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1 Gordon Brown 2 Tony Blair 3 Alex Salmond 4 David Miliband 5 Ed Balls 6 Jack Straw 7 Ken Livingstone 8 Douglas Alexander 9 Harriet Harman 10 Derek Simpson 11 Jacqui Smith 12 Deborah Mattinson 13 Alan Johnson 14 Tom Scholar 15
Damian McBride 16 Sue Nye 17 Ed Miliband 18 Brendan Barber 19 Wilf Stevenson 20 Polly Toynbee.... To see 21-100 click HERE.
political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Telegraph Column: The Top 100 Most Influential People on the Left
35 comments:
- Steven_L said...
Is Miliband really that influencial? I hope not.
Here we have a man that wants to make us all buy and sell in 'personal tradeable carbon allowances' and buy licences to fish in the sea. - September 23, 2007 9:32 pm
Is Alex Salmond really on the left? He's seen by many as a racist bigot, but politically he is acting as the only right-wing alternative to Labour in Scotland, as the men in skirts don't like voting Tory.
Clothilde Simon - September 23, 2007 9:36 pm
That list is an absolute joke, but what do you expect from the Telegraph on such a matter!
JJ Rousseau etc. would be turning in their graves! None of the top 6 could even remotely be described as left-wing by anyone with any sense!
"Time for revolution - that'll show 'em!"
Anyway, David Cameron is probably the most influential for the left - he's jumped bandwagon-style on most of the left's campaigns hasn't he? - September 23, 2007 9:39 pm
I just don't believe that Blair is an influential person any more. He's been reviled and disgraced - and even had his new job taken away from him by Condoleezza Rice because he was too grabby. Labour knows how the entire country loathes him. They know what a narrow escape he had in the cash for honours and that he only managed to escape because he is lower than a snake's belly and managed to slither out under the door.
- September 23, 2007 9:52 pm
If I had a sniper rifle with 21 bullets then you've made a magnificent list. I'd need the extra bullet just to make really sure of Polly Toynbee. There's a big risk that you'd miss her tiny brain the first time around.
Make that 143 bullets.
If I read the additional 80 entries then I'd be looking for a machine gun so for the sake of my blood pressure I won't click on the link. - September 23, 2007 10:12 pm
- Sir Dando Tweakshafte said...
Given the invisibility of the Shadow Cabinet at the moment, your effort next weekend for the Telegraph will presumably be "The Top 5 Moderately Influential People on the Right" - the other 95 having provided notes from their mums.
- September 23, 2007 10:36 pm
Where does Cameron fit in with his conservative socialism/liberalism and his covert support if not silence for New Labour.
- September 23, 2007 10:48 pm
What about the most uninfluential people of the right cameron, osborne, ainsworth.....ritchie
- September 23, 2007 10:52 pm
Looking at the latest polls Iain, your prediction that Brown is out to destroy the Tories is about to come true. Although it'll be Cameron that will be the real destroyer.
- September 23, 2007 10:59 pm
You forgot Patrick Mercer and John Bercow
- September 23, 2007 11:16 pm
Most LibDems would consider themselves to be on the left. Obviously they're just not very influential any more...
- September 23, 2007 11:18 pm
Alec - Cameron's on the left, but he's just not influential enough to be in the top 100.
Anonymous - I hope the Tories are destroyed - it won't be Brown who did it; he's not that Machiavellian enough - more of a huffy, resentful sulk - but the Conservative Party itself who have failed their membership. That's what we should remember: They did it to themselves because they wouldn't listen to their membership and were so anxious to get into the club, they chucked out conservatism and adopted protective imitative posturing instead. Didn't work.
I wonder what the new conservative party will be called, and who will be behind starting it. Whatever, after Dave loses this election, the new party will storm to victory next time and I predict keep the vile New World Order socialists out of power for at least 20 years. - September 23, 2007 11:21 pm
Polly Toynbee? Really?
I always had the impression she was taking dictation from dead people, and that her audience consisted largely of the same...at least brain-dead. Has anyone ever changed their mind because of something Polly Toynbee wrote? - September 23, 2007 11:25 pm
- Ted Foan said...
Why isn't Quentin Davies (that well-known left wing MP who was elected as a Conservative) not been included?
The man's a gem in the crown of Brown's all-inclusive marquee in which we are all now asked to micturate. I am sure all supporters in his Lincolnshire constituency will agree. - September 23, 2007 11:44 pm
- Wrinkled Weasel said...
Clothilde..Where did you get the idea that Alex Salmond was a "racist bigot"? and a "right wing alternative to Labour in Scotland" Please give your reasons for this. Are you barking mad or just ignorant?
An interesting list. My only observation is that these people are mostly ephemeral. The time served oldies on the other hand like Germaine and Tariq are no longer influential; they are hippy anachronisms who are periodically wheeled on more for old time's sake than what they actually say. Tony Benn, ditto, though he is a very wise man and still speaks the truth.
To me, only Peter Tatchell and Gerry Adams stand out as people whose name you could have mentioned 25 years ago and gotten some kind of reaction then and now and unless something terrible happens, Adams is heading for the history books and comfy slippers.
So that leaves Peter Tatchell. All the rest are here today gone tomorrow politicians and chattering classes.
And as far as I know, he is the only person on the list whose basic living arrangements havn't improved beyond recognition as a result of his fame and putative influence. Best to ponder on that for a moment and ask yourself why. If in a hundred years time it becomes very clear that most of the people on your list were there mostly for personal kudos and money, Mr Tatchell will be seen as curiously and courageously in symbolic opposition to the spirit of the age. If that is his lasting influence, I am sure he would not mind. - September 23, 2007 11:47 pm
You forgot The Daily Brownograph itself.
- September 23, 2007 11:50 pm
Raincoaster - W good and welcome back!
Diablo - slow learner that I am, I have never understood why it's better to piss inside the tent than outside. Surely enough people pissing inside tent would drive other people to vacate the stinking tent? ......
... oh! Wait a minute! That's what happened with the Conservatives! They were all pissing inside the Conservative tent so the real Conservatives opened the flap and fled.
They will form a new party after losing this next election. - September 23, 2007 11:54 pm
- Ted Foan said...
verity (11.54pm) - touche!
You are the voice of doom I keep hearing in my head, aren't you? Can't you see an alternative or are you so set on seeing David Cameron and the rest of us who think Brown can be beaten ground into years of despair?
Apparently, you don't have to live in this country so would not have to suffer (directly) the consequences of these quasi-socialists continuing to dumb down our society. What is your alternative vision for a new Conservative party? And what would it be called?
P(i)S(s): Already covered the hygiene issues of all this urine in my blog. - September 24, 2007 12:14 am
- M. Hristov said...
You have left out all the "sleepers". Left wingers put into supposedly independent positions by this government.
Is Germaine Greer still left wing? Is feminism still necessarily left wing? I don't think so. - September 24, 2007 12:50 am
WW - Agreed. And agree that Peter Tatchell, whose politics are socialist and that is a bad thing, is a very brave man who marches to his own drum. I wouldn't malign him for his stance, even if I got the chance. He put himself in the way of Mugabe's gorillas, trying to stand up for homosexual rights, knowing he was going to have the lights painfully punched out of him, which is what happened. So he's physically very brave, as well.
Respect. - September 24, 2007 12:51 am
Hello, Diablo.
I was brought up a Conservative and have never voted for anything else in my life. And I write the now familiar plangency - "I didn't leave the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party left me."
The tent stinks of sour urine. [I'll visit your site within the next few days to read your views on all this.] They've pissed away the future of our nation. And they've pissed away our glorious past.
Without the past, and the future gone, what's left?
And abase themselves to the spokes-persons for the rights of ignorant immigrants who have no connection to the long thread of Western civilisation, and an administration that threatens the indigenes with thought crimes, which is against our Constitution.
Everyone reading can fill in the rest of the blanks.
Cameron is life but not as we know it.
And we look the same to him. He feels no commonality with us. I have felt from the beginning that he is apprehensive of us - which is the reason for all this patronising jovialty and a website where he loads a dishwasher, obviously never having done so in his life before. But it was a grotesquely inept attempt to connect with the little people. "Oh, look! He's just like us!" (That Glaswegian comedienne whose name I can't remember nailed it. She opened a microwave oven and said, "Look! I'm just like yeeew!")
Cameron thinks it's the Conservatives' turn and boo sucks! He doesn't even seem to understand that the tractor of Gordon, dull, possibily autistic but definitely deeply obsessive, is going to roll over them. Trying to be their new best friend won't work. And why should it? But they will wave you warmly into the tent.
Cameron has no policies except extra taxes - certainly a well known conservative position! - more taxes! more state sector employment! - for fantasy "carbon emissions" that are going to ruin the universe! Uh-huh. Tories are like that these days. Panic and pander.
No policies on the EU, whose noose is tightening around our necks. No policies on the flooding of our country with "immigrants" (although we and our forebears have been the owners of these islands for at least two thousand years, possibly longer and these "immigrants" need our collective permission to get in) and sending indigenous British doctors who speak their native English overseas because third world "doctors" (no thanks!) are pouring into the NHS- fumded by British taxpayers.
Yes, I got out of Britain because, for some reason,when I first saw Blair on TV, I had a flash into the future and was alarmed.
Dave is uneasy around ordinary British people. That's his problem and the problem of his coterie. They are totally disconnected with what has made our country work throughout history. Remote. And feel a tightening of the collar, a dryness of the throat when they have to connect with us. Most of us don't have wind turbines on our rooves (or would feel any need for one), so what can one say? Ghastly, but they have a vote, old boy.
But Tony's leaving the Commons,chaps! He's one of us. "Let's all give him a good hand for a job jolly well done! Let's give the most destructive, duplicitous, malign - with his coterie - individual who has ever had absolute power in our islands a jolly good standing ovation!"
Was any Tory brave enough to remain seated, by the way?
Anyway, I've waded out of the urine quagmire and stench inside the tent. - September 24, 2007 2:13 am
I'm a bit confused Iain. Thanks for thinking of me as the highest rated blogger and putting me at number 72... But how come Pickled Politics did not make the 100 left of centre blogs?
I think your criteria for deciding who is on the left (i.e., letting people define themselves) was absolutely spot on. - September 24, 2007 5:13 am
- The Daily Pundit said...
You seem to have missed out Gordon Brown's best mate, Sir Michael Lyons, who resigned as a member of the Labour Party earlier this year following his appointment as Chairman of the BBC.
- September 24, 2007 9:34 am
- Man in a Shed said...
Have to agree with UK Pundit on this - you seem to have missed out quite a few employees of the state funded broadcasting establishment (aka BBC).
- September 24, 2007 10:20 am
verity September 23, 2007 11:21 PM
I wonder what the new conservative party will be called...
How about UKIP? - September 24, 2007 11:23 am
- Roger Thornhill said...
You may as well have compiled a list of 100 most debilitating diseases.
Oh! They did! - September 24, 2007 11:36 am
- David Lindsay said...
How are you defining the Left, and why?
- September 24, 2007 12:34 pm
- Iain Dale said...
David, read the article and your question is answered.
- September 24, 2007 12:40 pm
- Yak40 said...
I'm not sure I've ever been able to finish anything written by Toynbee.
Just another champagne socialist anyway. - September 24, 2007 2:24 pm
- Marco Biagi said...
I know it's a cliche to suggest an extra name, but where is Richard Dawkins?
- September 24, 2007 2:32 pm
Where's Alistair Campbell? or John Healey?
- September 24, 2007 3:03 pm
The nasty pasty:
Well, thank you, Geoff at 10.12 p.m. last night: you've confirmed something. And it isn't your numeracy. - September 24, 2007 4:23 pm
- Ted Foan said...
Verity - just spotted your response.
My "guts" understand some of what you say but my head says if we really want a Conservative government we have to accept that the great British electorate are only capable of understanding soundbites these days. If David Cameron says he's going to reduce your taxes Labour will then say that nasty Tory is going to cut the (wonderful) services that we have given you. What do you believe?
That lower taxes will create more growth and the conditions to reduce the size of the state's take of your income and improve your personal wealth that you can use in whatever way you want?
Or that the Tories will cut all public services (the NHS, education, police, etc) and make you pay for it all yourself?
The average tabloid newspaper reader has very little ability to make a considered judgement. And is probably more interested in the lives of so-called celebrities anyway.
You see what the Conservatives are up against? If you were leading the Conservative Party how would you counter this? Leave the country I guess!
Best regards - September 25, 2007 2:16 am
'To be on the left is to be for forms of change to the existing status quo, for reform in a broad sense.'
And there was me thinking we lacked clarity on the left ... - September 25, 2007 9:51 pm
'To be on the left is to be for forms of change to the existing status quo, for reform in a broad sense.'
And there was me thinking we lacked clarity on the left ... - September 25, 2007 9:53 pm


