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The last few years have witnessed remarkable progress in treating people with advanced and drug-resistant strains of HIV. Four powerful drugs became available that either overcame drug resistance (Prezista [darunavir, TMC-114], Intelence [etravirine, TMC-125]) or were from entirely new classes [Selzentry (maraviroc), Isentress (raltegravir)].
This marked an important and unique moment in HIV drug development. Never before had so many new and effective drugs emerged in such proximity. People with extensive experience taking HIV drugs have been able to put together powerful regimens with two or more fully active agents -- often for the first time.
The tremendous promise of these new drugs represented an exciting moment, but emphasis needed to be placed on using them carefully and correctly, while also noting that this moment was unlikely to recur. The message was clear: "Seize this opportunity, use the new drugs carefully, and don't waste this once-in-a-lifetime chance."
As good as some of these newer drugs have looked in studies, there are emerging signs of trouble. Dr. Steven Deeks, a prominent HIV physician and researcher says, "Although the current generation of drugs are generally doing great, many patients are not responding in a durable manner. We are now following about 25 individuals who have failed all six drug classes. The key now is to design regimens to maintain immunologic and clinical stability while we wait for more drugs. I am concerned, however, as it will likely be a few years before we have another shot at getting the virus under control. We desperately need a second generation integrase inhibitor that works against viruses resistant to raltegravir."1
Dr. Deeks' experience is far from typical. He follows many of the most treatment experienced people in the San Francisco Bay Area, many of whom have been on therapy since 1987. Although not typical, his experiences have been reported elsewhere, if in smaller numbers.
Nonetheless, this suggests a burgeoning problem of people beginning to run out of treatment options, as has happened a couple of times during the epidemic. Some are concerned that the most vulnerable people living with HIV will be left with few or no viable treatment options, possibly for many years.
One of the unintended effects of the recent successes in drug development is that fewer people are available for studies of experimental drugs aimed at treatment experienced folks. We saw this coming and have been counseling drug companies and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the era of "TORO-like" studies was coming to a close. These studies give volunteers optimized background therapy (the best combination of HIV drugs chosen with resistance test results) with either the experimental drug or a placebo. The design allows regulators, scientists and activists to clearly see the benefit of the new drug. Some call these studies "TORO-like" after those that led to the approval of Fuzeon [enfuvirtide, T20]).2
This contrasts with how studies of first line treatment are done.3 When studying HIV drugs as first line, the basic model is head-to-head noninferiority studies,4 which are designed to tease out the relative contribution of entire regimens rather than the individual drugs.
The FDA has allowed non-inferiority studies for drugs being studied as first line, but has insisted on placebo controlled superiority studies for treatment experienced studies. Treatment experienced patients have been exposed to prior HIV treatment regimens. The current process made a good deal of sense when there were many people signing up for these studies, but the situation is now quite different.
While there are not enough people signing up for these kinds of studies, there is still a sizeable need for studying new HIV drugs. This, combined with the thin drug pipeline and the current difficulty recruiting for studies, may add up to real trouble down the line.
In meetings with every drug company working in HIV, Project Inform has warned of this impending problem and recommended adopting new ways of studying their drugs. The reaction has been mixed. While some companies have been quite open to new ideas, it is fair to say that most would prefer to stick with models that, until now, have proven successful.
We have struggled to argue -- to the companies and the FDA -- that new ways of studying and developing drugs are both necessary and possible. It would take some creative thinking on the part of the companies and their scientists, along with open mindedness and flexibility on the part of the FDA.
Gilead Sciences is one of the first to grapple with this. When it came time to do large, pivotal studies of their experimental integrase inhibitor, elvitegravir, there were not enough participants in the US to initiate a typical study of treatment experienced patients. Project Inform had warned Gilead and others of this eventuality and argued for studies that would more closely resemble the head-to-head, non-inferiority studies used for studying first-line drugs.
At first, Gilead thought they could follow the old, tried and true development plan. They explored performing a TORO-like study for elvitegravir, fully believing that it gave them the best chance at moving their drug ahead.
Over time Gilead came to see that a new plan was needed to move forward. They submitted a plan to the FDA that closely resembled the type of study for which many had been advocating.
The FDA eventually allowed Gilead to move forward with this study design for elvitegravir. There was great concern that they wouldn't, as it took longer than usual for the FDA to make a decision on Gilead's phase III trial proposal.
This is a great victory for people living with HIV. Both the company and the FDA came around to see that new thinking was required to respond to a new environment. With this new situation, there is a great need for new treatments to be developed and for the FDA and companies to think and act creatively to ensure this happens.
The Current State of HIV Drug Development
The Industry
As a whole, the pharmaceutical industry has done a tremendous job developing HIV drugs. However, many signs are showing a fading commitment to HIV. Fewer new companies are getting into HIV, and some well established ones are either cutting back or eliminating their drug development plans. The marketplace for HIV drugs is both crowded and competitive. The scientific hurdles for developing new HIV drugs have also grown more difficult, making it a less attractive market for companies.
While there are real challenges facing the industry at this time, it is a mistake to think either that HIV is largely a solved problem, or that there isn't room for new drugs. While it is true that drugs have improved and most people are able to get good, durable responses from their drug combinations, there is plenty of room for improvement. HIV is largely a data driven market, and good drugs will always find their way into wide use.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is responsible for ensuring that drugs are safe and effective before they become available outside clinical studies, as well as when they are on the market. Recent media stories that focused on drug safety, particularly on Vioxx and Heparin, have created a somewhat fearful climate inside the FDA where new ideas are met skeptically. Their recent decision to green light elvitegravir's development shows that at least its antiviral division is open to creative drug development plans.
The FDA must strive to find a balance between protecting the safety of health care consumers while not unduly discouraging drug development. While it isn't always easy, the FDA has been largely successful when it comes to HIV.
The Current Drug Pipeline
All in all, the pipeline is both thin and unimpressive. There are a few "me too" drugs (slight changes in existing drugs) which are helpful but not game-changing. A few novel compounds may prove promising down the line, but they are struggling right now, due to either study results, or in one case, the company is being bought by a company that does not want to work in HIV.
As for those drugs in human studies, the closest to approval is rilpivarine (TMC-278), a Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI) for first-line treatment being studied against Sustiva.5 Sustiva has gone largely unchallenged as a first line NNRTI, but its neuro-psychological side effects make it difficult for many people to take. A new, potent first-line NNRTI that is free of such side effects could be a great advance for people with HIV. Also of note, rilpivarine is an ideal candidate for co-formulation, which would allow it to combine with another drug in a single dosage form. Thus, not only could it be competitive against Sustiva, but Atripla might be seeing some real competition too.
Vicriviroc, Schering's CCR5 drug, continues to flounder but is still viable.6 Bevirimat, a maturation inhibitor from Panacos, has been hamstrung by formulation problems, which we understand have been overcome. Other promising drugs are Pharmasset's racivir, and Avexa's apricitabine.
The lack of excitement with the current pipeline offers a real opportunity for both new and established companies to make a real move in to HIV. There is a demonstrated need for improved versions of existing drugs and, more importantly, new types of drugs. The greatest needs right now are second generation Integrase Inhibitors, CCR5 antagonists, unboosted protease inhibitors and novel targets.
The Bottom Line
The past two years have been a boon to people with extensive treatment experience. Four successful new drugs, including two new classes, have meant most people can put together powerful, effective and tolerable regimens, even if they've never been able to get to undetectable before. However, this period is now over, and we're experiencing a major downturn in the number of promising drugs in the pipeline.
This reinforces the importance of using the current crop of new drugs correctly. Your best chance at getting to and staying undetectable is to start a regimen with at least two and hopefully three fully active drugs. If you are able to do this and get your HIV level to undetectable, good adherence is the best way of keeping it there.
This also points to the need for treatment activists to continue to work with the companies, scientists and regulators to ensure that new drugs are developed.
Lastly, this situation points toward the need for a cure. It is only going to become more difficult to keep the companies, their researchers and the general public interested in HIV drugs. There is a growing sense that HIV is not that much of a problem anymore, at least not in wealthy countries.
The only real solution is a cure. Many promising approaches are under study, as well as resurgence in community activism aimed at cure research. A conscientious program mounted by academia, industry, government and community is necessary to reach this goal.
Paul Dalton is Director of Treatment Information and Advocacy at Project Inform.
Integrase inhibitors, such as raltegravir are a class of antiretroviral drug that block the action of integrase, an enzyme that integrates genetic material from the virus into its target cell.
Fuzeon is in a class of antiretroviral drugs, fusion inhibitors, which are used in combination therapy for the treatment of HIV. Fusion inhibitors interfere with the binding, fusion and entry of HIV to a human cell. By blocking this step in HIV's replication cycle, fusion inhibitors work to slow the progression from HIV infection to AIDS.
A first-line treatment is a medical therapy recommended for the initial treatment of a disease, such as HIV.
Non-inferiority means that one drug or regimen is equivalent or nearly equivalent to another.
NNRTIs inhibit the activity of reverse transcriptase, a viral DNA polymerase enzyme that HIV needs to reproduce.
- CCR5 is a protein expressed on the surface of cells, including T-cells, that is most commonly targeted by the virus.
Want to read more articles in the October 2008 issue of GMHC Treatment Issues_? Click here._


