text:
Trastuzumab, Cyclophosphamide, and an Allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting Breast Tumor Vaccine for the Treatment of HER-2/Neu-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00399529
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : November 15, 2006
Last Update Posted : December 13, 2012
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|November 13, 2006
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|November 15, 2006
|Last Update Posted Date
|December 13, 2012
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|September 2006
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|February 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00399529 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Immunological response [ Time Frame: Until 30 days after intervention ]
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Immunological response
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Trastuzumab, Cyclophosphamide, and an Allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting Breast Tumor Vaccine for the Treatment of HER-2/Neu-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer
|Official Title ICMJE
|A Feasibility Study of Combination Therapy With Trastuzumab, Cyclophosphamide, and an Allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting Breast Tumor Vaccine for HER-2/Neu-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer.
|Brief Summary
|This is a feasibility study to examine combination therapy with Trastuzumab (T), Cyclophosphamide (CY), and an allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting whole cell breast cancer vaccine in patients with Stage IV HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer. The main purposes of this study are to test the safety, clinical benefit, and bioactivity of vaccine therapy in combination with Cyclophosphamide and Trastuzumab in patients with HER-2/neu-overexpressing Stage IV breast cancer. This study will also to test whether the Cyclophosphamide can eliminate the suppressive influence of regulatory T cells, and whether Trastuzumab can increase antigen processing and presentation. These drug activities may make the immune system react better and enhance the effects of the vaccine in treating breast cancer. The vaccine consists of two irradiated allogeneic mammary carcinoma cell lines genetically modified to secrete human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This open label, single arm study is designed to recruit up to 40 subjects to identify 20 research subjects with HER-2/neu-overexpressing Stage IV breast cancer eligible for study treatment.
|Detailed Description
Breast cancer ranks second among cancer deaths in women (American Cancer Society, 2005). In the year 2005, the American Cancer Society has estimated that 212,240 new invasive cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, and predicts 40,410 deaths will result from breast cancer. While 80% of patients present with locoregional disease involving the breast and/or axillary lymph nodes, about half develop disseminated disease and ultimately die from it. Stage IV breast cancer is typically managed with hormonal agents or conventional cytotoxic drugs. Tumors quickly become resistant to these treatments. Immunotherapy is a particularly attractive strategy for overcoming drug resistance and can be integrated with existing therapeutic modalities in an additive or synergistic fashion. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment for cancer based on the idea that the immune system can be activated to destroy cancer cells that might be resistant to hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. A vaccine is a kind of immunotherapy that delivers an antigen (something that activates the immune system) so that the immune system recognizes cells with that antigen as foreign and destroys any cells that display that antigen.
The allogeneic breast tumor cell vaccine consists of two types of breast tumor cells developed from the tumor cells of patients with breast cancer. The human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene was used to genetically modify the breast tumor cells to secrete GM-CSF. GM-CSF is a substance made by the body that helps the immune system recognize a tumor and destroy it. The vaccine cells were irradiated to prevent them from growing or dividing. The cells themselves are not radioactive. The cells are stored frozen until the day of vaccination. The total number of cells in each vaccine will be 500,000,000, divided into twelve injections given in the thighs and arms. The choice of twelve injections for each vaccine is based on the volume of the vaccine and a finding that the body has a better chance to respond to the vaccine if it is injected into a number of different areas.
We propose to test the safety and bioactivity of an allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting breast cancer vaccine when given in a specifically timed sequence with Cyclophosphamide and Trastuzumab, two drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer. In this study the Cyclophosphamide is used at lower doses than usual to help the vaccine to activate the patient's immune system. Trastuzumab will be given at doses that are commonly used to treat breast cancer and it may also increase the immune response. The dose and scheduling of Cyclophosphamide and Trastuzumab used are based on testing the drugs with a GM-CSF-secreting vaccine in mice that get breast cancer, and are the ones that enabled the vaccine to induce the most potent anti-tumor immunity. The dose of vaccine cells is based on the safety of the same dose of a similar GM-CSF-secreting vaccine for pancreatic cancer. This breast cancer vaccine has also been given to people with breast cancer by itself, and with Cyclophosphamide and another chemotherapy drug, Doxorubicin. To date, people have had no vaccine-related serious side effects, but not enough people have received the vaccine to know if it treats breast cancer. The vaccine is experimental and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA has permitted its use in this research study. This is the second study of this breast cancer vaccine and the first study to test this vaccine with Trastuzumab.
The main purposes of this study are to test the safety, clinical benefit, and bioactivity of vaccine therapy in combination with Cyclophosphamide and Trastuzumab in patients with HER-2/neu-overexpressing Stage IV breast cancer. This study will also to test whether the Cyclophosphamide can eliminate the suppressive influence of regulatory T cells, and whether Trastuzumab can increase antigen processing and presentation. These drug activities may make the immune system react better and enhance the effects of the vaccine in treating breast cancer.
The study is open to men and women with HER-2/neu-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. Concurrent hormone therapy and/or bisphosphonates (standard breast cancer therapy that is not chemotherapy or other investigational therapy) is allowed. Patients may have received Trastuzumab in the past or continue on it while participating in this study. About 40 people with HER-2/neu positive breast cancer will enter in the study. About 20 will pass the screening tests and receive the vaccine.
Research subjects will receive a fixed dose of the allogeneic breast tumor vaccine consisting of two irradiated allogeneic breast cancer cell lines transfected with the GM-CSF gene in a specifically timed sequence with a low dose of Cyclophosphamide and Trastuzumab. Patients will receive 300 mg/m2 of Cyclophosphamide on day -1, and the vaccine on day 0. Weekly Trastuzumab will be timed to coincide with Cyclophosphamide administration. Research subjects will receive three monthly vaccination cycles, with a fourth and final (boost) vaccination cycle three months from the third cycle.
Blood samples to measure GM-CSF levels will be taken on the day of vaccination, every day for 4 days, and then on day 7 after vaccination. Blood samples to evaluate the safety of the vaccinations will be taken about once a week for one month following each vaccination. During studies of the breast vaccine and similar vaccines in renal cell cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer, local symptoms of swelling and redness developed at the vaccine site between 2 and 7 days after vaccination. In this study, if the subject's vaccination site shows swelling over 1 cm in diameter, a skin biopsy will be taken. The skin biopsy will be evaluated to determine to what types of cells are important to the immune response. Based on our previous preclinical and clinical data, the biopsy will be taken on day 3, and possibly on day 7, after the first and third vaccinations. Other tests and evaluations include history and physical examination, vital signs, CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, nuclear medicine bone scan, pre-vaccination biopsy, blood for immune monitoring, and a skin test for delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) that is like a PPD test and involves injecting pieces of a protein antigen (HER-2/neu) that is delivered by the breast cancer vaccine. The purpose of the DTH test is to evaluate whether the research subject has developed a systemic immune response to the breast cancer vaccine. Tumor core needle biopsies will be obtained at baseline, and on days 0 and +14 of vaccine cycle 1 only.
Patients will be evaluated clinically and with laboratory testing for evidence of disease progression after each cycle or when otherwise clinically indicated. Computed tomography (CT scan) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis and nuclear medicine bone scan will also be performed to evaluate disease status prior to starting the study, after vaccine cycle 3 and prior to and after vaccine cycle 4. About every three months cardiac function will be evaluated.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 2
|Study Design ICMJE
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Breast Neoplasms
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Experimental: Allo GM-CSF-secreting vaccine, Trastuzumab, Cyclophosphamide
Allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting breast cancer vaccine : the vaccine containing a mixture of two GM-CSF-secreting allogeneic breast cancer cell lines (two parts 2T47D-V and one part 3SKBR3-7 mixed in a fixed dose of 5 X 10^8 cells for each patient and each vaccination cycle) given intradermally every 4-6 weeks for 3 cycles and then a 4th dose given 6-8 months after beginning the study.
Trastuzumab : An initial loading dose of 4 mg/kg for participants beginning treatment with Trastuzumab, otherwise 2 mg/kg given every week intravenously
Cyclophosphamide : 300 mg/m^2 given intravenously every 4-6 weeks for 3 cycles and then once 6-8 months after beginning the study
|Publications *
|Chen G, Gupta R, Petrik S, Laiko M, Leatherman JM, Asquith JM, Daphtary MM, Garrett-Mayer E, Davidson NE, Hirt K, Berg M, Uram JN, Dauses T, Fetting J, Duus EM, Atay-Rosenthal S, Ye X, Wolff AC, Stearns V, Jaffee EM, Emens LA. A feasibility study of cyclophosphamide, trastuzumab, and an allogeneic GM-CSF-secreting breast tumor vaccine for HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Res. 2014 Oct;2(10):949-61. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-14-0058. Epub 2014 Aug 12.
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Actual Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Enrollment ICMJE
|Actual Study Completion Date
|February 2010
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|February 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
|Verification Date
|December 2012
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


