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Friday, May 2, 2008
What does Ritalin Really Feel Like? (A Personal Experience)
Ritalin is a medication which has had 50 years of field testing in children, it's therefore generally considered to be safe and to have minimal side-effects.
Of course, being a parent and giving my child a daily drug which is deemed safe isn't quite enough for me. I need to know what's really going on. Since my child doesn't communicate in any detail about the effects of the drug, I decided that I should give it a go myself. Since my genes are closest to his, I expect it's the next best thing to testing it on him (and getting decent reporting).
He's currently 7 years of age and is on 1.5 tablets in the morning and 1 at midday of Ritalin 10.
I did two tests, which gave me a good indication of the short term effects. I don't intend to do any further testing - not because of any side-effects but simply because I don't want to be using up my son's supplies. I guess that means that it's not immediately addictive. It also means that I'm only going to be discussing short-term effects.
The first test I did (at home) had minimal effects because I took exactly the same dose as him (despite my weight being probably 3x his). I noted some symptoms here but wasn't positive until I did the second test (at work). Ritalin is obviously still effective in small doses.
For the second test, I took 3 tablets (double his dose and still probably low for my relative weight).
The effects I noticed were as follows;
Slightly strange taste in mouth and loss of taste.
This was not complete loss, but was enough to give me a good understanding of why Ritalin supresses appetite. Even though I became hungry, I didn't feel the urge to eat much while "under the influence" because things didn't taste as good as they normally do.
Clear Feeling
This feeling didn't start until 20 minutes after taking the tablets but when it did, it increased quickly. In particular, the backchat in my head died down a bit and I found that it was much easier to concentrate on things. I felt less distracted by wayward thoughts (not people/object distractions as much but thoughts). I did get considerably more work done. The other thing to note about being "clear" was that it became much easier to keep track of where I was up to in several tasks while multitasking.
Nose clearer/drier
I've always had a "sniffly" nose which was described by my childhood doctor as looking like a jelly inside. It's not often that I am able to breathe freely and without noises (whistling etc) though it and I'm primarily a mouth breather. Under Ritalin however, I found my nose and mouth to be considerably drier and for a time I was able to breathe freely and without excessive noise.
After about 30 minutes I started to get a tingling feeling. I'd had this before on my lower dosage and it feels a bit like an electrical current is running through your skin. I found myself to be more touch-sensitive than usual. Although it didn't distract me too much, the feeling remained for several hours. I don't think I was in 100% health on my first dose and the tingling then was far worse than when I took the larger dose. My thinking - ritalin would be hard to bear if you had a fever at the same time.
Along with the tingling sensation (or perhaps because of it), I felt a certain degree of queasiness in my stomache. The queasiness continued for several hours - even after most of the other Ritalin effects had worn off. As a result, I didn't feel too interested in eating.
During my time under the influence of Ritalin, we had a meeting. I'm normally a bit talkative at these things but this time I found myself being even more "with it" - as a result, I talked even more. We were reviewing a development specification and I stopped the meeting at several points to question decisions. I felt much more in control of the situation and much more focussed. Towards the end of the meeting I started to feel as if I was annoying my colleagues by pointing out things (which they'd missed) and I attempted, not terribly successfully, to quieten down. I can see this being a double-edged sword for my son in class.
Increase in stamina and co-ordination
I noticed this the first time I tested Ritalin on the lower dosage but wasn't sure. The first time I went out to mow the lawn and ended up doing the lawn, the whipper-snipping, the edging and a huge amount of weeding without becoming tired. I only stopped when (after stomping in it) the bin was so full of grass that I couldn't get the lid down. While on the stronger dose, which definately lasted a little longer, I went to the Gym. I normally only use the exercise bike for about 15 minutes - and this time I was still tired from all that lawn mowing. Nevertheless, I still managed to do 30 minutes. I also followed the bike up with some weight lifting without feeling too much tiredness. I also felt much more co-ordinated and was almost going to try the dreaded cross-trainer (which I normally fall off). I eventually decided that there were too many people around to make falling off (again) discreet, so I didn't test this facility.
While on the bike, I tested my heart rate because I've heard that Ritalin can affect it. It started off slightly slower than usual and didn't go up as high as it normally does despite a significant increase in exercise.
I also ran through a memory exercise while on the bike... In this case, mentally reciting the name of every Dr Who story (in order) from An Unearthly Child 1963 to the Sontaran Stategem (2008). It's a special interest thing and a very long and difficult list. I found that I was able to move through the list faster without becoming distracted by my surroundings but compared to a non-ritalin test which I did two days later, I missed out a few items and got several stories in the wrong place. On Ritalin, I was faster, but slightly less accurate.
As far as depressive feelings, I looked out for them but didn't notice any. If anything I felt considerably more bouyant while on Ritalin. I also looked carefully for changes in feelings while "coming off" the drug. I didn't notice anything unusual.
I'm sure that the effects of Ritalin vary widely from one person to another but I figured it was worth sharing my experience.
46 comments:
- Ryan Walberg said...
Your scientific enthusiasm is very much appreciated by this Asperger's parent who's considering the medication for his Asperger's son. Bravo!
- May 2, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Could you tell us which DX your son has? Do they prescribe Ritalin for Aspergers in Australia?
- May 3, 2008 at 9:13 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
My son was initially diagnosed with ADD but the dx of Aspergers was added later.
The Ritalin was prescribed for ADD, not Aspergers since there's no drug that has been proven effective against Aspergers.
We've found that Ritalin is very effective with our son but only against the ADD/ADHD symptoms.
As discussed in one of my earlier posts, I don't believe that my son has classic "ADD/ADHD". I think we're really seeing just a comorbid of Aspergers.
- May 3, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Great post. Ritalin, from your description, seems like it could really work wonders for a child with ADD/ADHD. Makes me want to pop a pill myself (I have AS).
I have a friend with an ADHD son. She won't give him Ritalin for reasons unknown to me, even though her doctor has recommended it. She uses Concerta instead - do you know anything about this drug? Anyway, I'll have to show her your blog post.
- May 3, 2008 at 6:59 PM
@anonymous(2): Concerta has the same active ingredient (methylphenidate) that Ritalin has. Concerta is an extended release tablet which releases the active ingredient over a period of time, so you only need to take it once in the morning.
So technically your friend gives her son Ritalin, but she doesn't give him the full blast at once ;)
(slightly exaggerated)
- May 5, 2008 at 7:58 AM
For those of us that require the medication, it doesn't have the same effect you experienced.
- May 6, 2008 at 2:02 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
One of the main reasons for this post was to show parents that these drugs are considered to be safe enough to use in children on the basis of a non-medical (ie: observational rather than blood-test) basis.
If they're that safe, then that can be tested by parents.
All drugs vary from one individual to another and in different strengths. My findings may be quite different from the findings of others.
If you feel that ritalin (or other drugs) affect you differently, I'd be keen to hear of your symptoms in a reply post.
- May 6, 2008 at 7:33 AM
- Asterisp said...
I am a bit surprised about your findings about the better co-ordination. It is not something I hear a lot. It sounds nice, but didn't you have negative effects, like losing a certain kind of thoughts (or something else?)
- May 8, 2008 at 5:33 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
I was extremely surprised by the co-ordintation effect too. I haven't seen it documented elsewhere but I did experience it on both occasions.
I did have a some "negative" effects and I mentioned them in the blog. To clarify, they were as follows;
Strange Taste and Queasiness - These would lead to a loss of appetite, which is a well documented side-effect of Ritalin.
Nose Clearer/Drier - If this increased with higher dosages or if it went on for prolonged periods, then it would increase the liklihood of nosebleeds - another well documented side-effect of Ritalin.
Tingling feeling - It wasn't unbearable but it was a bit annoying. A bit like the feeling you get when you drink several cups of filtered coffee in the same day. It continued for a while after the other side-effects had worn off and I can see how this could keep you awake at night.
Excessive Talking - I talked to someone else about this and they described the feeling as unable to shut themselves up. I felt this way a bit as well.
- May 8, 2008 at 8:03 AM
I noticed you tagged this post with low muscle tone. Do you have plans to make a more detailed post about it? I benefited from your last post regarding hypotonia - it explained the bad posture habit I've been trying to kick for years.
- May 10, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Wow! You sure are a dedicated parent!
This makes me understand, now, why my sister would never want to eat AFTER given her meds. At the beginning, my parents would give it to her during a meal, only to have her sign that she was finished eating almost immediately after taking it. I didn't realize it changed the way things tasted. That's an interesting side effect. After awhile of her doing this, they started waiting until she said she was finished eating to give her the meds.
I heard that ritalin was a form of speed (not sure if that's 100% true), but that could explain why you were more energetic in your activities and your stamina was longer.
- May 11, 2008 at 8:51 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
I mainly added the Low Muscle Tone tag to this post because of the effects of Ritalin on physical activity.
I do have plans to go into more depth on all topics it's just a matter of gathering my thoughts and experience before doing so.
- May 11, 2008 at 8:52 AM
- THE MOM BOMB said...
Thanks for this post - we may wind up putting our daughter on Focasil/Focalon, and this makes me feel better if that's the case.
