text:
Immune Activation and Drug Absorption in HIV-Infected Patients
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01845298
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : May 3, 2013
Last Update Posted : March 3, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Results Submitted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|HIV Infection
|Drug: Rifampicin 600 mg
|Not Applicable
The dosing scheme for rifampicin for the treatment of tuberculosis was developed in the pre-HIV era, and achieving target concentrations at the site of infection is important for a successful outcome. Rifampicin is the least well absorbed of the first-line anti-TB drugs and may depend on active transport across the intestinal barrier. Rifampicin malabsorption is frequently observed in HIV/tuberculosis patients, but cannot be predicted by patient factors such as CD4+ T cell count, viral load, or the presence of diarrhea. Most importantly, loss of rifampicin absorptive capacity in the setting of HIV infection would explain the inferior treatment outcomes that are characteristic of HIV-associated tuberculosis, including early mortality, relapse after the completion of therapy, and the development of rifampicin-resistant infection during anti-tuberculosis therapy.
The gut-associated lymphoid tissue is the site of early and dramatic lymphocyte depletion in HIV+ patients, with near complete loss of intestinal CCR5+ CD4+ T cells within the first few weeks of infection. Lymphocyte depletion is accompanied by the loss of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity, and recent attention has focused on potential role of bacterial translocation across the damaged ("leaky") intestinal barrier. In support of this model, systemic immune activation markers have been shown to predict HIV progression better than CD4+ T cell count or HIV viral load. Independent of the potential role of bacterial translocation, the damage to gut epithelium may have other profound consequences for the HIV-infected patient.
The impact of this disease progression on the enterocyte's capacity to absorb specific drugs and nutrients has not been adequately explored. Loss of rifampicin absorptive capacity in the setting of HIV infection would explain the inferior treatment outcomes that are characteristic of HIV-associated tuberculosis, including early mortality, relapse after the completion of therapy, and the development of rifampicin resistant infection during anti-tuberculosis therapy. Therefore, we propose a pilot study of the relationship between immune activation, rifampicin absorption, and intestinal capacity for carrier-mediated transport and permeability, which will lay the foundation for a K23 Career Development Award application to the Division of AIDS, NIAID.
Rifampicin is an-antibacterial compound from the rifamycin family that is used for the treatment of certain bacterial infections, and is the cornerstone of the first-line treatment regimen for tuberculosis. Polymorphisms in a specific drug uptake transporter gene, SLCO1B1, lead to significant variability in the pharmacokinetics of rifampicin. Other host factors that negatively influence rifampicin absorption are not well understood, particularly in the high-risk group of HIV-infected patients with active tuberculosis.
Long-term use of rifampicin is rarely associated with adverse effects that include a flu-like illness and anemia. Both of these effects cease after termination of the drug. Neither of these effects has been reported after a single dose administration. Hypersensitivity reactions presenting with rash have also been reported after prolonged use of rifampicin, but would be rare after a single-dose administration. The risks associated with rifampicin have been minimized by studying pharmacokinetics after administration of a single dose, rather than after prolonged use. Rifampicin is a potent inducer of the cytochrome p450 enzyme system that is involved in the metabolism of many commonly used therapeutic compounds. For this reason, we will exclude participants who are receiving any prescription medications with clinically significant drug-drug interactions with rifampicin.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|7 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Basic Science
|Official Title:
|Immune Activation and Drug Absorption in HIV-Infected Patients
|Study Start Date :
|June 2014
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|March 2016
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|March 14, 2016
Experimental: HIV-infected subjects
HIV-infected subjects who have not yet initiated highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). All enrolled subjects will receive a single dose of rifampicin 600 mg.
Drug: Rifampicin 600 mg
The investigators will administer a single dose of rifampicin 600 mg to study subjects in order to conduct a pharmacokinetic study of rifampicin absorption.
Other Name: rifamycin
- Rifampicin Absorption (Ka) [ Time Frame: Baseline ]The investigators will perform a pharmacokinetic study to assess rifampicin absorption among study subjects. Pharmacokinetic modeling will be used to assess the absorption rate constant (Ka) for each subject.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|21 Years to 45 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- HIV-infected males and females, between the ages of 21 and 45 years.
- Naïve to antiretroviral therapy
- T cell count greater than 350 cells/mm3
- Body Mass Index (BMI) greater or equal to 19 and less than or equal to 33.
- Weight greater than 60 kilograms.
- Ability and willingness to provide informed consent.
- Ability to swallow oral medications
Exclusion Criteria:
- Breastfeeding.
- Allergy or sensitivity to rifampicin.
- Prior history of documented active tuberculosis infection.
- Receipt of any investigational therapy, chemotherapy, or immune modulatory agents within 42 days prior to study entry.
- The following laboratory values obtained within 42 days prior to study entry:
Hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL; Females: Hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL Platelet count < 100,000/mm3 AST, ALT, and bilirubin > 5x ULN An estimated creatinine clearance < 80 mL/min based on the Cockroft-Gault equation
- Positive blood test for latent tuberculosis infection (T-SPOT)
- Female participants of reproductive potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test performed with 28 days prior to study entry.
"Female participants of reproductive potential" is defined as women who have reached menarche or who have not been post-menopausal for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e. who have had menses within the preceding 24 months) or who have not undergone surgical sterilization (e.g. hysterectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy or salpingectomy).
- Female participants of reproductive potential that are using oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) must be willing to use barrier precautions for contraception for at least 7 days following each study visit.
Use of any of the following prescription medications within 30 days prior to study entry, which may have drug-drug interactions with rifampicin, including (but not limited to):
- Anti-coagulants (warfarin)
- Cardiac drugs (digoxin, quinidine, verapamil, nifedipine, metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol)
- Hypoglycemics (rosiglitazone, pioglitazone, glipizide, repaglinide)
- Proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole,
- Immune modulators (tacrolimus, cyclosporine)
- Corticosteroids (dexamethasone, prednisone, hydrocortisone)
- H2 blockers (ranitidine, cimetidine)
- HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin)
- Benzodiazepines (alprazolam, diazepam, midazolam, triazolam)
- CNS-acting drugs (amitriptyline, buproprion, clozapine, phenytoin)
- Evidence of current ongoing tobacco use, illicit drug use, or average alcohol use of greater than 2 drinks per day.
- Any illness that, in the opinion of the study investigator, might confound the results of the study, or pose an additional risk to the subject by his or her participation in the study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01845298
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Drexel University College of Medicine
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102
|Principal Investigator:
|Christopher Vinnard, MD
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Drexel University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|May 3, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|March 3, 2017
|Last Verified:
|February 2017
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Antibiotics, Antitubercular
Antitubercular Agents
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Leprostatic Agents
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B6 Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C8 Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inducers


