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Arrested! A decade after first known attack, serial rape suspect in custody
His M.O. is terrifying: first he stalks his female victim, watching her coming and going, learning her habits. When he's ready, he slips inside her house and waits. And then a "blitz" attack– often a blunt blow to the head or face as she enters the door– stuns his victim, who he then brutally rapes before fleeing.
And yet one victim who speaks out in this story describes a remorseful attacker, a man who said he was sorry he "had to hurt her."
Ten years. No less than seven rapes or assaults, all definitively linked through DNA left at the scene. Yet despite what police branded as unequivocal evidence that the same person committed each of these assaults, the Charlottesville serial rapist eluded capture for a decade, leaving terror and uncertainty in his wake.
That uncertainty may have finally come to an end in the early morning hours of Monday, August 13, when police officers from Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia descended upon a modest townhouse in the Abbington Crossing apartment complex off Rio Road and emerged with a suspect in custody.
If the arrest itself came as a surprise after so many years with no answers, the man they arrested– a 40-year-old husband and father of four named Nathan Antonio "Toni" Washington– came as an even greater shock to those who knew him. Aside from a smattering of traffic tickets, a search of Virginia court records turned up a clean history for Washington, which means there is no DNA profile on file for him.
"He's just a nice guy," says one of Washington's neighbors who asks not to be named, but who recalls the "friendly" Washington frequently accompanying his children to the complex's pool and playground to play kickball.
The neighbor says Washington, a newspaper carrier for the Daily Progress and a meat-cutter at the Barracks Road Harris Teeter, often waved and gave him notice of meat sales.
At a press conference on Tuesday– less than 24 hours after Washington's 1am arrest– police chiefs from the city, county, UVA, and Waynesboro joined Commonwealth's attorneys and detectives from the various departments to announce and celebrate the arrest. They discussed the fact that Washington has been charged in two incidents previously connected to the serial rapist: one in the city and one in the county. But overall, the conference left most questions unanswered.
For starters, if Washington has never been linked to a serious crime, how could authorities have his DNA to connect him with the rapes?
Officials won't say much beyond this: in connection with two crimes, Washington was charged with five felonies, including forcible rape, attempted sodomy, and breaking and entering with the intent to rape. He was served with two arrest warrants, police said, one from the county and one from the city, and an official says charges are pending from the University of Virginia police department.
Among the few details police released is the fact that Washington has served in the military and that he was arrested without incident. Officials refused to give any hints about what led to his capture, saying only that it was a body of information and tips "gathered over a good period of time." However, sources close to the investigation say police are certain they have the right man– because they do already have a DNA link.
According to sources, it's typical police practice to covertly monitor a suspect over a period of days or weeks before an arrest. During that surveillance, officers look for opportunities to collect DNA evidence– from, for example, a discarded drink or cigarette butt. Once the suspect's DNA is collected, it is sent for forensic testing. While such evidence may not be strong enough to obtain a conviction, since the sample could have been tainted, if it provides a match to a crime, officers can use it to obtain "probable cause" for an arrest and then obtain a better DNA sample.
Once the suspect is in custody, another sample is taken, usually using a buccal swab to collect DNA-containing cells from the suspect's mouth. This carefully collected sample is sent to a lab for testing and is legally admissible as evidence.
According to sources, officials are waiting for the results of that formal DNA swab on Washington before making any specific comment on his connection to the other five assaults.
Of his refusal to answer most of the reporters' questions at the press conference, Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Camblos explained, "We're being overly cautious because it's so important."
Indeed, anyone who has lived in Charlottesville over the past decade can recall the often controversial nature of the case, which boiled over in 2003 and 2004 when Charlottesville police conducted buccal swabbing on every black man willing to submit to the test.
By mid-2004, 570 black males had given DNA samples. Though the samples were supposed to have been given voluntarily, critics claimed any black man who refused was considered a suspect. One UVA graduate student who refused penned a 2003 Hook essay with the painfully memorable line: "You fit the description."
Another local man, Larry Monroe, who submitted to the testing, later sued over the issue, claiming assault and battery, illegal search and seizure under Virginia law, and racial harassment.
His lawyer, Debbie Wyatt, says police should have known that Monroe, "hefty" at 300 pounds and 5'8", couldn't have been the serial rapist– described by at least one victim as being 6' and athletic. The case is still pending in federal court, says Wyatt, who also represents Christopher Matthew, a black man who was falsely accused of an unrelated rape in Charlottesville two years ago and who later sued his accuser. That suit was withdrawn, but Wyatt says Matthew– whose name and image were splashed across newspaper pages along with the word "rapist"– is still considering his legal options.
The controversy over buccal swabbing had law enforcement scrambling to defend themselves from charges of racial targeting.
"I don't want the sense in the community we're overstepping our legal authority," said Longo in 2004. "This is a serious case, and we're trying to do the right thing, but if we've gone too far, we need to know that."
Later in 2004, following heated meetings with leaders of the African American community, Longo agreed to pay $1,000 to have the serial rapist's DNA analyzed to help determine his racial heritage.
While all of the victims had described their assailant as black, police noted there was enough variation in victims' descriptions to raise a question. "Some of the witnesses felt he was a light-complected black, some said dark," said Captain Chip Harding, although he attributed the discrepancy to the varying conditions, including lighting, at the time of each attack.
The DNA test results showed that regardless of skin tone, the rapist was definitively of African descent.
The two attacks for which Washington has been charged are an August 2004 attack on Webland Drive off Rio Road and a November 2002 attack in the Willoughby neighborhood. The latter, police have said, was the most brutal of the rapist's assaults.
The Hook spoke earlier this week with that now 52-year-old victim, a married mother of two teenage daughters.
November 11, 2002 was a typical day, says the woman. But as she returned home from running an errand mid-morning and entered her kitchen, she saw a large black man wielding a large kitchen knife over his head and charging at her.
"I backed up about three feet, and then he was on me," says the woman, who asked that her name not be used. "He punched me in the face, and I went down immediately."
Restraining her, he detailed his sordid plans as he took her to her bedroom and raped her.
But following the assault, his demeanor changed, the woman says. He carried her to the bathroom, put her in the tub and tried to wash her body.
"He was saying, 'I'm sorry I had to hurt you,'" she recalls.
The woman says the mug shot of Washington shown on television matches her memory of her attacker's appearance.
Today, the woman still lives in the Willoughby house where the attack occurred. The only change is that the family has installed a security system. But while she has become more cautious, she's more worried that her daughters, one in high school and the other in college, will have long-lasting psychological scars from the attack.
"I'm really concerned with them, that they not be scared of everything," she explains.
Another resident of the Willoughby subdivision says the attack gave the neighborhood plenty to fear.
"People were really shaken up," says Christine Walker. "Having everything happen so close by was very scary, especially because I had young daughters the same age as her children.
"I know one neighbor who completely stopped running/walking in the neighborhood and even carried a weapon with her for self defense," says Walker, who finds comfort in the news of the arrest.
"With the arrest there's a strong feeling of ease, and my own sense of safety and value toward the neighborhood is increased," she says. While she points out there's still a chance that Washington could have been wrongly targeted, "I do have a strong sense of confidence in the police and how long and hard they've worked over the years, the investigations and resources they've used to find this person."
Telephone calls to Washington's home and to the homes of other family members were not returned, but details released thus far about his life don't offer any signs that he could have perpetrated such a reign of terror. A senior photo in the 1986 Western Albemarle High School yearbook, for instance, shows a smiling young man named Toni Washington wearing a white tuxedo. Toni Washington played JV basketball, but was otherwise not photographed participating in sports.
A colleague at the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Airport, where Washington worked in the early 1990s, recalls Washington as nice and easygoing: "just a regular guy," he says.
That description will come as no surprise to law enforcement, who have long predicted the serial rapist would be someone who fit in with the community around him, someone whom no one would ever suspect.
If indeed Washington is the serial rapist, both of his jobs could have provided him with convenient access to potential victims. At Harris Teeter, the meat department is open, allowing customers to see the employees– even those working in the back– and vice versa.
And while Washington's early morning career as a delivery driver for the Daily Progress may cause some shudders, there's no indication so far that Washington found his victims through either of his jobs. Nor will law enforcement confirm that a victim recognized him at his Harris Teeter job, as some rumors have suggested.
On Thursday morning, August 16, Washington– now being held at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail– will be formally charged by remote video in both Charlottesville and Albemarle district courts and assigned a lawyer if he does not retain private counsel. In the meantime, police and prosecutors are working to create an airtight case.
Camblos says other information will be released in the coming days and weeks.
"A lot's going to happen," he promises.
–with additional reporting by Adam Sorensen and Erin Heisterman
Mapping the menace
1. February 11, 1997, 12am – rape in Waynesboro hotel room.
2. June 12, 1999, 11:30pm – rape in the 2300 block of JPA near Fry's Spring.
3. April 15, 2000, 2am – rape in the 400 block of 13th Street NW.
4. May 3, 2000, 3am – attempted rape and assault in Lambeth Parking lot off Emmet Street across from U-Hall.
5. November 11, 2002, 9am* – rape and brutal beating in Willoughby subdivision.
6. April 26, 2003, 3:15am – sexual assault in a bathroom in the 1900 block of JPA.
7. August 18, 2004, 3:20pm* – attempted rape and sodomy on Webland Drive.
*Nathan Antonio Washington is currently charged only in connection with the Willoughby and Webland attacks.
Positive DNA links
By Lisa Provence
February 11, 1997 A professional woman in her late 20s was on business in Waynesboro. She returned to her room at the Comfort Inn around midnight, then left her room door open while she went to her car to get her laptop computer. She was attacked when she returned to her room, but she wasn't sure whether the attacker had been inside all along or followed her in, according to Waynesboro police.
The woman was raped, but she wasn't beaten as women in later attacks were. She provided a description of a black male with an athletic build and hair short on the sides and flat on top.
By the end of 1999, DNA from that incident was linked to another rape in Charlottesville. And as all the other attacks here, police wondered: Why was he in Waynesboro that night?
June 12, 1999 It was before midnight when a Brazilian woman in her early 30s returned from work to her house in the 2300 block of Jefferson Park Avenue, an area near Fry's Spring that houses more graduate students and UVA employees than undergraduates.
The attacker entered through an unlocked window and was waiting for the woman in her bedroom. He choked her and pulled her hair, and more chillingly, told her he'd been watching her.
The room was dark, which made it hard for the victim to give a good description of her attacker. And yet she told police she felt like she'd seen him before, perhaps on her street.
After the attack, in the dust on the rear window of the woman's car, "RICK" was written, which she hadn't noticed before. Was it a clue? Police weren't sure.
Virginia's DNA databank was making its first cold hits around this time, and on December 10, 1999, Charlottesville police were notified that DNA from this rape matched that from the Waynesboro attack two years earlier. It was the first link in two jurisdictions to an unknown assailant through DNA.
April 15, 2000 A UVA student in her early 20s was awakened around 2am by a man's hand over her mouth and his arm around her neck. He threatened to choke her if she made any noise.
So while another person slept in the ground-floor apartment in the 400 block of 13th Street NW, the young woman was raped. The assailant entered through a kitchen window in the back of the apartment, continuing his pattern of unforced entry into a residence.
Once again, because of the darkness of the room, the woman was unable to provide enough of a description for a composite drawing. She did describe a medium to light-complexioned male weighing between 180 and 200 pounds.
DNA from this assault was linked to the two earlier attacks.
May 3, 2000 A little more than two weeks after the April 15 attack, a UVA undergrad was in the Lambeth parking lot off Emmet Street across from U-Hall at 2:40am. Her attacker jumped from beside a parked car and grabbed her. Using "excessive force," according to police, he choked and beat her. And he indicated that his intention was a sexual assault.
This woman knew karate, fought back, and was able to escape. "She was a better fighter than he was," Lieutenant J.W. Gibson said.
That woman's injuries did not require hospitalization. However, university police noticed blood on the coed's clothing. They sent it away, and again found a match with the serial rapist.
November 11, 2002 The 48-year-old woman had been out running errands on a Monday morning. When she returned to her home in the middle-class Willoughby neighborhood around 9am, she thought her house was secure because of the dead bolt on the door. What she didn't know was that a back door inadvertently had been left open.
This was the rapist's most horrific attack yet. Police declined to say whether a weapon was involved, but they did say the woman was brutally beaten. She was hospitalized, and her serious facial injuries required surgery. This case is one of the two for which Washington has been charged.
April 26, 2003 Another attack in the student-heavy JPA neighborhood was conclusively linked through DNA to the serial rapist.
August 18, 2004 The attack on Webland Drive off Hydraulic Road is the last attack conclusively linked to the serial rapist. In this assault– one of two with which Nathan Antonio Washington has been charged– the assailant used a "blitz" attack, waiting inside his victim's home then punching her in the face before sexually assaulting her.