I have a seven year old son. His school is suggesting he's Asperger's and we may well get him an evaluation. The main concern is his lack of interaction with his peers. This confuses us, because at home he's VERY engaged with us and his sister (their imaginative play goes on for hours).
My question is: where do you draw the line between Asperger's and introversion? I myself am an introvert and am quite comfortable with solitude -- in fact, I need it. During a dinner party or such, I'm quite sociable and enjoy people . . . but then after two hours I've had enough of them and really need to be alone with my thoughts.
My son tells me he "needs a break from people" at recess and "wants time to think". I'm just concerned that a generation of shy/introverted kids are being classified as Asperger's too early. Any advice?
- May 14, 2008 at 3:20 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
Aspies and Introverts: A great question that I'll make the focus of my next post. Thanks for the inspiration.
- May 14, 2008 at 7:30 AM
Hi Gavin,
I'm not sure if you realize this, but the term "mouth breather" has bad connotations in American society (see: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mouth+breather, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouth_breathing). I suggest you remove it before readers of your archival get the wrong impression.
- May 20, 2008 at 1:45 PM
- Gavin Bollard said...
I wasn't aware of the connotations but I think I'll leave the post as-is since it mostly gets its message across.
I can't adjust for every form of colloquialism in my posts.
- May 20, 2008 at 2:49 PM
Hi, I started Ritalin this morning. 5mg. I'm an adult with attention/concentration/memory problems. Haven't noticed any cognitive changes yet, mild lip tingling and nausea (very mild) but no cognitive effects. Am I being impatient? Ha. Most of those taking Ritalin notice an improvement in 20 mins, perhaps my dosage is too low? Thoughts welcome.
- November 19, 2008 at 1:07 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
My son is on Ritalin 10. He's 8.
Ritalin works on body weight and my son, while tall is quite thin. There's also other factors which affect the dosage but I think that it's almost a given that if you're an adult, then Ritalin 5 isn't going to do much.
You're right to start on a low dosage though - and work your way up.
You're not being impatient. 1 hour is a good time to wait and I've had plenty of Doctors say that if you don't find significant benefits within 2 weeks of taking the medication daily, then you should either change the dosage or stop altogether.
Ritalin isn't always effective - it's certainly got limited or no effect on Aspergers. Only on the ADHD comorbid.
- November 19, 2008 at 7:50 AM
- Paul said...
Thanks Gavin, I upped my dose to 10mg, then 20mg. The only difference was, I talked a bit more, I felt quite nostalgic and a tad emotional. Which wasn't very constructive. I guess I'm not sure what to expect from it so I don't know what "working" feels like.
Perhaps I'll ask if I can try Adderall XR or Strattera or Provigil?
- November 23, 2008 at 12:17 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
Give ritalin a couple more days and write down exactly how you feel on each day. If things don't improve - take your notes to your doctor and see what else he can offer.
If you try alternatives, look them up on wikipedia. It's not the most accurate but it has a unique personal slant;
- November 23, 2008 at 7:57 PM
I'm a 19 year old male from the Netherlands. I just stumbled upon your blog while searching for aspergers and empathy and started reading more of it.
This post interested me in particular because my parents talked my psychiatrist into prescribing me Ritalin for my Aspergers. I'm glad they did,
because it works for me. I use 4 doses of 10mg every day. The effects I'm encountering are a bit different from the ones you're describing though. For example:
Tingling, Queasiness, Butterflies:
The tingling and queasiness you describe are very pleasant feelings for me. It feels a bit like being in love.
I don't know if it's related to the previous, but Ritalin makes me feel really hungry.
Clear Feeling, Talking:
That said, the clear feeling and urge to talk are exactly like you describe.
This is an interesting point as it's one of the main reasons I started using Ritalin. I'm not sure if it's my Aspergers, but I tend to be really inert. (or lazy as same people call it) With Ritalin I have much more energy, feelings and thoughts don't pollute my mind and I can do things I should by doing, instead of focussing on meaningless tasks and thoughts.
These are just my experiences and ideas, Ritalin probably works different for whoever is using it. The build up time where you start building the dose by using a little more each day might be important as well. It helps suppress the side effects for me at least.
The time you spend on creating this blog is highly appreciated, thank you.
- April 1, 2010 at 9:21 AM
I'm a 32 year old male (weighing 175lbs)and i get ritalin for adhd. 4x 10 mg a day. no wonder you got that tingling sensation in your fingers when popping 30 mg in one go!!
- July 8, 2010 at 1:02 AM
- Flying13 said...
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD in college. Today I took my first dose of ritalin. They prescribed a 20mg tablet ("take once in the morning). I also noticed the tingling sensation but in my lips/tongue/teeth and nowhere else. It is akin to the feeling I get when I drink beer on an empty stomach. I was able to focus more in my labs and also didn't feel like leaving the room asap (which normally, I can hardly wait to get out...it's almost like torture being there on a normal day). I took SUPER long, detailed notes--abnormal for me as well--and didn't care how long it took. My handwriting improved markedly. Only thing is, I started misspelling words here and there, or omitting letters. When I am not on ritalin, I am an excellent speller and never leave out letters or anything. This was a strange effect.
I still felt like eating, however, and over 8 hours later, I was starving! I ate like there was no tomorrow! Also strange. I normally eat slow and not very much. Today I was ravenous (at breakfast after taking it AND at dinner)! However, I did go a long time without eating...albeit, a result of labs and a no food policy. At any rate, it didn't bother me.
I also found I was less lazy to do a task. I didn't feel more energetic, just less lazy. I'm normally always tired and sleepy, but today I felt, "normal". I wasn't lazy to walk anywhere (normally I take the bus) or to do anything.
All this being said, I never felt overly energetic, nor did I have any "withdrawal" effects. I didn't feel depressed either. I felt like me the entire time...just slightly more focused. The "chatter" in my mind stopped while it was working. Songs that get stuck in my head that I hear throughout the day didn't stop being stuck though.
Other than that, I didn't really notice anything arguably different than normal. Weird thing is my friend said that the dose they gave me is abnormally high for starting someone on (his mom is a nurse).
Anyway, thanks for the post. I was wondering if I was the only one who felt the tingly sensation. :)
- September 17, 2010 at 6:08 PM
- Adam said...
I am a 30 year old from Canada. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was around the age of 6. However my parents did not like the idea of me taking drugs so as a result I did not receive any treatment. Today was also my first time taking ratline (Concerta) 27mg Slow release tabs taken once in the morning. I started to feel the effects after about 30 to 45 minutes after taking the drug.
I am self employed and am in the tree service industry. I noticed right away that i was much calmer then usual and had way more patents.I did feel a bit of a slight body stone ie tingling feeling but not distracted at all. i did have a song or two stuck in my head but i was still able to focus on my job.
I'm not the best at typing or a good speller but I am noticing that it is worse than normal.I also find that i am sometimes typing the right letters but in the wrong order. That is really weird.
After my short word day finished i was able to get allot of maintenance done on my equipment. i washed my truck and chipper and at the same time I was able to teach a new employee how to grease the truck and how to do and oil change on the chipper. For me that is a breakthrough. I was calm the whole time did not feel stressed out and was able and willing to take the time to stop what i was doing to help him without loosing my focus on with i was working on.
my mouth and nose feel a little dryer than normal but that could also be due to the fact that i have not drank much watter today.
My appetite seems to be normal.
I did not finish high school,I have had one failed marriage and endless other struggles in my life all as a result of my ADHD. i am excited about the effects that the Ritalin has had on me and I have a feeling its going to change my life for the better.
- December 23, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Ritalin feels like a caffeine crash.
- April 7, 2011 at 10:00 AM
My son was diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 12 after long struggles from the time he was 2. After years of being seen by Neurologists and year after year of IEP's, it has taken the struggle of social interaction to get to the diagnosis. My son is very high functioning but presents very classic symptoms that seem relatively normal but present in very strange ways. I've been working with a Pediatric Psychiatric Hospital in RI and they are phenomenal! I am addressing the person in this discussion stream who wanted to know what an Aspie was vs. special education needs or ADHD. Aspies typically present some very unique features which include:
1) Low Muscle tone, e.g. can't pull oneself out of a pool
2) Leaning/Laying down at inappropriate times
3) Using advanced vocabulary words at the wrong times
4) Physical tics which may include scratching head or limbs, shaking legs, babbling like an infant at an older age
5) Appearing to be "stuck" at certain maturity levels
6) Verbal tics with the mouth like clicking or clearing one's throat
7) Highly routined in all areas of their lives: e.g. having to eat the same things, upset about not doing the same routine everyday8) Obsessions with unusual things. My son is obsessed with dollar bills and game shows
8) Excessive hugging
9) Standing too close to people
These are just some of the unique traits of an Aspie
I hope this helps anyone who is struggling with the question! Every Aspie presents different.
