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study design
There is some (albeit not compelling) evidence to suggest that chiropractic spinal manipulation might be effective for treating non-specific back pain. But what about specific back pain, such as the one caused by a herniated disc? Some experts believe that, in patients suffering from such a condition, manipulations are contra-indicated (because the latter can cause the former), while others think that manipulation might be an effective treatment option (although the evidence is far from compelling). Who is correct? The issue can only be resolved with data from well-designed clinical investigations. A new trial might therefore enlighten us.
The stated purposes of this study were:
- to evaluate patients with low-back pain (LBP) and leg pain due to magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed disc herniation treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation in terms of their short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes of self-reported global impression of change and pain levels
- to determine if outcomes differ between acute and chronic patients using.
The researchers conducted a 'prospective cohort outcomes study' with 148 patients with LBP, leg pain, and physical examination abnormalities with concordant lumbar disc herniations. Baseline numerical rating scale (NRS) data for LBP, leg pain, and the Oswestry questionnaire were obtained. The specific lumbar spinal manipulation was dependent upon whether the disc herniation was intraforaminal or paramedian as seen on the magnetic resonance images and was performed by a chiropractor. Outcomes included the patient's global impression of change scale for overall improvement, the NRS for LBP, leg pain, and the Oswestry questionnaire at 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months, and 1 year. The proportion of patients reporting "improvement" on the patient's global impression of change scale was calculated for all patients and for acute vs chronic patients. Pre-treatment and post-treatment NRS scores were compared using the paired t test. Baseline and follow-up Oswestry scores were compared using the Wilcoxon test. Numerical rating scale and Oswestry scores for acute vs chronic patients were compared using the unpaired t test for NRS scores and the Mann-Whitney U test for Oswestry scores.
Significant improvements for all outcomes at all time points were reported. At 3 months, 91% of patients were "improved", and 88% were "improved" after 1 year. Acute patients improved faster by 3 months than did chronic patients. 81.8% of chronic patients 89.2% felt "improved" at 1 year. No adverse events were reported.
The researchers concluded that a large percentage of acute and importantly chronic lumbar disc herniation patients treated with chiropractic spinal manipulation reported clinically relevant improvement.
Does this new study meaningfully contribute to our knowledge about the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation for back pain caused by herniated discs? The short answer to this question is NO.
A longer answer might be that the report does tell us something relevant about the quality of this research project. We know from countless studies that ~50% of patients experience adverse effects after spinal manipulations by a chiropractor. This means that any report claiming that NO ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE REPORTED is puzzling to a degree that we have to seriously question its quality or even honesty. In this context, it is relevant to mention that a recent review of the evidence concluded that a cause-effect relationship exists between the manipulative treatment and the development of disc herniation.
The positive outcomes reported in this new study could, of course, be due to a range of factors which are unrelated to the manipulations administered by the chiropractors:
- placebo-effects
- natural history of disc herniation
- regression towards the mean
- other treatments employed by the patients
- social desirability
To be able to say with any degree of certainty that the manipulations had anything to do with the observed positive outcomes would require an entirely different study-design. Should we assume that this is not known in the world of chiropractic? Or should we consider that chiropractors shy away from rigorous research because they fear its results?
The term prospective cohort outcomes study, seems to be a chiropractic invention (cohort studies are by definition prospective, and observational studies are usually prospective). It seems that, behind this long and impressive word, one can easily hide the fact that this study design fails to make the slightest attempt of controlling for non-specific effects; the term sounds scientific – but when we analyse what it means, we discover that this methodology is little more than a self-serving consumer survey. Most scientists would call such an investigation quite simply an OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.
I think it is time that chiropractors start doing proper research which actually does answer some of the many open questions regarding spinal manipulation.
A remarkable article about homeopathy and immunisation entitled THE IMMUNISATION DILEMMA came to my attention recently. Its abstract promised: "evidence quantifying the effectiveness of vaccination and HP (homeoprophylaxis) will be examined. New international research describing and analysing HP interventions will be reported. An evidence-based conclusion will be reached."
Sounds interesting? Let's see what the article really offers. Here is the relevant text:
…evidence does exist to support claims regarding the effectiveness of homeopathic immunisation is undeniable.
