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Case Reports in Transplantation
Volume 2013, Article ID 353529, 4 pages
Renal Transplantation in Secondary Amyloidosis Associated with Tuberculosis
1Department of Nephrology and Clinical Transplantation, Institute of Kidney Diseases & Research Center, Dr. H. L. Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences (IKDRC-ITS), Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380016, India
2Department of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Transfusion Services and Immunohematology, IKDRC-ITS, Ahmedabad, India
3Department of Urology and Transplantation, IKDRC-ITS, Ahmedabad, India
Received 18 September 2013; Accepted 8 October 2013
Academic Editors: R. L. Heilman and G. Orlando
Copyright © 2013 Vivek B. Kute et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Although end-stage renal disease (ESRD) related to AA amyloidosis nephropathy secondary to tuberculosis is most common in our country, there are limited data concerning patient and graft outcome after renal transplantation (RTx). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of RTx in ESRD patient with secondary amyloidosis due to tuberculosis from India. A 30-year-old female with past history of pulmonary tuberculosis 3 years back was admitted with complaint of gradually progressive pedal oedema and nausea for 3 months. Renal biopsy was suggestive of secondary renal amyloidosis with vascular involvement and chronic tubulointerstitial involvement. She was transplanted with kidney from her 28-year-old brother with 3/6 human leukocyte antigen match. She had immediate good graft function without any perioperative complications (cardiovascular, infections, rejection and delayed graft function). She was discharged with serum creatinine of 0.8 mg/dL. Her last serum creatinine level was 0.9 mg/dL with cyclosporine level of 100 mg/dL at 9-month followup without any medical or surgical complication. The quality of life also improved after transplantation. With careful selection, ESRD patients with secondary amyloidosis due to tuberculosis are eligible for RTx with favorable outcome and improved quality of life.
1. Introduction
The most frequent and life-threatening complication of secondary amyloidosis (AA) is renal disease characterized by nephrotic syndrome and a progressive decline of renal function leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Kidney involvement constitutes a major prognostic factor in patients with secondary amyloidosis. Chronic inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis (RA)) and infections (tuberculosis (TB)) were the most common causes of renal amyloidosis in the developed countries and developing countries [1, 2]. Estimated frequency of AA amyloidosis in Western Europe is about 1/100,000. It comprises 2-3% of total amyloidosis. Overall incidence is about 0.5–1.3/100,000 annually. A total of 2401 renal biopsies were analyzed retrospectively from 1990 to 2008 in an Indian single centre, out of which 8% showed amyloidosis [3]. ESRD patients with AA amyloidosis are considered less suitable for renal transplantation (RTx) due to fear of cardiovascular, infectious complications, risk of graft loss from recurrent amyloid/progressive disease, and high risk of mortality [4]. Although ESRD related to AA amyloidosis nephropathy secondary to TB is most common in our country, there are limited data concerning patient and graft outcome after RTx. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of RTx in a patient with amyloidosis due to TB from India.
2. Case Presentation
A 30-year-old female was admitted with complaint of gradually progressive pedal oedema and nausea for 3 months. There was no history of skin rash, joint pain, hair loss, or decreased urine output. She had completed the treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in 2009 and responded well. She had no history of any other major illness like diabetes and hypertension. There was no other history of any other major illness in past or family. On examination she had pitting pedal oedema with blood pressure of 110/70 mmHg, temperature of 39°C, respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, and heart rate of 90 breaths per minute.
3. Investigations
Laboratory investigations revealed the following: hemoglobin, 6.9 gm/L; total white cell count, /μL (differential count: 67% neutrophils, 29% lymphocytes, 2% monocytes, and 3% eosinophils); platelet count, /μL; reticulocyte count, 1%; peripheral blood smear was negative for hemolysis; sodium, 145 mmol/L; potassium, 3.8 mEq/L; chloride, 105 mmol/L; urea, 121; creatinine was 7.2 mg/dL; calcium, 7.8 md/dL; phosphate, 8.7; serum protein 5.3 gm/dL. Serum albumin/globulin was 4.3/1.7 gm/dL. Urine examination showed proteinuria (albumin +3) with no hematuria, and pus cells. 24-hour urine protein was 5.3 gm. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis C virus were negative with antinuclear antibodies and antibodies to double-stranded DNA negative and normal C3 and C4 levels. Ultrasonography of the abdomen showed kidney size of centimeter on the right side and centimeter on the left side. Abdominal fat biopsy was suggestive of amyloidosis. Renal biopsy (Figures 1(a) and 1(b)) was done, suggestive of renal amyloidosis (secondary) with vascular involvement and chronic tubulointerstitial involvement. Blood, urine, and sputum culture did not show any organisms. Electrocardiography was normal. Sputum for acid-fast bacillus was negative. Echocardiogram was normal with ejection fraction of 60%. High resolution computed tomography of chest showed traction bronchiectasis in both lung fields with multiple enlarged lymph nodes in pretracheal, prevascular, and subcarinal and both hilar regions along with hypodense area within nodes suggesting tuberculosis. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 30 and 62 mm/hour at end of 1 and 2 hours. Tuberculin test was negative.
4. Treatment
Antituberculosis treatment was restarted in July 2012 with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, moxifloxacin, and ethambutol. Pneumococcal polyvalent vaccine was given to prevent infection. She was on maintenance hemodialysis for 4 months through left jugular dual lumen catheter initially for 3 weeks and later through arteriovenous fistula. She was transplanted with kidney from her 28-year-old brother with 3/6 human leukocyte antigen match on the 5th of November 2012. Warm ischaemia time, cold ischaemia time, and anastomosis time were 1 minute and 57 seconds, 52 minutes and 28 minutes and 32 seconds, respectively.
5. Immunosuppressive Regimen
Induction immunosuppression consisted of methylprednisolone 500 mg for 3 days. Maintenance immunosuppression consisted of prednisolone 10 mg, cyclosporine 3 mg/kg, and mycophenolate mofetil 500 mg TID. The recipient was covered with perioperative antibiotic. She was initiated on prophylaxis against cytomegalovirus infection (gancyclovir 3 months), fungal infections (fluconazole 3 months), and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 9 months) as per standard protocol.
6. Transplantation Outcome and Followup
She had immediate good graft function without any perioperative surgical or medical complications (cardiovascular, infections, rejection, and delayed graft function). She was discharged with serum creatinine of 0.8 mg/dL. Her last serum creatinine level was 0.9 mg/dL with cyclosporine level of 100 mg/dL at 9-month followup without any complication. Antituberculosis treatment was completed after RTx and continued with isoniazid for TB prophylaxis. The quality of life before and after transplant patients was evaluated using WHOQOL-BREF scale. Physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environment scores before RTx were higher (24; 23; 12; 32) than pretransplant scores (20; 17; 9; 24).
7. Discussion
Patients with renal amyloidosis who progress to ESRD can be treated with either dialysis or RTx. Hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) appear to be equally effective, the limiting factors being the degree of extrarenal amyloid deposition, hypotension with hemodialysis, and peritonitis with CAPD. 14% of deaths on dialysis resulted from amyloidosis complications, emphasizing that thorough evaluation of systemic complications remains important even after patients with renal amyloidosis progress to ESRD. Underlying etiology should be corrected or controlled. Successful treatment of the underlying inflammatory process included surgical resection of the focus of infection, cytotoxic agents/biological agents in RA, and antibiotics with chronic infection. RTx should be performed, at earliest time possible after onset of maintenance dialysis prior to development of severe cardiac disease. The outcome appears to be best in patients without cardiac involvement on echocardiography [5, 6].
Fitness of transplant candidates is a major concern due to cardiovascular instability, infections, and uncontrolled underlying inflammatory process. It is important to evaluate the presence, and severity of coronary disease, heart failure, valvular disease, and arrhythmias prior to transplantation. Goals of cardiac testing are to assist in determining transplant candidacy and to identify patients who might benefit from preoperative cardiac intervention and aggressive risk factor modification to decrease perioperative and posttransplant cardiac events [7, 8].
Limited data suggest that graft survival is similar but patient survival is lower in patients with AA amyloidosis compared to other forms of renal disease [9–14]. Recurrence of amyloid nephropathy is of concern because recurrent amyloid deposition in the transplant occurs in 20 to 72% of cases due to continued activity of the underlying disease, but graft loss due to recurrence is uncommon.
Outcomes were sought among all patients attending the UK National Amyloidosis Centre [9] who received RTx between 1978 and 2011. A total of 111 RTx operations were performed in 104 patients. Outcomes following RTx were generally excellent in these diseases, reflecting their slow natural history; median graft survival was 13.1 years [9].
The Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry reported long-term renal replacement therapy (RRT) outcomes of amyloidosis. The survival of amyloidosis patients receiving peritoneal dialysis was comparable with that of those receiving haemodialysis. Forty-six patients underwent RTx with first graft survival rates of 45% at 5 years and 26% at 10 years. Nine (16.4%) patients experienced amyloidosis recurrence in their allografts, which led to graft failure in six patients. Amyloidosis was associated with poor patient survival following dialysis and/or RTx, poor renal allograft survival, and a significant incidence of disease recurrence in the allograft. An appreciable proportion of amyloid ESRD patients died of amyloidosis-related complications [10].
The French multicenter study [11] reported long-term outcome of RTx in patients with amyloidosis () compared to the general transplant population (). The overall 5- and 10-year patient survival was significantly lower for the AA amyloidosis patients, but they had similar graft survival. AA amyloidosis transplanted patients exhibited a high proportion of infectious complications after transplantation (73.2%). This study reported that patients with AA amyloidosis nephropathy are eligible for RTx but require careful management of both cardiovascular and infectious complications to reduce the high risk of mortality (73.2%).
