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Children's Health Defense (CHD) today said it will take legal action against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if the agency grants Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for children aged 5-11.
In a letter signed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CHD chairman and chief legal counsel, and Dr. Meryl Nass, member of the CHD Scientific Advisory Committee, Kennedy and Nass wrote:
"CHD will seek to hold you accountable for recklessly endangering this population with a product that has little efficacy but which may put them, without warning, at risk of many adverse health consequences, including heart damage, stroke, and other thrombotic events and reproductive harms."
The letter was addressed to Dr. Arnold Monto, chairman of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), committee members and all FDA staff.
VRBPAC members are set to meet Tuesday to consider and likely vote on whether to grant EUA for the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.
In May, the FDA authorized Pfizer's vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not yet been authorized for children under 18.
The letter outlines 12 reasons the FDA should not authorize the pediatric vaccine and provides supporting evidence to back up each argument.
Read the letter:
Dear Chairman Monto, VRBPAC Members and FDA Staff:
We write to you on behalf of Children's Health Defense (CHD), a non-profit organization devoted to the health of people and the planet. We have actively followed your work to evaluate, authorize and approve vaccines for the American public and particularly children.
We are aware that you are likely to authorize Pfizer's BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for children aged 5-11 at your meeting on Oct. 26. Your authorization thus will expose over 20 million children in the U.S., and millions more around the world, to potential COVID-19 vaccination of an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) product.
We are writing to put you on notice that should you grant EUA status to this pediatric EUA vaccine, CHD is poised to take legal action against you and other Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voting members as well as the FDA.
CHD will seek to hold you accountable for recklessly endangering this population with a product that has little efficacy but which may put them, without warning, at risk of many adverse health consequences, including heart damage, stroke and other thrombotic events and reproductive harms.
We briefly outline why such authorization would be reckless:
1. The risks demonstrably outweigh the benefits of COVID vaccination for young children. Deaths and hospitalizations are rare and have been inflated inaccurately.
2. Nearly half of all children have natural immunity to COVID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is no ethical justification for superfluous vaccination that will put children at elevated risk of vaccine harm.
3. Some children likely will die or be permanently injured from these vaccines based on the authorization for children 12-16.
4. The clinical trials for the pediatric vaccine were too small to detect safety signals for a population in the millions.
5. There are no long-term safety data for COVID vaccination of young children, making this an experiment rather than appropriate medical prevention.
6. Unethical coercive pressure will be applied to children and their parents, as has occurred with older children and adults. To grant authorization is to abet this unethical coercion that violates the Nuremberg Code's first principle.
7. There is no available care for children injured by COVID shots. The science and medicine have not yet developed, and most families will be unable to cover the costs of potential catastrophic injuries.
8. VRBPAC members should not participate in an exercise disguising a foregone conclusion. The president's purchase of 65 million pediatric doses, the CDC guidance for COVID vaccine delivery, the American Academy of Pediatrics's promotion of COVID vaccination for children all call into question whether this committee's deliberations mean anything.
If the administration is unprepared to wait for your advice, let alone heed it, you should signify your disapproval on behalf of the country the FDA is meant to protect.
9. First, do no harm. You are physicians who owe a duty to patients and medical ethics. If you authorize these shots, given all you know, will you be upholding your oath? If not, is it possible that your acts could later be seen as reason to remove your medical licenses?
10. The liability-free nature of your deliberations may not stand the test of time. In the fullness of time, your decisions may not have the liability protection that they currently enjoy. Under the PREP Act of 2005, all actors advancing an EUA agenda for medical countermeasures enjoy liability protection, absent willful misconduct.
Nonetheless, if at a later point these shots are deemed non-therapeutic gene products that you knowingly and recklessly authorized, and which were then distributed to children as a direct result of your decision, it is possible that liability could later attach.
11. There is no COVID emergency for children of this age.
12. There are safer drugs that could be used prophylactically and therapeutically for COVID in children. There is extensive and compelling medical evidence for this assertion — and the choice to eschew use of these drugs in favor of a demonstrably dangerous vaccine is arbitrary and capricious.
We ask that you carefully consider all the information above before making any recommendation to authorize Pfizer's vaccine in the 5 through 11 year age group at your meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Sincerely yours,
Let's investigate the basis for claims that children aged 5 through 11 need to be vaccinated for COVID.
1. The truth is that children aged 5-11 are at extremely low risk of hospitalization, death, MIS-C or Long COVID.
a. What is the actual risk of hospitalization, death and MIS-C in aged 5 through 11-year-old children? This age group has the lowest rate of severe disease and death than all other age cohorts.
CDC reports 94 COVID-19 deaths with COVID since Jan. 1, 2020, in the 5 through 11 age group. However, CDC designates these as deaths "involving COVID" or "with COVID" rather than due to COVID, according to CDC's chart below.
b. In the October 2021 Pediatrics, a report by David McCormick et al. showed that of 112 pediatric deaths associated with SARS-CoV-2, 86% had comorbidities, especially obesity, neurologic and developmental conditions. The mean age of decedents was 17.
c. It is impossible to separate deaths with COVID from those due to COVID in the U.S. because the CDC does not distinguish them. But what we do know is that child deaths due to COVID in Germany, according to the BILD newspaper, were 20 in May 2021, in a country with 85 million people.
Pediatric deaths were "under 30" through March 2021, according to the UK government, with 60 million people.
d. Regarding MIS-C, the data are sparse. The UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization stated on Sept. 3, based on data from the UK, Canada and the U.S.:
"There are no clinical trial data of vaccine efficacy against PIMS-TS [MIS-C], nor any real-world estimates of vaccine effectiveness. Post-COVID-19 syndrome (often called 'long COVID') has been reported in children and young people.
"Existing studies suggest that longer-term (≥8 weeks) symptoms following SARS-CoV2 infection occur in about <1% to 10% of persons after COVID-19, with controlled studies generally reporting rates at the lower end of this range."
e. Regarding hospitalizations, we have some case series from pediatric hospitals in the U.S. In one report in Hospital Pediatrics, of 146 hospitalized pediatric COVID cases during 5 months in 2020, only 20 (14%) were deemed "significantly symptomatic."
Only 24 of the total were actually admitted because of COVID. Of those significantly symptomatic, 60% were obese and 35% had asthma. COVID-19 was either incidental or minimally related to the reason for hospitalization in 86% of the admissions.
Of the 4 pediatric deaths in this series, only one was attributed to COVID by the authors, in a "medically complex patient admitted for respiratory failure."
A recent CDC MMWR publication on pediatric hospitalizations contained the following graph, based on which CDC claimed massive increases in pediatric hospitalizations this summer.
However, it should be compared to another CDC graph below, updated through Oct. 16: CDC's graph of COVID-associated hospitalization rates by age. The gray dotted line represents the 5-11 age group.
It hugs the X axis, and has already dropped back to baseline since its slight uptick in the summer. The aqua line represents the 18-49 year group, the navy line represents the 50-64 year group and the red line 65 years and above.
These graphs and detailed reports from pediatric hospitals, including the report by Lauren Kushner et al., "'For COVID' or 'With COVID': Classification of SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations in Children" make clear that hospitalization rates due to COVID are essentially negligible in this age group, even during peaks of infection.
The reason CDC could claim steep increases in pediatric hospitalizations was because even a handful of additional hospitalizations caused a marked increase in the rate, and because it included hospitalizations in which COVID was an incidental finding.
f. Regarding MIS-C, this is a problem whose dimensions are uncertain, and for which the role of vaccinations is unknown.
2. Pediatric vaccinations cannot be justified as necessary for herd immunity, when herd immunity itself is impossible to achieve with current vaccines. Vaccinating children to protect adults is also unethical.
a. Given the rapid waning of protection and the inability of current vaccines to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, admitted by CDC Director Walensky, it is not possible to achieve herd immunity with vaccination.
In fact, the UK's head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, told Parliament that herd immunity due to vaccination was a myth, and "not a possibility."
b. While protecting the elderly has sometimes been used as the justification for vaccinating children (for example, against influenza) it is unethical to have one group take on risk to protect another group. It is even more problematic when the group being asked to assume the risk, children, cannot give informed consent.
When the magnitude of the risk is significant (of myocarditis, for example) but has not been quantified, and the long-term risks of vaccination are unknown, demanding children shoulder this risk for others is ethically untenable.
3. We know nothing about the long-term risk of vaccination in children. The myocarditis risk immediately after vaccination in older children is considerable, potentially life-threatening, and increased exponentially with decreasing age.
a. The risk might be very high. The pediatric clinical trials are too small to quantify the risk from myocarditis and quantify the risk of most other adverse events.
FDA acknowledged, in its approval letter to BioNTech, c/o Pfizer on Aug. 23, that it was unable to assess the "known serious risks of myocarditis."
"We have determined that an analysis of spontaneous post-marketing adverse events reported under section 505(k)(1) of the FDCA will not be sufficient to assess known serious risks of myocarditis and pericarditis and identify an unexpected serious risk of subclinical myocarditis.
"Furthermore, the pharmacovigilance system that FDA is required to maintain under section 505(k)(3) of the FDCA is not sufficient to assess these serious risks.
"Therefore, based on appropriate scientific data, we have determined that you are required to conduct the following studies …"
FDA told BioNTech-Pfizer that since FDA was unable to assess the myocarditis risk, it expected BioNTech-Pfizer to do so. FDA wants Pfizer's final reports on myocarditis to be submitted in 2024 and 2025.
Do you think it is okay to vaccinate tens or hundreds of millions of the world's children before BioNTech-Pfizer tells us to what extent their vaccines damage childrens' hearts?
b. According to the Jerusalem Post on Oct. 7, the health ministry was considering whether "individuals vaccinated with the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be asked to avoid strenuous exercise [including swimming] and other physical activity for one week after receiving each dose due to cases of myocarditis…"
c. Let's review some of the data that has been presented at VRBPAC and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings this year.
Confining ourselves to males who received a second dose of an mRNA vaccine and reported myocarditis within a week of the shot to Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), we see that the reported myocarditis rate in the age group 12-17 (62.7/million) was over 100 times greater than in the over-65 group (0.6/million).
Graphing these rates (below) we see that the rates increased exponentially as age decreased. Extrapolating from this graph we could expect the highest myocarditis rates in younger children.
Tweeting from the Oct. 21 ACIP meeting, esteemed reporter for STAT, Helen Branswell, informed us that the rate of myocarditis in military servicemembers under age 20 was over 100 cases per million.