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Cost-cutting measures are not unusual for organizations as they traverse the standard lifecycle of products and services. What you decide to cut during the lean times can have just as much impact as to where investments go when your business is flush with cash. Some organizations start their cuts in advertising and marketing but eventually make their way to technology projects. Managing expenses and balancing them with the associated risks is a critical task in organizations, but there are two places where the risk simply isn't worth the savings in expense reductions: cybersecurity and proactive support for your business technology. Reducing your funds in these two vital areas could cause a negative impact on the organization that has a ripple effect felt for years to come. Here's why these are the two places that you should never cut corners in your business.
Protecting Your Organization's Business Systems and Data
Cybersecurity is a broad term that refers to a range of activities including hardware protection, software patches, password requirements, staff training, server maintenance, cloud-based controls and more. There is no simple definition of what can be included in cybersecurity and business requirements change on a fairly regular basis. This alone makes it difficult to set a budget and stick with it — or reduce it over time. The ever-changing nature of threats that can effectively cripple an organization in a very short period of time means that your business will need to continually invest in learning and growth opportunities to reduce the risk to your organization.
Data protection is another facet of cybersecurity that demands consideration. From the 2018 GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to more recent requirements in various states, data privacy and compliance has come to the forefront of the security conversation. Businesses must first wrangle and then protect sensitive personal, health and financial data — not to mention securing their business systems from infiltration by hackers. Skimping on these critical tasks or attempting to do them in-house with limited resources can open your organization to significant fines if you're found to be non-compliant with global or state-supported regulations.
Smoothing the Cost of Technology
It's always tempting to cut out what could essentially be considered insurance: the ongoing maintenance and support of your technology hardware and software. When your business reverts to paying only for systems that are broken and unable to be used, you're left with a hodgepodge of user complaints due to slowdowns that aren't "bad enough" to be sent out for repair. Plus, you're looking at a hefty fee for getting any break-fix work done quickly — and forget about being able to budget effectively by guessing what could potentially require repair or replacement during the year.
Proactive maintenance of your business systems allows business users to maintain a high level of productivity while also factoring your technology costs at a reasonable level throughout the year. It can be extremely challenging when you've exhausted your budget for break-fix support for the year, only to find that it's only the beginning of the third quarter. In that case, you're either siphoning funds from other crucial projects or trying to limp through the remainder of the year until you can reset your budget and resolve outstanding problems. Investing in proactive maintenance means you don't have to question whether a fix is "important enough" to be resolved as long as the issue is within your service threshold.
Protecting your business from unnecessary risk can feel like a full-time job for busy technology leaders. Fortunately, IT managed services providers are able to help with both proactive maintenance and providing the high level of cybersecurity expertise that is needed to help protect your business from both current and emerging threats.

subset: commoncrawl


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Please join us to celebrate the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time – the Sunday of the Word of God – on Sunday, January 31:
- 9 AM EST – Morning Mass – In Person at the Church, not live streamed.
- 11:15 AM EST Community Mass In Person at the Church and also streamed online and available for playback.
Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window above.
Today's readings and hymns are available to download here:
- Please follow the instructions of the ushers, and observe all of the posted health precautions so that we can continue to worship together safely.
- Hymnals, bulletins, and other handouts will not be available at the church. Please download on your phone or tablet, or bring your own missal.
- Support our Parish – Please contribute to our General Collection online here.
- Help us support Catholic Charities Food Pantries in Brooklyn and Queens online


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Although there was little of substance to Philip Hammond's budget last week, one particular issue caused some political controversy. It was the proposal to increase the National Insurance contributions for the self-employed from 9% to 11% over a two-year period starting April 2018.
From this date, April 2018, the weekly Class 2 contributions will be scrapped and the scope of Class 4 contributions will be increased such that the entitlement to selected benefits is maintained.
The Chancellor's justification for the increase was to reduce the gap between NI contributions made by employed persons and the self-employed. Typically, employed persons and their employers make more significant contributions than self-employed individuals earning the same level of income.
At present, the self-employed pay Class 4 NIC at the rate of 9% of profits between £8,060 and £43,000, for 2016-17, compared to 12% for an employee on earnings between the same thresholds. When employer's NIC contributions of 13.8% are taken into account the imbalance in contributions are even more marked.
Historically, the benefits that an out of work, or retired self-employed person could claim were lower than an employed person, but with the advent of the new State Pension for persons who reach retirement age after 6 April 2016, many of these imbalances have been reduced.
The Treasury estimates that after the 2% increase has been factored in, only persons with self-employed earnings in excess of £16,250 will be paying more in NIC for 2019-20 as a direct result of the change.
Of course, the Class 4 NIC increase may not actually happen. This is a proposal published in a Finance Bill, and until parliament vote the change into law, the measure is ineffective. The Prime Minister has indicated that a final decision will be deferred to the Autumn Budget later this year.


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The governor of Washington declared a state of emergency Saturday after a man died there of COVID-19, the first such reported death in the United States. More than 50 people in a nursing facility are sick and being tested for the virus.
Gov. Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use "all resources necessary" to prepare for and respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary.
"We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," the governor vowed.
Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state are worried about the novel coronavirus spreading through West Coast communities because a growing number of people are being infected despite not having visited an area where there was an outbreak, nor apparently been in contact with anyone who had.
The man who died was in his 50s, had underlying health conditions and no history of travel or contact with a known COVID-19 case, health officials in Washington state said at a news conference. A spokesperson for EvergreenHealth Medical Center, Kayse Dahl, said the person died in the facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.
Dr. Frank Riedo, medical director of Infection Control at Evergreen, said local hospitals are seeing people with severe coronavirus symptoms but it's probable that there are more cases in the community.
"This is the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The health officials reported two cases of COVID-19 virus connected to a long-term care facility in the same suburb, Life Care Center of Kirkland. One is a Life Care worker, a woman in her 40s who is in satisfactory condition at a hospital, and the other is a woman in her 70s and a resident at Life Care who is hospitalized in serious condition. Neither had traveled abroad.
"In addition, over 50 individuals associated with Life Care are reportedly ill with respiratory symptoms or hospitalized with pneumonia or other respiratory conditions of unknown cause and are being tested for COVID-19," Seattle and King County officials said. "Additional positive cases are expected."
Amy Reynolds of the Washington state health department said in a brief telephone interview: "We are dealing with an emergency evolving situation."
A growing number of cases in California, Washington state and Oregon are confounding authorities because the infected people hadn't recently traveled overseas or had any known close contact with a traveler or an infected person.
The U.S. has about 60 confirmed cases. Worldwide, the number of people sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000, and there were more than 2,800 deaths, most of them in China. A 60-year-old U.S. citizen died in Wuhan in early February.
Most infections result in mild symptoms, including coughing and fever, though some can become more serious and lead to pneumonia. Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease, are especially vulnerable. Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States is considered small. But convinced that they will grow, health agencies are ramping up efforts to identify those who might be sick.
To achieve more rapid testing capacity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an accelerated policy Saturday enabling laboratories to use tests they develop. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said his agency is "rapidly responding and adapting to this dynamic and evolving situation."
The California Department of Public Health said Friday that the state will receive enough kits from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to test up to 1,200 people a day for the COVID-19 virus — a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom complained to federal health officials that the state had already exhausted its initial 200 test kits.
Oregon was able to more quickly identify a case — an employee of an elementary school in Lake Oswego near Portland because it was able to test a sample locally. School district officials said Saturday the employee had been visited in the hospital by several people before he was diagnosed. Those individuals have been asked to observe a two-week quarantine and are being closely monitored.
The district is deep-cleaning all its schools and all school buses with the goal of having students back in class Monday, said Superintendent Lora de la Cruz. But Forest Hills Elementary, where the man worked, is closed until Wednesday, marking two weeks since he was last at the school.
Earlier U.S. cases include three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak; 14 people who returned from China, or their spouses; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who were flown to U.S. military bases in California and Texas for quarantining.
The U.S. government looked at sending dozens of Californians, several of whom tested positive for the virus, who had been aboard the cruise ship to a state-owned facility in Costa Mesa, California. Local officials objected, saying they weren't included in the planning and wanting to know what safeguards would be in place to prevent spread of the virus. The U.S. government said it didn't need to use the facility after all.
At UC Davis Medical Center in California, at least 124 registered nurses and other health care workers were sent home for "self-quarantine" after a Solano County woman with the virus was admitted, National Nurses United, a nationwide union representing registered nurses, said Friday.
The case "highlights the vulnerability of the nation's hospitals to this virus," the union said.
Washington state health officials announced two other new coronavirus cases Friday night, including a high school student who attends Jackson High School in Everett, said Dr. Chris Spitters of the Snohomish County Health District.
The other case in Washington was a woman in in King County in her 50s who had recently traveled to South Korea, authorities said. Neither patient was seriously ill.
Associated Press writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington; and Gillian Flaccus in Lake Oswego, Oregon, contributed to this report.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


