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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
On-line version ISSN 2078-5135
Print version ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.102 n.7 Cape Town Jul. 2012
Wake up, South Africa! The antibiotic 'horse' has bolted
Marc MendelsonI, II; Andrew WhitelawIII; Mark NicolIV; Adrian BrinkV
IPresident, Infectious Diseases Society of Southern Africa
IIPresident, Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa
IIIChairperson, Infection Control Society of Southern Africa
IVChairperson, South African Society for Clinical Microbiology
VCo-Chair, South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme
Decades of poor medical and veterinary antibiotic prescribing and a lack of regard for the practice of infection prevention and control (IPC) in our hospitals have left South Africa, like the rest of the international community, on the brink of a return to an era of untreatable bacterial infection. The recent emergence in South Africa of bacteria carrying the highly mobile New Delhi metallo-â-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) gene,1 which has been associated with rapid spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and, for the first time in Africa, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs),2 will have a profound effect on the lives of our patients and on the health service. The acquisition of drug-resistant hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) increases morbidity, mortality and the cost of patient management to an already beleaguered health system by increasing the duration of hospital stay, often in expensive intensive care units (ICUs), and antibiotic prescribing costs.3,4
Unlike the case of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, the situation we find ourselves in with MDR Gram-negative bacteria such as CRE cannot be blamed on poor patient compliance, or merely on the introduction of resistant strains from foreign climes. Rather, this is a home-grown problem, generated and perpetuated by doctors, nurses and allied healthcare workers in South Africa.
For resistant Gram-positive bacteria, there often remain more expensive antibiotic options. Vancomycin or teicoplanin are available to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while linezolid or daptomycin may be used for MRSA as well as vancomycinintermediate S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus. However, the situation for managing CRE is far more serious. We have become reliant on colistin, a nephrotoxic polymixin antibiotic developed in the 1960s. Reports of colistin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii rendering the bacteria pan-drug resistant are already documented.5-7 Most worrying of all is the total lack of new antibiotics against Gram-negative infections in the antibiotic pipeline for the next 10 - 20 years.
In this issue of the journal, Brink et al.8 set out the risk factors for acquisition of CRE and some of the issues around prevention and management. But how are we to respond to the wider issues of antibiotic stewardship in South Africa at this late stage, even though the 'horse has bolted'? The approach must be multifaceted. Simply put, we must force a return to rational antibiotic prescribing through strong antibiotic stewardship, with equal emphasis on addressing IPC to prevent spread of already resistant bacteria between patients.
IPC in South Africa lurches from crisis to crisis without getting to the core of the problem, that of collective responsibility. IPC is often viewed as the domain of a select few practitioners, mostly nurses, supported by microbiologists or infectious disease specialists, who are meant to police our hospitals and ensure that our patients and staff protect themselves and others from spreading and contracting communicable diseases. However, if we are to confront the crisis we find ourselves in and prevail, the first change required is in our mindset. IPC is not the domain of the few, but the responsibility of all. We must move towards a situation where all healthcare providers in this country become advocates for infection prevention and control, and practise what they preach. Trained IPC officers certainly have a role to play in governance of IPC, and government must meet its obligations to fund posts for IPC officers to meet standard norms. However, no number of IPC officers in a hospital can prevent the spread of MDR bacteria, if healthcare workers fail to disinfect their hands between patients. And here lies the one real hope for the future in terms of IPC. The changes that need to be put in place are simple. They do not require complex systems or costly financial interventions. There are few unknowns in the field, and research and clinical findings from other countries are equally relevant in our setting. Each healthcare institution in this country must have administrative and environmental policies in place to enable them to correctly identify and isolate patients with MDR bacterial infections and must provide running water, soap and hand disinfectants as well as the personal protective equipment required to ensure standard precautions against spread. The adoption of evidence-based, simple bundles of care designed by the Best Care ... Always! campaign9,10 simplifies the practice of IPC in the ICU and ward setting, and their adoption nationally would be another milestone for change.
Unlike IPC, the drivers for change in antibiotic prescribing are less simple. Rational antibiotic prescribing requires a basic knowledge of the mechanism of action of antibiotics, the leading causes of a particular infection, and the resistance patterns of bacteria in the local healthcare setting. Outside of central and private hospitals, surveillance of antibiotic resistance is rarely practised, hampering rational prescribing. Antibiotic stewardship refers to a multifaceted approach that healthcare organisations undertake to optimise prescribing, including policies, guidelines, surveillance, education and audit.11 In some private and public hospitals, antibiotic stewardship programmes (ASPs) are under way or being developed. To help co-ordinate these efforts across the healthcare sector, the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa (FIDSSA), which represents adult and paediatric infectious disease physicians, clinical microbiologists, and infection control, travel medicine and sexually transmitted diseases practitioners in southern Africa, arranged the first South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme (SAASP) conference in February 2012. A working group developed an ASP for South Africa, the goals of which are to:
Provide leadership, advocacy for and strengthening of antibiotic stewardship in the public and private sectors in South Africa
Direct appropriate training in antibiotic stewardship and co-ordinate dissemination of antibiotic stewardship information to all sectors of South Africa's healthcare system and civil society
Harmonise and unify existing national antibiotic prescribing guidelines and develop guidelines for those infections not already covered, for adult and paediatric practice, incorporating principles of antibiotic stewardship and optimal diagnostic testing
Identify gaps in current knowledge and the necessary operational research/audit that will inform practice, and feed back the results of these studies to stakeholders, so as to implement change
Engage with the National Department of Health and industry to address the economic issues and systemic obstacles surrounding antibiotic costs and stewardship.
As is the case for promotion of IPC, a move towards rational antibiotic prescribing must be embraced by all prescribers in South Africa and requires a commitment to education. The rise of CRE did not occur as a result of the injudicious use of carbapenems alone, but due to misuse and overuse of all antibiotics. We need to reduce the overall consumption of antibiotics, and to limit the duration of therapy in accordance with evidence-based guidelines when available, or expert opinion when not. We need to know what we are treating and to be able to de-escalate from broad-spectrum empiric therapy to targeted narrow-spectrum antibiotics that are less likely to lead to resistance. Taking appropriate cultures from sterile sites is therefore a key component of rational prescribing and a practice that is sorely lacking at all levels of healthcare in South Africa. Daily review of the route of administration of antibiotics is another key component, allowing a reduction in intravenous therapy and removal of indwelling intravascular catheters, thereby reducing the risk of catheter-associated bloodstream infections.
The horse has indeed bolted, but it is not too late to limit the emergence and spread of MDR bacterial infection in South Africa. To achieve this goal, there must be a sea-change in practice and a means to control poor prescribing practice should it continue in our hospitals.
1. Communicable Diseases Communique. Outbreak of newly emerged, highly antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitalized patients in Gauteng Province: New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1). NICD Communique 2011;10(10):2-3. [ Links ]
2. Brink AJ, Coetzee J, Clay C, et al. Emergence of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1) and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC-2) in South Africa. J Clin Microbiol 2012;50:525-527. [PMID: 22116157] [ Links ]
3. Shlaes D, Gerding D, John Jr J, et al. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Infectious Diseases Society of America joint committee on the prevention of antimicrobial resistance: Guidelines for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals. Clin Infect Dis 1997;25:584-599. [PMID:9314444] [ Links ]
4. Hassan M, Tuckman HP, Patrick RH, Kountz DS, Kohn JL. Cost of hospital-acquired infection. Hosp Top 2010;88(3):82-89. [PMID: 20805070] [ Links ]
5. Denton M, Kerr K, Mooney L, et al Transmission of colistin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa between patients attending a pediatric cystic fibrosis center. Pediatr Pulmonol 2002;34(4):257-261.[PMID: 12205566] [ Links ]
6. Falgas ME, Rafilidis PI, Matthaiou DK, et al. Pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii infections: characteristics and outcome in a series of 28 patients. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2008;32:450-454. [PMID:18768302] [ Links ]
7. Lee JY, Lim MH, Heo ST, Ko KS. Repeated isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates resistant to both polymixins and carbapenems from 1 patient. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2012;72(3):267-271.[PMID: 22217703] [ Links ]
8. Brink A, Coetzee J, Clay C, et al The spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in South Africa: Risk factors for acquisition and prevention. S Afr Med J 2012;102(7):599-601 (this issue). [ Links ]
9. Best Care....Always! http://www.bestcare.org.za (accessed 19 February 2012). [ Links ]
10. Visser A, Moore DP, Whitelaw A, et al GARP: Part VII. Interventions. S Afr Med J 2011;101(8, Pt 2):587-595. [ Links ]
11. MacDougall C, Polk RE. Antimicrobial stewardship programs in health care systems. Clin Microbiol Rev 2005;18:638-656. [PMID: 16223951] [ Links ]
Corresponding author: M Mendelson (firstname.lastname@example.com)


