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Cloud & Service Management blog
fashions and progress - but the basics stay the same
ivor macfarlane 2700022KPS email@example.com Tags:  tivoli ibm pulse itsmf ivor service-management itil 2 Comments 4,456 Visits
Well, we are well into 2012 now and we have just about got though the 'my predictions for 2012' phase and in to ordinary routines again. Whatever the predictions, like with most years I predict that 2012 will look a lot like an older version of 2011.
Talking with the neighbours
ivor macfarlane 2700022KPS email@example.com Tags:  ibm service-management itil itsmf devops ivor 1 Comment 3,464 Visits
Over the recent Christmas break, I found myself at lunch with an Enterprise Architect and the conversation turned – as it does - to the future of the IT industry. we agreed on the topic of what IT jobs and attitudes should be over the next 10 years – others at the table disagreed with us – but that's a topic for another blog another day.
Now I live in a Service Management space, and so clearly I know that everything – at least everything about creating and delivering IT services – is wholly contained within a complete picture of service management[1]: because everything flows from the need for the service – in terms of value conceived, engineered and then delivered to the customer.
So, imagine my surprise when the enterprise architect (let's call him Kevin J) came out with the phrase – introduced as though it were universally accepted knowledge – that everything is contained within the concept of enterprise architecture and all other things fit inside that. Well, you would think that one of us has to be wrong – but maybe not?
Seriously though, I do realise that each of us has a coloured view of the world. But even when you know you might be, if not actually biased, at least running along familiar tracks rather than striving for objectivity, it can still be a surprise when you run into what seems a different perspective.
Of course – in this instance it isn't really a different perspective at all. Human Beings to tend to fit external matters into handy pigeon holes – and those pigeon holes are inside our own pigeon house – service for me, EA for Kevin.
Maybe we just need to get all these different perspectives in one room and get them to agree on which view is right? I suspect, however, that this has been tried – and failed. Because it isn't conflicting theories we are dealing with here. Instead it is that familiar old chaos machine – people and perceptions. They are all right (and all wrong too of course, but this early in a new year let's try and be optimistic).
Trying to look at the situation simplistically, it seems to me that we have had lots of good idea over the last 20 years or so that have been helpful – but we live in a complex interrelated world and each successful approach brings you to an edge or interface where you are dependent for further success on the neighbours. Human nature makes us jump to the conclusion that if the neighbours used my approach then they would do better. Maybe it's true but maybe it's not – maybe we have as much to learn from the neighbours as they have from us?
Let's analogise that to real neighbourhoods. Is there anyone who doesn't think things would be better if their neighbours behaved more like them and adopted their processes,and practices – especially things like where it is OK to park and when it is OK to be loud? But actually they have slightly different needs (maybe because of things we don't have like kids and dogs or a job that requires shift working) and so they do need to do things differently. But still there is much to learn from each other; simple stuff like where did you get your fence fixed etc and more strategic stuff like comparing mortgage plans or discussing the best school options.
Within our IT/services/architecture kind of world[2] we have the same chance to benefit from discussions with our neighbours. And just like with our domestic neighbours, the best way to get along and help each other is by accepting others' perspectives as equally valid. It is good to see initiatives like devops[3] starting to encourage this. My major familiarity over the past 20 years has been service management but I can see both lots to learn from our neighbours like EA and development and also lots we can help with too.
Have you spoke to your neighbours recently? And if so was it with a predisposition to teach or to learn?
[1] OK, I am joking a tiny bit here.
[2] That is a deliberate singular, not a typo!
[3] If you don't know about devops – I mentioned it months back in this blog https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/blogs/59c1123b-0353-458e-a719-b002d84108d5/entry/devops_should_i_have_known_what_that_is1?lang=en_us
why is good service still a surprise?
ivor macfarlane 2700022KPS email@example.com Tags:  service ivor empowerment service-management ibm itsm tivoli itil 2,531 Visits
I recently had some first hand experience – from the receiving end – how much of an effect genuinely good customer service can have. The experience started in dismay but was recovered well beyond expectation.
Anyway, to start at the beginning ….
I had to go and 'swear an affidavit' –
which for those of you not into the jargon of jurisprudence means to formally
promise what you are saying on a form is true. In
Now, it started, I admit, with me failing in my responsibility to be a proactive customer. I did not think
through what I knew. County Courts in
So, I had a perfect example of a 'Moment of Truth'; putting me instantly, and very extremely, 'anti' the staff and the processes. It seemed obviously the staff are required to leave common-sense at home and not bring it to work with them.
And thus, in a bad mood I reached the court officer with whom I was to sign and swear that my forms told the truth. She spots my mood, finds out why and explains that the rules are for protection and cannot be altered – causing no improvement in my mood. She then looks at my forms and points out that I have not brought all the right documents – and then throws in for good measure that my solicitor has supplied my with the wrong set of forms.
So … it is now clear to me that I have driven into town, paid for my car parking, lost my knife for the duration and all for nothing because my paperwork is wrong. But fear not – after this it gets better. I had been expecting a businesslike word or two of sympathy and if I allowed myself a glimmer of optimism then maybe even an explanation of what I needed to go back and fetch, so that it would work when I came back.
Instead the lady reacted very differently. She pointed out that the forms I have forgotten are copies of documents they already have lodged with them, and that they have blank forms of the right kind. She fetches the missing forms, lends me a pen and helps me understand what is needed on the right form, checks it through, makes corrections and then duly witnesses it and formally logs it in the system as sworn and correct. As she put it "Well the purpose is to get your stuff recorded, if I can make that happen then why wouldn't I help?"
Of course she was perfectly right, her job is to help get these things done, and so thinking for herself and helping people get there is an obviously correct attitude. Isn't that exactly how everyone in service delivery sees it?
Well, of course we all know that it isn't – not yet! The sad aspect of this kind of story is how surprised we all are by them – that they are worthy or repeating because this quality of service is still unusual.'
The key aspect of this story – with its two different approaches to dealing with the customers - is how much good service experience depends on customer facing staff that are knowledgeable of the customer's context and goals. But more than that even, the management trusted and empowered (at least some of) their staff to use common sense and do what was right – maybe even if it didn't follow exact procedures.
Are the customer-facing staff in your organisation trusted and empowered? If not, is it because they can't be trusted, or because they have been given the knowledge? Or is it just that no-one has ever thought it would be a good idea to trust and empower them? What happens in your organisation – do you get good service or do you a strict process delivered, whether or not it is appropriate?
One week on.. thoughts on UKI itSM Forum
Rebecca Swindell 270003U1MK firstname.lastname@example.com Tags:  itsm service-management ivor swindell 2,536 Visits
Last week the IBM attended the UKI itSM Forum and what a great event it was! Some really thought provoking and motivating sessions, as well as some truly interesting conversations with our clients and prospects.
Below are a few of the highlights from the sessions attended - would be great to hear anyone else's thoughts on what their key take-home messages were from the event.
Session 1 – Introduction by Barry Coreless – Chairman of the itSMF
Barry talked about how he sees the future of ITSM – the growing automated and ever more complex tool sets, and an ever increasing bewildering array of devices. The main take home message for me was that he believed that organisations that linked best practices and industry disciplines are the ones that will truly succeed.
Session 2 – Keynote from Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson DBE
A fantastic motivational speech from Tanni – including memorial statements like "if you are going to spend time thinking... then think BIG!" She spoke about why it is important to think about how you can be the best you can be and how individual success if not always about the individuals themselves, but about the team they have around them. Tough times call for tough choices, she continued, and it is how you deal with these, improve and move on that is what will make you successful.