The third graphic is the report to VAERS of a death in a 15-year-old, attributed to myocarditis, six days after receiving a COVID vaccination.
FDA's Doran Fink pointed out at a recent meeting that we have no idea of the rate of subclinical myocarditis. Nor are there good data regarding the long-term sequelae of COVID vaccine-induced myocarditis in teens or other children.
Recall that a 2015 military study by Renata Engler et al. revealed a rate of subclinical myocarditis after a 1st smallpox vaccine to be one in thirty.
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4. The evidence suggests that Pfizer is neither reliable nor trustworthy.
a. Pfizer is projected to earn $33 billion dollars this year in vaccine sales, and more than that next year. Do you honestly think Pfizer-BioNTech will try to identify the actual rate of myocarditis in children, when so much money is at stake?
I am sure you are aware that Pfizer is the world's largest drug company, and also that Pfizer has paid more in fines to federal and state governments than any other pharmaceutical company.
b. An Oct. 19 Public Citizen report titled Pfizer's Power, discussing Pfizer and its COVID vaccine contracts notes:
"neither Pfizer nor the U.S. government can make 'any public announcement concerning the existence, subject matter or terms of this Agreement, the transactions contemplated by it, or the relationship between the Pfizer and the Government hereunder, without the prior written consent of the other.' The contract contains some exceptions for disclosures required by law."
I recommend you read the entire brief report to understand the nature of the vaccine company whose product you are dealing with.
5. What we don't know yet, or haven't been told, is critically important. Why rush the shots into children?
a. Four Nordic countries recently halted the use of Moderna's vaccine in some age groups due to the risk of myocarditis. It was reported by the Wall Street Journal that FDA paused its review of the Moderna vaccine for teenagers in response to the Nordic countries' action.
The article was subtitled, "Agency holds off decision on expanding use of shot to 12-to-17-year-olds while it looks into risk of rare heart condition."
Shouldn't FDA hold off its expansion of the Pfizer shot to 5-11 year olds, since Pfizer's shot also causes myocarditis, until it has completed this review?
b. The VAERS data on myocarditis are clearly concerning. The absence of data from other FDA and CDC accessible databases ought to be alarming.
When 60% of the U.S. has been vaccinated, how can it be that we still do not know the actual rates of myocarditis in the population? Is this information being concealed in order to garner authorizations for the vaccines in the pediatric population?
c. Other information from VAERS ought to have raised an alarm long ago. How can it be that adverse event reports input to VAERS are greater, since the COVID vaccines were rolled out, than all cumulative adverse event reports to VAERS for the prior thirty years?
Death reports for 2021 are also greater than cumulative deaths reported to VAERS over the preceding 30 years. Why has no public health official explained this?
Why has CDC, which is charged with investigating every reported death in VAERS, simply waved its hands and claimed none are due to vaccination, without providing any data?
d. The bottom line is that we have no idea of either the short or long-term risk of the Pfizer vaccine in 5- to 11-year-old children, but it is reasonable to assume the risk of myocarditis could be considerable.
Other risks have not been quantified but could also be considerable. Yet we do not even know their magnitude in adults, after 6.8 billion COVID vaccinations have been administered throughout the world.
How can anyone possibly justify vaccinating children with vaccines for which the world's public health professionals have failed to collect and analyze the most rudimentary data on safety during the largest rollout of (mostly experimental) vaccines in the history of the world?
Obviously, policies were put in place such that we will never know the risks of COVID vaccinations nor the magnitude of those risks. Why?
6. The benefit exceeds the risk.
a. In the past, your briefers have exaggerated the harms to children from COVID and magnified the benefits of vaccination in order to claim that benefit exceeds risk.
This was accomplished through the use of datasets that inexplicably failed to yield adverse event signals, conflating deaths and hospitalizations "with" COVID as if all were "due to" COVID, ignoring the existence of naturally acquired immunity and making overly optimistic assumptions about the efficacy and duration of vaccine-induced protection.
However, if you use more realistic data, such as presented here, the risk exceeds benefit in the 12-15 age group, and will exceed benefit in the 5-11 year age group also.
b, One of your briefers who failed to find adverse event signals in the Vaccine Safety Datalink was Nicola Klein, who is the principal investigator in multiple COVID vaccine studies for Pfizer conducted in both adults and children. Those trials have brought in many millions of dollars to her institution. This conflict of interest was undisclosed.
c. What percentage of young children are already immune? At a June VRBPAC meeting, we learned that 27% of children were naturally immune, a higher proportion than in any other age group. They were tested using anti-nucleocapsid antibodies.
Since then, they have had a summer in which to play together and two months of in-person schooling, and their immunity could be approaching 50%. Vaccinating these children will expose them to risk without the prospect of benefit. Why do it?
d. FDA allows Pfizer to use anti-nucleocapsid antibody tests to identify prospective subjects for clinical trials who have preexisting immunity — they are not included in the efficacy analysis.
Yet FDA and CDC do not allow ordinary American children or adults to use the identical test to demonstrate that they are already immune and don't need vaccinations for COVID.
Why do you think this is? Does it make medical or scientific sense? Common sense? Why are Americans forbidden from demonstrating they are immune and can safely go on with their life unvaccinated?
e. Didn't you find it surprising that so many federal public health officials claimed that recovered immunity was expected to be weaker than vaccine-induced immunity? Didn't that go against what you learned in medical school?
Can everyone finally agree that recovered immunity is broader and longer-lasting than immunity derived from current COVID vaccines?
7. Beware the data tricks being employed to minimize safety concerns.
a. You know that VAERS is a passive reporting system that is intended to provide signals of potential safety problems, which must be evaluated with additional studies.
You know that VAERS data cannot be used to calculate the rates of any adverse reaction. Yet CDC did exactly that for anaphylaxis, claiming the rate of VAERS reporting was the rate of occurrence.
b. When a high-quality study of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham hospital employees showed that anaphylaxis occurred in 250 per million employees, CDC failed to update its website and still claims, as of Oct. 18, that anaphylaxis occurs only 2-5 times per million COVID vaccinees. Which begs the question: how accurate are CDC's other adverse event rates?
c. CDC has made a number of changes to its standard practices since the beginning of the pandemic. Here is just one example. Beginning on May 1, for CDC to accept a report of a breakthrough case, the infected case must have required hospitalization or died and had their infection confirmed with a PCR test using 28 or fewer cycles.
Other problems with data acquisition of breakthrough cases have further contributed to keeping the official number of such cases much lower than they really are. In the UK, in all age cohorts of 30 years and up, there is a higher rate of COVID cases in the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated.
d. Maddie de Garay was a healthy 12 year old when she entered Pfizer's pediatric COVID vaccine trial at the University of Cincinnati with her two siblings.
In exclusive interview w/ The Defender, 16-year-old Sarah Green + her mother describe Sarah's neurological symptoms following vaccination with Pfizer + how docs wouldn't acknowledge vaccine might be to blame.
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She became ill immediately after the second dose with high fever and then a wide range of symptoms. Over the subsequent six months she had about a dozen ER visits and six hospitalizations. She has required a feeding tube to be nourished and uses a wheelchair. Dr. Frenck, the principal investigator, was her physician and is aware of these problems.
Yet she was not reported as a serious adverse event in the trial documents, and when her trial was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), there were no serious vaccine-related adverse events listed for any subject.
Her physician, Frenck, was the first author of the NEJM study. How many other subjects in Pfizer's trials were similarly injured, but went unreported? How many principal investigators issued positive reports despite knowing of injuries?
8. How many vaccines will children need? What are the cumulative risks? How can we be sure there will be no antibody-dependent enhancement?
a. None of this is known. Under what conditions is it acceptable to experiment on millions of our children simultaneously?
b. In Israel, the green pass expired after 6 months, and college students have already received a booster dose. As you know, data regarding booster dose efficacy and safety is scanty. Evidence of cumulative dose safety does not exist.
9. Conflicts of interest.
a. We at Children's Health Defense have not devoted ourselves to investigating potential VRBPAC member conflicts of interest (COI), but we noted that half the voting VRBPAC members are temporary members, presumably installed to replace permanent members who disclosed COIs.
Yet 3 current voting members have glaring COIs. Eric Rubin, editor-in-chief of the NEJM, has published all the Pfizer clinical trials, and the NEJM will have earned a considerable sum for reprints and advertising from Pfizer.
Drs. Amanda Cohn and Melinda Wharton are both career CDC employees. Were either of them to vote against a vaccine authorization or approval it could have severe consequences for their careers.
Both Rubin and Wharton are temporary members. We are dismayed that conflicted temporary members were selected to replace conflicted permanent members on the VRBPAC.
10. Early treatment works, but to acknowledge this would prevent EUAs from being issued for COVID vaccines and on-patent drugs like Regeneron's monoclonal antibodies, remdesivir and molnupiravir.
a. The statute under which Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) are defined requires that there exist no alternative approved, adequate and available product in order for an EUA to be issued. Had effective drugs not been deliberately suppressed, no EUAs could have been issued.
b. If children and adults were treated early with proven drug combinations, very few would progress to the inflammatory and thrombotic stage of COVID-19. While this statement may appear controversial, forest plots of the compiled literature on hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for COVID are very compelling, with average efficacy against the different endpoints of 64% to over 80%.
c. The Nebraska Attorney General on Oct. 15 issued an extraordinary 48-page opinion regarding these two drugs, giving safe harbor to medical practitioners and pharmacists who prescribe and dispense them with informed consent.
We expect to see more opinions like it as the states protect the public from the harmful acts of health professionals.
d. The probable efficacy of chloroquine drugs for coronaviruses was demonstrated in experiments published by the CDC in 2005 and by Dr. Fauci's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2014.
This prior knowledge, obtained by CDC and National Institutes of Health regarding these drugs' efficacy at standard doses and their safety at standard doses, while agency officials suppressed their use during the pandemic, is clear evidence of willful misconduct and nullifies liability protection for these federal officials.
11. Spike protein, the putative antigen induced by all 3 COVID vaccines, is a toxin.
It is produced and enters the circulation, has predictable negative consequences to vascular endothelium, activates platelets and crosses the blood-brain barrier. It would be expected to trigger the destruction of cells that produce it and present it on their surfaces.
Products that induce the production of spike protein should only be used after careful consideration of the individual recipient's risks and benefits.
They should not be employed in mass vaccination programs where there is no learned practitioner to weigh appropriate use, nor in individuals with a very low risk of serious COVID disease.
The post CHD to Sue FDA for 'Recklessly Endangering' Children if Agency Authorizes Pfizer Vaccine for Children 5 to 11 Years Old appeared first on Children's Health Defense.
This content was originally published here.