I was first invited to visit Cuba in December 2008 to present at an international conference hosted by the Finlay Institute, which is a W. H. O.-accredited vaccine manufacturer. The Cubans described their use of HP to control an outbreak of leptospirosis (Weil's syndrome – a potentially fatal, water-born bacterial disease) in 2007 among the residents of the three eastern provinces which were most severely damaged by a severe hurricane – over 2.2 million people [7]. 2008 was an even worse year involving three hurricanes, and the country's food production was only just recovering at the time of the conference. The HP program had been repeated in 2008, but data was not available at the conference regarding that intervention.
I revisited Cuba in 2010 and 2012, each time to work with the leader of the HP interventions, Dr. Bracho, to analyse the data available. Dr. Bracho is not a homeopath; he is a published and internationally recognised expert in the manufacture of vaccine adjuvants. He worked in Australia at Flinders University during 2004 with a team trying to develop an antimalarial vaccine.
In 2012 we accessed the raw leptospirosis surveillance data, comprising weekly reports from 15 provinces over 9 years (2000 to 2008) reporting 21 variables. This yielded a matrix with 147 420 possible entries. This included data concerning possible confounders, such as vaccination and chemoprophylaxis, which allowed a careful examination of possible distorting effects. With the permission of the Cubans, I brought this data back to Australia and it is being examined by mathematicians at an Australian university to see what other information can be extracted. Clearly, there is objective data supporting claims regarding the effectiveness of HP.
The 2008 result was remarkable, and could only be explained by the effectiveness of the HP intervention. Whilst the three hurricanes caused immense damage throughout the country it was again worse in the east, yet the three homeopathically immunised provinces experienced a negligible increase in cases whilst the rest of the country showed significant increases until the dry season in January 2009 [8].
This is but one example – there are many more. It is cited to show that there is significant data available, and that orthodox scientists and doctors have driven the HP interventions, in the Cuban case. Many people internationally now know this, so once again claims by orthodox authorities that there is no evidence merely serves to show that either the authorities are making uninformed/unscientific statements, or that they are aware but are intentionally withholding information. Either way, confidence is destroyed and leads to groups of people questioning what they are told…
Final Conclusions
The attacks against homeopathy in general and HP in particular will almost certainly continue. If we can achieve a significant level of agreement then we would be able to answer challenges to HP with a single, cohesive, evidence-based, and generally united response. This would be a significant improvement to the existing situation.
Reference 7 is the following article: Bracho G, Varela E, Fernández R et al. Large-scale application of highly-diluted bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 156-166. The crucial bit if this paper are as follows:
A homeoprophylactic formulation was prepared from dilutions of four circulating strains of Leptospirosis. This formulation was administered orally to 2.3 million persons at high risk in an epidemic in a region affected by natural disasters. The data from surveillance were used to measure the impact of the intervention by comparing with historical trends and non-intervention regions.
After the homeoprophylactic intervention a significant decrease of the disease incidence was observed in the intervention regions. No such modifications were observed in non-intervention regions. In the intervention region the incidence of Leptospirosis fell below the historic median. This observation was independent of rainfall.
The homeoprophylactic approach was associated with a large reduction of disease incidence and control of the epidemic. The results suggest the use of HP as a feasible tool for epidemic control, further research is warranted.
The paper thus describes little more than an observational study. It shows that one region was less affected than another. I think it is quite clear that this could have many reasons which are unrelated to the homeopathic immunisation. Even the authors are cautious and speak in their conclusions not of a causal effect but of an "association".
The 2012 data cited in the text remains unpublished; until it is available for public scrutiny, it is impossible to confirm that it is sound and meaningful.
Reference 8 refers to this article: Golden I, Bracho G. Adaptability of homœoprophylaxis in endemic, epidemic and stable background conditions. Homœopathic Links 2009; 22: 211-213. I have no access to this paper (if someone does, please fill us in) but, judging from both its title and the way it is described in the text, it does not seem to show reliable data about the efficacy of homeopathic immunisation.
So, is it true that "evidence does exist to support claims regarding the effectiveness of homeopathic immunisation"?
I do not think so!
Immunisation is by no means a trivial matter; wrong decisions in this area have the potential to cost the lives of millions. Therefore proofs of efficacy need to be published in peer-reviewed journals of high standing. These findings need then be criticised, replicated and re-criticised and re-replicated. Only when there is a wide consensus about the efficacy/safety or lack of efficacy/safety of a new form of immunisation, can it be generally accepted and implemented into clinical practice.