Session 3 – our own Ivor Macfarlane – Can IT people be Service Managers?
Ivor was introduced as a man whose middle name was "ITIL" and clearly his reputation preceded him, as we had a full house with over 60 of the 300 delegates in the room. Ivor spoke about how Service Managers generally have a low profile, and are orientated to achieving another person's hopes and desires. He carried on the debate by saying that the best attribute a Service Manager can have is to be invisible! Continuing that if management don't empower you as a Service Manager then your stuffed! A final take key message was then given, "Go to the board – change the change process!"
Session 4 – An interactive panel session hosted by Don Page
Some really interesting stats came up in this session to the questions asked to the delegate audience my favourite 3 below:
1. 1. Cloud Computing is here to stay – what effect will it have on ITSM?
Major – 43%, A bit – 36%, A little – 17%, No Opinion – 4%
2. 2. Your business now understands and is taking seriously the importance of ITSM as an essential business enabler?
Very Seriously – 12%, Lip Service – 42%, We don't talk to them and they don't take us seriously -20%, Don't Know– 9%, Don't Care – 17%
3. 3. Should organisations encourage Social Media to facilitate communication between IT and end users?
Actively encourage and support – 45%, Natural Course – 37%, No -13%, Don't Know – 2%, No Opinion – 4%
Session 5 – Stephan Mann – Forrester Research - "Anyone questioning your value?"
One of my favourite sessions from the event, very interesting to hear an analysts point of view. He started by stating that Service Managers can't deal with the value because we don't understand the cost, there is little transparency IT costs and the value it brings. He continued saying that costs are continually being cut, whilst the demand for IT continues to grow. He told delegates to take an honest look at their ITSM capabilities and short comings, in context of what business needs, then link IT services to business outcomes. Final message for me was "Cost is important but value is more important... if we could demonstrate the value they would be encouraging us to spend more".
Session 6 – Martin Neville – Flattening the Curve
In the last session of the day, Martin discussed what companies should be looking for from their tool providers, and that the best tool providers are proactive not reactive. He set out ground rules for both sides – be honest from the start, early efforts pay interest in the long term, perception is reality – stats do not lie, the time to innovate is at the start – not when things are looking desperate, short term contractual wrangling will damage the relationship long term and most importantly KEEP talking!
Day 2
Nigel spoke about how vision is our most valuable asset and leadership is an act, rather than a position. We need to show up and engage! It needs to be a progressive improvement, baby steps are ok, and it needs to be realistic, achievable and practical – don't aim for perfection, do something practical. His take home message for me really was for success, we have to acknowledge the reality of uncertainty.
Session 2 – Christian F Nissen – CRN People, Denmark – Acquisition and Implementation of ITSM Tools
Another really interesting session, starting with the question should organisations use a SM suite of tools from one vendor, or best of breed tools from various vendors and attempt to integrate them. The answer is not as simple as it seems! He emphasised the importance of running a Proof of Concept before ever fully implementing a new tool. Organisations need to ask themselves, is this vendor that is sleeping or evolving and improving?
Session 3 – Dennis Shields - The 2010 Machine
My final session of the day, Dennis opened the session by explaining people like direction, but believe their managers are out of touch. Bad management however means the unit will not function properly. People need to be given clear and fair directives, otherwise efficiency plummets and costs escalates, we need to take a long term perspective if the company and its infrastructure is going to be successful.
In summary, fantastic event, and can't wait till next year!
Tivoli At IOD 2011
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ firstname.lastname@example.com Tags:  iod tivoli service-management ism 1,971 Visits
IOD 2011 is just around the corner, and it should be no surprise that I was psyched to learn that Washington correspondent and anchor for BBC News Katty Kay is hosting the conference.
Full disclosure: I drive a Mini Cooper, I watch Doctor Who and I follow Neil Gaiman on Twitter.
So, yeah. I was also excited to see that she's going to be on stage with great IBM speakers like Jeff Jonas, Robert LeBlanc, Mike Rhodin and Steve Mills.
As if that wasn't enough (and there are a bunch of other IBM speakers not listed), guest speakers Mike Lewis and Billy Beane will also be there. Mike Lewis wrote the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game and Billy Beane is the VP and General Manager of the Oakland Athletics (the subject of the book).
I know, right? It's a pretty great group of speakers.
Having attended IOD in the past, it's a great show that I know that customers and business partners are going to get a lot of value out of.
Tivoli will be at IOD, and we're looking to meet customers such as yourself who are attending the conference. Here's a list of where you can find us:
Expo Center
Technical Meetup
We have a website with more details and of course you can follow the conversation on Twitter #iod11 and watch the general sessions on the Livestream.
...and speaking of Las Vegas and IBM Conferences. The Pulse 2012 call for speakers deadline is fast approaching (November 7). See Jen's Pulse blog for the details on how you can submit a session proposal.
IBM SmartCloud Announcements
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ email@example.com Tags:  ism cloud ibmcloud service-management 3,302 Visits
You've probably noticed an increase in activity with the #ibmcloud hashtag on Twitter, and of course the changes to the IBM SmartCloud website.
Today, IBM has a number of exciting announcements around SmartCloud. It's such a big announcement that we might have to turn it into a national holiday (which wouldn't be cool for the one dude waiting by the mailboxes for his copy of Zookeeper on BluRay).
Why Cloud? Why Now?
When we listen to customers across industries, we hear them tell us about the bold moves they must make to stay ahead of their competition. They tell us about how they need to quickly and efficiently provide new and innovative services to their customers.
Speed to market. Efficiency. Reducing costs.
These are their watch words and they look at cloud computing as a technology that offers these advantages.
That said, there's also a requirement to ensure the same levels of governance they currently have set in place. They also want to ensure that they are reducing (not increasing) their level of risk. And, of course, it has to be done securely.
Can all of this be done with cloud computing?
I would not joke about delaying that dude's copy of Zookeeper if it wasn't.
In all seriousness, yes it can and IBM has been helping customers do this for a while now. We've been successful with a large number of customers already and these new announcements build upon our previous success and really enforce our message: "Rethink IT. Reinvent Business."
IBM offers clients the freedom of choice to find solutions that meet their business requirements ranging from a portfolio of cloud solutions targeted directly at the enterprise to a choice of delivery models (public, private and hybrid) as well as expertise and service management capabilities.
There are a number of announcements in this launch across every brand in IBM (all of which are on the website).
For this blog post, I'm going to focus on IBM SmartCloud Foundation.
IBM SmartCloud Foundation
There's a full press release on this, but basically the SmartCloud Foundation family of private cloud solutions help companies quickly design and deploy private cloud environments with a new level of control over cloud service delivery and management.
As organizations take the next step beyond virtualized data center and begin to expand their cloud environments, they are concerned with managing what has become known as "image sprawl."
The SmartCloud Foundation portfolio contains these offerings:
There's the main website for the launch and I would also point you to the Tivoli website pages forcused on Cloud Service Delivery And Management.
For more information around everything that is happening with IBM SmartCloud contact your IBM sales rep or one of our Business Partners using the Business Partner Locator website.
And be sure to follow @ibmcloud on Twitter and keep an eye on the #ibmcloud hashtag for more information, blogs, materials as we release them.