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Round Jute Rugs: A Totally Boss Rug Returns From the 1960's
Given the size and importance of a decent rug in your home, they can oftentimes be an expensive item to add to your home's interior design. Just look at oriental rugs. If you want a high-quality, handmade oriental rug, you'll need to shell out a lot of money.
Luckily, there are rug trends that are both stylish and affordable. Enter: the round jute rug.
Round, braided jute rugs were all the rage back in the 60's. They're affordable, all-natural, and handmade rugs that serve as the perfect frame for countless areas in your home. While they've been absent from the mainstream for 50-some-odd years, round jute rugs are making a resounding comeback in 2018.
Below, we work through why round jute rugs make the perfect complement to your home and how you can incorporate them into your interior design.
Affordable & Simple
First and foremost, round jute rugs make a splash due to their simplicity and affordability. Made from 100% natural jute fibers, these rugs are environmentally friendly and inexpensive thanks to the renewable resource of jute plant fibers. Round jute rugs are also an affordable because of their shape. Circles take up less surface area than their square or rectangular counterparts, meaning there are fewer fibers and labor needed to complete the rug.
Don't mistake affordable and simple for low-quality and bland, however. These rugs have all been hand-woven and stitched by skilled weavers who have perfected the braiding technique. Jute fibers can also come in several different color combinations, ensuring that there is the perfect rug for any part of your home.
Soft on Your Feet
Natural fiber area rugs are well-known for having unique, thick weaves, causing many homeowners to assume this means the rug will be rough underfoot. This is a misconception to make, however, as it could cause you to pass up on a perfect rug that is quite comfortable.
Braided jute rugs are some of the softest natural fiber area rugs you can purchase. Jute has a gentle, soft weave made of softer fibers that make them the perfect cozy and comfortable rug option for your home.
Just because it's soft, however, doesn't mean it's hard to clean. As a natural fiber area rug, it is true that you can't clean your jute rug with copious amounts of water, chemicals, or other sources of moisture. However, this problem is easily fixed with a couple swipes of paper towel or a dry carpet cleaning kit.
Fits Many Styles
Having been a trend during the groovy 1960's, you may find yourself feeling a little skeptical towards including round jute rugs in your home. But just because interior design has transformed in the past 50 years, doesn't mean round jute rugs aren't still a great fit for any space.
Made in a universally accepted shape and neutral, complementary colors, round jute rugs can go with any design aesthetic. For example, gray hues tend to go best with contemporary and modern styles thanks to their darker, sleek look. Whereas tans tend to go best with more rustic or coastal designs, which makes sense as the tan jute fibers look a little like soft hay, straw, or beach grass. And if you have a design style that falls somewhere in between, try making your decision based off the furniture that sits nearest to the rug and choose the color that would serve as a nice contrast.
Ready to Start Shopping?
Round jute rugs are an old trend that is coming back in a big way. Take a look at our borderless round jute rugs or oval jute rugs to find the perfect option for your home.