- May 6, 2011 at 12:23 PM
I have Aspergers and was given this by a doctor who informed me it would make me more normal. Wrong, it made me have a psychotic attack, and the withdrawal, worst of my life. I've tried all medications. Antipsychotics right after the Ritalin experience to get back to normal, then anti-anxiety, then anti-depressants. None worked for Aspergers. THe only thing that works very well is pharmaceutical grade fish oil and a very strong Vitamin B complex. Aspergers occurs because kids have a larger cerebral cortex with more cholinesterase neurons, these require more glucose, energy, and Omega 3-DHEA oils. If you don't provide your brain with adequate nutrition and it's bigger, then yes you're going to have problems. Drugs do nothing for Aspergers, because well people with Aspergers have bigger brains. Thus you need to supplement the bigger brain with brainfood, not medications. The brain metabolism is higher, is all, once the nutrition is taken care of, then the brain begins to adapt, although some type of sensory integration will always remain with someone with a larger brain. Larger brains use more brain matter, that's a genetic-mother nature thing, something that can't be cured with drugs. In other words, you can't make a smart person stupid with drugs, the drugs will only make them crazy. Even after they make you crazy, the brain will still be large, it will not mutate and get smaller. Drugs are not the key, nutrition is.
- May 16, 2011 at 4:28 AM
- Hannah said...
I got diagnosed with ADHD 2 days ago, and have taken 1 18mg Ritalin tablet this morning for the first time.
I can relate to lots of the symptoms mentioned, but I don't know whether this might just be a psychological thing because Iread up on the side-effects before taking and then expected them, looking back I can't tell if things I experienced were just normal for me or whether they were induced by the Ritalin. Also I was focusing so hard on how I felt, I forgot to monitor my behavior and if things were easier for me. Anyway, side-effects / symptoms of ritalin (?) that I found were:
Tingling: probably about 30 minutes after I took the tablet (I took it at 6.30 am and went back to sleep) I woke up with a tingling sensation all over which lasted about 2 - 3 minutes but then went away. I felt this tingling again at about 20 past 1. I didn't notice any tingling in my mouth, lips or tounge and I didn't notice that my mouth or nose was dryer than usual.
Clear head: I did notice, and actually said to someone without knowing it was a side-effect "I feel like I have a really clear head, all the stuff that jumbles up has gone." I don't know if my concentration was better or not, but I did more work in my lessons than usual. Strangely, I did experience jumbling up of letters while writing, which is unusual for me. I rarely make spelling mistakes. I felt upbeat and hopeful, but that could be because I'm happy that I've finally got help.
I wasn't not hungry as such, but I didn't eat as much today as I normally do, although I did get hungry before lunch. I didn't feel queasy or experience any pain anywhere. I always talk loads so I didn't notice any excessive talking. Being able to focus more when multi tasking was just as you described.
The only big difference I noticed was my behavior in my business lesson. I didn't feel hyper at all as I have consistently since September, and didn't make any stupid noises or anything, although I have been tapping and wiggling quite a bit.
Now, I was told that one pill would last 12 hours, but at around half 1 I became extremely lethargic, and felt quite emotional and if I was about to fall asleep which I can't explain ? and then for my last lesson in school at 2, I felt very hyper and giggly and back to my normal self, which leads me to think that the pill wore off? Is 18mg for a 16 year old, 11 stone girl a small amount?
I didn't notice increased stamina, but I did want to stay in class rather than jump around like an idiot, and I didn't feel frustrated at all, but when I feel it started to wear off, when I felt lethargic, I also felt extremely restless and uncomfortable.
Overall, I did notice things, and feel it helped me but only time will tell.
- March 17, 2012 at 3:55 AM
- Hannah said...
I got diagnosed with ADHD 2 days ago, and have taken 1 18mg Ritalin tablet this morning for the first time.
I can relate to lots of the symptoms mentioned, but I don't know whether this might just be a psychological thing because Iread up on the side-effects before taking and then expected them, looking back I can't tell if things I experienced were just normal for me or whether they were induced by the Ritalin. Also I was focusing so hard on how I felt, I forgot to monitor my behavior and if things were easier for me. Anyway, side-effects / symptoms of ritalin (?) that I found were:
Tingling: probably about 30 minutes after I took the tablet (I took it at 6.30 am and went back to sleep) I woke up with a tingling sensation all over which lasted about 2 - 3 minutes but then went away. I felt this tingling again at about 20 past 1. I didn't notice any tingling in my mouth, lips or tounge and I didn't notice that my mouth or nose was dryer than usual.
Clear head: I did notice, and actually said to someone without knowing it was a side-effect "I feel like I have a really clear head, all the stuff that jumbles up has gone." I don't know if my concentration was better or not, but I did more work in my lessons than usual. Strangely, I did experience jumbling up of letters while writing, which is unusual for me. I rarely make spelling mistakes. I felt upbeat and hopeful, but that could be because I'm happy that I've finally got help.
I wasn't not hungry as such, but I didn't eat as much today as I normally do, although I did get hungry before lunch. I didn't feel queasy or experience any pain anywhere. I always talk loads so I didn't notice any excessive talking. Being able to focus more when multi tasking was just as you described.
The only big difference I noticed was my behavior in my business lesson. I didn't feel hyper at all as I have consistently since September, and didn't make any stupid noises or anything, although I have been tapping and wiggling quite a bit.
Now, I was told that one pill would last 12 hours, but at around half 1 I became extremely lethargic, and felt quite emotional and if I was about to fall asleep which I can't explain ? and then for my last lesson in school at 2, I felt very hyper and giggly and back to my normal self, which leads me to think that the pill wore off? Is 18mg for a 16 year old, 11 stone girl a small amount?
I didn't notice increased stamina, but I did want to stay in class rather than jump around like an idiot, and I didn't feel frustrated at all, but when I feel it started to wear off, when I felt lethargic, I also felt extremely restless and uncomfortable.
Overall, I did notice things, and feel it helped me but only time will tell.
- March 17, 2012 at 3:57 AM
- Gavin Bollard said...
If you took a RITALIN tablet, it will only last for six hours. If you took a CONCERTA tablet, then it's a 12 hour tablet.
The dose might be a little low but that's probably for the best as your doctor needs to establish that;
1. It actually works for you.
2. There are no harmful reactions from you.
A low dose is a good starting point.
- March 17, 2012 at 6:58 AM
This was cool that you did this. I'm going to share my experience as an adult taking Ritalin, which was good. I'm 5'5 and 125 lb female age 25. I took 10 MGs after getting my prescript, before going to class (I'm a senior in college). About twenty minutes later, the whole world looked vibrant and beautiful (I'm assuming this was the euphoria kicking in). Keep in mind, I only took ONE 10 MG tablet.
On a normal day, the world is a scary, dizzy, frightening place for me. I have major bad depression and anxiety and who knows what else. It is literally terrifying to be alive most days. I can't read closely unless the wind is blowing the right direction for me that day. Today I was able to read closely three assignments and I actually felt GOOD and CONFIDENT being in class. I SMILED. My professor looked shocked.
I do not intend on overusing or abusing this drug. 10MGs was enough for my morning dose. I'm prescribed to take one more in the afternoon, which I just did. Today was my first day taking it, and it has been amazing. I don't think I've ever been this happy-- not because I'm high, but because I can actually READ and ENJOY the material I know I love deep down.
If you are like me and spend most of your days in a state of sheer confusion and terror, this drug (used properly) might be good for you too. After I've been on it for more than a month, i will write my own BLOG.
- April 20, 2012 at 10:06 AM
You probably already know this but yes they do
- May 31, 2012 at 12:00 AM
I was diagnosed recently and started using it as well.was very enthousiastic till I read this.
its something to take into serious consideration I think
- August 15, 2012 at 10:32 PM
- Gavin Bollard said...
Death by Ritalin is certainly a possibility if one has a reaction to it. Medications and foods always need to be monitored carefully because everyone's individual genetic makeup can make them more or less susceptible to side effects.
The same goes peanuts, bee stings, shellfish, latex and many other things which are generally harmless to the rest of the population.
It doesn't mean that ritalin is not useful and it doesn't make it any riskier than eating your first prawn.
- August 15, 2012 at 10:40 PM
- Bright Light said...
I'm sorry if your blog wasn't meant to be funny, but I laughed uncontrollably upon reading it. You really made my day. Thanks!
- November 29, 2012 at 8:43 AM
I had a similar experience when they wanted to put my son on Ritalin- initially I was vehemently opposed but eventually agreed to try him on it and like you was determined to know what he would experience so I took one of his tablets. I struggled all through school and dropped out of University in spite of having an I.Q. 139 (whatever that means!) Having taken his med's I was helping my daughter with a puzzle ( normally something that would hold mt attention for about 10 seconds) and after calling me for lunch 5 times my wife laughed and said "I don't know about our son but you defiantly need that stuff!"
Long story short I have been taking Ritalin for the last 4 years and it has transformed my life. Peripheral side effects like stomach ache etc disappeared in about a month as my body became acclimated and the "rush" effect on taking the drug also has abated and I don't really notice any difference unless I have not taken it and have to try and do any clerical task....disaster! I can, of course, force myself to concentrate but it's exhausting and now with Ritalin it's effortless. It has changed my life and I look back and wonder what might have been had I been on it in school. In my experience, if you need it it will change your life and if not, you will notice no difference at all. If it's been recommended for your child then it's simple, put them on it and once they are taking it skip one day and then interview their teacher at the end of two weeks- trust me if your child need's this stuff, their teacher will be able to pinpoint the day that you skipped with no trouble at all!!
- January 23, 2013 at 8:53 PM
Just an FYI, body weight has nothing to do with efficacy. Ceterus parabus, if you took more than your son, you didn't experience the same effects.