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Difference between revisions of "Pto gen"
m (linkify)
(Note that PTO project is now created in same folder as first photo.)
|Line 6:
|Line 6:
The general use is
The general use is
pto_gen *.jpg
pto_gen *.jpg
This creates a project file from all jpg images in the
This creates a project file from all jpg imagesin the .
The project file is named
The project file is named -.pto .
== Options ==
== Options ==
Revision as of 00:52, 23 December 2011
pto_gen assembles a Hugin .pto project file that is suitable as input for further tools such as the cpfind control-point generator, or for opening with the Hugin panorama GUI itself. Functionality is similar to match-n-shift.
The general use is
pto_gen *.jpg
This creates a project file from all jpg images, in the same folder as the first photo. The project file is named first_file-last_file.pto using the same convention as the Hugin GUI.
- -o | --output output.pto Output a pto file with the given filename (instead of the default).
- -p | --projection number Sets the projection type for all images (0 - rectilinear, 2 - equirectangular, 3 - full-frame fisheye, ...).
- -f | --fov number Sets the horizontal field of view for all images. Useful if your lens does not store the focal length and/or crop factor correctly in the EXIF data.
- -s | --stacklength number Sets the number of images in each stack (default: 1, meaning no stacks).
- -l | --linkstacks When given links the image positions in stacks.
- -h | --help Display help.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bundle Includes
The LF6100 combines a gorgeous Full HD LED picture with a nimble Smart TV interface. Full HD 1080p resolution is the summit of high definition, made to pair beautifully with Blu-ray discs, videogames, and your most demanding television programming. The LED screen delivers amazing brightness, clarity and color detail, while also achieving the coveted ENERGY STAR Most Efficient designation. And this LG Smart TV lets you easily access Premium Video-on-Demand services from a host of top providers, directly through the TV for the ultimate in entertainment and convenience.
LED with Full HD 1080p Resolution - LED uses tiny, light-emitting diodes to illuminate the picture. The new standard in HDTVs, LED is superior to older CCFL technology, making slimmer televisions possible, with amazing brightness, clarity and color detail. Full HD 1080p meets the highest standards for high definition, displaying 1,080 (progressive) lines of resolution on screen for a clearer, more detailed image that is simply breathtaking.
The Content You Want At Your Fingertips - Access premium content from providers like Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube to stream your favorite movies and TV shows. LG connects you to the content that you and your family want. Disclaimer: Internet connection & some subscriptions required and sold separately.
TRUMOTION 120HZ - TruMotion reflects the benefits of our detailed backlight scanning and enhanced frame rates to reduce blur and yields crisper details. It's a boon to all fast-action video, but most especially sports, so you won't miss a thing. LG TruMotion 120Hz is available on select-model LCD TVs.
ENERGY STAR MOST EFFICIENT 2015 - Awarded the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient designation in 2015. Products that are recognized as the Most Efficient of ENERGY STAR in 2015 prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting rigorous energy efficiency performance levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Magic Remote - Simply click, point, scroll or use voice commands to change the channel, search for something new, and more. The LG Magic Remote can also be used to operate your connected devices. Spend less time navigating confusing menus and juggling multiple remotes, and more time enjoying your entertainment.
Product Specifications:
1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080) - YesTruMotion 120Hz - YesTriple XD Engine - YesJust Scan (1:1 Pixel Matching) - YesReal Cinema 24p - Yes
Processor - DualPremium VOD Services - YesMagic Remote Control - Not Included (Accessory)Natural Voice Recognition - Yes (Ready)Universal Control Capability - Yes (Ready)LG Content Store (App Store) - YesWeb Browser - Yes
Screen Share - YesContent Share - Yes
Speaker System - 2 ChannelAudio Output Power (Watts - THD 10%) - 20WMono/Stereo/Dual (MTS/SAP) - YesDolby Digital Decoder - YesDTS Decoder - YesSound System - Virtual Surround PlusClear Voice II - YesWireless Sound Sync - Yes (Ready)
WiFi Direct - YesWi-Fi Built-in - YesSIMPLINK (HDMI CEC) - Yes
Video - DivX HDAudio - AC3(Dolby Digital), EAC3, HE-AAC, AAC, MP2, MP3, PC M, DTS, RA, WMAPhoto - JPEG, JPS, MPO
RF In (Antenna/Cable) - 1 (Rear)Component Video In - 1 (Rear)Composite In (AV) - 1 (shared w/Component)HDMI - 3 (Side)USB 3.0/2.0 - 0 / 3 (Side) - 3 (Side)Digital Audio Out (Optical) - 1 (Rear)LAN - 1 (Rear)RS232 - 1 (Rear, Phone Jack)
ENERGY STAR Qualified - Yes (Most Efficient)Power Supply (Voltage, Hz) - 100V ~ 240V, 50/60 HzStandby Mode - 0.3W
VESA - Yes
TV without Stand (WxHxD) - 54.1" x 31.3" x 2.3"TV with Stand (WxHxD) - 54.1" x 33.4" x 11"TV without Stand weight - 50.7 lbsTV with Stand weight - 51.8 lbsTV Shipping Dimensions (WxHxD) - 57.5" x 34.6" x 7.5"
Limited Warranty - 1 Year Parts & Labor


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Bill Gates discusses the media's role in eradicating poverty and disease, Microsoft as a platform for the creation and distribution of filmed entertainment, his "friend" and "competitor" Steve Jobs, and says he won't be running for president any time soon.
A day after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Islamic Development Bank signed a five-year deal to combat disease and famine in low-income countries, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has urged the global media to "become the conscience of the world," by "showing how bad things can get and how good things can be".
Speaking at the third Abu Dhabi Media Summit, Gates said the global media could play a larger role in highlighting humanitarian plight and possible solutions to that plight: "The world has not yet fully tapped the power of the media as a force for good," he said.
"In fact, I think 'media' is too passive a word to capture the dynamic role it can play. The media is really a voice. And if it raises its voice – to show how bad things can get and how good they can be – the media can become the conscience of the world."
Gates called the Gulf region a "home to deep innovators in the field of media" and said it was thus well-placed to improve the lives of those most in need: "The media here reach the wealthy, who should know about the lives of the poorest. And the media also reach the poorest, who should know about the threat of disease and the power of vaccines."
Gates praised the region's commitment to technological and scientific innovation [and its philanthropy] and urged it to channel its work in these fields towards humanitarian good: "As you deepen your research into technology I want to exhort you to do something that the West has largely neglected to do for a very long time.
"For too long, the West worked almost exclusively to develop and apply technology to meet the needs of the rich world, only for those who could pay. As you grow into a world hub for research, I hope you constantly search for ways to apply technology to help people who can't pay."
Gates' keynote speech focused on the importance of eradicating communicable diseases and poverty and the role of local and global philanthropy and media in doing so, but during a short audience Q&A session the icon also touched on Microsoft's film-related activities, Steve Jobs, Windows 8 and new media developments.
Microsoft and film
In light of Microsoft's recent work on a Halo feature film, which it will release on YouTube in November, and the software giant's development of a 13-part drama series, Screen asked Gates what role a software company like Microsoft can play in the production of filmed entertainment.
He said: "I think in terms of film as we think about it today, a company like Microsoft is mainly an enabler, making sure that internet connected devices are available for the consumption of film, for example."
"I don't think Microsoft itself brings enough to get involved in that area in a deep way", he continued. "We're more of a platform for the creation and distribution of material… Microsoft will be a tool and a significant creator of the most interactive content - like Halo, for example - which has a strong software component."
Windows 8 and Steve Jobs
Ahead of the anticipated launch of Windows 8, Gates said the new software would "combine the best of the tablet with that of the PC."
He described Steve Jobs as "a friend, a competitor and many other things" and praised his work as an "amazing achievement".
Traditional v new media
Gates advised the head of an Arab news channel who asked him for business advice on how much money to devote to traditional platforms and to new media, to spend "70% on TV and 30% on new media".
"Over time the values might shift," Gates said. But for now, "the broadest footprint is still broadcast TV. The internet is much more sophisticated than it used to be. But we still need to reduce the costs in monthly internet connections and the cost of devices."
President Gates
In response to one attendee's question as to whether Gates would run for president of the US (which drew a round of applause), he said: "I'd never choose to run for political office."
He added: "I think, but perhaps I'm wrong, that I can have as much impact in my role as chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as I can in a political role…I'd give advice to the president just like I do to Microsoft."


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EU Commission's ATAD proposal released
On 25 October 2016 the EU Commission presented yet another package of corporate tax reforms comprising, inter alia, a proposal on tackling "hybrid mismatches" between the tax systems of Member States and non-EU countries (Proposal) through amendments to the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (EU) 2016/1164 of 12 July 2016 (ATAD). The Proposal is mainly an embodiment of the BEPS Action 2 "Neutralising the Effects of Hybrid Mismatch Arrangements".
In principle, hybrid mismatches occur when countries treat the same financial instruments or entities differently for tax purposes. The ATAD currently deals with certain hybrid mismatches solely between the Member States of EU. The Proposal enlarges the scope of the ATAD:
- to include imported mismatches, hybrid transfers, dual resident mismatches to fully align it with the BEPS Action 2 as well as hybrid permanent establishment mismatches
- to cover hybrid mismatches with non-EU countries
Moving forward with the Proposal requires unanimous approval of all Member States of EU. After approval by the Member States, the Proposal will need to be implemented into their national laws by 31 December 2018 with an effective date as from 1 January 2019.
As a preliminary step multinationals will need to identify hybrid mismatches in their structures and to anticipate potential risks. Actual restructuring steps should be carefully reviewed and coordinated by the tax teams of all jurisdictions involved to ensure that restructuring is handled in a consistent manner. It also remains to be seen how the tax authorities of the Member States will interpret some specific situations like those involving a deferral of inclusion of income (which may arise due to differences in accounting and tax systems) in the light of the hybrid mismatch definition. The approach to be taken by the tax authorities of the Member States in this respect will have a significant impact on existing structures with US taxpayers leading to a tax deferral in the US.
US-Luxembourg tax treaty amendments: latest
On the same topic, on 22 June 2016, Luxembourg and the US announced an agreement to amend the US-Luxembourg tax treaty to put an end to the Luxembourg-US finance branch structures that utilized a permanent hybrid mismatch structure (not taxable neither in US nor in Luxembourg). On 27 October 2016 the Council of State of Luxembourg in its opinion concluded, that the proposed Luxembourg bill of law amending the US-Luxembourg double tax treaty with a retroactive effect (Bill of Law) contradicts the Constitution of Luxembourg, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the general principle of legal certainty. However, the Parliament of Luxembourg may not necessarily abide with the opinion of the Council of State and still vote for the Bill of Law, which would constitute an exceptional event.
In any case and regardless of the timing for the change of the US-Luxembourg double tax treaty, the US Branch structures commonly used for US financing structures would have disappeared before 2019 pursuant to the amended ATAD (assuming the Proposal is approved).