text:
Heroin drug abuse on the rise
MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) - Heroin has quickly become the drug of choice. It is more accessible, stronger, and cheaper than other drugs. Alabama has some of the highest prescriptions per person for painkillers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Authorities believe some people addicted to painkillers chose heroin as an alternative.
"Heroin is a horrible, horrible drug," said former heroin addict Eric Ebbole.
For 10 years, Ebbole tried to break his heroin addiction.
"I was rationalizing and justifying my behavior and continued to use," said Ebbole, "not understanding the consequences."
Currently, he is drug free and helps other addicts.
According to the CDC, Alabama leads the country, prescribing 143 opioids per 100 people. Nearly 500, 000 Americans have become addicted to heroin as a result of opioid abuse.
"It's a huge problem," said Ebbole.
Lt. Rassie Smith works for the Mobile County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division.
He said the majority of heroin comes from Mexico and is smuggled along Interstate 10 and Interstate 65.
"So, we fight that through our interdiction unit, and our units that work the interstate and things of that nature and try to stop that the spread of the drug as it's being interdicted to our communities," said Smith.
Lt. Smith said users combine opioids: heroin and fentanyl.
"It very quickly affects the central nervous system, and some of the highs is a lot more magnified compared to other drugs," said Smith.
Ebbole said temporary highs have lasting effects.
"I would say, count the cost of what you're walking off into," said Ebbole. "It's a lifelong struggle that you're going to have to deal with rest of your life."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Roy Buchholz, 47 - March 25, 2009
Roy Alan Buchholz, 47, of Lexington, died Monday, March 23, 2009, following a courageous battle with cancer.
A visitation was held Wednesday, March 25, from 1-7 p.m. at Reynolds-Love Chapel in Lexington.
Services will be held Thursday, March 26, at 2 p.m. at Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Church of Lexington with Ethel Fox, C.L.P., and the Rev. Karen Woo officiating. Burial will take place at the Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Cemetery next to the church.
Buchholz was born Oct. 30, 1961, at Lexington, to Wayne Benjamin and Margie Marie (Fellows) Buchholz. He grew up in Lexington and graduated from Lexington High School with the class of 1980.
He started working at Orthman Manufacturing during high school, and later went to work for Monroe Auto at Cozad. At the time of his death, he had spent more than 25 years at Monroe Auto as a tool-and-die machinist.
Buchholz was united in marriage to Whitney Deardorff on Nov. 20, 1999, at Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Church at Lexington.
He enjoyed being with his family and friends and was a fantastic dad, according to family members. He had enjoyed woodworking, especially making wooden animals, as well as welding and inventing ways to make everyday chores easier.
He also enjoyed listening to music and being outdoors watching the eagles, target practicing and fishing, said family members.
?Buchholz was preceded in death by: his parents, Wayne and Margie; his father-in-law, Craig Deardorff; a brother, Jim; his grandparents and two uncles.
?Survivors include: his wife, Whitney Buchholz of Lexington; four sons—Isaac Buchholz of Florida, Caleb Buchholz of Council Bluffs, IA, Kory Wattier of Hastings, and Talbot Buchholz of Lexington; a brother, John (Brenda) Buchholz of Lexington; two sisters—Donna (Lenwood) Mobley of Lincoln and Lois (Jim) Underwood of Lexington; mother- and father-in-law, Ralph and Charlene Ogier of Gothenburg; sister-in-law, Nichole (Pat) Maez of Cozad; brother-in-law, Tim Ogier of Gothenburg; special friends—Chris and Shelley Thompson of Elwood, and Jana Adams of Cozad; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.
Online condolences may be directed to the family at: reynoldslovefuneralhome.com.
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text:
I think what most people don't get is the numbers. If MF doesn't make sense for you, that doesn't mean MF will die. MF was always a minority in the global camera market and MF has been certifiably a niche market for nearly a decade. It doesn't need 10%, or even 1% of "photographers" - it needs a sliver of the market.
But things are not going well at all. profits are not high enough for development costs and as a result there is very little improvement in the MFD field.Adding 80mp to a system when it already had 60mp really makes little difference when it's on the same crappy body.DF becomes the DF+...... slightly better focus and focus calibration.New Hasselbad.... better eyecup and jpeg..... True focus II (slight improvement).Hasselblad has not been profitable for quite some time hence the move by the new owners Ventiz Capital to try and leverage the brand namewith the crazy Lunar project.Phase One on the other hand is a bit more grounded.
I was always under the impression that CCDs are much more difficult to make with more waste than a CMOS. This could be wrong info. But in any case, due to the much larger production of CMOS sensors worldwide, I would think it would be cheaper to contract the making of a 645 CMOS. For CCDs, there are only two players, Dalsa and Kodak. For CMOS, we have Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc. Any of those players have a higher output than Dalsa. Also, with more companies, this could lead to more competitiveness for who gets the contract, helping to lower price. In any event, I still would like to see a CMOS 645 back. With all factors combined, I think this would be cheaper, thus furthering the use and availability of MF. It just seems that the current model is precluding entry into this market until you are an established higher end photographer. By than, most younger shooters will already be dedicated to a system and reluctant to change. Also, having it cheaper would increase use by schools, making the teaching of technical cameras more applicable; now it seems to be "here is a film tech camera that you will never use professional and you will probably never be able to afford the digital version, so why bother to really learn how to use the thing." I mean in the film days we had options. Not everyone could afford a Linhof, so Toyo View was a the way to go, espicially when starting out. Not it's $40K+, take it or leave it.
To look at the IQ/Credo compared to every other digital back...To look at the IQ/Credo interface compared to the interface on any Canon/Nikon...To look at an image from an IQ180 or Credo 80 and compare it to any other digital camera......and to conclude that there has been not R+D and no progress in MFD; that is just silly.Regarding the body: DF+ is a nice incremental improvement. Nothing revolutionary. Then again can you tell me the huge improvements to the body element of the 5D3 over the 5D2? I think it's clear from the IQ and Credo that Team Phase One has some great R+D. Just because every R+D project isn't completed today doesn't meant they aren't being worked on aggressively.Anyway, don't know why I bother responding to you. Your only purpose on this forum is to find ways to cast medium format digital in a negative light.
It would be great to see this section of the forum return to positive discussions regarding medium format rather constant mine is better than yours posts hijackings that are full of negativity and a showcase for constant reposting of the same images over and over. Earlier this year, FredBGG (using his real name) gushed over medium format and belittled DSLRs and Nikons D800 claims on another forum:http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=823993I cannot help but wonder how many people who read his comments on Model Mayhem opted for MFD because of the rantings of a self proclaimed star and mentor?Cmon, Fred, give forum members a little credit for being intelligent enough to read, research and make our own decisions on the equipment we choose to employ. I really dont believe we need a savior here.A big thank you to guys like Doug, Yair, BC, Erik, Keith, Eric, Guy and so many others who put the information out that truly informs and helps.
small companies can only make small progress. There's no way around.It seems to me that small progress is not enough for you.Now, if we all agree to that point of view we all will end up with Adobe software and Canon and/or Nikon cameras.No, thanks!! I applaud every little company that makes special ("specialized" that is) equipment ... because they give us a CHOICE!If Adobe and Canon/Nikon would be the only choice, I'd go back to film ... seriously. Fortunately I don't have to because I (still) have a choice ...Mc Donald's is not everyones taste ...
You make it sound as if without MFD the only thing left is Nikon and Canon???You missed quite a few very interesting and highly diverse players.Sony, Pentax, Leica, Olympus, Fuji, Sigma, carl zeiss, Schneider and many more.There are also plenty of other raw converters out there. I also think that most would agree that every camera maker on the planet has nothing to do with the crap McDonald's peddles.
In my opinion, I think there would be a nice sized market for a company to produce backs made with cheaper and easier to make CMOS sensors. With how close CMOS has come to CCD, I doubt many would be upset with the IQ.
Nice to see the embittered ex Hasselblad dealer and the embittered ex medium format shooter in agreement Now where's me D800...
There are two out-dated views of CMOS vs CCD there: lower cost and lower quality, or being "cheap" in both senses of the word. Early CMOS sensors were of lower quality due to worse noise, but technical progress has completely reversed the story on noise and on IQ in general. There is perhaps a cost advantage for very small and cheap "camera on a chip" CMOS devices for cell phones and such, where a single IC contains sensor, ADC, etc., whereas a CCD neds a coiple of additional support chips. But there has never been any sign of a cost advantage in larger sensors.If anything, the opposite seemed true at one stage: as Nikon and Sony transitioned from CCD to CMOS, the models with CMOS were the better and more expensive ones, while CCDs hung around for a while longer in the cheaper models with lower overall IQ.And Leica's recent move from CCD to CMOS for the new Leica M camera should be the final evidence that switching to CMOS does not involve any sacrifice in IQ.
- large and bright viewfinder***- touch screen interface (some bodies); hard to find a system you can check 100% focus on faster on a specific part of the image than an IQ or Credo- tools like auto-horizon and auto-keystone which correct the level and pitch of the image in software based on the electronic levels in the back, making every horizon straight and every vertical parallel without manual tweaking- Flash sync speed with standard strobes rather than dinky flashes (up to 1/1600th)- More tactile lens response when manually focusing (large focus barrel, actual lens gearing*)- aspect ratio (some prefer 4:3 or 1:1, especially for verticals)- waist level viewfinder (some bodies) - ability to shoot vertical without rotating camera (some backs)- low ISO without ND filters (useful for dragging shutter in some styles)- ability to shoot film with same system as digital (some bodies)- ability to turn sensor on/off independent of the shutter/flash firing (allows to build up exposure with strobes without excessive ambient light, even in bright conditions e.g. interiors)- ability to crop a vertical and horizontal from the same frame (even 36mp in 3:2 is not enough for many applications when cropped to a vertical)- ability to use on specific legacy cameras (some folks just plain love Contax, Hassy 500)- ability to use on speciality equipment like Aerial, industrial, art-repro systems (obviously a niche)- ability to use on tech cameras like Arca, Cambo, Alpa---- rise/fall/shift/swing/tilt on every lens (if IC allows)---- fully mechanical/traditional shooting ---- extremely precise focusing for specific distances (some bodies)---- extremely precise focusing for hyperfocal distances (some bodies)---- absolute best glass, period---- ground glass (some prefer it regardless of other options)---- small/light pack size for a body and several lenses (depending on which body and lenses of course)- compatibility with view cameras---- close focus possible with many lenses, not just select macros---- rise/fall/shift/swing/tilt on every lens, not just select TS lenses---- ground glass (some prefer it regardless of other options)- less frequent updates required to stay competitive in image quality (we still have many happy studio shooters using H25 backs users, which at base ISO and in the studio easily beats a 5D Mark 3 which is many generations newer; I don't know many happy Canon 1D shooters)**- longer software support (original Phase One Lightphase from 1998 is still fully supported tethered in OSX 10.7 and Capture One 6, while the Canon 5D from 2006 isn't even officially supported tethered in LR4 or EOS Utility in OSX 10.7, nor 1Ds II in Windows 7 64 bit)- consistent shooting speed; an IQ or Credo can maintain it's frame-rate indefinitely with a fast CF card, any Canon/Nikon can shoot much faster but unless you restrain yourself you can easily hit a buffer and the camera won't fire when you think it should. The IQ or Credo will be slower (around 1.2fps for the 40mp model) but it is reliably consistent - you know when you can shoot next and can develop a rhythm.- larger bodies (for some this will be a big negative, but for others their hands are simply too large to comfortably use a camera like the D800, even with the optional vertical grip)- differentiation: like it or not, fair or not, some (both pros and enthusiasts) will want to have a camera that Uncle Bob does not own, and that Art Director John doesn't use as their point and shoot. - longevity/durability: some backs are built like tanks and have no moving parts. Anything can break, but the number of field-failures on a P1 back are very low.- interesting lens selections with unique looks (e.g. Mamiya 80mm /1.9, Zeiss FE 110/2)*As opposed to e.g. the Canon 85/1.2 with fly-by-wire focusing and a dinky focus barrel**This is not just a question of cost since of course the 1D owner could have updated to a 1DsII and a 1DsIII and spent about the same; some photographers just dislike the hassle of switching cameras - new batteries, new chargers, new cables, new settings, new button locations, new software, new look (forcing them in some cases to expend time/energy getting the new camera to produce the look of the old camera). Some photographers love getting new gear, some despise it. ***I never understood why this isn't mentioned/discussed more often; you have to look through the viewfinder for nearly every frame you take - it's your portal to the world you are capturing.The thread is titled "the end of medium format?". My answer is no.
...It clearly demonstrates that I did not start out with a negative view of medium format digital.
To me, it demonstrates that you bashed Nikon in a public way before you had sufficient information to be reasonably objective. You added a lot of noise on a matter before you actually knew what you were publishing. That type of information does not benefit research or the forum in which you posted it on.Regards,Ed