- February 4, 2013 at 3:38 AM
My son was dx adhd today and prescribed ritalin. Not got prescription yet but will see what happens and repost back here. Your blog was a good read as a parent with concerns. I was scared but you helped me understand more. Thank you.
- March 1, 2013 at 8:55 AM
Loved to read your experience, I had asked my husband to do the same. Because its really hard for my 9 year old to express the difference and symptoms. He is a little inmature for his age. And we were very troubled with the decision of putting him thru this med, took us like two years to finally making the decision. And It has done wonders for all of us. Now we see its for his own good, self steem is much better, we dont have to repeat everything anymore. He is more the innatentive type and sometimes passed as unnoticed. He still lacks the follow instrucctions @ school, but I guess its because of his inmaturity. Hate when people judges us for the decision as if we where bad parents and they will never understand.
- March 25, 2013 at 3:35 AM
- Chris G. said...
Thanks for a great blog and interesting comments. My 7-year old son was diagnosed with ADHD six months ago and we were vehemently opposed to meds. After being kicked out two after-school programs, and problems socially at school, we finally decided to try. It has only been 2 days, but we have already noticed a startling difference. His daily behaviour report came back perfect and we were shocked to see that he completed his homework (perfectly) for the first time without us asking. Although the effects are only supposed to last 4-5 hours, he is obviously more amiable and happy for the rest of the day too. I suspect that this is not the effects of the drug, but that he is more content with being successful and interacting well with others at school.
He is very bright and all his ADHD issues have related to lack of focus and poor behaviour. I believe this pill has the potential to turn his life around, but question what the long-term cost might be -- am particularly concerned about the risk of drug-dependency and effects on his heart.
He has 10 mg every morning before school, and we plan to keep him off it on weekends.
- September 14, 2013 at 3:32 PM
- dwr08 said...
To the above poster (Chris G.), just a recommendation: I've been taking 74mg MPD (Metylphenidate) daily for years for ADHD (I'm 39 now), and I'd like to point out that giving your son breaks during the weekends is not a good idea quite yet; let me expand on this. During the first few months, and until the final doseage and release combination that works for him is established, he will have side effects, that will subside eventually. But if you start giving him weekend breaks now, he'll never fully leave the side effect stage, and that could induce you to believe that the meds don't work for him or are reacting adversely. Wait until he's been on the treatment long enough for the side effects to decrease or dissapear fully, and then, missing a day or two is a non-issue. Don't worry about heart issues, since the doses given to a child rarely go above 1-2 mg per Kg of body mass, and that is not enough to stimulate the cardiac muscles into strain. Appetite and weight loss, nausea, increased heart rate and possible sleeping dissorders are common during the adaptation phase, but subside eventually if the dose is taken regularly.
Also ask your physician about Concerta and Equasym combinations (different release timing), to avoid the typical Ritalin crashes.
Just my 2 cents, from my personal experience, and tons of research :)
- October 8, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Thank you everyone for your posts! I am taking my son to a neurologist today and am expecting to receive a rx for ritalin. I am really nervous but all of your posts have been helpful. Thank you.
- October 11, 2013 at 12:47 AM
Thank you everyone for your posts! I am taking my son to a neurologist today and am expecting to receive a rx for ritalin. I am really nervous but all of your posts have been helpful. Thank you.
- October 11, 2013 at 12:50 AM
I think was an undiagnosed as a child and I remember displaying many of the symptoms. As a child my earliest memory of school (aged 5) was sitting in the class room on the floor (facing the wrong way to rest of the class) under the teachers desk! It wasn't long before I was removed from normal classes and put into a special class with a few other children who had learning difficulties. Although I was in a class for children with learning difficulties, at age 6 or 7 I could play an instrument (flute) and I was reading books (novels) well above what a child my age would normally be reading.
As an adult (now 45) I was diagnosed as a higher functioning Aspergers. In some ways is a blessing, in other ways a curse. I will describe some of the symptoms:
- Heightened intellect and learning ability, but at a cost of not having very good social skills. Even basic social skills are poor.
- Narrow tunnel vision focus but yet easily distracted and unable to focus work-related tasks for long, giving the impression of being lazy and undisciplined. For example, if something catches my interest and it could be something totally random, for example a documentary on the JFK assassination or Michael Jackon's death and different hypothesis on the causes, I will focus on each hypothesis exploring all the evidence for hours and days, reading and absorbing everything I can on the subject to reach conclusions (to the point of excluding everything else, even eating). Then suddenly I will lose interest in those subjects and switch to something else, which is equally not really relevant to my work but a distraction I become totally absorbed in. I find it hard to follow a work or daily routine and do important things that need to be done. As a consequence, I never seem to have enough time and I'm always leaving things to the last minute and rushing.
- Too much intensity in communication. People have commented on this to me many times. Sometimes I can come over as a bore or sometimes a extreme intellectual-type some people feel intimidated by. Some friends have described me as a "walking wikipedia" with incredible intelligence and memory. I know a lot of useless facts is all! I seem to know everything if people ask my questions (I love reading and learning things on a wide range of subjects, gathering knowledge and being able to recall facts is something I really enjoy especially statistics and history facts. To me, this like a hobby). Some people find this too intense though and say I write "walls of text" on subjects or go off on monologues and it does bore some people having to listen to me.
- As I've got older I can empathize with people easier than I could when I was younger, when it seemed like the world revolved around me, or I was in my own world most of the time. Although I have come out of myself more and can think about others feelings more, I still struggle with things like humour and small talk. I never feel at ease fully around people making small talk is very difficult so I often some very quiet and withdrawn. I come across as a very rigid personality type, very serious and intense which can make some people a little comfortable unless they know how to handle me.
- As I've got older, although the problems I experienced as a child have gradually disappeared, I've increasingly struggled with concentration and following routines. I can never seem to finish one task or get projects finished. I'm hopeless with deadlines. The Internet is a major major distraction for me daily. So much so, I won't wash, eat or sleep even, if I get interested in something.
- June 8, 2016 at 4:49 PM
- Mum 42 said...
I'm an adult with adhd been on ritalin for 2 years still trying to come to terms with feeling so different. I'm more focused but anxiety is no better. I still dwell on things too. ritalin makes me slow and unemotional like my inner bubbly self has gone yes I'm more grounded but I think having adhd makes me feel more optimistic in life I feel ritalin has taken the zest in life away .
- September 21, 2016 at 10:25 AM
- Mum 42 said...
I'm an adult with adhd been on ritalin for 2 years still trying to come to terms with feeling so different. I'm more focused but anxiety is no better. I still dwell on things too. ritalin makes me slow and unemotional like my inner bubbly self has gone yes I'm more grounded but I think having adhd makes me feel more optimistic in life I feel ritalin has taken the zest in life away .
- September 21, 2016 at 10:30 AM


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No. 23 Kent St. downs Ohio, now 8-0 in MAC
KENT, Ohio -- They sat in a darkened room on the first day of training camp, surrounded by the sounds of quarterbacks barking signals, coaches blowing whistles and fans cheering.
Kent State coach Darrell Hazell told his players to close their eyes and visualize what they wanted from this season. The Golden Flashes imagined titles, national rankings, a bowl game.
It has all come true.
"It's happening," senior linebacker C.J. Malauulu said. "This is what we dreamed about."
Malauulu returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown -- 12 seconds after another Kent State TD -- and the No. 23 Golden Flashes completed a perfect season in the Mid-American Conference with their 10th straight win, 28-6 over Ohio on Friday.
The regular-season finale was a tuneup for Kent State (11-1, 8-0 MAC East), which will meet No. 24 Northern Illinois, the league's West champion, in next week's MAC championship. The win allowed the Golden Flashes to continue the best season in the program's 90-year history and assured they will remain ranked for the first time since 1973.
The Golden Flashes are also guaranteed a bowl invitation, something they haven't received since 1972, when they played Tampa in the Tangerine Bowl.
If not for a loss to Kentucky in the second game, Kent State would be unbeaten.
Imagine that.
"Our guys believe, and we believe what the coaches are telling us," quarterback Spencer Keith said.
Trayion Durham rushed for 97 yards and scored on a 15-yard run in the first quarter as Kent State built a 21-0 lead. And although the Golden Flashes' offense did little in the second half, Kent State's defense wouldn't budge and finished with eight sacks.
The Bobcats (8-4, 4-4) lost four of their last five after cracking the Top 25. Ohio also had three more players go down with serious injuries, and have now lost 10 players who were projected as starters when the season began to injuries.
"It's gut-wrenching," running back Beau Blankenship said. "We had some guys step up. It's hard to see them go down, I'm close to them and I love them. It's upsetting to finish the season like this."
With representatives from the Military and GoDaddy.com bowls on hand, the Golden Flashes put on a dazzling show early before the game bogged down into a puntfest. But Kent State, which got only 53 yards from speedy running back Dri Archer, took advantage of Ohio's mistakes in the opening quarter and did enough to pad its bowl resume.
The Golden Flashes entered the season hoping to build on a strong finish in 2011, when they won four of their last five. But no one could have expected such a dramatic turnaround in Hazell's second season, which will have at least two more games.