text:
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am full of Grandma J's mashed potatoes and homemade noodles and I can now go on. (Yes, it is that good.) I'm listening to Goose honk away over the monitor and watching a lousy but amusing movie with Hubs but I don't expect him to be awake much longer. Good times.
As I mentioned, I ended up digging through Sew, Mama, Sew's October Scrap Buster projects. LOTS of great stuff there! Here are my favorites (in some sort of alphabetical order as they ended up in the favorites folder) -
Bilbified - floral brooch
Bits and Pieces - bookmarks (there's another fabric bookmark here and another at 7 Layer Studio, and one more here)
Chez Beeper Bebe - plush alphabet
Coloured Buttons - three wise owls
craftytammy - catnip mice
cute little piggytoes - scrappy gift bag
Detail - quilted coasters
Elizabeth's Fabric Focus on Sew, Mama, Sew! - quick-piece tiny squares
Give it a Go - state outline luggage tags
Homegrown Happy - Baby's Soft Book of Colors
Hold On Tight - finger puppets
JCasa *handmade - hairkerchief
Keeping Up With the Jameses - onesie dress
Linaloo - patchwork star
Mairuru - patchwork string
mynewtherapy - fabric covered clothespins
Neuroses Galore - baby doll cloth diaper
Obsessively Stitching - I-Spy fabric scrap cards
Old Days, Old Ways - tiny quiet quilt
One Inch World - scrappy shapes for felt boards
Pleasant Home - dish towel embellishment
Projects at Sew, Mama, Sew - bean bags, fabric balls, and tag blankets (though you can see my tag blankets here and my crinkle taggie toys here)
sew joy - scrap nest
stephjacobsen - fabric strip burp cloth
Stitch/Craft - scrappy color book
Vintage Sheet - travel purse
Well, by the time I was able to finish this post, Goose ended up not taking her nap, we dropped her Papa at the airport (he only flew in for the day, Goose and I drove yesterday), I left Goose with Grandma, and drove home myself. Whew. Tomorrow is a big day, our Altar Society is having a fundraiser and we'll be wrapping people's Black Friday gifts and selling soup and pie at the craft fair in the next town over. Should be a good time. But I miss my Honker already!! Hope this finds everyone well after a day of giving thanks - I sure am thankful for all of YOU! Happy clicking!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Link Roundup, Sew, Mama, Sew Scrap Buster Edition
Posted by Lenetta at 8:22 PM
5 comments:
- Angela said...
Well, I am very thankful that I've gotten to know you!
I love the baby doll cloth diaper, I might have to try that one! Isabella is obsessed with baby dolls.
- November 27, 2009 at 9:25 PM
- Steph Jacobson said...
Thanks for including my tutorial in this great list of projects!
- November 28, 2009 at 12:55 PM
- Shelley said...
Thanks for linking to my blog! I enjoyed reading about your Thanksgiving weekend, it sounds like you all had a great time!
- December 1, 2009 at 12:43 AM
- Stephanie said...
Thanks for including me! Your site is great, I'm bookmarking it!
- December 1, 2009 at 7:06 PM
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
- January 2, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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What the...? Double take time in eBay town! I tagged this guitar because I thought it was a conventional but very nice looking guitar, especially the pickups. I love the surrounds. Today when I was double checking it I noticed the f holes. What the? I'll say it again for the third time. What the? I don't think I've seen such a strange thing on an otherwise conventional instrument - ever. What on earth were they thinking? The top of the f holes are right beside the bridge, where there is most downward pressure. I'm surprised it's survived. Maybe , as the bottom is the deepest part, they thought it was the best place for sound projection... No, you're right. That doesn't make sense at all.
This definitely comes under the category " well, someone must have thought it was a good idea!"
David in Barcelona (back from Sitges)
Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!


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Manufacturing making slow resurgence in the suburbs
Acme Industries in the last six months alone hired 53 new employees to help churn out locomotive engine components, mining truck steering arms and other large, complex high-precision parts at its Elk Grove Village facility.
In St. Charles, workers at Bison Gear and Engineering Corp. are back to assembling gear motors that were, until recently, produced in China.
And Peerless Industries in Aurora, which makes audiovisual mounting solutions, returned its manufacturing to Illinois over rising labor costs and concerns over protecting intellectual property.
Those aren't exactly signs of an industry long presumed dead or gone overseas, never to return.
Though experts agree that U.S. soil will never again be home to all the manufacturing jobs that left, signs continue to point toward a resurgence in the suburbs as the economy slowly improves and the cost gap between domestic and foreign production narrows.
"Over the last few years, manufacturing in this country has been having a bit of a Renaissance," Acme Industries CEO Warren Young said. "My business, for one, has been having some wonderful success lately."
Local trends mirror what's going on in the rest of the country.
U.S. manufacturing expanded 34 consecutive months before contracting slightly in June, according to the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index.
Employment rising
Along with production, the number of manufacturing jobs is creeping back up.
Though significantly below January 2008 levels, jobs statewide and regionally have steadily rebounded since bottoming out two years ago.
As of May, the Illinois Department of Employment Security reported there were 592,800 manufacturing jobs in Illinois and 327,800 in the eight Chicago-area counties, an increase of 42,500 and 16,500 since January 2010, respectively.
IDES reported that manufacturing in Lake and Kenosha counties, where statistics are combined, rose by 1,900 jobs over the same period to 55,900 total jobs in May.
According to the most recent figures available by county from Evanston-based publisher of state manufacturers directories Manufacturers' News Inc., between November 2010 and November 2011, industrial jobs rose 4.7 percent in DuPage County, 3.7 percent in Lake County and 5 percent in Kane County. Cook County dropped 1.4 percent to 301,209 jobs, while McHenry County saw a 3.7 percent decline.
Elk Grove Village, which accounts for the second-highest industrial employment in Illinois behind Chicago, also saw a 1.8 percent decrease, due to closings such as the National Envelope facility.
Despite the uneven gains, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that a total of 495,000 new manufacturing jobs have been created since 2010 in the U.S., mainly in the Midwest, Texas, Louisiana and other Southern states.
Driving a comeback
There are numerous factors behind the comeback, the most significant being the rising cost of foreign labor.
University of Southern California economist Baizhu Chen said Chinese wages have averaged 14 percent annual increases during the past decade, and are likely to maintain the same pace for the next five to 10 years. Similar trends are taking place in other manufacturing centers throughout Asia.
"Production in other countries isn't as cheap as it was in the past," said Gad Allon, a professor of operations management at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. "Whether to offshore used to be a clear-cut decision, but for many firms it's making sense to come back."
More than a third of U.S.-based manufacturers with sales greater than $1 billion are planning to bring back production from China, or are at least considering it, according to Chicago-based Boston Consulting Group.
In the global management consulting firm's April survey, executives most cited labor costs, product quality, ease of doing business and proximity to customers.
Seventy percent agreed that sourcing in China is more costly than it looks on paper, and 92 percent believe labor costs will continue to escalate.
Allon pointed to shipping costs, which began surging about two years ago. He also said most companies keep their research and development in the U.S., so design changes require engineers to shuttle back and forth between sites.
"Firms now realize it's not only about finding the cheapest location, but the cost from the moment of production to delivering it to the customer," Allon said. "In order to be innovative in the market, it can be significantly more beneficial to have everything located in the same place, or at least the same country."
One Kildeer man is on a mission to get that message out.
In 2010, Harry Moser founded the Reshoring Initiative in an effort to bring quality, well-paying manufacturing jobs back the U.S. by assisting companies to more accurately assess their total cost of offshoring, and shift "collective thinking from 'offshoring is cheaper' to 'local reduces the total cost of ownership.'"
His website, reshorenow.org, features software that calculates those total costs based on factors such as taxes, packaging, time and money being tied up, impact on quality and intellectual property. The site also includes articles and case studies about companies that have brought some or all production back to the U.S.
"Maybe 25 percent could come back today based on the total cost of ownership, and that could mean hundreds of billions of dollars and millions of jobs," said Moser, who estimates he'll do 120 presentations on the topic this year across the country. "A lot of companies made a mistake by ignoring all these other factors."
Challenges ahead
Despite the positive trends, manufacturing's resurgence faces numerous challenges.
For one, there are indicators such as last month's contraction that the industry's growth is slowing.
Experts say the European debt crisis and confidence among U.S. consumers, which in June declined to its lowest level this year, are impacting domestic production.
Companies also are struggling to find skilled labor to support their expansion.
The type of factories that are returning aren't based on manual labor cranking out high volumes of an identical product, such as cheap apparel.
Instead, many positions require skilled workers capable of more sophisticated production.
Boston Consulting Group's survey said examples of sectors most likely to return are transportation goods, appliances and electrical equipment, furniture, plastic and rubber products, machinery, fabricated metal products, computers and electronics.
Jim Nelson with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association said the industry will need to replace 30,000 production workers in the state every year for the next 15 years as baby boomers retire. At the same time a Deloitte survey found that while 75 percent of the public believes manufacturing is an important part of a local economy, only 25 percent would encourage their child to go into it.
"For a long time, manufacturing has had a reputation of being dirty, dark and dank, but it's no longer that," Nelson said. "And people don't realize that this is a career, not just a job."
The Department of Commerce, Nelson said, estimates that the average advanced manufacturing job earns $74,400 in total compensation. He believes the industry needs to work on changing its image, "particularly to moms and guidance counselors."
Cindy Tomei, president of the Valley Industrial Association in Aurora, said that it's crucial to get out the message that manufacturing isn't dead and offers a viable career. She lauded efforts such as a new partnership between more than 50 area companies and Harper College in Palatine to offer paid internships for students enrolled in a new advanced manufacturing program.
"Many of our high schools that had technical centers have gone by the wayside, so we've lost a generation of these skilled workers," Tomei said. "America has always been the innovator, so we need to support efforts that will build up that pipeline again."
Factories: 'People don't realize that this is a career, not just a job'