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Promising a looming future that will leave no pop-culture surface without one of their names on it, Tyler Perry has struck a deal with Oprah Winfrey to put Tyler Perry's shows on Oprah's OWN, making Oprah's network the "singular destination" for all of Tyler Perry's programming, other than the cable channels, movie theaters, DVD releases, and stadium-seating theaters that are the other destinations for Tyler Perry's programming. Tyler Perry's new Oprah Winfrey arrangement will begin with a pair of Tyler Perry-scripted Tyler Perry shows to air on Oprah Winfrey's OWN next year, joining other Tyler Perry shows Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse, Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns, and Tyler Perry's House Of Payne on the formerly Tyler Perry-favored TBS, which failed to keep Tyler Perry's loyalty by not promising Oprah Winfrey money to Tyler Perry.
Tyler Perry's new shows will also join Oprah Winfrey's OWN shows such as Oprah's Next Chapter, Oprah's Lifeclass, Oprah's Master Class, Oprah Behind The Scenes, and Oprah: Where Are They Now?, until time itself is reduced to a binary measurement of "Oprah" or "Tyler Perry" hours. "It's half past Oprah—almost Tyler Perry," you'll say, in between laughing and learning.

subset: commoncrawl


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About the ProductAn extension of the ISLA collection from VONDOM, these striking planters by JM Ferrero are at home indoors or out and boast the option of illumination in bright energy saving white or remote controlled, programmable colour LED's. Available in three sizes these decorative elements are rotationally moulded from recyclable polyethylene with optional inbuilt watering system and IP65 rating for external use. IN & OUT sets new standards in illuminated planters and pots for the indoors or outdoors.
The BrandMore about this Brand
Founded in 2006, Vondom is a Valencia-based company which specialises in the design, production and marketing of furniture and indoor and outdoor lighting. In only nine years it has gone from strength to strength. Having started off by launching a range of plant-holders, it has since dreamt up more than ten collections by high-profile designers all unveiled at prestigious design fairs in Milan and Paris.
Environmental Performance
- Stock Program


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Other online dress stores
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eDressit is one of the best online dress stores for customers from all over the world. You'll be amazed by the affordable price, the top quality and the worldwide express delivery we provide. We believe that you'll fall in love shopping on our site if you ordered once. eDressit is an international fashion company with seven branch offices in some famous cities like London, Paris, Shanghai and more. eDressit is definitely a trustworthy fashion brand and deserve your shopping. Any question can be solved by our excellent service team promptly. eDressit.com is one of the ideal online dress stores to shop your fashion formal wears.


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(2) Deka Fast Charge 36V Batteries, New in 2014 Used Less Than 6 Months, 20 1/16" x 38 ¼" x 30 7/16", Tagged Lot 10 (Located in Indianapolis)
All Equipment Sold Loaded onto Buyer's Trucks. Drivers Must Arrive with Necessary Chains and Straps to Secure Load
(2) Deka Fast Charge 36V Batteries, New in 2014 Used Less Than 6 Months, 20 1/16" x 38 ¼" x 30 7/16", Tagged Lot 10 (Located in Indianapolis)
All Equipment Sold Loaded onto Buyer's Trucks. Drivers Must Arrive with Necessary Chains and Straps to Secure Load
We are making things easier for you, auction specific shipping information coming soon. For now, please visit the Important Information / Terms & Conditions tab [next tab to the right] for auction specific removal dates, preferred vendors and more.
For general shipping information from the auctioneer please see below:
For M. DAVIS GROUP, LLC delivery information please telephone 412.521.5751.
BidSpotter Customer Service Support Department
To reach a member of our qualified support staff regarding information or questions pertaining to the bidding process; please reach us by phone or email.
NOTICE: All potential bidders participating in this sale agree that they have read and have full knowledge of these terms and agree to be bound thereby.
TERMS: Online bidding requires a refundable deposit equal to 25% of anticipated purchases, $2,500.00 minimum. CALL 412.521.5751 TO COMPLETE A WIRE TRANSFER. To ensure approval as a bidder, please make deposit arrangements as far in advance of the auction as possible. NO ONE WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT A DEPOSIT.
Your participation and bidding are considered a legally bind contract.
INTERNET BUYERS PREMIUM IS 18%. Total payments are to be received within 24 hours following the auction in cash, cashier`s check or wired funds. Payments by check require a seven business day holding period before related equipment can be removed. International buyers must pay in cash or wire transfer. All purchases must be removed within period announced by Auctioneer. All descriptions are believed to be correct, but no guarantees or warranties are made by Auctioneer as to nomenclature or age. Everything sold on an "as is, where is and with all faults" basis. Additional Terms of Sale posted on our website at www.mdavisgrp.com.
TERMS OF REMOVAL: All purchases made at this sale are at the purchaser`s risk as soon as they are announced sold by the Auctioneer. The Auctioneer and principal(s) shall have no liability for any loss or damage to items for any reason whatsoever once announced sold.
No claims will be allowed after removal of goods from the sale premises.
Auctioneer shall not, in any event, be liable for non-delivery or for any other matter or thing, to any purchaser of any lot, other than for the return to the purchaser of the deposit or sum paid on said lot, should the purchaser be entitled thereto. Neither the Auctioneer nor its principal(s) shall be held liable with respect to any item sold in any greater amount than that paid by the purchaser and, in all instances, the highest bid shall be accepted by both the buyer and principal(s) as the value against which all claims for loss or damage shall lie.
Removal of all purchased items are at the expense, risk and liability of the purchaser. M. Davis Group, LLC bears no responsibility for such rigging/removal.
Removal can be scheduled through our main office @ 412.521.5751.