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Website, workshops help ranchers in time of drought
LINCOLN—As drought continues to take hold of the state, managing drought on the range becomes ever more important.
Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch is a website at http://drought.unl.edu/ranchplan from the National Drought Mitigation Center that can help livestock producers get through the current drought and continue to manage their pastures when not in drought.
The NDMC developed the site in collaboration with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension researchers Pat Reece (now owner of Prairie and Montane Enterprises), Jerry Volesky and Matt Stockton. The NDMC also consulted with ranchers, federal grazing experts and other researchers from UNL, South Dakota State University and Texas A&M University. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency.
"The website has a number of things available to producers related to animal nutrition, etc., but the most important thing is that producers really do need to make adjustments in overall grazing plans and stocking rates," said Volesky, UNL Extension range and forest specialist. "With these drought conditions, we have seen pasture growth and production that is only 20 percent to 50 percent of normal."
On the positive side, in the last three to four years, the Sandhills and Panhandle have had good rainfall and there is a lot of previous years' grass left in pastures, he said. Unfortunately, the quality isn't very good.
Volesky said warm season grass started to grow, but it has stopped. So, using pastures overall is very important now through July.
"Once we get into August and September, it usually is inevitable that pastures are grazed heavier than we'd like."
The website is home to several resources for developing a ranch drought plan: assembling a planning team, identifying goals and objectives, inventorying resources, setting critical dates, developing a monitoring system, identifying strategies for preparing for and managing through drought, and implementing and evaluating the plan. Each step includes links to resources, tools and worksheets.
In addition, there are links to upcoming and past workshops related to managing drought archived on the site.
One upcoming workshop sponsored by the NDMC, Colorado State University Extension and University of Wyoming Extension is the Eastern Colorado 2012 Range and Drought Clinic July 31 in at the Burlington Community and Education Center in Burlington, Colo.
Another workshop at which the NDMC's drought team will be speaking is the annual Nebraska Grazing Conference. The team will speak the entire morning of Aug. 15 during the two-day conference in Kearney. Information about the workshops can be found on the Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch website.
The Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch website is designed to take users through the steps of developing a ranch drought plan. The "Inventory and Monitor," "Before Drought," "During Drought" and "After Drought" sections provide in-depth information and resources that will help users develop a drought plan.
"The primary focus is the plan," Volesky said. "Producers who have a plan already started putting their plans in place at the first signs of drought this past spring. For producers who don't have a good drought plan, this drought should stimulate them to start putting together a plan now."
In addition, the site includes a "Drought Basics" section, which provides in-depth information on climate and historical drought occurrence; the effects drought has on livestock, grasses and grazing management; geographic variability in precipitation and forage growth; and drought-related financial considerations.
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text:
Welcome to World Beach Basketball®
|Beach Basketball® is an exciting, non-stop action game played in the sand, by HOOPSTERS of all ages. The game was born more than four decades ago on the physical education fields of Gulf Shores School. This modified version of basketball, invented by Philip Bryant, has grown from a tremendously effective skill improvement game to a very popular, widespread competitive sport.
For the past 20 years, the World Beach Basketball Association© has developed a grassroots player interest, resulting in game play in 15 of the WBBA 36 worldwide regions. The WBBA Upper Caribbean Region, with commissioner Mickey Muñoz, was selected "2009 WBBA Region of the Year" for their efforts in administration of tournaments for Beach Basketball® players. The 2011 Beach Basketball® 18th Annual World Championships will be hosted by the WBBA© in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the birthplace of Beach Basketball®. Presently, seven WBBA© World Regions are hosting upcoming tournaments.
HOOPSTERS of all ages are getting into the game...former Harlem Globe Trotter Ed Hicks (second from left) along with 1999 "Commissioner of the Year" Frank Bisesi (third from left) regularly participate on the sandy shores of Lake Erie.
If you are a coach looking for another game to add to your sports curriculum, Beach Basketball® may be just the game. Beach Basketball® is the perfect game for boys and girls either young or old. Whether you have a beautiful beach or a gymnasium, the game is adaptable to either court. An Official Rule Book is available for $2.95, please send your request and either a Purchase Order # or your charge account information to: World Beach Basketball Association® and the "Official Rules and Regulations"© will be mailed to you.
Beach Basketball® and related indices are registered trademarks and copyrighted products of Beach Basketball USA., Inc., and cannot be used in any form without written permission.
What is Beach Basketball®?
E-Mail us! firstname.lastname@example.com
Beach Basketball® and related indices are registered trademarks and copyrighted products of Beach Basketball USA., Inc., and cannot be used in any form without written permission.
© 1995-2012 Beach
Basketball USA, Inc.
Visitors since May 5, 1995 - 368,564