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More than 50,000 kids in the Los Angeles area are enrolled in the Boy Scouts, where they earn merit badges in things like First Aid, Personal Management, and Citizenship in the World, and generally learn to "Be Prepared" (the Boy Scout motto). But what Boy Scout worth his moccasins could legitimately "be prepared" without knowing how to respect copyrights?
That's why the MPAA partnered with the Los Angeles Area Boy Scouts to develop the "Respect Copyrights" patch, a merit badge that Scouts can earn after reading some
propaganda information on what you are not supposed to do with copyrighted works. After that, it's time to make a presentation. How about something on peer-to-peer file-sharing?
"Research peer to peer websites—describe to your troop what they are and how they are sometimes used to illegally trade copyrighted materials," suggests the official curriculum. Of course, if you actually have to explain to your troop what p2p networks are and how they are used, you're probably in Amish country. "There are peer to peer groups who offer legal downloads and those who offer illegal downloads. Make a list of both. Suggest ways to detect peer to peer software like the MPAA Parent File Scan."
That's right—kids are supposed to encourage other kids to go home and run Parent File Scan on their machines. This is a piece of software that simply lists all file-swapping applications and media files (whether legal or illegal) on a user's hard drive. Encouraging kids to do this (with the obvious correlation that they could discover and put an end to big brother John Q. Crazyreefer's stash of hidden downloads) seems a mite creepy, but what's truly disconcerting about the program is that it's not designed to teach kids about copyright at all. It's designed to teach them to "respect copyrights."
That little difference is important, because the curriculum appears to offer no guidance regarding fair use, public domain material, the limited duration of such rights, and why you aren't allowed to make backup copies of DVDs that you purchased. Instead, students are asked to "go to a movie and stay through all of the credits. Tell your counselor and/or troop leader who you think, in addition to the main actors and actresses, would be hurt if that film were stolen?"
That's a good lesson to learn, but it's only one of many copyright lessons. For a major corporate interest to get its message out to kids this way (and the MPAA isn't the only culprit), and to produce such a one-sided curriculum, is just inappropriate. It suggests a visceral unwillingness to truly engage with people about copyright issues; much easier instead simply to get them while they're young and drill the "respect copyrights" message into their impressionable heads.
Update: it's a "patch"
Several former Boy Scouts have responded to point out that this is not actually a merit badge; the MPAA materials simply refer to it as a "patch."


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Floyd Mayweather Drops $30K Bag Full Of Money In The Crowd!
UNN reports "Floyd drove a phantom inside the club then emptied to full louie bags full of money into a packed crowd at dreamz atl"
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Linked product
The University of Michigan Risk Bites takes a look at five things it is worth knowing about nanoparticles in sunscreens. How safe are they?
Nano Content Map
Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.
Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering lead to new knowledge and innovations that weren't possible before.
Nanotechnologies—and their costs, utility, risks, and benefits—are closely interconnected with society and with our values.
Risk Bites is supported by the University of Michigan Risk Science Center and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Owning institution
University of Michigan Risk Science Center
Development Process
NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.