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Vacation plans are changing. This isn't exactly a surprise. With layoffs mounting and a careful eye trained on every expense, long vacations are becoming short, and short trips aren't straying as far from home. For some destinations, this is actually paying off.
A handful of smaller cities are pulling in visitors that normally would set off for grander locales. Charleston, SC and Fort Meyers, FL, for example sustained double-digit growth rates in January 2009 (relative to January 2008), according to American Express Travel bookings. Tuscon, AZ, Palm Springs, CA, and Portland, OR have also seen surges – 12 percent, 13 percent and 38 percent respectively.
Even Philly is on the upswing, which makes sense when you think about all those New Yorkers who need a quick break from the city.
So, why do these numbers look so good? Well, it's hard to say. Drops in airfare and room rates are obvious drivers. Or, it could be some sort of marketing savvy. When you look at the data, there's no common thread.
What is universal, it seems, is that everything is getting smaller. Trips are shorter, people are spending less and the destinations aren't as far from home as they used to be. With the many bargains that are available, we may be able to do more with less, but overall, we're still doing a hell of a lot less.
Aside from places like Fort Meyers and Tuscon, there are a few silver linings. "Girlfriend getaways" are still going strong, but the ladies are stretching their dollars. Renting one car instead of several, chipping in for a vacation home and picking a day spa over a destination spa are popular cost-cutting measures.
Home port cruises are on the upswing, as well. Guests can drive to the port (instead of flying), cutting down on the total cost of the trip. Like everyone else, these folks are cutting some deals, too.
Pick your corner of the travel and hospitality business, and you'll find more than a handful of bargains. The decisions we make come down to what travelers can afford – rather than what they want. But, we're still getting out on the road.
[Via MSNBC]


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Donald Trump once said he identified with Ayn Rand's character Howard Roark in "The Fountainhead," an architect so upset that a housing project he designed didn't meet specifications he had it dynamited.
Others in Trump's circle were influenced by Rand. "Atlas Shrugged" was said to be the favorite book of Rex Tillerson, Trump's secretary of state. Rand also had a major influence on Mike Pompeo, Trump's CIA chief. Trump's first nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, said he spent much of his free time reading Rand.
The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, required his staff to read Rand.
Uber's founder and former CEO, Travis Kalanick, has described himself as a Rand follower. Before he was sacked, he applied many of her ideas to Uber's code of values, and even used the cover art for Rand's book "The Fountainhead" as his Twitter avatar.
Who is Ayn Rand and why does she matter? Ayn Rand – best known for two highly-popular novels still widely read today – "The Fountainhead," published in 1943, and "Atlas Shrugged," in 1957 – didn't believe there was a common good. She wrote that selfishness is a virtue, and altruism is an evil that destroys nations.
When Rand offered these ideas they seemed quaint if not far-fetched. Anyone who lived through the prior half century witnessed our interdependence, through depression and war.
After the war we used our seemingly boundless prosperity to finance all sorts of public goods – schools and universities, a national highway system, and healthcare for the aged and poor (Medicare and Medicaid). We rebuilt war-torn Europe. We sought to guarantee the civil rights and voting rights of African-Americans. We opened doors of opportunity to women. Of course there was a common good. We were living it.
But then, starting in the late 1970s, Rand's views gained ground. She became the intellectual godmother of modern-day American conservatism.
This utter selfishness, this contempt for the public, this win-at-any-cost mentality is eroding American life.
Without adherence to a set of common notions about right and wrong, we're living in a jungle where only the strongest, cleverest, and most unscrupulous get ahead, and where everyone must be wary in order to survive. This is not a society. It's not even a civilization, because there's no civility at its core. It's a disaster.
In other words, we have to understand who Ayn Rand is so we can reject her philosophy and dedicate ourselves to rebuilding the common good.
The idea of the common good was once widely understood and accepted in America. After all, the U.S. Constitution was designed for "We the people" seeking to "promote the general welfare" – not for "me the selfish jerk seeking as much wealth and power as possible."
Yet today you find growing evidence of its loss – CEOs who gouge their customers, loot their corporations and defraud investors. Lawyers and accountants who look the other way when corporate clients play fast and loose, who even collude with them to skirt the law.
Wall Street bankers who defraud customers and investors. Film producers and publicists who choose not to see that a powerful movie mogul they depend on is sexually harassing and abusing young women.
Politicians who take donations (really, bribes) from wealthy donors and corporations to enact laws their patrons want, or shutter the government when they don't get the partisan results they seek.
And a president of the United States who lies repeatedly about important issues, refuses to put his financial holdings into a blind trust and then personally profits off his office, and foments racial and ethnic conflict.
The common good consists of our shared values about what we owe one another as citizens who are bound together in the same society. A concern for the common good – keeping the common good in mind – is a moral attitude. It recognizes that we're all in it together.
If there is no common good, there is no society.


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Why you should listen
Rita F. Pierson, a professional educator since 1972, taught elementary school, junior high and special education. She was a counselor, a testing coordinator and an assistant principal. In each of these roles, she brought a special energy to the role -- a desire to get to know her students, show them how much they matter and support them in their growth, even if it was modest.
For the past decade, Pierson conducted professional development workshops and seminars for thousands of educators. Focusing on the students who are too often under-served, she lectured on topics like "Helping Under-Resourced Learners,""Meeting the Educational Needs of African American Boys" and "Engage and Graduate your Secondary Students: Preventing Dropouts."
Pierson passed away in June 2013.
What others say
"Parents make decisions for their children based on what they know, what they feel will make them safe. And it is not our place [as educators] to say what they do is 'wrong.' It's our place to say maybe we can add a set of rules that they don't know about." — Rita Pierson


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G-Star, Eastland Shoes, Tilly's & More - Fresh Five
Fresh Five: Everything You Need For An On-The-Go Outfit
Welcome to November! One month away from really having to dig into your Christmas shopping, but before you spend all of your money on gifts for everyone else, I found five things worth spending money on for yourself!
Every guy should always have a good pair of denim, a great plaid shirt when you just need to run out of the door but want to look stylish, as well as a good rugged boot. These three items together sound like a great on-the-go outfit.
Whether you're going for a refined workwear look or going rugged for the weekend , in this week's Fresh Five, you'll find everything you need to get a chic look that assures you don't look like you're trying too hard.
Frank and Eileen - Faded Red, Orange & Gray Plaid Brushed Twill
Frank and Eileen make some of the best shirts you'll ever find — 100% Cotton, woven in Italy and made in sunny California. The great thing about Frank and Eileen's shirts are they can be dressed down with jeans or classed up in a suit. If this isn't YOUR style of shirt don't worry. Frank and Eileen have tons of styles to choose from.
$225.00 at FrankAndEileen.com
G-Star - 5620 G-Star Elwood 3D Super Slim Jeans
G-Star's denim collection this season is at its best. There is something for everyone. The G-Star Elwood jeans mapped out a new way of thinking about denim when released in 1996. Broken-in with dark fade marks, the denim retains its original base shade. Head designer Pierre Morisset pioneered this method as he sought to recreate the jeans of a passing motorcyclist, which had moulded to his legs from longtime exposure to the elements.
$220.00 at G-Star.com
StriVectinLABS - 5-Minute Weekly Glycolic Peel
I am a stronger believer in good skin care. We don't get any younger, but we can help prevent the signs of aging. Five-Minute Weekly Glycolic Peel is a potent, two-step resurfacing and exfoliating system with the highest level of Glycolic acid and other AHA acids available for home use. If adding five minutes to your morning routine is all you need to do to keep looking younger and more vibrant, sign me up.
$62.00 at Strivectin.com
Eastland Shoes - Men's Monroe USA Cap Toe Boot
A sharp rugged look isn't complete without boots that can last both in the great outdoors and metropolitan urban streets. These are handcrafted by skilled Maine shoemakers and made in the USA. Handsome, perfed cap-toe boot with rugged casual elegance and packed with handsewn details and USA premium components. Made from heavyweight 100% Horween® leathers, tanned in the USA with hand rubbed finishes. They're a great addition to any shoe/boot/sneaker collection.
$425.00 at EastLandShoe.com
Tilly's x Nixon - NIXON Sentry Gunmetal Chrono Watch
Looking for a the perfect watch that fits into business or pleasure? Tilly's has an amazing collection of Nixon watches (and a bunch of other cool items that won't break the budget!). However, this watch features Miyota Japanese quartz 6 hand chronograph with a 24-hour subdial and date placement. The dial features faceted applied indices, printed seconds track and custom molded hands; 42mm, 100 meter/10 ATM custom solid stainless steel case, hardened mineral crystal, triple gasket crown with enamel fill, stainless steel screw down caseback and spring pin lugs.
Worth it.
Make sure to check out Eric West on Satisfaction, tonight at 10PM/9c on the USA Network.-
Fall Fashion
Fashion Trends
Fashion Tips


