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To see boobies in 3D or not to see boobies in 3D. That is the question. It's a tough one, and unfortunately we're all going to have to answer it because Dimension films has just dropped that "Piranha 3DD" will be released both theatricality and on VOD at the same time. So will the dirtbag in me who wants to see bouncy things in 3D win over the part of me that hates seeing sunlight. I for one can't wait to see how this turns out.
There's so many genre shows in the works I almost forgot that there's already one I watch and kind of like. It's "American Horror Story". It's fun to learn things about each other isn't it? But the news here is that Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe will all be returning for Season 2 as different characters. The story this season will take place on the East Coast and focus on Jessica Lange's character. I also really enjoy ice cream and Neil Diamond. I love you.
New movie alert! Oh god I love new movie alerts. The project is called "The Occult" and already has Rufus Sewell, Anne Heche, and Alycia Debnam-Carey in the cast. What's more it'll be directed by Christian E. Christiansen who directed "The Roomate" and that movie was terrible! Are you pumped? I was too excited to read the plot, but I did skim it and there's something about the devil's daughter coming to earth and a small town with some girls and some killings. Oh man, it's the best Monday ever.
Good for Julia Stiles. She's landed the lead role in the upcoming NBC series "Midnight Sun" about a FBI agent trying to track down a cult that mysteriously disappeared. I believe we're one step closer to finally seeing a "Save the Last Dance 2".
So "Mr. Disgusting" over at Bloody Disgusting posted an "exclusive" synopsis of the upcoming remake of The Gate: "It revolves around Miles and Terry who live in a typical suburban tract. One day, they discover a mysterious crystalline rock in Miles' backyard, they quickly dig up the lawn in search of more. But instead, they unearth The Gate - the opening to an underground chamber containing terrifying evil. The boys soon realize what they have unleashed, as one dire event follows another. With supernatural fiends invading suburbia, it's up to the kids to find the secret that will lock forever THE GATE...If it is not too late." Exclusive? Really?? Sorry, "Mr. Disgusting", BUT THAT IS THE EXACT SAME PLOT OF THE ORIGINAL GATE!!! Is that really an "exclusive"??? This just in, we here at BGH have an exclusive synopsis about David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly: "A brilliant scientist, creating a teleportation machine, accidentally transports himself and a common housefly in the machine, with horrific chaos ensuing." EXCLUSIVE!!! Just call me "Señor Grotesque"!!!
With Twilight becoming a total pop culture phenomenon, filmmakers are clamoring for anything Stephanie Meyer, so her first, ahem, "adult" novel "The Host" has been optioned. Pandering to the lonely, repressed female sci-fi crowd, "The Host" is a post-apocalyptic novel about, oh, I don't know, mutants that sparkle or something. I don't know. You know what I do know though? I think Stephanie Meyer is really hot. I would love to go on a date with her, pretend to listen to everything she says and then go back to her place and just bang her all night, and by all night, I mean for about an hour, upon which, I'll raid her fridge, which I'm sure is packed, watch some cable and pass out on her couch, only to wake up with her four or five cats sleeping on me. Somehow, she'll see this as a the opening of a meaningful relationship and we'll be together forever, just like Bella and Ricardo. (Ricardo's the dude's name, right?)
According to Variety, Dimension Films has unveiled their upcoming slate, which includes "Scream 4", "Spy Kids 4", "Halloween 3", "Children of the Corn", "Hellraiser", "Short Circuit", "Scanners" and "An American Werewolf in London", half of which will be in 3D. Thanks for running the third dimension into the ground, horror filmmakers! Funny enough, this slate is almost exactly similar to Dimension's slate in the late 90s, the same one that ran them into the ground and caused most of their releases to go direct-to-video. "Phantoms 2", please!
"Hellified" is a supernatural action movie about a journey to hell, currently in development from Paramount.
Official site launch for "Trick 'R Treat", which finally hits DVD this October. For a great interview with Mike Dougherty on the whole ordeal, be sure to check out the latest issue of Horror Hound Magazine.
Poster and DVD Art for Dave Parker's "The Hills Run Red". The slasher flick is about a group of film fans who are obsessed with finding a print of a long lost stalk & slash, who follow a lead out into the woods and realize that the film... wait for it... never ended! They're now stuck right in the middle of the carnage, as you would expect.
John Landis has sold the remake rights to "An American Werewolf in London" to Dimension Films. Dimension, you may remember, has struggled for over 2 years now to get its "Hellraiser" remake going, with several directors leaving the project due to creative differences. We'll have to wait and see, but that doesn't bode well for this "Werewolf" redo.


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KRS-One Wants To See A Jay-Z Vs 50 Cent Battle! "That Will Be The Greatest Battle In Hip-Hop's History"
KRS-One discussing 50 vs Jay-Z
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10438 N. Fort McDowell Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85264
Fort McDowell, AZ 85264, USA
11224 N Fort McDowell Rd
Fort McDowell, AZ 85264, USA
10424 N Fort McDowell Rd
Fort McDowell, AZ 85264
United States
18200 E Toh Vee Cir
Fort McDowell,
AZ 85264 United States
Discover the beauty, tranquility and culture of Arizona's captivating Sonoran Desert at the AAA Four Diamond We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center!
Located only 20 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, our lushly landscaped oasis offers spectacular views of Arizona's majestic Four Peaks and iconic Red Mountains alongside the free-flowing Verde River. During your stay, you're sure to enjoy our:
The perfect resort for both work and play, our property is managed by and maintains close cultural ties to the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. In this native language, the name "We-Ko-Pa" means "Four Peaks" and allows us to honor these regal lands while paying tribute to the diverse and vibrant heritage of the Yavapai Tribe.
"We-Ko-Pa resonates deeply within our community, as these peaks have been spiritually a part of us since time immemorial. In fact, they are a prime feature in our Tribal seal. By developing business enterprises that are grounded in Yavapai tradition and culture, we foster the good health, well-being and happiness of our Nation's People that, in turn, improves our business practices and success."
- Ruben Balderas, Former President of the Fort McDowell Tribal Council
Isn't it time you escaped the ordinary? Our one-of-a-kind resort awaits your visit!
For more information, or to reserve your stay, call the We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center at (480) 789-5300 today!


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Please note that the International network is a little different to the main networks as it includes "developing" countries. Some of the hosts in such poor countries cannot necessarily afford to keep you even with your help and therefore sometimes request a small donation towards food.
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Planning on coming to Belfast for the World Fire and Police Games? We've got the lowdown on the practical information
Flying into Belfast International Airport and Belfast City Airport will take you into the heart of the city's action. The City of Derry Airport is just over an hour away and Dublin Airport is a mere two hours away by car, train or bus.
If you want to bring you car you will have to travel by ferry. The island of Ireland has several ferry ports whose ferries sail directly to and from Great Britain and France. Make sure you are familiar with the rules of the road before you arrive.
Absolutely. This is best pre-booked before your arrival, but can still be done once you are here. Most airports and ferry ports have car hire firms based onsite making the collection and return of the cars straightforward. Always check their terms and conditions (some have age restrictions) as well as what documentation you might need.
Belfast is a compact city that is really easy to get around on foot. If you need to take public transport, Translink operates the Metro bus service and the railway service in the city. The Belfast Black Taxi Tours are another unique way to tour the city and see all the sights, while Belfast City Sightseeing offers open top bus tours with hop on/hop off stops.
Where to go first should be the question. Lots of tour companies can organise day trips to some incredible sights outside the city, including as the Giant's Causeway, the Antrim coastline or the fabulous Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. And that's just within the one county! Then there's Derry-Londonderry, the UK City of Culture for 2013; The Mourne Mountains, which inspired CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia (the kids'll love that); and the Fermanagh Lakelands for those with a love of angling!
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Northern Ireland Railways operate in Belfast and Northern Ireland. For their fares, timetables and accessibility information, check out Translink. Ulsterbus services the towns in Northern Ireland, excluding Belfast. Goldline runs express coach services across Northern Ireland. Translink also provide bus transfers to and from the Northern Ireland airports
Dublin is approximately 165km (102 miles) from Belfast and is just under a two-hour drive. The M1 and A1 motorways have made this journey fairly effortless in recent years. By train it takes around two hours depending on the service scheduled. Travelling by coach will take two and a half hours.
Ireland is a very small island with a good rail and bus network, so if you decide to arrive or leave from Dublin or Cork International Airports and travel around the island's various towns and cities, you can easily reach Belfast either way.
In Northern Ireland the currency is pound sterling; in the Republic it's the euro.
No, it's really very simple. So simple, in fact, that sometimes it can be hard to tell when you've actually gone "across the border" – there are a few tell-tale signs though, such as a change in road signage. Remember that while speed limits and distances in Northern Ireland are set in miles per hour; in the Republic it changes to kilometers per hour.
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Lyme Disease:
Questionable Diagnosis and Treatment
Edward McSweegan, Ph.D.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. For 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 26,203 cases as confirmed and 10,226 cases as probable [1]. The infection is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spiral-shaped bacterium (spirochete) named after Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the public health researcher who discovered it in 1982. The infection is often contracted during warm-weather months when ticks are active. The spirochete enters the skin at the site of the tick bite. After incubating for 3-30 days, the bacteria migrate through the skin and may spread to lymph nodes or disseminate through the bloodstream to organs or distant skin sites.
|Ixodes scapularis is the most common tick vector in the northeastern and midwestern U.S. The picture shows (from left to right) the nymph, adult male, and adult female. The spot on the thumb shows the relative size of the nymph.