Sherif et al. reported similar long-term (5 to 10 years) outcome of live related donor RTx in patients with amyloidosis () compared to the general transplant population [12]. Emiroglu et al. reported, 5-year outcome of RTx in patients with amyloidosis () similar to that in those patients who receive transplantations for other reasons [13]. Better survival was noted for ESRD patients amyloidosis who had RTx despite recurrences due to systemic. These results encourage transplantation in amyloid ESRD [14]. The recurrence of amyloid in the graft within one year after transplantation in a patient with systemic AA amyloidosis secondary to tuberculosis has been reported [15].
It is reasonable to suspect renal amyloidosis in any patient with known history of PTB presenting with pedal edema and proteinuria. The interval between the onset of tuberculosis and first evidence of amyloidosis is variable (months to years). Renal amyloidosis in children within 2 years of the onset of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 7 years has been reported. Once amyloidosis has extensively involved the kidneys, anti-TB treatment will not cause any regression in the course of renal amyloidosis. Adequately treated patients may present with renal amyloidosis despite having effective anti-TB therapy. It could be attributed to posttubercular bronchiectasis or an irreversible process of amyloid deposition that had initiated earlier.
In the near future stem cell therapy may have a role in reducing requirement of immunosuppressants leading to less infections and better graft survival.
8. Conclusion
With careful selection, patients with secondary amyloidosis due to tuberculosis are eligible for renal transplantation with favorable outcome and improved quality of life.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Authors' Contribution
All authors made equal contribution to the study. All authors read and approved the final paper.
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- A. M. Sherif, A. F. Refaie, M. A.-K. Sobh, N. A.-H. Mohamed, H. A. Sheashaa, and M. A. Ghoneim, "Long-term outcome of live donor kidney transplantation for renal amyloidosis," American Journal of Kidney Diseases, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 370–375, 2003. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar · View at Scopus
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Museum of Domestic Architecture, MoDa Middlesex University Campus, London, UK - 2006I was selected to exhibit in this group show after my proposal was chosen by the curator, Jolanta Jagiello. The title of the show was "Eating out in the great outdoors" .
I produced a new piece of work specifically for this show. I cast ten flasks in plaster these were positioned on posts at the entrance to the Museum of Domestic Architecture.
The flasks were covered with a photographic transfer, that showed various images from around the setting, so the flasks became camouflaged into their environment. The piece was weatherproofed and was outside for three months.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ash is respected both for his intellect, professionalism and for his star-like personality. His character and charisma lends itself to television. By helping patients to relax using a combination of humour, calming bedside technique, professionalism and confidence, he is fascinating to watch and adds an extra dimension to any programme.
Recognised as a leading dental authority, Ash is also regularly published in local, national and trade press.
The following are a selection of useful articles, which you may find helpful:
As a result of his experience with Extreme Makeover UK, Ash decided to again help others in a special competition.
Ash Parmar: "Wouldn't it be great if we did some type of makeover process for people in Essex?" This idea developed into a Dream Makeover Essex competition. Working with a team of specialists including Mr. Pillai, a prominent Harley Street laser eye surgeon who has performed over 25,000 procedures so far! As Ash is a key opinion leader for Philips – they too agreed to be involved as the title sponsor. In December 2012, the competition ended after extensive coverage in the media and local radio. Nearly 2,500 people applied which was narrowed down to 100, then 26. Ash Parmar, Mr. Pillai and Frances Furlong (facial aesthetics expert) met the finalists to assess their needs and especially to listen to their stories… three lucky and deserving winners were selected.
To find out more about this spectacular event and all the Partners that were involved, visit www.dreammakeoveressex.co.uk
Dream Makeover Essex Winners
Eleasha was really embarrassed with her smile and this affected her confidence significantly. For many years, she had been teased due to her teeth and getting her smile done meant so much to her. When she first met Ash, she really cried a lot. When she saw her new smile for the first time, she cried again – but this time with tears of joy, amazement and relief. Having a Smile Makeover with Ash has completely changed Eleasha's life. She had ten upper porcelain veneers and ZOOM combination lower teeth whitening (i.e. chair side power whitening as well as home whitening with trays and gels). Eleasha looks stunning now, and can smile with confidence!
"Right now it is pretty hard for me to find the words to describe how I am actually feeling. I still feel in total shock. As corny as it may sound, I honestly feel as if I am in a dream, and going to wake up at any moment.
I never thought in a million years that something like this would happen to me. My teeth really do get me down and I honestly believed I would never be able to change them. I therefore had kind of accepted the fact that this would be me forever.
The reality is only sinking in ever so slightly, and it is dawning on me that the smallest of things such as wearing lipstick and eating out and laughing in public – are all actually going to be possible!!
I was resigned to the fact that I would never get married because I would not have even considered this with my current smile – now I feel like the world will literally be mine and nothing will hold me back.
I am so, so sooo thankful and grateful to have been so lucky to have won this fantastic competition.
I feel completely overwhelmed, to the point where I have to keep ringing my mum to check this is all real.
This competition will change my life so much, and I feel that no amount of gratefulness to Ash and the team, will ever be enough. I am so excited and so unbelievably on top of the world.
Thank you sooooo MUCH."
Keith had a lot going on in his life. As such, looking after his mouth was not his highest priority. This all changed when he found out that he had won the Dream Makeover Essex competition! Keith had advanced gum disease. He had poor oral hygiene and realized that he had to change his habits and have the necessary recommended treatment to save his teeth. Ash advised him to stop smoking (which is linked with gum disease). Keith had multiple hygienist visits and required deep gum cleaning under local anaesthetic. Two of his upper incisor teeth required extraction and Ash provided him with porcelain bridges after he had whitened his teeth. Keith looked fresher and younger with his new smile and the confidence this gave him helped him find a new partner within a few months!
"I'm writing this on behalf of my dad with his permission but he has no idea what I'm writing. I think my dad deserves to win this fantastic competition because his whole life he's never looked after himself only other people, especially me and my brother and sister. He's had a really tough past 3 years with him and my mum divorcing, his mum dying and him losing his job. I worry about him a lot and wouldn't want anything more in the world than for him to meet someone special as he himself is special in every single way and I think the competition could help that happen. He works so hard for me, my brother and sister. He doesn't even have a bedroom currently as he is trying to makeover ours. If he won this competition it would in a way show him how thankful we are that we have him as our Dad.
I wish so badly for my dad to be happy and winning this would just transform his life entirely. He's so self-conscious of his appearance, and he finds it hard to meet people. As I said, I would love for him to meet someone that makes him happy.
I know my dad would look to benefit from a brand new smile. He doesn't smile much anymore partly from the fact that his teeth are growing older and crooked but mostly because he's under so much stress, with new teeth I think he'll probably never stop smiling. He's so self-conscious of his teeth and hasn't visited the dentist in years because he can't afford it.
My dad doesn't like wearing his glasses in photos or social situations. Sometimes he finds it hard to watch something on the TV, which upsets me.
My dad always says how he's never going to find someone as he's getting and looking older but I think if he had no wrinkles or bad skin it would give him the confidence he needs to meet new people.
My dad deserves to relax. Recently he paid a lot of money for me and my sister to have a visit to a spa after our exams and when we told him to use the money for a spa day for himself he refused and insisted that we go because he said seeing us being happy makes him happy. I cannot remember the last time my dad has sat down for over an hour for alone time. He's under so much stress with his job and money; he needs to stop spending so much time on everyone else and focus more on himself.
My dad always says how much his legs or arms hurt from work or how exhausting walking up and down Loughton High Road twice a day is. I know he would love to get fit and healthy again. He's extremely self-conscious of his sort of large belly. I think losing weight and toning up would really boost his confidence.
My dad feels so old with grey hair and a receding hairline. He deserves to be given professional treatment and advice to make his hair look nicer. Not sure if he would want makeup but skin treatments and creams would be amazing for my dad because he doesn't really know how to keep his skin looking nice. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I hope you see how much my dad deserves to have his life transformed."
Caroline was a worthy winner of Dream Makeover Essex. She was conscious of her smile and was keen on getting rid of her glasses once and for all. She required basic dental work including hygienist treatment, fillings, and crowns. This was followed by a Mini Makeover i.e. cosmetic contouring to make her teeth edges naturally level and look more attractive, teeth whitening and four porcelain veneers for her top front teeth. Following the Makeover process, Caroline looked and felt amazing. Her confidence was high and she really appreciated all that had been done for her.
"Caroline is a lovely person who wanted to improve her confidence and feel good about herself. She was conscious of her smile (giving it a mark of only 3 out of 10). On her application she noted long/short sightedness and that she was keen to get rid of her glasses. Caroline was also concerned about her skin and had acne, lines, wrinkles and dry skin. She wanted a personal trainer so that she could have a better figure. As her hair was long and heavy, she wanted to have a new and more glamorous hairstyle. In addition, she had never been able to properly apply her make-up so wanted some instruction.
She was incredibly excited to be one of the selected winners."