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Blumenthal, Murphy call for rail trust fund
BRIDGEPORT -- The nation isn't taking care of its rail infrastructure, and billions more must be spent to keep passenger and freight trains rolling swiftly and safely.
That was the message that Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy had for a gathering of reporters at the city's Metro-North Railkroad station Wednesday.
Joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and Mayor Bill Finch, the officials called on the federal government to spend more on rail safety and reliability following the May 17 commuter train derailment and collision in Bridgeport that left more than 70 people injured and shut down service along the busy Metro-North New Haven line for four days.
Murphy said that over the next 20 years, $4.6 billion would be needed just to maintain the Connecticut section of the railroad -- $50 billion for the entire Northeast rail corridor.
"And that's just to keep the rail line in a state of good repair," he said. "That does not get you more trains or faster transit times."
Blumenthal said some sort of rail trust fund should be established to ensure there is sufficient money for infrastructure improvement.
"This is a critical point in a vital artery," Blumenthal said. "it can be a gateway or a choke point."
He said the recent derailment showed how vital it is to have the tracks open without fail.
Finch agreed.
"The government woefully under-invested in this job-creator," Finch said. "These four ribbons of steel bring people to work and help to grow Bridgeport. But they run on old computer systems and old catenary lines. It's time to get behind our senators and our congressional delegation."
Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders issued the following statement:
"Metro-North appreciates the supportive comments of Connecticut's leaders today regarding the critical importance of federal funding for rail infrastructure, and we are happy to work with our elected representatives to develop sustained funding solutions that will expedite track and signal improvements, bridge replacements and other investments to improve mass transit in Connecticut and the Northeast."
On May 17, an eastbound train from New York City derailed during the evening rush hour, came to a stop and was struck about 20 seconds later by a westbound train, according to the The National Transportation Safety Board. About 700 people were on board.
The rail safety agency is still investigating the wreck, but has ruled out foul play.
"We have to make decisions as a country as to whether or not we're willing to step up to the plate and pay enough in taxes to the federal government to make sure that disasters don't happen on this line," Murphy said Wednesday.
Himes said making a greater commitment to the Boston-to-Washington rail corridor is long overdue.
"You don't need to spend a lot of time on Metro-North and Amtrak to know that our service here is far substandard and probably dangerous," he said. "When you give up on keeping people safe on the rails, you have completely given up on the economic growth that those rails bring. When you're worried about your tracks falling apart, you're not thinking forward."
Blumenthal said the nation needs a rail trust fund similar to the United States Highway Trust Fund, which is built through the federal 18.3-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline, a 24.4-cent-per-gallon diesel fuel tax and related excise taxes. The rail fund, he said, could be funded with low-interest treasury bonds and various rail usage fees.
"There's tremendous demand out there for U.S. Treasury bonds -- they're rock solid," he said.
Blumenthal said he will be chairman of an upcoming hearing of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, at which the rail trust fund is to be discussed.
"I've talked to a number of my colleagues about it, and they seemed to think that this was a good idea," he said. "The good news is that every community, every state, has rails like these."
Blumenthal said Republicans in Congress who are resistant to spending on infrastructure should remember that it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower who spent billions in the 1950s to create the interstate highway system.
"This cause used to be bipartisan," Blumenthal said, adding that the GOP needs to free itself from the "ideological straitjacket" on spending and view this as an investment.
Murphy agreed.
"Investment in this rail line is an economic investment -- in the city of Bridgeport and the state of Connecticut," he said.
During the news conference on the eastern end of the New York-bound platform, a number of Metro-North trains rumbled by, as well as an Amtrak Acela Express.
Murphy suggested that at least some of this investment could come from Amtrak.
"Amtrak makes a lot of profit on the trains that run through here," he said. "Three hundred million dollars every year in profit from Amtrak trains running on these tracks."
Murphy said that these Amtrak profits are spent elsewhere in the nation, not in the Northeast.
"They should spent it here," he said.
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View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.
Santa Monica, Calif., police in October vowed to crack down on pedestrians and motorists who disobey right-of-way laws in an attempt to curb a rash of traffic incidents involving vehicles and Angelenos on foot.
The stepped-up enforcement began just days before a study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute revealed that Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians.
The study released last month investigated crash patterns in the megacities of New York and Los Angeles in comparison with crash patterns for the entire U.S. Data from eight years (2002-2009) were included in the analysis.
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New York and Los Angeles see far more pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities as a percentage of traffic deaths than the national average. In New York, pedestrian fatalities accounted for 49.6 percent of crash deaths, more than four times the national average of 11.4 percent, according to the study. In LA, pedestrian fatalities made up 32.4 percent of all traffic-related deaths.
Fatal crashes involving bicyclists also made up a higher proportion of traffic deaths in the two cities. In New York, that number is 6.1 percent, more than three times the national average of 1.7 percent. In LA, 2.8 percent of fatal crashes involved bicyclists.
According to the study, more crashes and more fatal crashes also occur at night in New York and Los Angeles than on average in the United States. Particularly in New York, more fatal crashes happen at intersections and on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less.
When NBC4 visited Santa Monica on Tuesday, cameras captured several close calls in the coastal city's intersections.
In one incident, a driver honked his horn to warn pedestrians stepping into the crosswalk that he's not giving them the right of way. They take it in stride and keep walking, but before they can make it to the other side, two more cars race by within inches of them.
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In 2012 alone, 88 pedestrians in Santa Monica were struck by vehicles. Three of them were killed.
"It's distracted driving, not knowing where you're going, being in a rush, and alcohol is always a negative," said Sgt. Richard Lewis.
October sting operations aimed at cracking down on those in cars and on foot who ignore pedestrian laws are an effort to prevent tragedies such as the death of Claire Rose. She was killed by a hit-and-run driver on July 16, her 30th birthday, while in the crosswalk at 21st Street and Wilshire Boulevard.
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Despite offering a reward, police have been unable to find the black Toyota Corolla that fatally struck Rose.
Rose's death left her boyfriend, Sasha Rasmussen, devastated.
"My life's been turned upside down," he said. "My insides have been crushed. Claire was everything to me."
Also on NBCLosAngeles.com: Sex offenders sue to overturn Halloween restrictions
Enforcing laws to make streets safer for pedestrians, Rasmussen said, is a step in the right direction, but he'd like to see structural changes, like better lighting for crosswalks and more traffic cameras.
"I would say to drivers be cautious. Be aware. Pay attention to what's going on, because Claire was an amazing person," Rasmussen said.
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By GEETA ANAND
After eight operations on patients whose jawbones turned out to be dead, oral surgeon Salvatore Ruggiero began doing some research in February 2001. He scoured the patients' medical records and discovered they had something in common: They were cancer patients taking a drug called Aredia to combat bone loss.
Dr. Ruggiero, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, says that year he phoned the drug's maker, Novartis AG, to find out if there were other reports of patients on Aredia suffering from osteonecrosis of the jaws, or jawbone death.
He says he also reported his cases on MedWatch, the Food and Drug Administration's computer system for tracking dangerous side effects from drugs.
Since then, Dr. Ruggiero has gathered 90 cases in which patients taking Aredia and Novartis's successor drug, Zometa, have experienced dental problems so severe they have lost portions of their jaws. Other oral surgeons have been reporting the same problem. It wasn't until November 2003 that Novartis first noted the possible side effect on the drugs' package inserts.
Dr. Ruggiero's experience in bringing his patients' jaw problems to the attention of Novartis and the FDA underscores how challenging it is -- and how long it can take -- for companies and regulators to act on potentially dangerous side effects of marketed drugs. The issue has been at the center of two pharmaceutical debacles this year: the drug industry's delayed recognition of suicide risk associated with pediatric antidepressant use, and Merck & Co.'s withdrawal of the painkiller Vioxx after a clinical trial linked long-term use to the risk of heart attack and stroke.
In September of 2004, Novartis at the direction of the FDA added a "precaution" to the drugs' labels and sent letters warning doctors of the potential side effect. "Osteonecrosis of the jaws has been reported in patients with cancer receiving treatment regimens including" Aredia and Zometa, the label says. Novartis says as of September it had received 500 case reports of jaw problems in people taking Aredia and Zometa.
The oral surgeons believe that the two Novartis drugs, which are useful in stopping cancer cells from dissolving bone, end up causing problems in the jaws of some patients precisely because they interfere with the bone-dissolving process. New cells don't grow unless the old ones are killed off. The bone doesn't heal following dental work and is more prone to infections.
Novartis officials say they acted as quickly as they could when the potential problems with Aredia and Zometa were brought to their attention. They say their records indicate they first heard from Dr. Ruggiero in July 2002 and it wasn't until January 2003 that he detailed his case reports.
Novartis says it still isn't convinced the drugs are the cause of the osteonecrosis, and it has commissioned two studies to try to find out. The process will take at least another year to complete.
That's too long, says Dr. Ruggiero, who says patients are suffering needlessly because the public hasn't been kept informed about the heightened risks of dental work in people taking these drugs. Oncologists need to know about the potential problems too, so they can spot them earlier. "Many people lost their jaws or portions of their jaws, and that didn't need to happen," he says.
Suzanne Strakhov, 71 years old, a Northport, N.Y., substance-abuse counselor who has metastatic breast cancer, developed the jaw problem in late 2001 or early 2002 after taking Aredia for about a year. An oral surgeon removed four teeth and scraped the bone underneath to promote healing. When the wounds didn't heal, her surgeon referred her to Dr. Ruggiero, an expert in this area.
Dr. Ruggiero diagnosed her problem almost immediately. He scraped the bone two more times trying to kill the infection, but was finally forced to remove another tooth and part of her jaw, she says. Last year, an infection erupted in her jaw that caused her chin to swell and landed her in the hospital for four days on intravenous antibiotics. "It's been a terrible ordeal, but I'm happy to be here," Ms. Strakhov says.
Months after he first reported his cases on MedWatch, Dr. Ruggiero says he didn't hear from the FDA or see any changes in the drugs' package inserts. He called MedWatch, using the number on the FDA Web site, in 2002 to ask whether the agency had received his information. "How many of these do I have to put on before something gets done?" he recalls asking. A MedWatch official assured him she had seen the cases and was waiting for a critical mass before approaching Novartis, he says.
An FDA spokeswoman said the agency won't discuss Dr. Ruggiero's MedWatch reports or communication with Novartis because it is privileged. But she said it takes time for the agency to analyze reports on MedWatch and figure out if there is a strong link with the medicine in question.
Dr. Ruggiero says he began making regular calls to Novartis directly to report his growing osteonecrosis caseload. He says Novartis sent someone to go through his files some time in 2002. Deborah Bunsire, senior price president and North American region head of Novartis's oncology division, says her records indicate the company sent representatives to view Dr. Ruggiero's cases in 2003.
The company had heard about a presentation Dr. Ruggiero made at an oral-surgery meeting in January of that year linking osteonecrosis of the jaw with the two Novartis drugs. Dr. Ruggiero says Novartis officials told him they were continuing to investigate the problem and still weren't certain that their two drug were causing the condition.
In the summer of 2003, another oral surgeon, Robert Marx, a department chief at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, called Novartis to say he was writing a medical alert in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery warning of the problem with the two drugs. He says he also phoned the FDA.
Dr. Marx says he'd long suspected a link between the drugs and the jaw problems but had waited to call Novartis and the FDA until he was certain. He had 36 cases of osteonecrosis of the jaws that he believed were linked to the two drugs. His article was published in the journal's September 2003 issue.
That month, Novartis filed a notice with the FDA stating it wanted to report the osteonecrosis cases in the drugs' package insert.
By December 2003, Dr. Ruggiero had 54 patients with osteonecrosis of the jaw. Novartis invited Drs. Ruggiero and Marx to a meeting of oncologists and top company scientists in San Antonio. At the meeting, the oral surgeons say, the Novartis officials seemed skeptical of the existence of a link with their drugs. Why hadn't the jaw problems come up in the company's animal studies or in clinical trials? The drugs are used for multiple myeloma and other cancers that have spread to the bone. Patients taking the drugs are usually very sick and taking many other medicines, including steroids and chemotherapy drugs, which also are associated with a higher incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw.
The Novartis officials talked about commissioning more studies to find out if there really was a link. The oral surgeons say they urged Novartis not to wait for the years it would take to do studies that would prove beyond doubt there was a problem. "We need to make the public aware of this problem. People are losing their jaws over this," Dr. Ruggiero recalls saying.
Novartis officials again met with Dr. Ruggiero, Dr. Marx and oncologists in New Jersey. Novartis officials said they wanted to publish a consensus paper advising doctors of the symptoms and how to treat them. A draft of the paper circulated among the group, but it hasn't been published yet. Novartis says some of the oncologists were skeptical about the purported link between the osteonecrosis cases and the drugs.
A patient advocacy group, the International Myeloma Foundation, surveyed 1,203 myeloma and breast-cancer patients and found 75 reporting a diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw. Another 77 said they had experienced symptoms including exposed bone and bone spurs. "We found a very strong correlation with taking these drugs and developing osteonecrosis," says Brian Durie, a hematologist and co-founder of the foundation.
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It be Wednesday…
Leigh has got a new Camera and is going to tell you EVERYTHING about it… *SAD*. Even though he suddenly realises people will soon be able to SEE him doing stupid stuff. DirtyBoxers.net is being transfered – be warned! Ben then explains the difference between Beer & Ale.
The Dirty Boxers Ale is a plan of 'spinn-off' product of the show. British Witters suggests perhaps a Dirty Boxers Banger [Sausage].
A Michigan woman attempted to hire a hitman to murder her husband because 'it was easier than divorcing him.' The system used to broadcast to the United States in times of national crisis can be hacked, researchers have warned [link