(Borrelia burgdorferi)
Lyme disease frequently presents with a skin rash called erythema migrans (EM) and common flu-like symptoms of fever, malaise, fatigue, and muscle and joint pains. The characteristic EM rash is a flat or raised red area that expands, often with clearing at the center, to a diameter of up to 20 inches. However, it does not always occur, which can make the diagnosis more difficult, especially when the patient is not aware of having been bitten by a tick. Other early signs may include small skin lesions, facial nerve paralysis, lymphocytic meningitis, and heart-rhythm disturbances. Early infections usually are cured by two to four weeks of orally administered antibiotics (amoxicillin or doxycycline). However, if untreated or inadequately treated, neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities may follow. Worldwide, Lyme disease has been directly responsible for fewer than two dozen deaths [2].
The disease is named after the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, where researchers recognized its nature in 1975. In Europe, associations between tick bites and several skin diseases had been known for decades, but it was not understood that various conditions were part of a single illness. Since its nature was clarified, Lyme disease has emerged as a significant source of public controversy [3]. Some people claim to be persistently infected with B. burgdorferi and suffering from debilitating symptoms as a result.
Many infectious agents can cause chronic infections or can be difficult to eradicate with standard antibiotic treatments. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to diagnose such infections and, in the case of Lyme disease, it is difficult to know what percent of cases persist in the form of chronic infections. Other possibilities for persistent symptoms include: autoimmune-like reactions in which the body attacks its own organs and tissues; physically damaged or scarred organs and tissues from an earlier infection; another tick-borne infection such as babesiosis or ehrlichiosis; and re-infection by B. burgdorferi [4].
In 2015, 95% of confirmed cases of Lyme disease were reported from just 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The map to the right illustrates the distribution of confirmed cases in 2016.
Of course, symptoms occurring long after the onset of Lyme disease also can be coincidental. A long-term study of 212 Connecticut residents suspected of having Lyme disease found incidences of pain, fatigue, and difficulty with daily activities to be similar to 212 age-matched controls without Lyme disease [5]. As noted in an accompanying editorial:
After a median follow-up of 51 months, patients with a diagnosis of Lyme disease that met the national surveillance case definition developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had the same profile of symptoms and the same quality-of-life indicators as age-matched controls without Lyme disease. Thus, recognition and treatment of clear-cut Lyme disease resulted in a return to baseline with no measurable sequelae. On the other hand, patients who were reported to have Lyme disease but who did not meet the CDC's case definition of Lyme disease had increased symptoms and worsening quality-of-life indicators. The implication is that many of these individuals really did not have Lyme disease and therefore did not respond to the treatment [6].
Limitations of Laboratory Tests
The diagnosis of Lyme disease should be based primarily on an evaluation of a patient's symptoms and the probability of exposure to the Lyme spirochete. Laboratory evaluation is appropriate for patients who have arthritic, neurologic, or cardiac symptoms associated with Lyme disease, but it is not warranted in patients who have nonspecific symptoms, such as those of chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia [7].
Matthew J. Rusk, MD, and Stephen J. Gluckman, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania summarized the diagnostic situation, noting that "A true-positive test result consists of a positive enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay [ELISA] or immunofluorescent assay [ILA] followed by a positive Western blot. However, positive results do not prove that [the] patient has Lyme disease and have little predictive value in the absence of characteristic symptoms" [8].
The FDA agreed and outlined a two-step algorithm for laboratory testing [9]. In a 1997 FDA Public Health Advisory, it advised physicians that:
"The results of commonly marketed assays for detecting antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi (anti Bb) . . . may be easily misinterpreted . . . . Although package inserts for some commercial assays describe their intended use 'to aid in the diagnosis of Lyme disease,' this statement does not fully reflect current knowledge . . . and many such assays yield potentially misleading results. . . . Assays for anti-Bb frequently yield false-positive results because of cross-reactive antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases or from infection with other spirochetes, rickettsia, ehrlichia, or other bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori."
Several years ago, a diagnostic laboratory marketed a one-step Lyme Antigen Urine Test [LUAT], data for which were presented at Lyme advocacy meetings and published in the journal of a Lyme advocacy group. The LUAT, however, was found to return a high rate of false-positive test results and has been discredited [10].
In February 1999, the FDA approved the PreVue B. burgdorferi Antibody Detection Assay, an "in-office" test that provided results within an hour. The test results are similar in accuracy to those of the ELISA test, but must be confirmed with a Western blot test done by a laboratory.
In May 2001, the FDA approved another ELISA test called C6. It was the first diagnostic tool to use a synthetic hybrid molecule derived from the surface of the Lyme spirochete. A positive C6 test appears to correlate well with acute cases of Lyme disease [11]. In addition, it detects all B. burgdorferi genotypes, but does not appear to cross-react with a related tick-borne pathogen, B. lonestari, which is associated with a Lyme-like infection called (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) [12].
In 2005, concerns about inappropriate laboratory testing prompted the CDC and FDA to issue a warning about "commercial laboratories that conduct testing for Lyme disease by using assays whose accuracy and clinical usefulness have not been adequately established. These tests include urine antigen tests, immunofluorescent staining for cell wall-deficient forms of Borrelia burgdorferi, and lymphocyte transformation tests. In addition, some laboratories perform polymerase chain reaction tests for B. burgdorferi DNA on inappropriate specimens such as blood and urine or interpret Western blots using criteria that have not been validated and published in peer-reviewed scientific literature" [13]. The CDC noted, "patients are encouraged to ask their physicians whether their testing…was performed using validated methods and whether results were interpreted using appropriate guidelines."
Some private practice physicians incorrectly diagnose Lyme disease in patients and subsequently treat them with inappropriate and ineffective regimens. Some of these treatments are described below.
Malariotherapy and ICHT
Malaria is a parasitic disease that typically involves bouts of fever that may reach 40°-41°C (104°-106°F). Before the antibiotic era, patients in the late stages of syphilis were sometimes given malaria in the hope that a high fever would kill the spirochetes responsible for syphilis. The practice was never subjected to controlled studies and was abandoned decades ago when antibiotics became widely available. Over the years, some Lyme patients have allowed themselves to be injected with blood containing a malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax [14]. Persons seeking such treatments usually had to travel to Mexico. However, in one case, a Texas resident acquired P. vivax-contaminated blood from an unknown source, injected himself, then treated himself with the antimalarial drug chloroquine [15]. There is no evidence that malaria cures Lyme disease (or any other disease for that matter). Moreover, patients who receive malaria-containing blood face significant risks of serious illness or death caused by malaria itself, transfusion reactions, or an infection by other pathogens that might be in the blood. Malariotherapy is far more dangerous than a common case of Lyme disease.
Another form of fever therapy administered to patients who are alleged to have chronic Lyme disease is intracellular hyperthermia therapy (ICHT). A chemical such as 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) is administered to the patient. According to one Web site devoted to Lyme disease and ICHT:
The net result of ICHT uncoupler therapy causes the mitochondria to be converted from efficient "powerhouses" of energy production to "chemical furnaces", heating cells from the "inside-out." The Lyme spirochetes are subjected to such an amount of heat over a prescribed time that they cannot survive. In essence, ICHT maybe considered a form of therapeutic "pasteurization."
Unfortunately, DNP is a metabolic poison that can result in severe weight loss and even death.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
High-pressure (hyperbaric) oxygen is legitimately used to treat deep sea divers suffering from decompression sickness ("the bends") and smoke inhalation, and to help treat several other conditions. There are 300 hyperbaric facilities in the United States. Some of these facilities have been used to treat AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Lyme disease. The Lyme patients subjecting themselves to long hours in these small chambers apparently hope that high-pressure oxygen will enhance oxygen-dependent immune mechanisms and kill spirochetes lurking beyond the reach of antibiotics.
Is HBOT effective against Lyme disease? At far as I know, it has not been subjected to clinical testing for that purpose. One Lyme patient writing on the Internet said, "After 30 hours of therapy [at $4,000] in 90-minute doses I had no positive results for chronic Lyme treatment." Another online patient wrote, "The director of the clinic is refusing to refund . . . me. This money was for some of the dives I was scheduled to take, but was unable to because I was sick." At best, HBOT is an experimental treatment for some infectious diseases. It is one of several treatments not recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) [16].
Colloidal Silver
Many colloidal silver and silver salt preparations have been touted as cures for AIDS, chronic fatigue, herpes, TB, syphilis, lupus, malaria, plague, acne, impetigo, and many other diseases. Lyme disease is just the latest target. A 1996 Federal Register notice stated the "FDA is not aware of any substantial scientific evidence that supports the use of . . . colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts for these disease conditions." The same notice stated that "human consumption of silver may result in argyria—a permanent ashen-gray or blue discoloration of the skin, conjunctiva, and internal organs" [17]. Despite these warnings, some websites devoted to Lyme disease or colloidal silver products display misleading reports about laboratory experiments in which colloidal silver killed spirochetes. One such report is a letter from Dr. Burgdorfer, the discoverer of the Lyme spirochete. The letter merely reports on a pilot study using colloidal silver to kill spirochetes in a test tube and states that additional laboratory and human studies are underway. Many silver and Lyme advocates have used the letter to suggest that colloidal silver has been proven effective against Lyme disease. However, no study has shown that colloidal silver is safe or effective for treating people with Lyme disease (or anything else).
Rife Machines
A quack electromagnetic frequency device from the 1930s also has been resurrected for use in treating Lyme disease. These rife machines are marketed through the Internet. As one website claims, "rife machine therapy is an affordable, life-saving treatment option. Lyme Literate Medical Doctors (LLMDs) often refer their patients to rife machines if antibiotics fail." These devices are based on the false notion that disease-causing agents and diseased tissues emit radio-like frequencies that can be detected and cured by matching their frequencies.