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Hi there, I know I have been away for a bit. I have been sewing lots, just not posting. Anyways... the other day I stumbled across this awesome blog http://www.juliabobbin.com/, she has made a mad men challenge, where you make your favourite outfit seen on the show. I got so excited of course, as Mad Men and Joan especially are some of my personal obsessions too. The clothes are so pretty, the girls are so put together. I think I even prefer watching the show to eating chocolate, and that says a lot.
So I am going to take up the challenge.
I actually want to make a lot of their dresses, however I will not have time to make them all before the challenge finishes. I am halfway through a dress based on Joan Siegel. I just love the colour, how it is fitted, and love the little tie at the front. I will reupdate when I have finished it :)


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Purchasing of any item does not transfers its copyrights. Two options for commercial licenses - Basic or Extended, and an Upgrade option, are possible if you'd like to use my designs to create works for profit. If you have any questions please contact us.Read more
Karamfila's "Valentine's" 2019 collection.
Valentine Doodles Clipart, Cupid Clipart.
Usage Note
Please be kindly advised that you can manage this product best on a computer or laptop. On mobile devices such as iPad or other tablets, you need a special software to unzip and edit the files. On smartphone it can not be downloaded and managed.
License Note
You need only one commercial license to use both the Main and Doodle clipart sets from one collection.
Perfect for:
- planner goodies
- blog or web design
- patterns for paper or fabric
- printing over any surfaces and items
- design wedding stationary and any kind of invitations
- digital and physical scrapbooking projects
- decoupage and papercraft creations
- cardmaking, announcement cards
- logos or photo overlays, etc.
- Any DIY projects
- 14 JPG files
- 12 x 12 inches
- High resolution 300 dpi
- Seamless patterns
Tank you for stopping by,
Tags: Digital Paper, watercolor, doodles, drawings, adults coloring book, outline illustration, valentine, valentines day, lollipop, clouds, cupid, cupids, angel, love couple, kids, children, seamless pattern, heart, gold glitter, crimson red glitter, florals, peonies, roses, red flowers, whimsical flowers


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Kids Ear Defenders Green Gloss ( NO LOGO )
Kids Ear Defenders Green Gloss ( NO LOGO )
- Product Code: EDZCP Plus Capz
- Availability: In Stock
- Ex Tax: £15.82
These are supplied as Black Ear Defenders with designer removable Capz
Suitable for children 6 months and older ~ All the way up to 16 years
Kids Ear Defenders - great for concerts and other noisy environments!
They come complete with a comfortable padded head band.
Weighing only 190 grams, these earmuffs are light but sturdy. They can be folded up to fit in the palm of your hand, making them easy to carry with you, or store away.
They can be used in a wide variety of settings - from concerts and car races to sporting events and shopping centres. Use them to protect your child's hearing or to help settle them when disturbed by a noisy environment.
Conform to EN352-1 and CE marked
Weight 190 grams
SNR 24.3dB
Mean Attenuation @ 500Hz 22.4dB
Mean Attentuation @ 1000Hz 29.7dB
Mean Attentuation @ 8000Hz 43.1dB
Dimensions 13cm H 12cm W (folded)
Tags: Blue


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Fresh Mint and Watermelon Soda Floats.I've been playing single lady since Sunday.
Really… I find this quite lovely.
It means I blast the Jersey Boys soundtrack and watch 6 episodes of Felicity in a row. It means I survive on things for dinner that don't contain giant slabs of meat. Most importantly, it means that I get the entire bed to myself which makes me consider spending the rest of my life as a spinster with 1000 thread count sheets. Ah… comfy.
It also means I drink things like this that look fancy but aren't really fancy at all for lunch.
In case you were wondering, lunch is my new favorite meal.
Wowza. It should be yours too.
I know. I KNOW. It probably appears that I've lost my marbles. Mint + watermelon + bubbles + ice cream? It just works I tell you. And mint is like… technically a vegetable right?! I mean, what else would it be? So this is really a fruit and veggie milkshake.
I love when life makes sense.
Coming home to this on a hot day… it can't be beat. You should feed it to your friends after a sweaty day on the beach. Who cares if they aren't hungry. More importantly… what does it feel like to not be hungry? Your family too, after a sweaty day on the playground. Maybe they'll even cook for you. Or do chores or something? If you can't find anything for them to do send them my way. Cleaning gives me the heebie jeebies and this place could use some mopping.
Holy refreshing Batman. Give it a [literal] whirl and you'll be cooler than the other side of the pillow.
Fresh Mint and Watermelon Soda Floats
serves 2
2 1/2 cups fresh watermelon chunks (large seeds removed, the small white ones are fine)
12-15 fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
12 ounces club soda or carbonated water of choice
vanilla ice cream
In a blender, combine the watermelon, mint and water. Blend and pulse quickly, just until watermelon has broken down – this should only take about 30-60 seconds or so. The blending will "de-carbonate" the water a bit, but it should still have some fizz. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, glass or measuring cup in order to remove the seeds. Fill two glasses with vanilla ice cream and pour watermelon soda over top. Garnish with additional fresh mint.
Note: Haven't tried it yet, but I think that this would also be great with some flavored carbonated waters, such as lime or coconut La Croix.


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Weather scientist Tim Samaras, his son, photographer Paul Samaras, and meteorologist Carl Young were killed by a powerful tornado that struck Oklahoma City over the weekend. NBC's Mark Potter reports, and The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes tells TODAY's Al Roker about narrowly surviving the same storm.
Three professional "storm chasers" were among the 13 people who died in the tornadoes that ripped through the Oklahoma City area Friday, the research project they ran confirmed Sunday.
Tim Samaras, 55, founder of the tornado research project, called Twistex, based in Lakewood, Colo.; his son Paul, 24; and their chase partner, Carl Young, 45, all died after they were overtaken by a multiple-vortex tornado that sharply changed direction near El Reno, Okla., The Weather Channel first reported.
Twistex confirmed the news Sunday in a statement.
"This is a devastating loss to the meteorological, research and storm chasing communities," Twistex meteorologist Tony Laubach said in the statement. "... There is some comfort in knowing these men passed on doing what they loved."
Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West told NBC News that the men were in a small Chevrolet that was found upright in a ditch about a mile from Interstate 40 southeast of El Reno. Deputies said the vehicle looked as if it had been put through a trash compactor.
One body was found a quarter-mile away, a second was found a quarter-mile away in the opposite direction and the third was found inside the car. The engine was thrown a half-mile away, and the front wheels were ripped off.
The Twistex researchers were prominent members of an odd, close-knit community of meteorologists and storm chasers who race to the locations of major tornadoes, hoping to gather scientific data and record the massive funnel clouds on film and video.
The Samarases were well known to TV viewers, having been prominent subjects of the Discovery Channel series "Storm Chasers" and frequent contributors to The Weather Channel. They weren't working for either channel last week, both networks said.
The Weather Channel — a unit of NBCUniversal — said in a statement Sunday that many of its meteorologists had worked with the Samarases and Young "and have great admiration for their work," which it said "will help to save countless lives."
Greg Forbes, a severe weather expert for The Weather Channel, called Tim Samaras a "pioneer in terms of taking scientific measurements."
While radar is a vital tool, "we need to know what happens right down at ground level," and Samaras was "a groundbreaker in terms of the kind of research he was doing," Forbes said.
"It's a tremendous loss to the community," he said.
A fourth storm chaser in the same area was also seriously injured Friday when the SUV of a crew led by Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes was blown over and flipped several times before coming to rest in a field 200 yards away.
The driver of the SUV, Austin Anderson, suffered several broken bones and is expected to undergo surgery in the next few days, The Weather Channel said.
"As soon as I felt the vehicle tumble, I knew we were in trouble," Bettes said Sunday on TODAY.
"I just saw my wife's face and I thought, 'You know, that's my life; I don't want to give that up just yet,'" he said.
Terry Pickard of NBC News contributed to this report.
At least 16 dead after rain, twisters lash mid-US; storms head east
This story was originally published on Sun Jun 2, 2013 5:52 PM EDT