PS nothing against Zookeeper, but it got stuck in my brain after watching Six Days To Air: The Making of South Park.
The Magic Quadrant For Application Portfolio Management
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ email@example.com Tags:  analyst-report apm service-management magic-quadrant ism 3,590 Visits
Good news from the Application Portfolio Monitoring (APM) team.
The 2011 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Performance Monitoring (APM) has been released, Gartner has identified IBM as a leader.
I think I speak for everyone at IBM when I say, "W00T!" (which is leet, for "awesome!")
Talking to customers, this is no surprise. The APM portfolio is a "fan favorite" among companies worldwide and IBM is delivering solutions built on innovative technologies that provide superior value for our customers and their business.
For folks familiar with our APM portfolio and for new readers (welcome), I recommend getting your hands on a copy of the Garnter Magic Quadrant for APM and see what they have to say.
Next, there a number of useful pages about IBM Tivoli monitoring solutions on ibm.com.
And, of course, contact your IBM sales rep or one of our Business Partners using the Business Partner Locator website to talk about the Magic Quadrant and how the product portfolio can meet your business needs.
In the comments section below, please feel free to talk about the APM portfolio and how you are using the products in the portfolio.
The October Business Agility Launch: It Starts Here
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ firstname.lastname@example.com Tags:  analytics ism bizagility bsm tbsm business-agility service-management 2,646 Visits
I am going to tell you a story, and the truth is it's probably pretty familiar to you already.
Here goes: in today's competitive market, your services are what make your organization innovative. They are what set you apart from your competition.
They are what have taken your IT from being seen as a "cost center" to playing a role as one of the most crucial parts of your organization's success (or failure).
The services you provide are what make your organization innovative. Failure on the part of IT can mean failure for everyone.
(No pressure. Am I right?)
By definition, a competitive market is one that is in constant states of change. New customer demands. Competitive maneuvers. New service offerings. Industry or government regulations.
Speed is of the essence. But, of course there's the need to ensure that everything stays within the governance you've put in place, your security policies and of course you're trying to be as risk adverse as possible.
Doing all of this while navigating the complexity of your IT.
(Like I said. No pressure.)
This is the story you already are pretty familiar with. So now, let's talk about what we do about this.
Today, Tivoli along with Rational and WebSphere are a part of a larger IBM Software Group launch around Business Agility.
There are a number of announcements around Business Agility - about providing you with "business agility levers" that assist with combinations of technology capabilities that accelerate the path to agility with reduced cost and greater efficiency.
This is the start of a series of blogs where we'll be discussing a number of the business agility levers. Today, I'm going to talk about one; Predictive Business Service Management. My next blog will focus on Collaborative Development & Operations.
Predictive Business Service Management
With Business Service Management solutions from IBM, organizations are able to put services in the proper business context so that both IT and the business teams can accurately see the complex relationships their services and supporting technology infrastructure have with each other.
On Tuesday, IBM announced a new version of the Tivoli Business Service Manager solution. Key to this new version (Announcement 211-444) are role-based dashboards with easy self-service, drag & drop capabilities to customize a user's visibility into key service health indicators, KPIs, and business or IT detail required for their role or tackling a current issue.
That level of "Visibility" can be taken to a new level when organizations leverage Predictive Analytics.
Business service disruptions and outages cost organizations millions of dollars per year. Even with existing investments in infrastructure monitoring and performance management solutions, organizations are often unaware of an impending service issue…until it is too late.
Predictive Business Service Management identifies performance issues in an organization's IT and network infrastructure prior to these costly service disruptions or outages. With this type of early warning system, detection is done early enough that mitigating steps can be taken to stop the issue from ever negatively impacting critical application or business services. Put simply: it finds problems before the organization knows to look for them.
Also on Tuesday, IBM previewed a new solution for predictive business service management that will address predictive business service management (Announcement 211-468).
For more information around everything that is happening around the Business Agility launch contact your IBM sales rep or one of our Business Partners using the Business Partner Locator website.
Also, we're doing something a bit new with this announcement. The IBM Software Group Blog, Impact Blog, Rational Blog and this blog are all telling the story together. You'll be able to click across the different blogs and get more information about all aspects of this launch.
Update: there's a great website for the Business Agility launch, specific to Tivoli and service management on our website.
Related Links:
Video Series: Managing Heterogeneous And Hybrid Environments In The Cloud
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ email@example.com Tags:  integrated-service-manage... vca virtualization get-cloud-ready service-management hybrid video ism 3,285 Visits
Rod Atkins (my General Manager back when I worked in pSeries and now Senior Vice President, IBM Systems and Technology Group) has been using the term "tune to task" in place of "fit for purpose."
In her guest blog post on the Mainframe Zone, Mary Shacklett does an excellent job in explaining why words do matter.
What I took away from this is that, either way, it speaks to the need for Visibility, Control and Automation™ (VCA).
The realities of the business today are based on heterogenous environments that continue to transform and evolve and becoming increasingly complex as you start to build private clouds and then as you start to pull public cloud resources into your organization to then create a "hybrid" cloud environment.
Much like what we discussed in the security video, the fundamentals are still the same. This becomes a conversation multiple platforms. "Tuned to task." Requiring the same levels of VCA as you use to maintain the levels of governance and reduce risk and for your business before you embarked on this journey.
"Have it to you by lunch, boss!" I'm sure is not the answer that you give. Right?
Here's the thing: it's not all doom and gloom. By any means.
Bowman Hall and Barbara Korte are back to talk about some of the challenges our customers are facing managing heterogeneous and hybrid environments in the Cloud, and what IBM can do to assist.
They discuss a broad range of questions you might be thinking about (like managing multiple hypervisors) but more importantly they discuss the approach that only IBM has for providing VCA as the cornerstone for your service management practice.
As a marketing guy, I can tell you that we planned it so that VCA was the central theme for all of our videos (YouTube playlist).
Take time to watch the video (and the others in our playlist) and contact your IBM sales rep or one of our Business Partners using the Business Partner Locator website to talk about VCA and what you're doing with cloud in your organization and get cloud ready!.
Related Links:
* PS: the first draft had me writing this blog referencing Star Trek, but I couldn't find a Klingon dictionary to hit my punchline properly so I abandoned that angle. Kreplach.
Video Series: Security and the Cloud
Noah Kuttler 110000SVNJ email@example.com Tags:  ism service-management security get-cloud-ready virtualization video integrated-service-manage... 3,253 Visits
A few years ago, I worked on organizing an analyst summit for IBM where we announced the (then new) IBM Security Framework.*
Cut to today and the IBM Security Framework is still at the foundation of Smarter security solutions from IBM.
The IBM Security Framework. Visibility, Control and Automation.™
when we talk to customers about how to address their business pains, the fundamentals remain the same even though the technology continues to advance in new directions.
With Cloud and Virtualization in particular, the technology is certainly changing at a pretty fast clip.
Take a look at the fourth video in our series, "Cloud Enabling Your Data Center: Security and the Cloud" where Joe Anthony, IBM Director, Security, Risk & Compliance Product Management, talks about the IBM Security Framework and how it addresses the Cloud and business pains our customers are trying ot address.
The message and the focus of security and the Cloud is still very much rooted in the IBM Security Framework.
As a reminder, the entire video series can be seen using the YouTube Playlist (Get Cloud Ready).
For more information contact your IBM sales rep or one of our Business Partners using the Business Partner Locator website.