Dangerous Injections
Other quack treatments for Lyme disease include injections of hydrogen peroxide, and bismacine. In 2006, the FDA issued a warning about the use of "bismacine" for treating Lyme disease. The situation came to the FDA's attention after a patient died as a result of bismacine treatment. The errant doctor, John R. Toth, M.D., of Topeka, Kansas, surrendered his medical license in 2005 and is serving a 40-month prison sentence for manslaughter related to the death [18]. FDA inspectors eventually uncovered a network of shady practitioners who were making bogus diagnoses of Lyme disease and using illegal "dietary supplements" to treat their victims. The situation came to light in December 2008 when Toth; Robert W Bradford; C.R.B., Inc. (d/b/a American Biologics); and C.R.B.'s chief operating officer Brigitte G. Bird were charged with a total of 25 counts of conspiring to violate federal food and drug laws and defraud individuals seeking medical care. The indictment states that Bradford, C.R.B., and Bird marketed bogus Lyme disease products and a microscope falsely claimed to diagnose the disease and that Toth had used the system in his office. In 2009, Carole Bradford was added as a co-defendant. In a separate case, Carl E. Haese, owner/operator of The Haese Clinic of Integrative Medicine in Las Cruces, New Mexico, has been charged with fraud in connection with using Bradford's system [19].
Overuse of Intravenous Antibiotics
Many Lyme disease activists insist Lyme disease is a difficult-to-treat, chronic infection that requires long-term consumption of powerful antibiotics. (See common beliefs about Lyme disease at the American College of Physicians.) Although decades of medical practice and recent clinical trials suggest otherwise [20], many Lyme patients still undergo expensive, long-term intravenous antibiotic treatments.
Outpatient intravenous therapy is a multi-billion-a-year business. It remains largely unregulated and can cost patients thousands of dollars per week. Price gouging, drug markups, kickbacks, and self-referral of patients by physicians with financial ties to infusion companies have occurred. In 1995, for example, Caremark, Inc., pled guilty to mail fraud charges for entering into illegal contracts with physicians by paying them to refer Medicaid patients to use Caremark's infusion products [21]. In Michigan, prosecutors charged a physician and Caremark employees with scheming to over bill Blue Cross/Blue Shield for drugs and equipment for patients with Lyme disease [22].
More recently, Forbes magazine reported on the dangerous and expensive practices of so-called "Lyme Literate Doctors" (LLMD) who rely on powerful, long-term antibiotics to treat patients for presumptive Lyme disease [23].
The long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy administered to Lyme patients sometimes has disastrous results. During the early 1990s, the CDC described 25 cases of antibiotic-associated biliary complications among persons with suspected disseminated Lyme disease [24]. All patients had received intravenous ceftriaxone for an average of 28 days for suspected Lyme disease. (Ceftriaxone can form precipitates in the presence of bile salts. The resulting "sludge" can block the bile duct.) Twelve patients subsequently developed gallstones. Fourteen underwent gall-bladder-removal surgery to correct bile blockage. Twenty-two developed catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Yet most of the patients lacked documented evidence of disseminated Lyme disease or even antibodies to B. burgdorferi. In 2000, physicians reported the death of a 30-year-old woman who died from an infected intravenous set-up that had been left in place for more than two years. She was being treated for a case of "chronic Lyme disease" that could not be substantiated [25].
The risks and costs associated with such treatments were analyzed in a 1993 report whose authors concluded that for most patients with a positive Lyme antibody titer and only symptoms of fatigue or nonspecific muscle pains, the risks and costs of intravenous antibiotic therapy exceed the benefits [26]. Yet fourteen years later, these conclusions continue to be ignored by patients and physicians alike.
In an Internet newsgroup posting, a woman described being on intravenous antibiotic, Rocephin, for 4 weeks, developing gallstones, and switching to another antibiotic regimen for three more weeks. She also described a sudden high fever, anemia, low white cell count, systemic pain, heart rhythm disturbance, and neurologic symptoms. Such descriptions are common among devout Lyme patients and provide an unsettling view into the desperate and dangerous measures some people will take to treat suspected Lyme disease. The woman ended her account by writing that she had switched her medication to ciprofloxacin. This is a powerful antibiotic with side effects that may include acute psychosis and other neuropsychiatric reactions [27]. Other online "antibiotic addicts" have confessed to using veterinary and aquarium antibiotics when they could not get physician prescriptions [28].
Another patient writing on the Internet said he was treated at a Mexican clinic where the doctor admitted that he and his staff knew little about Lyme disease. The patient wrote, "I started on IV Rocephin (two grams a day), and later added oral azithromycin. My symptoms did improved, but I soon hit a treatment plateau. We then tried IV doxycycline, but this made me sick to my stomach." He went on to describe a long list of other drugs (IV Claforan, Cefobid/Unisyn, Premaxin, a second round of Cefobid/Unisyn, and IV Zithromax), followed by bouts of "severe diarrhea" and phlebitis. Three months and some $25,000 later, DMSO was added to another infusion of Zithromax.
Yet, the drug-seeking behaviors of self-described chronic Lyme patients and the prescribing practices of many "Lyme Literate doctors" remain at odds with published research. Investigators carried out two treatment trials of patients claiming to suffer from chronic Lyme disease. They reported that "treatment with intravenous and oral antibiotics for 90 days did not improve symptoms more than placebo" [29]. Additional studies in Europe and the U.S. similarly found that: oral doxycycline is as effective as intravenous ceftriaxone in treating late-stage central nervous system infections [29,30]; and additional antibiotics are not beneficial in improving cognitive function in patients with post-treatment chronic Lyme disease [31].
In October 2006, the Infectious Diseases Society of America published guidelines for effective intravenous (and oral) antibiotic regimens to treat various manifestations of Lyme disease [16]. The European Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis (EUCALB) also has published recommendations for treating Lyme disease with various oral and intravenous antibiotics.
Published treatment guidelines provide important navigation aids for both physicians and patients. If you don't like the guidelines, however, there is nothing to stop you from making up your own. That's what one group of doctors did recently. They posted a set of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment guidelines on a website, and then proceeded to follow the guidelines they had drafted. They referred to their guidelines as "evidence-based," but there is no evidence that the rationale for the guidelines has ever been validated in clinical trials or published in the professional literature, and there is no evidence that the guidelines have been endorsed by recognized medical societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American College of Physicians.
Indeed, the composers of these guidelines (copies of which they offered for $15) are a handful of private practice physicians and Lyme patient advocates. Some of these doctors have been disciplined by their state medical licensing boards. Many are not trained in infectious diseases and most have no research experience with Lyme disease. Still, that did not prevent them from having their guidelines listed in the National Guideline Clearinghouse or using that web listing to suggest their guidelines are clinically appropriate and professionally endorsed. (The Clearinghouse listing is a directory, much like a phone book, which neither endorses nor evaluates those listed. Unfortunately, this fact is not readily evident to patients looking for online information.)
In 2016, yet another study confirmed the futility of long-term antibiotic therapy for people with symptoms attributed to "chronic Lyme disease." This study involved 252 patients who received two weeks of standard antibiotic treatment followed by 12 weeks in which they received either doxycycline, another antibiotic, or a placebo. The three groups demonstrated no significant differences in outcome [32]. An accompanying editorial concluded that, "Patients with subjective, vexing symptoms attributed to Lyme disease should not anticipate that even longer courses of antibiotics will produce relief, a finding that is in concert with results from previous trials." [33] Hoiwever, the treatment is not merely ineffective. In 2017, five cases were reported in which intravenous treatment for "chronic Lyme disease" resulted in the development of serious infections [34].
Many patients who believe they have a chronic or persistent Lyme infection are willing to endure considerable discomfort in their effort to get rid of their symptoms. This behavior is fostered, in part, by the misguided belief that antibiotic therapies are not working unless they make the patient feel worse. These patients typically refer to this condition as "herxing," a colloquial term for the Jarisch-Herxheimer (J-H) reaction. This reaction is an acute response to the release of toxic or biologically active molecules from certain types of bacteria in the presence of some antibiotics.
About 10% of patients treated for early Lyme disease experience a J-H reaction involving chills, fever, muscle pains, rapid heartbeat, and slight lowering of blood pressure during the first 24 hours of antibiotic therapy. These symptoms usually last for several hours, and require little more than aspirin and bed rest. Yet many Lyme newsgroup participants write about a "herx" beginning days or weeks after the start of antibiotic therapy, and "herxing" for weeks at a time—often in a cyclic fashion." Herxing" events have even been likened to an "exorcism" that is "a necessary evil to be endured." Some of these patients are likely to be suffering from the side effects of their inappropriately prescribed antibiotics. It is also safe to assume that the mistaken belief that Lyme treatment involves temporary worsening will lead some people to neglect other illnesses. Neurological symptoms, blurred vision, gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, and palpitations, for example, should be reported to a physician, not posted on the Internet with a request for comments.
Transmission Myths
Fear, ignorance and Internet rumors have also created an environment for expanding the mythology of Lyme's protean properties far beyond scientific fact or medical observation. For example, some Internet postings and websites suggest that Lyme can be acquired through sexual contact.
"I think that Lyme is also a STD [sexual-transmitted disease]," said one newsgroup poster. Another wrote, "I've talked to many couples who claim they transmitted to each other through sexual contact. I believe I gave it to my wife."
At least a few LLMD appear to be telling patients that Lyme is sexually transmitted and therefore their family members should be tested. One person reported to Quackwatch that a family member had been tested and told that the test was positive and that a 4-5 month course of antibiotics was necessary.
There is no basis for such advice or beliefs. Lyme infections are acquired from the bite of an infected tick. People are "dead end" hosts and do not spread Lyme infections to others.
