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Recent eLetters
Displaying 1-10 letters out of 659 published
Clinical Genomics and the adult with congenital heart disease: new opportunities"
We are intrigued by the article by Priest et al. The importance of genomics has been clearly identified and the article beautifully describes the role of genetics in cardiovascular medicine but concentrates on inherited arrthymias, cardiomyopathies and occasional pharmacogenomics profiling. We suggest they have failed to consider the large, unrecognized need for genomics in adults patients with congenital heart conditions.
More than 90% of patients with congenital heart conditions now survive to adulthood and yet as neonates/children there was restricted availability of genetic testing and limited techniques. When such patients attend the adult clinic they want to know the inheritance risk of their condition. Yet there is an additional potential to, risk stratify other family members for syndromic as well as isolated congenital cardiac defects. Multiple studies have shown that that congenital cardiac defects demonstrate family clustering which then have a higher incidence of inheritance 1 The genomic wide association study (GWAS) was the first to identify the locus for the common congenital heart condition of atrial septal defect (the locus demonstrated to be a defect at chromosome 4p16)2. We know ASD???s run in families but in addition there is a familial ASD sub group who are at risk for late complete heart block. Such ???personalized??? medicine, guided by genomics, help discriminate which family members to screen and who to keep under long term follow up. For example, the presence of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in an index case may help to identify bicuspid aortic valve in 1st degree family members which has important long-term clinical implications for morbidity and mortality
The current paediatric guidelines (AHA) suggest gene testing for infants born with interrupted aortic arch type B, truncus arteriosus, aortic arch anomalies, ToF with absent pulmonary valve and other conotruncal anomalies3. There is an absence of guidance in respect of gene testing in the adult patient and yet simply testing for 22q11 deletion in ALL conotruncal abnormalities finds a proportion (5.8%) who have the deletion (despite no phenotypic features) ??? clearly important given the 50% inheritance risk 4.
We have been able to offer congenital heart disease patients medical and surgical services to improve their quality of life leading to survival beyond adulthood but limited focus on genetics. There may be more to offer ??? for example, the genes that cause Noonan-related disorders are those that affect the RAS pathway to increase growth ??? i.e. they are potentially tumour-predisposing genes. These individuals are at risk of neoplasia.
Congenital (paediatric) cardiologists are good at recognizing and gene testing ???syndromic??? patients, but there remain patients seen in the adult clinics who were never tested as children. Furthermore, ???non syndromic??? patients with congenital heart conditions, may have recognizable features (phenotype or association of conditions) to a geneticist who would then suggest an appropriate gene panel. We urge the close collaboration of the congenital cardiologist and geneticist in the adult congenital heart clinic. and geneticist to guide not only inheritance risk, but cascade screening and perhaps predict future risks. ???Genomics in the adult congenital heart practice. Indeed!
1. Burn J, Brennan P, Little J, Holloway S, Coffey R, et al. Recurrence risks in offspring of adults with major heart defects: results from first cohort of British collaborative study. Lancet. 1998; 351:311???316.
2. Heather J. Cordell, Jamie Bentham, Ana Topf et al ???Genome-wide association study of multiple congenital heart disease phenotypes identifies a susceptibility locus for atrial septal defect at chromosome 4p16??? Nat Genet. Jul 2013; 45(7): 822???824
3. Pierpont ME1, Basson CT, Benson DW Jr et al ???Genetic basis for congenital heart defects: current knowledge: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young: endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics??? Circulation. 2007 Jun 12;115(23):3015-38
4.Beauchesne LM, Warnes CA, Connolly HM, Ammash NM, Grogan M, et al. Prevalence and clinical manifestations of 22q11.2 microdeletion in adults with selected conotruncal anomalies. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;45:595???598.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Re:Pre-procedural fasting for coronary interventions: is it time to change practice?
Dear Editor;
We read with interest the comments from Wijeyeratne et al (1) regarding our paper. They commend our study (2) for questioning the need for fasting prior to percutaneous cardiac procedures and highlight the lack of evidence either for or against the necessity to fast in this scenario. We agree with their comments and fully accept the limitations of our retrospectively analysed data. While we don???t expect our paper to result in an immediate major practice shift in cardiology, we certainly hope that it will raise awareness of this issue.
As they point out, patients might be instructed to fast, drink fluids only or not fast at all (for varying periods of time) prior to the exactly the same procedure performed in different institutions. There are no guidelines and only scant evidence to guide practice. One can see how this inconsistency in practice has arisen.
There are understandable concerns that if patients are not fasted, then their risk of complications may increase. However, these concerns are probably overstated and indeed, it is possible that harm may be more likely to occur in fasted patients.
We agree that concerns regarding a possible increased risk of pulmonary aspiration in non-fasted patients are probably unfounded. Patients who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for acute ST elevation MI (STEMI) are not fasted and there is no reported excess of peri-procedural pulmonary aspiration on the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) national registry. An open label study by Kwon et al (3) reported that no patient (fasted vs non- fasted) undergoing cerebral angiography had pulmonary aspiration. A prospective study by Agrawal et al (4) demonstrated that there was no association between adverse events and not being fasted in children undergoing pre-procedural sedation in emergency department.
When patients are not fasted, we suspect radial access is easier and there appears to be less sedation-induced blood pressure drop. We believe that allowing patients to freely eat and drink before their scheduled procedure makes them less anxious as described by some patients: ???They are having a procedure, not an operation???. In centres that routinely fast their patients, delays may occur if a patient hadn???t fasted for long enough before their scheduled procedure time or if they had inadvertently broken their fast. This may prolong inpatient stay and increase costs.
We concur that more studies are required and our group is currently designing a larger, multi-center prospective study aiming to compare the two practices (fasting versus non-fasting prior to percutaneous cardiac procedures). We suspect that our findings from that larger study will provide further evidence that pre-procedural fasting is not required.
KEYWORDS: Interventional Cardiology; Quality of Care and Outcomes, Pre Procedural fasting.
1. Wijeyeratne YD, Wendler R, Spray D, Bunce N;Preprocedural fasting for coronary interventions: is it time to change practice?Heart 2014;100:13
2. Hamid T, Aleem Q, Lau Y, Singh R, McDonald J, Macdonald JE, Sastry S, Arya S, Bainbridge A, Mudawi T, Balachandran K. re-procedural fasting for coronary interventions: is it time to change practice? Heart. 2014 Apr;100(8):658-661
3. Kwon OK, Oh CW, Park H, Bang JS, BaeHJ, Han MK, Park SH, Han MH, Kang HS, Park SK, Whang G, Kim BC, Jin SC; Is fasting necessary for elective cerebral angiography? AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2011 May;32(5):908- 910
4. Agrawal, D., Manzi, S.F., Gupta, R. et al. Preprocedural fasting state and adverse events in children undergoing procedural sedation and analgesia in a pediatric emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2003; 42: 636-646
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Role of late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the risk stratification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - but what about 'apical' HCM?
We read with great interest the article by Ismail et al, (1) looking at the role of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance in the risk stratification of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We would like to congratulate the authors for delineating the interesting findings that the amount of myocardial fibrosis was a strong univariable predictor of sudden cardiac death (SCD) albeit the effect was not maintained after adjusting for LV-EF.
Interestingly, in this study of consecutive referrals of patients with suspected/known HCM to a single large tertiary centre, 18% of the patient cohort had apical HCM phenotype. Traditionally, apical HCM has been considered a rarer variant of HCM, with a prevalence of approximately 7% in previous studies, with known more benign prognosis and lower risk of SCD (2).
Anecdotally, in our large tertiary CMR Unit we see a similar 18% of apical HCM phenotype in patients with suspected/known HCM (as in the current study), suggesting the disease variant is perhaps not as rare as initially thought. This could be explained by the higher diagnostic value of CMR vs echo in detecting apical HCM. (3)
It would be very interesting to clarify to which extent the findings of this study can be fully applicable to patients with apical HCM. It is not uncommon to find a significant amount of late gadolinium myocardial enhancement (replacement fibrosis) in the hypertrophied apical segments. Does this carry the same risk as demonstrated in Ismail et al.(1), in a cohort with intrinsic more benign prognosis? Would this yet be another reason in favor of considering apical HCM as a separate entity? (4)
NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Unit in Cardiovascular Medicine.
The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, National Institute for Health Research, or Department of Health.