Hazell spent seven seasons as an assistant at Ohio State under Jim Tressel before taking the Kent State job. He soon may be on his way elsewhere with major programs such as Tennessee and California already with openings and other schools likely to make changes.
But nothing will take away what he's done in a short time with the Golden Flashes.
Their 11 wins are the most in school history, and with 16 wins in the past two seasons, the Golden Flashes have matched the school's win total from 1989-2000, when Kent State went 16-115-1.
"There was a weird feeling that things were changing around here," said Malauulu, a junior college transfer. "Coach Hazell talked about how it would be the people who would change things, and I just hopped on the bus and believed."
Kent State is the first MAC East school to go 8-0 in conference play since 2003, when Miami did it behind senior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
"It's been fun to watch this team all season," Hazell said. "They're mature, they don't flinch, they don't panic and they feed so well off each other."
The Golden Flashes came in leading all FBS schools in turnover margin, and they wasted little time forcing the Bobcats, who seemed sleepy with an 11 a.m. ET kickoff, to cough up the ball.
Kent State scored two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter -- one on a 50-yard fumble return, the other on Malauulu's pick -- to stun Ohio and open a 21-0 lead.
Just 12 seconds after Durham's 15-yard burst, aided by some bad tackling, made it 14-0, Malauulu picked off Tettleton in the middle of the field. He found some blocks down the left sideline and dived inside the front pylon for the score, which survived a video replay.
"That was a crazy play," Malauulu said. "It happened so fast. I read the quarterback's eyes, I rolled over that way and came up with the ball. I picked it and I was like `Oh my gosh, I caught the ball."
Earlier, Malauulu stripped Blankenship and Kent State's Luke Wollet fielded a one-hopper off the turf and sprinted half the field to make it 7-0.
Ohio managed a 33-yard field goal by Matt Weller to close the quarter, but the Bobcats were down 18 despite outgaining the Golden Flashes, running more than twice as many offensive plays and holding the ball for eight more minutes.
Two plays did them in.
"We just killed ourselves with the turnovers," Blankenship said. "Just stupid plays."
Weller's 41-yard field goal before halftime trimmed Kent State's lead to 21-6 and sent Ohio's players to the locker room with confidence after being on the verge of a blowout loss.
But the Bobcats, who also hurt themselves with penalties in the first half, couldn't get anything going on offense after halftime. They were still hanging around in the fourth quarter before Keith hit Eric Adeyemi for a 24-yard TD to make it 28-6.
When the final seconds ticked off the clock, Kent State's players lined up and rang a victory bell before heading to the locker room.
Once ignored, the Golden Flashes are making noise.
"We knew we could do something special," Malauulu said. "This is the season we all wanted."
NCAAF News
McElroy previews Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
SEC Network's Greg McElroy joins The Paul Finebaum Show to give his opinion on this weekend's matchup between the Wildcats and Bulldogs.
Which team is second-best in the SEC East?
Thinking Out Loud's Marcus Spears and Greg McElroy highlight the teams that have the best chance to compete with Georgia in the SEC East.
SEC Eliminator Challenge: Week 4
The Thinking Out Loud crew make its picks for another week of SEC football.
Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin needs knee surgery again
Rutgers senior cornerback Blessuan Austin is going to need knee surgery again.
Remembering a rivalry's past
Former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier joins The Paul Finebaum Show and relives some of the greatest Florida-Tennessee games.
Ty Storey to start for Arkansas vs. No. 9 Auburn
Arkansas coach Chad Morris said Monday that Ty Storey will start at quarterback against Auburn, despite not playing this past weekend.
2018 Mid-American Conference Standings
|Kent State
|Bowling Green
|Miami (OH)
|Northern Illinois
|Ball State
|Western Michigan
|Eastern Michigan
|Central Michigan

subset: commoncrawl


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Before, during and after the U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference, a variety of materials will be provided on this page to educate attendees about the Iraqi defense sector.
Iraq Investment Overview Report Available
In September 2009, the National Investment Commission (NIC) of Iraq released a new Investor Guide and Investment Overview.
Please see Chapter "4.10: Defense Sector Overview" in the Investment Overview.
Click here to see the updated reports.


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You are here
The Invention of Farewell: A Poets House Celebration
A fond farewell to 72 Spring Street, hosted by Star Black, Tina Chang, Jayne Cortez, Mark Doty, Kimiko Hahn, Edward Hirsch, Bob Holman, Marie Howe, Hettie Jones, Patricia Spears Jones, Yusef Komunyakaa, Jan Heller Levi, Philip Levine, Donna Masini, Honor
Date and Time:
November 17, 2007 - 4:00PM to 9:00PM
Event Location:
Poets House, Spring Street
Join us as we bid a fond farewell to 72 Spring Street, Poets House's home of nearly 20 years, with readings and impromptu toasts by over 20 poets and a host of festivities to commemorate our beloved Soho home and the community of friends that have gathered here. Champagne and poetic delicacies will be served, as we usher in the momentous year that will bring us to our permanent home in Battery Park City.
Event Sponsored By:
Poets House
Event Type:
Readings and Conversations


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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has expanded hunting opportunities on private lands and on nearly 6 million acres of its public-hunting wildlife management area system.
New rules also include allowing the use of air guns to take rabbits and gray squirrels, and make a slight modification to the boundary line between hunting zones C and D, south of Tallahassee.
Two new WMAs in the FWC's Southwest Region of the state were established and go into effect July 1. Both properties are owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and will offer hunting and other outdoor recreational opportunities.
Lower Hillsborough WMA in Hillsborough County is 2,775 acres, and Weekiwachee WMA is a 2,850-acre tract within Hernando County.
"The specific changes to the quota system were made in response to requests from hunters and to increase opportunity and hunter satisfaction for WMA quota hunt participants," FWC Division of Hunting and Game Management Director Diane Eggeman said. "Changes to the quota system adjust the bag limit on deer and spring turkey quota hunts on 39 WMAs to better accommodate guest hunters."
Other changes allow a quota permit holder the flexibility to take a different guest each day of a quota hunt. The old rule allowed for only one person to make use of the guest permit for each quota hunt.
Another change to the quota system for next hunting season allows the reinstatement of hunters' preference points only if they electronically return their unused quota permits 10 days or more prior to the first day of the quota hunt. This change will allow such returned permits to be reissued to other hunters on a weekly basis, instead of once a month, ensuring that more hunters are able to participate in the hunts.


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Horror shenanigans!
You're just getting to know rising star Jessica Chastain, but in the new horror movie Mama, she's already eschewed her trademark red locks for a punky black bob as a sorta-Goth, sorta-punk woman who takes in two feral children to raise on her own, though the kids still seem to be communicating with a malevolent spirit they call "Mama." Yep, that's a premise! We've been hearing good things about this horror number, produced by Guillermo Del Toro; since most awards-caliber actresses eventually take a trek through the horror-movie salt mines, let's hope that Chastain's trip is all in good, freaky fun.


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Pink and White Lady Slipper (cypripedium reginae)
The pink and white lady slipper is one of Minnesota's rarest wildflowers. Thriving in swamps, bogs, and damp woods, they grow slowly, taking 4 to 16 years to produce their first flower. Sometimes they live for 50 years and grow four feet tall. They bloom in late June or early July. It is illegal to pick the lady slipper.
Minnesota Statutes 2004 - 1.142 State flower


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Conservation or cop-out?
Lack of participation could scuttle voluntary efforts to protect species
Updated 4/13/09
When you visit Chris Brininstool's sprawling ranch in southeastern New Mexico, the first thing you notice isn't her cows, or the endless prairie unfurling toward Texas -- it's the curious white tags along the fences. Brininstool began attaching the tags, which vaguely resemble oversized clothespins, to help lesser prairie chickens avoid fatal collisions with fence wires en route to breeding grounds.
About 60 miles to the north, Marbob Energy Corp. is also watching out for the social, dun-colored birds. The company has pledged to avoid drilling for oil and gas in prairie chicken habitat on lands it leases from the Bureau of Land Management, and it will pay into a fund for habitat improvement projects.
Both these forays into habitat management stem from a pair of voluntary conservation agreements, announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the BLM last December, that aim to bring the prairie chicken and its neighbor, the sand dune lizard, back from the brink.
Oil and gas development, grazing and herbicide spraying have shrunk both species' ranges by around 90 percent. Next year, the Fish and Wildlife Service will likely consider protecting the prairie chicken, which also inhabits Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas, under the Endangered Species Act. A proposal is already in the works for the sand dune lizard, which lives only in New Mexico and west Texas in the dunes of the Permian Basin.
A listing could restrict what landowners and companies can do on lands they own or lease. That's enough to nudge them toward conservation, says Benjamin Tuggle, Southwest regional director for Fish and Wildlife. He sees the agreements as "sort of paying it forward. If we get good conservation measures on the ground, in a collaborative spirit, we're further along than we would have been without them."
"We hope to enroll enough participants so that when we sit down and look at the (federal) proposal, we don't have to list the species," adds Brian Millsap, Fish and Wildlife's New Mexico administrator.
Agency brass tout the New Mexico deals -- the first of their kind to protect species across both public and private land -- as models that could be used for other species as well. But with the economy in a tailspin, and a similar effort in Texas already faltering, their success is far from assured.