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Posts Tagged 'cross-pollination'
Percy Schmeiser went up against Monsanto
Percy Schmeiser is a well-known Saskatchewan canola breeder and organic farmer who came into contact with Monsanto when he found unwanted genetically-modified (GM) canola plants growing in his field. His struggles, lawsuits and victories are well documented in the press, and I had the chance to see him speak live here in Kamloops on Jan. 25 at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). He is in his eighties now, and sometimes goes on speaking tours to educate people about what he sees as the dangers of GM foods. He spoke to around 175 people in the Clocktower auditorium.
Monsanto is now the largest seed company in the world.
I took some audio and pictures of his talk, and here is part of what he had to say:
Schmeiser says these are the fundamental issues that were on the line when he took Monsanto to the Supreme Court of Canada: Video
Schmeiser says Monsanto threatened him in various ways: Video
He said that farmers fall under Monsanto's contracts even if they haven't signed. They are bound by virtue of what is in their fields–so if Monsanto's GE plants pollinate with your plants and begin to grow on your property, even if you don't want them there, you can be held responsible. He read out the contract, and it was, frankly, shocking. Here is some more information about the contracts Monsanto produces.
Monsanto has its own investigation and police force, and puts out ads encouraging people to let them know if they see 'Monsanto's' plants growing in their neighbour's fields. The company offers gifts to anyone who provides information.
For more information on Schmeiser, his history with Monsanto, and his views, search his name in Google and you will have plenty of information on your hands.
Here are some more bits of information about GM foods for folks who are not familiar:
GM crops were first introduced to the world in 1996.
Genetically-modified organisms (GMO's) are not labelled in our food in North America, despite all the unknowns. In Europe, GM food is banned. (As one consequence of this, North America cannot export GM crops, or crops contaminated with GM genes, to Europe. Canola is one of these crops, since it can no longer be guaranteed GM-free even if it's organically grown, due to cross-contamination where the GM plants breed with the plants in the organic field.) Percy Schmeiser took Canada to court at the U.N. in Geneva over lack of GMO labelling.
The science to date about GM foods is not conclusive. The largest factor concerning GM is that its effects are unknown.
The social and political effects of GM, and the workings of Monsanto, are however much better known.
The Institute for Responsible Technology publishes the "Non-GMO Shopping Guide." One useful piece of knowledge I found when scanning through it is that, "If a non-organic product made in North America lists "sugar" as an ingredient (and NOT pure cane sugar), then it is almost certainly a combination of sugar from both sugar cane and GM sugar beets."
Here are some links to further reading about Monsanto and some of the controversies the company is involved in (and this is just the tip of the iceberg).
Monsanto, World's Largest Genetically Modified Food Producer, To Be Charged With Biopiracy In India, HuffPost Canada, Oct. 2011
Monsanto Accused In Suit Tied To Agent Orange, NPR, Feb. 1, 2012
Haitian Farmers Commit to Burning Monsanto Hybrid Seeds, The WIP, May 2011
Occupy Wall Street Stands with Farmers, Says Enough! to Monsanto, CommonDreams, Jan. 31
This WordPress blog has many articles relating to both Monsanto and food issues generally: Food Freedom
A couple of Monsanto's technologies:
There is so much to learn about GM, and it's an ongoing discussion in the larger community as well as the scientific community, with new discoveries being made all the time as we deepen our understanding of this extremely powerful and potentially very dangerous technology.
It's important to separate the social structure and corporate structure of GM foods from the science of it so that we can understand each piece of the puzzle as we consider the problem. And it's equally important to be able to unite these factors and see it as a whole, for that is how it is presently operating in our world. A big part of that whole is determined by what Monsanto is up to.