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SQL Server 7.0 OLAP Services offers powerful tools that help businesses use data to analyze business activity. Consisting of a middle-tier server called the SQL Server OLAP Server and a client-side caching and calculation engine called the Microsoft PivotTable Service, OLAP Services lets businesses quickly identify trends to support decisions that optimize business processes. For example, in about 20 minutes I used OLAP Services to create a data cube to analyze billable hours for the people I manage, by connecting to my company's time-and-billing system running on SQL Server 6.5. With little effort, I built a useful data mart that helps me do my job.
Business intelligence, executive information systems, and decision-support systems are approaches that use data to analyze business activity. For example, retail chains have huge amounts of raw transactional data. When aggregated properly at the right intervals, this transactional data can reveal customer buying habits and drive marketing decisions. By including OLAP Services in SQL Server 7.0, Microsoft gives unprecedented data analysis and reporting power to organizations that previously couldn't justify the cost of such a sophisticated business intelligence tool. This article examines the foundation of data warehousing and dimensional databases, and the capabilities Microsoft brings to SQL Server with OLAP Services.
Data Warehousing and Dimensional Data
Data warehousing is the technology that fuels a business intelligence engine. The data warehousing environment is complex because it can contain all of an organization's data and can use various methods to get data to executive-level business users for decision support. The biggest challenge is getting data from operational relational databases optimized for transaction processing to end users in a readable format with fast query capability. Extracting, cleansing, and transforming data on a scheduled basis to populate dimensional databases is a formidable task. One way to break up this task is to create data marts, which are subsets of a data warehouse. You can target a data mart for a specific business unit to satisfy narrowly defined requirements. This approach simplifies the design and implementation of a business intelligence solution. If managed carefully, data marts can serve as building blocks for the enterprise data warehouse.
You use dimensional databases to build data warehouses. Dimensional databases store facts about business activity, such as sales in dollars and units, in the context of dimensions such as time, geography, customer demographics, and products. By describing and storing the data in this manner, companies can execute high-performance ad hoc queries against the data. (Acceptable query performance in large data warehouses usually requires dimensional data modeling, a topic that's beyond the scope of this article. For more information on dimensional data modeling, study The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit by Ralph Kimball, John Wiley & Sons, 1998.)
A dimensional database stores relevant facts (for example, sales in dollars) in a fact table. The fact table is dependent on dimension tables, and the fact table's primary key consists of foreign keys from the dimension tables. Figure 1, page 26, shows a simple dimensional database (a star schema), in which the Sales table is the fact table, and the Time, Store, and Product tables are dimension tables. The dimension table data values, or members, are textual and serve as the row and column headers in reports of query results. These members let you filter, or slice, the data. For example, you can create views of dollar and unit amounts sorted by store, product, and time period. You can use the dimension members (for example, product category and month) to define the data slices to examine sales performance. You use the values in the dimension tables to browse the fact data. The fact table has an index on each column in its primary key to facilitate joins with the dimension tables and to increase query speed.
A star schema, such as the one in Figure 1, supports building three-dimensional data cubes, such as the one in Figure 2.The term star schema comes from the physical appearance of the dimensional model. The fact table is the center of the star and the dimensions are the points of the star. A snowflake schema is a model in which dimension tables are normalized and related dimension tables are attached to the points of the original star. The cube in Figure 2 represents a slice of the data from the dimensional database in Figure 1. This slice lets you look at total annual product sales in the clothing, toy, and housewares categories in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., stores for 1993, 1994, and 1995. As the figure shows, you can zoom in on the part of the cube representing sales measures for toys in Virginia stores in 1994.
Each cube cell contains measures unless no values exist. If no stores were in Washington, D.C., in 1993, for example, the set of cells in the bottom-left corner of Figure 2 will be empty or contain zero values.
The Three OLAPs
The OLAP Server supports three types of dimensional data storage: Multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP), Relational OLAP (ROLAP), and Hybrid OLAP (HOLAP). MOLAP uses compressed indexes and a query engine optimized for the relevant storage format. MOLAP stores aggregations to facilitate fast data access.
ROLAP stores aggregations in an operational relational database in summary tables for fast data access. This storage approach can become costly in terms of disk storage space and generally isn't as fast as MOLAP. However, ROLAP lets an organization leverage existing investments in database management hardware and software and offers better scalability than MOLAP.
HOLAP leaves the facts in the source database and stores aggregates in MOLAP fashion. Some people consider this solution to be the best-of-both-worlds approach. However, if all the necessary aggregations aren't stored in the data warehouse or data mart, queries back to the transaction-level detail in the source database will be relatively slow.
Microsoft OLAP Services
Microsoft brings to the OLAP arena tools to intelligently build, manage, and query data cubes and to implement data marts. SQL Server 7.0's OLAP Server supports MOLAP, ROLAP, and HOLAP; variable degrees of aggregation to optimize query performance against storage space; source data in dimensional or relational schemas; cube partitioning to allow queries against distributed, heterogeneous data sources; usage analysis that lets you focus on problem queries and rebuild aggregations to tune those queries; write-back for what-if analysis; incremental update capability; and an OLE DB interface extended for OLAP.
Client applications can access the OLAP Server features via the PivotTable Service (for details about the PivotTable Service, see r "Navigating the PivotTable Service"), with the OLE DB for OLAP specification and ActiveX Data Object Multi-Dimensional (ADO MD) object model. Another object model, Decision Support Objects (DSO), provides a programming interface to manage the OLAP Server that is similar to the Distributed Management Objects (DMO) that SQL Server provides. The OLAP Server contains databases, which in turn contain objects to support cube construction. Screen 1 shows the OLAP Manager, the built-in administrative user interface for OLAP Services.
An OLAP Services database consists of cubes, virtual cubes that are joins of cubes similar to a view in SQL Server, data sources, dimensions, and roles (which define privileges for users, based on NT security). After you identify data sources and define dimensions, you can build cubes. The OLAP Server includes the FoodMart sample database. Screen 2 shows the sales cube of the FoodMart database. It's a snowflake schema, which refers to the product_class table relationship with the product table.
After you create the cube and choose the storage technique, the OLAP Server designs the aggregations and processes the cube. If you choose the ROLAP storage technique, the OLAP Server will create the summary tables in the source database after the cube is processed. Otherwise, aggregations are stored in OLAP Server native format. You can choose the degree of aggregation by considering the level of query optimization you want versus the amount of disk space required. Screen 3 shows the Storage Design Wizard. In the FoodMart Sales cube example, I chose 80 percent performance, which produced 124 aggregations and required 22.5MB of storage space for MOLAP. The aggregations roll up, so if you choose low performance in favor of conserving disk space, the OLAP Server query engine will satisfy queries by summing existing aggregations. Cubes can be partitioned to access data from distributed, heterogeneous sources. This is a powerful feature for scalability because the OLAP Server can determine what data it needs from various sources to satisfy a query.
The FoodMart sample database is already in a dimensional schema, so the facts and dimensions easily map to the OLAP Server objects. You can build cubes directly against relational databases if the data is clean and consistent, which is usually a rare case. You can use the pubs sample database in SQL Server to build a sample cube. You can use the Sales table as the fact table and the Titles and Stores tables as dimensions. Then derive a time dimension from the ord_date column in the Sales table. The dimension wizard will ask whether the dimension is a standard or a time dimension. The pubs Sales table contains only the sales quantities. To determine the sales values, you can create a view in SQL Server that joins Sales and Titles, multiply sales.qty and titles.price, then use this view as the fact table. The fact table must also include ord_date, title_id, and stor_id.
You can use the OLAP Manager to browse the cube and dimension data. Screen 4 shows data from the Sales cube in the FoodMart database. This cube has 10 dimensions: Nine dimensions appear in the top pane, and the Time dimension is the column header in the grid display. You can rearrange the grid columns and rows by dragging the dimension title buttons to the axis you want them on. The replaced dimensions then appear in the top pane, and you can expand these dimensions for more detail. The six measures in the cube contain the business facts.
The OLAP Manager shows the cube data in a two-dimensional display. Third-party vendors offer powerful end-user analysis and presentation tools that work with the OLAP Server and PivotTable Service. These tools deliver sophisticated tabular and graphical presentation capabilities. For a list of vendors with front-end tools for the OLAP Server, visit Microsoft's Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/industry/bi/solutions/olap/olap.stm.
Screen 5 shows the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard, a feature you can use to adjust aggregations to meet specific needs. You can select queries based on a time frame, time to execute, user, or frequency. The OLAP Server will create additional aggregations based on the focus of the usage analysis to boost performance for critical or slow-running queries.
Write-back is an important capability for what-if analysis with cube data. By write-enabling a cube, you can look at the effect of changes to certain measures to forecast the results of such changes. Screen 6 shows the dialog box for write-enabling the Sales cube in the FoodMart database.
Rich Set of Tools
Microsoft has assembled a feature-rich set of decision-support tools in OLAP Services. OLAP is a compelling technology for organizations with complex data analysis and reporting requirements. SQL Server 7.0 OLAP Services and third-party tools let you easily build data mart solutions to get useful information to the business users who need it.


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EU Parliament leaders to reject Mersch for ECB
The European Parliament is set to reject Luxembourg central banker Yves Mersch's appointment to the European Central Bank's executive board on grounds that he is a man and insufficient efforts have been made to appoint a woman.
The leaders of six of the largest political groupings in the European Parliament have agreed to reject Mersch, 63, on grounds of systemic gender bias at the ECB, a statement from one of the leaders said on Thursday.
Continue Reading Below
A hearing into his candidacy will still go ahead on October 22, but Sylvie Goulard, a French liberal parliamentarian said that unless EU member states decided to withdraw Mersch's candidacy, the parliament had no option but to reject him.
"The hearing should take place on October 22nd but a negative recommendation would be adopted, based on the failure by the Council to respect the demands laid down," she said in an emailed statement.
"No judgment would be made on the competences of the candidate," she added.
In September, the lawmakers postponed Mersch's appointment indefinitely by putting off his cross-examination in protest at what they called systemic bias against women. All of the most senior positions in the central bank are filled by men.
EU leaders can still appoint Mersch over and above the European Parliament's objections, but the parliament's move makes it politically more difficult for that to happen.
The ECB said that Mersch's candidacy was safe.
"In our case, especially in times of crisis, the Executive Board (of the ECB) should be completed and this nomination should go through," Mario Draghi the head of the ECB said on Tuesday.
Mersch's spokesperson declined to comment.
In the 14 years since the ECB was founded as guardian of the euro single currency, two women have sat on the six-member executive board, Finland's Sirkka H��m��l��inen and Austria's Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell.
Euro zone finance ministers nominated Mersch, the governor of the central bank of Luxembourg, to the executive board in July 2012, replacing Spain's Jos�� Manuel Gonz��lez P��ramo, whose term expired at the end of May.
The Executive Board will not have another position open until June 2018.
(Reporting By Claire Davenport; additional reporting Sakari Suoninen and Eva Kuehnen; editing by Luke Baker)