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Austin Reed enters administration
Fashion retailer Austin Reed is the latest company to fall into administration, the day after BHS went the same way.
Alix Partners have been appointed to undertake the administration for the 116-year old business.
"Following their appointment, the joint administrators will continue to trade the group while exploring all possible options for its future including a sale of all or parts of the business," they said.
This puts 1,184 jobs at risk, on a difficult week for UK businesses.
Austin Reed has 100 standalone shops, and is also stocked in another 50, but has not competed well, seeing sales falling.
The fashion store was bought last week by Alteri Investors for an undisclosed sum. The new owners had loaned Austin Reed £6 million in a bid to improve their online operations, and reinvigorate stock.
"Our priority now is to work with all stakeholders and determine the optimum route forward for the business as we continue to serve customers throughout the UK and Ireland," said Mr Saville of Alix Partners.


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teacher's average
Why do parents choose their education abroad?
The Ukrainian system of education has developed in such a way that the state almost does not interfere with the current order of things. The teacher's average portrait is getting older, many teachers stay in the field even after retirement. Talented young people in Ukraine prefer to work in the IT field or engage in business rather than go to the faculty. It turns out that 18-year-old adolescents are taught by elderly people who themselves have been studying through the textbooks of the beginning of the century, while linguistics, economics and especially computer science are developing very rapidly, demanding a modern approach and innovations. Continue reading


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The Snom 760 has now been discontinued check out the Snom D765
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London: Former winners Peugeot will not enter this year`s Le Mans 24 Hours race after announcing that they had pulled out of the new FIA world endurance championship for financial reasons.
"This decision has been taken in the context of a difficult economic environment in Europe," the French carmaker said in a statement on the company website. "Peugeot has chosen to concentrate resources on its sales performance in 2012."
Peugeot last won Le Mans in 2009, with their diesel cars finishing second, third, fourth and fifth behind the number two Audi last year.
Audi have won the race 10 times in the last 12 years.
PSA Peugeot Citroen, Europe`s second-biggest car maker, is struggling to rein in costs and revive flagging sales after a series of profit warnings. In October, Chief Executive Philippe Varin announced plans to save an additional 800 million euros (667.70 million pounds) this year, including some 6,000 job cuts.
Jean Todt, president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) who managed Peugeot`s team when the carmaker won Le Mans in 1992 and 1993, was disappointed by the decision.
"To lose such a strong player like Peugeot is bad news, indicating what a tough period the automotive industry is going through, and this group in particular," he said in a statement.
"I believe that it is especially true that in tough times one should find ways of expressing full commitment, rather than pulling out."
"But we can only respect their choice and hope that they can come back soon at the highest level of motorsport."
While Peugeot will not have a works team at Le Mans, Toyota have already announced their return to the endurance classic after a 13-year absence.
The Japanese company, who finished runners-up to BMW in 1999, plans to compete in this year`s 80th edition of the race with a petrol hybrid car.
Bureau Report


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University of California, San Diego Cancer Center
In order to facilitate the rapid growth of the Cancer Program at University of California, San Diego, a design-build modular solution was implemented by the LPA Healthcare team in the design of this facility. This project was constructed almost entirely of modular systems including the linear accelerator vaults, a PET/CT, examination spaces and research offices. Due to this modular design approach, the facility was able to open one and a half years earlier than what would have been achievable using the traditional delivery and construction methods. This acceleration of schedule allowed the university to obtain nearly a full payback of their investment, from the revenues captured during the additional one and a half years of use.
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The Avengers still shooting
Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson joined the other cast members at the eagerly awaited film's world premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday (11Apr12), before talking to journalists at the U.S. junket the following day (12Apr12).
Downey, Jr. dropped a bombshell at the press conference when he let slip that the cast would be stepping back in front of the cameras to shoot a scene "later that night".
Director Joss Whedon attempted to play down the claims, but Ruffalo later confirmed the news, telling The Playlist, "We're shooting a scene tonight. I'm not sure exactly where it's gonna go. All I know is that someone came in with the costume and said, 'Here's some wardrobe. We don't know where you're going to be or what you're doing.' So I'm like, 'All right, when are we doing that?' 'Today after we're done.'"
The Avengers is due for release on 26 April (12) under the revised title of Avengers Assemble.


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The Santa Barbara Modern Quilt Guild volunteered to participate in the QuiltCon Charity Quilt Challenge and besides making the quilt, a blog post was requested so here you go.
The Charity Committee of the Modern Quilt Guild came up with a color palette for the quilts and several sponsor shops put together fat quarter bundles of their interpretation of the palette.
The first photo is of the two fat quarter bundles of the color palette. We had a block design challenge and chose Virginia Bobro's block which is the second photo.
Bee collected tone on tone prints from various members stashes to go along with the fat quarters and after deciding on the berry and grey as backgrounds, I ordered yardage of those two colors to be cut into fat quarters for the block backgrounds. Bee cut all of the other fabric into varying widths of strips and put together packets for all our members.
Here are some of the fabrics from my packet and my finished blocks.
Once we collected all of the blocks we started playing with layout.
We agreed to work on it at the next Sew Day to come up with a final layout.
Once the layout was finalized, the sewing began.
With the top complete, it was turned over to me to make a back and quilting. I had several ideas for the quilting but finally went with the style of echoing the shapes.
And since I forgot to take a photo of the finished quilt after it was bound, these will have to do until you all see it at QuiltCon!
Thanks for checking in.


text: Halo, is one of those most famous franchises of the Xbox, that everyone recognizes as one of the flagships of the platform. The last title, Halo Reach, was the final installment that Bungie gave us, and honestly, our author thought it was the last we'd ever see out of the universe, a closed Book. Eventually, 343 Industries took the reigns, and started production on Halo 4, the continuation of the Master-chief's journey following the events of Halo 3, so how did they fared with this?


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What's on your menu for Easter dinner? If your menu includes ham, you may want to grab this printable coupon for $2 off Hormel Cure 81 ham! If you've already got your ham or if you're having something else this year, grab this coupon and hold on to it! From my experience, they have huge markdowns on ham following Easter and I've been able to get some great deals. This coupon will make it even better!
Click here to grab your coupon–>$2 off Hormel Cure 81 ham printable coupon
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information


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Shadows are dramatic and mysterious. They are created where light is obscured and add a powerful dimension to photographs, as seen in the fashion editorials in this cluster. The effect is even more striking when the images are in black and white.
The fronting image in this collection is mainly colourless, save for the shocking splash of the model's fiery hot orange lips. Shadows can also act as a bit of a tease, hiding body parts and creating a secretive feeling.
Many examples of shadow play are found in street art. Objects not visible during the day suddenly become evident at night when raised surfaces cast silhouettes against buildings or on sidewalks.
The omission of light is as creative as the use of illumination.
14 Shadow-Inspired Photography and Street Art Visuals
More Stats +/-
Future Festival: 2 for 1 Flash Sale!
Shadow Fashion Shoots
Shadow Art
10 Photoshop Shadow Illusions
Models Posing as Animals


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Dear Deviants,
I wish you a wonderful 2014 year. May you find joy and hapiness, may you succeed in your work, may you find fullfillment in your life, may you meet many friends and share many a laugh, may you have fun doing stupid things, and may you have fun doing meaningful things. And of course, may you draw, paint, take picture like a Deviant, and share your beautiful art with us!I am looking forward to see more from you in the next year!
PS: I kind of realized that I don't connect very often, and that thanking someone for faving some deviation several months before is a bit weird. So from now on, even if I *greatly* appreciate that you are liking my art, I will not necessary thank you in person, but I will carry on what I began to do some months ago: I will take the time to go to your gallery at some point to discover what you are doing. I think it's much more meaningful than just posting "thanks for the fave", and a way to discover the great art you are doing.