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Is it me, or has Mr. Linky disappeared? I'm assuming they are having technical difficulties. Please check back so that you can add your link. I don't want to miss out on any Wordful Wednesdays!
What a gorgeous photo!
Love the cowboy hat and flips!!
Great photo!
captures summer!
Love it!!
Truly timeless. That pitures is great!! I'm excited to participate this week...I'll be back in a little bit.
Great picture! I can see why you love it so much:)
Great picture & reminder!
I can never be truly "wordless" either so I've linked up here for the first time. Thanks for hosting those of us who just can't hush! ; )
Beautiful photo! You are an artist!
Okay that picture is just C.O.O.L.!
Awwww..sweet post! Great picture!
Great photo. All Boy!!
That is a great photo.
I think we all need a little reminder about those important things!
Thanks for visiting me on my special day!
You can SO say you knew me before!!!
What is it about pics of kids with ice cream? There's one as a background on the computer beside me and it's SO cute. And one of my fave pics of my kids, was taken this summer while they were eating ice cream at the springs.
Great picture!
Loved your words! Thanks for reminding me to charish the moments. :)
there really is something magical about a little boy in a cowboy hat...adorable!
I'm with you on the wordless. FORGET it!
Missed you last night...next week??
No bunco excuses?
I love the cowboy hat, the flip flops, the ice cream and your beautiful words!
Great shot! Glad you were wordful.
What a great shot!
Checkin' in. Posted mine. I sure am glad you weren't wordless because you were right on about slowng down and enjoying the little things. It's an awesome picture!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beautiful picture! Great reminders too. I love that little tiny foot sticking out at the bottom of the picture. Something about little baby feet......precious!
Oh I love that shot! It really is a great summer picture.
Sorry about the double link. I guess someone had kindly already linked me and I didn't know it.
Cute! And your words make it even cuter!
That is a great shot and a great story. :)
Great photo...I love black and white shots.
Wonderful photo! Loved it before it all loaded!
I'm SO far behind on my reading that I don't think I'll be joining this week :( { never got things read from Fridays posting..... gotta catch up!}
i love this picture! it so brings back memories of childhood summers. i don't think i had one ice cream cone this summer. bad, allie!
hope you're having a great week!
Awesome photo and great advise!
I sooo want to participate in WW, let me go see if I can come up with something...
Such a sweet picture! LOVE the cowboy hat!
Sweet pic!
Adorable picture and wonderful caption. Thank you for posting this. I have been so stressed out lately with Mason and this just reminded me that I need to slow down and enjoy.
Always, always wear a cowboy hat when eating ice cream!
great photo! i think i am going to have to start playing along... especially since i helped with the new name :)
I put one up.
Isn't it fantastic how easily amused they are?!
Although, I must say... ice cream keeps me pretty amused too :)
This is a great shot. Love the hat. Found you at Mama Kat's.
It also takes a great Mom to let the kids wear the hat in public and to buy the icecream that will be down the elbows and chin and front of the shirt. I don't do either often enough. Thanks for the reminder.
I finally get it together for a wordful wednesday & mr. linky isn't cooperating - figures.
GREAT photo!! this is one that will be a classic - timeless.
Yep, Mr. Linky went to lunch!!!
Love it Angie. Besides the fact that your kids are always just so dang cute, You definitely capture the moment so beautifully.
I love the photo! You are awesome Angie! I've enjoyed getting caught up with your posts.
Such a cute and frame worthy photo!
I HEART this picture. Your thoughts go along with it perfectly! I love it.
Sorry I can't play along today...my husband stripped my computer and took away all my precious pics!! I will be back for next week though.
Sweet innocence. I love this picture, too!
what a lovely photo. YOu really have some mad photo skills!
We LOVE Wordful Wednesdays & we LOVE this photo! You rock Miss Angie!
love the hat!!! and now, i want ice cream. :)
I actually like the words with the pictures on Wordful Wednesday. This is a great photo and the words that go with it are so true!
Great picture. Captured summer.
Great job on the ice cream pic. i love ice cream and mason does too. definately a great summer time pic. can't wait to see what is around the corner for fall.
you are a photographer! how precious
very sweet. that looks like a framer!!
very cute
Love this photo! Sorry I missed joining in this week. i'll be back next week for sure.
Such a sweet photo. Love those little cowboys!!!
Nice shot!
So true. I miss summer already!
The cowboy hat with the flip flops. Classic!
That is perfection! Love imagining his happy li'l face beneath that classic Opie Taylor cowboy hat.
(PS adding you to my blog stalks!)
Well this is my first time to jump in, but Mama Kat brought me here so I thought I would join in on the fun.
uh. I totally forgot AGAIN. Next week. Next week for sure.
Your kids are sugar.
thank you sweetie! I love your comments; always sugar & spice!
Me again! : )
I've left you some "love" over at my blog. Come check it out when you get a chance!
Hats are HUGE in our house. They'll do anything to wear a hat with their outfit!
Great photo!
Not only am I not wordless, I can't post just one pic--glad you are full of grace and mercy!
Love, love the cowboy ice cream photo--and I love that it's in black and white--beautiful!
Such a cute picture! It definitely deserves a frame!
i like the angle you took.
so cute.
Oh, I'm sad I miss this WW.
I'll keep my photo posting for PSF than.
Love the photo!!!
Awesome photo and awesome words. So true.
My little one loves his little cowboy hat.
Also, I forgot to do this week. Will be back next week!
What an awesome pic. I love it. So true. Simple pleasures. Simple pleasures.
That. Picture. Is. Awesome. A framer if I EVER saw one!!!!!