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Spanambula (talk) | |
Date Created: | 5-14-10 |
Status: | Complete |
Editing: | Please feel free to edit constructively! |
[[Summary::The Thri-ranx are most likely descended from the same ancestors of the Thri-kreen, though the Thri-ranx would see it as being the other way around. Slightly more insectile than the Thri-kreen, the Thri-ranx are nonetheless much more cultured and urbane.]] Excellent craftsman and canny traders, they relate well to almost all races, and feel at home in cities alongside other races as well as among their own kind.
Thri-ranx are insatiably curious, which has led to their assimilation into civilized culture. They have quick, analytical minds, and most of them fancy themselves as philosophers after a sort. They tend to be honest and dependable, and though their family structure comes first, they make friends easily and tend to be excellent companions, even if they do look really weird.
Physical Description[]
A Thri-ranx has six limbs: two legs, two arms that end in "truehands", and a set of intermediary limbs that can be used as either legs or arms, though in polite society, these are almost exclusively used as arms. Their heads are roughly heart-shaped, with two large, multi-faceted jewel-like eyes taking up a large amount of the face. They have small mandibles that serve only for eating, not for attacking. They have two antennae atop their heads that function as sensory organs, as well as indicators of mood.
Thri-ranx stand 5 – 5 ½ feet in height on average, with females being slightly smaller, with more slender heads. Their bodies, like most insects, have a defined head, thorax (where four of the six limbs are connected, as well as wing cases and breathing spicules), and an abdomen. The wings remain encased in a chitinous shell until mating occurs. The Thri-ranx may have been capable of flight in eons past, but after the wing cases fall off, the wings quickly whither and dry out, usually within a year. This causes some discomfort, but not any real ill effects. Thri-ranx during this period cannot use their wings to fly; the air-to-weight ratio being to great to achieve flight. A Thri-ranx begins life with a green exoskeleton that fades in color until in old age it becomes nearly black.
Thri-ranx usually wear harnesses to carry tools and other personal effects, but do not often wear clothing, as it usually restricts their breathing.
The Thri-ranx, though alien in appearance, seem to get along with just about every other race that isn't completely savage. They trade much with dwarves, who admire them for their skill in jewel-cutting and fine detail work with precious metals. Their respect for the world around them and their natural environment puts them on good terms with most of the elven races. Their analytical minds and logical reasoning skills as well as their cheerful personalities mix well with Gnomes, Humans, and Halflings. The Thri-ranx enjoy what they do, but seldom take life too seriously. They tend to regard the Thri-kreen as cousins, but the two races do not mix well; their outlook and social organization are too separate. Then again, the Thri-kreen can say that about every race.
Thri-ranx, with their family structures, are very seldom of chaotic alignment, and most are good-aligned, though all alignments can be found within their race.
Thri-ranx live in structures both below and above ground, and are most often found in jungle climates where it is hot and humid year-round. Almost every edifice in a Thri-ranx city has more subterranean floors than levels above ground. Tunnels connect most buildings and areas. The Thri-ranx are found mostly in hot, humid climates. Many Thri-ranx live in cities, usually referred to as Hives, though some larger Hives are made up of several interconnected cities.
Thri-ranx worship no specific deity; what few clerics there are function mostly as healers that venerate goodness. Their usual domains include Community, Earth, Good, Healing, Knowledge, Law, and Trade.
Thri-ranx speak Common easily enough as well as most other common languages. Among themselves they speak Low Thri-ranx, which involves some speech (with a great many clicks and hisses) but also body posture and antennae position as well. High-Thri-ranx, which is spoken rarely, is pure speech, though most other races lack the vocal apparatus to speak it. Thri-ranx laugh by rubbing their wings against the sides of their thoraxes, producing a sound like a very noisy cricket.
Thri-ranx names are always four syllables long. The first is the personal name, the second is the family name, followed by the clan name, and finally the hive name. So Vritikkorzyk would be Vrit, family Tik, of the Clan Kor, Hive Zyk.
Racial Traits[]
- +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Thri-ranx are quick, deft and logical, but their inhuman appearance puts many people ill-at-ease.
- Type::Monstrous Humanoid: Thri-ranx are not affected by spells and spell-like abilities that target humanoids only, such as hold person.
- Size::Medium: As medium creatures, Thri-ranx receive no bonuses or penalties due to size.
- Thri-ranx base land speed is 30 feet on 2 legs and 40 ft on four legs (see below).
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- +4 Natural Armor: a Thri-ranx's chitinous exoskeleton is tough and resistant to blows.
- Multiple limbs: Thri-ranx have four arms, so can take the Multiweapon Fighting feat and the Multiattack feat from the Monster Manual. The intermediary set of limbs may also be used as legs if nothing is being held in those hands, though doing so is viewed as unseemly by the Thri-ranx. A Thri-ranx using four limbs to walk has a land speed of 40 feet. It also gains the benefits of four legged creatures in terms of resisting trip attempts.
- Heat Acclimated: Thri-ranx like it hot and muggy, and get a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude checks against hot environments. Unfortunately, Thri-ranx do not do well in the cold, and take a -4 on Fortitude checks in a cold environment.
- Insect anatomy: Thri-ranx, like most insects, breathe not through their mouths, but through six spicules in their thorax, three on either side of the body, though they can (and do) speak by vibrating their version of vocal cords in their necks. A Thri-ranx will drown if standing in water of even chest height. Their clothing is designed to accommodate this, but it makes tailoring armor extremely difficult. For a non-Thri-ranx to create armor for a Thri-ranx, the cost of creation is double, and the time to craft it is tripled. Thri-ranx almost never wear armor heavier than medium.
- Open Circulatory System: Though a Thri-ranx's exoskeleton is extremely durable, it is vulnerable. If cracked, a Thri-ranx is in real danger of bleeding to death. Thri-ranx that take lethal damage begin losing hp due to blood loss at the rate of 1hp per round per wound until either magically healed or a heal check is made (DC 15), the healer must use a special salve known as sitrik made by the Thri-ranx that seals their chiton. Left on it's own, treat fractured chitin the same as a broken bone as far as natural healing time goes.
- Hard to Read (Ex): Their inhuman facial features and foreign body language make it extremely difficult for non-Thri-ranx to tell when they are lying, bluffing, or even joking. Thri-ranx gain a +4 racial bonus to all bluff, intimidate and diplomacy checks against all non-Thri-ranx.
- Keen Sight (Ex): Their multi-faceted eyes give Thri-ranx sharper vision than even elves. Thri-ranx get a +4 to Search and Spot checks, though they do not have the elven sense for hidden doors. Their detailed eyes also give them a +2 bonus on appraisal checks.
- Leap (Ex): Thri-ranx, while not as able as their nomadic cousins, are nevertheless good jumpers. They have a +20 racial bonus on jump checks.
- Automatic Languages: Common, High Thri-ranx, Low Thri-Ranx.
- Bonus Languages: Any except secret languages such as Druidic.
- Favored Class: Favored Class::Any, though Clerics, Druids, and other divine casters are not common.
- Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::1
- Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::2
Vital Statistics[]
Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
20 years | +1d6 | +1d10 | +2d8 |
Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
85 years | 140 years | 180 years | +2d12 years | |
Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
Male | 5' 6" | +1d6 | 150 lb. | × (2d8) lb. |
Female | 4' 11" | +1d8 | 130 lb. | × (2d8) lb. |
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Races


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Sunday, April 15, 2012
19 comments:
Thank you so much.
As we are shifting personally this info comes at the right time to be of great help.
It might sometimes be hard for some to believe facts that are given here or on other truth sources, but if you, as you very well said, listen to inner guidance, you'll know that it is happening, and that it's great, it's inside of us, in the air, in the streets, on people's faces, in the park, in some signs in the news, etc
thank you again- AnonymousApril 15, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Thank you very much. I always new the information about Benjamin Fulford was false. Thanks for verifying it. We should all stay positive and even though sometimes it seems as if nothing ever gets done, we should have faith that it is "already complete" in this way it will come to fruition much quicker. Only a humble opinion.
ReplyDelete - AnonymousApril 15, 2012 at 6:38 PM
These words of truth ring like the bells of Heaven...Yes! I myself had to confront an admin in a website that proclaims spiritual news and Love to all, yet all they do is print-copy/paste lies, twist and turn truth into their own fear based commentaries and ask people to donate to their 'press'.......I, in great faith and joy, told them that we saw their belittling ways and their passive agressive mannerisms were no longer cutting anything but their own life support. The commentaries they post are degrading, humiliating and they berate anyone who is not sure of what is happening. They have even posted your blogs Cobra..stating that you were a close friend and cohort. This was also the place that said Fulford was cloned...it was good to set the truth free there. I am an old warrior and fear no one, for I am a Divine Child of Source. I know and feel our victory is near...almost time to pop the champers & dance! Your blog rocks! :)so much joy, FLO
ReplyDelete This is that good stuff :)
EVERYONE! Move away from any remaining darkness that you hold within! Identify the darkness, and with your intention, shoot it out of your mind, body, and spirit with the blue flame energy towards Mother Earth, so that she may dissolve it with her love.
If you indulge in your darkness, you will find it increasingly difficult, and I mean VERY difficult, to maintain a sense of sanity. We are at that point where the Sun's energy is purging us of the darkness. If you do not ground yourself, you will experience high levels of erratic behavior. And you will regret it because it will backfire on your ass quicker than ever before :)
Put the drink down, put the drugs down. Learn to nourish your body with the wonderful life-giving foods of Mother Earth and you will feel the love as you never have before!This is the top comment under the Icelandic report:
"I am icelandic and live in Iceland and i want to tell everyone that this is not true , a certain type of loans and their terms was corrected through the justice system but the public is basicly still struggling with the money fascists and secret societys. But not for long ;)".
..I made this narrative over the past few days, in trying to enlighten others around me.
its called A coma patient's conversation with a God.
I love this site, Much better than divine cosmos. your words ring true to me and bring no sort of fearmongering or lack of heart.entropy generally describes the multiplicity of a system. in a system where every particle is in one and the same state, you have 0 entropy. the more different states are occupied, the bigger the entropy value.
about the timeline:
beer in a glass. first you have the molecules of the liquid "trapped" in the surfaces of the bubbles in the foam, therefore you have less freedom and less available states. after a while, the foam vanishes because the particles tend to take the liquid form, where they are free to move and therefore have more entropy.
it should be clear, that more entropy/multiplicity/disorder is more favourable for the nature than confinement and structure