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MONTREAL - Following the abrupt departure of the mayor of Canada's second-largest city, attention turned Tuesday to the enormous task of cleaning up a wider political mess in Quebec.
The provincial government tabled landmark political-financing legislation that would limit donations to a mere $100, all but eliminating partisan donations in the province. Bill 2 was the second piece of legislation tabled by the new PQ government — both of which have been anti-corruption bills.
The move came one day after Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay resigned. Thoughts in the city turned to finding an interim replacement for Tremblay, who a decade ago became the first mayor of the newly merged Montreal megacity.
Both provincial and municipal politicians said they preferred to go the interim-mayor route and not hold a costly election now, just one year before next November's scheduled vote.
Instead, a temporary replacement will be installed in the next few weeks to guide Montreal's scandal-plagued administration until an election.
The Quebec government appeared pleased with the resignation.
It expressed a mixture of "relief and sadness" at Tremblay's departure — which it described as the responsible choice, given the circumstances. Jean-Francois Lisee, the minister responsible for Montreal, praised Tremblay for his lengthy public service during a Quebec City news conference.
The PQ government also tabled a bill Tuesday that would set political donations near zero. The province was the first in Canada to ban donations from corporations in the 1970s, when it set a $3,000 limit on personal contributions. That limit recently fell to $1,000, and the PQ bill would chop it down to $100.
The Quebec government would also do the opposite of what the Harper government did in its most recent political reforms: the PQ bill eliminates tax refunds for political contributions, and more than doubles the public subsidy to $1.67 per vote. The Harper Tories recently abolished public subsidies for federal parties, while keeping the tax refund for donors.
Like the PQ, however, the Tories did reduce political donations (to $1,100) with their first piece of legislation upon taking office nearly seven years ago.
Quebec's flurry of reforms has been prompted by a high-profile corruption inquiry that has exposed bid-rigging, political corruption and Mafia ties in the construction industry.
While Montrealers began to look to the future, next-door Laval was still led by a mayor who has ruled the city for the last 23 years.
Gilles Vaillancourt, the mayor of Laval, has been accused of accepting kickbacks and has been targeted with several raids by the province's anti-corruption unit.
On Tuesday, Quebec's anti-corruption squad executed search warrants at several businesses in Laval, the province's third-largest city. The raids appeared to target four engineering firms; authorities said no arrests were imminent.
Vaillancourt has taken a leave for unspecified medical reasons, while denying the allegations against him. He is weighing his options about his political future.
The provincial government had little to say about Vaillancourt on Tuesday: "We respected Mr. Tremblay's period of reflection and we're doing the same for Mr. Vaillancourt," Lisee said.
But the local stalwart's grasp on power appeared tenuous.
Tuesday's police interventions were just the latest in a series of strikes by Quebec's anti-corruption squad in the city next to Montreal. Another three strikes were aimed at Vaillancourt's homes, city hall office and even his bank safety-deposit boxes.
Vaillancourt has been accused in the past of offering cash bribes to provincial politicians over the years and has angrily denied those accusations. He has denied more recent allegations at the inquiry that he personally pocketed a kickback from construction contracts.
Vaillancourt was reportedly planning to resign this week but the municipality issued a statement denying the news story.
If he does decide to go, the city could see a similar scenario to the one playing out in Montreal and both could be run by interim mayors appointed by municipal council.
Tremblay, who has spent years denying knowledge of corruption, faced intense pressure to quit after a former aide testified at Quebec's public inquiry that he was in fact aware and indifferent to evidence of wrongdoing within his party.
He called the allegation untrue. But he said he was quitting because the city had become politically paralyzed: employees have been suspended, big construction contracts are frozen, and the municipal budget has to be rewritten amid public anger over property-tax hikes.
One provincial opposition party said the PQ could have done more. Francois Legault, leader of the Coalition party, stopped short of demanding that Montreal be placed under trusteeship. But he suggested that an independent observer be assigned to oversee the city administration.
Municipal opposition parties had their own ideas: they hope to see a coalition run the city's powerful executive committee and ensure that all parties be involved in city management.
"We need an executive committee that includes a coalition to represent the political spectrum of Montreal," said Vision Montreal leader Louise Harel, the leader of the municipal opposition.
"Our first goal is to re-establish and rebuild the trust in the administration at city hall."
Richard Bergeron, leader of the smaller Projet Montreal party, said the political situation warrants a collaborative effort in the decision-making body. "We have to work together to relaunch Montreal in the next year," Bergeron said.
The majority house leader for the governing Union Montreal party, Marvin Rotrand, said he hoped to see a more harmonious attitude at city council but would leave the makeup of the executive committee to whomever is picked as the interim mayor.
Tremblay's Union Montreal holds the majority on city council and the next mayor is likely to come from the ruling party.
The provincial government indicated that could happen by next week but Rotrand said that, by law, it could happen anytime over the next month.
"I think the first priority is to get a mayor into office... That person will have to look into what the options are," Rotrand said.
"We have to find a way to advance the agenda of Montrealers."
Neither Bergeron nor Harel said they would sit on an all-party executive committee. Both said they intend to focus on running for mayor in 2013.
The ripple effect from Tremblay's departure was felt in Ottawa.
Liberal MP Denis Coderre, being touted as a possible mayoral candidate, found himself peppered with questions about municipal politics while still working on Parliament Hill. He avoided weighing in on the outgoing mayor.
"History will judge Gerald Tremblay," Coderre said. "It's not up to me to judge Gerald Tremblay. It's not up to me to do the (Charbonneau) commission's job."
Coderre said he'd have more to say Friday, when he holds a fundraiser in Montreal. He is expected to shed additional light on his local ambitions.
Other commentary saluted Tremblay's departure.
The head of Montreal's police union, Yves Francoeur, said he had done the responsible thing by leaving. He'd called for his resignation earlier.
The Montreal Chamber of Commerce saluted Tremblay's time at the helm, saying he left the city in a better economic situation.
But it called his departure necessary.
"In the current context, it was difficult for the mayor of Montreal to provide all the necessary leadership to properly direct the City and restore trust with Montrealers," chamber president Michel Leblanc said in a statement.
Leblanc said allegations before the Charbonneau Commission are troubling and suggest that the municipal level needs major reform.
Also on HuffPost


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Dining Table Chairs Set
Dining Table Chairs Set – This dining table chairs set is elegant design for choosing right kitchen and dining room design ideas. Kitchen and dining room are the important part of any home. Both of these spaces should suffice the cooking and the eating needs of the family living there. However, it is the kitchen and dining room furniture that can actually make the space more useful or clumsy. The most common furniture for dining room includes the dining tables and dining chairs. and the dining table chairs set will make the greatest difference.
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What to do during your MBA
As the placement and recruiting season is on at ISB and other B-schools, I am seeing people not getting their dream offers and getting depressed. Considering the current economic scenario, where companies are just being cautious and while most of them are just on a hiring freeze, I think this was expected. While going through some old archives on my computer, I found this advice useful (found somewhere on the internet, forgot the link) that I believe every B-school student should read before entering B-school and get themselves ready.
As You Begin….
Write down your goals: What are the top 3-5 things you want to accomplish during your B-School run? Review these goals regularly – hang them on your wall or keep it in your planner.
Get organized: If you do not already have one, get yourself a Palm Pilot, Treo, or paper-based system (Franklin Planner) to keep track of your (1) schedule, (2) rolodex, and (3) to do list. The rolodex is especially important – as you meet people (classmates, interviewers, professors, alumni), enter them in so you have record. Entering their names also will enhance your ability to remember them – repetition is the mother of skill.
Keep your resume up to date at all times! There is no official "resume season" – you could be asked for it at anytime, and failure to present one may preclude you from a great opportunity. Before you get knee-deep in classes, add your last experience to your resume if you haven't already.
It's all about Networking….
Get good at small talk: The best way to engage someone in small talk is to (1) remember their name when they tell you and (2) ask them questions. I always have four questions ready to go for anyone I meet:
– What is your name?
– Where are you from?
– Where do you/have you worked?
– Where are you living? (on campus/off campus)
Any of these four questions can lead you to "Level 2" questions: For example – "where are you from" leads to things like "I've never been there – what is it like?" or "did you like living there?" or "sounds like paradise on earth – do you want to return there?" etc.
Meet, Greet, and Meet Some More: Meet as many people as you can. Even if you do not regularly socialize with them, you will be surprised how your former classmates will welcome an email from you 10 years down the road, even if they barely remember you.
Keep Your Guard Up: One of the things I learned from my 1st year Negotiation class is that there are two broad sets of negotiators: Givers ("Pie Makers") and Takers ("Zero Summers"). Givers are people with loads of integrity and are willing to work with you to create a bigger pie before negotiating on how to divvy it up. Zero Summers are in it for themselves; their sole purpose is to take as much as they can off the table. When a giver negotiates with another giver, there is huge potential for mutual benefit, but when a giver negotiates with a taker, the giver gets royally hosed every time. If you are, by nature, a giver, be very wary of the takers. (I typically assume someone is a taker until they prove they are giver.)
Don't Become a Social Outcast: You are going to meet plenty of people who are just plain intimidating (Perhaps, you will recognize these people by the fact that they are going to pull up in Mercedes/BMW's, talk about the CEOs they play golf with, and come from esteemed families/social circles). But there are plenty of people there who DO have things in common with you. Also, your social circles will develop over time, so don't get freaked out if by the end of September, you have not found a group to hang out with.
Watch the Gossip: This probably won't be an issue for you, but there will be plenty of opportunities (usually around beers) to make fun of people based on their classroom comments or other social gaffes. Try not to participate – it has a habit of coming back around, and you never know when you will have to work with that person on a team project.
Sometimes You Gotta Force Yourself: If you find yourself not feeling like going to a meeting, extracurricular, company brief, or social function, go anyway. I can't tell you how many times I have dreaded going to one of these functions only to have learned something important or to have met someone that helped me down the road.
Today's Professors are Tomorrow's Colleagues: Meet your professors, get to know them. They value you – you keep them young and energized. Down the road, you will want to network with them. I did a horrible job of this.
The Classroom….
Go to Class: Not sure how classroom participation works at Berkeley, but at HBS it was a significant portion of the grade. Regardless, go to class – you will learn more that way. And don't show up late – it is unprofessional and you will look bad – very bad. If it came down to being late or not going at all, I chose not going at all.
Recognize that you bring value to the table: Don't be intimidated (as I was) by the I-bankers and Management Consultants. They will have really good, strategic work experience. But you have an equally relevant base of knowledge and experience. You have the advantage of having worked in an operational role, and knowing what works day to day amongst people who make the strategy happen. More importantly, not many have your experience in web marketing. Use these as your base.
Learn the jargon: You will find that the consultants and I-bankers will come in with a certain level of business savvy that you do not have (and I did not have going in to HBS). These people have operated at a more strategic level than you; learn from them. Listen how they talk and write down phrases you hear that sound good. Also write down phrases that sound equally ridiculous – you may be able to start a game of Business Bingo or even write a B-School comedy.
Have fun learning new stuff: You are paying a lot of money for this – focus less on grades, and more on learning.
Leverage other people's knowledge: Form a study group with people with diverse backgrounds. Aside from the learning aspects, it is a good way to socialize.
Get the Wall Street Journal: Read it everyday, even if only for 15 minutes over coffee – it is the best way to get educated on business, and gives you tidbits to contribute to conversations in and out of class.
The Future….
View yourself as your own business: You officially work for YOU Inc. You are your own business. Figure out what things interest you (e.g. web marketing), and become THE expert on it. Then find opportunities (not necessarily "jobs") where you can leverage your expertise. There will be times in the upcoming years where these opportunities will take the form of a job. Other times, these opportunities may take the form of a consulting/freelance role. Ultimately, these opportunities lead to the development of new skills and expertise, which open up a whole new set of opportunities.
Don't settle for a job: Figure out something that interests you and go from there. I was interested in technology, I researched a couple of industries, and decided to go into telecom; I did not waste my time learning about other "hot industries" like Financial Services. Perhaps I could have made more money, but it did not interest me and I would not have been successful because I did not have the interest.
Don't wait 'til "interview season" to look for an opportunity: Devote time each week to learning about industries/companies/opportunities you are interested in. Get yourself a small notebook to jot down statistics or quotes that you can use in interviews, cover letters, and conversations. This is all part of the building expertise theme – you need to come across as an expert and part of that is industry knowledge.
Watch Your Burn Rate (a.k.a. Beware of Clothing Companies): In keeping with the "view yourself as your own business" theme, the #1 reason why startups fail is they run out of cash. So don't let YOU Inc run out of cash. Rest assured, Hickey Freeman will try to sell you a $1500 suit, claiming that "you need this suit to be successful in your interviews." Unless you are headed to Wall Street, a tailored $300-$400 suit will do you fine. The more general idea behind this is don't do anything that unnecessarily raises your burn rate. Doing so will raise the amount you have to borrow and puts you in a deeper hole.
Organize Your Finances: Consider getting Quicken – it is a good time to get your finances organized. Also, keep good paper records around your school loans. We bought a plastic, portable file box with 2-3 accordion files to go inside – one was for our School Loans and the others were for bills, etc. Just don't do anything to screw up your credit rating. You will need it later.
Debt Fears: Don't worry about your debt – you will find a way to pay it off. We emerged from B-School/L-School with over $100K of debt; we paid it off, and we don't exactly have Wall Street power jobs. (In fairness, they kinda do have big important jobs)