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Infants at Work
Babies of 6 to 9 months exploring everyday objects
Elinor GoldschmiedA film for early years practitioners showing how a baby's brain develops through touch, smell, taste, hearing, sight and movement Learn More1986, DVD video, 7.48in x 5.31in / 190mm x 135mm, £16.99ISBN: 9780714733005
Asperger's Syndrome DVD
Tony AttwoodIn this new DVD, Tony Attwood goes into depth on three important issues; Anger management, teaching teachers, and teenage issues. Readers of his book will be aware of his thoughtful and down-to-earth approach and this DVD presents groundbreaking new approaches to significant challenges. Learn More2003, DVD video, 9.21in x 6.14in / 234mm x 156mm, 180 minutes, £76.60ISBN: 9781885477965
Asperger Syndrome
A Different Mind
Simon Baron-CohenThis DVD introduces the viewer to the special interests, language characteristics, interaction difficulties and cognitive challenges of people with AS. It also highlights the positive developments that have taken place in recent years towards a better understanding of, and more effective provision for, children with AS. Learn More2006, DVD video, 7.52in x 5.47in / 191mm x 139mm, 29 minutes, £26.20ISBN: 978-1-84310-471-1
Being Bullied
Strategies and Solutions for People with Asperger's Syndrome
Nick DubinBeing Bullied describes the various types of peer abuse and the devastating consequences. Narrated by Nick Dubin and featuring footage of his own childhood that illustrates behaviors that made him an easy target for bullies, the film also includes the stories of three individuals with AS who talk about their experiences of being bullied. Learn More2006
Asperger Syndrome and Employment
A Personal Guide to Succeeding at Work
Nick DubinThis DVD shows how success in the workplace is possible with perseverance and with the right supports and strategies in place. Dubin discusses his own experiences at work and highlights challenges common among employees with AS. He advises how to succeed in the workplace and offers practical advice on finding suitable employment. Learn More2006, DVD video, 7.48in x 5.31in / 190mm x 135mm, £19.99ISBN: 978-1-84310-849-8
Autism and Me
Rory HoyThis award-winning short film by Rory Hoy, an 18-year-old filmmaker with autism, provides a privileged glimpse into his autistic world, letting us take a journey through his everyday experience and see it through his eyes.In easy, accessible terms, Rory explains what having autism means for everyday functioning. Learn More2007
Partners in Care
A Training Package for Involving Families in Dementia Care Homes
Bob Woods, John Keady, Helen Ross and Clare WengerFollowing admission to a care home, family and friends may feel uncertain as to how they now 'fit in' to their loved one's life. This training package, comprising a booklet and DVD, is designed to encourage family participation in the care home and develop a constructive partnership between staff in care homes, families and people with dementia. Learn More2008, DVD video, 7.60in x 6.26in / 193mm x 159mm, 30 minutes, £30.17ISBN: 978-1-84310-675-3
Life & Learning with Autistic Spectrum Diffability
Wendy LawsonThis DVD comprises Wendy's full 2.5-hour presentation, during which she explains the workings of the autistic mind from her own insightful and often jocular perspective. This fascinating workshop will be of great benefit to parents and professionals, as well as providing an inspirational resource for people on the spectrum themselves. Learn More2008, DVD video, 7.48in x 6.34in / 190mm x 161mm, 154 minutes, £53.00ISBN: 978-1-84310-956-3
Basic Pathfinder Mind/Body Techniques for Asperger's Syndrome
Ron RubioThe exercises in this DVD enable young people with AS to improve these skills, leading to greater self-confidence, and independence. With clear explanations and demonstrations, this DVD covers a variety of simple, calming exercises designed to influence the way the individual stands, sits, moves, thinks of him- or herself, and relates to others. Learn More2009, DVD video, 7.48in x 6.77in / 190mm x 172mm, 60 minutes, £20.16ISBN: 978-1-84310-890-0
An Animated Introduction to Asperger Syndrome
BiomationCreated by children in conjunction with professional animators, this entertaining film concisely summarises the basics of AS, enabling viewers of all ages to gain a real insight into the condition in less than half an hour. The film looks at life as an Aspie from a variety of different perspectives. Learn More2010, DVD video, 7.48in x 5.31in / 190mm x 135mm, 30 minutes, £18.19ISBN: 978-1-84905-134-7

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Figured it was time I actually posted something done in Hitfilm on here.
Presented are two works in progress. Also, my first two mocha camera solves, incidentally.
Again, works in progress--Things I already know need to be fixed include refining the masks for sky replacement, and the crash shot needs to have the layer stack tweaked a bit since a couple of things are compositing incorrectly.
Shuttle Crash Updated with newer version, 7/22/13, fixing stacking order problem...
Ever have an evening where you render out a video, convert for 'net, upload, dropbox to someone else for distribution, and only then realize that you had a layer off during the render.


text:
Microsoft's Top Lawyer Slams Secret Surveillance Court
The U.S.'s secret surveillance court is unaccountable to the public and not "inclined to promote justice," Microsoft's top lawyer said Tuesday.
General counsel Brad Smith said the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which reviews applications and appeals involving U.S. government data-collection efforts in the name of national security, acts unlike most other courts because "only one side gets to tell its story." The surveillance court also effectively creates law "that the American public is not permitted to read," Smith said Wednesday in a speech at the Brookings Institution.
The 35-year-old court was cast into the spotlight following revelations about National Security Agency's data-collection programs. The court's decisions and most documents submitted to the court are secret, which Smith said made it tough for those opposing the government's data demands to have a fair hearing.
"This is not an approach inclined to promote justice," Smith said, as he showed an image of what he implied was a government document before the surveillance court, with all text blacked out. Microsoft is among the U.S. tech firms that previously previously have sued the government to reveal more details about secret U.S. surveillance demands.
A spokesman for the surveillance court said numerous opinions have been posted publicly on a new website.
"It's hard to be a litigant before this court," Smith said. "Do we not deserve at least the right to read what the government is arguing?"
The Obama administration earlier this year proposed creating a panel of privacy advocates to offer the surveillance court input in significant cases. Some critics have said the White House proposal was vague and hard to implement, and Smith said the idea of court advocates "has not yet been embraced by Congress."
Smith's critique of the foreign-surveillance court is part of mounting criticism by U.S. companies of government-surveillance efforts after a year of disclosures about the breadth of U.S. programs to glean information from phone calls, emails and other digital data.
Smith recently has been among the most vocal tech executives in publicly urging changes to laws and government procedures around data collection. He has said the U.S. Senate should follow the House in passing a bill to place new limits on mass collection of personal data by the government, and he has said the U.S. is overreaching in seeking to force Microsoft to hand over emails of a European customer stored in a company data center in Ireland.
Smith said he and other tech executives were particularly troubled by reports last year about the NSA siphoning digital data as it traveled between firms' computer centers overseas, without permission of the tech companies.
"We knew what we were being asked to do," Smith said. "We didn't know what was being done without our knowledge, and we still do not know all of that even today."
In his speech, Smith also discussed Microsoft's decision not to participate in government efforts during the George W. Bush administration to collect vast amounts of "metadata" about domestic Internet and email use.
A 2009 draft NSA inspector general report, disclosed last year, referred to a "Company F" as among Internet companies that resisted government bulk-records requests in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Smith said Tuesday that Company F was Microsoft.
Smith said the company "thought hard" about how to deal with the government's data demands. He said he recalled in 2002 telling Steve Ballmer, then Microsoft's CEO, "how the decisions we would make would need to stand the test of time."
Note: This post has been revised to add material, and to specify that Smith spoke Tuesday. An earlier version said he spoke Wednesday.
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text:
A reader recently commented:
"Have you written a book on Ruby + Windows? I'd love to see the material expanded and put down on paper. I suppose I can print it out myself, but it's just not the same."
I've been asked about this before. While I currently have no such "Ruby on Windows" book to offer, I can now say that I have finally started on it.
I welcome any comments, suggestions, or advice you may have -- as readers and/or writers.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Ruby on Windows: The Book
A reader recently commented:
12 comments:
- Luis said...
+10 for your book David, looking forward for it!.
- June 30, 2008 at 9:18 AM
- Matt McKnight said...
Awesome- I think using Rails to connect to SQL Server and ActiveDirectory to authenticate users without a login prompt are my favorite bits. Basically all of the stuff you need to run Rails on Windows Server with a Windows infrastructure.
- June 30, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Excellent news David!
Matt's post is definitely at the top of the list, but also general deployment issues on Windows for those of use who want to stay on the Windows OS.
Apache and Mongrel configuration and tuning for max efficiency and speed. I keep reading about Windows process spawning as a speed knock against using Windows for deployment.
The proper way to handle ActiveRecord associations with MS SQL Server and ActiveRecords needs to use auto incrementing IDs as the primary key and other issues.
I'm so pumped your finally writing a book David. I've been following your blog for sometime. You went on vacation for a bit there, but I'm glad your back.
- June 30, 2008 at 11:51 AM
- Daniel Cadenas said...
I'll buy your book!!! :D
- July 4, 2008 at 12:22 AM
- Gabe Moothart said...
One thing I'd like to read about is executing dos commands in Ruby. I've found subtle and (to me) unpredictable issues when using backticks/system()/exec(). Usually they work, but sometimes a command sent that way will fail even though it succeeds on the command line or in a batch file.
To get around this I've started using ruby to dynamically generate batch files and executing those.
I'd love to know if other people have experienced this problem, what causes it, and if there is a better workaround.
- July 4, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Any additional word on your book yet David?
- October 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Excellent news!!!!!!
I will be buying the book + PDF when available.
Any way to play in the 'beta' review process?
- October 17, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- WaveNinja said...
It's really cool you are writing this book.
A few suggestions if you need them:
- maybe some tips on setting up your environment, what tools to use, etc.
- don't forget about the boring stuff such as documentation and debugging. Unfortunately this rarely gets the attention it deserves in programming books.
- since Windows is a popular for gaming, maybe something on graphics and Direct/X
- leave out as much Rails stuff as you can, focus on Ruby.
Even though I'm more of a linux person, I'm looking forward to it allready!
- December 7, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Unknown said...
Very interesting David, Really looking forward to the book Ruby on Windows!!
- December 19, 2008 at 11:49 PM
- Haji said...
The second half of 2009 is just around the corner and I guess it may be a little too late to give you this advice but please, don't make your book yet another beginner's book.
I've recently started learning ruby, followed up by rails then back to ruby to learn about gui development and have come across numerous introductory books along the way. Notable mentions are Mr. Neighborly's Humble Little Ruby book and The Book of Ruby from Sapphire Steel.
I'd like to think that I've leveled up from a beginner and would suggest that you stay away from basing your book on the basics. Good luck in either case and I hope your book's a success (plus have a free pdf XD).
- April 25, 2009 at 11:41 AM
- Unknown said...
What is current state of Ruby on Windows: The Book?
Hope that you are working on it!!!
- May 27, 2009 at 11:09 PM
- David Mullet said...
Thanks to all for your encouragement and suggestions!
I am indeed working on the book, which will be published later this year.
- May 28, 2009 at 7:12 AM