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Chinese trend growth: Productivity growth - the Solow perspective
Chinese trend growth: Productivity growth - the Solow perspective
In the first note of this trilogy, we looked at what a declining population means for China's growth and concluded that the impact was minimal, and outstripped by the effects of urbanisation but even more by the effects of labour productivity growth. Here, we examine productivity growth in more detail.
Productivity growth
For the workforce, productivity can be boosted by the simple expedient of adding more capital (while technological progress is also an important driver particularly in more advanced economies).
To give a hugely simplified example, more machines mean workers can produce more goods. This then raises the question of how much capital can be added, and for what return.
Clearly, at some point the addition of more machines in a factory would not raise the output per worker, because each worker would already be fully occupied utilising the existing machinery.
We might then suppose there is some optimum level of capital per worker, beyond which it does not pay to invest in additional units. This is the starting point of the Solow growth model.
In the Solow growth model, economic growth is driven by the accumulation of physical capital until this optimum level of capital per worker, the so-called "steady state", is reached.
The steady state itself is determined by labour force growth, the savings rate, and the rate of depreciation.
The model predicts more rapid growth when the level of physical capital per capita is low, something often referred to as "catch up" growth.
When the steady state is reached, growth in per capita incomes is determined entirely by technological progress.
All things being equal, therefore, the model predicts that emerging markets should grow faster than developed markets, and this is generally what we see. So what does the model predict for China?
Playing catch-up
Chart 1 shows the estimated capital stock per worker in China, South Korea and the US.
In the simplest form of the Solow model, we would assume China's convergence over time with the US, which implies that there is a great deal of investment left to go given a gap of over $90,000 per head.
Yet it is possible that the US is the wrong example to choose for China; the countries have different savings rates in both physical and human capital, so convergence is not assured.
We might instead look at Korea, which bears greater similarities to China in a number of ways, but importantly this includes the behaviour of fertility and saving, rendering it a more likely point for convergence.
It turns out that the scope for catch up is still significant, so again Solow's model still implies a growth rate above that seen in developed markets for as long as it takes to close the gap.
We would also argue that the disparity in capital stocks demonstrates very clearly that China has not exhausted her investment opportunities, as some claim.
The next question to ask then is how long this catch up process is likely to take.
Given that we would like to use the results of this analysis to provide estimates of trend growth, using growth forecasts to predict the path of investment would be rather circular.
Instead, given that we have identified Korea as a likely candidate for Chinese convergence, let us look at the Korean experience.
Chart 2 shows the accumulation of capital stock in Korea and China, with the timeline beginning when the per capita capital stock stood at approximately $2,500.
The thirty or so years following this point seem to have generated similar experiences in both countries, so convergence looks a plausible theory.
This implies that in around 15 years, China will be close to Korea's current level of capital per worker.
Hitting the wall
Of course, Korea's path includes a rather large bump in the form of the Asian financial crisis, and assuming identical timelines would place China just two years from that moment at most.
This is a much cited worry; that no economy has invested at the rate China has without hitting some crisis as a result.
While we would not rule this out, we would note that the Korean experience was in large part due to a high reliance on foreign capital which rendered the economy susceptible to a "sudden stop".
China, by contrast, has almost entirely self-funded its investment. This is not to say there are no risks, there are many, but there are limits to what history can tell us about the future.
With this caveat in mind, we will look to extrapolate the likely path of Chinese investment growth from the current similarity to Korea's.
Assuming convergence with Korea by 2030 implies growth in the capital stock of between 6.7% and 7.0% for the next 15 years, declining to the lower bound over time.
At this point, apologetically, we return once more to Solow, but this time to the growth accounting approach he did much to foster.
Total factor productivity
Under this approach, growth can be decomposed into three main elements: growth in the labour force, growth in the capital stock, and growth in what is commonly called total factor productivity (TFP); essentially the efficiency with which we combine labour and capital, and which is boosted by technological progress.
So to implement this approach to estimate future Chinese growth, we will need estimates of each component.
From our analysis above, we have obtained a figure (6.94%) for growth in the capital stock, and the UN produces regular working age population forecasts, which gives a number for labour force growth. So all that remains is to obtain a figure for TFP growth.
This is likely the most contentious part of our analysis given the difficulties in measuring TFP. We draw on data from the Penn World Table in what follows.
The most recent data suggest TFP growth in China was around 3% on average in 2005-10, but this is distorted by the impact of the crisis; removing that effect leaves TFP growth looking more like 2% annually.
For the US, it looks to be around 1%, and in Korea, roughly the same – though the series is volatile.
It seems unlikely that China will be able to maintain higher TFP growth rates indefinitely – much of the larger gains (some years show TFP growth of 6%+) came earlier on, possibly reflecting the massive boost to productivity from adopting radically more advanced technologies as the country industrialised.
As the level of technology converges with that in Korea or the US, TFP growth rates should do the same. Consequently, the contribution of TFP growth to overall GDP growth should diminish over time.
While we have so far framed TFP entirely in terms of technology, other factors can also impact it. Recall that we described TFP as the efficiency with which inputs are combined into outputs.
Government regulation
While technology undoubtedly plays a large role in this, government regulation also has an effect particularly give its impact on the efficiency of resource allocation.
In this simple model, the resources in question are labour and capital. On labour, restrictions on labour mobility (in the form of the hukou registration system) will reduce efficiency and hinder TFP.
On capital, a system under which credit is directed by a series of quotas and mandated lending is also likely to lead to inefficient allocation, as is evidenced by the excess capacity in China's heavy industry and property sectors.
Reforms on both fronts (as are planned) can therefore boost TFP; the success or failure of market friendly reforms could have significant growth consequences.
In Chart 3, we combine our estimates for labour and capital stock growth with a number of TFP scenarios.
In our best case, China manages to successfully implement market-based reforms, such that although TFP drops from the current 2% level in 2020, it continues to see growth in line with America's TFP of around 1% per annum.
We assume that China continues to benefit from innovation both domestically and globally, with reforms enabling the full integration of technology on a par with the rate of adoption elsewhere.
Before readers scoff at this assumption, we would refer to China's experience in e-commerce and consumer telecommunications, where in many respects they have equalled or even surpassed Western counterparts.
Alongside this, in the best case scenario, is the assumption that China manages to boost labour force participation, particularly among the older segment (50-64) of its workforce.
We discussed this in more detail in the first part of this series, but essentially participation amongst this segment is far below that in the West or Korea.
A gradual (but not complete) catch-up on this front helps cancel out the effects of a declining workforce.
The other scenarios are versions of our best case, but dropping one or more assumptions – no labour force participation increase, no reform progress, or both.
Growth assumptions
The no reform assumption reduces TFP growth to 1% in the first five-year window, and 0% thereafter, with significant GDP growth consequences. This gives us a range of potential trend growth numbers.
At one end of the scale, this provides our best case numbers of 5.7% trend growth for the next five years which then drops to 4.4% by 2030. In the worst case, trend growth today is only 4.4%, and falls to 3.1% by the final period.
The chief driver of the differences lies in the TFP assumptions we have made, so radical reforms, technological breakthroughs, or political crisis all present obvious risks to the forecast.
Overall though, it is encouraging to see a similar range of predictions as generated by our previous work looking at the demographic implications for trend growth.
Once again, we have a trend growth number some way below the official GDP number. So given that GDP tends to revert to trend, this presumably implies a significant correction, perhaps even a hard landing to come.
But as we have said, the official numbers are somewhat in doubt. With apologies to those who read our last note, we reproduce the argument below.
Depending on who you talk to, some would have Chinese growth as low as 2% (and possibly even lower).
But in that case, the correction has already happened, and we should expect an upturn in Chinese growth to return to a trend growth number of over 5%. Our view would be that Chinese growth is somewhat overstated, though chiefly through statistical errors and perhaps a tendency to round up, instead of down.
Capital Economics, for example, estimate that incorrect calculation of the GDP deflator might be overstating real GDP growth by 1-2% in the first half of 2015 - which brings the true growth number much closer to our estimate of trend growth.
Aside from this, there are few of the usual signs of an economy growing above trend; inflation pressures are extremely muted, and the Producer Price Index (PPI) is in fact in deflationary territory.
Analysis from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the Chinese output gap, estimates a negative gap under the usual methodology (i.e. the economy is below trend), but a positive gap when using a "credit augmented" measure1, and this is where we see the risk.
So, by traditional metrics, China is below trend, in that spare capacity is rampant. But this spare capacity has been achieved through above-trend credit and investment growth which has to now unwind.
We include a "China hard landing" risk scenario in our economic forecasts, but it arises from financial instabilities rather than an overheating economy.
The high and growing level of indebtedness and the opacity of balance sheets create concerns over lurking asset quality issues beyond those officially stated by banks.
Financial crisis
A financial crisis would have the potential to take growth significantly below trend, and could, as in the West, see a prolonged period of below-trend growth as the rubble is cleared. But again, this is not a result of the usual overheating typical of the end of a business cycle
Still, it would be extremely unusual for the economy to undergo such an adjustment without some cyclical volatility, and a recession at some point seems a certainty.
Further, investors will need to get used to a world in which China in all likelihood posts a lower growth number every year for at least a decade, depending on the speed of adjustment.
Rather than taking comfort from government stimulus, we would become concerned if policymakers became modern day King Canutes, trying to halt, in their case, a receding tide by unleashing stimulus after stimulus.
The more adjustment is deferred, the more painful it will ultimately prove, and there is no policy that can successfully prevent this kind of structural slowdown.
To our minds, every attempt to hold the growth rate above trend increases the risk of crisis, notwithstanding the measurement errors we mentioned above.
One other implication of our work here is that China still has significant scope for capital investment.
Yet media reports of Chinese spare capacity are almost as abundant as the country's steel production, so how can the two be compatible – is this just extreme naiveté on our part?
Our third and final instalment will examine where we think this capital could go, and the potential for consumption growth and service sector development in the new China.
1. Maliszewski, W., Longmei, Z. "China's Growth: Can Goldilocks Outgrow Bears?" IMF Working Paper 15/113↩
The views and opinions contained herein are those of Schroders' investment teams and/or Economics Group, and do not necessarily represent Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.'s house views. These views are subject to change. This information is intended to be for information purposes only and it is not intended as promotional material in any respect.


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Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
Division of Federal Employees' Compensation (DFEC)
District Office 11 Kansas City
The Federal Employees' Compensation Act provides workers' compensation coverage to three million Federal and Postal workers around the world for employment-related injuries and occupational diseases. The Division of Federal Employees' Compensation (DFEC) adjudicates new claims for benefits and manages ongoing cases; pays medical expenses and compensation benefits to injured workers and survivors; and helps injured employees return to work when they are medically able to do so.
The Kansas City District Office is dedicated to the timely and accurate processing of Federal Workers' Compensation Claims in the states of: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; all employees of the Department of Labor, except Job Corps enrollees, and their relatives.
Note: Individuals injured on the job while employed by private companies or state and local government agencies should contact their state workers' compensation board.


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Scharles Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'scharles'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Try these...
scharf scharfberg scharfe scharfenberg scharff scharffetter scharfstein scharg scharge schargg schargil schargill scharhow scharien scharioth schark scharlach scharlack scharlaw scharle scharlet scharlieb scharlier scharlinski scharll scharlok scharm scharman scharmberg scharneborn scharnebroke scharnebrune scharneck scharneford scharneles scharnels scharneton scharneton' scharnguivel scharnhorst
These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.
Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.
Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