text:
2 days ago
Wigan first opponent at Leigh's new stadium
Wigan Warriors can today confirm that they will face near neighbours Leigh Centurions in an exciting pre-season fixture at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday 1st February 2009 with a 3pm kick off.
The Warriors last played Leigh in a competitive game in 2005 and this eagerly anticipated game will mark the official rugby opening of the new Stadium.
Leigh Sports Village is the biggest investment in public sports, recreational and educational facilities in Wigan borough for many years and is transforming Wigan & Leigh into one of the finest hubs of activity in the North West. The project has involved significant levels of regeneration and economic development, especially in relation to education and leisure, and specifically provides new sporting and college facilities for both the town and the district.
A host of events are currently being planned to mark this historic event with further details to be announced in due course.
Speaking about the game, Warriors Chief Executive Mick Hogan said,


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In his book "Give and Take," Adam Grant explores the different ways people rise through the ranks on their way to extreme success. Can you be a giver without being a doormat? Is it better to take anything you can without returning favors, or to "match" those who give you help?
Grant discusses how some of the most famous networkers and creative geniuses personalities helped them reach the top of their fields. Are you a giver? A taker? A matcher? What's the best way to rise to the top?
Adam Grant, author of "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success" and tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business


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Did you know?
A free community concert takes place every year in the lead-up to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is a highlight on every jazz enthusiast's calendar. It takes place on the last weekend of March each year at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Here you'll find on offer an eclectic mix of local and international jazz, which is why they call it 'Africa's Grandest Gathering', as the Mother City puts on a show of sexy, soulful jazz and entertains in style.
The first festival took place in 2000 and, over the years, attendance figures have grown from 14 000 to well over 30 000. The event consists of live performances from 40-plus international and African artists over two days across five stages and, for those who love music, it's a festival of note, with musicians playing to full houses.
Big names to have performed at the festival include Lauryn Hill, Dan Brubeck, James Ingram, Dave Sanchez, Dave Koz, Earth, Wind & Fire and many others. Local musical greats such as Hugh Masekela and Jimmy Dludlu continue to thrill audiences and there are also workshops and events highlighting new, young, talents and investing in the future of South African jazz.
Cape Town's hotels are only too keen to put on special packages for festival-goers and excellent deals are available for those who want to travel to the Mother City. Pre- and post-tours include visits to major attractions such as Robben Island and Table Mountain, as well as visiting the townships for more local flavour (and more local jazz).
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is now ranked as one of the top jazz festivals in the world and is right up there with Holland's North Sea Jazz Festival and Switzerland's Montreux Festival.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Tel: +27 (0)21 671 8716
ESP (the organisers of the event)
11 Myhof Road, Glosderry Estate, Claremont, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 671 0506
How to get here
There are direct flights to Cape Town from London and other international capitals. You can also fly from Johannesburg.
Around the area
While you are visiting Cape Town, plan a trip to Robben Island or take a township tour if you'd like to understand more about the history of the country.
Tours to do
Head out to the winelands either before or after festival. Enjoy the wine estates of Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.
How to get around
Having your own car is an advantage if you want to travel further afield.
What will it cost
Tickets start around R440.
Length of stay
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival take's place over a weekend, but you could easily spend a week on holiday in the Western Cape.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Cape Town varies from five-star hotels, to guest houses and B&Bs as well as value-for-money backpackers. It's a good idea to book early (two to three months in advance) if you're visiting for the jazz festival.
What to eat
Cape Town is known for its fine dining. One of the most sought-after restaurants is Luke Dale-Roberts' Test Kitchen in Woodstock, but you'll have to book months in advance to secure a table.
What's happening
There is so much on the go during the Cape Town International Jazz Festival: workshops, master classes, jazz safaris, art displays.
Best buys
Fine Cape wines and music, of course.