The current consensus about homeopathic immunisation is that it is nothing less than dangerous phantasy. Those who promote this quackery should be publicly exposed as charlatans of the worst kind.
Yesterday, BBC NEWS published the following interesting text about a BBC4 broadcast entitled 'THE ROYAL ACTIVIST' aired on the same day:
Prince Charles has been a well-known supporter of complementary medicine. According to a… former Labour cabinet minister, Peter Hain, it was a topic they shared an interest in.
"He had been constantly frustrated at his inability to persuade any health ministers anywhere that that was a good idea, and so he, as he once described it to me, found me unique from this point of view, in being somebody that actually agreed with him on this, and might want to deliver it."
Mr Hain added: "When I was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 2005-7, he was delighted when I told him that since I was running the place I could more or less do what I wanted to do.***
"I was able to introduce a trial for complementary medicine on the NHS, and it had spectacularly good results, that people's well-being and health was vastly improved.
"And when he learnt about this he was really enthusiastic and tried to persuade the Welsh government to do the same thing and the government in Whitehall to do the same thing for England, but not successfully," added Mr Hain.
*** obviously there is no homeopathic remedy for megalomania (but that's a different story)
Oh really?
Let's have a look at the 'trial' and its results. An easily accessible report provides the following details about it:
From February 2007 to February 2008, Get Well UK ran the UK's first government-backed complementary therapy pilot. Sixteen practitioners provided treatments including acupuncture, osteopathy and aromatherapy, to more than 700 patients at two GP practices in Belfast and Derry.
The BBC made an hour long documentary following our trials and tribulations, which was broadcast on BBC1 NI on 5 May 2008.
Following the successful completion of the pilot, the results were analysed by Social and Market Research and recommendations were made to the Health Minister
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the project was to pilot services integrating complementary medicine into existing primary care services in Northern Ireland. Get Well UK provided this pilot project for the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) during 2007.
The objectives were:
- To measure the health outcomes of the service and monitor health improvements.
- To redress inequalities in access to complementary medicine by providing therapies through the NHS, allowing access regardless of income.
- To contribute to best practise in the field of delivering complementary therapies through primary care.
- To provide work for suitably skilled and qualified practitioners.
- To increase patient satisfaction with quick access to expert care.
- To help patients learn skills to improve and retain their health.
- To free up GP time to work with other patients.
- To deliver the programme for 700 patients.
The results of the pilot were analysed by Social and Market Research, who produced this report.
The findings can be summarised as follows:
Following the pilot, 80% of patients reported an improvement in their symptoms, 64% took less time off work and 55% reduced their use of painkillers.
In the pilot, 713 patients with a range of ages and demographic backgrounds and either physical or mental health conditions were referred to various complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies via nine GP practices in Belfast and Londonderry. Patients assessed their own health and wellbeing pre and post therapy and GPs and CAM practitioners also rated patients' responses to treatment and the overall effectiveness of the scheme.
Health improvement
• 81% of patients reported an improvement in their physical health
• 79% reported an improvement in their mental health
• 84% of patients linked an improvement in their health and wellbeing directly to their CAM treatment
• In 65% of patient cases, GPs documented a health improvement, correlating closely to patient-reported improvements
• 94% of patients said they would recommend CAM to another patient with their condition
• 87% of patient indicated a desire to continue with their CAM treatment
Painkillers and medication
• Half of GPs reported prescribing less medication and all reported that patients had indicated to them that they needed less
• 62% of patients reported suffering from less pain
• 55% reported using less painkillers following treatment
• Patients using medication reduced from 75% before treatment to 61% after treatment
• 44% of those taking medication before treatment had reduced their use afterwards
Health service and social benefits
• 24% of patients who used health services prior to treatment (i.e. primary and secondary care, accident and emergency) reported using the services less after treatment
• 65% of GPs reported seeing the patient less following the CAM referral
• Half of GPs said the scheme had reduced their workload and 17% reported a financial saving for their practice
• Half of GPs said their patients were using secondary care services less.