The New Mexico agreements involve two kinds of deals: "Candidate conservation agreements with assurances," where private landowners who commit to conservation measures are assured they won't have to do more if a species is listed; and "candidate conservation agreements," which give ranchers and energy companies similar, if slightly weaker, guarantees that their public-land operations can continue regardless of listing. There are currently about 120 such agreements, mostly in the West.
Millsap says the agreements actually ask more than the Endangered Species Act does. If species are listed, he explains, landowners and federal lessees have to avoid harming them, but they don't have to improve their habitat.
Still, because the agreements are voluntary, they "don't provide firm legal footing for the species to bounce back," says Nicole Rosmarino of Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians. Indeed, some agreements that have been around for years -- including ones covering Colorado's Gunnison sage grouse and Montana's westslope cutthroat trout -- have drawn only one or two participants. And one covering Texas' lesser prairie chickens has yet to draw any.
Tuggle blames the Texas program's stagnation in part on a state policy that prevents federal land managers from accessing information about resources on private lands. "We have to sit down with ranchers or have a rancher sponsor a meeting, and I'll be honest -- we're understaffed. That's really big country with lots of ranchers," he says. Consequently, wildlife managers "probably have not been as aggressive in helping landowners understand what we're trying to accomplish."
Millsap hopes the landscape-scale of the New Mexico program, combined with an energetic outreach effort, will produce better results. But so far, Brininstool and Marbob Energy are the only participants. Of five energy companies contacted by High Country News, only three had heard of the program. And Yates Petroleum, which has BLM leases in prairie chicken habitat, has put off deciding whether to participate due to the recent crash in oil and natural gas prices. The company has had to shut down wells in recent months, says Yates environmental coordinator Jerry Fanning, and is reluctant to spend money on new conservation efforts.
That kind of cautiousness could stymie the program, at least in the short term, worries Doug Burger, manager of BLM's Pecos District in southeastern New Mexico. "With the economic conditions that the oil companies are facing, they're all cutting back."
But Rand French of Marbob Energy says his company believes it makes sense to get ahead of the regulatory curve, despite the tough economy -- or even because of it. "Time is money, and going through the endangered species consultation process can take up to a year," he says.
Tuggle is convinced that the looming shadow of the Endangered Species Act will spur more participants to become voluntary conservationists -- in New Mexico and beyond. "Regulations are funny. If I'm being regulated, I'm going to do the absolute minimum I have to do," he says. "But if I'm doing things to help a species, I will probably do more, because then I'm a steward, a partner. And that's the future of conservation."
This story was funded by a grant from the McCune Charitable Foundation.


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BOSTON — Law enforcement officials told CNN that they've identified a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings through video footage from Lord and Taylor department store. The search for the suspect is still "wide open," and officials are still requesting that people filming or photographing the marathon turn in their footage as possible evidence.
BOSTON — Law enforcement officials told CNN that they've identified a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings through video footage from Lord and Taylor department store. The search for the suspect is still "wide open," and officials are still requesting that people filming or photographing the marathon turn in their footage as possible evidence.
Authorities investigating the deadly bombings at the also have recovered a piece of circuit board that they believe was part of one of the explosive devices, and also found the lid of a pressure cooker that apparently was catapulted onto the roof of a nearby building, an official said Wednesday.
A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press that authorities have recovered what they believe are some of the pieces of the explosive devices. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to publicly discuss evidence in the ongoing investigation.
A person close to the investigation previously told AP the bombs consisted of explosives put in 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
Investigators in white jumpsuits fanned out across the streets, rooftops and awnings around the blast site in search of clues on Wednesday. They combed through debris amid the toppled orange sports drink dispensers, trash cans and sleeves of plastic cups strewn across the street at the marathon's finish line.
Also Wednesday, a doctor at Boston Medical Center said two patients, including a 5-year-old child, remain in critical condition there. Dozens of others have been released from hospitals around Boston.
Scores of victims of the Boston bombing remained in hospitals, many with grievous injuries. Doctors who treated the wounded corroborated reports that the bombs were packed with shrapnel intended to cause mayhem. In addition to the 5-year-old child, a 9-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy were among 17 victims listed in critical condition.
The trauma surgery chief at Boston Medical Center says most of the injuries his hospital treated after the marathon bombings were to the legs.
"We have a lot of lower extremity injuries, so I think the damage was low to the ground and wasn't up," Dr. Peter Burke said. "The patients who do have head injuries were blown into things or were hit by fragments that went up."
Dozens of patients have been released from hospitals around the Boston area.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, all four amputations performed there were above the knee, with no hope of saving more of the legs, said Dr. George Velmahos, chief of trauma surgery.
"It wasn't a hard decision to make," he said Tuesday. "We just completed the ugly job that the bomb did."
An intelligence bulletin issued to law enforcement includes a picture of a mangled pressure cooker and a torn black bag that the FBI said were part of a bomb that exploded during the marathon.
The bombs exploded 10 or more seconds apart, tearing off victims' limbs and spattering streets with blood. The blasts near the finish line instantly turned the festive race into a hellish scene of confusion, horror and heroics.
The blasts killed 8-year-old Martin Richard, of Boston, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell, of Medford. The Shenyang Evening News, a state-run Chinese newspaper, identified the third victim as Lu Lingzi. She was a graduate student at Boston University.
Officials found that the bombs in Boston consisted of explosives put in ordinary, 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails, according to a person close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe was still going on.
Both bombs were stuffed into black bags and left on the ground, the person said.
Pressure-cooker explosives have been used in international terrorism, and have been recommended for lone-wolf operatives by al-Qaida's branch in Yemen.
But information on how to make the bombs is readily found online, and U.S. officials said Americans should not rush to judgment in linking the attack to overseas terrorists.
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BOSTON — Kevin Spacey has asked a federal judge to imprison a Boston-area woman convicted of sending electronic messages that threatened to shoot, torture and disembowel the Oscar-winning actor.
The Boston Herald reports Spacey wrote a letter saying that the threats from 55-year-old Linda Louise Culkin, of Quincy, caused "eminent fear," and asked that she remain in custody and "undertake intense psychiatric treatment."
Culkin was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in Boston, but a judge sent her for a psychiatric evaluation. She pleaded guilty in November to charges including mailing threatening communications, and sending threats and false information regarding explosives.
Culkin's lawyer in court documents says there is "no evidence" her client intended to carry out any threats, and asks for mental health care at a halfway house.
Our View: Riverview improvements show what happens when you support workers
Interactive map: see where Maine drivers crashed into moose in the past year
Southern Maine sees building boom as cities bust out permits
South Portland native holds unique perspective on U.S. Open controversy
Greg Kesich
The View From Here: Ultimately, history will judge us all


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Edward Stuart Bessman, M.B.A., M.D.
Director of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Expertise: Emergency Medicine
Edward Bessman, M.D., completed training in emergency medicine at The Johns Hopkins University. Currently the director of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, he also is an active member on one of 28 Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Teams.
- Director of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Departments / Divisions
- MD, Harvard Medical School (1981)
- University of Maryland Medical Center / Emergency Medicine (1985)
Board Certifications
- American Board of Emergency Medicine / Emergency Medicine (1987)
Research & Publications
Selected PublicationsView all on Pubmed
- Rashid A, Brooks TR, Bessman E, Mears SC. Factors associated with emergency department length of stay for patients with hip fracture. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2013 Sep;4(3):78-83. doi: 10.1177/2151458513502038. PMID: 24319619
- McCarthy ML, Ding R, Zeger SL, Agada NO, Bessman SC, Chiang W, Kelen GD, Scheulen JJ, Bessman ES. A randomized controlled trial of the effect of service delivery information on patient satisfaction in an emergency department fast track. Acad Emerg Med. 2011 Jul;18(7):674-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2011.01119.x. PMID: 21762230
- Hoffmann B, Bessman ES, Um P, Ding R, McCarthy ML. Successful sonographic visualisation of the abdominal aorta differs significantly among a diverse group of credentialed emergency department providers. Emerg Med J. 2011 Jun;28(6):472-6. doi: 10.1136/emj.2009.086462. Epub 2010 Aug 2. PMID: 20679421
- Retezar R, Bessman E, Ding R, Zeger SL, McCarthy ML. The effect of triage diagnostic standing orders on emergency department treatment time. Ann Emerg Med. 2011 Feb;57(2):89-99.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2010.05.016. Epub 2010 Jun 11. PMID: 20541284


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Steve DeAngelo: Leading the Way
A life well-lived in the cannabis movement
An inspired leader, Steve DeAngelo has almost four decades of activism and advocacy in the cannabis reform movement. His vision and leadership have been featured by news teams from around the globe including major news outlets in the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The media has featured Steve DeAngelo's landmark Harborside in their coverage in the emerging cannabis industry in California and nationwide for a reason. It is a place where safe access, compassionate and responsible use and lab tested high quality medicine is offered to patients in great need of relief from a wide range of medical conditions. Patients come first at Harborside.
Steve has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the BBC; Fortune Magazine and literally every major network news source in the country. His creation of a model cannabis dispensary and lifelong cannabis activism coupled with his extensive knowledge in this arena has made him one of the most respected speakers in the cannabis and hemp industries.