Related Links:
* To be clear, I had nothing to do with building the IBM Security Framework. I was just the project manager for the event. Like Jarvis in the Avengers. (as a side note: one thing I learned about event planning - coffee, coffee, coffee!)


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10 Things You Hate About You
No, we're not talking a long-awaited sequel to the film that introduced us all to Heath Ledger. Instead, we're confronting some of the biggest issues we all have with ourselves. Body image is an issue that many people face. "Body image, the way you feel about your personal appearance, is linked to self-esteem," said Mary Hartley, R.D. "The satisfaction you have with your body is based on the satisfaction you have with yourself."
We want everyone to feel satisfied with themselves, so it's time to quit the hate-speech and make peace with our bodies. Sure, you may not love everything about yourself, but that doesn't have to prevent you from doing something about it. Here are our top ten beefs with our bodies and what we can do about them.
Jiggly Arms – If your arms make you self-conscious, you aren't alone. To make your arms less jiggly, add triceps dips to your daily routine. By doing a few reps every day, your flapping arms will soon be nothing but a not-so-fond memory.
Lack of Energy – At one time or another, all of us feel completely devoid of energy. Combat this by making sure you are getting enough restful sleep. It may seem impossible to fit sleep into your busy schedule, but doing so impacts your overall energy levels and your ability to accomplish everything in your day.
Dull Skin – Do you feel like your skin is beginning to look a little zombie like? If so, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day. Staying hydrated does wonders for the complexion. Add some of the best foods for healthy skin to your diet, too, like fresh fruit, Brazil nuts, tuna, and avocados.
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subset: commoncrawl


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BOSTON State lawmakers are under federal investigation for their connection to a corruption scandal at the state's Probation Department. Probation officials are accused of running a fraudulent hiring scheme that funneled jobs to the friends and families of legislative leaders.
This is just the latest corruption scandal to hit the State House as the last three House speakers have been indicted. Some State House watchers and members say there's something deeply wrong on Beacon Hill.
The Threat Of 'Voting Off' Looms Large
Rep. Steve D'Amico joined the State House four years ago. When he started the job, he said, he believed he was joining a representative democracy. Quickly, he changed his mind.
"If you don't play ball, and go along and vote the way you're expected to on some issues, they can hold bills up on you," D'Amico said.
This is called "voting off." According to Beacon Hill Roll Call, D'Amico has "voted off" more than all but one of his Democratic colleagues.
Just recently, D'Amico was reminded of the repercussions of not going along with House leadership. D'Amico was on a committee considering a new piece of complicated legislation. Before they could read it, D'Amico said, the group was asked to submit their amendments withing 24 hours. D'Amico didn't think that was long enough.
"I voted off on that one," D'Amico said. Later, he said, someone in leadership came and asked why he'd voted against him. "I was told, 'Fine, if you want to go ahead and be a rebel without a cause, that's fine,' but I'd never see a bill make it to the floor."
How is it that Beacon Hill leaders have so much power?
Power On Beacon Hill
According to activist Chris McKeown, the House speaker and Senate president have amassed "absolute power."
"They control the flow of legislation, whether a bill ever gets to the floor," McKeown said. "They appoint all of the committee chairs that come with extra pay, where you park at the State House, how many staff members you can have, how much money you can get from the party for your election campaign."
McKeown, founder of FixBeaconHill.com, has been trying to change the law by limiting the the speaker and Senate president's power. He said the concentration of power can corrupt anyone who holds these jobs.
D'Amico said it turns lawmakers into lemmings. There was one vote where this was particularly obvious.
The Vote
Most of the Democrats were voting green. The votes were displayed on a big sign overhead.
"Speaker Pro Tem [Thomas] Petrolati was at the podium and wasn't paying attention, and happened to hit red," D'Amico said. "I looked up and said, 'Oh, my goodness. He hit the wrong button. This is going to be entertaining.' "
D'Amico sat back and watched. Very quickly, he said, about 40 or 50 green lights turned to red.
"By the time they got to about 80 or 90 reds, he realized that he'd hit the wrong button and he hit green and I watched the board full of reds turn to green," D'Amico said.
Rep. Matt Patrick has similar stories. He's a Democrat representing Falmouth. During his years at the State House, he said, he learned to play "the game" and "appease leadership."
To do this, he said he "voted with them as often as I could." He said he green-lighted things he didn't actually support, like extending term limits for the House speaker.
Last January, Patrick got so frustrated that he researched how other state legislatures work. He wrote up recommendations for House Speaker Robert DeLeo. Patrick said he never got a response.
A spokesman for DeLeo, however, said those ideas are under consideration for a debate on rules this January.
Representatives Patrick and D'Amico won't be there to participate, since they both lost their re-elections this fall.


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Traditional Tissue Biopsies Are Not Providing...
If you're Serious about Investing in...
RNAi Is Working on Tactics to...
Genes, Transcripts, Proteins—All Have Come into...
Thermo Fisher Scientific plans on acquiring Biolab for A$175 million, or approximately $125 million. Thermo Fisher Scientific thus expands its operations into Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.
Biolab is the scientific and medical division of Alesco. It reportedly has annual revenues of about A$170 million, or $121 million. The firm supplies lab products, analytical instruments, and services to the bioscience, medical, industrial biotech, and environmental industries.
"As the premier commercial channel in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, Biolab offers a broad portfolio of products and services to support Thermo Fisher's continued growth in the region," notes Marijn E. Dekkers, president and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "This acquisition significantly strengthens our presence in these markets and will enable us to better serve customers in both public and private sectors through an expanded range of offerings."
The transaction is expected to be completed on April 30. The company will be integrated into Thermo Fisher's laboratory products and services segment.
Past Thermo Fisher Scientific AcquisitionsThermo Fisher Scientific Takes Over Affinity BioReagents to Bolster Proteomics Offerings (July 17, 2008)Thermo Fisher Scientific Takes Over Open Biosystems (July 1, 2008)Thermo Fisher Scientific Bolsters India Presence with Acquisition of Chemito Franchises (June 3, 2008)Thermo Fisher Scientific Gobbles Up German Firm (Dec. 20, 2007)Thermo Fisher Scientific Acquires NanoDrop Technologies (Oct. 10, 2007)
Should the Federal Government Pass a "Right to Try" Bill Allowing Terminally Ill Patients Access to Experimental Medicines?
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A Bike-Themed Wedding in Calistoga
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Ursula & Greg's wedding was at the hotel Solage in Calistoga. They had to make some last minute changes due to rain but managed to move everything under the awning and the ceremony went off without a hitch. The groomsmen had fun touring around on the hotel's cruiser bikes and the bride and groom had their own special bike decorated for an exit. The bike included a basket with goodies from the night and PBR cans tied to the back (a la a traditional getaway car). All of their nieces and nephews were in charge of shooting video with flip cameras during the reception. The Cheeseballs band had the crowd jumpin' long into the night.
Photography: Gertrude & Mabel Photography
Florist: Hunt Littlefield
Location: Solage
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Swedenborgian Church: Not Your Average Church Wedding
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When you realize that your child has head lice you have to choose between traditional OTC lice treatments and a more natural head lice treatment. Among them, the head lice olive oil treatment, though very simple, is one of the most effective ways to get rid of these parasites, and here you'll learn exactly why.
The olive tree has exceptional therapeutic properties. In fact, all parts of the tree possess interesting properties for medical use. Our ancestors in ancient Greece used olive oil as an ointment to treat aches, ulcers and even cholera.