Impressed? Well, in case you are, please consider this:
- there was no control group
- therefore it is not possible to attribute any of the outcomes to the alternative therapies offered
- they could have been due to placebo-effects
- or to the natural history of the disease
- or to regression towards the mean
- or to social desirability
- or to many other factors which are unrelated to the alternative treatments provided
- most outcome measures were not objectively verified
- the patients were self-selected
- they would all have had conventional treatments in parallel
- this 'trial' was of such poor quality that its findings were never published in a peer-reviewed journal
- this was not a 'trial' but a 'pilot study'
- pilot studies are not normally for measuring outcomes but for testing the feasibility of a proper trial
- the research expertise of the investigators was close to zero
- the scientific community merely had pitiful smiles for this 'trial' when it was published
- neither Northern Ireland nor any other region implemented the programme despite its "spectacularly good results".
So, is the whole 'trial' story an utterly irrelevant old hat?
Certainly not! Its true significance does not lie in the fact that a few amateurs are trying to push bogus treatments into the NHS via the flimsiest pseudo-research of the century. The true significance, I think, is that it shows how Prince Charles, once again, oversteps the boundaries of his constitutional role.
A recent meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and arrived at bizarrely positive conclusions.
The authors state that they searched 4 electronic databases for double-blind, placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of IBS. Studies were screened for inclusion based on randomization, controls, and measurable outcomes reported.
Six RCTs were included in the meta-analysis, and 5 articles were of high quality. The pooled relative risk for clinical improvement with acupuncture was 1.75 (95%CI: 1.24-2.46, P = 0.001). Using two different statistical approaches, the authors confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture for treating IBS and concluded that acupuncture exhibits clinically and statistically significant control of IBS symptoms.
As IBS is a common and often difficult to treat condition, this would be great news! But is it true? We do not need to look far to find the embarrassing mistakes and – dare I say it? – lies on which this result was constructed.
The largest RCT included in this meta-analysis was neither placebo-controlled nor double blind; it was a pragmatic trial with the infamous 'A+B versus B' design. Here is the key part of its methods section: 116 patients were offered 10 weekly individualised acupuncture sessions plus usual care, 117 patients continued with usual care alone. Intriguingly, this was the ONLY one of the 6 RCTs with a significantly positive result!
The second largest study (as well as all the other trials) showed that acupuncture was no better than sham treatments. Here is the key quote from this trial: there was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and sham acupuncture.
So, let me re-write the conclusions of this meta-analysis without spin, lies or hype: These results of this meta-analysis seem to indicate that:
- currently there are several RCTs testing whether acupuncture is an effective therapy for IBS,
- all the RCTs that adequately control for placebo-effects show no effectiveness of acupuncture,
- the only RCT that yields a positive result does not make any attempt to control for placebo-effects,
- this suggests that acupuncture is a placebo,
- it also demonstrates how misleading studies with the infamous 'A+B versus B' design can be,
- finally, this meta-analysis seems to be a prime example of scientific misconduct with the aim of creating a positive result out of data which are, in fact, negative.
Do you think that chiropractic is effective for asthma? I don't – in fact, I know it isn't because, in 2009, I have published a systematic review of the available RCTs which showed quite clearly that the best evidence suggested chiropractic was ineffective for that condition.
But this is clearly not true, might some enthusiasts reply. What is more, they can even refer to a 2010 systematic review which indicates that chiropractic is effective; its conclusions speak a very clear language: …the eight retrieved studies indicated that chiropractic care showed improvements in subjective measures and, to a lesser degree objective measures… How on earth can this be?
I would not be surprised, if chiropractors claimed the discrepancy is due to the fact that Prof Ernst is biased. Others might point out that the more recent review includes more studies and thus ought to be more reliable. The newer review does, in fact, have about twice the number of studies than mine.
How come? Were plenty of new RCTs published during the 12 months that lay between the two publications? The answer is NO. But why then the discrepant conclusions?
The answer is much less puzzling than you might think. The 'alchemists of alternative medicine' regularly succeed in smuggling non-evidence into such reviews in order to beautify the overall picture and confirm their wishful thinking. The case of chiropractic for asthma does by no means stand alone, but it is a classic example of how we are being misled by charlatans.