1. Ismail TF, Jabbour A, Gulati A, Mallorie A, Raza S, Cowling TE, et al. Role of late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the risk stratification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Heart [Internet]. 2014 Jun 24 [cited 2014 Aug 12];heartjnl-2013-305471-. Available from: http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2014/06/24/heartjnl- 2013-305471.full?hwshib2=authn%3A1407961738%3A20140812%253Aae52e5ce-0f8e- 43c3-a6eb-c194a4650ad2%3A0%3A0%3A0%3AF2LsLqYFBrKXczCM8MPT0g%3D%3D
2. Eriksson MJ, Sonnenberg B, Woo A, Rakowski P, Parker TG, Wigle ED, et al. Long-term outcome in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol [Internet]. Journal of the American College of Cardiology; 2002 Feb 20 [cited 2014 Aug 12];39(4):638-45. Available from: http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1127753
3. Moon JCC, Fisher NG, McKenna WJ, Pennell DJ. Detection of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with non-diagnostic echocardiography. Heart [Internet]. 2004 Jun [cited 2014 Aug 18];90(6):645-9. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1768283&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
4. Maron BJ, Haas TS, Kitner C, Lesser JR. Onset of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in adulthood. Am J Cardiol [Internet]. 2011 Dec 15 [cited 2014 Aug 13];108(12):1783-7. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002914911024301
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Correspondence: sudden death is associated both with epilepsy and with use of antiepileptic medications
We read with interest the recent paper by Bardai et al1(1), which reports that epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were independently associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD). We are unconvinced that such a clear distinction between disease and drug effects can be made in this study as all people with epilepsy were by definition taking AEDs. We believe this is why SCD risk in those with epilepsy (Table 2) and in AED users with epilepsy (Table 3) was the same: OR 2.8 (95% CI: 1.4, 5.3). It is unclear whether these numbers reflect disease effects, drug effects, or both. It is reported that people with epilepsy are at increased risk of SCD, yet in this population there is a major diagnostic alternative: sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, an autopsy-negative mostly seizure-related type of sudden death with cardiac and non-cardiac causes.(2) We do not believe that sudden death in people with epilepsy can be assumed to be of cardiac origin (versus, for example, neurogenic respiratory depression) without documentation of a cardiac mechanism of death (e.g. by ECG). Carbamazepine and gabapentin were the only individual AEDs associated with increased SCD risk. The authors attribute this to the supposed sodium channel blocking properties of these drugs, but we believe that indication bias cannot be excluded. Carbamazepine is the drug of choice in people with focal seizures and stroke is a leading cause of this type of epilepsy, particularly in the elderly.(3) An important indication for gapabentin is diabetic chronic neuropathic pain.(4) It is possible that a worse cardiovascular status rather than sodium channel blocking properties explains the higher SCD risk in users of these AEDs. Despite the use of a large database, many numbers are small, so the demonstrated significant effect for sodium channel blocking AEDs but not for non-sodium channel blocking AEDs may reflect limited sample size rather than differences in effect. There was a consistent trend; all reported AED ORs were greater than the null value. This paper is important in that it confirms that epilepsy in the community is associated with an increased risk of sudden natural death. Future studies with additional documentation of death mechanisms, correction for indication bias and larger sample size are needed to explain the cause of this excess risk and clarify the role of AEDs.
1. Bardai A, Blom MT, van Noord C, et al. Sudden cardiac death is associated both with epilepsy and with use of antiepileptic drugs. Heart. 2014 Jul 16. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2014-305664. 2. Shorvon S, Tomson T. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Lancet 2011; 378(9808):2028-2038. 3. Ryvlin P, Montavont A, Nighoghossian N. Optimizing therapy of seizures in stroke patients. Neurology 2006;67(12 Suppl 4):S3-9. 4. Moore RA, Wiffen PJ, Derry S, et al. Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Apr 27. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007938.pub3
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
The role of Left Ventricle in the Autograft Complication after ROSS operation
We have read the interesting article from Luciani and colleagues [1] documenting the outcomes into the second decade after the Ross procedure in infants and children from the Italian Paediatric Ross Registry. Conclusion concisely stated the Ross procedure was a low risk palliative procedure for aortic valve abnormalities at the expense of valve-related reoperation.
Contrary to prior evidence, autograft reoperation was more common than homograft in their cohort, raising the concern about the autograft failure in paediatric population. Besides the predictors which the authors discussed, the interaction between the left ventricle (LV) and the autograft is an essential associated factor.
Raedle-Hurst and associates [2] reported that elevation of LV volumes, both systolic and diastolic, could still be noticed in patients years after the Ross operation. Theoretically, the residual LV dilation impairing the autograft annulus geometry, will change steady dynamics and exhaust autograft wall structures. Therefore root dilation and valvular regurgitation will exist more significant, translating into clinical autograft failure.
In 2005, authors of the present study had reported younger age at Ross procedure was predictive of late autograft dilatation [3]. However, there was a potential confounding because patients who have Ross at an early age usually presented with a severe valve abnormality and a severely impaired LV. Interestingly, Hoerer and colleagues [4] reported different findings concerning the autograft complication. In their cohort, the autograft annulus postoperatively tended to enlarge and regurgitation develops predominantly in older children. A corollary to this observation is that older patients have a more impaired LV which suffers from the haemodynamic abnormality for a longer time.
These two findings seem to be ostensibly different, however, have one common nature: the impaired LV, substantially highlighting the role of LV in the development of autograft failure. All these evidence suggest LV may be a potential key to reduce autograft complications. Hence there are more information could be further illustrated by this study as the largest multi-center paediatric cohort, including the baseline LV diameter and function of the study population, the recovery of the impaired LV and their potential relationship. Moreover, additional comments about this issue would be helpful.
[1] Luciani GB, Lucchese G, Carotti A, et al. Two decades of experience with the Ross operation in neonates, infants and children from the Italian Paediatric Ross Registry. Heart 2014 0:heartjnl-2014-305873v1- heartjnl-2014-305873; doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-305873
[2] Raedle-Hurst TM, Hosse M, Hoffmann S, et al. Ventricular performance assessed by 2-dimensional strain analysis after Ross operation versus aortic valve reconstruction. Ann Thorac Surg 2013;96:1567-73.
[3] Luciani GB, Favaro A, Casali G, et al. Ross operation in the young: a ten-year experience. Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:2271-7.
[4] Horer J, Kasnar-Samprec J, Charitos E, et al. Patient age at the Ross operation in children influences aortic root dimensions and aortic regurgitation. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2013;4:245-52.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Epistenocardiac pericarditis can be an electrocardiographic challenge!
We enjoyed the image challenge published by Wu et al which illustrates a case of contained left ventricular rupture [1]. In the explanation, authors have excluded pericarditis based on the absence of fever and characteristic pericarditis ECG findings. We would like to emphasize that early post-infarction pericarditis ("epistenocardiac") is notorious to cause atypical ECG changes which are often territorial to the infarct area [2-5]. One of our previous studies demonstrated that only 3.2% patients with epistenocardiac pericarditis present with classical Stage-I pericarditic ECG changes [4]. Pericarditis in the presented case should be correctly ruled out by the absence of a pericardial rub and the presence of significant reciprocal ST-depressions in III and aVF on the third ECG-tracing. Authors also point out that the key to the diagnosis for left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is the presence of pericardial effusion. In our opinion, the absence of pericardial effusion has a very high negative predictive value for LVFWR, however the presence of it (even hemorrhagic effusion) does not confirm the diagnosis as an effusion may often accompany an 'effusive epistenocardiac pericarditis' [2]. The hallmark to the echocardiographic diagnosis of LVFWR is the actual visualization of wall-rupture and/or the classical color-doppler findings with or without the use of an echo contrast [2].
References: 1.Wu H, Qian J, Ge J. Recurrent ST-segment elevation in infarct-associated leads. Heart. 2014 Jul 29. pii: heartjnl-2014-306289. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306289. (PMID: 25073887). 2.Spodick DH: The Pericardium: A Comprehensive Textbook, Marcel Dekker, New York 1997. pp: 334-367. 3.Bruce MA, Spodick DH. Atypical electrocardiogram in acute pericarditis: characteristics and prevalence. J Electrocardiol. 1980;13(1):61-66. 4.Krainin FM, Flessas AP, Spodick DH. Infarction-associated pericarditis. Rarity of diagnostic electrocardiogram. N Engl J Med. 1984;311(19):1211- 1214. 5.Chhabra L, Chaubey VK, Spodick DH. Recurrent myocardial infarction or Epistenocardiac pericarditis: how can surface ECG be useful in clinical decision making? Hellenic J Cardiol. 2014. In Press.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Effect of incomplete revascularization
In the above paper, there is no mention of the influence of incomplete revascularization on the results. This is an important variable that should be taken into account to show whether an independant effect of lesion calcification on outcomes exists.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Higher relative wall thickness in strength athletes using anabolic steroids
In the study presented from Utomi et al (1), the Morganroth hypothesis concerning a different left ventricular (LV) adaptation between endurance and strength athletes has been tested. The authors demonstrated a normal LV geometry in male strength athletes and concluded that the hypothesis of a LV concentric hypertrophy should be revised. We would like to point out that we have questioned the disproportionate increase in LV wall thickness in strength athletes, resulting in a concentric hypertrophy, already in 1989 (2) and 1999 (3). We have demonstrated that pure resistance-trained athletes (weightlifters and bodybuilders) and combined resistance- and endurance-trained athletes (rowers) do not develop a LV concentric hypertrophy in the absence of pathological pressure loads or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Only strength athletes misusing anabolic steroids exhibited distinctly higher relative wall thicknesses compared to all other athletes (3). Unfortunately, in the publication of Utomi et al (1), the influence of anabolic steroids on the ratio between LV myocardial thickness and internal diameter is not discussed. Similarly, in most previous studies reporting on a concentric hypertrophy in strength athletes, a drug history, especially the misuse of anabolic steroids, is missing. Therefore, in apparently healthy athletes, exhibiting a disproportionate increase in wall thickness, misuse of anabolic steroids has to be considered. In addition, endurance exercise capacity, which is related to the athlete's heart size (4), should be tested (e.g. by VO2max) in such studies to validate the presumed fitness of the studied subjects.