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Fair Game
This story appears in the October 1998 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
There's no doubt about it: Mark Tofano is on the cutting edge of telephonic integration. His 4-year-old company, TeleSys Technologies Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina, has developed a product called SynPhony, which controls, routes and manages a business's data, voice and video communications through a single consolidated (and literally black) box.
"By simultaneously handling the switching functions for the three primary communications media, our product taps into the market potential to replace or enhance PBX equipment, voice-messaging systems, videoconferencing, local and wide area networks, and data servers," says Tofano, 54. "Standing alone, they're big markets. But when combined, it's [an even bigger] opportunity." To tap this potential market, however, TeleSys needs about $1 million to make the transition from the product development stage to the initial rollout.
But as much as Tofano and his company may be on the leading edge of computer telephony integration (CTI), when it comes to raising capital from angel investors or early-stage venture capital funds, they're in the same place as everybody else. To raise money, Tofano must methodically beat the bushes for investors, call each one personally, send them his business plan, then follow up, follow up, follow up. "Raising capital can be tough because in many respects, it's a number's game," he says. "Generating the right number of leads and then tracking them down takes a lot of time."
Time that many small or emerging businesses don't have. It's a sobering thought when you consider that most small businesses don't fail--they run out of money.
David R. Evanson's newest book about raising capital is called Where to Go When the Bank Says No: Alternatives for Financing Your Business (Bloomberg Press). Call (800) 233-4830 for ordering information. Art Beroff, a principal of Beroff Associates in Howard Beach, New York, helps companies raise capital and go public.
On Your Mark . . .
So how does an entrepreneur increase the number of investors who are exposed to his or her company and compress the time frame for raising the oh-so-critical early-stage financing? The answer for Tofano, as well as a growing legion of capital-hungry entrepreneurs, can be found at one of the many venture capital fairs popping up nationwide.
The idea of venture capital fairs is certainly not new. Professional and institutional venture capitalists have held them for years. What is new, according to David Freschman, president of the Delaware Innovation Fund and chairman of a venture fair known as Early Stage East, is the increasing number of venture capital fairs that are catering to early-stage businesses. These fairs are attended by individual angel investors as well as early-stage venture capitalists. Such venues are materializing, Freschman says, because traditional venture capitalists focus largely on more mature companies. "That leaves not only entrepreneurs but also investors in a lurch," he says.
Testimony to the void being filled is Freschman's Early
Stage East, which was held in June
in Wilmington, Delaware, with a big boost from the state's Economic Development Office. More than 180 investors from Boston to North Carolina attended the event to rub elbows with 24 entrepreneurs, who were on hand to share their stories and convince investors that investing in their companies would return a multiple of the investment in a very short period of time.
Know The Rules
Early Stage East, like many venture fairs, offered entrepreneurs several opportunities to pitch investors. First, there was the opening reception, held the first evening, where entrepreneurs and investors circulated freely. Says Freschman, "The better you are at working a room, the more successful you'll be in this environment." But regardless of your networking skills, these fairs give you a target-rich environment in which to work.
Next, there were the display booths. Each of the 24 companies that presented at the fair had the opportunity to showcase their wares and work the show's investors as they filed past their booths, stopped to ask questions, or picked up the freebies that some presenters offered.
Another big opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet and interact with investors was during lunch. Tables were "owned" by the presenting companies and clearly marked. Investors who wanted to meet with the small-business owners had only to find the table of the company that most piqued their interest. Sometimes investors sat at tables for reasons related more to musical chairs than interest in a deal. But, says Freschman, many investors proactively used the situation to get to know a company better and to ask questions in a setting that didn't tip off other investors to their plans. "Whatever the motivation," says Freschman, "meeting an investor over lunch represents a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to raise capital."
Finally, there were the formal presentations, which Early Stage East held during four sessions scheduled throughout the second and final day of the conference. Here, each presenting company at the conference got the stage for eight minutes to tell their story. Says Freschman, "The formal pitch is important because it often gives companies the highest-quality exposure to the greatest number of investors at one time."
Ahead Of The Game
Evidence of the value these fairs offer entrepreneurs in getting their companies funded is offered by Tofano, who trekked several hundred miles from Charlotte to Wilmington to be present for the two-day event. "I've heard that if someone in the investment community hears your company's name three times, that's when they start to take notice and get interested," he says. Accordingly, Tofano says he wasn't necessarily looking to close a deal at the conference but to gain exposure for the company in a forum that was recognized by and would have some sway with investors.
Freschman says gaining entree into Early Stage East or a similar conference can, indeed, offer the prestige that's required to make investors sit up and take notice. "Each company that presents has made it through a careful screening process of professional venture investors. For every company that gets to present, 10 to 15 others are turned away."
Tofano confirms the punch Early Stage East gave his TeleSys Technologies. "Some of the most promising calls I've gotten were from investors who weren't even there but who had the opportunity to review conference materials," he says. He believes the sanction of a recognized organization makes investors pay more attention than they would, say, to an unsolicited business plan received in the mail.
Between travel, display rentals, fees and materials, Tofano says he spent about $3,000 attending Early Stage East. So what did he get?
"From the conference itself, I got seven leads I feel very good about," Tofano says. In addition, he got calls from three investors not in attendance who read the conference materials, liked with they saw and contacted him directly. "In some cases, these leads are superior to the leads the conference generated," he says. And Tofano may dig up even more nuggets of gold if he follows up on the conference attendee list with a letter and a phone call.
Playing To Win
Having been there and done that, Tofano would urge any entrepreneurs looking for capital to attend a venture capital fair, if you can get in. And once you do get in, take his advice:
1. Look for a good match between the investors and your company. Make sure you're attending a fair where the investors are likely to take an interest in your company, says Tofano. For instance, he says, if you own a low-tech company and all the investors in the room are high-tech investors, it will likely be a frustrating experience for you.
2. Fight for a good time slot. If your formal presentation is near the end of the day, by the simple mathematics of the situation alone, you can guess there will be fewer investors in attendance, and the ones who are present may be worn out from listening to so much information in one day. As a result, Tofano advises presenting as early as possible.
3. The positioning of your display booth matters. Whether all the companies are placed in one room or disbursed in a labyrinthine hotel conference center, make sure your booth is in a traffic-heavy location. "Numbers are the name of the game," says Tofano. "If your booth is [on the perimeter], you just won't meet as many investors."
Above all, he says, entrepreneurs need to be realistic about the process. In other words, a requisite number of "nos" are required to get to "yes." A venture capital fair may not immediately yield the "yes" you need, but it will likely speed up the process.
Next Step
Venture capital fairs are often closely linked with chambers of commerce or state economic development commissions. Call your local chamber or commission to find out if there is a venture fair in your area.
Contact Sources
Delaware Innovation Fund, 100 W. 10th St., Wilmington, DE 19801, (302) 777-1616
TeleSys Technologies, (704) 536-8170, email@example.com


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The long-simmering controversy over the fate of New York City-subsidized bus lines was brought to a boil early this month when news reports revealed that the Bloomberg administration has $150 million in unspent funds to replace aging buses and improve bus facilities of the seven private bus companies. This pot of money has accumulated over more than two years as Bloomberg and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have been negotiating the authority's takeover of the bus routes, which primarily serve local bus riders in Queens and the Bronx and express riders coming into Manhattan.
Bloomberg wants to turn the bus routes over to the MTA and eliminate the city's $100 million annual subsidy of the bus companies. Shedding the subsidies for the private bus companies would help close city budget deficits. It would also further reduce the city's contribution to mass transit. City contributions to the authority's capital budget fell from $205 million in the early 1990s to only $75 million last year.
Critics believe that the city has refused to purchase new buses as a way to intensify political pressure for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to take over the bus routes. Using the existing old buses leads to more breakdowns and poorer service for riders. The private bus companies charged in a lawsuit last year that the city had decided "to starve the companies of new buses as part of its plan to create intolerable operating and financial pressures."
The Bloomberg administration responded that the authority and private bus lines use different types of buses. "If we purchase the buses before the negotiations are complete," a Bloomberg spokesman reportedly said, "we run the risk of buying obsolete buses that the MTA does not use and cannot service."
This argument has not passed muster with critics. Unless the city insisted on purchasing more buses fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG), there are no fundamental differences between MTA and city-purchased buses. If the city wished to do so, it could order buses that meet the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's bus specifications and could be used by the MTA once the agency takes over the routes.
The authority would gladly take over the bus routes under the right fiscal arrangements. It believes that it can provide better service by applying its expertise in bus operations and through economies of scale. But the authority has rejected Bloomberg's proffered deal unless it is "made whole" financially. If it takes over the bus routes without receiving additional funding, it would have to find scarce dollars either through increased state or federal subsidies – an unlikely possibility – or through higher fares.
Already, the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have missed self-imposed deadlines of last June 30 and of January 1 to complete a deal. The city has extended the current franchises with the seven bus companies until June 30, 2004 and hopes to agree to a transfer by that date.
Meanwhile, service on the lines deteriorates. According to the city's latest Mayor's Management Report, the cleanliness rating on the city-subsidized buses declined from 85 percent in July-October 2002 to 68 percent a year later. In interviews with the New York Times, riders complained of buses taking 30 minutes or longer to show up.
(Large) Relic Of A Bygone Era
In the context of public transportation in the New York region, the privately operated bus lines seem like small potatoes and generally receive scant attention. But compared to any other city, the service is substantial – 82 routes, 1,250 buses and 400,000 riders a day make the private operators as a group the twelfth largest transit bus fleet in the U.S. and Canada.
Current franchise arrangements are a relic of a bygone age when private bus operators could make a profit providing service. The city once franchised or contracted with a variety of transportation providers including bus companies, trolley operators and even the companies that operated the first subways. When bus companies were profitable, franchises made sense as a way to select which operators would have the right to use the city streets. But the city has provided capital subsidizes to the bus companies since 1974, thus making for an odd arrangement of public subsidies for franchise operators.
The city owns the buses and some of the bus depots while the bus companies own most of the depots and provide the service. Drivers, mechanics and other workers are bus company employees. Most employees are unionized and have the right to strike – a right exercised several times in recent years, cutting off vital service to riders.
This system has survived previous attempts at change. Revisions to the City Charter in 1989 mandated that the bus franchises be rebid periodically to create competition among companies and thus, it was hoped, cut costs and improve service. None of this happened, however. A combination of political influence, bureaucratic inaction and the likelihood that any rebidding would be unfair led to periodic extensions of the long-running franchises. Although some conservative writers have continued to advocate for competitive bidding for the franchises, it is difficult to imagine how new companies, lacking bus depots, could compete effectively against the incumbents.
Thus, the city has turned from the idea of franchising to the hope of transferring the routes to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Aside from the budget and subsidy issues that have played prominently in the press, the transfer raises enormously complex issues. Presumably, unionized employees would be transferred to the MTA, as would facilities owned by the city and the companies. Under law, employees would have their jobs protected. But the private bus companies and the MTA have different unions, creating hurdles for the authority to switch bus routes between garages and rationalize operations to save costs. The different pension plans of the authority and private companies will also need to be resolved. While these issues are ultimately solvable, there may well be more bumps in the road for riders, even once the city and MTA resolve the subsidy issue.
Bruce Schaller is Principal of Schaller Consulting, which provides research and analysis to government, business and non-profit groups seeking to identify and meet customer needs in the transportation sector. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University.