Anyone who reads the full text of the two reviews mentioned above will find that they do, in fact, include exactly the same amount of RCTs. The reason why they arrive at different conclusions is simple: the enthusiasts' review added NON-EVIDENCE to the existing RCTs. To be precise, the authors included one case series, one case study, one survey, two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one randomized patient and observer blinded cross-over trial, one single blind cross study design, and one self-reported impairment questionnaire.
Now, there is nothing wrong with case reports, case series, or surveys – except THEY TELL US NOTHING ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS. I would bet my last shirt that the authors know all of that; yet they make fairly firm and positive conclusions about effectiveness. As the RCT-results collectively happen to be negative, they even pretend that case reports etc. outweigh the findings of RCTs.
And why do they do that? Because they are interested in the truth, or because they don't mind using alchemy in order to mislead us? Your guess is as good as mine.
Whenever a new trial of an alternative intervention emerges which fails to confirm the wishful thinking of the proponents of that therapy, the world of alternative medicine is in turmoil. What can be done about yet another piece of unfavourable evidence? The easiest solution would be to ignore it, of course – and this is precisely what is often tried. But this tactic usually proves to be unsatisfactory; it does not neutralise the new evidence, and each time someone brings it up, one has to stick one's head back into the sand. Rather than denying its existence, it would be preferable to have a tool which invalidates the study in question once and for all.
The 'fatal flaw' solution is simpler than anticipated! Alternative treatments are 'very special', and this notion must be emphasised, blown up beyond all proportions and used cleverly to discredit studies with unfavourable outcomes: the trick is simply to claim that studies with unfavourable results have a 'fatal flaw' in the way the alternative treatment was applied. As only the experts in the 'very special' treatment in question are able to judge the adequacy of their therapy, nobody is allowed to doubt their verdict.
Take acupuncture, for instance; it is an ancient 'art' which only the very best will ever master – at least that is what we are being told. So, all the proponents need to do in order to invalidate a trial, is read the methods section of the paper in full detail and state 'ex cathedra' that the way acupuncture was done in this particular study is completely ridiculous. The wrong points were stimulated, or the right points were stimulated but not long enough [or too long], or the needling was too deep [or too shallow], or the type of stimulus employed was not as recommended by TCM experts, or the contra-indications were not observed etc. etc.
As nobody can tell a correct acupuncture from an incorrect one, this 'fatal flaw' method is fairly fool-proof. It is also ever so simple: acupuncture-fans do not necessarily study hard to find the 'fatal flaw', they only have to look at the result of a study – if it was favourable, the treatment was obviously done perfectly by highly experienced experts; if it was unfavourable, the therapists clearly must have been morons who picked up their acupuncture skills in a single weekend course. The reasons for this judgement can always be found or, if all else fails, invented.
And the end-result of the 'fatal flaw' method is most satisfactory; what is more, it can be applied to all alternative therapies – homeopathy, herbal medicine, reflexology, Reiki healing, colonic irrigation…the method works for all of them! What is even more, the 'fatal flaw' method is adaptable to other aspects of scientific investigations such that it fits every conceivable circumstance.
An article documenting the 'fatal flaw' has to be published, of course – but this is no problem! There are dozens of dodgy alternative medicine journals which are only too keen to print even the most far-fetched nonsense as long as it promotes alternative medicine in some way. Once this paper is published, the proponents of the therapy in question have a comfortable default position to rely on each time someone cites the unfavourable study: "WHAT NOT THAT STUDY AGAIN! THE TREATMENT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE ALL WRONG. NOBODY CAN EXPECT GOOD RESULTS FROM A THERAPY THAT WAS NOT CORRECTLY ADMINISTERED. IF YOU DON'T HAVE BETTER STUDIES TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENTS, YOU BETTER SHUT UP."
There might, in fact, be better studies – but chances are that the 'other side' has already documented a 'fatal flaw' in them too.
Yes, it is unlikely but true! I once was the hero of the world of energy healing, albeit for a short period only. An amusing story, I hope you agree.
Back in the late 1990s, we had decided to run two trials in this area. One of them was to test the efficacy of distant healing for the removal of ordinary warts, common viral infections of the skin which are quite harmless and usually disappear spontaneously. We had designed a rigorous study, obtained ethics approval and were in the midst of recruiting patients, when I suggested I could be the trial's first participant, as I had noticed a tiny wart on my left foot. As patient-recruitment was sluggish at that stage, my co-workers consulted the protocol to check whether it might prevent me from taking part in my own trial. They came back with the good news that, as I was not involved in the running of the study, there was no reason for me to be excluded.