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Note As of 15 November 2015, the Zune service has been discontinued. This may cause errors when attempting to stream or download content or update the service.
When you try to use the Zune software, you might get the following error message:
Can't complete the operation because there is no Internet access. Make sure you're connected to the Internet, then try again.
To solve this problem, try the solutions in this article.
Test to see whether you can visit webpages on the computer. Try to go to a webpage that you have not visited in some time or have never been to.
Verify that the cable modem or router's light indicators are on or show activity. Some indicators that may be relevant have the following labels:
Determine whether the Winsock2 key is corrupted:
If the names differ from the names in this list, the Winsock2 key is corrupted or you have a third-party add-in, such as proxy software, installed.
If you have a third-party add-in installed, the name of the add-in will replace the letters "MSAFD" in the names in this list.
If there are more than 10 sections in the list, you have third-party add-ins installed. If there are fewer than 10 sections, some information is missing.
If you determine that there is a Winsock corruption, repair the Winsock2 key. To do this, follow these steps.
Windows XP
Windows 7 or Windows Vista
For computers that are running Windows XP SP2, there is a new netsh command that can rebuild the Winsock key. For more information, see this TechNet article.
Warning Programs that access or monitor the Internet, such as antivirus, firewall or proxy clients, may be adversely affected when you run the netsh winsock reset command. If you have a program that no longer functions correctly after you use follow these steps, reinstall the program to restore its functionality.
Windows XP
Windows 7 or Windows Vista
Perform a clean startup procedure to identify any third-party firewall issues. To do this:
If you no longer receive the error message that this article describes, contact your firewall manufacturer to determine how to configure the firewall to work with the Zune software.
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
If none of these steps have solved the problem, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) for help.
Thanks for your feedback!
Provide feedback for this topic
Would you like to contact Support regarding the "Zune software "Can't complete the operation because there is no Internet access" error message" issue you were reading about or a different issue?


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SOURCE: Vante, Inc.
February 14, 2013 15:13 ET
Expert Thermoforming Catheter Manufacturing Equipment Firm Serves Over 500 Customers Globally
Expert Thermoforming Catheter Manufacturing Equipment Firm Serves Over 500 Customers Globally
TUCSON, AZ--(Marketwire - Feb 14, 2013) - Vante, a leader in thermal forming devices and services, is proud to announce the promotion of two outstanding executives.
Brent Fausett has been promoted to Executive Vice President. He was previously Vice President of Sales and Marketing and General Manager at Vante. This new position recognizes Brent's deep contribution to the company in sales and marketing as well as his ongoing work with Vante CEO Roger Vogel to form and execute the company's strategy. This success has allowed Vante's medical manufacturing technology business to average a 22% growth rate since he joined the company. This promotion recognizes all of Brent's sales and marketing work and the work he undertakes at the top of the company, and formalizes his role at the strategic level.
Cindy Florian has been promoted to Vice President, Human Resources and Quality. She was previously Director of Human Resources and Quality at Vante. Vante is recognizing Cindy for her tireless work and outstanding contributions to Vante is many areas, including human resources, finance, quality, ESOP matters, biopharm sales, as corporate secretary and more. The scope, contribution and high quality results of her work are highly impressive.
"Brent and Cindy have proven themselves to be invaluable assets to Vante and we greatly appreciate their contributions," stated Roger Vogel, Chairman, President and CEO. "Vante is thankful for all their work to date and is excited about their contributions to the company going forward."
Vante is an employee-owned, global technology company that designs and produces products for the precise manipulation of medical plastics. The company serves more than 500 customers and works with over 23 partners to distribute its products globally.
Vante has been a leader in the medical device manufacturing industry for over 30 years. Specializing in the four categories of catheter manufacturing equipment, biopharmaceutical equipment, industrial applications and OEM solutions, Vante's products include their own manufacturing systems, industrial tube sealers, and plastic sealing and welding technology.
For additional information please visit www.vante.com
Peter Schwartz
(520) 609-2921
Peter Schwartz
(520) 609-2921
See all RSS Newsfeeds


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Yummy!!! Can you smell that??!!! 🙂 We have some wonderful Fresh Baked goodies for you today.
Read this WHOLE newsletter!! Some Very exciting news is at the very end… you WILL NOT want to miss this!! 🙂
First up….. Junior ~ An amazing Collab from Jen- Graham Like The Cracker and Karen Lewis Designz!!
"You've been looking for a boy kit forever. You have that fantastic picture of your son playing with his "vroom vrooms" that you've wanted to scrap since you took it. Or that picture of your little boy playing football in the back yard that you just couldn't find a kit for. I know because I have that stack of pictures myself.
I have teamed up with Karen Lewis to bring you Junior. An all purpose boy kit that is perfect for all of your pictures of your rambunctious bundle of boy. Bright primary colors with some splashes of neutral thrown in makes this a kit you will scrap with again and again." And all this scrappin goodness… only $6.00!!
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Now check out the coordinating Junior Word Art pack…..
You know how the toddler in your life speaks in only a language you understand? This word art pack is to celebrate our little ones journey through learning to talk. These word arts are made with my son's own pronunciation. I have been meaning to scrap a page with his words forever, and now you can too! It includes the numbers one through 10, red, yellow, blue, and green, and my son's favorite word, Truck!
It also includes a yellow and blue monster truck because my son was concerned that there were no wewow or bwoo gucks in Junior. (Which by the way, these word arts coordinate with.) Scrap these memories before you forget them! $3.00
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A look at what we think about our country and how we can affect those thoughts.
Recently, one of the people with whom I communicate on a daily basis asked if I think that America is in a time of decline. I don't think so. I know that life can be discouraging, and there are certainly myriad difficulties to overcome, but it's important to remember that America feeds and provides for much of the world. We don't just manage our own "welcome mat." Sure there are troubling problems that we hear about over and over. I don't know why the people from the Middle East seem to hate us so, other than that our way of life is so far removed from theirs. Given the choice, I would choose our way of life, and frankly, I believe most of them would as well. It is extremists who resent our success. In my view, they create such problems.
Is it jealousy? I'm not sure, but America is still the greatest country the world has ever known. One needs to visualize Washington D.C., the mall which holds our nation's iconic homes for legislation, our memorials, our museums and so on. One needs to fly over the western half of the country and see the vast amount of land that looks as if it's never been touched or even seen up close by humankind. Yes, some of our roads are in bad shape, bridges crumbling, trains failing and a lot of basic infrastructure that has been largely ignored. Can you even imagine what it took to wire this entire country for our complex telephone system? Can you visualize the path from the first electric light bulb to the billions of lights that now seem to match the stars. Now, of course, we no longer need the same web of wires and structures to manage worldwide communication. Are we at the cutting edge of just about every aspect of technology? Maybe not, but we're not far behind.
Our education is not what we want or expect, and that's something I believe is key to holding or advancing our status in the world. To my mind, nothing is more important than education. Maybe we're just going through some changes. Perhaps our future will depend more on home schooling, charter schools and private schools. It's important that we don't forget that we need to provide an education for all Americans. Education has clearly evolved from the one room school houses that dotted the country not so many years ago. We have to look at progress.
Is there progress in our education? I doubt that you could walk into any school in the country that has no computers. I got my first computer when I was fifty years old. Now, most people have phones that could perform far more efficiently than my first computer.
One thing I have learned in my life is that, when I discover that I'm satisfied with the way everything is, that's when I really need to be concerned. We must always strive to improve; be better, stronger, more enduring and more philanthropic.
It's a mistake to think that there aren't going to be problems. There always will be, and they will become more complex as the world around us gets more and more developed. Another thing I have learned in life is that we only learn from the things that are difficult.
It's the mistakes and difficulties we face from which we learn. There's a great deal to be said for a simple life, and it's important that we remember where we came from. We have learned a lot lately about the food we eat, coming up with really good solutions for tastier and healthier foods. Sometimes the most difficult problems can be solved by simple solutions, but there will always be new problems that are more difficult than the previous ones we had to deal with. Optimism is fine, but only in its place. We have to be level-headed about the way we do things. That doesn't mean we need to be pessimistic, just sensible.
Sometimes things are just plain hard. If we think back to the classes we had that were difficult, in most cases those are the classes that really teach us how to advance. I don't think we need to advance just for the sake of change, but neither do we want to be stagnant. If you'll think back to singing, if we're holding a long note, we can't just hold it where it is, or the pitch will begin to sag. We have to keep infusing that note with energy, air and life.
If our country continues to acknowledge the greatness that is within our reach and we fight to maintain integrity, I believe we will succeed. None of this indicates a country in decline.
We receive a lot of bad news and sometimes just watching the evening news can be depressing. Once, I was told that when the news only featured good news, it would be because it was so rare that good news could be found. Take a look around. We have much for which we can be grateful. We need to remember to count our blessings. There's a hymn with the following lyric: "Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessing, see what God hath done."
Lately the weather has played a part in our ability to deal with adversity, and we haven't the ability to overcome alter that. Still, we have to focus on the good about our country. Are we satisfied with everything? Thank heavens we are not. I mean that. We are always striving to be better, not only on a personal level, but on a community level, a state level, a regional or national level. That's what makes America great and not at all in decline. That's my view.