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Golden Goose Outlet grew
Le 5 June 2017, 09:06 dans Humeurs • 0
Alex Fleming, perhaps better known by his singer/songwriter moniker, Black Atlass, has once again stepped into the limelight with a new project on Fools Gold, Haunted Paradise, which serves as the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed debut, Jade.
Equal parts sultry as it is haunting like that moment after an exciting encounter when your heart rate is still elevated but the BPMs are declining the project shows extensive growth from Atlass as an artist.
In an attempt to get to know the crooner a little better, we asked him to pick out his ten favorite spots in Montreal so that those that ever find themselves visiting or living in Mount Royal have a better idea of the hidden gems the city has to offer.
Here is a list of some of my favorite places to visit in Montreal. This list could definitely go on, but I didn't want to reveal every secret in the city. There are thousands of places that could be recommended, but these were the first that came to mind. All of them I hold dear to my heart. I hope you pass these on and share them.
Cafeteria Las Palmas
Amazing place run by a sweet old Colombian couple. They have the best empanadas I've ever had, and the setting always reminds me of a Vince Gilligan set. Say yes when they ask if you want your empanadas with the sauce.
Westmount Look-out
My favorite place to dream and catch a mountain top view of the city and less crowded and with a nicer atmosphere than the main lookouts. I like to take a walk through the Westmount hills afterwards and imagine myself living there with that view.
Real Bagel
My favorite place to get a famous Montreal style bagel. St. Viateur Bagel usually gets all the shine, but growing up in NDG, Real Bagel is what I Golden Goose Outlet grew up on. Get the classic sesame bagel and a tub of cream cheese to eat it with.
Olive et Gourmando http://www.goldengoosestar.com/
One of my favorite lunch spots in the city [with[ amazing soup, salads and sandwiches. All great organic recipes. One of my favorite ways to enjoy an afternoon in Old Montreal.
Apartment 200
I have seen this place grow from a brand new bar that my friends had just opened a few years ago, to now quickly becoming a Montreal staple visited by every big name that comes through the city. A lot of crazy party memories have been made here, and you can still catch my friends hosting parties here weekly. Say hi to them for me. Try a whiskey sour.
Nora Gray
One of my favorite restaurants in the city. Amazing late night dinner atmosphere and great service. Go all out and order from every course on the menu. You will not be disappointed.
Another favorite place to shop. A great place to stop by if you're in Old Montreal. Designer brands without the stuffy service.
Various furniture stores on St. Laurent between Rachel and Mont-Royal
These few blocks in the Plateau are home to some really inspiring furniture stores with amazing pieces and a really nice variety of styles from modern to antique.
McGill Campus
One of my favorite places to take a walk through, especially in the fall and summer. Classic and beautiful. There's always great energy there, and I find it really relaxing, probably because I'm not a student.
La Belle Province
This is one place that I automatically visit every time I'm in the city. A classic, hole in the wall Quebec staple. This place should be a chain across the world. Please order a steamé ALL DRESSED.


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Second round for Native in Alicante
This time, we got the special set of techno house of two masters as Carlos Agraz and Alex Mas. As the first edition, the venue will be Katamaran, in the port of Alicante, and the date, December 10 from 23:59pm to 7:30am.
A new edition full of new visuals, performance and live sets with a common factor: techno.
As always we have tickets availables on Resident Advisor and Xceed, with the support of Clubbingspain and Vicious Magazine.


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Page View
Arrowsmith, Henry William / The house decorator and painter's guide; containing a series of designs for decorating apartments, suited to the various styles of architecture
Plate VII-VIII ["style observed at Pompeii"], pp. 16-Plate VIII ff.
Page 16
This material may be protected by copyright law (e.g., Title 17, US Code).| For information on re-use, see http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright


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Search the Archive
Search the National Gallery Archive containing records of the Gallery's activities from its foundation in 1824 to the present day. Find out more about the National Gallery Archive.
Record NG6/7/485
Up to parent record NG6/7 No child record
|Archive reference number
Letter to Captain Bottomley
|10 Sep 1881
Informing the correspondent that there are no judges or inspectors associated
with the National Gallery, and that officers of the Gallery do not give opinions
on works in the possession of private owners.
|Record type
Your list will only be saved temporarily. Inactivity of more than an hour could result in the loss of your list. If you would like to keep a record of your list, we suggest you email it to yourself.
Your list of records will be sent to us if you request an appointment, and a summary will be included in your appointment email notification.


text:
Our supper club is a ideal for weekday dinners. It's one home-style, hearty and nourishing casserole style dish of about 4 servings, no assembling required. Comes with a 16oz side dish.
It's very easy, order by Friday at 6pm either here or on the store, and pick up on Tuesday between 1 - 8 pm on Tuesdays.
You can order for just 1 week or order a 4-week subscription.
Menu for the following weeks: ...................


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I recently made a skinning knife for a friend. It has a 1084 carbon steel blade, ground, hardened and tempered in my workshop. The handle scales are water buffalo horn with mosaic pins I bought from a knife maker's supplier. The leather sheath is also hand stitched by me. The knife is 8 3/4" long overall and feels nice in the hand. My friend seems very happy with it and I can't wait to see him skinning some game with it.
Thanks for looking fellas.
Cheers... Rod


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MMOLands, the makers of Endless Ages, have released a number of fixes and updates to their games. The following release appears on their website:
A few updates and coming soon's to go over here, so in the true style of most of our news lets dive in head first.
"Already Logged In": Those of you who experienced the already logged in problem will be happy to know that after a few fixes that were put in place and very close monitoring the bug has been exterminated. If you happen to run in to this problem again please give us a support ticket explaining in the best detail you can provide exactly what you were doing and what happened before it happened.
Crazy Monsters: We have updated a great deal of monsters in the underworld and various other dungeons to follow a more sane movement speed. If you happen to locate any other monsters that are moving far too fast we will be more than happy to look into the problem and adjust them as needed. Send in a support ticket with the monster, and where its located ( If it's a dropper monster what drop you were hunting would be extremely helpful to our efforts to slow these guys down for you ).
Game Window Popup: Some of you have noticed ( Especially those that play in windowed mode ) that occasionally the game window will not popup correctly, this problem has been resolved.
MM1 Quest Deemed Bug Free: After some growing pains experienced early in this quests development, a great many have completed it with no problems and the missing melee 1 quest has been deemed as complete, solid, and bug free.
Game Quick Launch: You will now notice that every page holds the ability to get in and start gaming quickly and easily. This was requested a while back and the system has been created for you.
Coming soon are a great deal of quest updates. Our quest team is working tirelessly to locate, and amend all quest bugs and the majority of these changes will show their pretty faces around the time of the IIA South release ( Which is shaping up very nicely I might add ). A new quick tutorial popup window for the newbie zone is in the works to help all of you new players become affiliated with the controls quick and faster than ever before. Hud and in game menu updates will also be showing themselves while we track down every possible resolution problem that exists. If you have any problems seeing the hud please post in the bug forums with the problem, and your resolution so we can get it fixed up for you.
Keep and eye out for some teaser shots from our newest creation: IIA South
For more on MMOLands, click here.


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Located on the North West of the Caribbean island of St.Lucia, Rendezvous is an idyllic, all-inclusive Caribbean hideaway. Situated within a seven-acre tropical garden on a two-mile stretch of beach, the 100 bedroom boutique resort is the ideal setting for a wedding, honeymoon, or to escape from everyday life. Rendezvous offers an intimate haven for couples to re-engage with their partners and spend quality time together.
Over the course of 12 months, the refurbishment will take place over two phases. The first is now complete and saw the upgrade of the hotel's Seaside and Verandah Suites. Phase two is currently underway with the launch of the resort's new oceanfront restaurant, Malabar, which is set for completion in November 2015. In line with Rendezvous' environmental policy, the beach will also be extended to conserve the sand, as well as upgrades to the main pool and swim-up bar.
Seaside Suites
Situated on the ground floor, Rendezvous' Seaside Suites have a spacious deck with views overlooking the pool, Caribbean Sea and the tropical gardens. Each suite has been fitted with new furniture, including a four-poster maple king-sized bed, along with fine hardwood pieces in white, mint green and blue pastels, inspired by the Caribbean Sea. Rooms will also feature new bathrooms, with a spacious bathtub and luxurious his-and-her amenities. With floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open out onto the terrace, the decking boasts a sofa and an outdoor cantilever umbrella.
Verandah Suites
With views of the exotic gardens, the two-storey Verandah Suites have also been revamped with new bathrooms, including porcelain tiles, a free-standing tranquility bath, a walk-in shower with frameless glass shower doors and a new dressing table. Each suite boasts a king-sized bed with décor in rust, pearl and coral tones, as well as luxurious Oak wardrobes with sliding doors. Rooms open out onto the large 12-foot verandahs, which have been transformed with a love-seat and coffee table. Both Seaside and Verandah Suites have amenities such as a mini fridge, tea and coffee appliances, and docking station.
Malabar Beach Restaurant
Rendezvous is set to launch its new Malabar Beach Restaurant, offering a unique, intimate dining experience with views overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Guests will be able to enjoy dinner under an open sail, with furniture made from the local Samaan tree and drift wood. The à la carte restaurant will offer light cuisine, using local island ingredients and fresh produce from the local market. With a capacity for up to 40 guests, Malabar Beach Restaurant will be able to accommodate parties of two, four or eight.
Rendezvous also provides a range of food & drink outlets, including a buffet-style terrace restaurant and terrace bar overlooking the sea, a pool bar and a late night champagne and piano bar. Furthermore, The Trysting Place is an à la carte restaurant, serving the finest food and wine, influenced by French and Caribbean cuisine, which will be fully renovated in December 2015.
Rendezvous is the sister resort to leading health and wellness resort, The BodyHoliday, which is also located in the North West of the Caribbean island of St.Lucia.