References 1. Utomi V, Oxborough D, Ashley E, et al. Predominance of normal left ventricular geometry in the male "athlete's heart". Heart Published Online First: June 10, 2014. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2014-305904. 2. Urhausen A, Holpes R, Kindermann W. One-and two-dimensional echocardiography in bodybuilders using anabolic steroids. Eur J Appl Physiol 1989; 58:633-40. 3. Urhausen A, Kindermann W. Sport-specific adaptations and differentiation of the athlete's heart. Sports Med 1999; 28:237-44. 4. Scharhag J, Schneider G, Urhausen A, Rochette V, Kramann B, Kindermann W. Athlete's heart: right and left ventricular mass and function in male endurance athletes and untrained individuals determined by magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Coll Cardiol 2002;40:1856-1863.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Definition of peripheral arterial disease in South Asians
Majority of the studies have defined peripheral arterial disease as ankle brachial index (which is a ratio of absolute systolic ankle blood pressures and absolute systolic brachial blood pressures) of <0.9. Peripheral arterial disease ought to be defined by both low ankle brachial index and high ankle brachial index as both low and high ankle brachial index are predictors of cardiovascular disease and mortality in Europeans. The prevalence of hypertension and its association with cardiovascular disease in South Asians do not significantly differ from that of Europeans. The prevalence of ankle brachial index <0.9 in South-Asians is less than in Europeans both in subjects with or without diabetes. However, absolute systolic ankle blood pressures increase with diabetes in young South Asians and these increases are greater in South-Asians compared to Europeans (Kain K, Heart 2013; 99:614-619). Therefore, in South Asians peripheral arterial disease ought to be defined by high ankle brachial index rather than low ankle brachial index and the paradox of lower prevalence of peripheral arterial disease even though South Asians have increased prevalence of ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke will disappear.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
A lot more work to do to improve Antipodean healthcare
The researchers here used a specified two-week period and their outcome measures were not 'prospective' but effectively cross-sectional. The papers labels itself a 'prospective audit' which makes the fundamental error clinicians often make in confusing a 'de novo consecutive series' of patients with the epidemiologist's definition of a 'prospective' study which is of course a 'cohort study', one in which outcomes are collected later in time.
Furthermore, secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation are not 'snapshot' care pathways. Much of the real work begins after discharge - the phone call to the patient at 48 hours, the invite to the post-ACS clinic a few weeks later, and then weeks to months of intensive input through a cardiac rehabilitation programme. This paper does not capture that.
Finally, the findings here that only 46% of ACS (acute coronary syndrome) patients were referred to cardiac rehabilitation are also much worse than European figures from the recent British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) audit where referral rates were very near the CVD Outcomes Strategy for England ambition of 65% uptake, (1) whilst according to the last annual report from the Swedish national ACS registry, 79% of all patients aged 75 years or younger attended the secondary prevention first visit (6-8 weeks after the event) and 73% attended the second visit (12-14 months after the event).(2) They are thus wrong to suggest that their results are similar to other international studies - comparing to other ACS registries is not relevant, they need to compare their results to other audits of cardiac rehabilitation.
International comparisons of care does inform new research and policy initiatives that improve the quality of health systems, and this paper merely suggests that Australia and New Zealand are a long way behind Europe.
1. Doherty P, and Lewin, B. The National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation: Annual Statistical Report 2013.
2. SWEDEHEART Annual report http://www.ucr.uu.se/swedeheart/index.php/arsrapporter 2012.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Rihanna Fans Chuck Food at Her for Being Tardy
Taylor Swift Fans Furious Over 'Ex-Boyfriend' Tee [Pics]
Zayn Malik Saves His One Direction Bandmate Harry Styles From Pyrotechnic Scare
Katy Perry + John Mayer Are Moving in Together
What the what? These two lovebirds are moving at lightning speed!
Not only have Katy Perry and John Mayer reunited (and it feels so good!), but there are now reports circulating that they are moving in together. *Gasp!*
Ed Sheeran Admits Labels Originally Rejected Him Because of His Looks
Poor Ed Sheeran! For being such an amazing dude and crazy talented, he encountered some serious discrimination in the beginning of his career.
Katy Perry Lays Out Relationship Rules for John Mayer
Adele Gets New Tattoo [Picture]
Robert Pattinson Wants to Introduce Katy Perry to His Parents
Bruno Mars Goes Retro in Lo-Fi 'Treasure' Video
If you yearn for the days of grainy VHS footage, Bruno Mars has totally got your back. Mars and his Hooligans released his video for 'Treasure' and it looks like it was filmed on the set 'American Bandstand' or 'Soul Train.' A little retro vibe neva hurt nobody!
Katy Perry + Her PopCats Fight Greasy Snacks in PopChips Short
Well, after watching the short Katy Perry made for PopChips, we can safely say she won't be winning any Oscars, but that doesn't mean her fight against Fat Cat and his greasy snacks wasn't totally entertaining.
Kelly Clarkson Performs New Single 'Tie It Up' at CMA Music Festival
Now that Kelly Clarkson has sent out the Save the Dates for her wedding, it is only fitting that her next single is all about getting hitched! The songstress was on hand at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville and performed her new marital bliss infused track 'Tie It Up.'


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As promised, Madhouse Enforcer is proud to present Hawks Headlines, a series of posts designed to track down the latest news surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks. We'll also have random videos and stories that can be found around the web, so if you're ever wanting to get your Hawks fix, you have to look no further than right here.
On Thursday night, however, the laughter stopped. The news broke at around 11 p.m. Central time that Collins was no longer employed by the network. In a statement, CSN had the following to say:
"Due to circumstances unrelated to her on-air remarks Tuesday night, Susannah Collins and Comcast SportsNet Chicago have parted ways. We appreciate everything Susannah has contributed to our network over the past year and wish her the best in her future endeavors."
Robert Channick has more, including what could have caused her departure from the network. [Chicago Tribune]


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Creeks: One watercourse, La Colina Creek, bisects the site; several channels are tributary. The developer maintains that the main watercourse will remain in its current state. The future status of the tributaries is much more problematic.
Wildlife: Scrub jay, steller's jay, turkey vulture, wild turkey, red-tailed hawk, black-capped chickadee, bushtit, button's vireo, tufted titmouse, hummingbird, and woodpecker.
Steepness: The site topography rises in a southerly direction, away from the existing residential neighborhood at approximately 180 feet above sea level toward the Regional Park at 430 feet. The landform is variable, mostly gently sloping (flatter than 4:1) in the central part of the site. Localized areas adjacent to the gullies and shallow canyons are steeper than 15:1.
Existing General Plan designation: Very Low Density Residential (0-5 DU/acre), and Preservation Resource Area (above 400' elevation).
Existing zoning designation: SFR-2, Single Family Very Low Residential District (minimum lot size 6,000 sq. ft.), CRR, Community and Regional Recreation District (above 400' elevation)
Proposed Project
Estimated Number of Homes to be built: 120
Largest lot: 107,500 sq. ft.
Smallest lot: 6,000 sq. ft.
Average lot size: 12,763 sq. ft.
Net Residential Development Area: 34.57 acres
Common Open Space: 40.85 acres
Amount of grading: 145,000 cubic yards (Cut and fill balanced on-site, no off haul, no importation)
Number of Trees to be removed: 132
Number of Replacement Trees: 411
Soil stabilization techniques: Deep buttress shear key, ranging in depth from 40 to 60 feet on the downhill side and 40 to 50 feet wide at the base, will be constructed on the uphill side of the buttress. A series of inclined tie-backs will be placed underground between the western property line and Road "A". Deep shaft/horizontal tube drains will be used to dewater the southern portion of the site.
Site drainage techniques: Four detention basins and seven water quality basins will be used to detain and filter surface water runoff. Peak discharge will not exceed the predevelopment condition.
Entryway design:
Clark Road will be the primary entrance (monument sign wall, no gate, landscaped).
Wesley Way will be secondary entrance (landscaped).
La Colina will be an Emergency Vehicle Access, existing gate relocated 90 degrees, landscaped.
Off-site improvements: Slope stability mitigation work at the top of La Colina, between the Regional Park and the first houses.
Amenities: 4.4 ac. park, pedestrian path system, 30 acres of accessible open space.
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Being a service based company means we serve local clients using talent drawn from the local pool. We have a vested interested in our community. Our Company policies and procedures are not developed and implemented states or countries away, and adapted to our community. Instead, they are formulated based on the needs of Orange County, specifically.
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I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States. And also, vampires.
We all know the pertinent facts about Abraham Lincoln:
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Organizing and shelving materials at the Library are a part of my daily work routine. Working as a Library Page allows me access to many, many books and AV items that I might not be aware of otherwise.
I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version of July's Book Club selection. I didn't know much about the rural home front during World War II and even less about Japanese internment camps. Tallgrass sneakily taught me a lot about both while I listened to a really good story.
This month, the Colbern Road Evening Book Club is discussing The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. Join us Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00 p.m. as we gather to talk about the work of one of America's best fiction writers.