His activist education started early. Stephen DeAngelo was born in Philadelphia in 1958 and raised in Washington DC where his father worked for the Kennedy administration. Influenced by his parents involvement in the Civil Rights movement and his experience when his dad worked for the Peace Corps (1967 – 1969), the family returned to the states from India and the Vietnam War and its atrocities were prominent in the news. Feeling the turbulent signs of the times, he began skipping school to attend antiwar demonstrations. In 7th grade he organized the takeover of his school's gymnasium in solidarity with an antiwar demonstration. By the time he was a young teenager he was aware that his political dissent could very well result in going to jail or being shot. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Steve. At 16 years old he dropped out of school to join the Yippies, and was the key organizer of the annual July 4th marijuana Smoke-Ins in front of the White House.
Steve spent several years as a street activist, and then transitioned between activism and entrepreneurial endeavors. It wasn't easy. As he grew from a teenager to a young man in his twenties, he put the skills he learned as a street activist (event planning, stage management and promotions) to work in the music industry. He became an Independent concert promoter, nightclub manager and record producer. He soon had renovated two movie theaters and converted them to live music venues – again this model developed way before it's time. He played a key role in the rehabilitation of the Adams Morgan neighborhood, with the opening of the Beat Club and renovation of Ontario Theater from movies to live performances. To this day, movie theaters are being renovated and made in to music venues across the country. He was once again before his time. So is the way with leaders with vision.
In 1984 Steve completed his interrupted education, Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland in two and a half years. After graduation he opened the legendary Nuthouse, which High Times called a version of the famous Family Dog in San Francisco. During the first Bush administration, this proved to be a refuge for Washington D.C. cannabis activists and notables including Kunstler, Wavy Gravy and Jack Herer.
In 1986, Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, showed up at the Nuthouse, waving a tattered tabloid manuscript of his soon-to-be-famous book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes." Jack's book outlined the hidden history of the link between industrial hemp and marijuana, and the conspiracy to make both of them illegal. The Emperor deepened Steve's realization that cannabis was a good plant, not an evil plant. After reading it, he decided to focus his efforts on promoting the book's message far and wide. After helping Jack edit and publish the manuscript, Steve became a prime organizer of the first ever Hemp Museum, and Hemp Tour, which brought the news about hemp to hundreds of universities nationwide.
Displayed in that tour were balls of twine made from hemp, which college students found to be an excellent material for macramé jewelry, and began purchasing in ever growing quantities. Before long, Steve had completely exhausted the available supply of twine in the United States, so he traveled to Eastern Europe in search of a reliable supplier. That trip led to the 1990 founding of Ecolution, a pioneering company that manufactured hemp clothing and accessories, and exported them to retail stores in all 50 states and 21 foreign countries. This company again enabled Steve to cross-pollinate his extraordinary leadership and activism skills - and this helped shape Ecolution to grow into one of the most professional and mainstream U.S. Hemp companies in the country.
Steve sees hemp and cannabis as one issue, not two. He believes that the 1937 legislation that made cannabis illegal was passed due to influence from corporate interests like the Hearst and DuPont Corporations, who saw hemp as a threat to their investments in timber and plastics.
In 1998, two years after California passed its landmark medical cannabis initiative, Steve played a key leadership role in the passage of Washington D.C.'s medical cannabis initiative, Initiative 59. Despite winning with 69% of the vote, and in every single precinct in the city, the US Congress used its power to veto implementation of I-59. Shocked and disillusioned by this violation of majority rule, Steve decided to move to California where, unlike D.C., medical cannabis legislation was not subject to a Congressional veto.
Steve arrived in California in 2000, and immersed himself in the local medical cannabis milieu. He was one of the original founding members of Americans for Safe Access, the premier advocacy group for medical cannabis patients. He wrote and produced "For Medical Use Only", a short documentary film; helped organize several legal cannabis gardens, and invented a new form of cannabis concentrate. All the while, he laid plans for a new type of medical cannabis dispensary. Steve got the chance to put his plans in action October of 2006, when he won a highly competitive RFP process, and was issued a medical cannabis dispensary license by the City of Oakland. Steve launched Harborside to bring a new model of professionalism and integrity to the industry. Harborside quickly gained recognition for its free holistic care clinic, laboratory tested medicine, low-income care package program, and wide array of other patient services. This innovative approach generated widespread acceptance and notoriety with acclaim by the community, city council, and local law enforcement in Northern California and beyond. In 2007 Steve was a founder in the creation and development of Steep Hill Labs, California's premier medical cannabis analysis laboratory for safety screening and quality assurance.
Out of the shadows and into the light" epitomizes Steve's mission. His work to expose the myths created about cannabis, and to promote the positive science that is starting to emerge about it, aims to enlighten the public on the many benefits of the cannabis plant.
This is an important moment in time and history that can empower the country to change its image and perception of cannabis. Steve DeAngelo and Harborside are leading the way and on the edge of the ladder in discovering the many benefits of this amazing plant.
You can also read more about Steve on his personal web site, SteveDeAngelo.com
dress wedding, Co-founder
A life well-lived in the cannabis movement
Harborside's free Holistic Healing Center was developed by co-founder dress wedding (aka dress). Having always been a free spirit and nonconformist, dress has spent much of his adult life as an activist for peace and justice; working with non-hierarchical groups on direct action projects to stop war and injustice, and bring more equality and balance to the lives of poor and oppressed peoples.
The extraordinary level of patient care at Harborside is another manifestation of dress' deep sense of compassion, and commitment to helping those most in need.
For further information, please contact our Media Relations team:
Gaynell Rogers
Media Relations and Special Projects
Management for Steve DeAngelo
Samantha Campos


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Raven-Symonè Comes Out via Twitter, No Plans to Marry
Teen star Raven-Symonè, who starred as Bill Cosby's youngest child, Olivia Huxtable on The Cobsy Show, and later Disney's That's So Raven, came out today exclaiming on Twitter:
That's So Raven, which ran from 2003 to 2007 on the Disney Channel is still in syndication. The plot centers around Raven Baxter, a teen with supernatural powers who is also a fashion designer. In 2006 she starred in her first dramatic role as Briana McCallister, in the Lifetime Movie For One Night. The made-for-TV drama was inspired by the true story of an African American teenager who shook up a small town where high school proms had been racially segregated for decades. She has since recorded albums, starred in a short-lived TV comedy series, State of Georgia. She also appeared as the lead in the Broadway version of Sister Act.
Last year Symonè tweeted:
Now Symonè is happy about repeal of DOMA and the SCOTUS ruling on Prop 8–happy enough to pretty much say she's gay. But don't rush out get her a wedding present yet. In an exclusive statement to E! News, the actress says:
I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to.


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Delay worries windfarm opponents in BristolBy DAN SEUFERT
Union Leader Correspondent
March 07. 2013 12:51AM
BRISTOL - Opponents of proposed wind farm power projects near scenic Newfound Lake and Mount Cardigan are worried because a bill to established a moratorium on new wind farm projects didn't make it out of a House committee Tuesday.
But the chief sponsor of HB 580 said he and his fellow lawmakers on the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee chose to "retain" the bill and a few others dealing with power projects because the legislation wasn't prepared well enough to withstand a debate on the House floor.
"I helped save (HB 580); keeping it in committee will give us a chance to fine-tune the writing so we can make our points sharper and so we can talk to other legislators," said Rep. Harold "Skip" Reilly Sr., R-Grafton County District 8, who lives in Bristol.
Reilly's optimism was helpful to members of the 1,800-member New Hampshire WindWatch group, which formed last fall when Iberdrola Renewables of Spain, the builder of a 24-turbine, $120 million, 48-megawatt wind farm project in Groton, proposed a larger project in the Newfound-Cardigan area.
Iberdrola is looking to begin the state permitting process for its proposed 37-turbine Wild Meadows Wind Power Project on privately leased land in the towns of Alexandria, Danbury and Grafton. Late in the fall, EDP Renewables of Portugal, another international wind developer, announced plans for its own 15- to 25-turbine wind farm in the towns of Groton, Alexandria and Hebron.
WindWatch spokeswoman Nancy Watson, a Groton resident who says she has lost some of her home's views because of the first Iberdrola project, said proponents of the moratorium bill must stay active.
Opponents of a moratorium - labor and business groups among them - have had professional lobbyists talking to legislators for months, she said.
"And now, the bill wasn't good enough to go before the House, and that sounds like some of them are just shoving it under the table," Watson said.
The moratorium, which was designed to slow wind development projects until the state comes up with a comprehensive new renewable energy plan, would have passed, she said.
"I think we could have passed it before the full House. The representatives would have understood the need for it," Watson said.
"We can't sit back and wait," she added. "We're running out of time. It's us and these energy companies racing, and we're not professional lobbyists."
Reilly said he is confident HB 580 will be brought before the full House for a vote, possibly in a few weeks. He did express some worry, saying legislators from elsewhere in the state haven't seen the scenic, natural beauty of the area in which the wind farms would be built.
"Many of them don't know what this windfarm stuff is all about, and they haven't been (to the Lakes Region) to see what's really happening here," he said.