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NEW YORK (AP) - "American Idol" winner Kris Allen is taking part in a fiercely contested competition watched by millions, but this time, he'll have nothing to do with the outcome.
Allen is scheduled to sing the national anthem Sunday before Game 2 of the National Basketball Association finals on ABC. The Los Angeles Lakers have a 1-0 lead over the Orlando Magic.
Having "American Idol" winners sing during the basketball championship series has become something of a tradition. Every winner has done it, with the exception of Fantasia.
Allen, of Conway, Ark., won the "Idol" crown last month over Adam Lambert.
On the Net:
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Legal Malpractice
Legal malpractice occurs when a lawyer fails to provide the quality of care that should reasonably be expected and the client is harmed.
Professional Negligence
Breach of Fiduciary Duty By Attorneys
Attorney/Client Fee Disputes
The three major theories of liability are negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
For legal malpractice, we need to show that you were harmed by proving that your lawyer acted below the standard of care and that if the lawyer had handled the work properly, you would have had a better outcome.
To determine if you or someone you know has been a victim of legal malpractice, a client should ask himself/herself questions such as:
Did the lawyer miss the statute of limitations?
Was my case dismissed because my lawyer failed to diligently pursue the case?
Did my lawyer force me to settle my case for an inadequate amount?
Did my lawyer have a conflict of interest?
Did my lawyer use adequate "discovery"?
Did my lawyer abandon my case just before the trial?
Did my lawyer bill me a reasonable amount?
If you believe you've been injured by your lawyer's professional negligence, the legal malpractice attorneys at Makarem & Associates are here for you. We understand this can be a difficult time in your life and that you feel wronged. We will review the facts of your case, explain your rights, and advise you about how to proceed. Ron Makarem is a certified legal malpractice specialist by the State Bar of California. Contact one of our qualified Los Angeles legal malpractice lawyers today by email email@example.com or phone 310.312.0299 to discuss your case.
So, you have lost what you thought was a winnable case....
If something that your attorney did, or did not do...
If you believe that you have been wronged by an attorney,...