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Health services have a "mountain to climb" to improve the care provided to those with mental health issues, according to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Standards of care provided to some mental health sufferers were described as "frankly unacceptable" by Mr Clegg, who highlighted long waiting times and the treatment of children children in adult mental health wards, as causes for concern.
He added that the continued use of damaging restraint techniques and inadequate integration in the treatment of physical health of those with mental health problems also needed to be addressed.
Mr Clegg's comments come as the government launches its new Mental Health Action Plan, which sets out 25 areas where care will be improved in the health service.
Speaking at a conference with leading mental health figures in central London, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it was vital mental health be given the focus that it deserves.
He said: "Some people with mental health problems are still being treated in ways that are frankly unacceptable.
"Waiting times for common mental health services are still too long, especially in some areas of the country.
"There have been stories of people of all ages being transferred, sometimes hundreds of miles, to access a bed.
"And some children with severe mental health problems are still being cared for on adult wards.
"We recognise that we have got a mountain to climb... It's going to take a huge effort to turn that around and give mental health the focus it deserves."
Compiled by the Department of Health, the government's action plan lists a series of objectives designed to increase access to mental health and promote the integration of physical and mental health care.
As well as giving patients greater choice over where they can receive treatment, the plan also calls for "clear" waiting time limits for patients, and improved support for new mothers to minimise the risk of post-natal depression.
It also calls for improvements on the transition that young people face when leaving children's facilities and entering adult ones.
Mr Clegg added that as well as improving standards of care and services, changing perceptions of mental health, and those affected by it, were also crucial.
"All too often attitudes to mental health are outdated; stuck in the dark ages; full of stigma and stereotypes." he said: "It's time for us to bring mental health out of the shadows and to give people with mental health conditions the support they need and deserve."
Mr Clegg's comments come as a new mental illness awareness campaign was launched. Time to Talk encourages people to talk openly about mental illness and get support.
The campaign is led by the Time to Change programme, run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, with the aim of ending the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.


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Oil-rich Kuwait, which made a record post-Gulf war surplus of 3.9 billion dollars last year, is bracing this year for the biggest surplus in almost two decades thanks to high oil prices, a think-tank said Saturday.
The independent Al-Shall Economic Consultants said that based on the current oil price and production level, Kuwait is expected to post 3.95 billion dollars of surplus during the 2000/2001 fiscal year.
In the first three months of the year (July-September), Al-Shall estimated oil revenues at 4.8 billion dollars and 14.4 billion dollars for the whole year, which was shortened to nine months. Total revenues in the 1999/2000 fiscal year which ended June 30 reached 17 billion dollars, a post-Gulf War record. If calculated on annual basis, income for the current year is expected to reach 19.2 billion dollars, Al-Shall said.
Earnings from oil which last year hit a new 10-year record with 15.6 billion dollars, are expected to reach 13.2 billion dollars (18 billion on annual basis). The revenues are calculated on the basis of an average oil price of 27.2 dollars a barrel, and a daily production of 2.2 million barrels, some 100,000 barrels above Kuwait's OPEC quota.
Kuwait's Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries output quota was raised to 2.101 million bpd from October 1. The emirate's current fiscal year, which started on July 1 and ends on March 31, 2001, was reduced to nine months to bring it in line with an April 1 start. The budget projected a deficit of five billion dollars, on low oil prices. – (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)


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It's been widely believed that having a baby can cause problems of lifelong urinary incontinence for women. But it turns out that it's just as common in young women who have never been pregnant, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Of the 1,002 women surveyed—ages 16 to 30 who had never been pregnant—researchers found that 12.6 percent of them had issues with incontinence. Previous studies show that 12 percent of women the same age who have given birth have issues of incontinence.
In the new study, the highest rate of incontinence was found among sexually active women who were not taking birth control pills. Age, BMI, and history of urinary tract infections were not factors in their leakage. They did, however, share feelings of "shame, and fear of embarrassment as a result of the condition," leading researchers to conclude that incontinence could influence women's mental health.
But that's a glass-half-full outlook. Perhaps the silver (panty) lining here is that there is now less of a divide between mothers and childless children. We are all united as a big group of pee pee pants.
Image via Shutterstock/Sergieiev
For young women, incontinence can happen regardless of pregnancy [MSNBC]


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Even on Broadway, Faith Can Thrive
McNamara: You're known to be a devout Catholic. How important is your faith to you?
Manahan: My faith has sustained me through all the vicissitudes of my life. I have never done anything but act, and I could not have worked as hard as I did to support myself — and sometimes my family — without my faith.
What drew you to the theater and the sometimes nomadic life of a performer?
I was born to a theatrical family in Waterford, Ireland, and studied with the celebrated Abbey actress, Ria Mooney, founder of the original Gaiety School of Acting. I met Milo O'Shea there who became a life long friend and with whom I later created the BBC series "Me Mammy."
That was a hilarious series, but even as your career was blossoming in Ireland and producers in London beginning to seek you out. But then the momentum stopped.
I was widowed before the trousseau was fully unpacked. We were on tour in Egypt with Edwards/MacLiammoir productions and my husband, CoIm O'Kelly, contracted polio and died. It was very sudden.
That must have been difficult to cope with.
It was the hardest thing I have ever done or will do in my life. When I returned to Ireland, my mother took me to Tramore, Co. Waterford which is beside the sea and where I spent much of my childhood. My mother would come down every week and we would go down to the sea. She never said a word, all day. We would sit there and watch the sea coming in and going out.
The sound of the sea is very soothing, a panacea for many ills. That was one of the most healing periods in my life. There is something therapeutic about the sea — it evokes a sense of eternity. My mother was the daughter of a sailor — my grandfather was torpedoed by the Germans — and she had this intense love of the sea. She is a very communicative person, and loves to chat, but I got to know the depth of her character through the silences. There's a time in everyone's life when you get to see you parents not as parents, but as people who have coped with life, with their own dreams and what they've put aside for you and my respect for my mother soared at that time. She was a woman of faith and prayer.
How does your relationship with the Lord inform your daily life and outlook?
A very important agent who wanted to manage me said there are people who want to be stars, and others who want to be good actors and communicate with the audience. That interests me. Naturally I like to do good plays and get good reviews —that's part of the territory, but the life outside of the business I'm not interested in and never was — my career has thrived without it and that should be an example that it can.
Life is about people, and I always believe that the Almighty, known among actors as "The Management," will not ask me if I were a good or bad actress. I think he'll ask me if I got on with people, did I care about them.
I remember being worried about some whoppers I did in my life, and a Dominican priest said, "Will you for goodness sake forget about them — He's forgotten about them years ago! I suddenly had a vision of God saying, "Oh not again, Anna! For goodness sake would somebody shut her up..." I came out of the confessional roaring with laughter — He must have a sense of humor to put up with us....
Your dreams of a family were shattered by your husband's premature death, but you are known for your outstanding maternal roles both on stage and off. How did you become such a natural mother?
A man I met in the audience was praising me highly. I stopped him and said, "...when I meet a woman who has reared a passel of children I say to myself, 'What have I done to compare with that?'" and he said, "... in the dark, you've reached out and put your arms around us." There are different ways of being a mother; there are wonderful women who work as nuns, nurses, social workers, and single [women] who look after their families. Raising children is one expression of motherhood; looking after people and caring for them is another. I've looked after an awful lot of people. It is in my nature to do it, so it must [be] part of my mission.
You have been described as a person who raises others up or, as one journalist put it, "Anna asks how you are and waits to hear the answer." What, in your opinion, inspired that comment?
When I meet someone for the first time I ask them to tell me about themselves. There's a lot of loneliness in big cities — Mother Teresa said she saw more loneliness in the United States than in all the streets of Calcutta... Despite all this richness and consumerism, people aren't connecting....when I see the huge amount of advertising on television I just want to get sick. It's terrible that while there's a starving of the spirit, we're being bombarded with "...buy this gadget, that food." Yet, if everyone shared there would be no hunger in the world. I just can't believe the slaughter in recent years of children, of families, of refugees. Life has become very cheap and it [stems] from abortion and euthanasia.
Those are astonishing statements of courage. Theater today is intensely conformist in the "politically correct" sense. Aren't you concerned that those statements. Is there a chance you might lose precious opportunities?
I am so pleased to be a member of the Catholic Church. It is one of the few voices in the world that speaks out strongly against abortion and euthanasia. If I wasn't [born] Catholic, I would join the Church because of its stand on these issues alone.
Thank God there are people standing up and being counted. I believe our present Holy Father is terribly unpopular in some quarters because he "won't give in." But in the name of the Most High what is the Holy Father to do? He's stands by the Gospel and defends the unborn. It's 1999 and they want him to go by the popular trend, but he can't and he won't. History will justify him. He's been so instrumental in bringing Jews and Christians together and the quality and content of his encyclicals are extraordinary. He's a most remarkable Pope and will be remembered as one of the greatest ever.
Have you ever met the Holy Father in person?
I'd love to meet him — but with all the traveling, I've yet to go to Rome.
Many traditional Irish Catholics are still struggling with Vatican II. Were the changes difficult for you?
Vatican II inspired many movements. People came together to pray and [also] all sorts help is being offered now — for example bereavement counseling — that they didn't have when I lost Colin. Cardinal O'Connor has asked the clergy to bring divorced Catholics along, back to the sacraments. He had an article in a New York Catholic paper that was very moving. Of course, he has his critics too, but I'm not interested in them. I draw my own conclusions.
Mag Folan, the character you play in
Yes, she's horrendous! A lot of the characters I play are very srong. Irish actor, Tony Doyle, once remarked that he'd "...never work with that one. She must be a terrible so and so..." "She's not," the director responded. "She's a lovely woman." "She can't be," insisted Tony, "and play those terrible parts so convincingly..."
People like Mag Folan are truly fascinating. Without looking for sympathy, one can show the vulnerability of the character. What fascinates me when I look at or read about someone who's truly evil is that I get a flashback to when they were a baby and wonder, "How did that happen?" There must be some trauma along the road. When I talk about my wonderful parents I think of how lucky I was and my heart bleeds for children raised in uncaring atmospheres to criminality, drug, or sexual abuse.
Ireland has undergone enormous social and economic changes. A substantial number of Irish mothers work outside the home now and there's a strong pro-abortion, anti-family feminist movement over there. Do you have any thoughts on those changes?
I have always [worked] and was on a panel and asked if I agreed with women being mothers and wives and working. I give the answer now that I gave then. It's very hard, as men have always known, to be the breadwinner. If you have to work, whether it be through financial necessity as often it is, or emotional necessity, then I would say that before you marry and have children think about that seriously because, you will be taking on two jobs. If you think you are capable of doing [both] or organizing it, then do it — who am I to say otherwise. I am a working woman. [I have been] all my life.
I think most women are frustrated and torn. Very often a woman when she goes out to work takes on a second job, along with the cooking, cleaning, and shopping. [Then], if she has children she can become a nervous wreck and the family goes on the shoals. The ideal thing is that when a baby is born, it's better to stay home until the child goes to school and [then to start] working during those hours. The most wonderful thing in my childhood was to come home from school and know my mammy was there. It was the first thing we'd do — there were six of us — open the door and call out for her. For too many children nowadays the shopping mall has become the family home.
Speaking of home, you've been touring the world for two years now. Do you ever get homesick?
I long to see my new house in Waterford. But wherever I am, whether it's Ballyjamesduff or Broadway, I give my all and people have been so wonderful in America. New York is a sort of second home for me, I love the diversity, the energy and the Mass is always a "home." But I do miss my wonderful family and friends in Ireland. God bless them.
Deirdre McNamara writes from New York.
- Keywords:
- February 21-27, 1999