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Some signs show the current state of the slot machine. In such slot machines triggering bonuses or free spins at an exact stake, occurs more often.
In 7 Methods to Guard Against Play Flash Games Online – SMMM Ömer Kadam our opinion, there is some connection between the numerical symbols and the slot's status. These signs can be two scatter symbols on the first reels, as well as the slot's behaviour will change if you increase or decrease the total stake. You can expect a real profit when you start noticing that.
Imagine several pools with a lot of fish. Fish cannot move from one pool to another. Fish is the money that is lost. Players are fishers, and each online casino is as a pool. There is some algorithm that is used as a correction that regulates the number of "pecking" fish. According to our observations, this algorithm is updated once a month (as the calculation takes place between software, casinos and affiliates). It is important to get acquainted with the prize pool theory as it influences the big winning.
In other words, if you are the only player in a new online casino that does not belong to any network, then you will not simply have a chance of a big win before losing a lot. The prize pool will consist only of your bets, and over time you will hit a big win, that will be 90-95% of the sum of your total deposits.
We recommend that you start playing for real money only after going through all the steps described above. It is important not to have a break between the end of tests in the demo and the beginning of the game for the real money. Because during this period, maybe somebody wins a large bank and change the sequence of issuance (the slot will behave differently).
Try not to choose new games. At the time of the release of the new slot machine, despite the declared RTP (return to player percentage), it takes much more money than it gives out, forming a prize pool for winning. It is better to wait for a few months.
Choose your favourite slots and analyse them in the demo. Spend more time investigating them in demo mode and less for the real money gambling.
Do not play for the last money and do not borrow money for gambling.


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Prevention remains the best way of combating insect pests and diseases that affect roses.
- Choose cultivars recognized for their resistance to common fungal diseases.
- Choose healthy, vigorous plants.
- Place them in an appropriate site (a sunny location with rich, well-drained soil).
- Maintain adequate spacing between plants to allow air to circulate and sunlight to penetrate.
- Plant a mixed border (roses, other shrubs, perennials, annuals, etc.) rather than a rose garden. A diversified habitat will attract natural predators.
- Keep your plants healthy by fertilizing them adequately and watering them during dry spells. Avoid wetting the foliage or handling plants while they are wet.
- Prune your roses every year to allow air and light to reach the centre of the plant. This will reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases.
- Disinfect your pruning tools regularly with rubbing alcohol.
- Weed regularly, for weeds can act as host plants for different parasites. Mulching is a good way to limit weeds.
- Inspect your roses regularly. By identifying symptoms caused by insect pests, a disease or poor growing conditions at the start, you can address the problem before it gets out of hand.


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Mycotoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by various mold species during the growth and harvest of grains, fruits, nuts and condiments. Their production is directly related to the dry/wet weather conditions during the growing season. Mycotoxins are very stable compounds and are not easily removed during storage, processing and preparation of raw agricultural commodities.
Different classes of mycotoxins are distinguished on the basis of the structural similarity and originating mold species. For example, more than a dozen different aflatoxin compounds exist but only five of them are routinely tested (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, and M1). Aflatoxin B1 is of particular interest because it is listed as a Group 1 Carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Aflatoxin M1 is a metabolic product that can be present in milk upon ingestion of aflatoxin B1 by an animal. Aflatoxins are ubiquitous in important agricultural commodities including maize and peanuts, and are among the most studied mycotoxins.
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is produced by a different fungi species. It is prevalent in cereal crops grown under wet conditions and temperatures above 15o C (60o F). Chronic exposure of livestock to DON may result in slowed growth, impaired immune function and reduced rates of reproduction, particularly in non-ruminants.
Mycotoxins were discovered as the cause of poisoning outbreaks in both humans and farm animals in the mid-20th century. Since then, multiple government regulations were established to control the presence of these toxic compounds in food and feeds. For example, harvested grains are checked for mycotoxin contamination using rapid field screening methods prior to grain deposition into silos. If contamination is found, the crops are sent to an analytical laboratory to perform the confirmation analysis. Liquid chromatographic methods were often used for such analysis with both fluorescence and UV detection. In recent years, mass spectrometry has been employed as a detection method.
Sample Preparation for Laboratory Mycotoxin Analysis
When performing analysis, it is important to choose the right sample preparation method to ensure accuracy, sensitivity of detection, repeatability and robustness, as well as fast sample preparation for high throughput. During laboratory analysis of mycotoxins, the sample preparation procedure typically includes extraction, purification and concentration steps.
Extraction of mycotoxins from samples is conducted by mixing the ground sample with the mixture of organic solvent and water, such as acetonitrile:water (80:20). Using methanol is not recommended, because it does not provide complete extraction. Prior to cleanup, the sample is filtered. Historically, mycotoxin analysis required extensive extract cleanup to minimize interference by matrix components. This holds true as new regulations continue to require lower detection limits.
Cleanup methodologies often include the use of phase extraction (SPE). Of the different types of SPE, one of the most common is the use of immunoaffinity sorbents that result in the selective retention and cleanup of mycotoxins. The drawback to using the immunoaffinity sorbents in the lab is that they are not compatible with the mycotoxin extraction solvent. In order to load the extract into the immunoaffinity SPE tube, the extract must be diluted with water, sometimes 20-fold, to prevent precipitation or folding of the protein-based antibodies by exposure to organic solvent. This presents an additional sample preparation challenge, as the grain extracts tend to form precipitates upon the addition of water and can clog the SPE columns. Thus, apart from the high cost of immunoaffinity SPE columns, the methods tend to be labor and timeintensive.
It would be beneficial to a laboratory to eliminate these extra sample preparation steps required by immunoaffinity SPE. Such cleanup SPE procedures are available and can be applied directly to the mycotoxin extracts without the need for further dilution, filtration and evaporation. A line of SPE cartridges for different mycotoxin families was recently introduced to the market. These SPE cartridges are compatible with the extracts generated during mycotoxin extractions and can be stored at room temperature. The tubes can also be used for cleanup of multiple classes of mycotoxins.
Analysis of Aflatoxins and Zearalenone
The following results employed SPE cartridges for mycotoxins that can be used for two aflatoxin classes, aflatoxins and zearalenone, and were applied to the cleanup of grain and peanut extracts. Results were compared to cleanup using immunoaffinity columns.
AflaZea SPE cartridges are based on the "interference removal" strategy that requires fewer processing steps compared to the "bind-and-elute" strategy of the other SPE. Peanut extracts contain not only co-extracted protein and complex carbohydrates but also fat. This extract was successfully cleaned using AflaZea SPE. When the SPE tube and a leading IAC column were applied to the peanut extract, both methods demonstrated good recoveries for spiked aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 with AflaZea recovery values of 101–108% and immunoaffinity recovery values of 79–100%. However, the AflaZea provided better reproducibility for detection with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2–4% RSD versus 10–25% RSD with immunoaffinity SPE. This is likely because sample preparation using AflaZea is less tedious and takes one tenth of the time compared to immunoaffinity SPE.
Analysis of Deoxynivalenol
The following compares a new SPE cartridge for the analysis of DON, one of the Fusarium mycotoxins, with immunoaffinity SPE. Analysis of DON often is conducted using liquid chromatography (LC) with UV detection, so sample cleanliness is important to permit the separation of the DON peak from background interferences. The new SPE DON cartridge was compared to the immunoaffinity SPE for the cleanup and analysis of wheat samples. Clean chromatography and good recovery of spiked DON was obtained by both methods (86–97% RSD). However, clogging of the filters by the immunoaffinity SPE sample was observed during cleanup and complicated the sample preparation procedure. The SPE DON cartridge provided faster sample preparation.
Analysis of Patulin
Another SPE technology for mycotoxin analysis is based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), which are sometimes called "chemical antibodies" and mimic the performance of immunoaffinity sorbents. MIPs have binding sites that conform to the shape and functionality of specific compounds or compound classes. Strong binding of the analyte to the MIP makes it possible to perform intensive SPE washes that lead to very clean samples. Unlike immunoaffinity sorbents, MIPs are compatible with organic solvents and strong acids and bases.
Foods containing apples and similar fruits are required to be tested for patulin toxin, as they are the most common source for patulin exposure in humans. The MIP SPE procedure for patulin is faster than other SPE or liquid-liquid extraction methods and provides selective retention and superior cleanup. It is a robust method for analyzing apple juice and apple puree with HPLC-UV detection. After cleanup, patulin is quantified in apple puree at 10 ppb levels, which meet most regulatory requirements. The MIP SPE cleanup method eliminated 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) from the matrix, which sometimes appears as an interfering chromatographic peak when other sample prep methods are used. An SPE wash using sodium bicarbonate removed the interfering organic acids, while patulin was stabilized during elution at the end of the SPE procedure by using acidified solvent. Thus, most problems encountered during patulin analysis were resolved during this single SPE procedure.
As government regulations and consumer demand warrant cleaner, non-contaminated products, mycotoxin analysis will continue to be performed around the world. Careful selection of sample preparation methods is required for such analysis to achieve accurate testing results, best method performance and high laboratory throughput. Although many sample preparation methods exist, laboratories should choose the methods that not only provide adequately prepared samples, but also result in time and cost savings. The SPE technologies discussed in this article are sample preparation techniques that provide the required analytical sensitivity without capital expenditure into higher-end LC-MS equipment; the LC-UV and LC-FL methods can still be used. In addition, these SPE methods are simple, more robust, and less-time consuming compared to other SPE methods or liquid-liquid extraction.
All images courtesy of Sigma Aldrich


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Ten years ago, to the day. March 24, 2001, the first official released version of Mac OS X went on sale, for USD 129. It was a massive step up and a massive step down from MacOS 9 at the same time – technically way more advanced, but clearly still in its infancy and pretty much unusable. Kernel panics, crashes, incredibly slow, and lacking many key features. It was so bad, in fact, that Mac OS X 10.1 was released as a free upgrade. Of course, we geeks know that Mac OS X is technically a lot older, but alas, let's just celebrate these 10 years. Maybe Lion will finally bring a usable non-crashing Finder!
What better way to celebrate than by watching Steve Jobs unveil Mac OS X 10.0 at MacWorld in 2000? Parts 1, 2, and 3, for your viewing pleasure.