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Today, citizens in Charlotte head to the polls to choose a new mayor and new city council members. Earlier in the election, I'd noted that I wouldn't reveal how I'd vote. This morning, I felt a strong urge to speak out.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've voted for a Republican. In 2004, I cast a ballot for Richard Burr, a fellow Winston-Salem native. That same year, I voted for a Republican candidate for sheriff, a family acquaintance. In 2009, I voted for Edwin Peacock in his at-large race for Charlotte City Council. [Edit (Nov. 5, 2013, 2:51 p.m.): Last year, I also voted for Wayne Powers, a Republican candidate for Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. Apologies that I forgot about this vote.]
Today, I'll cast votes again for Republican candidates, Edwin Peacock included.
Say what, my friends and acquaintances may scream. I know, I can hardly believe it either. It's a cliche phrase, but it truly fits the current situation: I'm not leaving my party; my party left me.
I've been torn over this local election for months. But, I've finally made my decision. It comes after several days of news regarding Democratic mayoral candidate Patrick Cannon's misleading statements regarding his involvement in closed-door council discussions on the Carolina Panthers and council's decision to give the company $87.5 million in business incentives.
Cannon, who owns parking services company E-Z Parking and has admitted his own conflict of interest with the Panthers, recently said he "never" attended a closed-door session discussing the Panthers incentives, adding that "a mayor should know that kind of thing."
Fact checks from local media reveal Cannon did, in fact, attend three of the four closed-door meetings on the topic. (See coverage from The Charlotte Observer and WFAE for more.)
So, apparently, Cannon either doesn't know what he himself did or he willfully chose to mislead the public.
Either way, I cannot vote for Cannon. Not only has he defended the use of public money by spending it on a private and profitable billion-dollar company, but he has also defended the council's closed-door sessions and, what's more, misled the public about his involvement in them.
The Panthers incentives debate has been important to me. I've spoken out against the decision several times (see: "In Charlotte, the rich get richer behind closed doors" and "Misplaced Council priorities in Panthers plan"). I'm against corporate welfare, when such public money should be rightfully used to support citizens. Private businesses run by millionaires who employ millionaires can find their own money. There's no need to fleece taxpayers when such companies are easily making profits. And, besides, taxpayer money was never designed to benefit the profit-making enterprises of private corporations; the money is designed to support government, citizens and residents.
Further, I have been disappointed with current council leadership, Cannon included, who thought it was appropriate to meet in the comforting secrecy of closed-door sessions to discuss the giveaway of millions of dollars in public money to a private corporation. Such an ask — originally set at $125 million, and to be funded by a raise in local prepared food and beverage taxes — should have been made in public. It never was, and council decided long before it ever publicly addressed the issue that such a giveaway would happen.
So, today, I will cast my vote for Republican Edwin Peacock. And, here's why, in his own words, from my interview with him at QNotes:
On business incentives:
"Chiquita, I voted no. Panthers, I would have said no. Carowinds, I would have said no. I'm pretty much across the board no. That doesn't mean I'm against incentives. What I am for is the business investment grant program. That's the program that we've had since 1998 that has worked very well for Electrolux, Rooms To Go, MetLife, Husqvarna. They've all used that program and it had specific criteria."
On why he was against the incentives:
"It's corporate welfare. I'm against giving folks money that don't need money and haven't made a case as to why we should have that. We have incentives so that we can compete against South Carolina and Tennessee, which don't have state income taxes, and Virginia. We're competing in that environment. I'm not saying to our chamber or regional partnership that incentives are bad. I'm not at all. But you've really got to step back and be an independent voice as a council member and, more importantly, as mayor to say, 'We want your business, but we're not so desperate we're going to just break from rank and file and start giving money.'"
On council closed-door sessions (emphasis added):
"On the Panthers, this is the difference between myself and my opponent. Abe Lincoln said, 'With public sentiment you can accomplish anything; without it, you can accomplish nothing.' Who was not consulted in the Panthers decision? The public. They had a public hearing in the end which was after the decision was largely made. They went into not one, but two meetings in closed session. … I wouldn't have gone into closed session because it's an existing business here that wasn't going to leave over night as much as the threats were put out there. And, secondly, they were asking for public money. That's why they went into closed session, it was to take that and go to the legislature and ask for that one percent food and beverage tax. The state said, 'We aren't giving you that.' They send it back and what the end result is, they've gone after a very public-purpose facility — the convention center — and they've practically robbed Peter to pay Paul. You've got the money from the convention center at $87.5 million and you've now transferred it to a private corporation for TVs, skyboxes and escalators. Where's the public discussion? It's unbelievable to me that we would just all of a sudden herald ourselves and say for $87.5 million we now have six years of comfort. Six years? That's like that; that's a blink of an eye. What's the next date your readers need to know about? August 2014. They want more money to be tethered here longer. I'm not anti-Panthers. I'm pro-Panthers. I recognize what they want and I understand that they've had a good sentiment and obviously our communities are enormously thankful, but where was the public discussion about this? Could they have paid for it themselves? Could they have borrowed it from the name of the bank on their stadium? Could they have used the G4 financing from the NFL? Could they have used, as other states have, the potential to use our lottery to play lottery games to raise money? Was there ever any discussion about adding a fee to the seats and the PSL owners? No. And, then what about the sixth option? A novel option — what about consulting the public? In a public vote? A referendum like Miami-Dade did. That's six options and then what about the final one: No. I've got six things that I would say as mayor. You need to have that discussion and if I was with Jerry Richardson — I'm not against Jerry Richardson — I'd say I'm against corporate welfare to give you the public's money for a private corporation. There's nothing more egregious in that situation. That's so far removed and different than Carowinds and Chiquita, because Chiquita was coming here. Carowinds is similar, because they are already here, but they were looking to expand. I just think that this just reeks of bad, bad decisions. It breaks a lot of rules we just pride ourselves on in North Carolina, especially our open meeting laws."
For the same reasons I on which I base my decision in the mayoral race, I will not vote today for any incumbent council member. In my district race, I'll vote for Democrat Al Austin. In at-large races, I will vote for Democrat Vi Alexander Lyles and Republicans Vanessa Faura, Ken Harris, and Dennis Peterson.
I realize that I may have disagreements with some candidates about where they stand on how to use the public's money. Some are against the street car or the Capital Improvement Plan. I favor both. We can have a debate on how best to use that public money, but, public money can't be used for the public if it is landing in the hands of private corporations. At the very least, I'm confident these Republican candidates will save public money for the public's use. Admittedly, I don't know where Austin and Lyles stand on the Panthers issue; I've not seen them address it directly and quite a bit of time searching and looking at candidate profiles didn't help. But, I'm confident they will have learned from their predecessors' mistakes in discussing such a controversial proposal in secrecy and without transparency for voters.
The most important role of elected representatives should be to represent and serve their constituents. And, at least on this issue of Carolina Panthers incentives, incumbents have not proven they can truly represent their citizens and residents. Closed-door meetings discussing millions of dollars in public charity to private corporations are inexcusable, especially when such proposals may result in raising taxes to pay for such lavish, unnecessary corporate giveaways.
This decision has been a difficult one for me. I'm a proud Democrat and believe very strongly in the principles my party espouses. I only wish my local Democratic candidates had the same loyalty to those principles.
Photo Credit (top): DigiDreamGrafix.com, via Flickr. Licensed CC.
Update (March 15, 2012, 5:25 p.m.): The Durham City Council voted unanimously, 6-0, today to oppose Amendment One. Charlotte, on the other hand, remains silent. The details from Protect NC…
Just like the video above states, the momentum against Amendment One, the proposed anti-LGBT, anti-family, anti-children, anti-business amendment to the North Carolina Constitution is growing. With each passing day, more and more North Carolinians — elected officials, business leaders and voters — are standing up against the amendment and the harms it will cause to the citizens and residents of the Tar Heel State.
Such was the case this week when the Town of Chapel Hill passed a resolution opposing the amendment, following in the footsteps of Greensboro and other municipalities. And, believe or not, Bank of America has spoken out, too…Activists in Charlotte have already spoken out and asked the Charlotte City Council and Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to take similar steps and pass resolutions speaking out against Amendment One. Conversations are happening behind the scenes, but real action and real political courage have yet to take a firm hold in Charlotte.
Now, more pressure is being brought to bear as citizens asktheir elected representatives in Charlotte to, finally, take a stand that should have been taken a long, long time ago.
John Michael Watkins is a Charlotte native, a resident of Chapel Hill and a student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He's taken to the premier progressive grassroots action site, Change.org, to encourage Charlotte's city council and Mecklenburg County's board of commissioners to take a stand against Amendment One.
I've signed the petitions asking Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to pass resolutions opposing Amendment One, and I encourage you to do the same. When citizens speak out, their elected representatives will listen. Click the links below to be taken to the two different petitions, affix your name and signature and ask Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to take a stand for what is right and what is just. If speaking out against Amendment One is good enough for Bank of America — one of Charlotte's largest employers and most significant, national namesakes — then it is should be good enough for our elected representatives…
In addition to signing the petitions, you might be interested in sending a personal note to your elected representatives. Their contact information is below, and be sure to check out this past post for a sample letter you can adapt when contacting them. As noted in that sample letter, be sure you ask the Charlotte City Council to also consider a public vote on an LGBT-inclusive employment non-discrimination ordinance, a measure that has yet to be taken up by the council despite repeated requests from citizens, city employees and activists over the years.
Charlotte City Council
Mayor Anthony R. Foxx
Mayor Pro Tem Patrick D. Cannon, At-Large
Council Member Claire Green Fallon, At-Large
Council Member David Howard, At-Large
Council Member Beth Pickering, At-Large
Council Member Patsy B. Kinsey, District 1
704-336-3432 or 704-376-5367
Council Member James E. Mitchell, Jr., District 2
Council Member LaWana Mayfield, District 3
Council Member Michael D. Barnes, District 4
Council Member John N. Autry, District 5
Council Member Andy Dulin, District 6
Council Member Warren Cooksey, District 7
Mecklenburg County Commission
Harold Cogdell, Jr., Chairman
Jim Pendergraph, Vice Chairman
Jennifer Roberts, At-Large
Karen Bentley, District 1
Vilma Leake, District 2
George Dunlap, District 3
Dumont Clark, District 4
Neil Cooksey, District 5
Bill James, District 6
Today, MeckPAC, the Mecklenburg Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Political Action Committee, of which I am a member, released the following statement. It is, in part, a response to comments made this morning by Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Charlotte City Council and Mecklenburg County Commission need to take stand against constitutional amendment
Local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group encourages elected officials to pass resolutions opposing Amendment One
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — MeckPAC, the Mecklenburg Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Political Action Committee, is calling on the Charlotte City Council and Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to take a strong stand against discrimination by passing resolutions opposing Amendment One, the anti-LGBT, anti-family and anti-business constitutional amendment slated for the May 8, 2012, primary ballot.
Amendment One would require that the state recognize opposite-sex marriage as the "only domestic legal union" in the state. Legal professionals and scholars have said the vague and overly-broad language of the amendment would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partnership benefits for both unmarried same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples.