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Can Mobile Phones Improve Factory Fire Safety?
by Tripti Lahiri, WSJ India, December 30, 2012
In the wake of the fire at a Bangladesh factory that killed at least 112 garment workers on Nov. 24, U.S. and European retailers who buy from the South Asian country have said they will drastically improve safety checks at the factories they use. … But few of the plans being considered by retailers seem likely to address issues that labor groups have raised with regard to the present safety audit system – that they don't allow workers a way to alert retailers to issues that crop up when the brands' representatives are not around. Another complaint is that information on fire safety is generally kept confidential and rarely shared in a comprehensive way with the workers most likely to be at risk. Indian-American entrepreneur Kohl Gill is hopeful that cellphones, which are now widespread in exporting countries like Bangladesh and China, could help.Through his two-year-old company LaborVoices, Mr. Gill has been developing a voice-activated system that workers can call to leave messages about workplace conditions. ….
For full text of this article, please visit Can Mobile Phones Improve Factory Fire Safety? – India Real Time – WSJ.
Related articles
- In Bangladesh, the Garment Factories Keep Burning (businessweek.com)
- Walmart said no to paying for fire safety in Bangladesh factories (dailykos.com)
- Bangladesh Fire Kills More Than 100 and Injures Many (nytimes.com)


text: FanMats Air Force 2-pc Carpeted Car Mats 17"x27" $39.99 $27.99 Show your fandom even while driving with Carpet Car Mats from Sports Licensing Solutions. Made in the U.S.A. with 100% nylon carpet. Nibbed backing keeps mat in place and prevents skidding while driving. Universal fit for all vehicle types. Features: ... Add to Cart Compare


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Sirolimus, Idarubicin, and Cytarabine in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01822015
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : April 1, 2013
Last Update Posted : December 23, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Adult Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (M7) Adult Acute Monoblastic Leukemia (M5a) Adult Acute Monocytic Leukemia (M5b) Adult Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia With Maturation (M2) Adult Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia Without Maturation (M1) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With 11q23 (MLL) Abnormalities Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Del(5q) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Inv(16)(p13;q22) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With t(16;16)(p13;q22) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With t(8;21)(q22;q22) Adult Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia (M4) Adult Erythroleukemia (M6a) Adult Pure Erythroid Leukemia (M6b) Untreated Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia
|Drug: Sirolimus Drug: Idarubicin Drug: Cytarabine
|Early Phase 1
1) To determine whether there is an association between baseline mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation paired with mTOR target inhibition post-treatment in leukemic blasts and clinical response in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with sirolimus idarubicin/cytarabine.
- To estimate the response rate of sirolimus idarubicin/cytarabine in patients with newly diagnosed AML compared to historical data using idarubicin/cytarabine alone.
- To determine the ability of oral sirolimus to inhibit mTOR in leukemic blasts.
- To assess if mTOR pathway inhibition correlates with clinical response.
- To collect further information on the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of sirolimus in combination with idarubicin/cytarabine in patients with newly diagnosed AML.
- To describe the progression-free survival and overall survival (1 year, 2 year and 5 year) of patients treated with sirolimus idarubicin/cytarabine.
Patients receive sirolimus orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-10, idarubicin intravenously (IV) over 3-5 minutes on days 4-6, and cytarabine IV continuously over 24 hours on days 4-10.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 5 years.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|55 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Pilot, Pharmacodynamic Correlate Trial of Sirolimus in Combination With Chemotherapy (Idarubicin, Cytarabine) for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
|Actual Study Start Date :
|March 15, 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|December 12, 2019
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|December 12, 2019
Experimental: Treatment (sirolimus, idarubicin, cytarabine)
Patients receive sirolimus PO QD on days 1-10, idarubicin IV over 3-5 minutes on days 4-6, and cytarabine IV continuously over 24 hours on days 4-10.
Drug: Sirolimus
Given PO
Other Names:
Drug: Idarubicin
Given IV
Other Names:
Drug: Cytarabine
Given IV
Other Names:
- Change in measurement of mTOR activation paired with mTOR target inhibition [ Time Frame: Baseline to day 4 ]The association between mTOR response and clinical response (complete or partial response) will be evaluated using the two-sided Fisher's exact test with alpha 0.05.
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: 1 year, 2 years, 5 years ]Will be evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method stratified by mTOR response. Log rank test will be used to compare the overall survival in patients with and without mTOR response. Based on the estimated survival curves, the 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates will be computed with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals.
- Progression free survival [ Time Frame: 1 year, 2 years, 5 years ]Based on the estimated survival curves, the 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates will be computed with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals.
- Incidence of toxicities, graded according to National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) 4.0 guidelines [ Time Frame: Up to 45 days ]Safety data analysis is descriptive. All estimates of adverse events rates will be presented with corresponding confidence intervals using the exact method.
- Response defined as patients achieving a complete remission (CR), complete response in absence of total platelet recovery (CRp), or partial remission (PR) [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]Proportions of complete response and partial response with be computed separately in patients with and without mTOR response and presented with corresponding exact binomial 95% confidence intervals.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must have histologic evidence of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (non-M3 AML) as documented by the presence of >20% myeloid blasts in the bone marrow
- Subjects must be 18 years of age and <= 60
- Subjects must have an ECOG performance status of 2 or less. (see attachment 1).
- Subjects must have a life expectancy of at least 4 weeks.
- Subjects must be able to consume oral medication.
- Required initial laboratory values: Creatinine 2.0mg/dL; total or direct bilirubin 1.5mg/dL; SGPT(ALT) 3xULN (if not due to the leukemia itself); negative pregnancy test for women with child-bearing potential.
- Patients must be able to sign consent and be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan and laboratory testing.
- Subjects must have a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of >/= 45%.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Subjects with APL - FAB M3 (t(15;17)(q22;q21)[PML-RAR] are not eligible
- Subjects must not have received any chemotherapeutic agents for the AML (except Hydroxyurea). Intrathecal ARA-C and intrathecal methotrexate are permissible (as they are not systemic and only isolated to the central nervous system).
- Subjects must not be receiving growth factors, except for erythropoietin.
- Subjects with a "currently active" second malignancy, other than non-melanoma skin cancers are not eligible.
- Subjects with uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable angina, symptomatic congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months or serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia are not eligible.
Subjects taking the following are not eligible:
- Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol)
- Rifabutin (e.g., Mycobutin)
- Rifampin (e.g., Rifadin)
- Rifapentine (e.g., Priftin)
- St. John's wort
- Clarithromycin (e.g., Biaxin)
- Cyclosporine (e.g. Neoral or Sandimmune)
- Diltiazem (e.g., Cardizem)
- Erythromycin (e.g., Akne-Mycin, Ery-Tab)
- Itraconazole (e.g., Sporanox)
- Ketoconazole (e.g., Nizoral)
- Telithromycin (e.g., Ketek)
- Verapamil (e.g., Calan SR, Isoptin, Verelan)
- Voriconazole (e.g., VFEND)
- Tacrolimus (e.g. Prograf)
- Subjects taking fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and ketoconazole within 72 hours of study entry are not eligible. Reinstitution of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, ketoconazole and diltiazem is permissible 72 hours after the last dose of sirolimus.
- Subjects who require HIV protease inhibitors or those with AIDS-related illness
- Subjects with other severe concurrent disease which in the judgment of the investigator would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study are ineligible.
- Subjects must not be pregnant or breastfeeding. Pregnancy tests must be obtained for all females of child-bearing potential. Pregnant or lactating patients are ineligible for this study due to the unknown human fetal or teratogenic toxicities of sirolimus. Males or females of reproductive age may not participate unless they have agreed to use an effective contraceptive method.
- Subjects who have uncontrolled infection are not eligible. Patients must have any active infections under control. Fungal disease must be stable for at least 2 weeks before study entry.
- Subjects with bacteremia must have documented negative blood cultures prior to study entry.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01822015
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Thomas Jefferson University
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
|Principal Investigator:
|Margaret Kasner, MD
|Thomas Jefferson University
|Responsible Party:
|Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
2012-55 ( Other Identifier: CCRRC )
|First Posted:
|April 1, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|December 23, 2019
|Last Verified:
|December 2019
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
|Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.:
Leukemia, Myeloid
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute
Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute
Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute
Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Bone Marrow Diseases
Hematologic Diseases
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antineoplastic Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
Antifungal Agents
Topoisomerase II Inhibitors
Topoisomerase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors