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Sugar Land Golf Homes For Sale
Included below are all available golf homes for sale in Sugar Land, Texas. If you are interested in any of these Sugar Land golf homes, just click on an available listing to access more details and additional photos. From there, you can also request more information or schedule a private home tour. Further, our professional Sugar Land real estate agents will be happy to provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of golf homes that have recently sold in golf communities in the area, and more, so just let us know how we can help! And finally, for added convenience, feel free to register for a free account to receive email alerts as soon as new Sugar Land golf community homes hit the market that match your specific search criteria.


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Publications about 'population dynamics' |
Articles in journal or book chapters |
The development of resistance to chemotherapy is a major cause of treatment failure in cancer. Intratumoral heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity play a significant role in therapeutic resistance. Individual cell measurements such as flow and mass cytometry and single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have been used to capture and analyze this cell variability. In parallel, longitudinal treatment-response data is routinely employed in order to calibrate mechanistic mathematical models of heterogeneous subpopulations of cancer cells viewed as compartments with differential growth rates and drug sensitivities. This work combines both approaches: single cell clonally-resolved transcriptome datasets (scRNA-seq, tagging individual cells with unique barcodes that are integrated into the genome and expressed as sgRNA's) and longitudinal treatment response data, to fit a mechanistic mathematical model of drug resistance dynamics for a MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. The explicit inclusion of the transcriptomic information in the parameter estimation is critical for identification of the model parameters and enables accurate prediction of new treatment regimens. |
This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders.
This document was translated from BibTEX by bibtex2html


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The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study tested whether a lifestyle intervention resulting in weight loss would reduce rates of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths in overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes, a group at increased risk for these events.
Researchers at 16 centers across the United States worked with 5,145 people, with half randomly assigned to receive an intensive lifestyle intervention and the other half to a general program of diabetes support and education. Both groups received routine medical care from their own health care providers.
Although the intervention did not reduce cardiovascular events, Look AHEAD has shown other important health benefits of the lifestyle intervention, including decreasing sleep apnea, reducing the need for diabetes medications, helping to maintain physical mobility, and improving quality of life. Previous Look AHEAD findings are available at www.lookaheadtrial.org.
"Look AHEAD found that people who are obese and have type 2 diabetes can lose weight and maintain their weight loss with a lifestyle intervention," said Dr. Rena Wing, chair of the Look AHEAD study and professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. "Although the study found weight loss had many positive health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes, the weight loss did not reduce the number of cardiovascular events."
Data are currently being analyzed to fully understand the cardiovascular disease results. Investigators are preparing a report of the findings for a peer-reviewed publication.
Few, if any, studies of this size and duration have had comparable success in achieving and maintaining weight loss. Participants in the intervention group lost an average of more than 8 percent of their initial body weight after one year of intervention. They maintained an average weight loss of nearly 5 percent at four years, an amount of weight loss that experts recommend to improve health. Participants in the diabetes support and education group lost about 1 percent of their initial weight after one and four years.
In September, the NIH stopped the intervention arm, acting on the recommendation of the study's data and safety monitoring board. The independent advisory board, charged with monitoring the study data and safety of participants, found that the intensive lifestyle did no harm but did not decrease occurrence of cardiovascular events, the primary study goal. At the time, participants had been in the intervention for up to 11 years.
Because there was little chance of finding a difference in cardiovascular events between the groups with further intervention, the board recommended stopping the intensive lifestyle intervention, but encouraged the study to continue following all Look AHEAD participants to identify longer-term effects of the intervention.
"The intervention group did not have fewer cardiovascular events than the group receiving general diabetes support and education, but one positive factor we saw was that both groups had a low number of cardiovascular events compared to previous studies of people with diabetes," said Dr. Mary Evans, director of Special Projects in Nutrition, Obesity, and Digestive Diseases within the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the study's primary sponsor.
Type 2 diabetes — affecting nearly 24 million people in the United States alone — has increased in prevalence along with the country's epidemic of overweight and obesity. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes. Look AHEAD is the first study to examine the long-term effects of a lifestyle intervention on major cardiovascular disease events and death in adults with type 2 diabetes.
"Look AHEAD provides important, definitive information about the long-term health effects of weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes," NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin Rodgers said. "Beyond cardiovascular disease, this study and others have shown many other health benefits of weight loss through improved diet and increased physical activity. For example, for overweight and obese adults at high risk for diabetes, modest weight loss has been shown to prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes."
Participants were 45 to 76 years old when they enrolled in the study. Sixty percent of enrollees were women. More than 37 percent were from racial and ethnic minority groups. Researchers are now analyzing data to measure effects of the lifestyle intervention on subgroups, including racial and ethnic groups and people with a history of cardiovascular disease.
Find more information about the Look AHEAD trial (NCT00017953), including a list of current publications, at www.lookaheadtrial.org. For a list of centers enrolling patients for diabetes or obesity trials, search for keywords "diabetes" or "obesity" at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Source: National Institutes of Health release.


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Oil Change
Engine Oil
Engine oil is what lubricates a car's engine, allowing it to run smoothly and last longer.Car owners must maintain a car's engine by changing the oil and using the oil appropriate for their cars make and model. Every car comes with a "check oil" light and an oil filler under the hood. These components allow car owners to monitor their oil levels and add oil as needed, without having to hire a mechanic.
Changing the Oil
An important part of routine car maintenance is changing the oil regularly. The necessary frequency of oil changes has become a point of contention among experts. The Engine Oil Bible maintains that engine oil can't be changed often enough, but Nordic group insists that, with the advent of detergent oils and multi-weight oils, some vehicles can go as far as 6,000 miles before needing an oil change. The best course of action is to check the owner's manual and follow manufacturer's recommendations.
An obvious benefit of changing one's own oil is saving money, but oil change services frequently advertize bargains. If the "check engine oil" light comes on while driving, this is a strong indication that the car is running low on oil. A driver does not need a mechanic to add oil. However, if the oil light stays on or lights up shortly after adding oil, there may be a leak and a mechanic should look at the car.
Contact Information
Greg Bailey Automotive
3712 N Florida Ave
Tampa, FL 33603
Feel free to call or email us to schedule your next appointment.
Business Hours
Monday - Friday
Saturday - Sunday