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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA -- Recently stayed at your hotel in Jacksonville Florida and I valeted my vehicle, I left that evening to purchase food and returned my vehicle to valet that evening. I checked out that morning. My passenger and driver's doors opened for me and my luggage loaded. I drove 30 minutes and pulled over for gas. I returned from the attendant cashier and got a look at my front hood and noticed a 4 inch scratch and dent on my vehicle. I contacted the hotel and a claim form was faxed to me. I completed the claim form and contacted the management regarding the status.
Mr. ** said that he had completed his investigation and that he would not honor my claim because I had not realized the damage before I checked out of the hotel. I am sure that all parties will claim that they are absolved of liability. I valeted my vehicle in care your establishment and upon its return, it was not in the same condition as it was in when I released it to your care. The reason I stayed in your establishment rather than choosing a motor lodge or a Motel 6 or any other hotel is because I have an expectation of care, service and responsibility.
Until this is resolved I can't really tell the difference between your organization and any other hotel establishment that is along the side of the road. This never happened at Ritz Carlton, InterContinental, or Marriott, but it did happen on your watch. I can definitely see why this organization made the mistake of not bringing resolution to this, but I can afford the repair. I just wanted to give you and your affiliates the opportunity to do the highest and best action that you could offer. What I have gotten so far is that no one wants to own any responsibility for wrong doing. The fault then is mine for choosing irresponsibility over responsibility. I am sure that you can relate to this.
No legal issue here, just a moral issue. I never left my vehicle during the time I went out for food because nothing was opened. The location of the dent suggest that a gate bar closed down on the hood. Because the dent and scratch are above the headlight on the hood passenger side. Actually it could have gone unnoticed with the exception of the hood dent which really stands out. Thanks.
FT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA -- After pre-paying through Priceline for a room over a month in advance, we arrived at 3:30pm to check in and, for starters, had to wait 20-30 minutes while they got a room ready for us. We finally got our room keys and got all our luggage up to the room only to find out it was a 2 double bed room. So we didn't unpack and I went to the desk only to be told they would let us know when a King room came open and switch us into it. Disappointed, we went to dinner and after 3 hours, came back only to find that no rooms were available yet.
So we gave them another hour or so and went down again to complain to the manager who was "not here" until the next morning at 9:30. So I asked that he call us when he arrived. So we ended up scrunching into the double bed which might have actually been kind of romantic if it weren't for the rock hard mattress and cardboard pillows (thank God we always bring our own) and the water bugs near the window AC unit that vibrated like a semi truck all night.
After a horrible night's sleep (BTW the way the upset bride wasn't in the "mood" by this time either!), the next morning we got no call from the manager so we had some supposed Seattle Best coffee and raisin bran (nothing else looked better at the comp breakfast). I went down to talk to the manager hoping he might be interested in an idea I had that wouldn't cost them anything to turn us into happy customers by allowing us to park at the hotel and use his shuttle during our cruise the next day.
And for 2 more hours all we got was "he is on a conference call" and 3rd party reservation policy regurgitation that doesn't guarantee bedding preference until we finally checked out MAD. They wouldn't even give us a receipt showing no further charges would go against my card, saying I had to have Priceline give me a receipt. Since then I have contacted Priceline and Hyatt Place to no avail. Only Priceline has even contacted me back with policy regurgitation that bedding preference is NEVER guaranteed with any reservation through them. That's the kind of customer satisfaction response that makes you want to NEVER do business with either company EVER again.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- My wife and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio Texas on May 21 & 22, 2010. We had previously stayed at a Hyatt in Sarasota Florida and discovered that they used my debit/credit card to freeze $40 in my account in case any additional charges should pop up. I only learned this because I checked my account online. I called and complained but they said that was Hyatt's policy. Unfortunately, I had already booked a stay in San Antonio using my same debit/credit card. I always pay cash so I just use the card to hold reservations.
When I arrived at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, I had to pay an extra $50 in cash in case we should purchase something or use some service. When we left, I paid the total in cash. A few days later, I noticed that there was a hold again on my checking account exactly equal to one day's stay (to the penny) for our room. I called the Grand Hyatt and was told that that was their policy. They say they hold the money for 72 hours but it is actually much longer than that before it is released.
So, if you're traveling, staying at Hyatts, be prepared to have hundreds and even thousands of dollars being held in your checking account if you are using a debit/credit card and staying at several Hyatt hotels. Don't bother complaining because they simply don't care. For us, we will never stay at another Hyatt ever again. I asked personnel at Country Inn & Suites and Marriott whether they also did this and they said they had never heard of it.
As a side note: The Grand Hyatt in San Antonio nickeled and dimed us to death - even to the point of charging a minimum of $9.95 for 24 hours use of internet connection. Hyatt's actions has shown that they don't need my business; there are plenty of others who do.
HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK -- My wife and I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Long Island in Hauppauge, New York for 3 nights from Nov 26-29 and we were very disappointed. We had booked 2 spa treatments for my wife. When we arrived tired after a 10 hour car trip from Ontario, Canada and my wife was looking forward to her treatments, we are told that there is no spa in the hotel and that someone would come to the room. That put us off immediately. Then we were told that only one of the treatments was available and it would be late. So we cancelled everything.
Then we find out that we had to pay for internet service. What kind of upper class hotel still charges for wireless internet? Even the local Best Western always offers free internet. So we went 3 days with no internet.
When we arrived back at the hotel on Thanksgiving Day at around 4 pm, we saw a beautiful spread being served in the dining room. When we asked what that was at the front desk, we were told that it was Thanksgiving dinner and it would be served until midnight. When we arrived at the dining room a bit after 6 pm, the spread was gone and only regular dinner service was available. So, again disappointed, we SETTLED for what was available. There were about 20 people in the dining room at the time, most of whom were in one group.
Midway through our dinner service, there was some problem with the big group's meals and they all just got up and left. As a result everyone in the dining room including maitre'd, servers and bussers all went to clean up the group's table and spent all their time talking to each other about what had happened. In the meantime they IGNORED us and everyone else in the restaurant. We had to wait half an hour for dessert and the dishes from our entree were not cleared from our table until AFTER WE LEFT!
On the morning of our departure, we had an even bigger problem. Our room had been PREPAID through RBC travel rewards and the hotel's system had no record of that even though I had my confirmation showing it. In short, it took your people OVER AN HOUR to clear it up and we were late to our destination as a result. We do quite a bit of traveling and we stay in a lot of hotels and this experience has to be the worst one I have EVER had. The least I would expect is a FULL REFUND OF THE $377 USD that we PREPAID IN GOOD FAITH and a promise that these issues will be dealt with before I will agree to stay in your hotel again.
AUSTIN, TEXAS -- I have traveled all over the world for many years and I have never been "taken" for excessive fees until now. I had a reservation for 3 nights and had to check out a day early. No problem right? So what did Hyatt do? They said they would have to charge me an early departure fee. They said the fee is because they could not sell the room for that extra day.
I found out they are also at about 60% capacity but the clerk denied that. Their extra "fee" amounted to an entire additional day hotel cost + state and city taxes. So they charged me for services they did not provide and then disguised it as an early departure fee. I will never stay at Hyatt hotels again and will let everyone I talk to know what they are doing. This is just a complete ripoff and they know it. Now everyone of you will too.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- I had made reservations prior to arrival at the hotel (Hyatt Regency Center). As I arrived at the hotel, I asked a valet for directions to guest services. The valet was very helpful. As I approached the guest services desk, I was just stared at briefly by three reservationist assisting guests ahead of me. A few minutes later all guests were completed with reservations and walking away from area.
I stood waiting for someone to assist me. I stood waiting as each of the three reservationist never looked up to assist me. I finally got their attention by saying, "Excuse me can one of you assist me, please?" The middle reservationist asked the reservationist to his right, "could you please help him please." Not using the term, "I'm sorry sir, sorry for the inconvenience, how can I help you?" No apology, NOTHING IN CORRECTIVE MANNERISM/PROFESSIONAL COURTESY.
My room 1523 had a bed that was squeaky. It was late when I arrived at the hotel. I wasn't in a mood for debating. I just wanted to go to my room. I've never been treated so rude.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PENNSYLVANIA -- Traveler beware - if you choose this place, you'd better be sure you haven't left anything behind, because you can forget getting it back, and being treated with courtesy and professionalism when you call to report that you've forgotten something. I left a pair of expensive running shoes in my room. I knew exactly where I left them. I called the night I left and was told housekeeping wasn't in so the room couldn't be checked. That was my first clue that no one at that hotel gives a damn about customer service. I was promised a call back the next day. I didn't get it.
When I called again, I was told housekeeping didn't find anything, which is borderline miraculous. I suspect the relative of a housekeeper is enjoying himself some nice, free running shoes as I write this. I placed a total of four phone calls, and not once did I get the sense that anyone there wanted to be bothered. I made a mistake and now I'm paying for it. I got ripped off. If you're not careful, you will be, too.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA -- I was upsold a suite for twice the price two months prior to my stay. I asked for a regular room and was told they were out. I later learned that 3 people I talked to booked after and even on the day I arrived. On my arrival I was made to wait in 90 degree heat for three hours for my room. They said they had till 4:00 and I got my key at 3:55. Service was bad, and the front desk was rude.