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New Episodes for Week of July 30, 2007
Tyler Perry's HOUSE OF PAYNE
Janine Comes Back Into the Paynes' Lives in a Bad Way, and Calvin throws a house party with disastrous results.
"Cracking Under Pressure" � Wednesday, August 1, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) � TV-PG
Janine and her "friends" steal from the Payne household. And Calvin trains for a marathon.
Created and Directed by Tyler Perry
Written by Lamont Ferrell
"Club PCP" � Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) � TV-PG
Ella, Curtis, CJ and the kids head to Florida to visit relatives, leaving Calvin in charge of the house. Never one to turn down a money-making opportunity, Calvin enlists the help of his "homeboys" Pookie and Peanut to set up a house party. But Calvin is called away to a fire in the midst of the party, leaving Pookie and Peanut in charge.
Written by Kellie R. Griffin
Series Regulars
Curtis "Pops" Payne LaVan Davis
Ella Payne Cassi Davis
C.J. Payne Allen Payne
Malik Payne Larramie "Doc" Shaw
Jazmine Payne China Anne McClain
Calvin Payne Lance Gross
Recurring Cast
Claretha Jenkins Denise Burse
Bart Bart Hansard
Keenan Cedric Pendleton
Angel Joyce Girard
Guest Stars: "Club PCP"
Pookie � Quincy Bonds
Peanut � Clayton English
Joel � Kevin Tomlinson
Police Officer #1 � Robert Pralgo
Police Officer #2 � Carl Cofield


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A mother was regarded as ceremonially unclean after childbirth for seven days; and then for thirty-three days was prohibited from entering a sanctuary or touching anything hallowed. In the case of a female infant, the length of time required for purification doubled (Lev. 12: 5).
The idea of a 'new birth' is used in the NT for the beginning of a life in Christ (1 Pet. 1: 3), and as a theological term called 'regeneration' (Titus 3: 5, AV) was associated in the Church with baptism.


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EXCLUSIVE! Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon Has It In For Bethenny Frankel!
"I have never met someone like her before in my life," Kelly tells us!
The women are already at each others' throats this season on Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City and only one episode has aired so far. And based on that episode, one thing is clear: Kelly Bensimon has it in for Bethenny Frankel! "To be honest with you, I have never ever met someone like her [Bethenny] before in my life," Kelly told HollywoodLife.com exclusively at Countess LuAnn's premiere party March 4 at Le Pomme in New York City. "She's someone I really don't even care to talk about."
Though she told us she didn't want to discuss Bethenny, Kelly did sneak in a few more passionate comments about her fellow housewife. "Bethenny explodes!" Kelly told us. "She's just neurotic. She's a neurotic girl. There's something very wrong with her. Those aren't my issues. Those are hers."
And unlike the partygoers, who spent the night sipping Svedka vodka, we doubt Kelly and Bethenny will be grabbing drinks together anytime soon. "I have such amazing friends," she told us. "I'm so proud of them, so proud to be around them." It was pretty apparent that Bethenny won't be joining Kelly's tight circle of friends anytime soon.
Kelly did, however, admit that Jill Zarin is definitely part of her crowd. "My closest friend this season is Jill Zarin," she admitted.
Bethenny, you'd better stay out of Kelly's way. If you don't, we expect a cat fight might take place — and we're sure Jill would have Kelly's back!
— Lindsey DiMattina


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Food & Drink
Topless photos latest travel rage
By Frances Cha, CNN • Updated 8th June 2014
While some parts of the world are
instituting bikini bans
and campaigning for travelers to
cover up
, elsewhere, travelers are encouraging others to take it off on social media for everyone to see.
What began as a spontaneous idea and Instagram post has sparked a stream of travelers to send in fun, topless photos -- taken from the back -- to be featured on the social media channels of the Topless Tour, which began as an Instagram project.
Judging from the enthusiastic response and growing number of participants, there's something about posing topless that heightens the feeling of liberation and adventure while traveling.
Japan's 'anti-loneliness cafe' goes viral
How it started
The Topless Tour
was started two years ago by friends Olivia Edginton, 20, Lydia Buckler, 21, and Ingvild Marstein Olsen, 20, students at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London.
After taking an impromptu topless dip in a cold lake in Olsen's hometown in Norway, the three friends wanted to capture the moment of freedom.
"It simply just happened, no planning involved," Edginton wrote in an e-mail.
They continued to travel and post similar photos throughout Europe and New York, all featuring themselves in topless poses against dramatic backgrounds.
Then they called for others to send in their topless photos from around the world.
From Idaho to Cape Town to Thailand, the mildly salacious images poured in.
Among the more amazing submissions: a woman
bungee jumping topless in the Swiss Alps
More to come
The Topless Tour currently has nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram.
That number is increasing quickly as the trio and a growing community continue to document their travels with bare backs.
Although the topless photos come predominantly from women, many men have submitted as well.
"We never imagined it would have such global reach and appreciation," Edginton said. "It was always just something we would hope would catch on, never really thinking it would happen."
For the trio leading the Tour, the best part of the experience has been hearing people's stories from all over the globe, and how the project has helped people "feel themselves again, be proud of who they are and love their beautiful bodies," said Edginton.
"One of our followers recently said these lovely words: 'All that pressure and judging went away. And so did my shirt. I felt free, happy, and me.' "
How to take good Instagram photos when you travel
A year of the world's
Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches


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ONX3 (Navy Blue) Universal Unisex One Size Winter Touchscreen Gloves For ZTE Nubia Z17 LG Fortune WIA7N0G9A
Product Code: WIA7N0G9A
Availability: In Stock
Keep your hands warm and toasty in the winter while using any touchscreen device
Perfect glove to keep your fingers warm while you tap, touch, scroll or text on your touchscreen devices. Provide accuracy and greater responsiveness on navigation from app to app. Forget frostbitten fingertips and numb thumbs. Scroll, pinch and swipe painlessly all winter long.
This touch glove just like a magic glove that can keep your hands warm while you keep in touch with your device. Type up a text message, plan a route, select an app, read an ebook, and more without taking off your gloves.
The difference made to your day will truly surprise you, and you�ll soon wonder how you managed without them
Ideal for commuters, use to purchase tickets from the touch screen display, withdraw from a cashpoint or type a text message on your journey.
ONX3 (Navy Blue) Universal Unisex One Size Winter Touchscreen Gloves For ZTE Nubia Z17 LG Fortune WIA7N0G9A