The topic of pregnancy and Lyme is also rife with rumor and unnecessary fear. A recent review of case reports and other research found no specific patterns of fetal malformation or adverse events in pregnancy [35]. In addition, the authors noted that "larger epidemiological and serological series have consistently failed to demonstrate an increased risk to pregnant women who develop Lyme disease if they receive appropriate antimicrobial therapy." Attempts to demonstrate venereal, transplacental and contact transmission of Lyme spirochetes in hamsters also have failed [36].
The risk of acquiring Lyme disease from a blood transfusion is also very low. This was demonstrated in a study of patients in Connecticut whose antibodies were measured six weeks after they received multiple transfusions during cardiothoracic surgery. Of 155 subjects, 149 received a total of units of packed red blood cells and 48 received a total of 371 units of platelets. No patient developed antibodies to B. burgdorferi or clinical evidence of Lyme disease [37].
In contrast, a case of perinatal transmission of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine [38]. Like B. burgdorferi, HGE is transmitted by the Ixodes tick, and simultaneous infections with both pathogens have been reported.
Political Aspects
The fact that Lyme disease is readily curable has not discouraged the formation of over a hundred support groups and nonprofit foundations, some with ties to intravenous services, Lyme diagnostic labs, and physicians specializing in private Lyme disease practices. These groups and their ardent followers have used the Internet and other media to barrage politicians and the general public with misinformation, dire personal stories, rumors, and exaggerated claims about thousands of people being maimed, killed and bankrupted each year by Lyme disease. The core message is that Lyme is a deadly chronic disease that requires long-term antibiotic therapy paid for by insurance companies.
Despite the alleged frequency of chronic Lyme disease, clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were hampered by a lack of patients who met evidence-based medical criteria for Lyme disease. A third trial at Columbia University had to modify its patient entry criteria in order to find enough patients to carry out the study. The reality is Lyme remains a common bacterial infection that is antibiotic-responsive, nonfatal, non-communicable, and geographically- and seasonally-limited in range.
Still, support groups and individual patients have created numerous websites that contain unsubstantiated claims, inaccurate medical information, and personal testimonies for the dubious treatments described above. Indeed, the Internet has provided a powerful mechanism for organizing patients and presenting poorly documented information to the public and the press [39,40]. And as the owner of one Lyme diagnostic lab recently said, "Patients, because of the Internet, have become my best salesmen" [23].
Internet newsgroups also have posted violent polemics against physicians and researchers who disagree with their claims and concerns. Research reports that run counter to the claims of Lyme activists are denounced and their authors accused of incompetence and financial conflicts of interest. Magazines and news organizations whose stories on Lyme disease are not sufficiently hysterical are barraged with e-mail complaints and urged to contact certain organizations for "the truth." Protests have been organized to denounce Yale University because, according to the protesters, Yale "ridicules people with Lyme disease, presents misleading information, minimizes the severity of the illness, endorses inadequate, outdated treatment protocols, excludes opposing viewpoints, and ignores conflicts of interest."
Researchers have been harassed, threatened, and stalked [41]. A petition circulated on the Web called for changes in the way the disease is routinely treated and the way insurance companies cover those treatments. Less radical groups have had their meetings invaded and disrupted by militant Lyme protesters. In October 2006, the New Jersey-based Lyme Disease Association (LDA) led a series of protests at NY Medical College to denounce the updated Lyme disease treatment guidelines published by the IDSA. The LDA organized another online petition against the guidelines, and a related LLMD organization demanded the treatment guidelines be retracted. Evidently, they were worried the guidelines would be accepted by insurance companies and therefore cut into their private practice profits [23]. In 2012, the LDA's online referral directory included 65 medical doctors and 12 osteopaths.
In November 2006, Lyme activists persuaded the Connecticut Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, to file a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to look into possible anti-trust violations by the IDSA during the drafting of the treatment guidelines [42]. A few weeks later, the activists persuaded Congressional Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) to write a letter to the CDC Director questioning the CDC's support of the IDSA guidelines and suggesting CDC needed to show support for alternative guidelines developed by activists and the private practice, for-profit physicians who treat them.
The CDC declined to do so. Moreover, few lawyers and physicians believe Blumenthal's quixotic use of anti-trust law to intimidate a nonprofit professional society into changing or withdrawing voluntary clinical guidelines is going to affect the treatment of Lyme disease. Yet, these events demonstrate the power of Internet-connected activists to mobilize political power in order to question evidence-based medicine and peer-reviewed scientific research.
Not content to suppress evidence-based medicine through litigation and legislation, some Lyme organizations also have tried to raise funds for their own research on hyperbaric oxygen treatments, pregnancy-related Lyme, and a clinical trial of chronic Lyme patients. Others have organized "scientific" meetings and journals to present anecdotal reports and opinions from physicians friendly to their cause.
Several years ago, a Lyme Disease Buyers Club marketed vitamin and nutrient supplements (e.g., flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, coenzyme Q10, garlic, B-complex) to Lyme patients. The club indicated, "10 percent of each sale will go to Lyme disease research and advocacy projects." However, the initial proceeds went to a Lyme disease advocacy group (Lyme Alliance) in Michigan. The group filed an amicus brief supporting a court appeal by Joseph Natole, Jr., M.D., whose state medical board had sanctioned him for inappropriately managing patients with actual or suspected Lyme disease. According to a report on the Alliance's website: the court ruled against the doctor; his license was suspended for three months; he was fined $50,000; and he was subsequently indicted and pleaded guilty to federal charges of over billing insurance companies.
The Alliance later circulated a petition stating that, "Lyme disease can and does exist as a chronic illness with persisting infection, and that the disease is greatly underdiagnosed and undertreated." The petition demanded that, "Physicians who are on the front lines of Lyme disease patient care not be harassed, persecuted or made to fear for their medical practices because they do not adhere to the conservative "short term" care for Lyme disease."
That defiant battle cry still echoes today. Activists continue to file petitions and organize protests in support of any physician willing to provide them with a positive Lyme disease diagnosis and long-term access to antibiotics. Activists often attend state medical board hearings in support of their physicians and flood state legislators with demands for legislative protection of their doctors [43].
Legal and Regulatory Actions
Since 2005, several so-called "Lyme Literate" doctors have been accused of wrongdoing:
- In 2008, a Kansas doctor was sentenced to prison for manslaughter for administering bismacine injections that killed a patient he was treating for supposed Lyme disease. Bismacine contains high amounts of bismuth, a metallic chemical that can be poisonous and is not approved by the FDA.
- In South Carolina, the widow of a man who died of prostate cancer filed suit against a Lyme doctor who gave her husband intravenous hydrogen peroxide and falsely diagnosed him as having Lyme disease. The doctor also prescribed testosterone, which caused his cancer to rapidly advance, resulting in his death about six weeks later.
- In North Carolina, the Medical Board suspended a physician's license for one year after finding he departed from prevailing methods of treating Lyme disease. The 12-member board also concluded he did not adequately inform patients that his treatment method, which includes months or years of intravenous antibiotics, is unorthodox. Five patients, including the widower of a woman who died of morphine poisoning while under his care, testified for the prosecution.
- In New Jersey, a doctor and former member of the Governor's Lyme Disease Advisory Council took money from Lou Gehrig's disease patients for a stem-cell treatment that she could not—and did not—perform, according to a federal indictment. The doctor and her assistant were charged with 11 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
- Another New Jersey doctor was indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, income tax evasion, and willful failure to account for and pay IRS employee taxes at two Lyme disease treatment centers. After a jury convicted him of income tax evasion, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $7,500 plus restitution of $246,791.
- In 2014, in Arizona, an osteopathic physician was reprimanded, assessed $1,500 plus costs, and ordered to stop diagnosing and treating Lyme disease. The action was based on the board's conclusion that he had diagnosed and treated a patient for nonexistent Lyme disease.
- In 2016, the Florida Board of Medicine revoked the license of a "Lyme specialist" after concluding that he had improperly diagnosed and unjustifiably treated seven patients with Lyme disease, Bartonellosis (a bacterial infection), and/or Babesiosis (a parasitic infection) and failed to keep adequate records. The Board also imposed a $30,000 fine and assessed costs.
Despite the deaths and the prosecutions, support for LLMDs remains strong among activist groups, even as some of these doctors attempt to expand the range of diseases that can be blamed on B. burgdorferi and, therefore, treated with long-term antibiotics. Some of these diseases include complex or degenerative illnesses such as autism, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
A Lyme Vaccine
After a decade of research, and pressure from patient advocates and Congress [44], the FDA licensed the first vaccine for Lyme borreliosis on December 21, 1998. The vaccine, called Lymerix, was derived from a recombinant version of the bacterium's OspA lipoprotein. Lymerix was intended for "at-risk" individuals between the ages of 15 and 70 years. Given in three separate injections, the vaccine appeared to be effective in preventing infections.
Yet, after years of pre-license clinical trials and three years of commercial sales, the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, pulled the vaccine off the market on February 26, 2002. The company cited poor sales and a projected low demand [45] as the basis for their decision to end production and distribution of Lymerix.
The demise of Lymerix has not ended research on new Lyme vaccine candidates and vaccines against tick vectors. It may be difficult, however, to field-test new vaccines due to anti-vaccination organizations and the lingering hostility of Lyme activists to a vaccine [46].
Ironically, many of the original advocates for a vaccine turned against Lymerix as soon as it hit the market. Citing its less than perfect efficacy and anecdotal evidence of vaccine-induced arthritis and other injuries, they crowded FDA hearings with tales of personal injury, flooded the Internet with anti-vaccine tautologies, and joined lawsuits seeking compensation from Glaxo and Pasteur Mérieux Connaught, the maker of a second, but never licensed vaccine [47].