The Raytown Branch Adult Book Group will be reading Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult for their July meetings. Shay Bourne, a prisoner on death row in New Hampshire, has one last request to donate his heart, post-execution, to the sister of his victim who needs a transplant. The Raytown Branch Adult Book Group meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and the third Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Our groups usually last from 60 to 90 minutes. We have plenty of copies of the book and audiobooks for you available at our checkout desk.
Seventeen-year-old Emerson is crazy. How else can she explain her unfortunate habit of seeing and talking to the dead people who appear to her everywhere? At least she's out of the mental ward of the hospital and off her meds now. Still, Em knows that she's a freak and no one besides her brother, Thomas, and his wife, Dru, know the truth. But what is the truth?
In June, Thursday's Mystery Book Club discussed A Lonely Death by Charles Todd. The majority of the group liked this one.
I loved this book. Let's get that out of the way right away. I've read it at least three times, and it's time for another read. The book is only 190 pages but packs a great foundation for a new investor and valued lessons for the seasoned. Mizrahi starts with a brief explanation and history of value investing. He then moves on to explain the misconceptions and basics of value investing. He continues with great skill explaining what makes a company great. Once he has laid out the history and basics, Mizrahi does what not many of the other investing books do.
For our July discussion, we are reading two very intense thrillers. The first one involves an undercover murder investigation in Dublin. The second one involves a Supreme Court nomination fraught with corruption and greed. Join us at the Antioch Branch on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. to express your views on both.
For July, the Monday Mystery Book Club read White Heat by M. J. McGrath. This book is set in the High Arctic. The Inuit that live there have their own traditions and way of living. The food they consume turned our stomachs, but it is eaten to keep one alive in the Arctic.
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Categories > Cartoons > X-Men: Evolution > Heart of the Phoenix
Enter The Hellfire Club1 Reviews
While still struggling with the Phoenix, a mysterious force is plaguing Scott Summers and it's a force that's frighteningly similar. In addition, a powerful warrior becomes involved and the Xmen fa...
Chapter 4: Enter The Hellfire Club
The upscale world of downtown Manhattan was a buzz with activity in the heart of the classy upper echelons of society. It was a place where extravagance was the norm and tonight was no exception. And after having received their invitation, the X-men were there to soak up the ambience.
The gathering took place at a large Victorian style mansion. There were lines of stretch limos delivering some of the biggest names of the shady underworld of the upper class. Many of them weren't recognizable since this was a group that kept a low profile, but in this elitist world there were few equals to the elite club of Hellfire.
The X-men arrived in full formal attire. Professor Xavier led his core student body Scott, Jean, Logan, Ororo, Rogue, Remy, Kitty, Piotr, Bobby, Jubilee, Kurt, and Amanda. Hank, however, chose to stay behind and watch over the school. Laura also stayed to help since she wasn't much of a party person. But Scott and Jean did decide to bring Rachel since the invitation stipulated that all were welcome, families included.
"Man, talk about high end!" said Jubilee as she followed the others through the heavy security and affluent surroundings, "I'll bet a bottle of water costs a fortune here!"
"Can't say I'd be surprised, kid," said Logan as he took in the elaborate structure, "I didn't know ya ran with such a swanky crowd, Chuck."
"Well normally I don't, but my family did have extensive ties to the elite so I suppose I was never taken off their exclusive list," said Xavier, now in a hover chair in order to help him ascend the stairs, "And given how reclusive some of these people are, I would say that's quite a feat."
"Reclusive? I thought this was a social club?" said Amanda, walking hand in hand with her fiancé, who had his image inducer on.
"It is. But Hellfire has always had a rather shady reputation. Many of the members, both high and low, are from the wealthiest families in the world. They're very strict about keeping with tradition and they go to great lengths to guard their anonymity."
"Sounds kind of fishy if ya ask me," said Logan, his enhanced senses heightened upon hearing this.
"Oh you t'ink everything's suspicious, homme," scoffed Remy.
"And sometimes I'm right."
"Oh lighten up, Herr Volverine!" said Kurt as he gave his former instructor a friendly pat on the back, "This is a party! Ve should enjoy it!"
"Well said, Kurt. And rest assured, I'm going to make sure he has a little fun," said Ororo as she hooked arms with her boyfriend and led him inside.
Although Logan was still apprehensive about this shady social club as they called it, he did lighten up as he felt Ororo's gentle grip. She always had a way of easing his tense nature, but there was still something about this place he didn't like.
Over with Scott and Jean, they kept most of their attention diverted towards Rachel, who had fallen asleep in the car. She was wearing a pretty little pink and white dress that she often wore on special occasions and Jean was wearing a long, elegant red dress that went perfectly with her hair and elegantly graced her womanly curves.
She stood side by side with her husband, who was holding his sleeping daughter. They didn't say much as they passed through the elaborate halls that were decorated with magnificent gold chandeliers and a vast collection of priceless art. But for some reason, Jean couldn't help but get this strange feeling as they were all led to the main ballroom.
It was as if something very dark was looming over her, like the shadow of an unseen figure she could not see or sense. It sent shivers down her spine and she found herself looking over her shoulder constantly as if to catch this presence. Such actions did not go unnoticed by Scott, but being the woman she was, she did not let it show.
"Jean? Sweetheart, are you alright?" asked Scott as he watched her hesitate slightly.
Taking a few deep breaths, Jean Grey-Summers shook it off. Her mind was just playing tricks on her again. Nothing was wrong. She was just being overly paranoid. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.
"It's okay babe. Really, I'm fine," she said, flashing her husband a warm smile, "Now come on, let's enjoy this night."
Finally, as the whole team entered the ballroom, the announcer's voice sounded to welcome their arrival.
"Announcing Professor Charles Xavier and his staff of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters."
"Easy there Jeeves," said Bobby, not used to this high end class, "We know who we are."
"Bobby!" scorned Kitty as she elbowed him in the ribs, "Mind your manners. This isn't some college frat party."
"That's for sure," he muttered, "They have better music."
"Oh don't be picky, comrade," said Piotr, who seemed a bit more optimistic about this place, "Just think of it as a step outside the norm."
"We live in a house of mutants, Peter," he reminded, "Can't get much further from the norm than that."
"You're impossible, you know that?" commented Jubilee.
"Hey, that's just the Iceman way," shrugged Bobby as he took a few appetizers from a nearby tray, "Besides, it's not like we haven't seen anything too fancy that would..."
Suddenly, Bobby was cut off by a presence that would have silenced any man. She was wearing a very fancy, very revealing white outfit that looked like a mix between lingerie and formal dress. She bore perfect blonde hair that flowed halfway down her back, white lipstick that made her lips plush with femininity, and a v-shaped cut in her upper gown that showed off some very impressive cleavage.
Such a sight caused Bobby's eyes to widen with astonishment and despite Jubilee's annoyance, the young woman made her presence known.
"Professor Charles Xavier," she said with a picture perfect smile, "It's been too long."
"That it most certainly has, my dear," said the Professor as he smiled back and shook the young woman's hand, "Everyone, this is Emma Frost, an old student of mine back from before I formed the institute. Emma, I'd like you to meet my fellow teachers and staff of the Xavier Institute."
"A pleasure to meet you, Ms Frost," said Ororo as she extended her hand.
"Oh the pleasure's all here, darling," said Emma, gracefully accepting the gesture, "It's wonderful that you all could make it."
"Yeah...Wonderful," said Bobby, sounding as though he was in another world.
"Bobby!" spat Jubilee.
Emma couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't expected Xavier to have staff that was so young. And these two were barely out of college. Near as she could sense, her attire was attracting the boy and causing him to think a few racy thoughts. But she was used to such reactions from young men. Besides, she was more focused on Charles than anyone else.
"So you were a student of Xavier's?" asked Scott, wondering why the Professor had never told them about her.
"Indeed I was," she said as she playfully ran her finger down Xavier's face, "In fact, I owe this man a lot. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have learned how to gain control of my powers."
"Oh, so you're a mutant?" asked Jean.
"Don't tell me you're surprised," she said with a chuckle, "But yes, I am a mutant, a telepath to be precise."
"A blonde telepath. Wow, what'll they think of next?" said Bobby, still fixated on the 'other' aspects of Emma's features.
Bobby's words earned him another elbow to the ribs from both Jubilee and Rogue. Even as a college graduate he retained that immaturity that so defined him.
But despite this, Emma ignored him and shifted her attention to the little girl that Scott was carrying.
"And who might this little one be?" she said as Rachel stirred from her sleepy state.
"This would be my daughter, Rachel," said Scott proudly as she shifted Rachel in his arms so she could greet the older woman, "I hope it's okay that we brought her."
"Not at all darling," replied Emma, "Besides, a place like this could use a little innocent cuteness, don't you think so?"
Rachel laughed and smiled as she felt Emma tickle her chin. While she may not have considered herself as having a lot of maternal instincts, working with so many kids and running a school did give her an appreciation for the young.
"You're funny! And your hair is pretty!" cooed Rachel as she reached out to touch her shining, blonde hair.
"Why thank you. That's probably the nicest thing I've heard all evening," she smiled, "But enough about me. Come Charles, I'm sure we have plenty to catch up on. As for the rest of you, feel free to sample the food or enjoy the music. This is a party so enjoy yourselves!"