subset: commoncrawl


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Where once a skin peel was a one off treatment with varying results which often lead to scarring or resultant hyper-pigmentation. Today's peels are more a low concentration /higher frequency protocol, gently encouraging the skin to change and renew.
What is a skin peel?
Skin peels or chemical peels are any treatment where layers of a chemical, most often naturally occurring are applied to the skin to:
- reduce pigmentation
- remove sun-damaged cells
- increase hydration
- improve collagen production
- help improve the texture of the skin
Is a skin peel the same as a facial?
No. A facial is more fluff. It is relaxing and can help to hydrate the skin, but will not treat problems
Skin peels are designed to fix problems and get results.
Are all skin peels the same?
Very definitely "No". Any Beauty Therapist can do a skin peel and many do low grade (20 and 30%) AHA Peels. However they are heavily regulated to ensure they do not use high percentage or medical grade products as in inexperienced hands, these can still cause damage and resultant scarring.
Under the guidance of a medical practitioner, much stronger and more efficacious products can be utilised.
Our Dermal Therapists have many years of experience and training using the dozens of different medical-grade skin peeling solutions and regularly teach their trainers a thing or two !
If you are thinking of doing a course of skin peels, talk to our Dermal Therapists. They will give you honest advice about the results that can be achieved and what it will take to get there.
What conditions can be improved by skin peels?
- Sun-damaged skin with scaly solar keratosis (early sun spots)
- Rosacea
- Hyperpigmentation (brown coloured spots) and Melasma
- Dry skin
- Thickened skin
- Premature ageing with lines and wrinkles
- Acne
How Many skin peels will I need to have?
- The number of peels you may require will depend on the problem you have and the severity of that problem.
- It will also depend on how much down-time you are willing to live with.
- The deeper the peel, the more down-time and the better the result.
- However some people don't want any down-time.
- All of these factors will be discussed with you and taken into consideration when deciding how strong a skin peel you are happy to undergo
Do I have to prepare my skin prior to a skin peel?
- Some of our stronger peels definitely require skin preparation with medical grade products before your peel to achieve the desired result. They can be performed without, but the results will be inferior.
- There are many peels however that do not require any preparation and can be performed at the same time as your consultation.
- We recommend making an appointment for consultation with our Dermal Therapists to discuss your skin concerns and aspirations
What is "layering" of skin peels?
Layering is as it sounds, where your therapist will layer different ingredients onto the skin to:
- treat different problems at the same time eg pigmentation, dryness and an increase in collagen production
- achieve a deeper peel eg Jessner Solution, which takes any peel to a deeper level for better and quicker results. This is only performed by a trained Therapist under the auspices of a medical practitioner.
Will my skin peel after a skin peel?
- Your skin does not necessarily have to peel after a skin peel for it to be effective.
- If your peel is for pigmentation or heavily sun-damaged skin, then you need pretty heavy-duty peels to shift this and to give you results. This can be achieved slowly with no peeling, but you would need a lot of treatments!
- If you choose less and you are prepared for a little down-time, then you will experience some peeling of the skin. This can be anywhere from 3 – 7 days in duration, depending on the type of peel.
Are skin peels painful?
No, skin peels these days are completely different to the TCA and Phenol peels of days gone by that were extremely painful. If you have a peel that is painful, you should be very worried.
You should experience heat, but not pain.
Are light therapy, skin needling or other treatments better than skin peels?
- Every treatment modality has its place (though IPL is being phased out as there have been so many permanent scarring's caused by this treatment).
- Skin peeling is a gentle, and often a cheaper alternative than the many machine based treatments available today.
- Machines- whether skin needling, lasers, microdermabrasion etc are expensive or have expensive disposable parts that increase the cost of your treatment.
- Some other modalities, such as LED treatments are actually very synergistic with skin peels and we would recommend them done as part of the same treatment.
If you have any skin concerns and would like to learn more about how skin peels can help your skin, call our friendly team for a consultation with one of experience Dermal Therapist and say hello to better looking skin !
Australian laws permit non-physicians to administer certain peel solutions, but regulate the strengths which they are permitted to apply. Beauticians may offer AHA or fruit acid peels, but may only use low and generally less effective strengths of AHA. Plastic Surgeons commonly use strengths up to 70%. Your surgeon and his staff currently offer a revolutionary type of AHA peel called Refinity. This very powerful 70% AHA peel causes little discomfort due to a proprietary strontium salt included in the formulation, which acts like a local anaesthetic. Other 70% AHA peels cause considerable pain, and many less concentrated peels are first required , slowly building up to the 70% strength.
Your skin will be cleansed to remove all trace of oil and then the AHA applied, a process that usually takes no more than 10 – 15 minutes. You will be given a moisturiser to use for the following 48 hours and you may need to alter your skin care programme in this time. Periodic treatments will be necessary until the desired effects are achieved. Typically, a course of 3 to 6 peels are employed.
A maintenance home programme of an AHA facial cleanser and moisturiser twice a day can help to keep your skin looking its best. Your surgeon may recommend the addition of Stieva-A or Cellex-C to your skin care regime to help reverse the effects of environmental damage, and prevent further damage . After several months of use of this skin care , your doctor will examine your skin to determine if your regimen needs adjustment. See Skin Care in the main menu for more information.
AHA peels are performed in the Sunshine Coast Plastic Surgery Centre.
No anesthesia is needed for AHA peels since they cause only a slight to moderate stinging sensation during application.
With an AHA peel, the temporary redness, flaking and dryness that you experience will not prevent you from working or engaging in your normal activities. A fresher and improved skin texture will result with continued AHA treatments. Remember, protecting your skin from the sun is also important following these mild acid peels. Ask your surgeon to recommend a sunblock with adequate UVA and UVB protection and use it everyday.
Improvements from AHA peels may be subtle at first. You may detect a healthier glow to your skin. With continued treatments, you will notice a general improvement in the texture of your skin.
It is very important that you find a plastic surgeon who has adequate training and experience in skin resurfacing, with all available modalities. your surgeon can offer you a choice of peel techniques or may suggest other resurfacing treatments such as dermabrasion or laser resurfacing to help you achieve your desired outcome.
During your initial consultation, it is important that you discuss your expectations. Don't hesitate to ask any questions or express any concerns that you may have.
your surgeon will explain the planned procedure in detail, including its risks and benefits, the recovery period and the costs. If you have a history of herpes (cold sores), inform him prior to the procedure. Remember, chemical peel treatments are usually not covered by medical insurance unless they are performed for medically related problems.
Initially,the skin is thoroughly cleansed to remove all trace of oils.Then the TCA solution is applied, this is left in place until the desired level of "frosting" has occured, the peel is then neutralised with water and a thick moisturiser applied. A full-face TCA peel usually takes no more than 30 minutes. Two or more TCA peels may be needed to obtain the desired result, and these may be spaced out over several months.
You will require time off work after TCA peel, a few days to a week is sufficient. If you are having your TCA peel in a hospital setting, you will need to arrange for someone to drive you home and help you out for a day or two.
TCA peels can be performed in an outpatient surgical centre, or in our rooms, depending upon the strength of the peel. Your surgeon may want you to stay overnight in a hospital if other cosmetic procedures are performed simultaneously.
TCA peels performed in our rooms at Sunshine Coast Plastic Surgery require no anaesthesia at all.
If a high strength TCA peel is required, your peel will be performed in an outpatient setting in a hospital. General anesthesia isn't required for TCA peels, however, sedation will be used during the procedure to relax you and keep you comfortable.
With a TCA peel, the moderate discomfort and mild swelling you may experience will subside within the first week. In about a week to ten days, your new skin will be apparent and you should be healed sufficiently to return to your normal activities. It is best to avoid sun exposure for some months, even if you are adequately protected. If you wish to use them, specialist camouflage cosmetic kits are available. Simply ask our friendly staff.
The results of a TCA peel are reasonably long lasting and your skin will be noticeably smoother and fresher-looking.