Despite the lawsuits and the website tales of personal anguish, repeated studies failed to find any evidence of specific adverse events associated with Lymerix [48]. A CDC study published in the February 2002 issue of Vaccine also failed to detect any "unexpected or unusual patterns" of adverse reactions to vaccination [49]. (Reports of adverse reactions to Lymerix, and other vaccines, can be searched for on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) website.)
It is interesting to note the results of a 2002 survey of parental attitudes toward Lymerix [50]. The survey authors found that respondents in Nassau County, New York indicated they would "definitely" or "likely" request Lymerix for their children (23% and 65% respectively). The positive response to Lymerix may be because most survey respondents got their information about Lyme disease and the vaccine from a friend or an advertisement (49% and 44%, respectively). The Internet was not identified as a source of information. Yet, the survey found that most respondents were "surprisingly misinformed" about Lyme infections. For example, they considered Lyme infections to be a chronic, difficult-to-treat disease.
"Chronic Lyme disease" remains the favored term of support groups and patient advocates, but has no basis in medical fact or practice [7]. The endless public repetition of this misleading mantra may have influenced parental opinions in favor of vaccination as a means of preventing a chronic infection that does not exist. The option to vaccinate ended on February 26, 2002.
Interestingly, a recent study of patients presenting with recurrent signs of Lyme disease suggests that they are being repeatedly infected and not "relapsing" from a persistent infection [4]. The study authors noted, "People experiencing recurrent episodes [of Lyme] tended to have frequent contact with vector ticks. Prompt administration of standard antibiotic therapy…reliably eliminates persistent infection and prevents relapse." This is just what the vaccine was designed to do.
Reliable Resources
In 2004, two infectious disease specialists at the University of Connecticut reviewed the quality of online information about Lyme disease [37]. Most of the websites they surveyed contained inaccurate or incomplete information. One of the authors, Henry Feder, told Reuters Health, "The problem is that some of these sites may have had an agenda other than education. They make the unusual seem common." As the authors noted in their paper, "The challenge for medical providers is to convince worried patients . . . that some of the Internet-recommended testing and treatment . . . is inappropriate. This convincing can take multiple visits, debate, compromise and time."
The steady flood of Lyme disease misinformation prompted Kent Sepkowitz, the director of infection control at Sloan-Kettering, to vent similar feelings in the New York Times (May 10, 2005). He wrote: "The vast, lumpy terrain of Lyme disease is a confusing place for doctor and patient alike. According to some, Lyme is able to cause any imaginable symptom, yet laboratory diagnosis remains famously elusive. This combination of plasticity and stealth makes it a convenient explanation for any ailment that otherwise makes no sense."
Despite the Internet noise, fundraising letters from activists, and intimidating lawsuits, it is not difficult to find accurate information about Lyme disease. Most state health departments provide free brochures or direct online information. Good sources include:
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF)
- Infectious Diseases Society of America's Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines
- University of Rhode Island's Tick Encounter Resource Center
- European Union Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis (EUCALB)
- Aetna Coverage Policy Bulletin 0215: Lyme Disease
- AMMI Canada Position Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Persistant Symptoms Attributed to Lyme Disease
The Bottom Line
- Lyme disease, when diagnosed early, is readily treatable with oral antibiotics.
- Positive antibody tests, by themselves, do not provide a sufficient basis for diagnosing Lyme disease. The diagnosis should be based on the overall clinical picture, including medical history and physical findings.
- Negative antibody testing after the first few weeks strongly suggests that the patient does not have Lyme disease.
- Many patients with chronic, nonspecific symptoms (such as headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, mental confusion, or sleep disturbances) mistakenly believe they have Lyme disease.
- Intravenous antibiotic therapy, when given appropriately, should not last more than a month. It should not be given unless oral antibiotic therapy has failed and persistent active infection has been demonstrated by culture, biopsy, or other bacteriologic technique.
- Malariotherapy, intracellular hyperthermia therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, colloidal silver, dietary supplements, and herbs are not appropriate measures for treating Lyme disease. Doctors who recommend them should be avoided.
- Reported Lyme disease cases by state or locality, 2002-2016. CDC Web site, accessed Oct 7, 2012.
- Barbour AG. Lyme Disease: The Cause, the Cure, the Controversy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.
- Aronowitz R. Making Sense of Illness: Studies in Twentieth Century Medical Thought. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
- Krause PJ and others, Tick-Borne Study Group. Reinfection and relapse in early Lyme disease. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 75:1090-1094, 2006.
- Seltzer EG and others. Long-term outcomes of persons with Lyme disease. JAMA 283:609-615, 2000.
- Gardner P. Long-term outcomes of persons with Lyme disease (editorial). JAMA 283:658-659, 2000.
- Sigal LH and Hassett AL. Contributions of societal and geographical environments to "chronic Lyme disease": The psychopathogenesis and aporology of a new "Medically Unexplained Symptoms" Syndrome. Environmental Health Perspectives 110:607-611, 2002.
- Rusk MH, Gluckman SJ. Serologic testing for Lyme disease. When—and when not—to order, and how to interpret results. Consultant 38:966-972, 1998.
- FDA Public Health Advisory: Assays for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi; limitations, use, and interpretation for supporting a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease. July 7, 1997.
- Klempner MS and others. Intralaboratory reliability of serologic and urine testing for Lyme disease. American Journal of Medicine 110:217-219, 2001.
- Tjernberg I and others. C6 peptide ELISA test in the serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis in Sweden. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease 26:37-42, 2007.
- Philipp MT and others.. Serologic evaluation of patients from Missouri with erythema migrans-like skin lesions with the C6 Lyme test. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 13:1170-1171, 2006.
- Caution regarding testing for Lyme disease. MMWR 54:125, 2005.
- Imported malaria associated with malariotherapy of Lyme disease—New Jersey. MMWR 39:873-875, 1990.
- Update: Self-induced malaria associated with malariotherapy for Lyme Disease—Texas. MMWR 40:665-666, 1991.
- Wormser GP and others. The clinical assessment, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases 43:1089-1094, 2006.
- Federal Register 61:53685-53688, 1996. To access the full text, search the Federal Register for "colloidal silver."
- Consent order. In the matter of John R. Toth, M.D., before the Kasas State Board of Healing Arts. Docket No. 05-HA-79, Dec 12, 2005.
- Barrett S. Lyme disease quack arrested. Casewatch, June 30, 2009.
- Klempner MS.Two controlled trials of antibiotic treatment in patients with persistent symptoms and a history of Lyme disease. New England Journal of Medicine 345:85-92, 2001.
- Attorney General Montgomery stops Medicaid fraud and returns $2.3 million to state. Press release, June 19, 1995, Attorney General of Ohio.
- Kelly F. Lyme disease alleged to be false diagnosis. Ann Arbor News, June 19, 1998.
- Whelan, D. Lyme Inc.: Ticks aren't the only parasites living off patients in borreliosis-prone areas. Forbes. March 12, 2007.
- Ettestad PJ and others. Biliary complications in the treatment of uncomplicated Lyme disease. Journal of Infectious Disease 171:356-361, 1995.
- Patel R and others. Death from inappropriate therapy for Lyme disease.Clinical Infectious Disease 31:1107-1109, 2000.
- Lightfoot RW Jr and others. Empiric parenteral antibiotic treatment of patients with fibromyalgia and fatigue and a positive serologic result for Lyme disease. A cost-effectiveness analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine 119:503-509, 1993.
- Mulhall JP, Bergmann LS. Ciprofloxacin-induced acute psychosis. Urology 46:102-103, 1995.
- McSweegan E. Why people go fishing for drugs. Washington Post. August 27, 2002, pp. H02.
- Borg R and others. Intravenous ceftriaxone compared with oral doxycycline for the treatment of Lyme neuroborreliosis. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Disease 37:449-454, 2005.
- Ogrinc K and others. Doxycycline versus ceftriaxone for the treatment of patients with chronic Lyme borreliosis. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift 118:696-701, 2006.
- Kaplan RF and others. Cognitive function in post-treatment Lyme disease: do additional antibiotics help? Neurology 60:1916-1922, 2003.
- Berende A and others. Randomized trial of longer-term therapy for symptoms attributed to Lyme disease. New England Journal of Medicine 374:1209-1220, 2016.
- Melia TM, Auwaerter PG. Time for a different approach to Lyme disease and long-term symptoms. New England Journal of Medicine 374:1277-1278, 2016.
- Marzec NS and others. Serious bacterial infections acquired during treatment of patients given a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease — United States. MMWR 66:607-609, 2017.
- Walsh CA and others. Lyme disease in pregnancy: case report and review of the literature. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey 62:41-50, 2007.
- Woodrum JE, Oliver JH Jr. Investigation of venereal, transplacental, and contact transmission of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, in Syrian hamsters. Journal of Parasitology 85:426-430, 1999.
- Gerber MA and others. The risk of acquiring Lyme disease or babesiosis from a blood transfusion. Journal of Infectious Disease 170:231-234, 1994.
- Horowitz HW and others. Perinatal transmission of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. New England Journal of Medicine 339:375-378, 1998.
- Cooper JD, Feder HM Jr. Inaccurate information about Lyme disease on the internet. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 23:1105-1108, 2004.
- Sood SK. Effective retrieval of Lyme disease information on the Web. Clinical Infectious Disease 35:451-464, 2002.
- Grann D. Stalking Dr. Steere over Lyme disease. New York Times Magazine, June 17, 2001.
- Warner S. State official subpoenas infectious disease group. The Scientist, February 7, 2007.