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Other writers' posts about "Urban Zoning" by Billy Kahora:
Black Balloon
Stephen Derwent Partington
The Reading Life
Backslash Scott
City of Lions
Practically Marzipan
Cashed In
Thinking his way through (or toward) "Urban Zoning", Aaron Bady digs into a bunch of provocative questions about what it means for something to be an African story and/or a Kenyan story, and Stephen Derwent Partington, City of Lions, and Ndinda at Inkdrops, among others, have all placed "Urban Zoning" within its specifically Kenyan cultural context. It is a story very much of a particular setting: Nairobi (and, according to Kahora himself, a specific time: the '90s). That does, and should, raise the questions Aaron and others have asked about the story's resonance and even intelligibility to an audience that is not deeply familiar with the specific reality from which it is drawn.
In many ways, though, all fiction (all art! all everything!) depends on the knowledge, experience, and assumptions each audience member brings to it. This is also true for aspects of the story that have nothing to do with its setting — I think we saw with last week's story how each reader's assumptions about what a story should be and do affected people's appreciations for the actual story in front of them. My own preferences for fabulism and metafiction led me to notice, emphasize, and value those elements of the story more than other readers generally did, and my relative indifference to gritty realism in some respects got in my way with "Urban Zoning", a story I admired (there's some excellent writing in it) but was, after two readings, pretty much indifferent to.
It's entirely possible that my indifference stemmed from my having only superficial knowledge of Kenyan culture and Nairobi in particular. I've been there, but as a tourist, and not for an extended period of time. I've read more Kenyan fiction than the average American, but that's not saying much. Nonetheless, the setting felt less alienating for me than a story set in, say, Eastern Europe, a region about which I know almost nothing, have never traveled to, and have only occasionally read about. The characters, situations, and allusions were far easier for me to understand, or at least recognize, I think, than just about anything in The Illiad. At least with "Urban Zoning", I could think, "This feels like a sort of update of Going Down River Road..."
Instead, what probably kept me at a bit of distance from the story was a short attention span for booze-soaked tales of urban life. I want to think of myself as a person who is willing to read a story about anything so long as it is interestingly told, but this isn't really true — certain subject matter has got to be told in a way I find especially different from the norm for me to embrace it, while other subjects I'll happily read about even if they're written in the most ordinary, even clichéd, manner.
Stories of drunks wandering around had better be at least as idiosyncratic as Under the Volcano for me to surrender heart and soul to them. Or, for that matter, to have the depth and richness of detail that defines my memory of Going Down River Road. It is unfair, though, that I'm comparing "Urban Zoning" to two novels; it doesn't have the space to expand itself, and one of its strengths, I think, is the economy of its narrative: the structure of the sentences replicating the mood and patterns of thought of the protagonist, the choice of details, the contrast of characters and moments, the implications of its allusions and asides.
I highlight my own response here because it is easy to look at a story that relies on a setting or characters not from the most familiar templates of the world's dominant cultural powers and to say that the story's greatest obstacles are its cultural references — but this may not be the case. Readers are complicated, and stories are more than their settings and characters (and our response to those settings and characters may not be limited to our response to their cultural/geographical details). Consider, for instance, Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions and Dambudzo Marechera's House of Hunger — two Zimbabwean writers of the same generation, both of whom spent some time in England, but their approaches to writing are quite obviously different, and readers, I suspect, are likely to find themselves more strongly drawn toward one or the other. (Tangentially: Some of this, too, relates to the forms and styles most popular with literature teachers. That Nervous Conditions is still in print in the U.S. and House of Hunger is not seems to me to be at least partly because Nervous Conditions fits so well into school culture. For a provocative exploration of that idea, see A.O. Amoko's essay "The Problem with English Literature: Canonicity, Citizenship, and the Idea of Africa".)
I suppose I'm thinking about this not just because of the questions Aaron raised, but even more so because I've just finished teaching a course called Currents in Global Literature for the second time, and in doing so I often highlight questions of how we read and, especially, how we value texts with unfamiliar references and allusions. My students in the class both times I taught it were almost all white, almost all from northern New England, mostly from New Hampshire. I've been consistently impressed by their intelligence and thoughtfulness, but for various reasons they are almost all quite ignorant of the world and history (as was I at their age, although I think I had a somewhat better grasp of history simply because it was of interest to me, and I've long been an obsessive researcher). The most challenging books in the course have proved themselves to be A Sentimental Education and Burger's Daughter, with The Kingdom of This World close behind but a bit less daunting because of its short length. The River Between (new this term, replacing Petals of Blood, whose challenges simply required more time than we had) and In the Country of Men were generally the most popular books in the course, and also the ones the students struggled with the least. Both are written in a plain, straightforward style that, yes, hides complexities, but the complexities are not on the same scale as those presented by Flaubert and Gordimer (or Petals of Blood).
During our last day of class, I talked with the students about what, if anything, had changed in their perspectives about reading books from places less generally familiar to them than the sorts of stuff they get in survey courses on American or British literature (although, really, is anything we read nearly as exotic as everything in the first semester of Currents in British Literature?). In the midst of that conversation, one of the strongest students in the class asked why it was that so many of the books we read are focused on struggles for a sense of national identity. Why, for instance, is Libya as a country such a topic in In the Country of Men and yet she couldn't think of any U.S. novels that are primarily concerned with U.S.-ness in the same way. I wished the question had come up earlier in the course — wished, in fact, that I had been aware enough to raise it myself — because it's so full of assumptions that there wasn't possibly time to really unpack it during class. Nonetheless, I said something about the privileges of power, the invisibility that it allows, and also the differences of circumstances of countries with less stable governments than ours (it would be absurd and, I think, immoral to write, for instance, a nice little domestic drama about apartheid South Africa that never acknowledged apartheid — it might even be impossible, because in such a setting, the unmentioned would scream out of the subtext). There is also the power bestowed by the dominant national publishing infrastructures and their expectations, a power Bernardine Evaristo was getting at in her comments as chair of the Caine Prize judges this year when she said, "I'm looking forward to the time when the concept of 'African literature' also cannot be defined; when it equates to infinite possibilities and, as with Europe, there are thousands of disparate, published writers, with careers at every level and reaching every kind of reader." I don't read that as being Eurocentric and looking to Europe for models, but rather as a point about the effect of power and dominance. Making generalizations about "American fiction" or "European fiction" is impossible and meaningless in ways that are obvious, but people who would never think of making such generalizations will go on to then make confident generalizations about the literatures of other places with less global publishing power, and those generalizations and assumptions will narrow the possibilities for what is seen as publishable for writers from those regions. What Evaristo is calling for, it seems to me, is not for African writers to mimic European writers, but to be given the freedom to be writers of whatever they feel most compelled to write, and for literatures of all sorts to rise beyond a regional reductionism, free of the obligation to be exemplary of their place.