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Monte Paschi former finance chief held in Italy
By Silvia Ognibene Manuela D'Alessandro
SIENA/MILAN | Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:51am EST
(Reuters) – Italian police arrested on Thursday the former head of Monte dei Paschi's finance department, who is at the center of a probe into alleged fraud and bribery at Italy's third largest bank, prosecutors said.
Gianluca Baldassarri is the first person to be arrested in a widening scandal that has rocked the world's oldest bank and triggered a financial and political storm ahead of Feb 24-25 national elections.
Prosecutors in the Tuscan city of Siena, where the 540-year-old bank is based, said Baldassarri was accused of helping mislead regulators over the true nature of a secret derivative contract that was found in a safe by the bank's new management in October 2012.
In a statement, the prosecutors said Baldassarri was detained in Italy's financial capital Milan because they feared he might leave the country. His home in Milan was being searched, the statement added.
Contacted by Reuters, Baldassarri's lawyer, Filippo Dinacci, declined to comment.
Baldassari left Monte dei Paschi shortly after the arrival of new chief executive Fabrizio Viola in January 2012.
Prosecutors in Siena are investigating accusations of corruption in Monte dei Paschi's costly acquisition of smaller rival Antonveneta in 2007, as well as a series of loss-making derivative and structured finance trades dating back to 2006-09, which the bank says it discovered only last October.
The bank's former managers, who are being questioned by magistrates, have declined to comment. Current managers who took office last year have said they have found no evidence of wrongdoing in the Antonveneta deal, but believe the loss-making derivatives trades were wrongly hidden.
Italian prosecutors seized some 40 million euros ($54 million) last week as part of their investigation. The prosecution seizure order, seen by Reuters, said the funds belonged to Baldassarri and four other people suspected of criminal conspiracy to commit fraud.
Baldassarri has never commented publicly on the allegations and his lawyers, repeatedly contacted by Reuters, have said he did not want to comment.
The scandal has raised questions over the future of the bank, which last month won final approval for a 3.9 billion euro state bailout.
The finance department headed by Baldassarri, who worked at Monte dei Paschi from 2001-2012, is at the heart of the probe.
Internal documents obtained by Reuters show an audit of the department in August and September 2009 had uncovered a "systematic overshooting of risk limits" in the management of the group's 24-billion euro proprietary portfolio.
Last week, the lender put losses stemming from three derivatives trades at 730 million euros and said it may have to restate previous accounts.
One of the structured finance transactions under scrutiny is a complex 2009 trade between Monte dei Paschi and Japanese bank Nomura, known as "Alexandria".
The bank's new management says Monte dei Paschi's board never reviewed the trade for approval, and its true nature only came to light in October last year after a secret contract was found in a safe.
Nomura has said the transaction was approved at the highest level by Monte dei Paschi's then management.
"Nomura acted fairly and responsibly with the client at all times, and strongly refutes any suggestion to the contrary," the Japanese bank said in a January 22 statement. It has declined to comment further since that statement.
In their statement on Thursday, the Siena prosecutors said they had feared Baldassarri may be seeking to leave the country because they had evidence he was trying to cash in securities worth more than 1 million euros after the February 7 fund seizure.
Prosecutors accuse former Monte Paschi executives of using the derivatives trades to massage accounts and conceal losses following the 9-billion-euro Antonveneta deal, which left the bank badly weakened just before the 2008 financial crisis.
The bank's new chiefs and the Bank of Italy say the former management concealed details of derivatives operations linked to Italian government bond prices, which left Monte Paschi badly exposed when many European bond markets collapsed in 2011.
The Bank of Italy has faced increasing questions over its supervision, and Mario Draghi, who was governor of the Italian central bank before becoming president of the European Central Bank in November 2011, has also been drawn into the criticism. ($1 = 0.7442 euros)
(Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Keith Weir and Peter Graff)


text:
Monthly Archive for July, 2010
Ching deserving of his spot in MLS All-Star Game
Actually, he is the face of Houston soccer. And MLS commissioner Don Garber made the right choice in picking the Dynamo forward as one of his two commissioner's picks for the MLS All-Star Game against Manchester United ……
Ngwenya after Pachuca diss: Talk is cheap
Pachuca dominated possession and pressed the attack, but Tally Hall and the defense were too much on a night Joseph Ngwenya scored a pair of goals to beat Pachuca 2-1.
Pachuca coach Guillermo Rivarola wasn't pleased with the Dynamo's style Thursday ……
Canopy Tour In My Final Days in South Africa
The World Cup is over. My journey is ending. I leave on Saturday. This will most likely be my final post.
Thanks to everyone who followed my first World Cup experience, hopefully this will be only the beginning. I plan on attending as many future World Cups as possible, not only because I love […] …
The Beautiful Blog: Epitaph
Just wanted to thank all the readers of "World Cup 2010: The Beautiful Blog" for their support and commentary throughout the Finals.
This was an ambitious project here at The Chronicle, mixing internal voices with outside writers to provide interesting, provacative coverage of the World Cup, from a decidedly Bay Area perspective.
Let's face it, our interactive map of bars where you could watch the Cup was worth the price of admission in its own right.
Thanks again to all the contributors and readers and let's do this thing again in four years. Brasil!!!
Al Saracevic
Sports Editor
SF Chronicle…
Landon Donovan highlights First XI
He understands that soccer in America needs an ambassador. Actually, he realizes the sport needs many ambassadors, and he's embracing his role.
I spoke with Donovan twice today on two separate calls, and one thing stands out above all else: the L.A. Galaxy star embraces the burden of being considered the greatest American soccer player of his generation ……
From Our Man in South Africa – Chris Zeimer – An evaluation
Typical final brings World Cup to close…
The pull of watching the final at a US Fan Fest (I still had visions of thousands gracing the Durban beaches) had my family biking to downtown Santa Rosa. As we rode through Santa Rosa, vuvuzela's in hand, we passed through Doyle Park, where a baseball game was being played …
Top Ten World Cup Stories
1) A number of big teams came and fizzled at this World Cup.
While some of the world's top soccer nations excelled, many were huge letdowns. France and Italy both […] …
Football, bloody hell
Four More Years
Furia Roja were a worthy champ
Nonetheless, La Furia Roja of Spain was the worthy winner.
España 1, Oranje 0.
Spain showed its class in winning its first World Cup trophy ……