- Santaniello G. A schism over treatment philosophies puts a Connecticut pediatrician's license on the line. Northeast Magazine. Sept 17, 2006.
- Robinson, MB. Senators urge haste on Lyme vaccines. Bergen Record, Dec 7, 1997.
- Associated Press. Lyme vaccine pulled off market. Feb 26, 2002.
- Abbott A. Lyme disease: Uphill struggle. Nature 439:524-525, 2006.
- McSweegan E. The Lyme vaccine: A cautionary tale. Epidemiology and Infection 135:9-10, 2007.
- Nigrovic LE, Thompson KM. The Lyme vaccine: a cautionary tale. Epidemiology and Infection 8:1-8, 2006.
- Lathrop, SL and others. Adverse event reports following vaccination for Lyme disease. December 1998-July 2000. Vaccine 20:1603-1608, 2002.
- Barone SR and others. Parental knowledge of and attitudes toward LYMErix (Recombinant OspA Lyme vaccine). Clinical Pediatrics 41:33-36, 2002.
Dr. McSweegan is a microbiologist who lives and works in Maryland, but has spent many summers in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Between 1993 and 1995, he managed a federal Lyme disease research program. The original version of this article was reviewed by Judith N. Barrett, M.D., Luther Rhodes III, M.D., Marvin Rosenthal, M.D., and John H. Renner, M.D.
This article was revised on June 28, 2017.


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Dart Bra Pattern by Booby Traps
Rigid Lace Bra Pattern
Sizes 10 - 12 - 14 - 16 - 18
Pattern purchase includes A3 Pattern Sheet/s, A4 Pattern Order Of Assembly, A4 Elastic Insertion Tips Sheet, Vilene for tracing 1 pattern (hard copy only) and a Bra Conversion Chart (Digital Copy only)
Starting at $11.16
Boutique Booby Traps Dart Bra Pattern
This pattern is designed for use with rigid laces.
This pattern requires a medium level of lingerie sewing experience.
Included with this pattern is the order of assembly and Vilene for tracing your size (hard copy only), tips and techniques on elastic insertion and finishing options.
Key - Greatest Stretch
Fabrics - 30cm (110cm wide) sheer nylon, 45cm x 40cm piece of Powernet, 1m of scallop edge rigid lace.
Notions - 1m of bra strap, 2 ring and 2 slides to match strap elastic, 1.2 narrow facing elastic, 1m of 13-15mm facing elastic, 85cm underwire casing, 2 or 3 hook and eye tab, 1 pair of underwires, Motif for decoration
Digital copies may be printed on A3 and A4 printers
Patterns remain the property of Booby Traps and customers are not permitted to onsell the patterns or use them for production or classes or any other means of financial gain. Patterns are to be used by the purchaser only and not to be copied or shared. Customers are most welcome to make lingerie from our patterns for their family and close friends as a gift. Booby Traps thanks you for respecting the Copyright, as we have put many hours of hard work into these patterns.
Please be aware if you order both digital patterns and physical items to be shipped, your pattern will only become available when the order is shipped and completed. If you do not wish to wait for this it is advisable to make digital purchases in a separate order. Any bank transfer payments will not allow the delivery of the digital item until we are able to verify the payment has been completed.
How do I print a digital pattern?
Digital Patterns are delivered via the website for registered customers and via email for guest customers.
After completing your purchase, open the pattern from the link on your email receipt (if checking out as a guest) or log in to your account at the top of the homepage (registered customers only) and go to my downloadable products to open your pattern pieces. Simply click on the links - i.e A3 Pattern Pages and print your pattern pieces
Pattern sizes are mostly in A4 and A3 sizes with the exception of a few larger ones. All this information is noted in the product descriptions of each digital pattern so you can be sure prior to purchasing how you will need to have them printed.
A3 size is 497mm x 420mm (width x height)
A4 size is 210mm x 297mm (width X height)
Print the Order Of Assembly in A4 sizing. Be sure you do not change printer settings and keep the pattern at it's original size to ensure a correct print out.
Print the pattern pieces in A3 sizing (if applicable). This can be done on an A3 printer.
Each pattern has a scale box that measures 6cm x 6cm to allow you check the proportions of the printed pattern.
We recommend printing pattern pages on an A3 printer and Order Of Assembly on A4. If you are unable to do this, and need to use an A4 printer, use the "Tile only large pages" in Page Sizing and Handling. Be sure the scale is the correct size by measuring the scale box. It will print on multiple pages.
For patterns that are larger it is recommended they are printed at a print shop. Your receipt email is proof of purchase to allow the waive of the Copyright.
All Booby Traps patterns are designed and labelled in Australian sizing and grading
|Pattern Size
Moulded Cup Conversion Chart
This chart is to be used as a guide only as fit is dependant on the product you are making and the individual. Boost cups may require a 1 size increase
Bra Conversion Chart
Size Conversion Chart


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City of Stockbridge Internship Program
Program Information:
The City of Stockbridge is pleased to provide Georgia students the opportunity to intern through the City's internship program. This program provides practical work experience that complements academic experience.
Opportunities within this program will allow the students to work in one of five (5) functional areas. They include the following:
The learning experience affords the students a view of the inner workings of city government. Each intern will have a variety of responsibilities in which he or she will have assigned projects that relate to his or her field of study. Interns also have the opportunity to participate in some activities depending on the department assigned. We try to accommodate all students' requests, but cannot guarantee availability in the assigned area.
Fall and spring internships can be up to 16 weeks and the summer internship can be up to 8 weeks. Internship dates coincide with the college or university academic calendar.
Eligibility Requirements:
To be considered for the City of Stockbridge Intern Program, interns must meet the following qualifications:
Important Dates and Deadlines:
Interested students should submit a letter of interest with a copy of an unofficial transcript. Please indicate the academic schedule for your internship:
Internship Packet must include:
Internship Packet can be faxed to 770-626-4237 or mailed to City of Stockbridge, 4640 N. Henry Blvd., Stockbridge, GA. 30281, Attention: Human Resources. If you have any questions regarding an internship with the City of Stockbridge please send an email to email@example.com.


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Currently Browsing: Jack Russell (Great White)
by tips6247
4 years ago
Los Angeles, CA – Primary Wave hosted their 11th Annual Pre-Grammy party in partnership with Smirnoff Vodka on Saturday, February 11 held at the luxurious rooftop perched atop of the London Hotel. CeeLo Green made his first Grammy weekend appearance as he debuted his new persona Gnarly Davidson. Donning all leather, the singer premiered his new […]


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SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE:SEAS) is back on Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) with hopes of discounting its way to more turnstile clicks. The theme park operator is offering its Fun Card -- a pass for unlimited visits to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa through the end of the year -- for $75 through Groupon. The pass retails for $95, plus tax.
The timing isn't likely a coincidence. SeaWorld is in a funk. It saw attendance across all of its parks decline 4% last year. Things got worse during the first quarter of this year, with a 13% plunge. A major contributor to the slide was the timing of the Easter holiday. Going from March in 2013 to April in 2014 cost the operator potential customers on school holidays. They naturally benefited from the Easter timing during the quarter that ended earlier this week; but how will the second half of the year play out?
SeaWorld is no stranger to turning to Groupon when it sees traffic drying up. SeaWorld turned to Groupon in December of last year, offering $59 one-day park tickets to SeaWorld Orlando. It didn't work. The first quarter was a disaster. Offering discounted seasonal passes now -- just as the third quarter is getting underway -- is a pretty fair indicator that SeaWorld knows that it's going to have to do more to get attendance going in the right direction.
SeaWorld Orlando has been struggling since last year's Blackfish documentary called out the company for keeping killer whales in captivity. Several bands cancelled concerts at a SeaWorld Orlando music festival earlier this year, pressured by activists. It's also not helping that the park isn't introducing an E-ticket attraction to woo guests this summer the way that neighboring rivals Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSK) Universal Orlando are with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Harry Potter's Diagon Alley expansion, respectively.
SeaWorld thought that it had a crowd magnet for Busch Gardens Tampa, but Falcon's Fury -- the country's tallest freestanding drop tower, which sends thrill-seeking riders 335 feet down in a headfirst plunge -- has yet to open despite area billboards advertising otherwise.
SeaWorld probably was hoping to cash in on the influx of tourists into Central Florida this summer to check out what the competitors are doing -- taking a day or two out of the trip to hit one of its parks -- but it doesn't seem to be happening beyond the likely surge in Easter-related traffic in April.
I'm doing my part. I'm spending the summer in Celebration, Florida. Armed with annual passes, I've been to SeaWorld's Busch Gardens Tampa, and Aquatica. I've visited SeaWorld Orlando twice. I plan to keep coming. The crowds have been lighter than I recall in previous summers. I can't say the same for my treks out to Universal Studios Florida or Disney's Magic Kingdom. The light crowds may be good news to me as a guest, but it's not what shareholders want to see.
Even if the Groupon deal works, getting a bunch of thrifty locals to add bodies to the park isn't going work. It will be more people in line for the rides and attractions, but folks waiting for discounted Fun Card passes aren't likely to be spending a lot of money inside the park. SeaWorld's Groupon deal suggests that, as good as the second quarter likely was relative to last year's Easter-less second quarter, guidance for the balance of the year isn't likely to be very encouraging.


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Due to a process called Single Point Cut Rifling, these replacement barrels have an exact twist and a more uniform bore and groove. These barrels are pre-lapped before rifling and finish-lapped after rifling. This sage green .308 Win barrel is 24" in length with a M18x1.5 thread and fits Accuracy International AXMC rifles.