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Lab results presented Thursday at Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial show that Michael Jackson's fingerprints were not found on medical evidence taken from his bedroom at a rented Holmby Hills mansion.
Conrad Murray Trial: Coroner's Report, Trial Timeline, Who's Who
But investigators were not able to lift prints from several pieces of medical evidence -- nine bottles of propofol, a syringe, IV tubes and sedative vials -- and a set of mystery prints was found on other items. Prosecutors read a statement, written with defense attorneys, that informed jurors a lack of prints didn't necessarily mean the evidence wasn't handled.
U.S. & World
Who touched the medication bottles and other medical evidence is important because prosecutors are trying to prove Dr. Murray administered the powerful anesthetic propofol, then failed to monitor his patient. But the defense argues that it was Jackson, not Murray, who administered a fatal dose of propofol June 25, 2009 -- the day the King of Pop died.
A coroner's report cited "acute propofol intoxication" in Jackson's death.
Defense attorneys hammered LA county coroner's investigator Elissa Fleak, the first witness on the stand Thursday, with questions about the investigation in Jackson's bedroom.
Dr. Murray's defense attorney, Ed Chernoff, questioned whether a "substantial number of mistakes'' had been made during the investigation in Jackson's bedroom. Fleak denied doing anything wrong, but said she handled a syringe found on the bedroom floor.
"I found that out later," Fleak said of a thumbprint she apparently left on the syringe.
She noted that she typically wears gloves during investigations. She said the print may have gotten on the syringe when she was moving a nightstand and glass table next to Jackson's bed to photograph a propofol bottle on the floor.
"I don't remember if I was wearing gloves when the tables were moved,'' she said.
Chernoff asked her, "You don't consider any of that a mistake?''
"A mistake? No,'' Fleak responded.
Deputy DA David Walgren picked up on the questioning, asking Fleak whether she conducted a "perfect investigation." She said, "No," and added that there are always things she would have done differently.
Coroner's toxicologist Dan Anderson also took the stand Thursday. He testified to the propofol found in Jackson's system in several different tests.
Jurors have heard about and seen pictures of the drugs throughout the trial's first eight days -- propofol, lidocaine, lorazepam and others. They've also heard testimony from one of Jackson's security guards, who claimed that a frantic Murray demanded he hide bottles of medicine when the two were in Jackson's bedroom just minutes before paramedics responded to the estate.
The medical evidence testimony came a day after jurors heard the King of Pop -- his words barely intelligible on a recording extracted from Murray's iPhone -- expressing his desire to wow fans during an upcoming tour. Prosecutors claim Jackson was under the influence of drugs at the time the recording was made -- about six weeks before his death.
Jackson also described plans to build a children's hospital after the "This Is It" concert series in London.
"That will be remembered more than my performances," Jackson said on the recording as family members and the jury listened in court. "My performance will be up there helping my children and always be my dream. I love them. I love them because I didn't have a childhood... I feel their pain. I feel their hurt. I can deal with it. 'Heal the World,' 'We are the World,' 'Will You be There,' 'The Lost Children,' these are the songs I've written because I hurt, you know, I hurt.''
Prosecutors were attempting to show that Dr. Murray should have realized by listening to Jackson's slurred and labored speech on May 10, 2009 that something was wrong. A few hours after playing the recording, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren methodically arranged drug bottles for display in the courtroom.
During opening statements, defense attorney Ed Chernoff pointed out Jackson's drive to please his fans. That ambition ultimately prompted him to give himself a fatal dose of medication, Chernoff argued, saying Jackson's doctor was trying to wean him off propofol.
"Michael Jackson started begging,'' Chernoff said. "When Michael Jackson told Dr. Murray, 'I have to sleep. They will cancel my performance,' he meant it."
Jackson created "a perfect storm" of drugs in his system, Chernoff said.
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA


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Switched from Blackberry to Optimus Boston (Andoid)
Since I have this blog that I write here about each cellphone swap I do, even if this is the first time I'm writing about it only after the switch has been made. Part of the reason for that is that I wasn't really planing to swap phones: I've been really happy with my Blackberry Pearl, even if the 2 years old telephone was starting to ask for an update: GPS for the occasional walk in the city in places where I need Google Maps (I need that a lot more than you might think: I don't drive, and I don't have any kind of orientation skills - I lived 6 years or so in Coimbra, and with an effort I still can get lost in that city; curiously, now that I have a GPS on the phone, I didn't tried it yet) and HDSPA are welcomed. Yet, it was this phone appearing that made me change it - that and the fact that Paula was craving the Blackberry for herself (spoiler here: she now wants another one like mine). For comparison, here are two movies of both the phones:
Optimus Boston
- I'm switching to a cellphone without physical keyboard, and I am used to type a lot on my cellphone;
- It was impossible for me, whatever I did to try it, to use up all the Pearl's battery in less than 24 hours. I'm not asking for 24 hours, but I would expect a phone to manage to stay on for the duration of a day - minimum 16 hours. I still didn't have one "usual day" with my phone to make sure of how much does it take to discharge to the point of shutting down, but I'm starting to think that possibly it won't stand on that long, for the kind of use I expect to do with it.
I just installed it, run it on my Blackberry (via EDGE, so I left my SIM card on Blackberry and started playing with Boston without SIM), and it just started uploading contacts on one side, and they were appearing on the other side. How? Well, one of the first questions the cellphone made me was something like "do you want google stuff?", so I said yes, inserted my credentials, et voilá - contacts, calendar, mail, all on the phone at once. Oh, of course it needed connectivity, so when it said to me "do you want to use wireless?" I said yes, configured the AP (because it isn't open WiFi), and I was online. What about exchange or other "corporate-stuff" Blackberries are so known for? Well, painless is the word. Boston comes already with Roadsync applications installed by default, with their icons and widget on one of the three virtual desktops. The name of the apps "roadwhatever" made me not to touch them, but touching on the widget it just told me "do you want to configure your exchange account?" Now, setting up an exchange account usually sucks, right? Not this time, it was just next-next-next-done. There, calendar and mail on the phone.
I am planing on writting a more interesting blogpost on the future (including pros and cons of this phone, Android, why isn't running Debian yet ;-) and stuff like that, but that will have to be for another time :-) If you don't want to wait, well, I sometimes kind of talk about it on my friendfeed...


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Stephen Colbert can knock one thing off of his bucket list.
The Colbert Report host and "Lord of the Rings" fan is set to make a cameo in "The Hobbit" trilogy, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
So, what role will the Comedy Central funnyman be taking on in the fantasy flicks?
U.S. & World
Stephen Colbert talks Jon Stewart bromance
We'll just have to wait and see.
Details regarding Colbert's character, including how big the role will be, are being kept under wraps for now.
The site did report, however, that Colbert will not make an appearance in the first film of the trilogy -- "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which stars Elijah Wood, Martin Freeman, and Orlando Bloom, among others.
Colbert's "Hobbit" casting news might not come as that much of a surprise, though.
In an interview in Playboy's November issue, Colbert hinted he might be making an appearance in one of the upcoming films.
Stephen Colbert helps Jon Stewart prep for Bill O'Reilly debate
"[Director] Peter Jackson invited me to the set last year," Colbert told the magazine. "I flew out and watched them shoot some scenes and went to some locations. I saw a 25-minute cut, and it was amazing. Jackson knows I'm a big fan of the films."
When asked if he was going to be in the movie, Colbert replied with a smile, "Could be."


text: When you think of "cute," you probably think of puppies, kittens or bunnies. We think of amigurumi monsters! In this class, you'll learn every step of the process to designing and crocheting your own cuddly, super-adorable amigurumi creature. Use a range of different shapes, including circles, cylinders and spheres, to create various monster parts, like heads, arms and legs. Combine these parts in numerous ways to create truly creative and unique monsters. The secret to creative crocheting is smart planning and good designyou'll learn both in this class. Also included are eight monster patterns designed by Stacey. Make them just as she does, or customize them to make your own!


text: The USC Catalogue is the document of authority for all students. The program requirements listed in the USC Catalogue supersede any information which may be contained in any bulletin or viewbook of any school or department. The university reserves the right to change its policies, rules, regulations, requirements for graduation, course offerings and any other contents of this catalogue at any time.


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Manchester student, 14, dies after being pulled from pool
MANCHESTER -- Police say a 14-year-old student has died after he was pulled from a Manchester High School swimming pool during a swim class.
Manchester police Capt. Chris Davis said the freshman student was participating in a class led by a physical education teacher Wednesday morning when he was found under water. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Offiicals have not released the student's identity.
Davis said it is too soon to say exactly what happened and a full review will be conducted.


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15-minute chicken pasta
Nutrition and extra info
- Easily doubled
- Healthy
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal531
- fat11g
- saturates1g
- carbs70g
- sugars0g
- fibre6g
- protein43g
- salt0.52g
- 350g pasta bows (farfalle)
Pasta is the Italian name for Italy's version of a basic foodstuff which is made in many…
- 300g broccoli, cut into small florets
Like cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli is a brassica and is sometimes known by its Italian name…
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 3 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
While it's the traditional Christmas bird, turkey is good to eat all year round, though…
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- juice of 1 large or 2 small oranges
One of the best-known citrus fruits, oranges aren't necessarily orange - some varieties are…
- 25g flaked almond, toasted
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Three minutes before the pasta is cooked, throw the broccoli into the pasta water and continue to boil.
While the pasta is cooking, gently heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Tip in the chicken and fry, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked and golden, about 8-10 minutes, adding the garlic for the last 2 minutes.
Mix the mustard with the orange juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, and gently simmer for a minute or two. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Toss the pasta and broccoli with the chicken, stir in the pasta water and the almonds, season well and serve.
Recipe Tip
Making it nut-freePine nuts are an ideal replacement for the almonds if you have a nut allergy, as they are in fact a seed from a variety of pine tree.