They used the leaves of the olive tree as a base, astringent and purifying, as well as preparations made from leaves and olive oil to cure all kinds of inflammations. Moreover, the flowers, bark and ash of the olive tree were included in many medicinal preparations.
Several informal studies show the effectiveness of vegetable oils in the treatment of lice. A test conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that lice submerged in olive oil for two hours die asphyxiated.
The effectiveness of olive oil is explained by the fact that by coating the skin of adult lice, it deprives them of oxygen. As they can no longer breathe, they die.
How to apply the olive oil treatment for head lice
You can definitely use olive oil to treat head lice and here is how you should proceed. In fact it is sufficient to put olive oil on your child's hair and put a plastic wrap around without leaving any air come in. The oil will thus asphyxiate head lice.
After about two hours, preferably three, wash the hair with mild shampoo, rinse well and comb the hair with a head lice comb to remove dead lice. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the shampoo two or three times to completely remove the oil. You should know that this remedy, just like any other head lice treatment, does not work 100%, so you might still have some live lice after treatment, and you'll need to remove them manually or repeat the treatment.
Will this olive oil treatment work on nits?
The head lice olive oil treatment has not been tested on nits, and the test conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health did only prove the efficiency of olive oil on lice, not their eggs.
It is likely that the treatment will not work as well on nits as it does on adult lice. But there is a very good natural head lice treatment that you can use to unglue the nits from the hair shaft, it is vinegar. It is then much easier to comb them out. You'll find more details here: vinegar for head lice.
What about essential oils?
Essential oils are volatile oils, very fragrant, obtained by steam distillation of flavoring plants. Some oils contain up to 300 different molecules, depending on the plant used, on the time of harvest, on the climate and quality of the distillation. To give you an idea, about 100 kg of fresh lavender are needed to extract 1 kg of essential oil.
The essential oils contained in many plants have insecticidal properties, antibacterial and antifungal. When used for therapeutic purposes, be sure to use quality products, and ideally from organic farming. So for the perfect herbal head lice treatment, consider adding a few drops of essential oil such as lavender oil or tea tree to the olive oil, as this will also help prevent another infestation, promote healing and add a pleasant smell that children will like.


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אנחנו בפייסבוק
Washington Institute survey finds that while most Palestinians want to 'reclaim all of historic Palestine', they do not support violent measures to achieve their goal.
Published: 06.26.14, 12:39 / Israel News
Some 60 percent of Palestinians reject the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict, according to a new poll, and instead support a five-year plan to "work toward reclaiming all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea." However, a clear majority do not support the use of violence to achieve their goals.
The survey, commissioned by The Washington Institute, found that only 31 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and 22 percent of those in Gaza supported a two-state solution. Nonetheless, just 11 percent of West Bankers and 8 percent of Gazans would be in favor of a one-state solution, in which Jews and Arabs "have equal rights in one country, from the river to the sea."
Related stories:
The poll was conducted between June 15-17 during face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 1,200 adult Palestinians, and had a 3 percent margin of error.


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Bench Tiny Tim Jacket
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I think a lot of people don't realize the amazing goodness that is in the Mod Podge aisle at Michaels. There aren't just formulas, but there are papers, acrylic shapes and even jewelry charms. That includes ring blanks (which I adore) and then some fun, flat charms that you can use inside them. This DIY bird ring is great for so many things: last minute jewelry for going out, craft night fun or even a handmade gift idea. You won't believe how quickly you can whip it up. Learn how to do just that below.
DIY bird ring with Mod Podge ring blanks and flat charms at Handmade Happy Hour


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about dmoz
Space missions to the planet Mars.
2001 Mars Odyssey
Launched on April 7, 2001 and scaled down from the planned Mars Surveyor 2001 mission, NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey is planned to map the mineralogy and terrain of the Martian surface. It successfully entered Mars orbit on October 23, 2001.
2003 Mars Exploration Rovers
Launched mid-2003, landed successfully in January 2004. Contains the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
Among the NASA Mariner missions, Mariner 4, 6, 7 and 9 were sent to Mars.
Mars Climate Orbiter
Launched in 1998 and intended to relay Mars mapping data, soon after entering the Martian atmosphere, the Mars Climate Orbiter was declared lost by NASA in September 1999.
Mars Express
A European Space Agency mission that arrived to Mars end of 2003. The spacecraft included a lander called Beagle 2. However, the lander failed to produce scientific results.
Mars Global Surveyor
Launched in 1996, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor is collecting Martian mapping data and making related observations.
Mars Network
A proposed communication and navigation structure at Mars.
Mars Pathfinder
Launched in 1996 and landing on Mars in 1997, NASA's Pathfinder mission successfully demonstrated low-cost landings on and exploration of the Martian surface.
Mars Polar Lander
Launched in January 1999 and intended to relay Mars climate data, soon after entering the Martian atmosphere, the Mars Climate Orbiter was declared lost by NASA in December 1999.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in August 2005, is on a search for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. While other Mars missions have shown that water flowed across the surface in Mars' history, it remains a mystery whether water was ever around long enough to provide a habitat for life. The orbiter's primary mission ends about five-and-a-half years after launch, on December 31, 2010.
A Japanese orbiter mission carrying instruments from several countries, formerly known as Planet-B, launched in 1998 and scheduled to enter Martian orbit in 2003. The injection into Mars orbit failed December 2003. The spacecraft is now in Sun orbit.
Launched by the USSR in July 1988, the Phobos missions were to conduct environmental, atmospheric, and surface studies of Mars and its moon Phobos, and conduct observations of the Sun. Phobos 1 and 2 both experienced equipment malfunctions preventing completion of the mission.
The Martian mapping data collected by NASA's Viking 1 and 2 in the late 1970s remains the most complete view of Mars to date.
Science: Astronomy: Solar System: Planets: Mars
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re: "I'm so scared for Sylvain. I don't trust Aprilia and Dall'Igna. There's something wrong, the agrement take too long"
no there's nothing wrong. it's like i said, there is simply no replacing someone of max's notoriety. it was one thing to throw money at the campaign when he was in-house...? but with CRT being a flop, they now have to think hard about the economics of propping up both an irishman and a frenchman. even combined, they don't equal up to 1 max biaggi.


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Magnesium, zinc and aluminium complexes supported by tripodal diaminebis(aryloxido)
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At Torchwood, Jack, Gwen, Owen, and Tosh are playing indoor rugby. Ianto arrives as they finish up and go out for drinks. Once they've left, Dr. Taniziki arrives and Ianto lets him in. Ianto takes Taniziki to the basement storage area and shows him his secret: a woman, partially converted into a Cyberman. Ianto kisses her gently on the cheek.
Taniziki, a cyberneticist, is impressed and surprised to see that one of the Cybermen survived. Ianto explains that the woman, Lisa Haller, worked for Torchwood in London during the Canary Wharf battle. The Cybermen began converting bodies rather than transplanting brains, and Lisa was only partway through the process when Ianto pulled her out. Taniziki catalogues the percentage of change that Lisa has undergone. Ianto explains that he took units from a cyber-conversion pod under Lisa's guidance. Lisa wakes up and Taniziki runs some tests as Lisa explains that Ianto is her boyfriend.
Taniziki and Ianto take Lisa to an upstairs lab and the cyberneticist prepares to remove her from life support. He warns that there is a risk Lisa will die and begins the procedure.