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6 Essential Canned Foods and Staples You Should Always Keep in Your Pantry
With these staples in your kitchen, you'll never have to worry about whipping up a last-minute meal.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Can't make it to the grocery store? Can't find much at the grocery store? Turn to canned foods! If the past few years have shown us anything, it's that it's important to have a well-stocked pantry that's filled with nonperishable foods you can turn to when you don't have fresh options available. So, take stock of your pantry – we're sharing staple canned foods that can help you make a nutritious, satisfying meal even when your fridge is pretty empty.
Keep your pantry stocked with long-lasting, shelf-stable canned foods that are as versatile as they are satisfying, and you'll always have healthy ingredients to cook with. The following seven canned foods give you the most bang for your buck, both nutritionally and in their versatility. Make sure to add them to your grocery list.
1. Canned tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are one of the ultimate pantry staples. They're a go-to ingredient whether you're whipping up a comforting soup or a saucy pasta, and they can be added into everything from chilis to sauces to casseroles.
This versatile canned fruit offers endless options. And, even more important, canned diced tomatoes are also impressively nutrient-rich. Popping open a can of tomatoes gives you lycopene, an antioxidant that's been linked to better heart health, as well as vitamin C, fiber, iron and potassium.
Of course, if you're stocking up, you might want to grab other varieties of canned tomatoes too. Diced tomatoes are our top pick – but you also can't go wrong with crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, or even tomato sauce. Just make sure you're opting for the most natural canned varieties you can find, with few to no additives, low sodium and no added sugars.
2. Canned beans
When it comes to versatility, it's pretty hard to top canned beans. From black beans to kidney beans, cannellini beans to navy beans, every kind of canned bean is protein-rich, nutrient-dense and able to be used in a variety of ways. You can turn a blend of different beans into a bean salad, add beans into chilis and soups, use them for a pop of protein in salads, pastas, quesadillas or bowls – there are so many options.
While the nutrients in each variety of bean differ somewhat, no matter which kind you choose you'll be getting fiber, plant-based protein, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals.
What about dried beans? These can also be a great pantry addition – but unlike canned beans, dried beans need to be soaked overnight before they can be used. So, in a pinch, canned is extra convenient and low-effort. Just make sure that as you're picking out your canned beans you're choosing products that are low in sodium and other potential additives.
While canned black beans are particularly nutritious and versatile, they aren't your only option. In fact, you can stock your pantry with an array of different kinds of canned beans to make sure you have options for every meal you might make.
3. Canned chickpeas
A subset of our canned beans call-out above, let's show some special love to canned chickpeas. With almost identical nutritional value as the non-canned variety, canned chickpeas are a serious workhorse in the kitchen. They can transform into just about anything, from a crispy flatbread to a crunchy, flavorful snack to a bowl of creamy hummus. But chickpeas can also become a salad topper, a filling ingredient in bowls and a delicious spread.
Along with their almost-endless versatility, canned chickpeas also offer some pretty solid nutritional value. Though they're plant-based, chickpeas can provide an awful lot of protein; they're also rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Plus, as an added bonus, the pairing of protein and fiber in these legumes helps to slow your digestion and keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time.
4. Coconut milk
Coconut milk might not be an ingredient you're reaching for every day, but it's a great nutrient-dense choice if you want to make sure you have healthy staples on hand. It's not just a luscious addition to smoothies or at-home ice creams. This rich and silky canned milk is a creamy, delicious ingredient you can use in everything from lattes to sauces to curries (and so much more!).
Plus, you can't overlook the perks of using coconut milk. It is high in calories, but it's packed with healthy fats. And this plant-based milk also offers fiber, vitamin C, folate and potassium. It's particularly great for getting your daily recommended amount of manganese – you'll get 110 percent of your RDI! This milk is also rich in iron, magnesium, selenium and copper.
5. Canned corn
Corn might have something of a bad reputation, but it's well worth adding to your pantry's shelves. Sure, it's a starchy vegetable and includes a lot of carbs (which can spike your blood sugar) – but it's really only high carbs when you're comparing corn to leafy green veggies. Corn actually packs some surprisingly great nutrients, like fiber and nutrients that can benefit your eye health.
And canned corn is super versatile. It's so easy to open up a can, drain the liquid and toss those bright yellow kernels onto salads and bowls. You can also use canned corn in soups, turn it into fritters or even add it to casseroles, tacos (like our Smoky Cauliflower Tacos) and quesadillas. If you're worried about excess sugar, just make sure you aren't adding corn to, well, everything.
5. Dried pasta and rice
Okay, we cheated a little here. Dried pasta, rice, and other grains like quinoa aren't technically canned foods. But these dry goods absolutely belong in your pantry. With a variety of grains on hand, you can use your canned foods and create an entire healthy meal without even opening your fridge.
With dried pasta in your pantry, you can easily boil noodles to create pasta dishes and casseroles. You can use it for dishes served hot or cold, too. And if you keep rice and whole grains like quinoa, farro, or bulgur on hand, you'll be able to accomplish even more. You can use them with canned veggies, fresh produce, a variety of different proteins and jarred sauces from your pantry. And they can feed you for every meal of the day.
Plus, these foods can last a very long time in storage. Rice and whole grains, when stashed in airtight containers, can last anywhere from six months to a year. Dry pasta, on a similar note, will stay fresh for up to two years.
Should you be worried about BPA in canned foods?
If you're a bit hesitant to stock up on canned foods because you've heard they can be packaged in containers that include toxic chemicals like BPA in their interior linings, you aren't alone. There's been plenty of news about finding BPA in canned goods – but it's actually pretty easy to find products that are BPA-free.
Since more consumers have become aware of BPA and its negative health effects, increasingly more food manufacturers have stopped using it. In fact, Packaging Digest reports that 90 percent of the canned foods that previously had BPA in their cans are now perfectly safe and BPA-free.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can check the labels on canned goods before buying them. Most will specifically state that they use BPA-free packaging. Not 100 percent certain if a particular canned food is BPA-free? Just find another that is clearly labeled!
What about expiration dates?
A fully-stocked pantry isn't just a huge help when you're reaching for items that'll help you pull together a last-minute dinner. When you can't get what you need from the grocery store or need a meal in a pinch, these shelf-stable goods really come in handy. And they're pretty great as "buy it and forget it" staples.
Typically, canned foods, grains and other non-perishable items will last you at least six months. Many will last up to one full years – or even two. Make it a habit to check the expiration dates on your canned foods twice a year, and you'll be able to catch anything you've forgotten to use before it goes bad.
RELATED: What Do Food Expiration Dates Really Mean? (And Is it OK to Eat Something After the 'Best By' Date?)
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Aug 26, 2020
While Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash And Scott Hall Change The Landscape Of Pro Wrestling In WCW With The Newly Formed nWo, Shawn Michaels Is Throwing Hissy Fits in The Ring With The Man Called Vader. Welcome To Our Review Of SummerSlam 1996
Over AF central hub! www.Overafpod.Com
Follow Over AF Wrestling Podcast on Twitter
Aug 9, 2020
It's the Summer of 1989 and the WWF showcases it's second annual SummerSlam event! Featuring The Ultimate Warrior taking on Rick Rude in a Wrestlemania Rematch for the intercontinental championship and The movie No Holds Barred comes to life when Randy Savage and Zeus team up to take on Brutus Beefcake and The...
Aug 3, 2020
The Landscape of TNA changes Forever When Kurt Angle is the First BIG NAME to jump from WWE to the competition and Sting Returns to the Top Of The Mountain when he takes on Jeff Jarrett For The NWA Heavyweight Championship.
Over AF central hub! www.Overafpod.Com
Follow Over AF Wrestling Podcast on Twitter


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Animation is used to play a role in telling the toughest part of the stories. For example, it is used to illustrate natural disasters, and crisis. BBC has produced an animated video footage to report how tsunamis happened. With the advance development of technology, the use of animation is now used more frequently in news industry. Animation takes on even more prominent role in news making process, while some media organizations start to produce the news videos using melodramatic animation.
These animated news videos feature character modelling, background music and sound effects. It unfolds the news event with the animated characters and detailed story plot. It raise the concern among the scholars and practitioners, since it may compromise the objectivity and credibility of the news. The unverified version of news is animated, although the practitioners argue that it helps to fill the gap of news stories that cannot shown by videos clips. The technology also engage the audience and attract their eyeballs.
The melodramatic animated news not only produced in Asian cities, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and India. It now has a global impact while some international media organizations also adopt these types of new videos to illustrate political events and crisis. Some news videos did go viral. For example, the videos of Tigerwood Martial affairs attracted large number of views globally. The inclusion of animation in news production is on the rise, it is important to explore the impact of this new presentation format on the audience and explores the appropriateness of using animation in news industry. Does animation facilitate the news story telling? Does the use of animation in news upset the journalistic principles? More discussion and study is needed among the media scholars and practitioners.