"Now you're talking my language!" said Kurt, making his way to the buffet with Amanda following close behind.
"Oh boy...Kurt and a buffet," sighed Kitty.
"That's mah little brother," muttered Rogue.
"Ah let him enjoy himself, cherè. Let dat femme of his keep him in line like she always does," said Remy as he slipped his arm around his wife's waist, "In the meantime, what do ya say we enjoy our evening?"
"Always the charmer, aren't ya swamp rat?"
"Hey, would ya have Remy any other way?"
"Not for a moment."
And with that, Rogue and Remy made their way to the dance floor while the others split up. Some, like Bobby, Jubilee, Kurt, and Amanda, went to sample the food, but other, namely Ororo and Logan, followed Rogue and Remy's example and made their way to the dance floor. Kitty and Piotr stayed back since Piotr seemed more drawn to the surrounding artwork and being the artist he was, he just had to stop and take note.
For Scott and Jean, however, they spent a few moments taking in the overall ambience of this place. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it. Everything was so rich and vibrant. And for a couple of school teachers, it was definitely a new experience.
"Nice place they got here," commented Scott as he looked over the crowd.
"Yeah, really fancy," said Jean in agreement, "Not too many kids though."
"I noticed that too," said Scott as he looked back down at his ever curious daughter, "Guess we'll just have to make the best of it. Are you going to be okay?"
"Of course, Scott. I told you, I'm fine," said Jean, getting a little annoyed.
"Good enough for me," said Scott, quickly backing down at the subtle tone in her voice, "In that case, why don't we grab a bite to eat before Kurt and Bobby wolf it down?"
"Good thinking, hun," said Jean with a smile as she followed her husband over towards the tables, "Besides, I think the Professor wants to catch up with that Emma woman. Call me crazy, but I think she had a bit of an inkling for him."
"Yeah, I noticed that too," said Scott with a slight laugh, "But she seemed real happy to see him."
"Daddy what's an inkling?" asked Rachel.
"I'll...Tell you when her older, baby."
"You always say that, Daddy."
"And I'll keep saying it, sweetheart" he said playfully as he tickled his little girl's face, "In the meantime, let's get you some nourishment. I doubt we'll ever get a chance to have food this rich."
As the young family disappeared into the crowd, Professor Charles Xavier followed Emma Frost towards the central stage area where a symphony was playing classical music. Along the way, they both picked up some drinks and orderves, but the Professor remained very much interested as to why his former student had called them out of the blue like this.
"So how are things at your Academy of Tomorrow, Emma?" asked the Professor, starting things off light.
"They're fine," she said casually, not making eye contact as she focused more on her drink, "The students really seem to enjoy the academic environment. For many of them, it's the first school they've been to where they weren't outcasts. Granted, there are a few who take advantage of it, but for the most part I'm very proud of it."
"And you should be, my dear," said the Professor with a smile, "I remember you telling me all those years ago how you wanted to be a teacher. I think it's a very noble path to follow. My only regret is that you didn't stick around to become part of my institute. We certainly could have used your help."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Charles, but you know why I never took you up on that offer. Your whole setup of a school and mutant paramilitary task force all rolled into one just seemed a bit...Counterproductive in my opinion."
"Yes, I know you were always vocal about that," sighed Xavier upon seeing that he and his former student still bore the same divisions that had torn them apart, "But my ideas have evolved over the years. The nature of my institute has changed."
"That still doesn't make me feel any better about it. But I don't want to focus on that. You know as well as I do what that leads to."
"Yes, I remember," said Xavier in a distant tone, "Is that why you haven't kept in touch after all these years?"
"It's...Complicated Charles," said Emma, her voice becoming wearier as she felt the Professor's curious eyes on her.
"Complicated? Is that why you're also shutting me out of your mind? I noticed you've been rather adamant about guarding it since I've arrived."
Emma bit her lip, for she had been hoping this wouldn't come up. She knew full well that Xavier was a man of principle and he never looked into somebody's mind without their permission, but that didn't stop him from picking up subtle hints. And for both their sakes, she couldn't afford to have him catch any stray thoughts.
"I have my reasons just as you have yours," she finally answered, using all her skill to put on a convincing face, "Besides, I thought you would be proud of me for learning to make such strong mental blocks on my own."
"I am proud of you, Emma. I've always been proud of how far you've come," said the Professor in a sincere tone as he put his hand on her shoulder, "You were my student and don't think for a minute that I had forgotten about you after all these years. I just wish we could have talked more rather than let our differences in ideas get in the way."
Now Emma was really feeling the sting. This was the man who helped her take control of her life. Without him, she probably would have ended up in a nuthouse. And looking into those wise, caring eyes of his was just painful because she knew that what she was doing right now was wrong on so many levels. But what other choice did she have?
"Listen Charles, I..."
However, before Emma could even begin her train of thought, she was cut off by an imposing presence.
"Professor Charles Xavier," said Sebastian Shaw as he appeared out of the crowd from the VIP lounge in the back, "At long last, we finally meet."
Emma's demeanor shifted upon hearing that voice, but she hid it as Xavier's attention was diverted to the middle aged man now standing before him. He was holding a glass of fine red wine, casually swirling it about as if to flaunt his status and bore what looked like a 19th century style suit straight out of a Victorian era. His hair was long, his poise was strong, and everything about him seemed groomed to perfection.
Yet despite this classy look, his presence was a little ominous to the Professor. Like Emma, he sensed his mind was heavily guarded. But he didn't have time to contemplate such things as the powerful man greeted him with a welcoming gesture.
"Emma, my dear, I thought I told you to let me know when Professor Xavier arrived. You know how much I've been wanting to shake his hand," said Shaw in a sophisticated tone.
"Sorry Sebastian, but you know me. I love to catch up with old friends," she said, her voice becoming flat in order to hide the sarcasm she so desperately wanted to throw in.
"I understand completely," he said with an almost sneaky grin, "But look at me carrying on like this. Where are my manners? Professor Xavier, my name is Sebastian Shaw. And I happen to be the head of this illustrious club that we call Hellfire."
"Yes, well it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Shaw," said Xavier as he shook his hand, quickly learning that his grip was stronger than it looked.
"Oh the pleasure is all mine, Charles," smiled Shaw as he then turned back to Emma, "My dear queen, why don't you see to it that our guest's staff are comfortable? In the meantime, I would very much like to talk to you, Professor. There's so much I wish to discuss."
"Of course," said Emma, still hiding the distaste in her tone, "I'll do that."
"Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you do a quick check on the back room? I would very much like things to be 'ready' for when the time comes."
"Don't worry...It will."
Emma made a quick retreat after that, almost too quick. But he didn't have time to contemplate such things as Emma disappeared into the crowd and Shaw took over. And despite his imposing presence, he seemed very much enthralled to meet the Professor.
"Ah Emma Frost. She's a lovely woman, is she not?" commented Shaw as he watched her make her way through the crowd.
"Indeed she is," said Xavier in agreement, "But why did you invite me and my staff? And how is it that you know Emma?"
Shaw chuckled at that. He knew Xavier was no dope, but he was still every bit as naïve as he had anticipated.
"You're a fast one, Charles. Your reputation is well deserved. But to answer your question, yes...I was the one who got Emma to invite you. She and I used to be 'associates' before she went off to form her little school. And besides, she owed me a favor. I would have done it myself, but I figured it would be better you heard it from her. After all, you two were rather close if I'm not mistaken."
"We were," said the Professor, still a bit curious in regards to the suddenness of Emma's call, "But not in the way I'm sure you suspect. We were just teacher and student."
"Oh come now, Professor. I know better than that. But enough banter, I'm sure you're curious as to why I invited you."
"Yes, very much so. This is all a bit sudden."
"I won't argue that my good man, but you must understand this exclusive club of ours prefers to remain private. We aren't a publicly known organization, but our list of members is unparalleled. Some of the biggest names are amongst our ranks and the history of our organization goes back many years. Our branches are worldwide and our influence is vast. Yet all the while, we prefer to live in a clandestine manner, a trait I'm sure you understand full well."
"Yes, I do. And I take it you have mutants amongst your ranks as well?"
Again, Shaw was impressed by Xavier's perceptive abilities.
"Like I said, you are a smart one, Charles. But yes, mutants are among our ranks. In fact, many of our highest ranking members are mutants...Myself included."
"You're a mutant?" said Xavier with a surprised look.
"Yes, but don't tell my shareholders that," he said jokingly, "I have the power to take any force that's been dealt to me and return it with twice the power. It makes me strong in a world where it doesn't pay to be weak. And in a club like this, you need all the help you can get in order to move up. And my powers have served me well over the years. My holdings are quite comfortable as you can probably guess."
"I most certainly wouldn't doubt that," said Xavier as he once again looked over at some of the expensive ambience surrounding this place, "This party is proof enough of that."
"All part of the game my good man," said Shaw, trying to sound modest, "My vast array of companies give me the resources to enjoy the 'finer' things in life. You see, people like us, both in terms of mutantcy and money, are a special breed. We are the strong, the iron fist that allows civilization to fight off a world so full of impurities. We are the only ones fit to guide this species of ours. I'm sure you know full well how barbaric humanity can be."