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Chris got a new, bigger, better, pixiler camera yesterday (Cannon 5D). . . He seems to have forgotten his birthday was two months ago, MINE is this week. Needless to say he is so stink'n spoiled. Good news is, I must be getting one heck of a b-day gift. Woot! Woot!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Posted by Johnna Jayne at 4:18 PM
2 comments:
- Dorese @ Dorese's Pieces said...
Hahaha, I'll say you get to expect a hack of a birthday gift! Mark just bought himself a 5D in May. Like it was an early half-birthday present or something. Anyway, I know EXACTLY how much those freakin'-nice cameras cost! Tell him congrats though; Mark absolutely LOVES his!
- June 26, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- Dorese @ Dorese's Pieces said...
Since I don't really know what a "hack of a birthday gift" is, let me just pretend I typed "heck" instead... :D
- June 26, 2008 at 2:17 PM
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text: Adrián is a Spanish artist from Grenada. He studied Fine Arts from 1998 to 2002 and then 2D animation and cinema in Madrid from 2002 to 2005. He has worked as a designer, programmer and freelance illustrator for several companies since. He works as a comic artist for Ankama Éditions, starting with a book with the 'Wakfu Heroes' from a script by Jean-David Morvan and Tot in 2010. He subsequently illustated the 'Ush' cycle in the series 'Remington', from scripts by Tot (2010-2011).


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Judicial Council Delays Seven New Courthouses
SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council has accepted recommendations from its Court Facilities Working Group to indefinitely delay seven new courthouse projects due to ongoing state budget cuts.
The seven projects—in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Placer, and Plumas counties—will be paused until funding is restored or regained through cost savings on other projects. By fiscal year 2013-2014, nearly $1.5 billion of court user fees originally designated by the Legislature to be set aside for court construction will have been borrowed, transferred to the state General Fund, or redirected to court operations. This year, the Legislature directed that $50 million per year be permanently diverted from court construction to trial court operations.
"Four years of deep budget cuts to the judicial branch—more than 30 percent since the 2008-2009 fiscal year—have required that we radically refocus the court construction program," said Justice Brad R. Hill, chair of the Court Facilities Working Group and Administrative Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. "It's been a difficult and painful process to freeze certain projects and direct cost-cutting across the board in all others, but we're grateful for the continued collaboration, flexibility and creative thinking of the courts in this process."
Despite having to delay the seven projects, the council was able to approve 23 courthouse projects to proceed as funds become available and changed one project to a renovation, rather than new construction. During the meeting, the Judicial Council also approved the working group's recommendation to accept the comprehensive audit of the court construction program completed by Pegasus-Global Holdings, Inc. The council adopted the audit's 137 recommendations and directed that they be implemented by July 16, 2013.


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The Central Connecticut softball team played two games on Saturday at the USF Spring Break Tournament in Clearwater, FL, topping Florida A&M 9-5 before falling to Rutgers 6-5 in eight innings on a tiebreaker rule.
CCSU is now 8-4 on the season.
Game #1 vs. Florida A&M
Senior Julie Marks started in the circle for CCSU, pitching 2.1 innings. She struck out two batters before being relieved by sophomore Sarah Gaalswijk. Gaalswijk picked up her first win as a Blue Devil, pitching 4.2 innings. She struck out one batter and walked two. Her record is now 1-0.
Central posted two runs to get out to an early lead in the top of the first. Senior Tessa Brown singled to drive home classmate Arielle Bruno, who reached a Rattler error. The next batter in the lineup, sophomore Eileen Purcell, also reached base on error, advancing Brown and plating sophomore Evie Rentzel, who singled.
The Rattlers narrowed the lead to one in the bottom of the first, scoring Alyssa Weaver on a Blue Devil error. FAMU tied it up in the next inning, making it 2-2 after two innings.
Central took the lead again in the top of the third. Brown blasted a triple with just one out and Purcell followed with a single to bring her home. The Blue Devils then added two more in the top of the fourth when a double off the bat of junior Kat Malcolm drove in Bruno and sophomore Alicia Keough, who both walked.
With CCSU up 5-2 headed into the bottom of the fourth, FAMU's Christina Robbs doubled to bring home a walked batter and narrow the lead to 5-3.
The Rattlers tied it up again in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run double from Kieifi Myrick, making it 5-5 going into the sixth.
The Blue Devils took the lead for good in the sixth, notching three runs. Brown singled to drive in sophomore Katie Schmidt, who reached on error. Purcell followed the go-ahead run with a double to bring home Bruno, who singled, and Brown.
Central added one final run in the top of the seventh to close the scoring when sophomore Kenya McVey crossed the plate on a ball put in play by Malcolm.
The Blue Devils racked up 11 hits and eight RBI while leaving nine on base. FAMU tallied 12 hits, five RBI and left 11 on base. The Rattlers posted four errors compared to two for CCSU.
Brown led CCSU on offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. She was followed by Malcom and Purcell who each registered three RBI in four at-bats.
Game #2 vs. Rutgers (9-7)
Junior Laura Messina pitched a complete game for CCSU, posting nine strikeouts and allowing nine hits. With the loss, her record drops to 7-2.
Central got off to a strong start, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Alexis Debrosse registered a single to drive home junior Kat Malcolm, who reached on a fielder's choice, and senior Arielle Bruno, who led off with a single.
Rutgers tied it up in the bottom of the third on two singles and a double to combine for two runs and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth, taking a 3-2 lead.
The Blue Devils rallied in the top of the sixth, leading off the inning with a Debrosse homer, her third of the season to even the score for the second time, 3-3.
With two outs, Bruno smacked a double to center field, plating pinch runner Brittany Ernst to take the lead 4-3. Malcolm followed with a single and an RBI, sending pinch runner Ashley Black across the plate, making it 5-3 Blue Devils.
RU attempted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth, but with two runners in scoring position, Messina retired the final batter to work out of the inning.
Central threated to add insurance runs to the board in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but Bruno grounded out to second to put CCSU back in the field.
Messina walked the first batter in the bottom of the seventh and the Scarlet Knights blasted a homer off the bat of Jackie Bates to tie the game 5-5 with two outs. Messina tallied her second strikeout of the inning to close regulation before heading into tiebreaking procedures.
CCSU posted 13 hits on the day compared to nine for the Scarlet Knights. Debrosse went 2-for-4 at the plate, notching one run and three RBI, Bruno tallied three hits in five at-bats and posted one RBI. Bruno was left on base four times.
The Blue Devils are scheduled to conclude the USF Spring Break Tournament Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m. against Providence.


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Military judge won't dismiss any of 22 counts against Army private WikiLeaks suspect
FORT MEADE, Md. -- A military judge is refusing to dismiss any of the 22 counts against an Army private charged in a massive leak of government secrets.
Col. Denise Lind made the rulings Friday during a pretrial hearing for Pfc. Bradley Manning at Fort Meade, Md.
She rejected a defense argument that the government used unconstitutionally vague language in charging Manning with eight counts of unauthorized possession and disclosure of classified information.
Lind also refused to dismiss two counts alleging Manning exceeded his authority to access a Defense Department computer system.
She said Manning's trial, currently set for September, will likely start in November or January due to procedural issues.
Manning is charged with aiding the enemy and other offenses on accusations he caused thousands of classified documents to be published on the WikiLeaks website.


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06 Jan Traveling Songs
A new Dada & The Weathermen album!
For the travelers of the world and of the mind. To be taken home and out everywhere you go in your phone and especially in your ears. Have a nice trip!
Un album pour les voyageurs du monde et de l'esprit. A emporter chez soi et partout vous allez, sous le bras, dans son téléphone et surtout dans les oreilles. Bon voyage !
To buy the album and be sure that they'll be others, click HERE!
Pour acheter l'album et être sûr qu'il y en aura d'autres, cliquez ICI !
This album was fully recorded in The Dada Room with new gear bought around Christmas. A new RME and a Golden Audio Project Preamp were added to the table. Which is also a reason why this acoustic-driven set of songs was born.
"A 1957 Gibson guitar and an eternal love for open tuning. There's no other way to start writing a song."
The other reason behind the creative process of this album is that these 'Traveling Songs' are clearly dedicated to Dada's brother, who's been traveling around the world for years. He's in fact the person depicted in the artwork.


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March 07, 2013
LAWT Wire Services
While candidates were combing the city campaigning for votes during the first weekend of March, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was celebrating the end of his second term at the 2nd Annual Mayors Masked Ball.
Villaraigosa brought the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) fundraiser to Los Angeles in 2012, after it was begun in Atlanta to help raise funds for the Los Angeles Branch of UNCF. The Ball, which imposed a very sophisticated dress code of black tie for men and long evening gowns for the women and face masks was a fun evening for all as the organization paid tribute to longtime UNCF supporters Earvin "Magic" Johnson and television host and comedian Sheryl Underwood.
UNCF National President Dr. Michael L. Lomax was on hand to celebrate the evening. Lomax pointed out that "as the national economy struggles to recover, our students struggle to find the support they need to earn the college degrees that they need and that we need them to have. They count on UNCF for the support they need to complete their education. And UNCF counts on you our supporters to provide funding."
Curtis Silvers the UNCF Los Angeles area director said he "was very appreciative of everyone in attendance." He was particularly thankful, he said, of Toyota Motor Sales USA who served as the evening's founding sponsor as well as Edison International, Mattel and Farmers Insurance Group who were marquis sponsors for the evening. Silvers stated, "This is our premiere event of the year and our largest fundraiser. Tonight would not have been possible without the help of our co-chairs Lisa Cagnolatti of Edison or Carl Ballton of Union Bank, they did an outstanding job along with my board chairperson Carol Jackson of Macy's and my entire leadership council. Without events such as this one UNCF would not be able to provide the support to the 38 member colleges and universities or the 60,000 students who depend on UNCF for their education."