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This is the latest in our series, First Time at a Bed and Breakfast?
People considering a B&B for the first time usually have lots of questions about what to expect. They also have lots of questions about what is expected of them! A Bed and Breakfast is not a hotel, but does that mean that you should act differently than you do at a hotel? There are a few differences that you should take note of.
Acting with courtesy and respect should, of course, be your guide wherever you're staying. That goes for your innkeeper as well. They should treat all of their guests as they would like to be treated when traveling, respecting their privacy and doing their best to fulfill guest requests. At the very least an innkeeper should ensure a safe, clean and comfortable place to stay. They should also ensure that their policies and expectations are clear and stated on their website and/or in their rooms. Inn policies usually involve things like check-in and check-out times, smoking (almost always prohibited), cancellations, or whether children or pets are allowed. When you make a reservation at a B&B you make a commitment to abide by those policies!
Most of the differences between behavior in a hotel and a Bed and Breakfast have to do with size and the fact that you are probably staying in someone's home.
When making a reservation by phone, remember that not all inns are large enough to have front desk staff. The person taking your reservation most likely is the same one waking up before dawn to prepare your breakfast! It is considerate to not to call late in the evening or during the time that your host is serving breakfast to his or her current guests.
This is also why check-in and check-out times may vary from a regular hotel. It is especially important at a B&B to try to let your innkeeper know what time you are arriving. They plan their day according to their guests' arrival and departure times. Late arrivals can be difficult for an innkeeper since they start their work-day so early in the morning. Of course, sometimes late arrivals can't be helped, so be sure to call the innkeeper if you are unavoidably delayed or your circumstances change. They will appreciate it tremendously! Be sure to check out by the designated time as well. This not only allows the housekeeper time to prepare your room for the next guest, it allows your innkeeper the time to do whatever errands need to be done outside the inn before check-ins arrive! Many inns will allow you to leave your car there while you continue to enjoy the area on your last day. They may even allow you to leave your bags in a storage area for pickup at a designated time later in the day.
Read the inn's cancellation policies carefully. When you make your reservation you are agreeing to them. Unlike a large hotel, B&Bs cannot easily absorb the cost of last minute cancellations or no shows. They may have turned down many reservation requests in order to ensure that a particular room is there for you. They can't shuffle people from room to room as they show up, like a hotel where all the rooms are identical. Beyond the financial burden of a "no show", the innkeeper may have skipped important events or waited up late at night for a guest that doesn't show up or have the courtesy to call. Innkeepers have their own lives including errands and responsibilities, including those to their families and other guests.
Look for our next installment on the dos and don'ts of staying at a B&B: Do I need to leave a tip?


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In what appears to be a first for the iPhone, Ad Hoc Labs has released Burner,  an app that lets its users create disposable phone numbers, which in turn can be used to place calls or send text messages. Ad Hoc feels that these temporary digits can be used for " dating, Craigslist, short-term projects, side businesses, bands, and other times when you need to be in touch but want to maintain a little privacy". How it works is you can create a new number (called a "Burner") anytime within the app, where all active numbers can be managed. Each number includes voice minutes and a limit of messages that can be sent, along with a set of preferences (choose whether calls get redirected to your main mobile number or go straight to your voice mail). When outgoing calls are made, the recipient will only be able to see your Burner number on their caller ID – otherwise, what's the point right?
Announced earlier today during Google I/O, the Chrome browser has arrived for the iPhone and iPad.
Browse fast with Chrome, now available on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Sign in to sync your personalized Chrome experience from your computer, and bring it with you anywhere you go.
Search fast
• Search and navigate fast, directly from the same box. Choose from results that appear as you type.
Simple, intuitive experience
• Open and quickly switch between an unlimited number of tabs. On your iPhone and iPod touch, flip through tabs the way you would fan a deck of cards. On iPad, swipe from edge to edge to switch tabs.
As noted before, Chrome for iOS supports multi-device sync, so once you sign in, you'll have access to all your tabs, bookmarks, passwords and omnibox data from your PC/Mac. Incognito mode has even made its way over so users can browse the web without leaving any virtual trails. This is one (free) app current Chrome users need to have their iDevices. Video trailer after the break.
 Google, Inc., Chrome – Free
About a month ago, we'd posted a video of a prototype iPad keyboard that would allow the movement of the onscreen cursor left or right by simply dragging a finger in either direction. Such functionality would indeed make it much easier for the user when editing text on the iPad. Well for all you non-jailbreakers out there who want to try out gesture based editing on your iPads, developer iApp have recently released tyype HD, a simple enough app that let's you do just that. Sliding your finger above the virtual keyboard, you can move the cursor left or right. To quickly select text, use two fingers, while three fingers move the cursor twice as fast. In addition, pinch gestures will scale the font size. tyype HD is available now on the App Store for the intro price of $0.99, and after several planned updates (multiple file support and Dropbox/iCloud sync), it'll sell for $2.99. Check out the video demo of the app in action after the gap.
 iApp, tyype HD – $0.99
Sparrow, the best 3rd party mail app on the iPhone, has been updated with 4 new features. First up is Message Navigation, where you can now swipe up and down between messages (previously only conversions were supported). When moving between messages, you'll clearly see the email's subject heading, whereas in conversions, the person's name will be displayed. Also new in the 1.2 update: compose emails in landscape mode, edit and create folder/labels from within the app and support for 9 total languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Russian and Chinese. As for the issue with Push Notifications, it appears that Apple will not grant the Sparrow team an exception to use the VoIP API for notifications. From the Sparrow blog:
Note: To setup VPN primarily on a PC or Mac (and even on a smartphone), you can check out Hidemyass, one of the largest VPN providers around.Â
Setting up and configuring a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on the iPhone and iPad can be a daunting task for many. You can first search online and choose from one of the many providers, pick a plan that suits you, and then manually enter the account details into the Network area under Settings. You can of course use the the recently released Onion Browser for more secure browsing, but relying on the Tor network can be frustratingly slow at times. For those not familiar with VPNs, they're great for accessing websites or social networks that have been blocked by your company's (or even country's) firewall and allow you to surf the web without revealing your true IP address. But perhaps even more important for iOS users, using a VPN while logged onto a public WiFi network — something we've all done, be it in a hotel, coffee shop or airport — will ensure that your data (namely usernames and login passwords) is encrypted and protected from would-be snoopers. Let's take a look at two iOS apps that will easily let you setup a VPN and won't cost you an arm and a leg.
As I was browsing the Top Paid apps section on my iPad last night, I was surprised to come across an app called Onion Browser. Not because it's yet another 3rd party web browser app, but the fact that it's one of the only iOS web browsers that tunnels web traffic over the TOR network ("The Onion Network" for short). What it essentially does is let you surf the web in complete anonymity by routing your connection through multiple servers before reaching its destination. Here's how wikipedia describes it:
Onavo Extend, an existing iOS app that helps you save up to 80% on your data consumption, has just added support for 4G LTE iPads, and the iPhone 4S on CDMA networks. Using cloud-based technology and some and compression magic, Onavo helps make sure that you don't go over your monthly data plan. Basically, here's how it works:
Onavo Extend installs a configuration profile (which includes your operator's APN settings) on your device so that data you receive from the Internet is compressed in our cloud-based compression service, located in datacenters operated by Amazon Web Services. The compressed data is then sent to your mobile device so that you get a leaner, faster and more efficient version of the web.
A little over a month ago, we saw a video comparing iOS on the iPad and the upcoming Windows 8 running on a tablet. Well, now you too can experience first hand Windows 8 Metro with touch gestures on your iPad, thanks to the release of Splashtop's Win8 Metro Testbed app. Following in the footsteps of their highly popular remote access app Splashtop Remote Desktop, Win8 Metro Testbed gives you full Metro UI gestures, including swipe from right for the Charms menu, pull down from the top to close apps, swipe slowly from the left to run two apps side-by-side and more. The one big caveat here is that you must be running Windows 8 Consumer Preview on your PC (or Bootcamp on a Mac), with the free Splashtop Streamer client installed. This is certainly a great tool for developers planning on building mobile apps on the Windows 8 platform, without the need to spend hundreds of dollars more on new hardware. The app is currently on sale for $24.99 (50% off) and now available on the App Store. Check out the demo video and more info after the break.
 Splashtop, Win8 Metro Testbed – $24.99
Sparrow, hands down the best mail client for the iPhone, has just been updated to version 1.1. New are its Send & Archive feature, a built in browser, dock badge for accounts and ability to show/hide folders and labels. But what's even more encouraging is that the Sparrow team have announced that "Push is coming. With or without Apple.":
Thanks to your amazing support, we feel confident that Apple might revise its position on the Push API. We'll submit a first version of Sparrow 1.2 including it. This might delay Sparrow 1.2 validation but we're already working with some partners to include Push in future versions of Sparrow without needing Apple clearance.
Sparrow, my favorite mail client on Mac OS, has finally been released for the iPhone.
Sparrow is an iPhone mail client designed with love to provide you with an efficient and pleasant mailing experience. With its pane navigation, its new threading system and many new features, you'll never look back.
Similar to the pane interface found on the Facebook app, you can use swipe gestures to reveal mailboxes, labels and folders. Swipe on a message and you can star, add a label, archive or delete a conversation. I've used Sparrow on my iPhone briefly and so far, am completely loving it (goodbye Mail app!). The one big downer is the lack of push notifications, which can be a deal breaker for some. Personally, I can live without it for the time being, seeing how this is the best 3rd party mail app I've used thus far.
And if you missed it earlier, Sparrow for Mac is still currently on sale at $6 (via StackSocial), though only until for another 12 hours or so. Check out the promo video and app description after the break.
 Sparrow, Sparrow, – $2.99