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May 09, 2013
LAWT Staff and Wire Report
President Barack Obama nominated veteran Rep. Melvin Watt to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the government regulator that oversees lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also has chosen a former telecommunications lobbyist to head the Federal Communications Commission, the White House said.
Watt, a North Carolina Democrat who has been in Congress for 20 years, would replace Edward DeMarco, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, who has been a target of housing advocates, liberal groups and Democratic lawmakers.
Obama also has settled on Tom Wheeler, one of his top campaign fundraisers, to become the country's top telecommunications regulator. The president is expected to name FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to serve as acting chairwoman.
Senate confirmation is required for both posts.
"I commend President Obama on his nomination of Congressman Melvin 'Mel' Watt as director of the FHFA," said Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on May 1 after the nomination.
"As Californians work to recover from the mortgage crisis, they need a strong director at FHFA who will be an advocate for homeowners and champion their rights. My number one priority has always been the welfare of Californians, and I am confident that Congressman Watt will advance policies that serve the best interest of working families in California and across the country. I look forward to working with him."
Watt's nomination comes at a crucial time for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government-controlled mortgage-finance enterprises. The government rescued the companies at the height of the financial crisis in September 2008 as they teetered near collapse from losses on mortgage loans gone bad.
Taxpayers have spent about $170 billion to rescue the companies. So far, they have repaid $55.2 billion.
Fannie and Freddie together own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages, or nearly 31 million home loans. Those loans are worth more than $5 trillion. Along with other federal agencies, they back roughly 90 percent of new mortgages.
The nomination comes as the housing industry is making a comeback. Home prices are up, foreclosures are down and housing construction is on the rise. Moreover, Fannie Mae had its biggest yearly profit last year, earning $17.2 billion.
Watt, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, played an influential role in the passage of a financial regulatory overhaul in 2010. That legislation, however, did not address the fate of the major mortgage lenders, an issue likely to come up during Obama's second term.
His colleague Congresswoman Maxine Waters described Watt as "thoughtful, well informed, principled and fair."
"I have worked very closely with Representative Watt for almost 20 years," Waters said in a statement, also released May 1 after the nomination.
"We have served together on the House Financial Services Committee since 1994, where Mel is highly respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle as a consummate legislator with the vision to see what Congress can do to help make people's lives better and the determination to move a good bill through the legislative process. Representative Watt is always respectful of opposing viewpoints and can often find common ground when others can find none. He is accepting, open-minded and collaborative – and he gets things done."
Watt represents the Charlotte area, home base of behemoth Bank of America Corp. He becomes yet another high-profile African-American and the second North Carolinian nominated by Obama in three days to a top government post. On Monday, Obama nominated Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, to head the Transportation Department.
Watt, who has a consistently liberal voting record, is expected to face Republican opposition to his confirmation and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was among the first to express disappointment.
The White House was already lining up supporters who might hold some sway with GOP senators.
"This gives new meaning to the adage that the fox is guarding the hen house," Corker, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a written statement. "The debate around his nomination will illuminate for all Americans why Fannie and Freddie failed so miserably."


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Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has revoked the license of a Federal Way insurance agent who forged documents and stole tens of thousands of dollars from a client.
Cecelia Villanueva, who's been selling insurance in Washington since 1994, has also been charged by the King County Prosecutor's Office with two counts of identity theft. Her arraignment is pending. (She's listed in the court filing as Cecilia Cabasco Sawyer.)
In 2002, Villaneuva, sold an annuity that was ultimately worth more than $148,000 to an elderly woman and the woman's neice. She wrongly listed the neice's ex-husband as the primary beneficiary.
The elderly woman passed away in 2005. According to investigators, Villaneuva got a copy of the woman's death certificate, and forging the ex-husband's signature, she filed a claim with the insurer for the annuity proceeds. She steered the money into a bank account that she'd opened in the ex-husband's name, and repeatedly forged his name on checks.
The bank records show that she spent tens of thousands of dollars on groceries, cell phone service, at a drugstore. One of the largest checks, for $6,000, was simply made out to herself.
Eventually, the neice asked about the annuity. Villanueva claimed that due to the poor economy, the value of the annuity had dwindled to just $83,000.
The insurance company that Villaneuva worked for says it is working with the family to repay the stolen money.
Villanueva's insurance license was revoked under the state's insurance laws barring agents from improperly witholding or misappropriating clients' money, demonstrating untrustworthiness, and for forging signatures.
Monday, July 30, 2012
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Centerville Jr. High cheer squad welcomes kids of all abilities
The Sparkle Effect • Grant from group helped kids with Down syndrome join the team.
Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Centerville Junior High cheerleader, Maegan Lindsay, right, forms a tunnel with other cheerleaders as the school's volleyball team runs through during a game at the Centerville, Utah school Wednesday September 26, 2012. The squad has four cheerleaders with special needs, including Maegan, and the school has rallied around the kids and really supported them.
Centerville • The cheerleaders, stacked two high to form a tunnel, chant "Go Chargers, go Chargers, go!" as volleyball team members run beneath them as they are introduced.
Eighteen cheerleaders cheer, volleyball players pound the floor, kids and parents in the stand clap, the noise is deafening as Centerville Junior High prepares to play South Davis Junior High. In the thick of this organized chaos are four Centerville Junior High students with Down Syndrome.
Those four junior high students — eighth grader Colton Beck, 13; eighth grader Mary Lee, 14; eighth grader Caleb Monsen, 13; and seventh grader Maegan Lindsey, 12 — are not sitting in the stands, they aren't sitting at all. They are on the court with the other 14 cheerleaders, dressed out in cheerleading garb preparing to cheer their team to victory.
Amber Stott, the Functional Skills teacher at Centerville Junior High was approached by cheer coach Angela Petty after Petty attended a cheer camp and learned about a grant that supported integrating special needs students into cheer programs. Together they decided this was a great program and they wanted their students to participate.
The grant came from The Sparkle Effect, a student-run program that helps students create cheerleading and dance teams that include students with disabilities.
The Sparkle Effect's goal is to change the lives and outlooks of student participants, those with and without disabilities. The group's goal is to replace insecurities with confidence and joy. Sparkle Effect President Sarah Cronk states "teams are not about perfection, they are about connection."
At Centerville Junior High, the connection is there.
Teacher Amber Stott selected the cheerleaders based on a previous performance her students had done to the Michael Jackson song "Thriller." Stott chose the students who enjoyed performing and had parents willing to provide all the extra support required for such a time-intensive extracurricular activity.
Stott has not seen any negatives to the program and said students at the Junior High have taken the addition of special needs cheerleaders in stride and welcomed it.
"No one has questioned it, it's just normal to them" she said.
Colton Beck is a born performer. He's been in plays since he was young and loves to be in the spotlight. He loves to cheer and his enthusiasm is contagious. Colton has a smile and a hug for everyone he meets.
While Petty said the four cheerleaders with Down Syndrome may be one or two beats behind in the cheers, they don't let it slow them down.
"It chokes you up. I feel like these kids are on the front line with this program. I hope this goes into other schools and becomes the norm, and people will start seeing kids with disabilities as regular kids" said Colton's mom Laurie Beck.
Beck was not worried about the reception the kids would receive from Centerville Junior High students because they have been with the same kids since kindergarten. She was concerned about how the special needs cheerleaders would be treated by students from visiting schools, but thus far all reactions have been favorable.
Parents of the cheerleaders love the physical fitness aspect, practicing verbal and memorization skills and the social interaction that come from their participation.
Petty works weekly with the students and is pleased with the program. Her cheerleaders have been receptive to their new team members.
"The girls are really good about being friends and have enjoyed the relationships," Petty said.
Mary Lee loves cheering and looks forward to all the games and practices. Her mom said that learning the routines has helped her with her coordination and mental abilities.
Caleb Monson is the shyest of the cheerleaders, but he still loves participating. Mostly he loves his megaphone and cheer shirt with his last name across the back. The only thing that would make him happier would be if they could replace the letters CJH on their blue uniforms with the letters BYU.
Caleb's mom, Jeanine Monson, said that children with Down Syndrome tend to imitate and model the behavior they are exposed to. The cheerleading team has been a great group of role models.
One of those role models is 14-year-old ninth grade cheerleader Abby Oligschlaeger. In addition to working with the cheerleaders, Oligschlaeger is a peer tutor. Working with the special education students comes naturally to her.
"Sometimes it's hard to get them to cooperate, but we just try to talk them through it and we have a lot of fun," she said.
© 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune
Centerville Jr. High cheer squad welcomes kids of all abilities
By Carol Lindsay
Special to The Tribune