Literature is, of course, partly bound to time and place — even the most unspecific story was still written by someone(s) and somewhere(s) with a particular language and cultural norms. Few stories are unspecific about this, and many, in fact, revel in the details of place and culture, and are all the stronger for doing so. (What would Under the Volcano be without Cuernavaca — and particularly the Cuernavaca of its time? Ten years ago, I spent two months in Cuernavaca, and it is not at all the same place as it was when Lowry wrote about it. My brain now contains, for a while at least, until senility gets me, both the Cuernavaca of my experience and the Cuernavaca I experienced in Lowry's novel.)
I've gotten far away from Kahora's story, its own specificities, and questions of African/Kenyan fiction generally. Let's return to something Aaron wrote:
The fact that the landscape of The Lion King is recognizably the East African Rift Valley and that the animals have Swahili names causes them to signify not as Kenyan but African, and this is the point: the typical American knows lots of (wrong/stupid/racist) myths about "Africa" (and may even know that they are wrong/stupid/racist), that person will still tend to know nothing at all, for good or for ill, about "Kenya."Who is the we in Evaristo's "enlarge our concept of the continent..."? The judges? Readers who seek out the Caine Prize stories? The world, the children, the ones who make a brighter day?
I beat this point to death, perhaps, to raise the question of whether the dilemma of the "African" writer and the "Kenyan" writer are different things. After all, Bernardina Evaristo, the chair of the Caine Prize's judging committee, called for stories that "enlarge our concept of the continent beyond the familiar images that dominate the media," and demanded to know "What other aspects of this most heterogeneous of continents are being explored through the imaginations of writers?" But does Billy Kahora's story speak to or have anything at all to say about "Africa" as a continent? Or does it simply address Kenya? In expressing the aspirations of the Caine Prize in this way, Evaristo is enunciating the ambitions of a great deal of what has gone by the name of "African writing" in the past, the struggle to overcome the reader's sense that the continent is a single thing — the coherent set of pejorative images and stereotypes which we all know — and to expand the reader's sense of "Africa" beyond its presumed status as "a country."
And what of Aaron's question, then: "does Billy Kahora's story speak to or have anything at all to say about 'Africa' as a continent? Or does it simply address Kenya?"
Certainly, the rhetoric of the prize and the power that it bestows tempts us to look at the stories as embodiments of some geographic essential — a Caine Prize for African Writing presumes a meaning within the idea of "African writing" and creates an exclusion in the way any prize's rules do: no matter how broad and inclusive the definitions, there must be something that is outside the realm of the prize. In this case, non-African writing. (Really, it's the Caine Prize for African Short Stories in English, but that's another can of Pandora's worms...) While some might say that the differentiation is purely geographic, the ways we talk about the prize add ideologies to the geography: somehow, we want (expect?) the stories, especially the winning stories, not just to be written by people from a particular place, but to speak to and have something to say about the idea of Africa.
The obligation to address the idea of Africa is one those of us who are not African impose through assumptions and unconscious/unspoken expectations for writers who are from the continent. No one text can address a whole country, never mind a continent. Chris Abani has said, "If you want to know about Africa, read our literature — and not just Things Fall Apart, because that would be like saying, 'I've read Gone with the Wind and so I know everything about America.'" I wouldn't say Things Fall Apart is quite Gone with the Wind — maybe The Great Gatsby would be a better comparison — but the point is important. Obviously, one story, one book, one writer cannot be the embodiment of a continent's literature, never mind its many cultures or identities — and the same is true for countries and regions.
The texts that probably have the most to say about that idea, texts that directly speak to it, are ones that really take on the notions and absurdities that fuel it — I'm thinking especially of In the United States of Africa or some of Evaristo's own works.
Coming back to Kahora's story, who has the authority to say what it "speaks to" beyond our own experience of it? I don't, obviously. For me to say that the story embodies or just represents anything essentially African or Kenyan or Nairobian would be silly, even if I weren't suspicious of the idea that there is or can be something "essentially" African or Kenyan or Nairobian (maybe, instead of "essentially", a different term: "commonly" or "frequently" or "generally"). I don't have the experience or background to say. But I wonder if I have the experience or background to declare that anything speaks to or embodies ... anything... (I could not possibly declare, for instance, that any text speaks to the condition of being from New Hampshire, even though that is the place on Earth with which I am most familiar. I have no idea what it means to be from New Hampshire in any real sense. Or do I? It means not having a state income tax or sales tax, I know that. It means usually being surrounded by white people, except in certain parts of a couple cities. It means relying on automobiles because the public transportation is far from comprehensive. Is there is an identity within all that that I, as a writer, could speak to? I don't know. The idea doesn't interest me: it feels too small, too minor, too limited. I don't want either the burden or the limitation of having to speak to any identity with my writing. Perhaps that's a result of privilege. Perhaps it's a result of being from New Hampshire, where individualism is the strongest ideology. Perhaps I've read too much Coetzee, perhaps I have been consumed by countervoices. [I once published a story with a magazine that publishes a very specific type: "stories of speculative fiction that feature gay male protagonists", and while I like the people involved and was happy to have the story reach an audience that seemed to appreciate it, I find such specificity unsettling, because it imposes definitions and expectations. I'm much happier with something like "Walk in the Light While There is Light" appearing at Failbetter, because the reader's expectations going in are much less narrow. But that may just be my own neuroses. I loathe expectations. Are we ever actually free of them, though?])
And yet there are commonalities of experience, whether commonalities based on place, language, events, personalities, or emotion. Without such commonalities, communication would be impossible and literature unimaginable. We would all be stuck in our solipsistic selves, incapable of breaching the gap between one person and another. Even after thousands of years, The Illiad still communicates something.
I keep trying to pull some sort of conclusion from this scattershot post. I've been writing paragraphs and deleting them, cutting sentences from them and moving them around, rereading what I've written and wondering why I wrote it, forgetting what the original point was...
I've lost Billy Kahora's story here. Its details still remain with me even now, though, and more than I expected when, ages ago, I began writing this post. There's a lot going on in and between its lines.
It's African, yes, and Kenyan, yes, and Nairobian, yes, because it's set in Nairobi, in Kenya, in Africa, on Earth.
It communicates images of people and places, of events.
It's still rattling around in my imagination.
More than that, I can't declare with any certainty.