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The City of West Linn is working on a future design for Highway 43, and we'd like you to be involved! This is your chance to provide input on these innovative design ideas - developed to make Highway 43 into a comfortable connection for people walking, bicycling, riding transit, driving, and moving freight through the corridor. We need your input on where you'd like to see pedestrian crossings and transit stop locations and what you think of the potential designs.
This design work is an update to the Highway 43 Conceptual Design Plan, which was initially created in 2008. The update will build on the work done to develop the existing plan with refinements to take into account innovative designs and create a plan that we can implement.
The comment period is now concluded, and the project team is working to develop the plan update. You can still view the information on this page. Get started with the Objectives of Plan Update


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Simple recommendation system in Ruby
I'm looking for new job; so yesterday I went through my old Rails projects, trying to describe them for my updated CV. I found interesting old project where I wrote recommendation system. Nothing fancy, just simple tag based recommendation for blog articles. I decided to extract some of the code and blog about it.
Algorithm used for recommendation is based on Jaccard Index and is also known as the Jaccard similarity coefficient. Jaccard Index was invented by botany professor Paul Jaccard and is basically a number that represents similarity and diversity of sample sets.
How it works?
Take current item (blog post for example), and its properties that describe it the best (tags, categories or words). Then you take every other item and you calculate
division of
intersection and
union. Mathematical can this be represented with following equation.
Equation will give you number between 0 and 1. You can also easily calculate dissimilarity between items - represented with next equation.
Example implementation with Ruby
I'll be recommending books based on words in titles. So simple
Book class will do the job just fine.
class Book < Struct.new(:title)
# Array of unique words longer than 2 characters.
# Could also be array of tags or categories.
def words
@words ||= self.title.gsub(/[a-zA-Z]{3,}/).map(&:downcase).uniq.sort
BookRecommender class is initialized using current book and array of books. The method
recommendations will loop over array and set
jaccard_index for each item; then items will be sorted accordingly.
class BookRecommender
def initialize book, books
@book, @books = book, books
def recommendations
# Map jaccard_index to each item and sort array
@books.map! do |this_book|
# We can define jaccard_index getter in runtime as singleton...
this_book.define_singleton_method(:jaccard_index) do
# also setter
this_book.define_singleton_method("jaccard_index=") do |index|
@jaccard_index = index || 0.0
# Calculate intersection between sets
intersection = (@book.words & this_book.words).size
# ... and union
union = (@book.words | this_book.words).size
# Assign the division and rescue if division is not possible with 0
this_book.jaccard_index = (intersection.to_f / union.to_f) rescue 0.0
# Sort items
end.sort_by { |book| 1 - book.jaccard_index }
For demonstration purposes…
# ...
# Read data and define array of books
BOOKS = DATA.read.split("\n").map { |l| Book.new(l) }
# Define current book
current_book = Book.new("Ruby programming language")
# Do recommendation...
books = BookRecommender.new(current_book, BOOKS).recommendations
books.each do |book|
puts "#{book.title} (#{'%.2f' % book.jaccard_index})"
Finding the best language for the job
Could Ruby save the day
Python will rock your world
Is Ruby better than Python
Programming in Ruby is fun
Python to the moon
Programming languages of the future
Sample output for title "Ruby programming language" with Jaccard index visible on the right side.
Programming in Ruby is fun (0.50)
Programming languages of the future (0.17)
Is Ruby better than Python (0.17)
Could Ruby save the day (0.14)
Finding the best language for the job (0.12)
Python to the moon (0.00)
Python will rock your world (0.00)
This is purely Ruby based solution - source code can be found on my gist. I've also written PostgreSQL versions that uses tags. Please have in mind that if the sets are bigger the code will get slower; so don't do recommendations each time you "open" item. Define background service that will calculate recommendations in background!
Hope that you can use this in your projects and please - give me some feedback. Thanks! :)


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Clifton Horse Society
Come and Join the Fun!
Welcome to Clifton Horse Society! We love to create opportunities for camaraderie in the NOVA horse world! Whether we are sharing, learning, or meeting new friends, we love to have fun with our horses.
CHS at a Glance
The Clifton Horse Society (CHS) was established in 1977 to serve the needs of those interested in horses in Fairfax County and the surrounding communities. Our club membership consists of horse owners and non-horse owners, all of who want to see that horses continue to be a part of the future of this area of Virginia as they have been in the past. Our members participate in many different disciplines, using many different breeds.
Although founded in Clifton, CHS's membership has continued to grow over the years to reach a level of 300+ and includes people throughout Virginia, in other states, and overseas. Our club activities are recreational, social, educational, and service.
Sponsored clinics with equine professionals
Mounted Events throughout the Year
Social events that are fun for the whole family
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle."


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On "Today's Health," we take a look at how food and drugs mix — or don't mix. If you're taking antibiotics, cholesterol-lowering medications or basic pain relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, there certain foods you should avoid. Madelyn Fernstrom, a "Today" contributor, and director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh, was invited on the show to tell you what foods you should avoid, if you're taking medication. Here's her advice:
Basically, there are three ways foods interact with medicines:
- Interfering with how the medicine is digested and absorbed by the body. For example, milk blocks iron absorption in the stomach. Calcium found in dairy products can bind some medications, such as iron supplements and some antibiotics (Cipro and Levaquin, a quinolone.)
Other foods, containing higher levels of fat and fiber, slow down the rate at which your stomach empties and the rate at which your medication is absorbed by your body. So your dose is smaller than expected.
- Blocking how the medicine is broken down, or metabolized, in the either the intestines or liver. The body breaks down drugs and eliminates them in urine, which is why we take medications daily or several times a day. Grapefruit juice blocks enzymes in the intestines that break down certain drugs, such as cholesterol-lowering ones, heart medicines, and immunological drugs. (Grapefruit juice has also been shown to reduce activity of allergy medicines, like Allegra, so its effects are not consistent.) Since the body metabolizes less medicine, more circulates in the bloodstream, as much as two to three times as much, which greatly increases the likelihood of side effects.
- Mimicking the drug's action. Some foods, or drinks, exaggerate the drug's effect, so it's as if you were taking a higher dose. And there's a much greater likelihood of side effects. Alcohol, for instance, acts on the same brain circuits as sedatives. Caffeine boosts the effects asthma medications, which contain theophylline.
Here are some foods and beverages to avoid:
- Grapefruit juice: It affects some cholesterol-lowering agents, some heart medicines, some immune system drugs, and some allergy medicines, such as Allegra. Grapefruit juice blocks the action of enzymes in the intestines that metabolize many drugs. Not all citrus fruits contain this enzyme. Grapefruits, however, contain an active component (as of yet, it's not precisely known) that produces this effect. Grapefruit juice should be avoided during treatment with a number of heart medicines, including calcium channel blockers, such as felodipine (Plendil), nisoldipine (Sular), and nifedipine (Procardia.) Drugs acting on the immune system, like cyclosporine (Sandimmune and Neoral), are also affected by grapefruit juice. Many of the popular cholesterol-lowering agents (statins) have huge increases in activity when consumed with grapefruit juice. These include simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor).
- Vitamin K-rich foods: Deep green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, and red leaf lettuce, enhance the properties of blood thinners, such as Coumadin. Blood thinners prevent clots from forming, so foods rich in vitamin K, which promote blood clotting, counteract the medicine's effect.
- Dairy products: They affect iron supplements and some antibiotics. Calcium found in dairy products interferes with absorption of iron supplements and antibiotics like Cipro and quinolone (Levaquin), so you get less of the active compound circulating in your bloodstream.
- High fiber foods: They affect some antibiotics, such as penicillin. Since fiber slows the rate that the stomach empties, the rate of medication absorption is slowed as well, giving you a lower blood dose than expected.
- Red wine and hard cheese: They contain a compound called "tyramine" that acts the same way on brain neurons as the antidepressant class called monoamine inhibitors (Parnate.) So they increase the drug's effect.
- Alcohol: It affects antidepressants, antihistamines, sleeping pills, sedatives, and some antibiotics.
- Coffee and caffeinated drinks: Caffeine affects asthma medicines, anti-anxiety drugs.
What should you look for on labels? What should you ask your doctor? Or pharmacist?
- Make sure to read the label. Look for foods to avoid.
- Ask your doctor if you need to avoid any foods when taking your prescription. Make sure to ask if you just need to avoid the foods only when you take your dose, or if you have to avoid them while you're on the drug.
- Check with your pharmacist when picking up your prescription, if there are any interactions with foods or beverages.
- If you do not start feeling better, or feel worse, after starting your medicine, call your doctor. It might be related to particular foods or the way you are taking the medicine.
Dr. Fernstrom's Bottom Line:As a general rule, drink a lot of water when you take medicines help with digestion and absorption, and to minimize upsetting your stomach.
Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., CNS, is the founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Management Center. An associate professor of psychiatry, epidemiology, and surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Fernstrom is also a board-certified nutrition specialist from the American College of Nutrition.
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this column should not be construed as providing specific medical advice, but rather to offer readers information to better understand their lives and health. It is not intended to provide an alternative to professional treatment or to replace the services of a physician.