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Roundabout could be the ticket for Still River
Long-suffering motorists could get some relief if the state were to approve a plan to install a roundabout at the four-way intersection on Still River Drive in New Milford.
Rush-hour traffic backs up regularly where Still River Drive meets Lanesville and Pickett District roads, mostly westbound in the morning and eastbound in the afternoon.
It's no wonder.
According to a 2013 survey of town residents, Still River is the route of choice for 55 percent of drivers leaving town for points south.
The survey was part of a traffic study by Fitzgerald & Halliday Inc. of Hartford.
Officials believe replacing the four-way stop with a roundabout is the best way to ease the bottleneck.
Public Works Director Mike Zarba has submitted a proposal to the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials for review before it would go to the state Department of Transportation (DOT).
To meet the $590,000 cost of the project, Zarba hopes to tap the DOT's Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program.
"We're referring to this as a modern roundabout," Zarba said. "It won't be like the big, older traffic circles you see at major intersections in Rhode Island."
In a modern roundabout, drivers slow down as they approach and yield to vehicles already in the circle, where traffic never stops moving. In older-style traffic circles, drivers often have to stop first, and traffic within the circles often gets congested.
Mayor Pat Murphy likes the proposal for the modern version.
"This is a small roundabout model that has been shown to move traffic better than the present four-way stop," Murphy said. "It will keep traffic moving when it's heavy and allow you to drive through when you're the only one arriving there."
Michael Morehouse, project manager on the traffic study, has said a roundabout would not only keep traffic moving but would also have a "calming" effect on the speed of traffic in the area.
Planners recommended against installing a traffic signal at the intersection.
Although it would be cheaper than the roundabout -- costing about $240,000 -- it would do nothing to little to reduce rush-hour queueing or to affect the flow of traffic.
Dave Hannon, deputy director of the Housatonic Valley officials' group, said the town's application has already been passed along to DOT and a quick response is expected, given the agency's increasing fondness for roundabouts.
Hannon said a National Highway Institute study found new-style roundabouts help curb accidents by reducing the points of potential contact for vehicles.
Once DOT has approved the application, the town could begin design and construction, Hannon said.
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meaning | ˈmēni ng |
meaningful | ˈmēni ng fəl |
what is meant by a word, text, concept, or actionadjective
intended to communicate something that is not directly expressed
meaningful | ˈmēni ng fəl |
having meaning
• having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose
Saturday, June 13, 2009
At the end of every Inspiration Workshop, we ask the students to give us one word that represents what the workshop was for them. What does this word mean for you?
Tags: hope, inspiration workshop cards
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Welcome Back
Today I'm sharing a little Gift Box I created using Serif Craft Artist. They have pre made templates that you can decorate and print out.
The digikit I used to design this box's embellishment is called 'Season of Giving' it is by Sahlin Studio and is my favorite because of its vintage styling. I like classic styles for Christmas.
If you have Serif Craft Artist in whichever format I highly recommend this digikit as I'll be featuring more projects with elements designed with it in the coming weeks.
- Season Of Giving Digikit on Daisy Trail website. You can buy the kit here, but you will need Craft Artist software to access the content. You can get a free trial version of the Craft Artist software from the Daisy Trail site too.
Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon
Billie 🙂


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Tearpinemom wrote:Twas the last year for the Booby Bar, and what a year we had! It was everything and more, Best burn ever, also very emotional for me. Saying goodbye to a art project that had turned out to be a living entity. That will live on in the hearts and minds of all who visited, all who were members and all that were the village that held them tight.
The Booby Bar!
How we love the. One of the most memorable and friendly places on the playa!
You served me my first ever free drink on the playa, and my last free drink in 2011. The time spent hanging out after the burn Saturday night was amazing. Sad, but amazing.
The Booby Bar will be missed.
I'd say that next year, the domes are built in its place, but not covered and not occupied.


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Smokin' hot Nikki Sexx, a big-titted attorney, deliberates with Ramon, her client, while the jury reviewing his case is hung. She tells him that she believes he's innocent but without an alibi or evidence working in his favor, he's fucked. He's probably going away for a long time, so she decides to give him a little parting gift. Collapse
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So, last Wednesday, I started feeling under the weather. The past three weeks I have been wishing for MEXICAN SWINE FLU to bestow its gifts upon me, just to experience it first-hand, and, finally, I had thought that my time had come. I had all the symptoms: chills, fever, sore throat, runny nose and heinous explosive bowel movements. But, two days later, with most of these symptoms disappearing, I'm left with the feeling that, once again, I've missed this boat. So, SWINE FLUERS, if you see me, cough on me and let me walk a mile in your sickly shoes.
Variety is reporting that Twisted Pictures, the unheralded geniuses behind the Saw franchise, are in the process of purchasing the rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, previously owned by the date-rapists over at Platinum Dunes. This is all part of Twisted's plan to corner the market on all films that have saws in them. Hey-O!!!
Dread Central has posted the cast list (Milla Jovovich, Wentworth Miller, Ali Larter) and synopsis for Resident Evil 4: Afterlife (In a world ravaged by infection, Alice continues her...blah blah blah...). The final line, however, of Dread's report reads: "Thankfully, Mike Epps will remain dead." I, for one, enjoy Mike Epps and, unlike Dread Central, love black people and wish them continued success in the horror movie genre. KILL WHITEY!
Gary Ross, the writer of the Tom Selleck comedy classic Mr. Baseball, has been tapped to write a solo Venom movie. Venom, who you may remember, was killed at the end of Spider-Man 3, but, if anyone can ret-con this fallacy, it's the writer of Mr. Baseball! (Netflix this NOW!)
NASA blasted the Moon's surface with missiles this morning. Now, I am no scientist, but this strikes me as a really bad idea. I have a creeping fear that this will somehow kick off the events of 2012. And why??? They say they were trying to find water, but I feel like they were just wanting to do it because they were bored. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY! LET'S BLOW UP THE MOON, AMERICA!
The NYPD has been tracking your cell phones calls. They say they got the idea from The Dark Knight, mostly because that movie was, in their words, "the fucking tits, brah!" This just goes to prove what an overrated burg of scumbaggery New York City is, second only to Chicago. You wouldn't find this crap in Provo!
1967: Notorious jerk-hole mass-murderer, oops, I mean "revolutionary", Che Guevara was executed for attempting to incite hope and change in Bolivia. His death would inspire the sales of millions of t-shirts.