"Yes, well I think barbaric may be a bit of a stretch. I have always harbored a deep respect for mankind and part of why I do what I do is out of that respect."
"And that's something I greatly admire you for, Charles. I've read up on your family and you have quite an illustrious bloodline. And if the rumors I hear about what you keep underneath that institute of yours is any indication, you must have very good contacts as well."
Xavier was a bit unnerved by such words. He had always been adamant about keeping certain parts of his institute hidden from the public eye. It was part of the reason why he didn't like to show it to the parents of new students. And rumor or no rumor, Shaw sounded like a man who didn't comment on something unless he was sure he was right. He knew his type all too well and the more he talked to him, the more it started to show.
"Rumors? Where did you hear rumors like that?" he asked.
"Oh you'd be surprised what kind of gossip will escape the lips of the careless. I know because it's one of the many tools I use to make my businesses successful. You see...Like you, I also recognize the plight of mutants. I believe they should not be forever doomed to second class citizenship. That's why many of my companies employ mutants. In fact, I probably have more mutants working for me than any man alive."
"And yet you manage to keep it all under wraps?"
"But of course," he said in a cocky tone, "That's only good business sense. Some people frown upon the notion of employing mutants, but I have already profited greatly from them. I have a fire conjuring mutant in Japan who helps my industrial companies mine mineral resources at a rate that puts modern technology to shame. I have a strapping young computer whiz who works security details in my primary offices and since then, we've never had a single breach."
"That's very generous of you, Mr. Shaw," said Xavier, although he did find it somewhat suspicious since he had never heard of such practices.
"Oh it has nothing to do with generosity, Professor," laughed Shaw, "You see the structure of this world has always revolved around who has the power and who has the money. And as long as mutants have neither, then they will never been seen as equals in the eyes of humanity. I like to feel as though my companies are leveling the playing field because I pay mutants a great deal to use their skills for profit and the more influence we get, the more we'll be able to assert ourselves in a world where the weak are weeded out."
Shaw's words were reminiscent of Magneto. And near as he could tell, this man believed every word he was saying. Growing up in an affluent world, the Professor knew men like this and Shaw took those traits of the rich and powerful and pushed them to the extremes.
Yet still, the Professor maintained his poise. This man may have sounded sincere, but when it came to potentially unsavory characters, Xavier didn't need telepathy to figure them out.
"And is this why you invited me and my staff to this party?" asked Xavier as he pieced together a few bits of the puzzle, "Do you wish to comb my students for potential employees?"
"Oh Charles, you make it sound as though I had an ulterior motive," laughed Shaw, "But if you wish to take advantage of my resources, I'd be more than happy to give some of your students jobs in my organization. After all, with the current social climate, do you really think they'll be able to find suitable jobs outside your school?"
As much as Xavier hated to admit it, he did have a point. Anti-mutant sentiment had been growing a lot lately and as much as he tried to give his students and education, they often lacked the resources to do anything with it. And while this man was still a bit worrisome in his mind, he could still see some valid points to his argument.
"But believe me Xavier, that is not the only reason I invited you here," said Shaw as he finished his wine, "You see, in addition to my belief in economic power, the Hellfire Club is also very keen on spiritual power as well. Tonight is actually very special for us all. Later on, we're having a private ceremony to commemorate our growth as an organization. And I was hoping that you and your staff would be interested in helping our glorious organization flourish even more by gracing us with your presence."
"That depends Mr. Shaw," said Xavier in response, "Before I can even consider that, I'd like very much to know just what exactly this 'ceremony' is."
Shaw smiled ominously as he set his whine glass onto a plate being carried by one of his many servants, but as he did so, he gave the young man, who was also dressed in similar Victorian style attire, a subtle nod, which signaled the other servants to make an unexpected exit.
"Patience Xavier. Patience," he said as he watched more of the servants acknowledge his subtle little sign, "All will be revealed in due time."
While Xavier conversed with Sebastian Shaw, the rest of his staff continued to enjoy the party, dancing and sampling the fine cuisine. Bobby, Jubilee, Kurt, and Amanda hung back for the most part, taking advantage of being surrounded by so much rich food that they probably never would have been able to sample otherwise.
They avoided talking to the rest of the somewhat snobbish crowd. In many ways, they were a little creepy. Many of them were casting them weird gazes. And while they thought this was because they just looked down on them for not being part of their breed, in some ways it seemed different...Almost as if they all knew something that they didn't.
"Man, this crowd is CREEPY," said Jubilee, nearly gagging upon tasting some caviar.
"Tell me about it," said Amanda, "I swear, they're all just toying with us."
"Vell just try not to make eye contact, liebe," assured Kurt, who was used to avoiding such gazes, "Let's not let our night be tainted by some rich snobs."
"You're right, hun," said Amanda as she snaked her arm around her fiancé's waist, "And bearing that in mind, what do you say we head on out and dance with the other couples?"
"But zhey haven't even served desert yet!" exclaimed Kurt.
"Come on blue boy...Dancing now, desert later," grinned Amanda as she literally dragged her future husband by the ear out onto the dance floor.
That left just Bobby and Jubilee on the sidelines and in some ways, Jubilee left out that she was the only one not out on the dance floor. She could see Rogue and Remy getting close, whispering their usual 'sweet nothings' into one another's ear. Kitty and Piotr were doing the same thing with Kitty giggling with glee as she soaked up the feeling of having her boyfriend's strong arms around her.
Scott and Jean were also out there teaching Rachel how to dance elegantly, having a little family fun in the process whenever she tripped. Even Logan and Ororo seemed to be sharing a moment.
"Something wrong, Jubes?" said Bobby with a mouth still half full of food.
Turning to her long time love interest, she simply flashed him a sneaky smile.
"You know, there are a lot of couples out there," she said musingly as she moved in closer to Bobby.
"Um...Yeah, I noticed that too," said Bobby, abruptly swallowing what was in his mouth in a nervous gulp.
There was a brief silence, one that made Bobby all the more nervous. He wasn't much of a fancy snob. He was more a party boy who liked to have fun. Jubilee knew this very well since they both had shared many of these tastes while they were students. But when it came to moments like this, he was practically handicapped. And if he wasn't going to make a move, then Jubilee knew that it was up to her.
"Come on, Iceman! Don't get cold feet on me now," she said jokingly as she drew him out onto the dance floor, "I think you've had enough food for the night. Now come on and dance with me! You may just like it."
"Um...Okay, but I..."
Bobby didn't get a chance to finish as Jubilee dragged him out onto the floor. As she took him into the thick of the crowd, they both passed Rogue and Remy, who bore some amused looks as they saw the way Jubilee had taken the initiative.
"Now who's whipped, homme?" said Remy.
"Shut up Gambit," muttered Bobby.
While they both got started, Scott and Jean stayed close to their daughter so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. They were trying to show her how to dance, but she just had too much energy in her system. At one point, they gave up and began swaying to the music as a family and enjoying this little moment of peace.
"This is nice, Scott...Very nice," said Jean as she picked up her little girl and let her rest a bit, "I think a little family time is just what I needed."
"Yeah, me too," he said, smiling warmly as he held the two most beautiful women on the face of the planet in his arms, "I was worried there for a while."
"Well you don't have to worry anymore, babe," said Jean, leaning in close to his warmth, "As long as I have you and the munchkin here, I'll be okay."
"Hey! I'm not a munchkin!" said Rachel upon hearing that, "I'm a big girl!"
"That you are. And yet you're still growing," grinned Scott as he tickled his daughter's chin, causing her to giggle.
While the young couple and their daughter continued to go about their night, Logan's gaze fell on them from afar. He still had his arms around Ororo's waist, enjoying the feeling of having a living goddess to dance with, but seeing Scott, Jean, and Rachel sharing these cute family moments together made him think about his own family, namely Laura.
"Are you alright, Logan?" asked Ororo as she noticed the shift in his demeanor.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, quickly shifting his attention back to the beautiful woman before him.
"Still thinking about Laura, aren't you?" she said with a slight grin.
Logan let out a sigh. No matter what he did he just couldn't hide anything from Ororo. In some ways, fighting Sabretooth was easier than being this open, but he had come to trust the former weather goddess. However, that didn't mean he liked to show it.
"Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted, "Every time I see those two and little Red like this, it just makes me remember how Laura and I never got to share those moments together. Hell, I didn't even know she existed until she was 14."
"She's still your daughter, Logan. You're still the one she calls 'daddy.'"
"I know. But I just don't feel like much of a dad when I wasn't even there for half her life."
Logan's morose tone prompted Ororo to shift his gaze back towards her. Since they had started dating, she had come to see the kind of heart this man had. He was a tortured soul, but she never doubted his commitment to the students or the love he bore for his adopted daughter. And sometimes, he just had to be reminded of that.
"Logan, don't ever let me hear you say you're not that much of a dad," she said in a sincere, yet almost threatening tone, "You took Laura in when she had nowhere to go. You were there for her in every conceivable way that makes you her father. And if I ever catch you thinking otherwise, then I'm just going to use all the forces of nature to cram it into your head."
Logan couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's unorthodox way of getting a point across. While she may have been a kind, wise, and caring woman, she did have a tough side to her that set her apart from every other woman he knew.