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My friend Leny Strobel witnessed spanish economists discussing "economic gains of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines" with historians from the University of the Philippines. The Filipino historians, descendants of the native people of the islands now called the Philippines, brought up the:
"psychic and epistemic violence of colonialism among Filipinos. What was supposed to be an academic dialogue about the economics of empire-building became a confrontation and call for an accounting and responsibility; it became an emotional exchange. At one point, historian Milagros Guerrero recounted the violence visited upon the natives and to the land itself. I remember her saying that the old growth trees were so huge that it would take half a dozen people holding hands around the trunk — these were felled to build galleons. She spoke of how the Babaylans were beheaded and fed to crocodiles because the friars were afraid of their powers.
The Spanish economists didn't expect that they would be called upon to respond to this accounting for a historical past that they are were not a part of. They are only economists and shouldn't be held responsible for what their ancestors did, they claimed. (Sounds familiar?) I remember the moderator trying to restore the dialogue to a strict academic discourse, but it was too late."
full story at Leny's blog post here: Kathang Pinay 2: Celebrating the Galleon Trade?
The galleon trade is being "celebrated" by Spanish economists. As Filipinos we need to remember that although much gold in those galleons were wrested away from colonized ancestors of the Americas and the Philippine islands… we still possess an Inner Gold that cannot be touched and that, for many of us, needs to be dug up, shaped, polished and made to shine.
This inner gold is a gift to ourselves and others we love and maybe even others we will never meet.
Exploring the baybayin and using it in our lives is just one way that we explore our Filipino identities and our deepest inner selves. The Baybayin is alive for many of us.
If you'd like to share how the baybayin is alive for you I'd love to hear from you and share here at this blog.
Mabuhay – be filled with Life, Light and Love


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If we had our choice, Sarah Lawrence would never be listed among the most expensive colleges in America. Since we are, though, and in the premier position with tuition, fees, room, and board set at $58,716 for 2011-2012, it's important that our colleagues in higher education – as well as the general public – understand exactly what goes into the price, why that investment yields an extraordinary liberal arts education that continues to offer dividends after graduation, and how we help deserving and qualified students attend, regardless of ability to pay.
One of the problems with "most expensive" lists of any kind is that they assume a uniformity of product or service. In fact, though, Sarah Lawrence differs from other institutions, even liberal arts colleges, in fundamental ways. For example, our faculty have twice the one-on-one contact time with individual students as faculty at other prestigious institutions, including liberal arts colleges.
That's partly because over 90 percent of all Sarah Lawrence classes are small seminars (with an average of 11 students) and every seminar includes a "conference" component in which each student designs an independent project and meets biweekly with the professor to confer on progress. This is essentially a tutorial in the Oxford-Cambridge tradition. Also in that tradition, we assign each student a don, a full-time faculty member who serves as his or her adviser, mentor, and intellectual guide. Donning is necessary because Sarah Lawrence students are accountable for designing their own education in a curriculum with concentrations instead of majors, so the don's expertise and individual knowledge of each student is consequently invaluable in helping chart the best possible academic course.
Like much at Sarah Lawrence, donning may be difficult to justify on a purely economic basis, as is our refusal to use graduate students as teaching assistants or our insistence on providing extensive written evaluations of each student in each course in addition to grades. But we maintain these standards because we believe the customized, "handcrafted" education we provide helps ensure that each student achieves his or her greatest potential. And like anything handcrafted, it is significantly more cost-intensive, and thus more costly, than what's produced on an assembly line.
That said, the college is particularly sensitive to the financial pressures facing families. Because of our high sticker price, we feel compelled to provide the most robust financial aid possible, which is why our average financial aid award is over $34,000. But providing that kind of financial support to students, especially in these economic times, comes at a cost. Our faculty, staff, and administrators are in the second year of a salary freeze; we have among the lowest staff-to-student ratios in the liberal arts sector; and we can't invest in our physical plant nearly as robustly as we'd like. Those are just some of the sacrifices we feel worthwhile to providing the best education possible and making it accessible via financial aid.
Ultimately, the most compelling response to the question of high cost is to focus instead on value. The key issue for us and our constituents is whether we're providing graduates with the skills and competencies critical to living productive lives and pursuing successful careers.
To some degree, all good colleges do that. But again, Sarah Lawrence goes beyond the traditional benchmark as a result of our process and pedagogy. Because there are no majors, students learn to plan and navigate their own paths, frequently including multiple disciplines that would be impossible elsewhere. As a result, they learn how to learn just about anything. Because writing pervades the curriculum – in virtually every class -- they reason and communicate in a compellingly mature manner. And because we don't offer vocational courses per se, they learn how to think like entrepreneurs and create their own jobs and careers, which is precisely what the world demands as traditional jobs and professions disappear or are outsourced.
Transformative is a word often used by our alumni to describe their educations, and it aptly describes the contributions of our better-known graduates, such as Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; MacArthur "genius" choreographer Meredith Monk; actors Julianna Margulies, Jane Alexander, and Jill Clayburgh; JJ Abrams, creator of Lost; broadcast journalist and author Barbara Walters; W. Ian Lipkin, physician-scientist whose team first identified the West Nile virus; and Brooke Anderson, Chief of Staff and Counselor for the National Security Agency.
The point, though, isn't the renown achieved by our alumni. It's that thousands of Sarah Lawrence grads have transformed themselves, their families, their workplaces, and their communities because of a truly unique educational experience.
And the fact that the model is costly? It means all of us need to find new and creative ways to generate revenue, reduce expenses, and ensure that future generations of deserving and qualified students can benefit from a Sarah Lawrence education. It's far too glib to quote the MasterCard "priceless" line, and a Sarah Lawrence education is by no means for everyone, but for the intellectually adventurous student who wants to explore learning as deeply as possible under the personal tutelage of a brilliant and caring faculty, I believe there's no finer education to be had anywhere. Without in any way minimizing the impact of our cost, we're worth every penny.


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What comes before Part B? Partayy that's what! Just like that joke flops, so too does this pod where Whitto attempts his good ol' cheeky humour with contrasting results. The one about Steve Smith decking a moose is pretty good. As for the others? We'll let you decide. But don't be the party pooper!
This week we treat you to an eyewitness account of Jos Buttler's barnstorming innings against the Aussies. If you didn't know already your host had the pleasure of bathing in the sunshine and eyeing up Buttler's bat. After all what a firm bat it was. Thanks to him, the boys in blue snuck over the line with just one wicket to spare. Jake Ball playing the innings of his life. With 1 not out. Whitto innuendos his way through the sticky situation.
Due to his inability to find other people funny, get ready for a particularly long Whitto moan. He claims to love a party. But we ain't so sure. Unless the party is attending funerals. Otherwise he appears to be the party pooper. Have a listen and see what you reckon about his plans to change the way cricket is viewed. Most noteworthy is some rubbish about banning booze. The Party pooper? Seems like it already.
There's some recounting of conversations heard at Old Trafford; if you've got kids cover their ears folks. Otherwise everything is fine and dandy. Hear who's defying death by limping to centuries, which Kent bowler may be on Maradona's magic dust and the incredible finish to a club match in High Wycombe. Yep. Why would you be so high and mighty over this? You'll love the pod.
In conclusion, why not waste thirteen minutes of your life and indulge us?
And if you even remotely disagree with anything, then tough luck.
Who's the party pooper now eh?


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Pixelbook brings you an ultimate Chrome OS experience but the Google OS does have its fair share of problems. One such problem is the lack of split screen multitasking. Well, Google plans to fix this soon.
In a Google+ post, well-known Chrome evangelist François Beaufort has shared the oh-so delightful news that the split-screen multitasking feature has made its way to the Chrome OS Dev Channel (version 64). The best part being that you can easily try it out right away by tinkering with experimental Chrome flags. Do note that your Pixelbook needs to be on the dev channel to have the split-screen flag. You can check out our article on how you can switch to the developer channel on your Chromebook.
To get the multitasking feature on your Pixelbook, enable the flag named "Split view in Tablet mode" by navigating to chrome://flags/#enable-tablet-splitview. It is that simple and may require you to restart your system to take effect.
Once the feature has been activated, tap on the "Overview" icon at the bottom right corner to view all of the currently open windows on your Pixelbook. You'll now be able to drag the active windows to either side of the display to see a highlighted area, as shown below, and snap them in place to use two windows simultaneously.
Currently, Google has limited the scope of the multi-tasking feature to only Chrome. You'll not be able to snap two Android apps side-by-side on your Pixelbook at the moment. Also, the active apps that don't support split-screen would display a message saying they cannot be snapped. The same will be the case if you try to snap any one of them to either side.
While we've been anticipating the launch of this much-needed feature for a very long time, the addition of the same to the developer channel means Google is almost ready to push it out for all Chrome OS users. This is a welcome addition for Chrome OS users but currently, no timeline for an official release of the feature has been disclosed. Are you excited to see Google release the split-screen feature on Chrome OS at last? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.