Jack and the other staff are drinking at a bar when they get word of a UFO sighting over Cardigan Bay. Jack orders them back to base.
Ianto starts to threaten Taniziki with what will happen if Lisa dies, but Lisa wakes up and starts breathing on her own. Taniziki warns that it's only the first step. Ianto picks up a signal that the Torchwood crew is coming back and he and Taniziki get Lisa up. She insists on walking on her own and the two men help her downstairs. Once they're in the storage room, Ianto goes back upstairs to check on the others.
In the storage room, Lisa grabs Taniziki and slams her down on to the conversion table. She then activates the conversion mechanism and Taniziki looks up in horror as blades descend toward his face. Lisa insists that the human race is weak and she can make Taniziki strong.
In the Hub, the power goes down and Jack orders a system diagnosis. Ianto leaps in and says that he had generator problems earlier and he'll go to fix it. He runs downstairs and discover Taniziki, dead, his face partially merged with cybernetics. Lisa insists that she can deal with Torchwood and Ianto tells her not to go near them. He figures that something has happened to her mind. When he snaps at her, she starts to advance on him before he notices. When he reverts to sympathy, she stops. Ianto tells her to rest while he disposes of Taniziki's body. As he leaves, he tells Lisa that everything will be okay. Once Ianto is gone, Lisa reactivates the conversion pod.
The Torchwood team warns the UFO crew off and the power goes off. Jack tries to contact Ianto, who is busy moving Taniziki's corpse.
Lisa feeds more power into her cybernetic body and smiles in triumph.
Tosh discovers that there are two human life signs in the basement, the source of the power loss, and Jack concludes that they've been invaded. He orders battle protocols and Gwen and Owen go to the basement to find Ianto. They lose contact on the radio due to the power surge. While Tosh tries to reestablish contact, she discovers that someone has tampered with the security footage. She's able to bring up footage of Taniziki meeting with Ianto inside of the facility.
Gwen and Owen enter the storage room and Owen recognizes the equipment as Cyber-technology. Gwen shuts it down and the power resumes. Tosh and Jack contact Gwen, who informs him what they've found. Jack orders them back up but Lisa steps out and knocks out Owen. Jack goes to help and tells Tosh to activate shutdown and get to safety. Below, Lisa advances on Gwen and easily disarms her, and then places her in the conversion unit. Jack arrives and shoots at Lisa, but Ianto grabs him and throws off his aim. Lisa walks off while Ianto and Jack try to free Gwen. They have no choice but to tell Tosh to cut off the power, initiating a total lockdown. Ianto apologizes and Gwen wonders why. They free Gwen head back up with the unconscious Owen. They spot Lisa, who walks away before they can shoot. Jack points his gun at Ianto, realizing that he's involved.
In the Hub, Jack orders Tosh to get to the weapons and then demands answers from Ianto. Jack demands to know what else he's hiding and Ianto notes that Jack has never cared about his personal life. Ianto explains that Lisa is his girlfriend and Torchwood exists to destroy alien threats: he wasn't going to tell them about her. Jack warns him that there is no cure and anyone who is converted stays that way. Ianto insists that Lisa wasn't totally converted but Jack warns that Cyberinvasions begin with one human who they exploit. They then spread, wiping out worlds and assimilating populations. Ianto refuses to give up on Lisa and Jack tells him to figure out which side he's on.
Lisa enters the chamber and Ianto goes to talk to her. She insists that the army will be rebuilt inside of Torchwood and identifies herself as Human Point Two. Jack points out that she's not a Cyberman yet. Lisa looks at her reflection and says that she's disgusting. She insists on starting again and upgrading properly. When Ianto explains that he brought her there to be together, Lisa suggests that they transplant her brain into his body to become one complete person. When Ianto refuses, she states that they're not compatible and throws him aside. The team splits up and tries to keep Lisa distracted, and then regroup in the conference room. Jack gives a lock descrambler to Tosh and tells her to go up the emergency stairs to reception, and patch emergency lights into a specific circuit. He then has Owen and Gwen go to the autopsy room to find weapons while he buys them time.
Jack taunts Lisa and runs back to the Hub. Tosh uses the device to open the gates and the main door while Lisa grabs Jack and electrocutes him. She leaves him dead on the floor and advances on Tosh. Tosh gets the gate open while Jack gets back to his feet. Lisa electrocutes him again, killing him once more. Tosh manages to get out just in time.
Gwen and Owen get to the autopsy room but Lisa advances on them. There's no exit out and Owen figures they have to hide in one of the drawers. The two of them have no choice but to lie on top of each other. As Lisa searches the room, Jack revives and gets Ianto clear. As Gwen and Owen listen to Lisa close in, Owen decides to kiss Gwen. Meanwhile, Jack administers mouth-mouth to Ianto, reviving him.
Lisa gets ever closer to Gwen and Owen. Gwen's phone rings: it's Kai Owens, asking her to video wife-swap. Gwen and Owen get out of the drawer and Lisa advances on Gwen. Owens attacks her with a knife, stabbing her through the partial armor plating. Gwen wonders what Owen was up to and Owen tries to dismiss it, claiming it was a last kiss for the condemned man. He notices that she didn't put up much of a struggle. Ianto arrives and looks down at Lisa… who wakes up and advances on them.
As Tosh tries to reroute the power, Jack grabs a blowtorch and a bottle of liquid. He tries to hold her off but Lisa is content to wait until the power runs out. Ianto begs Jack to save Lisa, but Jack tells the others to hold Ianto back while he sprays Lisa with the fluid. He explains that it helps the pterodactyl identify its food. It flies down and attacks Lisa, while Tosh gets the power working. The lift activates, lifting the team up towards the surface. Below, the pterodactyl rips open Lisa as the woman screams in terror and Ianto looks on in horror. Tosh meets them in the plaza and Ianto slugs Jack, accusing him of abandoning Lisa. Ianto insists that Jack is worse than anything they have locked up, and that one day he'll stand aside as he watches Jack die. Jack insists that killing Lisa was the only way. Tosh tells them she tripped the lockdown timer and they should be able to get back in.
As the team runs back to the headquarters entrance, Annie the pizza girl arrives. The doors open and she walks in and down the stairs. The floor of the Hub is covered in blood. Annie is unaware that Lisa is behind her.
The team gets back inside and Ianto grabs a gun, telling them he'll shoot anyone that interferes. Jack disarms him and holds the gun to his head. He tells Ianto that if he goes back in, it's to finish the job. If Lisa is still alive, Ianto will have to execute her. Ianto refuses and Jack tells him that it's time to stand as part of the team. If Ianto refuses, Jack says he'll shoot Ianto and Lisa. Ianto refuses and Jack gives him ten minutes to deal with Lisa. Ianto takes a gun and goes downstairs.
Ianto enters the Hub and sees the discarded pizza box. The base is undergoing another power loss and Ianto follows the trail of blood to the storage room. He finds Lisa, dead. As he cries in grief, a figure steps out of the shadows: Annie. "Annie" explains that she's Lisa: she transplanted her brain into the pizza girl's body. Lisa says that Ianto fought so hard for her, she couldn't let herself go. She describes in great detail their times together and asks him to hold her and tell her that everything is all right. Ianto embraces her, crying, and then points the gun at her head. Lisa pleads with him to stop, saying she did it all for him. Ianto apologizes, but then drops the gun. As he turns away, Lisa says that they can be upgraded, together. The others arrive and open fire, killing her.