"You're somethin' else, ya know that, darlin'?" he said, flashing her his famous Wolverine grin.
"You know it, bub," she retorted before capturing his lips with hers in a deep kiss.
It was a moment for which neither Logan nor Ororo had a lot of experience with. Their relationship had been so sudden. All it took was one dance at Rogue and Remy's wedding. Sure, it had taken some time to manifest, but only now was it truly siking in for the both of them.
Things between them were getting very serious and as with that first night together, they had every intention of making this night all the more memorable.
Then suddenly, while they were still lip locked, Logan picked up something that sent his heightened senses on high alert. Without warning, the large doors that they had entered through were closed and locked. In taking a closer look, Logan noticed that other doors were closed off as well, leaving pretty much every possible exit sealed.
This did not sit well with him. It didn't matter how private Hellfire was, nobody went about sealing them in an enclosed area without having a good reason. And for Logan, he had a gut feeling that he wouldn't like that reason when he found out.
"Logan? Logan, what's wrong?" said Ororo, sensing the shift in his demeanor.
Before he could answer, he saw Emma Frost out of the corner of his eye. She was standing at a door near the windows, scanning the area nervously, as if she was checking for any sort of suspicious gazes that came her way. Logan knew what that entailed. She was preparing to do something major. She was preparing to make a move of sorts.
"Get to the Professor, Ro," said Logan as he broke their embrace and cautiously walked in the direction where Emma was going, "Something's wrong."
"Wrong? Logan what are you..." she began, but Logan was already off.
"I'm gonna investigate!" he said as he plowed through the maze of people, "Just get to the Prof and make sure nothing happens!"
Not arguing with Logan's intuition, Ororo made her way towards the VIP area. But before she could even get halfway, she was suddenly overcome by this pounding headache and this overpowering sense of exhaustion. It was as if somebody had just gone into her brain and flipped the switch for sleep.
"Ugh...What the..." she began, but it was too late.
And she wasn't the only one. The rest of the staff, including young Rachel, began to feel the affects of this strange sensation.
"Mommy...Mommy, my head hurts," said Rachel as she clutched her temples.
"I...I know, Baby," said Jean as she began to feel it too, "Something...Something's going on! My mind, it..."
"Jean..." groaned Scott as he too was overcome by mind draining power of whatever it was that was causing this.
They both clung to their little girl, wanting to protect their daughter. Nobody else around them seemed affected. They just kept going on as if they didn't have a care in the world. Rogue, Remy, Kurt, Amanda, Bobby, and Jubilee soon followed, feeling as though somebody had just entered their minds and hit their brain with a sledge hammer.
This reeked of mutant interference, telepathy to be precise. It was strong...Very strong in fact. But the only telepaths they knew were Jean, the Professor, and Emma Frost. However, before such suspicious could sink in, it all went black for the X-men.
Logan, however, managed to fight it as he scrambled to the door. Finding that it was locked, he drew his claws and sliced through it like tissue paper. He could feel his mind being hit with the same telepathic force that was attacking the others, but his mind was more adept to psychics and he was running on pure adrenaline, ready to tear into whoever was doing this with a vengeance.
Once he was through the door, he was barely standing. He hoped to find Emma Frost on the other side, but instead he was met with another ominous figure who was dressed in the same manner that Sebastian Shaw was.
"My, my Mr. Wolverine," said the man, "You're not looking so well."
"Out of my way, bub!" grunted Logan, trying to filter out the pain, "Where's the blonde?"
"Oh Emma? She had to step out for a minute. It would be wise if you left her and rejoined your friends."
"To hell with that! Either step aside or call an undertaker! Because I'm NOT lettin' some rich prick stand in my way!"
"Suit yourself," shrugged the man.
Then, as Logan made a lunge at the man, he was unexpectedly hit square in the chest by a single punch and as soon as he felt it, it was as if he had been rammed by a fright train.
"Rrrrahhhhhhhhh!" he yelled as he was sent flying through the window at breakneck speeds, plunging to the hard pavement below, only to slam right through a sewer duct.
The noise didn't cause much of a stir. If anything, the man who delivered it seemed enjoy what he had just done. Cracking his knuckles, they made a strange metallic sounding noise. And as he surveyed the area outside where the burly mutant had plummeted, he grinned as he picked up a small communicator and spoke into it.
"Shaw, this is Pierce. One of Xavier's goons tried to make a break for it, but I set him straight. He's down in the sewers now. I'm sending a team down there to find him, but he shouldn't interfere with the ceremony. I'll meet you in the chamber. Over and out."
Back in the main hall, Shaw had heard Pierce's report through an earpiece. Looking down at Xavier, he could see he was sensing something. The telepathic burst that was knocking out his students was also attacking him, but given his abilities, he managed to resist it.
One by one, his students fell. The rest of the guests remained oblivious, probably because whoever was doing this was making it so it didn't register in their minds. He knew only a handful of people were capable of something on this scale and there was only one person in his mind who could have possibly been behind this.
"Emma!" he said, clutching his head, "Shaw, what's the meaning of this?!"
The Black King laughed as he looked down at the helpless Professor. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small cloth laced with Chloroform and covered his mouth with it until he passed out. As strong a psychic as he was, he couldn't do much when he was unconscious.
"Rest easy, Professor. It may be the last peaceful rest you ever have," he said ominously as his henchmen drag the X-men off, "You'll know soon enough. Mark my word, you'll all bear witness to the power of Hellfire."
AN: Let the chaos begin! Don't forget to tell me what you all think! Do you like this story so far? I'd love to know! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!


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292 results for "peter laviolette"
Nashville Predators sign Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy to 1-year contra...
The Nashville Predators have signed veteran forwards Mike Ribeiro and Derek Roy to one-year contracts.Story | Conversation | July 15, 2014
Trade Grades: James Neal to NashvilleCraig Custance
The deal Predators get: James Neal Penguins get: Patric Hornqvist, Nick Spaling Nashville Predators: B Predators GM David Poile needed to upgrade his offense under new head coach Peter Laviolette, and landing James Neal certainly does...Blog | June 27, 2014
Links from around the rink: June 2Doug Mittler
The offseason began a couple weeks earlier than expected for the Chicago Blackhawks, who looked like a team of destiny before Sunday's overtime ouster at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. There is no need for an overhaul, but it could still be a...Blog | June 02, 2014
Francis, Hurricanes patient in coach huntCraig Custance
Even as he was talking, he was getting emails. Lines of communication from those interested in filling the coaching vacancies in Carolina. Since news emerged that Kirk Muller was out as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, new GM Ron Francis has been...Blog | May 07, 2014
Photo results for "peter laviolette"
2014 NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7June 28, 2014
2014 NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7June 28, 2014
2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series - New York Rangers v New York...January 29, 2014
2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series - New York Rangers v New York...January 29, 2014
Peter Laviolette hired as Nashville Predators' head coach
The Nashville Predators hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach Tuesday.Story | Conversation | May 06, 2014
Flyers should bring Timonen backCraig Custance
So much has happened during the 2013-14 campaign in Philadelphia that the Peter Laviolette firing seems like it occurred in a different season. There was the Claude Giroux Olympic snub, then his push for the Hart Trophy. Steve Mason carried the t...Blog | April 30, 2014
What's next for Panthers, Horachek?Tim Kavanagh
There's another head coaching job available in the NHL. On Tuesday morning, the Florida Panthers announced that they would not be retaining the services of interim head coach Peter Horachek, who took over behind the bench for Kevin Dineen on Nov. 8. ...Blog | April 29, 2014
Peter Laviolette to coach U.S. at IIHF World Championships
Longtime NHL coach Peter Laviolette will lead Team USA at the IIHF World Championships next month in Minsk, Belarus.Story | Conversation | April 15, 2014
What's next for Predators, Trotz?Craig Custance
It will be strange seeing someone other than Barry Trotz coaching the Nashville Predators next season, and equally strange seeing Trotz coaching a team other than the Nashville Predators. One is a certainty, with the Predators announcing today ...Blog | April 14, 2014
Inconsistency, identity crisis plague FlyersCraig Custance
The emotion steaming from Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider during the Peter Laviolette firing news conference three games into this season is one of the most memorable moments of the early NHL schedule. Especially when he was questioned about the ...Blog | December 12, 2013
NHL -- Philadelphia Flyers C Claude Giroux's spirit sapped by slu...Katie Strang
Claude Giroux may very well be facing the most difficult challenge of his young career: an abrupt organizational upheaval coupled with a spirit-sapping slump that he hasn't been able to shake, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Katie Strang.Story | Conversation | October 16, 2013
Flyers make clean break in Berube's debutKatie Strang
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers' new coach, Craig Berube, who replaced Peter Laviolette behind the bench on Monday, doesn't need to say much when he's unhappy. He doesn't need to say anything at all. "That look [is] enough," Philadelphi...Blog | October 09, 2013
Debate: Can Berube turn Flyers around?Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun
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Next Question: What's the fix in Philly?Craig Custance
Things can change rapidly in the news cycle of the modern NHL, and on Monday we saw yet another example. Just three games into the 2013-14 season, the Philadelphia Flyers decided to part ways with head coach Peter Laviolette, installing Craig Berube ...Blog | October 07, 2013
Peter Laviolette fired as Philadelphia Flyers head coach
The Philadelphia Flyers have fired coach Peter Laviolette just three games into the season, the team announced Monday.Story | Conversation | October 07, 2013
Following Peter Laviolette firing, what Craig Berube must fix for...Craig Custance
Craig Custance examines the coaching change in Philadelphia and asks what new bench boss Craig Berube will need to do to right the Flyers' 0-3 ship.Blog | Conversation | October 07, 2013


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A toddler in Victoria was accidentally left in a locked van for 2 hours by a child care worker.