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Welcome to a two-part interview featuring DAAD Post-Doctoral Fellow Dmitri Blueschke, who leverages game theoretical models to understand state interactions in the confluence of economic and political interests. How does game theory modeling work? And what can it show us about U.S. tariff policies? Watch now to learn more!
Game Theory in IR: How Can We Model State Actors?
In this episode of "Four Minute Foreign Policy," FPI SAIS is pleased to introduce DAAD Post-Doctoral Fellow Dmitri Blueschke. In this first of two segments, join us in learning how Dr. Blueschke applies game theoretic models to understand international trade policy dynamics - including the United States's present approaches to trade with China and Europe.
How does game theory allow us to model cooperative and non-cooperative interactions? What are the key challenges to modeling state behavior, and how can we manage them? What does game theory tell us about the varieties of behavior, and what insight does it provide on real-world outcomes?
Stay tuned for the second segment - and remember to like, comment and subscribe on YouTube!
Game Theory in IR: Modeling U.S. Tariffs
In the second segment of his FPI SAIS "Four Minute Foreign Policy" interview, DAAD Post-Doctoral Fellow Dmitri Blueschke explores his game theoretic model of the Trump administration's tariffs on China.
What are the model's implications for short-term and long-term goals? How might we assess variations considering the EU and intermediate versus final goods? What do the findings suggest for addressing discontent?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments and be in touch to suggest what you want to hear about in future!


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Discover has eliminated Extended Product Warranty, Return Guarantee, Purchase Protection, Auto Rental Insurance and Flight Accident Insurance across their card products as of February 28, 2018. These are insurance benefits provided simply by being a cardmember and take effect when you use your Discover card for the associated transaction.
Depending on how you use your card, this could be significant or might not have any impact on you whatsoever. It's important to keep in mind that you likely have another credit card that provides similar types of protection.
Also, Discover has not eliminated Price Protection.
What Benefits Have Been Eliminated?
No changes have happened to the rewards/cash-back structure with Discover. All of the changes were related to ancillary card benefits that add value to the overall card offering. These benefits are complimentary and are insurance protections provided by Discover through a 3rd party. Here's the rundown:
- Extended Product Warranty – Covered qualifying purchases for an additional year when the manufacturer's warranty is 36 months or less (Other card options for Warranty Protection)
- Return Guarantee – Return your product even if a store will not accept your return within 90 days
- Purchase Protection – Short term insurance coverage protected damaged or stolen purchases up to $500 for 90 days after purchase (Other options for Purchase Protection)
- Auto Rental Insurance – Secondary CDW/LDW insurance on rental cars up to $25,000 (Best cards for Primary CDW/LDW rental coverage)
- Flight Accident Insurance – Purchase an airline ticket in full with your Discover card, receive reimbursement for the accidental death of you and your Covered Dependent(s) within one year of the flight accident, up to $500,000
Which Loss is Significant?
In the end, no single benefit loss is significant as you can receive these benefits, and sometimes better benefits (especially with auto rental insurance), from other card products. The significance here is that your Discover products will no longer have these benefits and you might opt to use a different card when completing a purchase.
Our Take
We definitely don't like losing benefits, but if Discover is eliminating the benefits they're likely doing it because their customers aren't getting the value that was hoped. If customers aren't leveraging card benefits, why would you continue to offer them? The flip side might be the associated cost for Discover has increased and they're trying to limit expenditure, but Discover has indicated that they're doing this as a matter of eliminating features that aren't being used.
Take a look through the cards you have and review our master post on guide to benefits to see what benefits you have that you may not have known about.
Source: Doctor of Credit & Ask Sebby
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.


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Cars, heating and meat-eating are the key climate problems in Finland, views Kai Mykkänen (NCP), the Minister of the Interior.
Mykkänen on Monday said Finland will have no choice but to introduce sweeping changes to address the problems following an updated estimate of the pace of global warming published earlier this month by experts at the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
"The research group concluded with high confidence that the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees for global warming [...] will be breached as soon as in 2030–2052," he wrote in a blog on Puheenvuoro.
"We are no longer talking about our grandchildren!"
"For example, we are close to witnessing hundreds of millions of people become climate refugees and how it will have an impact on the lives of a growing number of us," said Mykkänen.
Mykkänen estimated that the world must continue to invest in nuclear power and artificial ways to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Nordic region, however, is different in that electricity is not a problem as "90 per cent of it is produced in a carbon-dioxide-free way".
"Our challenges are eating, heating and transport," he listed.
"Whether Fennovoima builds a nuclear power plant in Hanhikivi or whether Finland increases its wind power capacity two- or threefold, on the other hand, will not be decisive for our climate efforts. The bigger climate questions for us are can we halve the amount of heat produced by burning fuels in the Helsinki region and will Finns switch to electric cars as soon as next decade rather than the 2030s," wrote Mykkänen.
He admitted that the upcoming prohibition on the use of coal for energy is a step in the right direction, but added that the special treatment of peat must be abolished and the carbon tax on heating fuels raised determinedly in the years to come.
Electrification, meanwhile, will be the solution in the transport sector. Mykkänen viewed that the tax system must be overhauled to ensure cars with non-combustion engines will be the more affordable option to consumers no later than 10 years from today.
"The car, vehicle and fuel taxes must be adjusted dramatically to accomplish this," he underscored.
Mykkänen also pointed out that there is no escaping the fact our diets must consist of less meat. One way to accomplish this, he envisioned, is to introduce a tax based on the estimated carbon footprints of foods.
"Should the government do something about our diets?" he asked. "The question is quite the taboo. But surely it is possible to ask why do we consider it natural to tax emissions from heating, electricity and transport but not from food? Would a food tax based on estimated carbon footprints be a fatal blow to Finnish livestock industry?"
"Not necessarily. I believe Finnish meat, milk and eggs would fare well in comparison to Brazilian alternatives in terms of the carbon footprint of the transport and production methods," he said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: Uusi Suomi


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Pursuant to the Medicines (Designated Prescriber – Dietitians) Regulations 2015 made under the Medicines Act 1981, the Dietitians Board of New Zealand ("Board") gives the following notice.
N o t i c e
1. Title and commencement—This notice is the Medicines (Designated Prescriber – Dietitians) Notice 2015 and comes into force 3 August 2015.
2. The purpose—The Schedule to this notice sets out the requirements that the Board has determined must be met by registered dietitians who wish to prescribe a specified prescription medicine. These requirements are imposed under Regulation 5 of the Medicines (Designated Prescriber – Dietitians) Regulations 2015.
A. Requirements for Prescribing (Regulation 6)
The Board requirements for education and training that Registered Dietitians must undertake before commencing prescribing are as follows:
- A Master of Dietetics degree (University of Otago) or Master of Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) degree (Massey University) or Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition and Dietetics degree (University of Auckland), conferred after January 2014; or
- for all other New Zealand registered dietitians, the successful completion of the Dietitians Board Prescriber Training Course – consisting of an online course and a face to face workshop with a summative assessment which demonstrates knowledge to safely prescribe specified prescription medicines and knowledge of the regulatory framework for prescribing.
B. Other training to be undertaken (Regulation 7)
Registered dietitians who prescribe must:
- be in an ongoing supervised prescribing relationship and advise the Board of their supervision arrangements; and
- include prescribing and prescribing related developments as part of their continuing professional development; and
- complete the Board's online Annual Prescriber Update on an annual basis.
C. Continuing Competency (Regulation 8)
Registered dietitians authorised to prescribe must provide to the Board each registration year, with their application for a practising certificate, evidence that they have maintained their prescribing competence through:
- Successful completion of the online Annual Prescriber Update;
- ongoing supervision of their prescribing practice by a registered prescriber; and
- undertake a practice review of their prescribing.
Dated at Wellington this 2nd day of July 2015.
SUE DOMANSKI, Registrar, Dietitians Board of New Zealand.
Note: This notice replaces the notice published in the New Zealand Gazette, 28 May 2015, Issue No. 58, Notice No. 2015-gs3117.


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im looking for someone to mix my project
My project is going to be very meaningful, and have much concept around it. I'm 15 years old and have been told I have a lot of potential by many engineers, artists, and producers, but I know I have a lot to prove. I'm planning on naming this project "Belittld Aspirations". It will basically be about the past year ive had making music and what I hope for in the future. It will describe the ups and downs, and risks and hopes I have as well.
I'd like to have the job done byNov 02, 2014
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