The amendment would also ban domestic partner benefits currently offered to public employees by local governments like Mecklenburg County. It is vitally important for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to defend their LGBT employees who depend on county domestic partner benefits in order to provide healthcare and other needs for their families and children. The amendment would also prevent governments like Charlotte, which has been debating domestic partner benefits, from extending such measures to employees in the future.
Several local elected leaders have spoken out personally against the amendment, including Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Carolina Gala on Saturday, Feb. 25, Foxx said: "When I go into the ballot box in May … I'm going to be voting against Amendment One." Last fall, Mecklenburg County Commissioner and then-Chairman Jennifer Roberts signed on to a letter with six other municipal government leaders from across the state urging legislators not to place the amendment on the ballot, noting that the amendment would "threaten important protections for contributing North Carolina citizens, and will significantly harm the future of our state."
On June 1, 2004, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution in support of the then-proposed anti-LGBT constitutional amendment. At the time, local LGBT leaders called on the county to reverse its decision and David Moore, then-editor of QNotes, Charlotte's local LGBT community newspaper, called the resolution a "shameful, embarrassing blot on the face of the Queen City" showing "contempt and prejudice sanctioned by the government."
The 2004 resolution has never been reversed and remains just as shameful and embarrassing today as it did eight years ago.
MeckPAC calls on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to reverse their 2004 position and, with the City of Charlotte, join with leaders like Mayor Foxx and Commissioner Roberts in passing a resolution opposing Amendment One and its many potential harms to North Carolina families and children, residents, citizens and businesses.
Similar resolutions and official statements opposing the anti-LGBT Amendment One have already been approved by the elected bodies of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro and Raleigh.
# # #
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx appeared at the Human Rights Campaign Carolina Gala on Saturday evening, welcoming the nearly 1,400-person dinner to town with a speech that included his newly-minted public opposition to Amendment One, the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment on the primary ballot on May 8, 2012.
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx personally welcomed those at the gala – a sign that things have changed since 2005, when then-Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican, refused to issue a welcoming letter for the gala in Charlotte that year.
During his remarks Saturday, Foxx also spoke out against the proposed constitutional amendment reaffirming North Carolina's ban – already in state law – of same-sex marriage.
Saying he'd heard from gay and lesbian city workers and police officers who could not take bereavement time or care for their partners, Foxx told the crowd that "when I go into the ballot box in May … I'm going to be voting against Amendment 1."
He said he was concerned that passage of the amendment would scare away from Charlotte – site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention – those businesses that want to attract talented gay and lesbian employees.
"They … don't want a 'Not Wanted' sign hung over their front (door)," Foxx said.
Foxx's remarks are a welcome and appreciated transformation on his part. Finally, Charlotte's mayor has spoken out against the amendment in a personal way. The Foxx of Saturday night has come a long way since the Foxx of last year, who could rarely bring himself to utter the words "gay" or "lesbian" in public and who, at an LGBT business seminar in September, found it difficult to strongly condemn the amendment and declined to comment on how he would vote personally.
As I've noted, Foxx's speech Saturday is a step forward for the city's top elected official, the result of many conversations, public and private, pushing him to do and say more in support of his LGBT supporters and constituents. I am thankful Foxx has now spoken out so publicly against the amendment. I hope he continues to do so and that he takes his message from the largely friendly crowd at the gala to the voting public. Preaching to the choir is great (sometimes the choir needs the encouragement), but speaking out in the not-so-friendly public is what will eventually help to change hearts and minds — and votes.
And, as ever, there remains so much more work to be done. The Charlotte City Council has yet to take up a public vote on an LGBT-inclusive employment non-discrimination ordinance or domestic partner benefits. If Mayor Foxx truly supports our community and if the stories of those LGBT city workers and police officers were truly as impactful as he claims, then I'm confident Mayor Foxx will publicly renew his desire to have the council move on LGBT equality issues, as he told QNotes in November 2009: "I'd like to see the City Council move on the non-discrimination issue very early in the next term and I'd like to see us do that in a bipartisan way. I know there are members of City Council within both parties who have expressed support for including sexual orientation in the non-discrimination ordinance. Given that, I'd like to see action on that very early."
Pleasant words, accommodating speeches and pretty rainbow lights on Uptown skyscrapers are nice and we should be appreciative and thankful for all of them, but they can never be an acceptable replacement for or alternative to decisive action. It is time for this city and its elected leaders on council to take a firm, public stand against discrimination by casting their votes in favor of LGBT-inclusive ordinances.
My contribution to Charlotte's Creative Loafing's "City Forum" guest commentary series, "Queen City? She's no reigning monarch when it comes to LGBT equality," is on the streets now with the paper's Feb. 15 print edition.
A snippet:
Despite the overwhelming amount of progress, there remains much yet to be done. Small, relatively uncontroversial changes to city policies and ordinances should be discussed further by our Council. Our city's employees deserve to know that their persons and work will be judged by their character and its quality, not simply by who they are. Domestic-partner benefits are important, too. Healthy homes and families will only strengthen our city.
Be sure to pick up a print edition on your next trip out and read the full commentary there and click over to read the full piece at clclt.com…
All my conversation on Friday and this morning regarding Charlotte City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield's insistence that "Charlotte City Council has never taken a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh," has glossed over one small, but glaring undercurrent of discontent.
Any longtime North Carolinian is aware of the historic, regional divide between East and West in this state. In modern times, that divide has increasingly come to mean Charlotte v. Raleigh.
Mayfield hinted at that regional divide in her comments on Thursday evening — a sentiment that the City of Charlotte is somehow separate and distinct from "Raleigh," which can mean either "City of Raleigh" or "State Government" / "State of North Carolina" depending on who you ask.
It's that sentiment that James Miller, executive director of the LGBT Center of Raleigh, picked up on when he commented on my Facebook page in response to Mayfield's comments: "This is ridiculous— just because it is 'out of Raleigh'? PFFFFFFFFF."
Politicians in Charlotte and state government officials in Raleigh can duke it out all they want (the actual merits of such a silly fight we'll leave to another day), but the "Great State of Mecklenburg" complex Charlotteans have developed mustn't need destroy any natural camaraderie we have with LGBT community leaders, activists and community members living in the state's capital city. In fact, folks in Raleigh likely have a lot to teach Charlotte queer folk, who seem to be living in a not-so-modern world more suited to the late-1980s and early-1990s than today's vibrant, inclusive and diverse society — an LGBT-inclusive political and social culture that has already developed in Tar Heel cities like Asheville, Boone, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and, yes, Raleigh.
It's no coincidence that Raleigh has a stronger, more active LGBT community center and other LGBT community organizations than Charlotte. It's also worth noting: the City of Raleigh and its elected officials actually held a public, on-the-record vote protecting LGB city workers… nearly a quarter-century ago.
Photo Credit: GoodNightRaleigh.com
(Update, Feb. 13, 2012, 3:25 p.m.: As Charlotte remains silent on matters of LGBT equality, the New Jersey Senate pushes forward with a marriage equality bill and Washington state becomes the seventh to legalize equality in marriage for LGBT couples. Queen City, take note: The future is coming fast, and you're being left in the dust.)
My post on Friday recounting the exchange between Charlotte City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield, a Q&A panel audience member and me and Mayfield's insistence that Charlotte "has never taken a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh" caught the ire of a couple of my readers.
In particular, "Hunter" cut right to the chase (certainly, in a more forceful way than I would have):
Mayfield's statement is utter bullshit.
The Charlotte City Council takes positions on state legislative matters all the time. Cities have legislative agendas, and Charlotte is no exception.
Shame on Mayfield for daring this speak such obvious lies.
Anyone with even a single iota of knowledge on how local government works knows that city councils and other local governing bodies (e.g. county commissions, transportation commissions, etc.) take public positions on state and federal matters on a regular basis. That usually happens yearly when, as Hunter points out, local governments adopt their state and federal legislative agendas.
The City of Charlotte is no exception. The council's Governmental Affairs Committee meets regularly in order to discuss, debate and propose the city's annual state and federal legislative agenda. They even publish a calendar outlining the timing of their deliberations and subsequent approval by city staff and city council.
The city's 2012 state legislative agenda has yet to be finalized and I couldn't find a copy of its proposed contents on the city's and county's website. I did, however, find the proposed 2011 state legislative agenda, complete with a full 22 pages of in-depth public policy position statements on items ranging from public safety and criminal justice to infrastructure, taxing and budgeting needs.
Perhaps I should have posted more about this on Friday; I just figured the existence of legislative agendas was a no-brainer. Hunter's comment reminded me, perhaps, that's not true, despite the fact that so many current council members and candidates certainly knew what a legislative agenda was during campaign season.
Back at the old day job, we spearheaded an initiative to get council candidates on-the-record responses to four issues of importance to local LGBT citizens and residents.
The fourth question in our candidate questionnaire asked:
Would you support the adoption by city council of a legislative agenda that includes items to (a) seek legislative approval to extend public accommodations and public housing ordinances to include both sexual orientation and gender identity, (b) oppose the state's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a statute which bans recognition of same-sex marriages, and (c) oppose any attempt to pass a state constitutional amendment that would ban recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships and other legal arrangements?
Mayfield's answer at the time:
Yes I would support A, B and C. I believe that by building relationships and commitments among the Council members we can ensure enough support to sustain a yes vote.
That doesn't square so easily with Mayfield's response at the Thursday evening panel, when she argued, "Charlotte City Council has never taken a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh."
Mayfield also said (emphasis added):
As far as taking a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh, it has never been the policy of the Charlotte City Council to make a statement one way or another. We really focus on what's happening in the City of Charlotte. We do not step outside of our realm too often. If it's going to benefit the city, that's our focus.
And, that bears a more in-depth response than the one I offered on Thursday evening, when I said, "It might have been something that came out of Raleigh, but it is something that will affect Charlotte. It will affect all the LGBT people who live in Charlotte — people who are represented by the people on city council and who will be affected by the amendment."
A few of many ways the amendment impacts Charlotte and why it is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council:
- The amendment would bar the extension of health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of city employees. The city doesn't currently offer these benefits, but, as mentioned by Mayfield, the issue is currently being discussed and considered by council members and city staff. If the city truly desires to one day offer these benefits to LGBT employees' families, then taking a position on the amendment and its ban on domestic partner benefits is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