text:
A piece I wrote for Vagenda Magazine in October 2014
There are some things that I will defend to the death: my family, my friends, my cat, my right to voice an opinion, my right to drink tea and watch EastEnders – you know, the universal stuff. Then there's feminism. And Beyoncé.
In an article published this week Annie Lennox took it upon herself to question Beyoncé's feminist credentials, dismissing B-Kno's own particular brand as 'feminism lite'. Clearly I was living in a cave the day that they made Annie Lennox the all knowing Supreme Leader of Feminism, deciding what and who fits the definition of feminism proper (or, to use her analogy, er, Full Fat Feminism…?)
As a Beyoncé fan, I'm about to get ***Flawless on this shit, but as a feminist I am just shaking my head in disappointment. Because this is just another example of one self-proclaimed feminist "calling out" another self-proclaimed feminist, telling her that she's not quite up to the job of being a Proper Bona Fide Feminist. Then, last week in the Guardian, Roxane Gay also had a pop at "celebrity feminists." I am just so sick of this.
One of the things that makes me proud to be a feminist is feminism's commitment to the protection of identities, particularly the identities of minority and marginalised groups. We – quite rightly – defend the right of anyone to define their own sex, their own gender, and their own sexuality. We wouldn't dream (or at least I hope we wouldn't) of telling someone that they were 'woman lite', or 'female lite', or 'lesbian lite'. That would be outrageous for many reasons, not least because, the beauty of identity is that it is defined by the owner first, and last. I don't care if you are the brainchild of Germaine Greer, Emmeline Pankhurst and (my own hero) Jessica Valenti, but you have lost your mind if you think that I am about to sit here and let you tell me – or anyone else – that I am 'less of a feminist' simply because I don't fit your own specification criteria.
It pisses me off when people, especially women, start questioning how much of a feminist other women are. Doesn't feminism have enough of a mountain to climb without the internal hating and face stabbing? Can't we start propping each other up, instead of pulling each other down? Discussion and debate are crucial, of course – vive la difference! – but can we steer clear of this endless patronising condescension of others? And, let's be clear about this: questioning the credentials of another woman's feminism does not make you any more of a feminist. Beyoncé is a feminist for many reasons, but the most important of these is this: she is a feminist because she has told you that she is a feminist. Accept that.
So what is it that Lennox is alleged to have said? Apparently, her words were thus: 'I would call [Beyonce's feminism] 'feminism lite', L.I.T.E. I'm sorry. It's tokenistic to me…', before going on to say, 'I have issues with it. Of course I do…. I think what they do with it is cheap and … yeah. What can I tell you? Sex always sells.'
Is this the sound of a woman calling out another woman for what she is wearing? In 2014? Is this shit for real? You're going to look at the most successful female artist in the world, who only one month ago beamed the word FEMINIST into the homes of millions of people around the world during her MTV VMA performance, and you're going to start hating on her feminism, because she's doing it in a leotard? Does that mean I am also less of a feminist when I am wearing a bikini on the beach? Am I only a feminist when I am fully clothed? Fuck this shit! Beyoncé may not be writing manifestos for the sisterhood or penning contributions to feminist academia, but let's not fall into the trap of thinking that what she is doing – what she stands for – is any less significant. Academic snobbery needs to sod right off: if you really want to spread a feminist message to the masses, you need to look beyond learned professors and academics, because the truth of the matter is that most people do not read them. What most people do is listen to music, watch TV, and read magazines. And tell me, who has never had an idol? Beyoncé has been mine since circa 1997, and one of the BIG reasons this is the case is because she has always stood for women.
I remember how, at 14 years old, I was completely bowled over by the confidence of this girl who looks into the camera during No No No and sings, "What's the problem, baby? Never had a girl like I?" At 16, I was listening to Hey Ladies in delighted disbelief (Sample lyric: "Hey ladies…. why is it that we never seem to just have the strength to leave?") Then, there was Independent Women – this was the anthem of my late teens. Here was a girl, only a couple of years older than me, writing a song encouraging women to become – and stay – economically independent ("I pay my own fun … and I pay my own bills"). Encouraging women to rely on themselves alone ("depend on no one else to give you what you want"); to strive for equality in love ("always 50/50 in relationships"); and even to be their own sexual being ("when it's all over, please get up and leave"). I could go on. Beyoncé was, in some way or another, there for most of my life – the teenage angst, the first relationship, the break up, the crises of confidence, bereavement, depression, the whole schubang.
So la Lennox doesn't think B-Kno quite fits the feminist bill? Okay, let's take this back to basics. Feminism is a belief in the 'social, political and economic equality of the sexes'*, right? (*NB. It is worth noting that, thanks to an excerpt from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk 'We should all be feminists', that appears on Beyoncé's 2013 eponymous album, millions of album-purchasing consumers around the world are now familiar with this very definition…) Well then, let me count the ways.
Social equality of the sexes, you say?
When I was at university, I lived with my aunt, uncle and my two little cousins – who just happen to be Two of My Favourite People In The World. I love them like they're my sisters and I couldn't be prouder of the women they have become: they are awesome. When they were little, we would often find ourselves dancing in the kitchen, shaking our butts and waving our arms to all of my favourite artists; Shakira (from the early days, pre-English language transition), Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake – and, of course, Destiny's Child and Ms Beyoncé Knowles. That's right, a 19 year old me and two little girls of just 5 and 8 having the time of our lives strutting our stuff to Independent Women whilst doing the dishes. A few years later, when I watch them practising their routines for their Hip Hop dance class, there is more than a little bit of Beyoncé in their attitude, in their personas, in their confidence. They love her, they look up to her, I'd even go so far as to say that they take on their very own Ms Sasha Fierce when they are on that stage.
When the younger of the two once said to me – before she was even a teenager – that she thought that her thighs were too big, how do you suppose I tried to reassure her? By giving a speech about how we, as girls and women, should strive to break free from the shackles of the patriarchy and its bullshit standards of beauty? No. Look at Beyoncé, I tell her. She has legs like you – they are not stick thin, they have muscles and curves and are all kinds of fabulous and strong! And isn't that just so beautiful? A few months ago, her sister (by then a 19 year old student) told me that she had been sick with nerves because she had to give a presentation in front of her peers. Do you know how she changed her mindset? By asking herself what Beyoncé would do (answer: strut onto that stage like a goddess and make sure that every last person in that room was listening!) I shit you not. Needless to say, she did the presentation. These are small examples of how Beyoncé has impacted the lives of two little women that I love – they may not be academic examples, and they may not contain statistics demonstrating the feminisation of the masses, but to give two people that I love the kind of confidence that we would hope for all women, is a smidge more than feminism 'lite' to me.
And then there's her band. Beyoncé has, for some years, toured with an all female band. The reason for this? Because she wants young women to see examples of other women playing – and owning (see Bibi McGill) – their own instruments. How many times have we seen a female artist flanked and propped up by an all-male (or nearly all-male) band? To see an-all female band, supporting a female artist is a very powerful message – this is literally sisters doing it for themselves. This is women in control of their own creativity, this is an all-woman cast selling out all-women shows around the world. This is a message to the hundreds of thousands of girls that go to any one of these shows: you too can own this stage. This is a socio-political message wrapped up in pop culture, and the message is loud and clear: a woman's place is out in front, a woman's place is at the top of the game, a woman's place is taking control of her own career, her own work, a woman's place is challenging the accepted status quo of male-dominated industries. A woman's place is being the first solo female artist in over 20 years to headline one of the biggest music festivals in the world, whilst being 3 months pregnant and in the face of scepticism about her appearance at the altar of Glastonbury (get over yourselves, haters!) Women, go out, and own your shit.
What's that? Political equality of the sexes?
Beyoncé is one of the founders (along with actress Salma Hayek Pinault and Frida Giannini) of the Chime For Change campaign: a global campaign that strives to fund projects working towards equality for girls and women in the areas of health, justice and education. A 2013 concert at Twickenham in London was beamed around the world, and was supported by politicians, activists and celebrities alike. Performances from some of the biggest artists on the planet were interspersed with video clips that sought to educate and increase awareness of the plight that women face at home and around the world. One video clip that will stay with me was that of a young woman who talked about being sexually assaulted on her way to work. Standing on a crowded tube, a man had masturbated himself up against her; it was only when she got to work that she realised that she had semen on the back of her legs. Twickenham stadium fell silent. When Beyoncé herself appeared for the closing performance, she used her backdrop screen as an opportunity to beam images of well known women (Hilary Clinton, Maya Angelou, among others) to the thousands of us in the stadium, and the millions watching at home. The message was clear (and written above the stage in big bold letters); none of us can move forward, if half of us are held back.
In the run up to the 2008 presidential election, Beyoncé, alongside her husband, Jay Z, went on the campaign trail for then-Senator Barack Obama, encouraging people to vote, encouraging people to make themselves heard. She walked the lines of people waiting to go inside to vote, she thanked them and reassured them that what they were doing was too important to forgo. So here you have one of the most famous people in the world encouraging her compatriots to be politically active, encouraging all people (women included) to take part in their country's election, to make their votes count. Four years later she would again voice her support for President Obama and, once again, encouraged Americans to vote via a number of posts to her website and Instagram page. In July 2013, when George Zimmerman was acquitted on charges of murdering the black teenager Trayvon Martin, she publicly backed demands for a civil rights case and joined hundreds of people protesting in New York City, as part of a broader 100-city demonstration across the US. In March 2013, she endorsed the campaign for Marriage Equality, altering the lyrics to Single Ladies in the process ("If you like it, you should be able to put a ring on it!").
She has publicly celebrated the activist Malala Yousafzai by sharing the young Pakistani schoolgirl's story on her webpage, highlighting the reality of the many women living in the shadow of the Taliban. She helped the First Lady, Michelle Obama, launch her Let's Move campaign by reworking one of her own songs, encouraging kids to get active. She was one of a group of celebrities and activists who launched the Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings of 2012. She backed Sheryl Sandberg's BanBossy campaign, a social media campaign encouraging women and girls to lead ("I'm not bossy, I'm the boss"). She may not be running for office, she may not be drafting legislation for the Senate, but Beyoncé has what most politicians do not have: she has credibility with the young. She has credibility with women (nb. I am not speaking on behalf of all women here – that would be foolish). The very act of being politically active, of being socially aware, of giving a damn about what's happening in the world, sends a very strong message to the millions who look up to her. Politics is not just for the politicians, it's not just for the male, white and middle-aged. You too can stand up and be counted.
And, here it is, the big one:
The Economic Equality of the Sexes
At this point, I am tempted to be lazy and refer you back to my previous paragraph about Independent Women. As it is, I'm feeling a bit more generous than that. First things first, Beyoncé is fricking loaded. She has, in her own words, got 'so sick and filthy with Benjis [she] can't spend.' Estimates put her wealth at around the $500 million mark. She is one of the best selling artists of all time: the trusted Wiki tells me that her solo sales are hovering around 130 million worldwide, with an additional 60 million sold by Destiny's Child. In 2011, sceptics were shocked when she parted ways with her manager – and father – Mathew Knowles, wondering if, by managing herself, B-Kno had taken on too much. Her response? She was living her own message: ladies, it's time to get independent. She owns her own company, Parkwood Entertainment; co-owns her own fashion label, House of Dereon, alongside her mother, Tina Knowles; she has sponsorship deals aplenty. To paraphrase and update Sir Mix-a-Lot, baby got bank!
I don't know about anyone else, but seeing one of the most famous women in the world sitting on a self-created wealth of truly eye-watering proportions, is pretty fricking inspirational. It is thought that her own personal fortune matches that of her husband, Jay Z: economic equality of the sexes? They are a poster couple for it. Of course, the wealth of one woman doesn't mean that the task is done, we have a long way to go to reach universal economic equality, something that she herself acknowledges: in 2013 she penned an essay condemning gender equality as a myth, before going on to say that it was time to stop this shit: "Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect."
I have tried to outline a few examples of how Beyoncé is a fricking awesome feminist. I have no doubt that there will be people who will disagree with much, if not all of what I've said – that is the nature of the internet. But hopefully there will also be people who will give Beyoncé the credit she deserves; she has been a champion of women since before it was cool to be a champion of women. Hopefully some will understand what I am, above all, trying to say: that a person's identity is theirs alone, and it is not for anyone else to contradict something that is so fundamentally a part of who we are as human beings. Whether you love or loathe Beyoncé, please do not presume to tell her that her feminism is not good enough; she's doing her feminism, her way, on her terms – and isn't that, in itself, feminist?
– See more at: http://vagendamagazine.com/2014/10/defending-beyonces-feminism/#sthash.VsXVe6n1.dpuf