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Stream the new Crystal Method LP
THE CRYSTAL METHOD have kicked off 2014 by offering an advance listen of their fifth studio album, titled The Crystal Method, via Hype Machine. Marking the iconic act's 20th Anniversary, the album is set for release January 14.
Stream now through January 14 at:
View the video for "Over It" featuring Dia Frampton here:
Jody Wisternoff Drops His 2013 Favorites into a mix
Easily one of my favorite DJs, Jody Wisternoff has been a staple for me on Soundcloud. His mixes never disappoint. To end the year, he has gifted us with a compilation of his favorite tracks. Enjoy!
"Yet another fantastic 365 days have passed, and I feel this genre we like to call electronic dance music is at an all-time high ! Here are a few of the tunes that captured my imagination and held a steady place in my record box throughout the year. A huge thanks to everyone for the ongoing support and positive feedback !! Wishing you all a very happy new year , and see you on the flip :) xx" -Jody Wisternoff
This mix is downloadable too!
Trafik - Star Gazing 18
First broadcast exclusively on www.frisky.fm, the 18th installment of Trafik's genre defying mix hits Soundcloud(trafik-star-gazing-18) just in time for the New Year. The mix features music from Dixon, Joris Voorn, Gregor Tresher, Kölsch, Inner City and more..
Related: trafikmusic.co.uk facebook.com/trafiklive
Deadmau5 Launches Deadmau5 Live
From Deadmau5 "so I just launched a new membership platform thing, designed for the horde and powered by the guys at Upfront. starting today, I'll be offering stuff like unreleased music (and lots of it, were gunna just keep adding stuff everyday n all that.), live streams from the studio or office… , group chats, text messages, voicemails from me to you and of course lots of that stupid cat Professor Meowing tons." - deadmau5.com
BT visits Reddit
Yesterday, BT visited Reddit.com for a quick AMA (Ask Me Anything.
Some notable answers:
"I think that trance has changed the overall structure and dynamic and linearity of electronic music. Before the records we were making in the early 90s there was no such thing as a breakdown."
"My favorite person to collaborate with ever is Peter Gabriel. He is so deeply inspiration, I learned more being with him and at Real World than being in any other environment."
AVICII - LE7ELS : Dance Music All Arena Tour
AVICII is bringing his contagious sounds to the masses and making the world believe what many already know, AVICII truly is the sound of now. After selling out headlining shows around the world, the Grammy-nominated DJ and producer is set to become the first electronic artist to headline an all arena tour of North America with AVICII - LE7ELS.
For more information, check out avicii.com
For those dub step fans, don't miss Skrillex laying it down.
Two new BT albums coming this year!
Earlier today, BT revealed through Twitter that he'll be releasing two new albums this year, around April/May.
First, the album of his new 80's infused sound "All Hail the Silence" & then his new EDM album. And if you cannot wait until then, BT is currently offering a new track "The Looking Glass" for a tweet HERE
Rumor: The next installment of Sasha's Involver is to be completed soon
We can all remember in late March of 2008 Invol2ver was released. I am almost certain that we will hear the new Involver by the end of this month, or at least a preview of it, but dont take my word for it, take Sasha's.
To celebrate their tenth year in the business and with over 100 releases now firmly under their belt, Audio Therapy thought it high time they celebrated the story so far. This Is Audio Therapy Volume 2 is a collection of some of their finest works all of which have been deftly remixed by some of today's finest production talent.
Spread across two discs which contain exclusive full length reworks of classic Audio Therapy tracks from Infusions Legacy , Habershams Dryspell and Nick Muirs G Platz, Disc 1 is expertly mixed by label head honcho Dave Seaman where as Disc 2 is a bonus unmixed version with the tracks in their entirety. This release sets out to showcase the wealth and talent of the labels esteemed catalogue all of which have been diligently and painstakingly updated by the likes of Robert Babicz, Pig & Dan, Quivver, Charlie May, Gusgus, Glenn Morrison, Funkagenda, Guy J, Eelke Kleijn, Simon & Shaker to name but a few.
The tracklisting over both CDs is second to none and is bolstered even further by the addition of 2 totally exclusive tracks from Dave Seaman himself, one of which is a collaboration with legendary producer Josh Gabriel and the other being an unreleased remix of his own much lauded single Gobbledygook.
Dave Seaman commented, We've breathed new life into a catalogue we're very proud of and can only hope that the listening experience matches the enjoyment we had putting the whole project together. It's been one helluva ride. Here's to the next ten years. Acid house is dead, long live acid house.
Along with the double CD release, there will also be a full digital release in bundle and single format as well as a Limited Edition Vinyl run with some of the releases highlights.
Anthony Pappa - Moments 2
Anthony Pappa's career history is much vaunted, with long term relationships with such revered brands as Global Underground, Renaissance, DMC and EQ just a handful of those on his impressive resume.
In more recent years, he's launched his own Red Light District music imprint, and last year delivered the inaugural 'Moments' compilation to widespread acclaim. Just over one year one, and he is preparing to release a follow up, featuring tracks and remixes from Jim Rivers, Henry Saiz, Stel, and many more, including a brand new collaborative project of his own with the legendary Phil K and Danny Bonnici. Moments 2 is released in June.
Justin Steel Progressive-Sounds Podcast 5
- Luca Lombardi & Neuroxyde 'Exagon' (After Tea & Manuel De La Mare Mix)
- Hotfingers
- Soulfinder 'Distant Voices' (Latenta Project Mix) Deepology
- Matt Masters 'Deep Or What' (Milton Jackson Mix) Pack Up And Dance
- The Timewriter 'Revealing The Sound' (Milton Jackson Mix) Plastic City
- Alexander Koning 'Basic Melody' (Shur-I-Kan Mix) Kung Fu
- Motorcitysoul feat. Ovasoul 'Change You' (Shur-I-Kan Mix) Simple Records
- Tiger Stripes Vs. Audiofly 'Hundra' Get Physical
- Justin Martin 'The Fugitive' (Winners Circle Mix) Buzzin Fly
- John Digweed & Nick Muir 'Aquatonic' Bedrock
- Mark Brown & Steve Mac 'The Fly' (Tim Green Mix) CR2 Records
- Elvs 'Balloon' Moph Records
Nic Fanciulli - Global Underground: DJ 001
Global Underground continues to move into 2009 with the latest in a whole range of new concepts and albums. Following on from the relaunch of the Nubreed series, they are set to launch their new series 'DJ' in April. This new series gives each DJ free reign to compile an album spanning their influences and heroes as well as showcasing their own inimitable style and production capabilities. Spearheading the series launch is none other than Grammy nominated artist and DJ, Nic Fanciulli.
'Crossing Borders' : Ricardo Tobar Interview
From the seaside town of Vina del Mar in Chile, Ricardo Tobar has made an impression on the electronic scene with two well received EPs on James Holden's Border Community, in addition to a single entitled 'With You' on the excellent Traum Schallplatten imprint. His fusion of melodic techno, electronic rock and modern shoegaze music highlight a creative flair that is still seemingly untapped, and with an artist long player mooted, Ricardo looks well set to follow in the footsteps of Holden and the rest of the Border Community family.
Chloe Harris - B Sides
DJ, producer and occasional [PS] collaborator Chloe Harris is set to release a compilation for Proton Music, based on her long running internet radio show 'B-Sides', and is currently seeking and compiling music to feature on both this and the releases that will accompany, as part of the launch of her own Further Music imprint. Those wishing to submit music or find out more about Chloe and her projects can do so after the drop.
An Interview with Christian Smith
Christian Smith had a stellar 2008, during which not only did he re-emerge with friend and production partner John Selway to deliver hugely successful singles such as 'Total Departure' and 'Updraft', but also saw him begin a new chapter as a solo producer with the 'Flyertalk EP' on Bedrock. With the new year now well behind us, Christian is embarking on a Tronic Treatment world tour. The reason - the relaunch of his much respected imprint Tronic. Read on for the lowdown on this and much more in our latest interview.
Various Artists - Rekids Revolution
Matt Edwards and James Masters' Rekids imprint brings together some of the label's best releases from it's extensive selection of fantastic singles, and presents them in one concise compilation entitled 'Revolution'. An unmixed album, disc one features originals from Radio Slave, Mr G, plus exclusive cuts from Toby Tobias and Spencer Parker, while the second remix disc features the likes of Dubfire and Slam, again with exclusive works, this time from Jjak Hogan and Boola. Topping it all off, a bonus third disc sees Spencer Parker provide a list of his favourite pieces of music from the label, summarised and presented in one sleek dj mix, making 'Revolution' a highly comprehensive collector's item for Rekid lovers everywhere
Josh Wink - When A Banana Was Just A Banana
A true pioneer of the dance scene, and an artist who traverses the many genres of the underground scene with relative ease, Josh Wink is in a class of his own, and now presents his latest artist album 'When A Banana Was Just A Banana' on his own Ovum imprint. Featuring the 2008 hit single 'Stay Out All Night' as well as recent underground club gem 'Counter Clock 319'. in addition to a whole range of other great tracks, fans of the man from Philly and electronic music lovers alike should pay note one of 2009's first must have albums.
Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away
It's been the best part of two years since Gui Boratto's Kompakt debut with the album 'Chromophobia' occured, and while his career has continued on an upward spiral ever since, everyone has been anticipating a follow up for quite some time. The wait however is soon to be over, as his sophomore album 'Take My Breath Away' is due to be released in March, preceded by the 'Atomic Soda EP' in February.
Anil Chawla & Dale Anderson - Roadhouse
Anil Chawla and Dale Anderson are yet two more names that form part of the current crop of new UK talent, that Jim Rivers has also emerged from. Both have steadily been climbing the dj ranks over the past months, and also making a name for themselves in the production field with numerous tracks and remixes, both individiually and collectively. 'Roadhouse' is the debut artist long player from the duo, and the latest album on Global Underground's artist-led GU Music imprint. Featuring such tried and tested tracks as 'Leftorium' in addition to vocal collaborations with Justin Robertson and Angie Brow, the album is set for release in late February.
Above & Beyond - Anjunadeep: 01
Above and Beyond's Anjunadeep imprint has steadily developed over the course of the last two years or so, with it's fans and followers including James Zabiela, Desyn Masiello and Eric Prydz. Showcasing the more melodic and progressive part of Anjuna and Above and Beyond's sound the "deep" imprint has introduced artists such as Michael Cassette and Paul Keeley as well as featuring progressive wonders 16 Bit Lolitas and Jaytech. Anjunadeep: 01 is a collection of some of the label's best works to date, and a glimpse of what to come, mixed by Above and Beyond themselves.
Jim Rivers - Global Underground: Nubreed 7
After a hiatus of seven years, Global Underground are proud to resurrect their Nubreed concept, as rising British dj and producer Jim Rivers steps up to the plate to relaunch the series. Following in the footsteps of such names as Danny Howells, Lee Burridge, Anthony Pappa and Lee Burridge, Jim delivers a double disc of music featuring classics from Aril Brikha and Didier Sinclair alongside new material from Guy J, Unkle, Nick Muir, Stimming, in addition to new material from Jim himself. A global world tour will accompany the album with a launch party at the 2009 Winter Music Conference on March 25th, ahead of the album's release on March 30th.
Stimming - Reflections
One of 2008's standout labels, Diynamic Music is set to release it's second album project in March, following on from the retrospective and label family showcase compilation 'Saturday I'm In Love', as label mainstay and producer of the moment Stimming is set to release his debut artist album 'Reflections'. a complete body of mostly new original material that fans of this great talent and many others who have yet to be introduced to his music will revel in.
Rob Da Bank - Sci Fi Lo Fi Volume Three : Shoegazing 1985 - 2009
Soma's 'Sci Fi Lo Fi' series kicked off last year with Andrew Weatherall's twisted psychedelic mix receiving widespread accolade, with Damien Lazarus providing a more leftfield mix for the series second outing. Now this spin off of the 'Sci Fi Hi Fi' series contines with as Rob Da Bank compiles some of the best tracks he's come across during his illustrious career and that inspired him during his younger years, as Volume Three in the series is an educational and chronological history of shoegazing 1985-2009, with the release set for March.
The Black Dog - Further Vexations
With 2008's 'Radio Scarecrow' a critical success and an excellent inaugural album for Soma Records, The Black Dog are set to return in April with a new long player entitled 'Further Vexations'. Hailed as a real successor to their previous album, this latest offering proposes to offer a more dancefloor orientated direction, whilst also developing the ideas mapped out by it's predecessor even further, with a possible influence from the group's extensive gig schedule over the last few months prevalent throughout. The group have also taken time to add their own touch to Slam's 'Azure', the remixes of which will follow sometime around May.
Sharam Jey - Classic Editions
Ahead of the upcoming release of his second artist album, Sharam Jey returns to Underwater Records with the 'Classic Editions', a compilation of remixes of some of his most popular tracks. Alongside the much vaunted Darko Esser rework of Roxcity and Martin Buttrich's excellent rendition of Don't Lie, comes further interpretations from Alex Metric, The Glimmers and Dan F amongst others, many of which are exclusive to this album, due for release at the end of February.
James Zabiela - Renaissance Presents: The Masters Series
Following on from his inaugural blog and preview of the album. James Zabiela and Renaissance now present the full tracklist and further in-depth analysis of his upcoming 'Masters Series' compilation, due for release in the next few weeks. Featuring tracks from Modeselektor, Michna, Trentemoller, R3volve and Luomo to name but a few, the first disc 'Down' is a downtempo journey, whilst the second disc 'Up' is what James himself dubs 'rave music'. Read on for the lowdown.
Joris Voorn - Balance 014
The Balance compilation series has steadily become one of the most respected and popular series, thanks in part to it's carefully selected roster of DJs. In the last two years, the series has featured Jimmy Van M, Luke Fair, Lee Burridge and SOS, and now as we enter 2009 heads to Europe to bring none other than Joris Voorn into the fold for the 14th volume.
Once again pushing the boundaries, this latest album is a double-disc extravaganza, featuring over 100 tracks deconstructed, edited and rearranged into one epic mix.
Milton Jackson - Crash
While 2008 saw Milton Jackson become remixer of choice, creating reinterpretings of tracks from artists that included Sei A, Jim Rivers and Nick Muir, in addition to his own releases on Tronicsole and Urbantorque, he now returns to Freerange for his latest full length project. The spiritual follow-up to his 2002 debut album 'The Bionic Boy' on Glasgow Underground, 'Crash' features the singles 'Rogue Element' and 'Cycles', in addition to a selection of brand new original deep house cuts, and will be released on Freerange at the end of February.
Various Artists - All In! : 10 Years Of Poker Flat
Has 2009, so the advent of the tenth anniversary of Steve Bug's Poker Flat imprint is upon us. To celebrate this landmark achievement, Steve has delved deep into the Poker Flat vaults, and called upon it's family of artists to deliver new and exclusive material, and compiled it all in a multi-disc album entitled 'All In! : 10 Years Of Poker Flat'. Set for release in March, the album will be available in a number of normal and limited edition formats as well as digital download, with the label also set to launch a new digital offshoot label, more news on which will follow soon.
listen to Soundbytes Volume 61
- Ioan Gamboa - Karla 9/10
Julien Roby on 31 May - Nick Muir - Airtight (Kassey Voorn Remixes) 10/10
Julien Roby on 31 May - Saccao - Muhaha / Melis 8/10
Julien Roby on 19 April - Paul Hazendonk - The Long Journey 9/10
Julien Roby on 19 April - Pablo - Stratus / Turn The Page (Remixes) 9/10
Brian Cody on 19 April - Ditto - Don't Phase Me 8/10
Brian Cody on 19 April - D-Nox & Beckers - Jet Lag Slave Remixes 7/10
Brian Cody on 5 April - Alexey Sonar - Twisted Monkey 9/10
Lucy Blair on 26 March - Full Funktion & Ridgewalkers ft. El - Karma - 9/10
Julien Roby on 25 March - Hernan Cattaneo & SoundExile - Japanese Snowbell 9/10
Julien Roby on 25 March - Ian O'Donovan - Forever Untold 7/10
Dennis Van on 25 March - Lank & Marco Grandi - Along The Way 9/10
Julien Roby on 24 March - Mitrinique - Green Mountains EP 8/10
Mitch Alexander on 24 March - Raxon - Someday 8/10
Lucy Blair on 24 March - Damabiah - Le Sang et La Seve Remixed Vol.1 9/10
Julien Roby on 24 March - Greg Benz - Kickdrums and Ex-Girlfriends 8/10
Julien Roby on 24 March - White Maison - Night Driving 8/10
Carleton Neil on 14 May - Nosmo Vs Kris B - One For The Road (DFuse & Hiratzka Remixes) 3/10
Jason Calvert on 4 May - Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away 9/10
Carleton Neil on 4 May - Guy J - Lamur 9/10
Jason Calvert on 4 May - Mr G - Makes No Sense 5/10
Darren Rhys on 1 April - DZI - Unleash / The Beast (Remixes) 8/10
Darren Rhys on 1 April - Mike Monday - Zwivetty EP 8/10
Darren Rhys on 1 April - Fergie - Breakin (Remixes) 6/10
Jason Calvert on 30 March