Later, Ianto arrives to clean up the base. He looks up at Jack in the conference room, silently asking for permission. Jack nods and Ianto goes to work. Gwen asks Jack if she would have shot Ianto, or shot her if she'd stood by Ianto. Jack doesn't directly answer her question. She wonders if Ianto will stay after losing his beloved, and if Jack has ever loved anyone that much. Jack doesn't say anything. Gwen notes that when she saw Lisa killing him, she wondered if he could really die. Jack admits that he wondered the same thing, and that he felt more alive than ever in that moment of time.
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It is not an uncommon occurrence to see curious visitors searching for the city centre in vain. After all, there is not one, but three municipal opera houses here. Whether it be universities, airports or parks, extras tend to get added to the mix in Berlin. This is even moreso the case with theatres, concert halls or big open air theatres, for example. Experimental courtyard theatre productions exist alongside the pearls of high culture, while arena concerts are complemented by intimate recitals in basement clubs. It's no wonder that more and more creative people are choosing to call Berlin home.
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Racing at 200mph+ is tricky business. Valentino and Burgess are probably valuing life over death. The day will come when Valentino has 100% faith and can push the Ducati. Sometimes it takes monster patience. Personally, I think the testing rules badly hurt Ducati. It's a shame because testing is everything. It's a matter of patience and focus, Val is right!!!


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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor
Post to the Host
Host Garrison Keillor answers your questions about life, love, writing, authors, and of course, A Prairie Home Companion.
Live in San Diego
February 24, 2011 | 11 Comments
Dear Garrison,
I have 2 young boys( 6&9) who really would love to see your show live in San Diego. We listen and laugh @ the show on the radio and want to confirm that the show would be appropriate for them live.
Thank you,
Selise Pastore
I think they'd love it, Selise. Drop me a line and I'll get them seats on stage and that way they can see Fred Newman close up as he does the dolphins steering the submarine past the humpback whales and firing the sausage pizzas over the volcano (thereby cooking them) and into the speeding car chased by coyotes. And they can observe Peter Johnson doing paradiddles on the drums as the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band strikes up the Bebopareebop theme. Appropriate??? Appropriateness has been a lifelong goal of mine. And nine is the perfect age for a Prairie Home listener. Snorts and honks and explosions a-plenty.
11 Comments
I'm just having a nice chuckle imagining an inappropriate PHC!
Dear Garrison:
We were lucky enough to get seats for your performance in San Diego yesterday, and we loved it. Altho we were in the nosebleed section, we were able to enjoy you and all the other performers on the stage. That piano player, wow...The Navy band, Wow, wow, wow, and I loved the song, Japanese Bowl, but still don't know the name of the singer.(You were great, too but you always are). I couldn't hear when you announced her. I listened to the whole show this am and still didn't catch it. Was she a guest, or is she with you all the time. Terrifica lady. Your show is what America is all about, and anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of hearing you live or on your broadcast is really missing a piece of this country. I also have a very deal fried from Min-a-so-ta. She goes back for reunions there. My husband is a big fan of yours, too. Glad you were able to enjoy the "storm" we were having. Thanks, again..MM PS How does he do all those effects. What a talent....
ditto, it was a great show. I look forward to more Sara W. and the Decembrists especially since we live in Oregon. The band medley of the military anthems was an emotional memory moment with a big lump in the throat. I love San Diego, my hometown Hemet is about 80 miles north. I love Balboa Park , THE Zoo, there is none better, and the museums, you could spend a week there and not see everything. Thanks for having the show there, Bravo!
I loved the song 'Japanese Bowl,' also! I came to this site because I was hoping to be able to hear it again. Am I correct that Jearlyn Steele was singing? I don't even want to hear anyone else sing it; it's HER song!
Thank you for this wonderful show. I listen to it twice every weekend - once on Saturday and a repeat on Sunday. Makes me feel good, makes me smile. "Pretty good" accomplishment!
~ Terry
Also loved the song Japanese Bowl and could not hear the name of the singer announced.
Just heard this show 8/21/11 and loved Ms. Steele singing the Japanese Bowl. But when I googled, I couldn't find the lyrics to the song online. Was it an original song at PHC this performance? I would love to be able to play it at will, but don't know where to find it. If possible, could you/someone forward the information to me?
Just visiting here in the USA from overseas and am quite a fan of Prairie Home Companion. Am not accustomed to any extensive detective work with the internet but, is there any way to hear that song about the Japanese bowl again? I was simply charmed by it, hearing it in the parked car, waiting for a friend to emerge from our local "Wok" establishment, here in Kentucky, with Sunday's lunch. I'd love to hear the background inforation on the song again and to study the song further. Was it originally written in English or perhaps in Japanese, which I am currently studying? If origially in Japanese, it would be great to share it with my class, overseas. Thanks
I too want to know the name of the singer on "Japanese Bowl". Please answer for us.
would appreciate the few lyrics to "old japanese bowl". Powerful song! Thanks from a long time listener from the coast of NC.
Japanese Bowl was written by Peter Mayer
and sung by Jerelyn Steele on this show. I think she sings it better than Mr. Mayer, but it's a very beautiful song no matter who sings it.
The Japanese Bowl song is simply beautiful.
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- Anonymous in the Big City
- Thanks to Ford
- Offended
- What happened to that "Sweet Biscuit Fiddle?"
- "Tom and Sally"
- SFX Lady??
- Missing The Old Scout
- Live in San Diego
- So Where's Sinclair?
- This is my first big trip away from home. Any advice for a first-time traveler?
- How come the house band is called The Shoe Band?
- October 21 Cinecast
- Getting into the Radio Business
- On the 12th Floor of the Acme Building...
Complete Post to the Host Archive


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thiotepa - injection, Thioplex
GENERIC NAME: THIOTEPA - INJECTION (thigh-oh-TEP-uh)
BRAND NAME(S): Thioplex
Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage
USES: Thiotepa is used to treat cancer. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. Thiotepa is often given into the bladder to treat bladder cancer.
HOW TO USE: This medication is given by injection into a vein by a health care professional, usually once a week or as directed by your doctor. Sometimes, thiotepa is injected directly into the tumor. Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience pain, burning, or redness at the injection site.For treatment of bladder cancer, thiotepa is usually given into the bladder through a tube (catheter). Your doctor may direct you to limit fluids for 8 to 12 hours before the medication is given. The solution is usually left in place for 2 hours and then drained out through the bladder tube. Your doctor may direct you to change positions every 15 minutes while the solution is in your bladder to make sure the solution treats all parts of your bladder.The dosage and how often the medication is given is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Your doctor will do blood tests (complete blood count) to find the right dose for you. Your next dose may need to be rescheduled if your white blood cell count or platelets are too low.Learn how to handle, use, and discard chemotherapy and medical supplies safely. Consult your pharmacist. Wear gloves and wash your hands carefully after handling this drug. Avoid getting this medication in your eyes or on your skin. If the medication gets in your eye, wash the affected eye(s) well with water and contact your doctor. If the medication gets on your skin, wash the area well with soap and water.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Need help identifying pills and medications?
Back to Medications Index


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The (POGO) Blog
March 21, 2016
By Neil Gordon
Is the Government Too Transparent?
To celebrate Sunshine Week, two noted scholars debated the question "Is Our Government Too Open?"
Continue Reading Is the Government Too Transparent?