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Corn and soybeans had a two-sided trade today before finishing sharply higher. This morning wheat opened up sharply higher before reversing and trading towards the lows at the end of the day. December wheat finished down 12 ½ cents at $6.83 ¾.
The USDA announced the sales of 110,000 MTs of US soybeans to an unknown buyer for 2010-11 delivery and 121,920 MTs of US corn to Japan for 2010-11 delivery.
SDS is starting to pop up pretty heavily over the wettest sections of Iowa and Illinois. This news helped rally soybean futures late in the day. It is still too early to tell how bad the situation actually is. Pro Farmer information has started to flow in. So far for Indiana pod counts are 15% above a year ago, and corn yields are down 3% last year. We will continue to monitor the information coming out of the fields.
When talking with producers we continue to hear more and more stories of variability in the corn crop. There are fields that have the potential to bring back record yields and also fields that may be below trend-line.
The question is how long can the funds keep this buying up heading into harvest? They continue to hold massive long positions and against the normal seasonal trend. We do think the new crop corn still has to buy acres but the problem is the timing, it might not be a buy until after harvest.
For those producers that need to get caught up on sales please call your broker to discuss current strategies.
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Every regulated electric utility in Ohio got passing marks for reliable service last year. American Electric Power had an average of 1.03 failures per customer with an average duration of 140.97 minutes, excluding major storms, according to documents made public yesterday.
April 2, 2014
Every regulated electric utility in Ohio got passing marks for reliable service last year.
American Electric Power had an average of 1.03 failures per customer with an average duration of 140.97 minutes, excluding major storms, according to documents made public yesterday. The company was aiming for results that were less than 1.2 outages and 150 minutes.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio sets the standards and can impose penalties on companies that repeatedly fall short.
But the standards and results come with some fine print. The figures do not include failures related to major storms. Also, an outage must last at least five minutes to count.
The standards vary from company to company. For example, the outage-duration target ranges from a high of 150 minutes for AEP to a low of 112.33 minutes for Toledo Edison. The PUCO has said it customizes the rules for each company to reflect differences in terrain and population density.
"We're pleased that we were able to exceed the reliability targets established by the PUCO," said AEP spokesman Jeff Rennie.
"We are also pleased that we continue to make progress with our tree-trimming efforts and our reliability efforts, and we're hoping to get those numbers even lower."
This is the first year that AEP is reporting all of its Ohio results as one company. Previously, it had two operating companies, Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power. The two have merged, and their standards are a blend of the two predecessor companies.
"We appreciate that the electric utilities have met Ohio's standards regarding limits on outages," said Marty Berkowitz, spokesman for the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, a consumer advocate. "The standards are the result of cases where the utilities, OCC and others make their different proposals for how much outage time is acceptable for consumers. OCC's recommendations have been to minimize the frequency and duration of outages."
In 2011 and 2012, Columbus Southern failed to meet its standard for the number of minutes per failure. By missing two times in a row, the company was subject to potential penalties. The PUCO decided not to take any action because Columbus Southern had barely missed the standard and had shown evidence of improvement, a commission spokesman said.
The standards were designed to hold companies accountable for their reliability in normal conditions, regulators have said. This is why major storms are not included.
Last year, there were five major storms in AEP territory, as defined by state rules. The largest was on July 10 when 154,537 customers lost power and the average outage was about 19 hours.
If the storm-related outages were included for the year, the average customer had 1.4 outages, up from 1.03 without storms, and an average outage of 246.03 minutes, up from 140.97.
AEP serves about 1.5 million customers in Ohio. Its territory covers most of central Ohio and also includes Lima, Canton, Marietta and Athens.
Duke Energy, which serves the Cincinnati area, came the closest to missing a standard, with an average outage duration of 117.8 minutes, coming in just below the standard of 118.14 minutes.


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This regional seminar co-organised by the OSCE Secretariat Transnational Threats Department and Gender Section and UNFPA office in Minsk, aims to better understand, respond to and educate about the trend of domestic violence within the region with a specific focus on enhancing the response of non-traditional sector providers - actors involved in community policing.
This workshop, organized by the TNTD's Border Security and Management Unit, aims to facilitate the drafting of a tailored action plan outlining the relevant technological and operational procedures for setting up an API system in Moldova.
The aim of the conference is to assess the Police (and Customs) Co-operation Centres (P(C)CCs') technical and operational capacity to identify the gaps to be addressed in order to provide for better co-ordination, co-operation and real time information exchange mechanism among the border security and management services in the region.


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In classic Woody Allen flick Stardust Memories, the comedian plays a famous comedian who is sick of doing funny stuff and starts making serious art movies. Unfortunately, the only reason anybody ever liked his work was because he was funny. Including these aliens that he meets out in the woods, who remind him that not only should he just shut up and write better jokes - but his taste in women needs some work too.
Stardust Memories via IMDB