- The amendment could mean the end of domestic violence protection for individuals, both gay and straight, in unmarried relationships. The city-county's joint police department would have to explore new ways to combat and control domestic violence between unmarried partners. How would the police department ensure the safety of a person being battered and abused by an unmarried partner? How much authority would they have to remove the abuser from the household if law prohibits the recognition of their relationship? The city oversees and administers the police department, therefore it is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
- The amendment could invalidate joint child-custody and visitation arrangements between unmarried couples. Though the county primarily oversees the social services and children's welfare programs here, if the city has any stake at all in the preservation of healthy homes and families, then this is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
- Studies have found that LGBT people in states with anti-LGBT constitutional amendments face increased mental health problems. According to anti-amendment organizers, one such study found that LGBT people reported increases in mood disorder (36.6% increase), generalized anxiety disorder (248.2% increase), alcohol use disorder (41.9% increase), and psychiatric comorbidity (36.3% increase). Again, the county primarily provides health services to the public, but if the city has any stake in protecting, preserving and promoting a healthy population and workforce, then this is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
- The amendment could result in a chilling effect in businesses currently located in North Carolina and those thinking of moving here. North Carolina is home to 15 Fortune 500 companies. The five largest — Charlotte's Bank of America, Lowe's and Duke Energy, and Winston-Salem's Reynolds American and BB&T — each offer protections to LGB employees. With the exception of Lowe's and Duke Energy, all offer protections to transgender workings. And, four — Bank of America, Duke Energy, Reynolds American and BB&T — each offer domestic partner benefits in addition to some some 50 other private companies across the state. Research of the "creative class" by Richard Florida has found that more and more workers within "creative" professional fields highly value respect, tolerance, inclusion and diversity. Such values are respected even among straight workers, who seek to know that a diversity of viewpoints, life experiences and people will be honored at their workplaces. According to anti-amendment organizers, the creative class workers were more than 2.5 times more likely to move to Massachusetts in the three years following marriage equality there than in the three years prior. What kind of message will this amendment send to current and potential employees and businesses in North Carolina? Will the amendment cause some citizens, along with their tax income and personal economic activity, to flee the state? Will some employees of major companies like Bank of America request to be moved to the company's already-large presence in places like Boston or New York City (where marriage equality is recognized)? Will young entrepreneurs — the backbone of our small business economy — find it harder to recruit and retain highly-skilled and highly-valuable employees? Will companies themselves — those like Bank of America — find it easier to do business in less hostile places? According to the city council's own 2012 Strategic Focus Area Plan for Economic Development, Charlotte seeks to "be the most prosperous and livable city for all citizens through quality economic development." If the amendment holds any potential harm for economic development and growth, then this is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
So, above and beyond the fact that it is utterly false to say that Charlotte "has never taken a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh," it is also false to say that Charlotte, inherently, has no interest in the potential approval on May 8 of this anti-LGBT, anti-family, anti-personal freedom and anti-business constitutional amendment. The interest is wide and varied, far beyond the simple impact on the personal lives of LGBT Charlotteans. The amendment could affect local government and its employees, local law enforcement, the health and well-being of local families and children and the economic well-being of our entire city, region and state.
This amendment is, without a doubt, a major question of concern for this city and its people and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council. Like Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Greensboro, the Charlotte City Council should consider and pass a resolution opposing the amendment and its potential harms to our fair city and this great state.
I encourage you to click over to the previous post on this subject, scroll to the bottom and find the contact information for Charlotte City Council. Send them an email or call them, asking them to take up a resolution opposing this amendment.
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield (D-District 3) said the council will not consider a resolution opposing North Carolina's anti-LGBT amendment, in response to an audience member's question posed during a film screening and panel discussion hosted by Campus Pride on Thursday night at Petra's, an LGBT-friendly bar in Plaza-Midwood.
[Disclosure: I am the communications and programs director for Campus Pride. The following post is made as a voting citizen and resident of Charlotte and does not reflect the official views or positions of Campus Pride.]
Other cities and towns in the state — including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro — have already passed resolutions opposing the amendment; some did so before the amendment gained legislative approval last September. In the fall, Mecklenburg County Commissioner and then-Chairman Jennifer Roberts joined city and county leaders across the state in a joint letter opposing the amendment.
This week, the Greensboro City Council passed such a statement 7-1, the sole dissenting vote being a far-right Republican. Even Greensboro's Republican Mayor Robbie Perkins came out in opposition to the amendment.
Yet, Charlotte's mayor and other city council leaders have yet to take an official, outspoken and forceful position on the amendment.
The somewhat edited exchange between the audience member, Mayfield and me, below:
Audience member: LaWana, what is the city council going to do about Amendment One? Are they going to debate. Are they going to pass a resolution to oppose it? Have you spoken to anyone about this?
LaWana Mayfield: Yes, we have had conversations about it. No, the city council is not going to take a stance on it one way or another, and the reason is, historically, Charlotte City Council has never taken a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh. That's just, historically, where the city council has never taken a stance one way or another when it comes to whatever piece of legislation may come out of Raleigh; they've never taken a stance on it. Yes, we are having conversations right now and as council we have been meeting with members of the community regarding a study of domestic partner benefits for the city since it was extended to county employees; that was done two years ago. As far as taking a stance on anything that comes out of Raleigh, it has never been the policy of the Charlotte City Council to make a statement one way or another. We really focus on what's happening in the City of Charlotte. We do not step outside of our realm too often. If it's going to benefit the city, that's our focus. But, we are having conversations with folks to find out what the staff and what the community is asking for and we're taking that to heart when we're having our conversations and sending it to staff to get the balance on whether we are ready to move forward with this, what is going to be, if any, the financial implications, can we afford, is there something we can make accessible to all employees and what it's going to look like. It has not been presented to council as a body yet. It is still in committee. Once it comes out of committee, then it will be presented to council.
Matt Comer: I personally implore you here publicly to talk to your colleagues more about coming out against the amendment. Greensboro, this week, came out to oppose the amendment. It might have been something that came out of Raleigh, but it is something that will affect Charlotte. It will affect all the LGBT people who live in Charlotte — people who are represented by the people on city council and who will be affected by the amendment. I think the council should debate this issue.
LaWana Mayfield: This is what I'd suggest, and this is for everyone in this room take this back to your friends and families: When the community shows up, they do give us the authority as council representatives to fight whatever fight that is. When you email, when you call, when you show that there's an interest, then it's not just me as the gay member on council saying this is something I'm going to fight for gay rights. Then it is, as a member of council, I'm listening to my constituency, I'm listening to my community, and it's not just me, its the rest of my council who is also having to listen to their constituencies because these are the residents in their districts…saying this is an issue of importance and we want you to take the time to truly address it. Then it becomes not just me, one person, saying this is something we need to work on. It becomes the community, and then speaking with my fellow council members I can say this is something we need to work on. As a community I need you to step up, because I need you to give me the ammunition that I need in order for me to… [inaudible].
The community has been speaking out about this issue. We've done so for a long time. Back in July 2009, Durham resident Joshua Weaver traveled to Charlotte to support citizens here in requesting the Charlotte City Council adopt a pro-equality resolution similar to one approved by Chapel Hill and Carrboro and later approved by Durham. As you might imagine, the request in Charlotte went nowhere.
Mayfield has asked that the community get involved and voice their opinions (yet again) to Charlotte City Council. I hope you'll join me in speaking out publicly on this issue and in contacting the members of city council.
You can find out what city council district you live in via the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections' website. When you find out, match up your information to the district representative list and contact information listed at the bottom of this post and send an email to your district representative, the mayor and at-large council members.
When you email or call your council members, be sure to mention how you feel about the amendment and the city council's as-of-yet public vote to pass an LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance and domestic partner benefits.
A sample script:
Dear Councilmember [MEMBER NAME],
My name is [YOUR NAME], and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I'm writing today to ask you to support passing a resolution opposing North Carolina's proposed anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment. The amendment is the most draconian version of similar amendments passed elsewhere and will write discrimination into our constitution, affecting the rights of LGBT citizens and others. The amendment's language is so broad and vague that it could impact both gay and straight unmarried couples' rights and even domestic violence statutes. Please pass a resolution opposing this discriminatory measure.
I also ask that you consider taking up a public vote on the matter of discrimination in city government. Our city employees deserve to know that they will be judged by their work and character alone, not simply by who they are. Please stand up for our city employees and send a sign to other LGBT citizens that anti-LGBT discrimination is wrong.
Finally, I also ask that you consider passing domestic partner benefits for city employees and their same-sex partners. These benefits are already available to heterosexual couples. LGBT employees deserve to know that their families will be as well taken care of as their straight colleagues' families. Healthy homes and stable families make our city stronger.
Thank you,
Charlotte City Council members
Mayor Anthony Foxx (D)
Patrick D. Cannon, Mayor Pro-Tem, At-Large (D)
Claire Green Fallon, At-Large (D)
David L. Howard, At-Large (D)
Beth Pickering, At-Large (D)
Patsy Kinsey, District 1 (D)
704-336-3432, 704-376-5367
James Mitchell Jr., District 2 (D)
LaWana Mayfield, District 3 (D)
Michael D. Barnes, District 4 (D)
John Autry. District 5 (D)
Andy Dulin, District 6 (R)
Warren Cooksey, District 7 (R)


text:
To the Valley News:
During the election season, we are sure to be deluged with false information about candidates via the Internet. It is our duty as citizens to check out which is true or not.
I have checked out the number of employees on Michelle Obama's staff. Her staff is about the same size as Laura Bush's staff. Lady Bird Johnson's staff was bigger, as were Betty Ford's and Jacqueline Kennedy's. I received false information about this in my email several months ago. I was angry also, but by checking, I know it was sent out by someone trying to do harm to Mrs. Obama.
Keep checking the facts, folks. As the election gets closer, we will be receiving all sorts of misinformation.
Alden L. Dumas, Keene Valley


text:
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Oily Skin Tips…
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text:
Extreme Experiment
What led you to do such an extreme experiment?
It was a perfect storm really. My husband's job had plunked us down in the foreignness of Hong Kong and unfamiliar economic milieu of the expatriate class. At the same time I was struggling with the identity whiplash of new stay-at-home motherhood and questioning my professional ambitions. So I was carrying all this, along with a bagful of groceries, one day, when I saw myself in the window of a fancy clothes shop and my inner voice said "You look like crap." I knew that inner voice—I think a lot of us know that inner voice—but for the first time in my life I wanted to tell her to go to Hell. The experiment, and the book, sprang from that urge.


text:
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