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Many homeowners across the country have seen their home values increase recently. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median price of homes sold in July of 2021 rose 17.8% over July of 2020. The median home price was $411,200 in the Northeast, $275,300 in the Midwest, $305,200 in the South and $508,300 in the West.
Be aware of the tax implications if you're selling your home or you sold one in 2021. You may owe capital gains tax and net investment income tax (NIIT).
Gain exclusion
If you're selling your principal residence, and meet certain requirements, you can exclude from tax up to $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers) of gain.
To qualify for the exclusion, you must meet these tests:
- You must have owned the property for at least two years during the five-year period ending on the sale date.
- You must have used the property as a principal residence for at least two years during the five-year period. (Periods of ownership and use don't need to overlap.)
In addition, you can't use the exclusion more than once every two years.
Gain above the exclusion amount
What if you have more than $250,000/$500,000 of profit? Any gain that doesn't qualify for the exclusion generally will be taxed at your long-term capital gains rate, provided you owned the home for at least a year. If you didn't, the gain will be considered short term and subject to your ordinary-income rate, which could be more than double your long-term rate.
If you're selling a second home (such as a vacation home), it isn't eligible for the gain exclusion. But if it qualifies as a rental property, it can be considered a business asset, and you may be able to defer tax on any gains through an installment sale or a Section 1031 like-kind exchange. In addition, you may be able to deduct a loss.
The NIIT
How does the 3.8% NIIT apply to home sales? If you sell your main home, and you qualify to exclude up to $250,000/$500,000 of gain, the excluded gain isn't subject to the NIIT.
However, gain that exceeds the exclusion limit is subject to the tax if your adjusted gross income is over a certain amount. Gain from the sale of a vacation home or other second residence, which doesn't qualify for the exclusion, is also subject to the NIIT.
The NIIT applies only if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds: $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly and surviving spouses; $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separately; and $200,000 for unmarried taxpayers and heads of household.
Two other tax considerations
- Keep track of your basis. To support an accurate tax basis, be sure to maintain complete records, including information about your original cost and subsequent improvements, reduced by any casualty losses and depreciation claimed for business use.
- You can't deduct a loss. If you sell your principal residence at a loss, it generally isn't deductible. But if a portion of your home is rented out or used exclusively for business, the loss attributable to that part may be deductible.
As you can see, depending on your home sale profit and your income, some or all of the gain may be tax free. But for higher-income people with pricey homes, there may be a tax bill. We can help you plan ahead to minimize taxes and answer any questions you have about home sales.
© 2021


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Gut Microbes Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis
The presence of a specific type of gut bacteria correlates with rheumatoid arthritis in newly diagnosed, untreated people. The finding suggests a potential role for the bacteria in this autoimmune disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the finger, wrist, and other joints throughout the body. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissue, such as the membranes that line the joints.
The causes of rheumatoid arthritis aren't completely known. Genes tied to the immune system may contribute. Environmental factors, such as cigarette smoking, diet and stress, may also play a role in triggering the disease. Treatments include medications to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
The immune system is influenced by the microbiome, a network of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. These microbes outnumber the body's cells by 10 to 1. Trillions of microbes—both helpful and harmful—reside in the digestive tract. The gut microbiome has been linked to arthritis in animal studies.
To see if these microbes might also be associated with rheumatoid arthritis in humans, Dr. Dan Littman of NYU School of Medicine led a team of researchers that examined DNA in 114 stool samples from both healthy people and those who had rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. The team identified gut bacteria by extracting DNA from the samples and then analyzing a bacteria-specific gene called the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The research was funded in part by NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Results appeared online on November 5, 2013, in eLife.
The researchers found that 75% of people with new-onset, untreated rheumatoid arthritis had the bacterium Prevotella copri in their intestinal microbiome. In comparison, it was present in 12% of people with chronic, treated rheumatoid arthritis, 38% of people with psoriatic arthritis, and 21% of those in the control group. Increased levels of P. copri correlated with reductions in several groups of beneficial microbes, such asBacteroides. The researchers performed more complete DNA sequencing on a subset of samples and identified unique Prevotella genes that correlated with rheumatoid arthritis.
To test whether P. copri could influence inflammation, the team administered the bacteria to healthy mice so that the bacteria became part of their gut microbiome. Mice were then given a chemical that induced colitis, a model of gut inflammation. Animals with P. coprideveloped more severe symptoms than the mice that hadn't received the bacteria. The finding provides further evidence for a potential role for P. copri in inflammation.
"Our own results in mouse studies encouraged us to take a closer look at patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and we found this remarkable and surprising association," Littman says. "At this stage, however, we cannot conclude that there is a causal link between the abundance of P. copri and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. We are developing new tools that will hopefully allow us to ask if this is indeed the case."
—by Carol Torgan, Ph.D.
- Feeling Out of Joint: The Aches of Arthritis:
http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Nov2010/Feature1 - Your Microbes and You. The Good, Bad and Ugly:
http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/nov2012/feature1 - Shaking Out Clues to Autoimmune Disease:
http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/march2013/ 03182013autoimmune.htm - The Healthy Human Microbiome:
http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/june2012/ 06252012microbiome.htm - Understanding Autoimmune Diseases:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Autoimmune/default.asp - Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Reference: Expansion of intestinal Prevotella copri correlates with enhanced susceptibility to arthritis. Elife. 2013 Nov 5;2(0). pii: e01202. doi: 10.7554/eLife.01202. PMID: 24192039.
Funding: NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI); Howard Hughes Medical Institute; American Gastroenterological Association; National Science Foundation; and Danone Research.