This story is very disturbing considering how easy it is for young children to dehydrate in locked cars, I shudder to think what would have happened if it was the middle of summer.
The child was only noticed missing when her mother came to collect her after 5pm, almost 2 hours after a childcare worker had transported the girl & her brother from a tutoring appointment.
As a parent, I would be absolutely livid if this happened to my child as I thought childcare centres would have stringent policies in place to ensure this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
Read the full story HERE
How would you feel if a child care worker (or anyone for that matter) left your child in a locked car, accidentally or otherwise?
The scary thing is that you never really know what happens when you're not there. You only get a few short words from your kiddies when you pick them up and a general summary from their carer. No one will ever look after your child as well and thoroughly as you, the mother. It was always a priority prior to sending Mr B to preschool that he was independent and confident enough to look after himself and not be as reliant on the carers. In all honesty, even though they're lovely, I would never trust them 100% to be there and look after my child as well as I'd like them to.
great another thing for me to worry about!! I would probably have made the news if it had happened to my child. Thats crazyyy irresponisble. Mistakes happen but gee... I thought we were paying half our wages for child CARE
I know those things can happen, they happen to mother's. But with so many guidelines in place at a childcare centre, how could this child have gone unoticed for so long? Can you just imagine the mother's reaction when she found them in the car. You would have been able to hear me 3 suburbs away! That is not a small mistake.
OMG... that is the biggest no no in any child care/family day care. The carer must take the child/children with them even if they are running across the road to post a letter. I'm affraid if that was my child I would be seeking legal action against both the carer and child care centre. There are forms to sign, bags to check, snacks to be had... how the hell did this child go unnoticed??
I know amandas, that's what is so upsetting, they didn't even notice she was missing!!!


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How big banks offer payday loans
Fargo is among lenders offering a product with a fee that equates to a 274% interest rate. Some customers say the convenience is worth it.
People who might never turn to a storefront payday lender for an emergency loan can now get a paycheck advance from many big banks. Not everyone celebrates the trend.
"This is loan-sharking," said Kathleen Day, spokeswoman for the Center for Responsible Lending, which has been tracking these high-cost loans. "It doesn't make any sense to give people a loan they can't afford and that leaves them worse off."
The four major banks that offer the loans -- Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Fifth Third Bank and Regions Bank -- say that assessment isn't accurate. They insist their versions are typically less expensive than storefront or Internet payday advances and provide a valued service to customers.
Some of those customers agree. Amy Dykstra of Davis, Calif., said she used payday advances from Wells Fargo as well as from a credit union. Wells Fargo charges $7.50 for each $100 borrowed, which translates into an annual percentage rate of 274% for a 10-day loan. The credit union's terms were much more generous, with an annual percentage rate of just 15%.
"Ultimately, I am responsible for how I spend money, borrowed or otherwise," Dykstra, a client services representative at a veterinary clinic, wrote on my Facebook page. "I won't need to do it again because I've changed my spending behavior, but I do believe it can be a good resource when used appropriately."
It's a resource that barely existed a generation ago, when there were only a handful of payday lenders. Thanks to deregulation and consumer demand for short-term credit, the number of payday outlets in the U.S. soared to over 24,000 by 2007 -- which at the time was about as many outlets as McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's had in the U.S., combined.
The lenders discovered big profits in what are supposed to be short-term loans. Customers write a postdated check to be cashed on their next payday, typically paying $15 to $17 for each $100 borrowed. That translates into annual interest rates of 391% or more for a two-week loan.
Like many others, Marie Coffman of Bloomington, Ill., found payday lenders a cheaper option than overdrawing her bank account. Until regulators halted the practice, many banks automatically enrolled customers in "bounce protection" services that allowed over-limit transactions and then levied $25 to $35 bounce fees for each one.
"I used one of those payday loan places twice a few years ago," wrote Coffman, a district manager for an online advertising service. "At the time, the fee was less then a bounced check, and I paid them both back on the next payday."
For many borrowers, though, the loans are anything but short. Unable to cover their postdated checks on payday, they roll over their loans for another two weeks and pay another fee. The typical payday loan borrower remains in hock for more than half the year, with an average of nine transactions, the Center for Responsible Lending says.
Although payday advances offered through banks are somewhat cheaper, with interest rates averaging 225% to 300%, the pattern of repeated borrowing is similar, Day said. A report released last month by the center found the median bank payday borrower took out 13.5 loans in 2011, and over one-third of borrowers took out more than 20 loans. Payday advance users were twice as likely to incur overdraft fees as other customers, since banks typically take the loan amount automatically from their checking accounts, whether or not there's enough cash to cover the payment.
Far from solving people's financial problems, Day said, these loans just create more.
"The loan is problematic from the start, and it just gets worse" as people roll over their debt, incurring ever more fees, she said.
Payday lenders suffered a blow in 2007 when the Department of Defense capped interest rates on loans to service members at 36%. The outlets clustered around military bases disappeared virtually overnight. Today, about 20,600 payday loan locations remain, according to the Community Financial Services Association of America, the trade organization that represents payday lenders. (By comparison, there are about 20,800 Starbucks locations worldwide.) In addition, 15 states have banned the high-cost loans.
Liz Weston
So far, most federal regulatory scrutiny of payday loans has been focused on the storefront and Internet operators. But that may change. The FDIC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are scrutinizing how some big banks are enabling online payday lenders to skirt state laws by giving the lenders access to borrower bank accounts in states that have banned payday loans, according to the The New York Times. In addition, CFPB chief Richard Cordray put big banks on notice last year that the CFPB would be looking at their payday advance practices.
Wells Fargo, which has offered payday advances since 1994, typically offers the lowest-cost loans of the four. U.S. Bank, Regions and Fifth Third charge $10 for every $100 borrowed, although Regions offers a break for repeat customers: those who remain enrolled in its "Ready Advance" service for 12 months can see their fee drop to $7 (or 70 cents cents per $10 advanced).
In any case, most people have access to better options than either traditional or big bank payday lenders. Among them:
- Employers. Some companies offer workers payday advances, typically without charging fees or interest.
- Credit unions. A payday advance from a credit union can be dramatically cheaper than one from a bank, storefront operation or the Internet. Many credit unions also make an effort to help members get off the short-term loan train by requiring them to put a portion of their paychecks or pay advances into a savings account.
- Credit cards. A cash advance from a credit card isn't cheap, with rates typically starting at 21% and no interest-free grace period. But that is far less expensive than the typical payday loan, and only minimum payments are due, rather than having to pay new fees every pay period.
- Community resources. Nonprofit credit counseling agencies typically offer low-cost or free budgeting help. Churches and other faith-based organizations may provide emergency assistance and help with bills. Government programs offer low-income people help with utility bills, living expenses, child care costs, housing and a variety of other expenses.
Ultimately, of course, a cure is better than a quick, expensive fix. Reducing living expenses, earning more money and setting aside even a small emergency fund can prevent the need for a payday loan. The ready availability of payday advances obscures the fact that if you need a loan to get to your next paycheck, there's something seriously wrong with your finances.
Liz Weston is the Web's most-read personal-finance writer. She is the author of several books, most recently "The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy" (find it on Bing). Weston's award-winning columns appear every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. Join the conversation and send in your financial questions on Liz Weston's Facebook fan page.
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Get over it people. If you can't manage your money there is allways someone to loan you some as long as you're willing to accept the terms. In the old days loan sharks broke you legs, after they took everything you had including sometimes your life. Would all you bleeding hearts rather send these poor stupid people back to those people? I would bet that every person going to payday loan bussinesses have cell phones, cable and internet. They could save hundreds a month by living within their means, but never will if people keep saying they deserve to have everything everyone else has.
If one used a credit card, instead of one of these high rolling payday loans, they wouldn't necessarily have to take it as a cash advance. Just use the card to make the purchase, and pay the balance when the paycheck comes in. Usually, that would fall in the grace period (hoping one wouldn't think of one of these for more then a week or 2 anyhow). If it's gas to get to work, no problem; just make sure to pay that balance back, don't wait for the due date on the card and all is well.
Forget these payday loans... They're predatory in nature, and one's better off not using them...
Look, people. Do you not understand that point of the loans? They are meant to provide a shovel to get out of a hole before your next paycheck comes. They are not meant to be used repeatedly, and if paid back on time, would not see 200%+ interest rates. Yes, the loans are abused but this has nothing to do with the banks. The banks are providing a service, albeit an expensive one. Nobody else will loan them the money, so the payday advance businesses step in and provide that service at an interest rate to make sure they don't get burned; the customer's credit is typically terrible and the rates are justified if nobody else will loan to them. This should not be illegal, and it will not be in the future.
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