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As the tattoo industry has seen an explosion in popularity over the last few years, the need training in this field has also grown. In these video tutorials, some of the top tattoo artists in the world share their techniques and their take on the art of tattoo. The tutorials range from absolute beginner level to advanced color and blending techniques used by some of the world's best.
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Ron's art career first started in the Action Sports Industry working as a layout artist, logo designer, and board graphic illustrator. Moving in to more involved illustrations and conceptual design, he went back to school and is a graduate of the Atelier System, classically trained, and a former pupil of Sebastian Capella, Spanish portrait virtuoso. He has been a concept designer and art director in the video game industry for 10 years with dozens of clients including Sony, Activision, Ubi Soft, Mattel and more. Now freelancing fulltime, his clients include Blizzard, Time Warner, Wizards of the Coast, Marvel Comics, Disney, and more. In addition to illustrating and Portrait Painting, Ron has been an art instructor for the last 19 years. Together with his wife Vanessa, the two run their art school in Encinitas Ca., Studio 2nd Street.com, where they instruct classical foundation, fine art painting, illustration and conceptual design. Ron is also a faculty member at LAAFA and with TAD.org.
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GASTONIA � In a game that was delayed by thunder and lightning, Forestview survived a game filled with the same sort of offensive fireworks on the field.
GASTONIA � In a game that was delayed by thunder and lightning, Forestview survived a game filled with the same sort of offensive fireworks on the field.
In the end, Forestview had just enough to outlast North Gaston 35-28 in a Big South 3A Conference battle.
Trailing by eight points with 8 1-2 minutes to play, the Jaguars scored twice in the next two minutes, then stopped North Gaston on downs near midfield to clinch the homecoming victory.
�They played a great game,� Forestview coach Chris Medlin said of North Gaston. �I hate it for their kids and coaches because of the effort they had. But I�m also proud of our kids for bowing up and finding a way to win.�
It was a contest featuring divergent styles of offensive firepower. North Gaston used a plodding, ball-control offense that controlled possession for 78 of the game�s 117 offensive plays. Forestview countered with quick strikes that saw Logan Bradley complete TD passes of 24, 34, 73 and 20 yards and wide receiver Calvin Johnson throw a 44-yard scoring strike.
After the lightning delay which forced officials to clear Joe Alala Stadium an hour before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff, the contest�s kickoff was delayed until 8 p.m.
What ensued was a contest with a combined 801 yards of offense and only one punt.
Neither team could gain much separation from the other, as each side led by no more than eight points.
Forestview�s 20-12 lead at halftime was quickly negated when the Wildcats recovered an onsides kick to open the second half.
After North Gaston scored and went for two to tie the contest, a Wildcats� defensive stand on the following possession gave them a chance for the late lead.
With Corey Staley loosening the Forestview defense by churning for tough yardage in the middle of the line, North Gaston quarterback Nick Haskin pitched to Raquan Brown on a first-and-23 play � and it led to a 34-yard touchdown that put the Wildcats ahead 26-20 with 8:28 to play.
When Haskin ran in his second two-point conversion, North Gaston was ahead by eight points � and appeared to have the game�s momentum.
But Forestview responded quickly, needing only three plays and a crazy deflection on the conversion to tie the score at 28.
Johnson�s wide receiver pass to Mykelti Armstrong for 44 yards cut the lead to 28-26. Then Bradley�s two-point pass was deflected near the end zone, but was still caught by Armstrong, who was laying on the ground in the end zone, for the tying two-point play.
Forestview�s defense then made its play of the night when D.J. Davis forced a Haskin fumble that Garrett Robinson recovered at the North Gaston 49.
It took the Jaguars only two plays to score the decisive touchdown, as Bishop Ford raced 29 yards on the first play, then Bradley found Moe Neal for a 20-yard swing pass for a TD on the next play.
North Gaston got to the Forestview 35 on its final possession but two tackles for losses � one by Marlon Carter and the other by Davis � led to a pair of incompletions that ended the drive.
�These guys have a lot of fight in them and they deserved to win tonight,� North Gaston coach Mike Patton said of his team. �We just made too many mistakes to win.�
Bradley�s 248 yards passing � with four going to Armstrong for 106 and three to Neal for 114 yards � led Forestview�s offense. Staley�s 194 yards rushing and Haskin�s 108 yards rushing and 45 yards passing led North Gaston�s offense.
Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/JRWalk22
Inside the game
Offensive statistics: North Gaston � 414 yards (369 rushing, 45 passing), Forestview � 387 yards (95 rushing, 292 passing).
Defensive leaders: North Gaston � Brandon Anderson (5 tackles), Josh Kahlig (4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery). Forestview � Garrett Anderson (8 tackles, 1 fumble recovery), Marlon Carter (8 tackles), Steven Smith (7 tackles), Jarvis Jeffries (7 tackles), Collin Munson (6 tackles).
Quoting: �When you face adversity, you�ve got two wasy to respond � and we responded like I wanted us to� � Forestview coach Chris Medlin.
Next week � North Gaston hosts Crest, Forestview visits South Point.


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Sunday, 30 September 2012
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
Red Country is Joe Abercrombie's sixth novel and his third semi-stand-alone set in the same world as The First Law sequence. As with its two immediate predecessors, Best Served Cold and The Heroes, Red Country can be read by itself, but regular readers will pick up on a lot of nods and winks to previous novels, from cameo character appearances to the ongoing development of a 'cold war' between two opposing factions.
The book moves between several major POV characters. Shy is our main protagonist, but shares a lot of the page-time with Temple, a lawyer in Cosca's army whose moral centre is gradually crumbling in the face of so much pain and violence. Other characters also flitter in and out of the story, with Abercrombie re-using the 'POV handover' trick from The Heroes to great effect several times, where the perspective shifts between several characters in succession to help clearly tell the story of a battle or confrontation. As usual with Abercrombie, the characters' personalities and motivations are convincingly laid out and developed, and there are some nice pay-offs for returning characters (Cosca, in particular, gets some fairly thorough character development here). One slight flaw is that the storyline following one of the kidnapped children never seems to really develop, and feels like it either needed several more chapters dedicated to it or the whole thing dropped and the reader (like Shy) made to discern for themselves what happened off-page.
The novel has been billed as 'Joe Abercrombie's Western' and there is certainly a degree of that in the book's influences. Brief nods to The Searchers, Unforgiven and the mighty Deadwood can be discerned, though unexpectedly the most constant cultural reference is the original Star Wars movie: one brief line of dialogue by Obi-Wan Kenobi inspires an entire subplot in the novel. However, there are significant deviations from the Western motif. The West in this case is the long-abandoned northern provinces of the Old Empire, festooned with ruins from ancient times, rather than a totally virgin and untamed land (apart from the natives, of course). The area is also (relatively) close to the Old Empire, the Union and the North, making it much more of a cultural melting-pot and having it effect (and be effected by) events in more established lands than you might expect. Finally, there's no six-shooters, with everyone falling back on the old stand-bys of swords and bows. More or less.
The tone of the book is bloody and cynical, with Abercrombie's trademark line in black humour preventing things from getting too depressing. However, the cynicism feels a little harder-edged and a bit blacker than in his previous books, the humour perhaps a tad less prevalent. It's still a page-turning, well-written book with points to make about human nature, but at times the tone feels wearier than his previous books. However, this also ties in with a feeling of tragedy underpinning the book, one that results in a grimly satisfying pay-off at the end (and one element of the novel that is completely lifted - if appropriately - from a Western).
Red Country (****½) is Joe Abercrombie doing what he does best, writing a story of violence, mayhem and vengeance and the effect it has on all-too-human characters. As with his previous stand-alones, the book works as both a satisfying novel in its own right and also moves a lot of political and religious pieces into position to be (presumably) used to good effect in his next work, a full-on trilogy. Some may find the cynicism a tad overwhelming at times and at least one of the subplots doesn't quite work as well as it could have, but this is a strong effort from one of the better writers in the genre. The novel will be available on 18 October in the UK and 13 November in the USA.
4 comments:
- Cursed Armada said...
Glad to hear this isn't an actual western. The terrible book trailer that was released some time ago made it actually look like a Clint Eastwood film. I'm just happy it still involves swords and shields and not pistols and shotguns. I'm also intrigued to hear that this book is a little bit more darker in tone.
- 30 September 2012 at 15:25:00 GMT
If you don't mind answering, how do you think the main POV characters compare to those in his other books? I love The Heroes, but the main characters in it never really stuck with me in the way that Logen, Dogman, Glokta, Monza, Shivers and Cosca have.
- 30 September 2012 at 21:57:00 GMT
s it confirmed, that the next trilogy is a priquel to 'the First Law'? I think, this setting is not very good - not realistic, to much drawn from actual places.
>I love The Heroes, but the main characters in it never really stuck with me in the way that Logen, Dogman, Glokta, Monza, Shivers and Cosca have
Oh yes, it's the biggest problem with Heroes.
- 2 October 2012 at 23:40:00 GMT
- Adam Whitehead said...
The next trilogy is a sequel, I believe set years or even decades after RED COUNTRY.
- 6 October 2012 at 18:06:00 GMT


text: Bike Safety for Teachers Did you know… The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet? Encourage your students to follow these tips to keep them safe while riding a bike: Their helmet should be comfortable and snug, but not too tight. It should sit centered on top of their head in a level position, and it should not rock forward and backward or side to side. The helmet straps must always be buckled snugly against their chins. Remind them to ask mom and dad to make sure their bike's reflectors are secure, the brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated. Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against. Stay as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals. Respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stop lights. Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left. Ride their bicycles on the sidewalk until they are 10-years-old. Don't ride a bicycle when it's dark, in the fog or in other low-visibility conditions. If riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening is unavoidable, they should use a light on their bike and make sure it has reflectors. Wear clothing and accessories that incorporate retroreflective materials to improve their visibility to motorists. Visit the following sites for more information and materials: Safe Kids Worldwide Bike Safety Tips & Resources Consumer Product Safety Commission Helmet Fit Guide Bike Safety Education Materials from NCDOT Bike Safety Coloring Activity for Elementary Students


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Rails in the Large:How We're Developing the Largest Rails Project in the World
Location: Pavilion 9 - 10 Level:
While others have been debating whether Rails can scale to enterprise levels, we've been demonstrating it. ThoughtWorks is running one of the largest Rails projects in the world, for an "Enterprise". This session discusses tactics, techniques, best practices, and other things we've learned from scaling rails development. We discuss infrastructure, testing, messaging, optimization, performance, and the results of lots of lessons learned, including killer rock-scissors-paper tricks to help get you out of babysitting the view tests!
Neal Ford
Neal Ford is Software Architect and Meme Wrangler at *Thought*Works, a global IT consultancy with an exclusive focus on end-to-end software development and delivery. He is also the designer and developer of applications, instructional materials, magazine articles, courseware, video/DVD presentations, and author and/or editor of 6 books spanning a variety of technologies, including the most recent The Productive Programmer. He focuses on designing and building of large-scale enterprise applications. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker, speaking at over 100 developer conferences worldwide, delivering more than 600 talks. Check out his web site at http://www.nealford.com. He welcomes feedback and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Paul Gross
Braintree Payments
Paul Gross is a software developer and consultant who works for ThoughtWorks. He has been working almost exclusively with Ruby on Rails for the last few years. His blog can be found at http://www.pgrs.net.