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|Wiz Hotel is a new hotel located on Thappraya Road Soi 8 with 2 buildings 3 & 6 floor include 44 Deluxe rooms. Wiz Hotel core proposition is to offer a great night's sleep at a great price every days. All of the Wiz hotel feature space-efficient, streamlined rooms focusing on high-quality basics: 5-star beds and powerful hot showers. Though minimally priced, the strategically located hotel provide housekeeping services, electronic keycard access into rooms, extensive CCTV systems, Swimming pool, Internet wi-fi guarantee 3 Mb/s download speed per user.
|Deluxe Room (Double / Twin)
|Swimming Pool


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Growing up, I was not allowed to have Barbies. The blond, long-legged, impossibly-proportioned, tip-toed plastic plaything was explicitly contraband for reasons I couldn't really discern. I think I pouted about this for approximately five minutes–I gravitated more towards crayons and Legos anyway. And I had a friend who LOVED Barbies–and I HATED when she made me play them with her. It was boring. Intensely so. The pink sportscar was cool, but Ken seemed like kind of a tool. And I'm sure the hot tub was fun for them — but I would have rather walked down to the neighborhood pool and taken a dip myself.
The only times I felt a pang of Barbolust were when commercials interrupted whatever shenanigans the Smurfs were currently embroiled in, or when one of my parents (now, I can only assume, whichever one had lost the bet) allowed me a trip to the Hell on Earth that is Toys'R'Us. In other words, when I was reduced to a target of what Peggy Orenstein might call "the princess industrial complex."
In her new book "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" (points for epic title), Orenstein investigates the "princess phase," in all its pink and sparkly glory. From the origins of Disney's "Princess" market to a toy fair at the Javits Center in New York, the callous marketing–and sexualizing–of young girls Orenstein reveals will indeed make you long for something pink: Pepto.
Or Pinot.
As Annie Murphy Paul writes in this weekend's NYT review of the book,
The toy fair is one of many field trips undertaken by Orenstein in her effort to stem the frothy pink tide of princess products threatening to engulf her young daughter. The author of "Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap," among other books, Orenstein is flummoxed by the intensity of the marketing blitz aimed at girls barely old enough to read the label on their Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. 'I had read stacks of books devoted to girls' adolescence,' she writes, 'but where was I to turn to understand the new culture of little girls, from toddler to 'tween,' to help decipher the potential impact–if any–of the images and ideas they were absorbing about who they should be, what they should buy, what made them girls?'
And that's the thing. I outgrew this phase years ago, when VCRs were hot new technology. But today, we are literally saturated in media. And not just little girls.
I was having a conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago, and we were talking about our uniforms. Not like employer-mandated uniforms, but the uniforms of our own making. Despite the fact that I write a fashion column, I can more often than not be found in jeans, boots, and an embellished white top of one sort or another. It's kind of pathetic, but whatever. (Frankly, while writing the book, it was a miracle I ever bothered to get dressed at all.) Anyway, we were laughing about how the only time you feel the need to purchase something else is when you're shopping, which inspired a Hanibal Lector impression. (Forgive me–I adore Silence of the Lambs and am thrilled whenever I have an excuse.) When he's trying to help Clarice realize Buffalo Bill's identity–the next door neighbor of his first victim–he asks her: What do we covet? She fumbles around, and he gets pissy: No! he says, We covet what we see!
Is that to say that princesses aren't born, but made? Orenstein might think so. I might agree–but I also don't think it's too hard to imagine that a little girl raised in a vacuum might be as likely to pick up a doll as a crayon. (Although actually, the littlest of kids I know tend to go for the box the doll or the crayons came in until they're old enough to know better.)
But I really wonder about the other question here: the one that has to do with how we define ourselves–and how intently our culture directs us to do it with what's on the outside. Citing developmental psychology research, Orenstein says that until age 7, kids are convinced that external signs–hair cut, clothes, toys–determine whether they're boys or girls.
It makes sense, then, that to ensure you will stay the sex you were born you'd adhere rigidly to the rules as you see them and hope for the best… That's why 4 year-olds, who are in what is called 'the inflexible stage' become the self-appointed chiefs of the gender police. Suddenly the magnetic lure of the Disney Princesses became more clear to me: developmentally speaking, they were genius, dovetailing with the precise moment that girls need to prove they are girls, when they will latch on to the most exaggerated images their culture offers in order to stridently shore up their femininity.
…And then what happens? What other images do we buy into? The back to nature earth mama, the cultural sophisticate, the savvy city slicker, the competent professional? Like the little girls in the throes of an identity crisis who insist on wearing their princess get-up to school, when we're threatened with tough decisions of the Who-Are-You variety, are we lured back into a one-dimensional picture of ourselves–and do we then behave accordingly? And surround ourselves with people and places and jobs and things that shore up that identity?
Breaking out of a mold can be as difficult as busting a brand-new Barbie free of her overzealous packaging, and, you know, shortcuts are easy–that's the appeal. But when we define ourselves using shortcuts, are we really just selling ourselves short?


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Charlamagne Sells Out To Diddy After Dissing Him. Hes Now Listening To Last Train To Paris, Drinking Ciroc & Rocking Diddy Beats! Went From "Kaleena Got A Haircut Like Lil Boosie" To "Kaleena The Finest Girl. Diddy One Of The Top 5 Rappers Of All Time"
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DETROIT – During the Christmas season, the City of Detroit Fire Marshal Steven P. Hurst is reminding residents about the potential fire hazards of Christmas decorations.
By following his safety check list, families can greatly reduce the risk of tree related fires this holiday season.
If you choose to buy a natural tree, look for a fresh one.
Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire than older trees.
When purchasing a tree:
- Make a 1 inch cut at base of tree.
- Check tree for dryness.
- Needles of a fresh tree will bend as opposed to breaking in half.
- Place tree firmly in a stand with plenty of room for water.
- Check water level daily and add if needed.
- Keep tree at least three feet away from any space heaters.
- Check electrical cords for wear and outlets for overloading.
- Never leave a lighted tree unattended.
- Don't let tree block exits or stairs.
- Keep tree away from portable heaters and other heat sources.
Never use lights or electrical products to decorate a metal or aluminum tree.


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I actually got this from a ton of people. It does an excellent job of portraying what pretty much all of us went through with this pony nonsense. We have seen a bunch of these videos in the past, but why not add another to the pile?!
Check it out after the break, or at their website here.


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The Royal Law
The law against showing partiality to the wealthy shows up first in Leviticus 19 (v. 15), the same chapter where we read that we must love our neighbors as ourselves (v. 18). Thus, we can see that treating all of ...Read More
Heirs of the Kingdom
Though it is not sinful to be rich, there is the danger that the more money we have, the more likely we are to spend all of our money selfishly on ourselves. However, the Bible tells us that this is ...Read More
No Partiality
In today's passage, we see the high Christology of James who refers to Jesus as the "Lord of glory" (v. 1). His glory is that which is to be esteemed above all else in the church. Thus there is no ...Read More
Undefiled Religion
Does your relationship with Jesus impact others? Do you know when to bridle your tongue for the sake of edifying other believers? Does your relationship manifest itself in a religion of service that helps to provide for widows and orphans ...Read More
Doers of the Word
"The law of liberty" (v. 25) refers to the whole of the Word of God, more specifically, the old covenant laws and promises and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. How do you look at the Law? Do you go to ...Read More
Recieve With Meekness
Are you continually making an effort to receive the "implanted word" with meekness and humility? Are you being diligent with the tools that help you learn the Word of God such as Bible study and hearing the preached Word? Take ...Read More
Slow to Anger
All of us can recall times when we were too quick to speak and not quick enough to hear the whole story. Some of the most hurtful things that we have said or that have been said to us have ...Read More
Every Good Gift
Though it is hard for us to understand, the Bible is clear that even in evil God is working out good things for His people. In the midst of the most terrible circumstances, God prepares good gifts for us, some ...Read More
Temptation's Source
God is never responsible for the evil in this world or the temptations that may produce it. He may ordain evil for the purposes of His good plan, but all wickedness that comes about is from the evil inclinations of ...Read More
The Crown of Life
What are the trials in your life? Are you currently facing some sort of persecution for your faith in Christ? Do you find yourself suffering from an illness? Is a lack of money causing you to doubt, or is the ...Read More


