have a variety of musical instruments. Play music and songs from many cultures--dance music, lullabies, nursery rhymes.
Display pictures and photos showing people of different races, cultures, gender, age, and ability at various types of work, recreation, and celebration.
Have art materials, such as crayons, paint, play dough, and paper, reflecting various skin tones.
Make or buy dolls representing different cultures, abilities and gender. Use such dolls when telling stories, and encourage children's dramatic play with them.
Do not avoid children's questions about color, culture, or other differences. Encourage looking in mirrors to notice similarities and differences and acknowledging them through art, music, stories, and play.
A good selection of books should be a basic part of any child care program. Like other toys and materials, books reflecting diversity should be part of children's daily experience. Luckily, many excellent books exist today which promote understanding of diverse cultures and lifestyles. There is no longer any reason to have books which are of poor quality, portray groups or individuals stereotypical, and ignore the voices of cultures present in our society or the realities of their present, everyday life.
Books for young children should emphasize the similarities we all share, while honoring differences. For example, books such as Ann Morris' Bread, Bread, Bread (1989) and Hats, Hats, Hats (1989), and Norah Dooley's Everybody Cooks Rice (1991) help children see the sameness yet variety of food and clothes needed by people everywhere. Similarly, children can understand relationships different children have with grandparents through books such as Arthur Dorros' Abuela (1991), Phoebe Gilman's Something from Nothing (1992), and Angela Johnson's When I Am Old With You (1990).
We should constantly and carefully examine our own attitudes and behaviors to make sure that we do not demonstrate prejudice or disrespect for those who are different. Children become aware of diversity early in life; they also need to learn to respect and appreciate rather than fear diversity early in life. By modeling respect, adults show children that customs, languages, cultures, and physical attributes different from their own are important and to be honored.
Diversity in our society should be valued and enjoyed, not considered a threat to the values and lifestyle of any group. Teachers and caregivers need to accept the challenge of promoting an atmosphere of understanding and harmony in which all children can grow and develop fully.
Dooley, N. (1991). Everybody Cooks Rice. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda
Dorros, A. (1991). Abuela. New York: Dutton Children's Books.
Gilman, P. (1992). Something from Nothing. New York: Scholastic.
Johnson, A. (1990). When I Am Old With You. New York: Orchard Books.
Morris, A. (1989). Bread, Bread, Bread. New York: Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard.
Morris, A. (1989). Hat, Hats, Hats. New York: Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard.
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Quick Search: Choose Model and Year, then enter search topic.
Page: 148
Displaying the Destination town/Location info
When route guidance is active, selecting theor function displays the relevant position in accordance with the zoom functions currently active.
Displaying sections of the route
If you have started the route guidance component of your navigation system, a list containing all sections of your route will be displayed.
This function is also available under the
If off-road navigation is activated, a restricted version of this function is available with socalled landmark navigation.
Setting the display layout
You have four options for dividing the display while route guidance is active:
The map is shown across the entire display.
In addition to the relevant map section, the next driving instruction is shown in the right half of the display.
In addition to the relevant map section, the next maneuver is shown with the help of pictograms.
In addition to the map section containing the current position, a further map section containing the route
ahead is shown.


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Main Content:
Women's Pants Sale
Banana Republic Women's Pants Sale
Shop Banana Republic women's pants sale to find comfortable and fashionable designs. For day or evening, the women's pants sale collection offers choices that are sure to please. In the board room or class room, our women's pants sale has something for everyone in pant styles that speak to her needs. From casual to dressy, get the look that says it all in Banana Republic women's pants sale. Chic and casual or sleek and sophisticated women's pants are wonderfully appealing and look as though they were incredibly tailored with her in mind. Flattering fit and exciting fashions make our women's pants sale hard to resist.