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Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Bunkley has written!
Author Bunkley's Book Reviews
Relative Interest
Kensington, Dec 2003, 24.00, 320 pp. ISBN 075820079x After returning from Africa, journalist Kira Forester returns home to find a letter from the North Carolina Division of Social Services waiting for her. The letter informs Kira that her six year old niece is no longer in foster care and is in the home of Ralph and Helen Roper waiting for the adoption to go through. The person handling the adoption Evan Conley, the owner of Sheltering Hearts P...


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Jacques Gillon tries the teleconverter for wildlife photography
Jacques Gillon, a scuba diver, was granted several awards at the Underwater Film Festival in Antibes, including two gold awards ("palmes d'or") in the 1980s. He created a CD-Rom after spending several months in Madagascar. He also produced a DVD on Indonesia - "A wildlife and nature experience".
He was granted several awards in 2005, 2006 and 2008 at the International Wildlife Photography Festival in Montier en Der. As a photographer, he illustrated a book called "Instants d'Oiseaux" in collaboration with Claude Feigné, an ornithologist. This book, which was published by "Editions du Sud Ouest", is prefaced by Allain Bougrain-Dubourg.
In 2008-2013, Jacques Gillon was the guest of honour of the International Ornithological Film Festival in Ménigoute. He takes part in many exhibitions everywhere in France and Europe.
Jacques Gillon and his wife, Christine, have been travelling throughout the world for many years. He made a portfolio of their favourite shots of Southern Africa; this portfolio features the most beautiful wildlife and nature locations. In 2010-2011, Christine and Jacques spent more than 6 months taking pictures of the biodiversity in the rainforests of Central America and Brazil. They also dedicated more than one month to sloth preservation in a sanctuary on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.
In 2011-2013-2015, Christine and Jacques worked as volunteers and photographers for several months in Cameroon in a sanctuary dedicated to chimpanzee preservation.
"I use three cameras: one X-E2 and two X-T1 with a XF14mm, XF23mm, XF35mm, XF56mm or XF55-200mm lens.
I chose the X series for three main reasons:
- The cameras are compact and the sensor is high quality
- I can see my settings immediately without going through the menu
- When I release the shutter, the result will be the same as what the sensor sees... A real pleasure.
To me, the X Series is a beautiful equipment tailored for photographers and the lens range is of the highest quality."


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Devin Harris and the Atlanta Hawks picked up right where they left off.
Harris scored a season-high 25 points and Josh Smith nearly added a triple-double Monday night as the Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 to improve their chances of securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Harris, who scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over the visiting Magic, had Atlanta's first seven points and scored 11 in the first quarter as the Hawks built a 25-19 lead.
"I thought Devin Harris did a phenomenal job from start to finish," said Hawks coach Larry Drew, whose team alternated wins and losses for nine games prior to Monday. "His speed and quickness were there."
Smith had 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists before a sparse crowd in Philips Arena to help the Hawks (42-33) pull within one game of Brooklyn (42-31) for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Reserve Marreese Speights scored 14 of his 22 in the final quarter, but the Cavs (22-51) did not seriously threaten after pulling within 58-56 early in the third period.
Shaun Livingston, starting with Kyrie Irving not playing in the second night of a back-to-back, had 14 points and six assists in Cleveland's ninth straight loss.
"Overall, I thought we played extremely hard, competed," said Cleveland coach Byron Scott, who has recently fielded questions about his team's heart. "If we battled like that the rest of the season, play that hard, with that type of fire . . . then we'll be OK. I've been waiting for that all season."
The Cavs' last lead of the night came when guard Wayne Ellington hit a jumper for a 5-4 edge.
Atlanta wasn't particularly sharp, but managed to win consecutive games — albeit against two of the league's least imposing opponents — for the first time in three weeks.
"My message was very simple to our guys . . . we really head to focus on us tonight, making sure we do the things we've been doing pretty much all year," Drew said. "As the season winds down, it's important that we don't lose focus."
Cleveland shot 51 percent in the first half and outrebounded the Hawks 23-18, but the Hawks made six 3-pointers to the Cavs' one. Atlanta's Kyle Korver was good on three 3-pointers to tie Reggie Miller for the fourth-longest streak (68 games) in NBA history making at least one.
Korver was 3 for 6 behind the arc as the Hawks built a 52-44 halftime lead.
Alonzo Gee's 3-pointer drew the Cavs within 58-56 with 8:16 left in the third quarter.
"(The Cavs) were playing real carefree," Smith said.
But Cleveland would never be that close again even as Speights scored 12 straight points for the visitors in the fourth quarter.
Notes: Al Horford returned to start at center for Atlanta after missing two games with a stomach illness. He had 16 points and six rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. . . . The only players with longer 3-ball streaks than Korver and Miller were Dana Barros (89), Michael Adams (79) and Dennis Scott (78). . . . Cavs guard Daniel Gibson was ejected with 7:07 left in the second quarter after drawing a pair of technical fouls. The first came for griping too passionately at official Brent Barnaky when he didn't get a foul call against Atlanta as he missed a shot. Then, Gibson and Atlanta's DeShawn Stevenson drew technicals in an ensuing debate about the situation. . . . . Cleveland's C.J. Miles missed the game with a sore right ankle. . . . Tristan Thompson returned to action for the Cavs despite suffering a laceration above his left eye that require three stitches.


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Mountain Biking in the Lake District
Highest mountain, deepest lake, most summits, steepest road……the Lake District has them all.
Swoopy, nadgery, droppy, gnarly, bermy…… and any other adjective you could throw at a mountain biking trail – the Lake District has them all too.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, why not stay with us at The Fisherbeck whilst enjoying your cycling holiday in the Lake District
Enquiries & Bookings 01539 433215


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Recognising that current approaches to managing often-vulnerable arctic habitats and species are not keeping pace with accelerating climate change, RACER instead locates sources of ecological strength and durability in today's arctic ecosystems - ecosystem resilience - and looks ahead to whether these wellsprings of resilience will persist in a climate-altered future.
Focusing conservation attention on these enduring sources of resilience is important for the continued functioning of arctic ecosystems, including the ecological services people receive from them.
Learn more about RACER:
From the experts
Experts discuss resilience in the Arctic.
Featuring: Martin Sommerkorn, WWF; Don McLennon, Parks Canada; Sahotra Sarkar, University of Texas; John Roff, Natural Resources Canada; Terry Callaghan, Abisko Research Station, Sweden; Arkady Tishkov, Russian Academy of Sciences; Brendan Kelly, NOAA; Maria Gavrilo, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute St. Petersburg, Russia; James Snider, WWF


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40" 10mm Round Beads Red
- Product Code: M2010RD
- Availability: In Stock
Available Options
Product code: M2010RD
Get ready to catch this larger variation of your standard throw beads! These 40" strands of 10mm red round beads are bright, colorful, and can bring life and spirit to your festivities, whether it's a Mardi Gras party, birthday party, company party, parade, holiday, sporting event, or other event. Ideal for patriotic, Christmas, and Valentine's Day celebrations. They're versatile and can be used for decorating and crafting. Available in bags of 5 dozen and cases of 20 dozen.
NOTE: We are UNABLE to ship bead products to California due to state restrictions.
|NOTE: We are UNABLE to ship bead products to California due to state restrictions
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