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Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It's free!
Wednesday December 7, 2011 3:17 pm
2011 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Microsoft Touch Mouse
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500
This 2011 Holiday Gift Guide entry is targeted at making computing a little more fun and futuristic - and we're even giving this one away! The Microsoft Touch Mouse is made exclusively for use with Windows 7. It's got a multitouch surface, allowing you to use natural touch gestures to perform common tasks. Basically, think of it as the Apple Magic Mouse, but for your Windows PC. It's got support for one-, two-, and three-findered gestures, and runs on 2 AA batteries. They sell for $79, but you can get one on Amazon now for $41, which is a whopping 48% discount.
Or, you can win one here! We are giving one of these Microsoft Touch Mouse prizes away as we continue our holiday giveaway series. Simply use the widget below to enter to win. We've got a lot of ways for you to enter, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:
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City of BrentwoodHOME Menu
Planning Commission Meeting
- Date: 12/02/2019 7:00 PM
- Location: Brentwood City Hall
5211 Maryland Way
Brentwood , Tennessee 37027
Unless otherwise rescheduled, the Planning Commission meets monthly at the Brentwood City Hall (5211 Maryland Way) on the first Monday evening of each month at 7:00 p.m. (CLICK HERE FOR MEETING SCHEDULE). Special meetings and workshops are held at various times as needed. The agenda for the meeting can be found here: CLICK HERE FOR AGENDA.
Planning Commission Meetings are videotaped and posted to the web the day after the meeting: CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO. The videos are also broadcast on Comcast channel 19 the following day (Tuesday) and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The primary duties of the Planning Commission involve oversight of new and revised development applications for commercial and service institutional (churches, schools, etc.) facilities, as well as subdivision actions which can range from simple lot divisions to major residential communities. The Planning Commission also provides recommendations on rezoning actions and zoning ordinance revisions to the Board of Commissioners. One member of the Planning Commission is the Mayor of Brentwood, or a person appointed to fulfill those responsibilities. The balance of the Planning Commission is appointed by the Board of Commissioners through the Mayor. For more about the Planning Commission, please CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Questions regarding items on the Planning Commission agenda can be directed to the Planning and Codes Department at 615-371-2204.


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What are SaqPacks?
SaqPacks are expansion packages for Ancient Quest of Saqqarah that provide an additional set of over 500 levels along with new music, graphics and titles to get. Basically, it's like playing a sequel of Saqqarah, without paying a full game price for it.
Currently available SaqPacks:
For only $9.95 with each SaqPack you get:
Full copy of the original Saqqarah is required to run the SaqPack.
Far Eastern Frenzy SaqPack
Far Eastern Frenzy Screenshots:
Egyptian Encounters SaqPack
Egyptian Encounters Screenshots:
Monkey Monarchs SaqPack
Monkey Monarchs Screenshots:
How to install SaqPack
Congratulations, you're on your way to a brand new adventure. Have fun!
[ Best games for PC | Best games for Mac ]
[ Phantasmat Game | Bayo Bongo Game | Brunhilda Game | StoneLoops! Game | Magic Match Game ]


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I think Brown signed almost everyone BUT Zimmer last year to 2 year contracts. Why? Again......things like too much loyalty.
Yet they are still letting Zampese go interview in Chicago for the OC job...even if he is under contract.
I'd say it's an even-money shot that Zimmer doesn't end up head coach of this team before his 3-year deal is up.
Cincinnati Here We Go.
29 Years and Counting...
Explain how your priority seems to be defense, the "Offense should be alot easier to correct", and that "our offense can improve drastically just by signing a few stop gap players". I just don't get that. The offense needs help. NOT the defense.
"Now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that."
Replace Coles with a different vet receiver who can actually catch a ball consistently, and our offense is 2x better already.
Our running game is very good. We have a QB.... who USED to be pretty dominate (what happened!?) Hopefully he bounces back. I think you have to count on that. We have an elite receiver. We just need another solid receiver and a TE who can catch a ball. There is a chance that we have these needs on the team already.
What I mean is I'd rather have Average offense + Great Defense instead of Good offense + Good defense.
Maybe I just think the offense is easier to correct than you do. A new OC would instantly improve our offense IMO.
Up for debate is where they should go from here. Yes, they need to get better at the passing game, I would agree, either through the draft or free agency, but to simply look at points and close games and conclude the offense was ineffective, and then proceed to lay that at the feet of the OC, is a very narrow opinion. I think a good manager is one who is able to be successful with the resources he is given. I think that the offense did that. They simply did not have enough talent in the receiver corps this year to be a Super Bowl contender.
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
He went into this season with a line so bad they had to use the sixth pick in the draft to upgrade it. And Smith made no significant impact this year.
His best receiver the past two years was playing in Seattle.
If your observation that Palmer locks onto one receiver is correct, he went into every game this year with arguably the second best quarterback on the field.
His tight ends were on IR before the regular season.
The only positives I see coming into the season were there was no black hole at center and he had Cedric for the full year.
He gave it to his best player, Cedric, often and kept Carson healthy.
Name any player other than Cedric who could sniff the Pro Bowl.
Name any player other than Cedric and Chad who could upgrade a good NFL offense.
The guy overachieved with the talent he was given.
Replace him if you want but he is hardly the problem.
Last edited by Newport Red; 01-13-2010 at 04:12 PM.
Help stamp out, eliminate, and do away with redundancy.
The analogy with Mike Brown goes to the question of "can we do better"?
I think we can. I don't think he utilized Carson Palmer's skills. For instance, why couldn't he use the no huddle?
This offense showed a huge lack of discipline by jumping off sides and receivers and QB not in synch. This is the fault of the offensive coordinator in not preparing them properly. He should have ridden them hard in practice like a drill sargeant until they could do it in their sleep. Lack of preparation I blame on the coach.
Why couldn't the offense execute a screen pass to a back like Scott every now and then? Peyton Manning always has dumpoff options and he uses them a lot. Ditto for Tom Brady.
How 'bout a slant pass? I haven't seen a decent slant executed by this team since the one that broke Slim's arm.
These are simple things that are not too much to ask of NFL offenses and but Brat can't seem to do it with this group.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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This was a day of seconds. This was the second Club Ride I coordinated. This was the second time my machine was in the shop the week before the ride. And it was the second time it was supposed to be ready the Thursday before the ride and it wasn't. But, no worries. I just gassed up the '09 Polaris Trailblazer 330 and off we go!
We met in the parking lot of the Frederic Trailhead system off Co Rd 612 just west of Frederic. Myself and new member Mike Leppek aka XC450Cat arrived and already unloading was member Chad Tremble and Jann. Pulling in right behind us were Mike aka 05Wolverine350 and Steve Aka Oakland500. As we were all unloaded and made our introductions, we watched as the last member of our group pulled in, T-way aka.....well T-way.
I handed out the welcome to the Gaylord area bags including trail maps that I picked up at the welcome center and explained our itinerary and route for the day. We'd ride north and do that loop and then head into Frederic for lunch. Finishing up the day riding the south loop.
So off the seven of us went heading.....south! 2.5 miles into our trip, I knew we had missed the turnoff for the North Loop. After informing the group, we decided to continue on and it actually worked better. Doing the South Loop first put us in Frederic for lunch at 11:30. We enjoyed an awesome lunch and the conversation and getting to know each other was a huge bonus.
After lunch, I took the group over to Sledheads of Frederic where Pete Kocefas has the remains of a wrecked snowmobile driven by a 19 year old a few years back that hit a tree at 80mph. A sobering reminder to SLOW down. And that was our theme for the day. Once back on the trail, we crawled up and down and down and up the wide variety of terrain the Frederic Trails offer. There are scenic vistas that require you to crawl up trails with old maple roots for traction. There are a few places where the rocks or the roots try to yank the bars away from you, but the trails are a lot of fun to ride.
At one point as we came down a trail, we saw 2 riders pulled off to the side standing around in scarlett and gray clothing, looking like the defense that played Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Just standing there. We stopped and were surprised to see Buckeye and TH1Racer. We talked for a while and they rode with us until the 50 incher crossed the next route, as Buckeye isn't a fan of the 50's. We said our goodbyes. and rode the last 10 miles of the North Loop ending up at the turnoff for the parking lot. Jann had injured her thumb so she and Chad peeled off and went to load up.
Now Mike, Steve, Mike, T-way and I had a decision to make. It was 4:30p. We were tired and a little dusty, so what do we do? We decided to ride the South Loop backwards to the connector trail and enjoy the beautiful clear 65 degree day with bluebird skies. We arrived eventually in the parking lot just before 6p. We all loaded up and said our good byes. It was a great day filled with great people sharing stories, experiences and on a beautiful Earth Day no less.
I have to say, this is what I hoped for when I joined the ATVOC. Learning from experienced riders. Sharing experiences with great people, and as a Board member, I hope to give something back to the sport and look forward to the future growth of the ATVOC. Thanks to all who attended, especially T-Way who ALWAYS adds to whatever gathering we hold.
Ron S aka Sleddog