Topics: Open Government
March 18, 2016
DHS Took 9 Years to Reject FOIA Request for Katrina Records
After a delay of over nine years, POGO finally received a response to a 2006 FOIA request regarding a potential conflict of interest when four massive sole-sourced contracts were awarded without any objective evaluation criteria.
Continue Reading DHS Took 9 Years to Reject FOIA Request for Katrina Records
March 15, 2016
Drug Problems: Did Bad Blood Tests Turn a Clinical Trial into a Mistrial?
Recent studies by the European Medicines Agency and a team based at Duke University dismissed concerns that malfunctioning testing devices compromised a clinical trial of the blood thinner Xarelto, but each of those studies leaves questions.
Continue Reading Drug Problems: Did Bad Blood Tests Turn a Clinical Trial into a Mistrial?
Topics: Public Health and Science
March 15, 2016
By Justin Rood
Group of Bipartisan Experts Reveal Dirty Legislative Secret
A bipartisan group of experts are pointing out a dirty secret of the legislative branch: its penchant for funding new agencies and programs far outpaces its investment in staff to oversee all of it.
Continue Reading Group of Bipartisan Experts Reveal Dirty Legislative Secret
Topics: Government Accountability
March 14, 2016
VA Inspector General Confronted over Feeble Investigations
In a letter to the President, Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner put the VA's Office of the Inspector General in the spotlight over how it failed to fully investigate allegations of secret wait lists for mental health patients.
Continue Reading VA Inspector General Confronted over Feeble Investigations
Topics: Government Accountability, Whistleblower Protections
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Podcast; Social Media, Internet Provides Opportunities, Challenges for Lawmakers
The Congressional Management Foundation offers the Gold Mouse Awards annually to members of Congress who make the most of the opportunity the digital world offers them. POGO spoke with members of Rep. Mike Honda's communications team about their award.


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That's all well and good, but it all hinges upon one word that is rather fraught with ideological implications: "we." Who is the "we" in a broadway audience?
I got to thinking about this because Mary and I were in NYC recently, and went to go see In the Heights, the new (to Broadway, at least) musical based on a Hispanic neighborhood in Washington Heights. I'm not really going to review in detail here. The quick rundown is that In the Heights was written by a twenty-seven year-old New Yorker named Lin-Manuel Miranda while he was a sophomore in college. It had a very successful run off-Broadway, and now just opened, with some revisions, at the Richard Rodgers Theater. Miranda himself still stars as Usnavi, a Dominican bodega owner. The music, I feel qualified to say, is outright amazing. When I first heard that it was a "hip hop musical" it's safe to say that I was concerned, but I was completely won over by the musical experience. Often when commercial music theater attempts to use "youth music" it sounds forced. I tend to think it is a matter of tempo more than anything--I love Rent as much as the next artsy suburbanite, but the painfully slow tempos of Larson's "rock music" always make it clear that you are in a very different musical world. At its best moments Miranda's music--and credit equally goes to the music director and excellent pit orchestra--pops along as if unaware of the millions of dollars in revenues weighing upon it. The result is energetic and immensely appealing. Everything else about it is great too, and I hope that next time you are in the city you should run over and see it. If you want to read a real review, try here or here.
In the Heights comes five decades after the definitive Broadway portrait of Nueva York, written by a queer Jew from Boston: West Side Story. West Side Story cheerfully participated in the traditional exoticist Broadway style. When the idea was suggested to Bernstein, he was thrilled to have the chance to play around with Latin rhythms, even if, truth be told, most of them still sound like Stravinsky. Originally the musical was actually to be called East Side Story, since the Bernstein and Co. assumed that was still where the Puerto Ricans lived.
So if "we" all had a great time watching Puerto Ricans fight and dance on stage, what happens with Puerto Ricans themselves go from being the object of a musical to being the creators? Well, one thing was very obvious to me Saturday night: the majority of the audience at the Richard Rodgers theater was speaking Spanish to one another during intermission.
This causes consternation to some people. The critic Terry Teachout, for one, had some praise for the musical, but decided that it rang essentially false:
Mr. Miranda is clearly a very talented young man. Why, then, did he settle for this casserole of warmed-over Disney slathered in hot sauce? It occurs to me that the answer may have something to do with his background: Mr. Miranda's father is a political consultant and his mother a child psychologist, while he himself directed "West Side Story" as a senior in high school, then attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Might all this explain why his cheery portrait of street life seems the least little bit faux? Stew, by contrast, drew forthrightly on his experience as a middle-class black kid in Los Angeles to write "Passing Strange," every bar of which rings true to life. I liked "In the Heights" more than well enough, but I have a sneaking feeling that a show about the real Lin-Manuel Miranda might have been a whole lot more interesting.I'm not even sure where to begin taking this apart. Let's start with the judgment that In the Heights should have hewn more closely to autobiography. Needless to say, that's an unusual aesthetic standpoint with which to judge Broadway musicals, a genre not known for its unsentimental portrayals of gritty realist subjects. Teachout's favorite musical, after all, is Sweeney Todd, which I sincerely hope is not the product of autobiography. Teachout himself makes much of the fact that he himself moves articulately in several different social worlds--small town Missourian living on the Upper West Side, conservative critic in the liberal world of the arts--so one might imagine him to be sympathetic to an artist moving between worlds, and not being confined to his or her origins. But Lin-Manuel Miranda bugs him.
Well, I'm going to say something unpleasant about Teachout: I suspect that the reason In the Heights rang false for him is because the characters in the show did not do drugs, were not criminals, had upwardly mobile class aspirations and were generally good people. In Teachout's world, Lin-Manuel Miranda's parents were well-to-do, therefore Miranda is unqualified to write about Hispanic life in Washington Heights.
The fact is, cloying sentimentality aside (and there is plenty of it!), Miranda is writing autobiography--or at least as autobiographically as Meredith Willson did with regards to River City, Iowa. As the observant might have noticed from Teachout's mini-biography, Miranda and I went to college together. We were in fact classmates. We didn't know each other, and I admit that I didn't go to the production of In the Heights he did our sophomore year because I thought the idea of a Wesleyan student doing a "hip hop musical" sounded ridiculous. But I can at least vouch for the fact that he is indeed Puerto Rican, and is indeed from the Washington Heights/Inwood part of the world. And I hate to break it to Teachout, but there are many people like him in Washington Heights.
The problem, I think, is that In the Heights does not match Teachout's own fantasy about what Hispanic life in Washington Heights is like. And this, I would argue, is because Miranda's musical does not go out of its way to speak to Teachout. Unlike the Jets and the Sharks safely performing a knife-fight ballet to Stravinskian rhythms, the cultural difference of In the Heights spills into the audience, and for many a "typical" Broadway audience member there is the shock of recognizing that perhaps this musical is not speaking to me.
Not in any kind of radical way, of course. The politics of In the Heights, such as they are, are mostly a rather tepid multiculturalism. But at the same time, there's a lot to be said for allowing a new generation of American theatergoers a chance to see themselves in a Broadway musical.


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Virginia Restaurateur Launches Zagat for Gun-Loving Foodies
Ten restaurants have signed up so far.
Ten restaurants have signed up so far.
But seriously, how are the habanero wings?
A photographer from X17 then punched a customer's wife.
The band, which sells a Kiss coffin and has a golf course planned, naturally needs its own Las Vegas cafe, too.
Be afraid, Southern California, be very afraid. And not just of the fried bologna sandwiches.
Get ready for drinks like White Trash With Money.