R&B group The Whispers provided the night's entertainment.
"One thing is for sure, the pressure is on the next mayor of the city to step up their game for next year's event because [Villaraigosa] has brought one of the most enjoyable as well as classiest events to Los Angeles, while at the same time supporting our most sacred institutions," state Assembly member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer who attended the event.


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Black Friday shopping madness spilling into holiday
The madness that in the good old days had Black Friday shoppers elbowing each other to get in the doors of major retailers at 6 a.m. and segued over the past few years into the madness of waiting in blocks-long lines for midnight openings has now muscled its way into one of America's most beloved holidays, Thanksgiving.
But to small retailers in the region, who so far have eschewed following big box stores by opening tonight on what is starting to be called Black Thursday, it's all still madness.
"We try to give a feeling that there's a place where you don't have to have all that craziness," said Jim Holley, owner of Franklin's General Store at Olde Mistick Village shopping center. "It gets you out of that rat race."
Holley said a few stores at the Mystic shopping area will open early Friday, but most will resume business during their normal hours, and none will open on Thanksgiving.
"Christmas shopping should be fun, not a chore," said Barbara Sinclair, co-owner of The Toy Soldier at Olde Mistick Village. "Here, it's more relaxing; it's a more enjoyable experience."
Sinclair and other small retailers say Black Friday, in any case, isn't their best day for sales. Instead, it's usually during the last couple of weeks of the holiday sales season, just before Christmas, when their cash registers get a workout.
Peter Marcus, owner of Lee's Toy & Hobby in Groton, said he has been de-emphasizing Black Friday, concentrating instead on an open house the store will hold Dec. 1 and 2 to thank customers with special offers.
"One day doesn't make the season," Marcus said. "We don't make a big deal about Black Friday."
Considered the biggest shopping day of the year and the kick-off of the Christmas selling season, the Friday after Thanksgiving traditionally has been when major retailers offer door-busting prices on on popular items. But over the past few years, major chain stores have been moving up the clock, with a few dipping their toes into Thanksgiving Day sales.
This year, more stores are deciding that they must open tonight to stay competitive, which has raised the hackles of retail workers and their families nationwide. Wal-Mart workers, whose stores are opening at 8 tonight, have threatened a Black Friday strike in some areas, while Target employees, whose stores are to tip off the holiday season at 9 tonight, have chosen a petition campaign to convince the retailer to rethink its Thanksgiving plans.
Thomas G. Phelan, president of the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association, pointed out in an email that Thanksgiving openings in the state have been going on for many years, including convenience stores, movie theaters and supermarkets.
"Consumers have responded in a positive manner to these Thanksgiving night openings, so we respond in kind," Phelan said. "Retailers in general are always looking to create an exciting shopping experience."
He added that with retailers staggering their openings, the "door-buster effect" of unruly crowds clamoring for limited merchandise may be eased, reducing some of the fisticuffs that have been associated with Black Friday.
"Many prefer to shop following their family gatherings rather than in the very early hours of the morning," added Molly Snyder, a spokeswoman for Target, in an email.
At the Crystal Mall in Waterford, which opened at 4 a.m. last year, most stores will kick off Black Friday at midnight, though Sears plans an 8 o'clock start tonight.
Karen Tarantino, mall manager, reported that last year's 4 a.m. opening resulted in heavy traffic from shoppers, many of whom clearly had been out getting bargains elsewhere earlier in the morning.
"This move to midnight is in response to feedback from shoppers," she said. "We're seeing people really want us to open early."
Tarantino said the first 50 shoppers inside the mall will receive a survival kit, including snacks and water. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day Friday, and mall managers during the season plan to hand out gift cards randomly for such items as pretzels and coffee.
Other local shopping meccas plan additional enticements, including the Tanger Outlet Center in Westbrook, which has been promoting a 10 p.m. opening tonight and a giveaway of a $250 shopping spree gift card every hour until 6 a.m. Friday.
For many shoppers, Black Friday has become an adventure, a cavalcade of capitalism in which the ultimate prize is nabbing a deal that shaves a couple hundred bucks off a flat-screen TV or lands an electronic gadget that might be in short supply later on. But for local retailers, the next day, now dubbed Small Business Saturday, is often busier, as shoppers move from finding a bargain to discovering a treasured gift in a festive atmosphere.
"We believe we're going to have a great weekend," said Holley, proprietor of Franklin's General Store.
Store openings
8 p.m.: Sears, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart
9 p.m.: Target
Midnight: Kohl's, Macy's, Old Navy, Crystal Mall
6 a.m.: JC Penney
Layaway: Layaway can be helpful to reduce credit spending, but watch for hidden fees. Connecticut stores must give you a layaway statement, so pay attention to the terms.
Price matching: Stores often promise to match their competitors' advertised prices, but for electronics, entertainment systems and appliances, you may have difficulty finding the exact same model in competing stores. If you see an ad for the exact same item at a lower price, check all the conditions in the ad before you shop. Call ahead to save time and energy.
Shopping online and by mail: Use only well-known online retailers to avoid scams.
Gift cards: Be sure to understand which protections are available when you buy the cards. Under state law, gift cards sold in Connecticut do not expire, even if an expiration date is printed on the card, nor can they accrue inactivity fees or penalties.
Refunds: In Connecticut, retailers can impose any refund and exchange policy they wish, but they must be conspicuously posted at store entrances, where the items are displayed for sale or at the checkout counter. With no posted policy, you have seven days to return almost any new, unused item, with its original packaging and the sales receipt. Exceptions include custom-ordered or custom-made items, plants, clearance, "as-is" items, or anything otherwise prohibited by law.
Restocking fees: Some stores charge you if you return an item. They are allowed to do it, provided they post a notice of their restocking fees in a conspicuous place in the store.
Extended warranties: These are not warranties at all. A warranty is something you get free with the product. These are service contracts that you pay for and they are not usually recommended, since service contracts often overlap the warranty period that comes with the product (when most repair problems occur).
Source: State Department of Consumer Protection
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TED Talk: The Seed of Mindfulness: Growing Mindful Communities
Welcome from Jerry Braza, Ph.D. the Author of The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships and Moment by Moment: The Art and Practice of Mindfulness …
Join me in discovering creative ways to mindfully live up to your deepest aspirations and water the seeds of love and joy in yourself and others.
As a mentor and ordained dharma teacher in the lineage of Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Professor Emeritus at Western Oregon University, I offer years of experience conducting retreats, seminars, workshops and classes on mindfulness and relationships in a variety of spiritual and secular venues. I look forward to working with you to discover mindful pathways to happiness, love and joy. Consider contacting me to learn more about what I can offer to you and your group or organization.
To order, select one of the links below:
Amazon: The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships in either the paper or Kindle editions.
Barnes and Noble: The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships
Indie Bound: The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships
Also, contact your favorite bookstore to ensure that they are offering this selection.
Foreword: by Thich Nhat Hanh:
Our role as gardeners is to choose, plant and tend the best seeds within the garden of our consciousness. Learning to look deeply at our consciousness is our greatest gift and our greatest need, for there lie the seeds of suffering and of love, the very roots of our being, of who we are. Mindfulness—itself a seed—is key to the care of this garden. It is the guide and the practice by which we learn how to use the seeds of suffering to nourish the seeds of love.
In The Seeds of Love Jerry offers a translation of various wisdom traditions as insights on how to take care of the —gardener—ourselves—and the garden—the soil of our consciousness. The mindfulness practices contained in this book are gardening tools that you will rely on again and again.
This is a book that will help anyone seeking to understand and nurture the seeds that create true love in self and others. Turn to these pages when you need a gentle reminder to tend the beautiful seeds of love that reside within.
Endorsements from Book Cover:
Both down-to-earth and profound, this book explains how to be mindful of the garden of your life—and then out of kindness to yourself and others, pull weeds and plant flowers. Deceptively simple, it is actually a comprehensive guide to the seeds of true happiness and loving relationships. A lovely, wise, encouraging, first-rate book.
– Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (See Rick Hanson's latest book: Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, )
– Tara Brach, Clinical psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, author of Radical Acceptance
The book will be available in October, 2011 in your favorite bookstore, and is being published by Tuttle Publishing.
May you be filled with loving-kindness and may you be well on your journey to Watering the Seeds of Love.
– Jerry Braza


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Wooden handrail for balustrading, staircase handrail or balcony rail. This product is available in a number of hardwood and softwood options. Hardwood handrail or softwood handrail - the wood you choose.
Learn more about this product - CLICK 'View Detail Sheet'. The dimensions shown are the overall, finished sizes.
Handrail 728 is a custom product - this is produced to order and available in many types of wood.
Useful links to help you - About wood, Care and Decoration, Moisture Content, Durable Wood, Pricing, Match your design, Why wood is so good, Our blog, About us, Get in touch
Wooden handrail is used to run alongside stairs or landings to provide support and protection from falling. Often supports spindles, glass or other types of balustrading.
This item can be used for both external and internal applications
Not found what you are looking for? Need a different size, slightly different profile or to match what you have? All in the wood of your choice and in any quantity - click here for an instant price for a bespoke or custom product to match your requirements. Bespoke wooden mouldings and much more. Anything made of wood, we can source it.
Left unfinished to be coated or finished as desired. This will be 'bare' - for information about wood finishing please go to https://www.wooduchoose.com/finishing-and-decorating-wood
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Customizable and then lovingly made, for you, to order. You'll get estimated timescales at pricing stage
Available in your choice of wood species. We'll also help you choose the right wood for your application