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RICHMOND, Virginia -- When Barry Farmer goes out with his three sons, he said its not uncommon for people to stare. Farmer is black and his three sons are white.
"It's a typical family," said Farmer. "We may not look alike, but it's a typical family."
Eight years ago, the 29-year-old decided he wanted to be a foster parent.
"I went through the training, the director who was there told me I was perfect for the program," said Farmer. "I didn't expect one kid, let alone three."
Now, he's the father of 14-year-old Darrell, 12-year-old Xavier, and 6-year-old Jeremiah.
"When someone calls you dad, you're like, 'who me?' I just like taking care of children," said Farmer.
Farmer's oldest son, Darrell told ABC affiliate, WRIC, seven years ago, his dad asked him the most important question of his life.
"Dad was like, 'can I be your dad forever?' And I was like, 'you already are.' And that is how I came to stay here," said Darrell. "I was in this dark spot at first and then he just comes in the picture. And everything's all right."
Farmer adopted all three boys because he believes everyone deserves a family. He admits that at first, he and his three children received several looks from strangers.
"In this day in time when it comes to family, and seeing color or seeing unity and belonging, and that's what I was hoping to accomplish with my family anyway," said Farmer. ""When I have them now I can't imagine them anywhere else, and it's a typical family."
Man adopts 3 boys because he believes everyone deserves a family
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Wonder what you would find if you frisked the Democrats' claim that they can solve the country's fiscal problems by raising taxes on the so-called "rich"?
Answer: There's not enough of those "rich people" to raise taxes on.
Props to the Wall Street Journal and Power Line for reporting this story:
This chart from the Wall Street Journal tells you pretty much all you need to know about the credibility of the Democrats' claim that they can solve the country's fiscal problems by raising taxes on "the rich." The chart, based on 2008 IRS data, shows how much total income was reported by Americans in each income range.
Notice where all the money comes from.
The problem with rich people (or, more properly high income earners) is that there aren't enough of them. Upper-income taxpayers are already paying around double their fair (pro rata) share of federal income taxes on the average, and there simply aren't enough dollars at the high end to pay for the Democrats' spending spree, even if the Dems try to steal them all. The only way to balance the budget through tax increases is by going where most of the money is–the $50,000 to $500,000 adjusted gross income range.
In the end, if President Obama wants to solve our fiscal problems by increasing taxes, he would have to go after the middle-class. Good luck proposing that plan to the American people.


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Poole: Jason Kidd's retirement a smart call by wise NBA star
Even as he thought about coaching or becoming a general manager and talked about being part-owner of a pro sports team, Jason Kidd was reluctant to do the one thing that defined him as a player.
That is, giving up the basketball.
Yet that's exactly what Kidd did Monday.
Two months after saying he had every intention of fulfilling the final two seasons of a three-year contract with the New York Knicks, the one-time Bay Area, Calif. hoops prodigy, now 40, decided to leave the NBA to the youngsters.
It was the right decision made at the proper time, for Kidd over 19 seasons touched every corner of every floor in the league, making a clear and distinct impression upon millions of fans, thousands of players, hundreds of coaches and dozens of franchises.
A megastar at Cal, Kidd was the exceedingly rare player who did not need to score to have an acute impact on the outcome of a game.
He was the unselfish point guard who made the right pass at the right time, to the right teammate, in precisely the right place.
He was the unimpressive jump shooter who made more 3-pointers than all but two men in NBA history, the iron man who played more minutes and grabbed more rebounds than any guard in league history.
But the effects of age and mileage were painfully evident during the Eastern Conference semifinals between New York and Indiana. Always a high-energy force, dictating tempo on offense and disrupting opponents on defense, a visibly slower Kidd was reduced to a role player getting only slightly more action than an assistant coach.
Time after time in the decisive final minutes of games, the smartest player in the league was a spectator bound to the bench.
For the first time in his career, that's precisely where Jason Kidd should have been -- as he made only three of 25 shots in the playoffs, and none of his last 17.
This was less than two months after he told me he planned to come back next season.
"I look forward to next year, especially with the year we've had to this point in New York," Kidd said in a March conversation. "We're going in the right direction. We're competitive, playing the best teams well. The biggest thing is for us to continue that success. With Amare (Stoudemire), Tyson (Chandler) and Carmelo (Anthony) we have guys who can carry the load. It'll be fun to go on that ride."
Kidd will not take that ride, wherever it may lead. Knicks coach Mike Woodson thanked Kidd for his leadership and presence. General manager Glen Grunwald, who anticipated Kidd would return for at least one more season, probably realizes this is the best decision for the team and the player.
And even if he doesn't, Jason recognized the time was near. The future Hall of Famer talked in March about the challenges posed by today's young point guards, particularly Portland's Damian Lillard and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving.
"It's not a physical game, like it used to be, but there is a lot of talent," Kidd said. "A lot of guys can put the ball in the basket. And the list of point guards is so deep. It goes in cycles, but I don't think I've ever seen it so deep and so young at the point guard position."
Yet even then Kidd acknowledged there are mornings when he feels 50 and nights when he plays like 30.
But the boy who became a national star while still a teenager was confronting his career mortality. Father Time is undefeated, and he takes no prisoners.
"I'd love to fulfill my contract with the Knicks," Kidd said then.
"But if there's a point in time when I have to walk away, I won't hesitate."
That point in time is now. Kidd did not hesitate. It was the right decision, made by one of the best decision-makers to ever set foot on a basketball court.


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PORTSMOUTH - On the Portsmouth side of the bridge, Archer Western has placed the concrete for the Scott Avenue approach.The remainder of the work on the Scott Avenue approach will be completed in 2013.
In Kittery, construction of the new abutment for the approach is completed, precast beams have beeninstalledand the concrete bridge deck has been placed. The concrete wingwallswill be placed sometime in January.
Hub Foundation Company continues to install the micropiles on Pier 3, the final pier to be completed. The first half of the eighteen micropiles have been installed. Archer Western will continue on double shifts until micropile installation on Pier 3 is complete in January. Archer Western appreciates the patience and good will of nearby residents in the face of the extended work hours.
Crews continue to construct the superstructure for the south fixed span of the bridge at the N.H. State Pier. This first section of the bridge will be floated upriver by barge sometime in January. The barge will then return to the State Pier, where construction of the north fixed span will begin. Construction of the south tower will begin the end of January.
Concerns or questions may be addressed to Carol Morris, Archer Western Public Outreach, at email@example.com or 207-329-6502


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Supplier Diversity
Our vendors and suppliers are a key ingredient in our commitment to Pleasing People®, helping us provide the products and services our guests enjoy.
Since the very first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® restaurant opened in 1969, our mission of Pleasing People® has never wavered. The ideals of fairness, mutual respect, and equal opportunity for all people are at the core of our corporate culture. Those ideals are the driving force behind treating everyone who is our guest, who works with us, and with whom we do business, fairly and with respect.
Our supplier diversity program provides an equal opportunity to compete for our business, regardless of race, national origin, physical ability, gender, or sexual orientation. With a strategic sourcing mission aimed at ensuring that our stores are continuously supplied with products and services of the specified quality, at the best possible cost, establishing and maintaining relationships with diverse businesses just makes good business sense. At Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, we recognize the importance of diversity and believe it is a key ingredient in fostering long term economic growth in the local communities in which we operate. We will leverage our program to better understand and serve our diverse markets, with the belief that our inclusive strategies will ultimately create value – for our guests, our company, our shareholders, and our suppliers.


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Harley Exhaust
One thing that you can't deny about a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is it sounds like no other with our Harley exhaust parts. From a roar to a growl, the right exhaust system will have people knowing it's you and your Harley coming around the corner. What could be better than that? By adding anything from slip-ons, to exhaust pipes, headers, mufflers, or entire exhaust systems, you can unleash sound and performance that you wouldn't believe. At WanaRyd, we carry brands who manufacture the best looking and highest quality exhausts on the market. Brands like Bassani Xhaust, Paughco, Vance & Hines, RXC RC Components, Cycle Shack, Samson, Python, Cobra, Rinehart Racing, Kerker, and so many others! Help your bike unleash it's potential!
WanaRyd prides itself on providing the best shopping experience out there with proven excellence in customer service and technical support. We will guide you in making your Harley-Davidson exactly what you want it to be and at the best pricing on the web! Couple that with Free Shipping in the continental US and a huge selection of Harley-Davison aftermarket parts, accessories, and wheels, and we can't be beat!
1 Item
- Launch Black Cut Saddlebag Latch Covers 14-Up Harley BaggersXtreme Machine$215.00Add to Wish ListOut of stock
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Chewing the Fat: Alton Brown on Hospitality
When I made a list of interesting people I wanted to interview on camera for a series called Chewing the Fat, Alton Brown was at the top of the list. Why? Because whenever I have watched him on the Food Network or chatted with him (ever so briefly) when I was an Iron Chef judge, I have always found Alton to be interesting, provocative, smart, and funny. We were thrilled when Alton agreed to do it. Who did we get to shoot, direct, and edit the Alton videos? None other than Hamburger America director and author George Motz.
On this week's Chewing the Fat, Alton Brown talks about what he discovered about the whole notion of hospitality when he hit the road in Feasting on Asphalt. We figured hospitality is a worthy subject come holiday time. Alton says that regrettably hospitality has come to mean showmanship. That, he says, is not what eating food that's been cooked for us is all about.
The Feasting on Asphalt DVDs are available at Foodnetwork.com and the book is available at Amazon.
Chewing the Fat: Alton Brown on Donuts
Chewing the Fat: Alton Brown on Race, Class, and Food
Chewing the Fat: Alton Brown on Fried Chicken