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The Celtics are playing their best basketball since the Finals two years ago and are suddenly in the championship conversation again. We knew they had this in them the whole year, but I for one thought they might have become too content with just one title. Now it finally looks like they they are hungry for that 18th banner.
It's the little things the Celtics are doing that are really impressing me. Whether it be running over as a team to help up Rondo after a tough fall, moving the ball around with crispness and fluidity, or gathering together on the court to discuss strategy, you can just tell they are locked in. I think the KG factor is huge as well. Just having KG on the court was not enough for the Celtics. They needed him to get back to the KG of old. The fact is, as great of a leader as Garnett is, it's hard to take the lead from someone who isn't one of your best players. While he's still not as explosive as he was in 2008, he's the closest he's been to that level in awhile.
The biggest reason Ubuntu is back is because the Big 3 has embraced Rondo as their leader. He is no longer on the outside looking in, but one of them. At the beginning of the season it looked like Perk and Rondo were on one side and the Big 3 were on the other. Whether that was just a rumor or not, they've been able to work through their issues and are clearly all on the same page now.
The playoffs are called the second season in sports. In no league does this hold true more than the NBA. The regular season means very little in basketball because of the number of teams that make the playoffs. Now you can see why the Celtics may have been bored and saving their energy for the stretch run. This Boston team was assembled for the playoffs and are showing why right now.
A lot of people like to say they are only content with a championship and that the Celtics didn't accomplish anything by beating the Cavs. I disagree. If you had told me a month ago we'd have beaten the Cavs and been 3 games away from the NBA finals I would've laughed at you. Who could have predicted this after the inconsistency we saw this season. Now that I see what we are capable of the expectations are back. I fully expect the Celtics to beat the Magic in 6 and advance to the finals in June. Let's hope the Celtics never forget Ubuntu again. Karl Dillinger 5/18/2010 01:56:00 PM Tweet Edit
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Just finished reading a mighty tome by Seymour Phillips on King Edward II of England, published by Yale.
Phillips view of Edward is on reflection very fair and balanced overall, using extremely detailed research to come to his conclusions.
He cautions on many occasions throughout his book, against taking at face value some contemporary chronicler's writings about King Edward II.
He concludes that:
1. Edward had a powerful sense of his own royal status as king and the duties pertaining to it throughout his reign;
2. Inherited a bankrupt kingdom from his father - Edward I, with the administration of the country in chaos and the powerful on the verge of rebellion. He believes even a more capable king would have found it difficult to do better;
3. Says it would be unwise to conclude that Edward had no interest or was not actively involved in the administration of his government, but that he interest was at best sporadic and unpredictable, leading to the cultivation of certain 'favourites', which was highly unsatisfactory for his times;
4. Despite certain chroniclers writings, there is no direct evidence that Edward had a sexual relationship with either of his favourites - Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despencer, the Younger. That labelling an individual a 'sodomite' was tantamount in his time to calling some a 'heretic' and was an insult used on my occasions against other powerful individuals to bring them down;
5. Edward he believes showed on many occasions, considerable skill in dividing his political enemies, Earl Thomas of Lancaster (his cousin) case in point, until he got his own way and could make powerful speeches disabling his opponents when required to do so;
6. He was underated in his own time, and has been ever since;
7. He was not lacking in physical or moral courage;
8. He was not stupid;
9. He was at least as well educated as his father - Edward I and his son Edward III;
10. There was something of a holy man about his personality;
and finally
11. That he was too able a king to be ignored, but had too many weaknesses of character and behaviour to be a success.
I have certainly changed my vision of the personality of King Edward II (to a more positive one), having read this brilliant work by Seymour Phillips, which could not have been more thoroughly researched. I absolutely recommend this book 100%
Edward II - author Seymour Phillips
Anything with a vague historical bent
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George Zimmerman's defense team has a new, difficult challenge as it prepares for trial in the Trayvon Martin murder case: how to explain an alleged conspiracy involving the defendant's wife, Shellie Zimmerman, and the couple's attempt to keep secret a massive cache of donated funds?
Ms. Zimmerman posted bond on Tuesday after being charged with one count of perjury for allegedly lying to Florida Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester on April 20 when she claimed poverty, even as the couple was communicating by phone about moving more than $130,000 in donated defense funds between various bank accounts.
Ms. Zimmerman's arrest came two weeks after Judge Lester revoked Mr. Zimmerman's bond and sent him back to jail for failing to "properly respect the law [and] the integrity of the judicial process" and for sitting "like a potted plant" while leading "the court down the primrose path" with "material falsehoods" about his finances.
The case against Mr. Zimmerman comes down to credibility, as he appears to be the only solid witness to the events of Feb. 26, when he shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, in a case that sparked a national debate about racial profiling and gun rights.
Ms. Zimmerman's arrest and Mr. Zimmerman's revoked bond came after a trove of evidence – including medical evidence and eyewitness accounts – that seemed to support Mr. Zimmerman's claim of self-defense: that Trayvon attacked him with a ferocity that made Zimmerman fear for his life.
Given that Mr. Zimmerman has now angered the judge, raised the ire of prosecutors, and created new questions in the public – and a potential jury pool – about his credibility, his defense team, led by Orlando attorney Mark O'Mara, will face a fresh and difficult struggle to separate the facts of the case from the defendant's foibles, legal experts say.
The couple "really seized defeat from the jaws of victory," says Scott Greenfield, a New York defense lawyer who has blogged about the Trayvon Martin case and Mr. Zimmerman's defense. "Clearly, anything that suggests that he's been deceptive is going to create huge problems for his credibility at trial, and there's a risk that these questions of whether George Zimmerman is a liar, whether his wife is a liar, whether it's just all a bunch of lies, could finally resolve a lot of the ambiguity of this case."
Prosecutors say that just before the April bond hearing, Ms. Zimmerman moved $74,000 in eight smaller amounts – all under $10,000, the point at which the Internal Revenue Service is alerted – from her husband's account to her own. Days later, Ms. Zimmerman testified by phone at the bond hearing that the couple was basically penniless because they had little savings and George had had to quit his job after the uproar over the shooting.
After the hearing, Ms. Zimmerman used a series of smaller transactions to move another $85,500 from the account, which had been filled through PayPal donations from supporters going to "The Real George Zimmerman" website. Mr. O'Mara has since closed that site and replaced it with an independently managed website.
On Wednesday, O'Mara made his first public statement after Ms. Zimmerman's arrest, saying he and Mr. Zimmerman are worried about her safety after she left the Seminole County jail. O'Mara has earlier said that the couple was "confused" and "fearful" as Florida prosecutors reversed a local decision to let Mr. Zimmerman go and instead decided to charge him with second-degree murder, a crime for which, if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
O'Mara's challenge will be to explain to future jurors the couple's state of mind, while steering the case back toward the facts at hand, says Mr. Greenfield.
"One of the hardest things is to understand what goes through the mind of a defendant in a high-profile case," he says. "He probably didn't have a firm grip on who to trust or what to trust, whether the system itself was trustworthy. There's a lot of paranoia that tends to permeate attitudes toward the criminal justice system that can cause people to make some poor choices. Once they feel more comfortable with either the system or their lawyer, they come to realize that these choices were pretty boneheaded."
O'Mara and Mr. Zimmerman return to face Judge Lester on June 29, when the court will review the bond revocation. O'Mara will likely take that opportunity to try to undo some of the damage to Mr. Zimmerman's credibility and to try to steer the judge – and the American public – back to the facts of the case.
In front of a nation that watched as "Justice for Trayvon" became a rallying cry for thousands of protesters across the country, O'Mara will have a difficult task to rebuild the Zimmermans' credibility, legal analysts say.
Indeed, the couple's problems may multiply if authorities find that Ms. Zimmerman willfully structured the cash transfers to avoid alerting the IRS, Jeffrey Neiman, a former federal prosecutor, told the Associated Press. Such diversions, he says, could lead to "serious federal criminal charges."
"You can't perpetrate this kind of fraud on the court and expect there's not going to be consequences," Florida legal analyst Bill Sheaffer told WFTV, a news station in Orlando.