The next day, they 'processed' me like all the other wart sufferers of our investigation. My wart was measured, photographed and documented. A sealed envelope with my trial number was opened (in my absence, of course) by one of the trialists to see whether I would be in the experimental or the placebo group. The former patients were to receive 'distant healing' from a group of 10 experienced healers who had volunteered and felt confident to be able to cure warts. All they needed was a few details about each patients, they had confirmed. The placebo group received no such intervention. 'Blinding' the patient was easy in this trial; since they were not themselves involved in any healing-action, they could not know whether they were in the placebo or the verum group.
The treatment period lasted for several weeks during which time my wart was re-evaluated in regular intervals. When I had completed the study, final measurements were done, and I was told that I had been the recipient of 'healing energy' from the 10 healers during the past weeks. Not that I had felt any of it, and not that my wart had noticed it either: it was still there, completely unchanged.
I remember not being all that surprised…until, the next morning, when I noticed that my wart had disappeared! Gone without a trace!
Of course, I told my co-workers who were quite excited, re-photographed the spot where the wart had been and consulted the study protocol to determine what had to be done next. It turned out that we had made no provisions for events that might occur after the treatment period.
But somehow, this did not feel right, we all thought. So we decided to make a post-hoc addendum to our protocol which stipulated that all participants of our trial would be asked a few days after the end of the treatment whether any changes to their warts had been noted.
Meanwhile the healers had got wind of the professorial wart's disappearance. They were delighted and quickly told other colleagues. In no time at all, the world of 'distant healing' had agreed that warts often reacted to their intervention with a slight delay – and they were pleased to hear that we had duly amended our protocol to adequately capture this important phenomenon. My 'honest' and 'courageous' action of acknowledging and documenting the disappearance of my wart was praised, and it was assumed that I was about to prove the efficacy of distant healing.
And that's how I became their 'hero' – the sceptical professor who had now seen the light with his own eyes and experienced on his own body the incredible power of their 'healing energy'.
Incredible it remained though: I was the only trial participant who lost his wart in this way. When we published this study, we concluded: Distant healing from experienced healers had no effect on the number or size of patients' warts.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common and often difficult to treat – unless, of course, you consult a homeopath. Here is just one of virtually thousands of quotes from homeopaths available on the Internet: Homeopathic medicine can reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms by lowering food sensitivities and allergies. Homeopathy treats the patient as a whole and does not simply focus on the disease. Careful attention is given to the minute details about the presenting complaints, including the severity of diarrhea, constipation, pain, cramps, mucus in the stools, nausea, heartburn, emotional triggers and conventional laboratory findings. In addition, the patient's eating habits, food preferences, thermal attributes and sleep patterns are noted. The patient's family history and diseases, along with the patient's emotions are discussed. Then the homeopathic practitioner will select the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms.
Such optimism might be refreshing, but is there any reason for it? Is homeopathy really an effective treatment for IBS? To answer this question, we now have a brand-new Cochrane review. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of homeopathic treatment for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (This type of statement always makes me a little suspicious; how on earth can anyone truly assess the safety of a treatment by looking at a few studies? This is NOT how one evaluates safety!) The authors conducted extensive literature searches to identify all RCTs, cohort and case-control studies that compared homeopathic treatment with placebo, other control treatments, or usual care in adults with IBS. The primary outcome was global improvement in IBS.
Three RCTs with a total of 213 participants were included. No cohort or case-control studies were identified. Two studies compared homeopathic remedies to placebos for constipation-predominant IBS. One study compared individualised homeopathic treatment to usual care defined as high doses of dicyclomine hydrochloride, faecal bulking agents and a high fibre diet. Due to the low quality of reporting, the risk of bias in all three studies was unclear on most criteria and high for some criteria.
A meta-analysis of two studies with a total of 129 participants with constipation-predominant IBS found a statistically significant difference in global improvement between the homeopathic 'asafoetida' and placebo at a short-term follow-up of two weeks. Seventy-three per cent of patients in the homeopathy group improved compared to 45% of placebo patients. There was no statistically significant difference in global improvement between the homeopathic asafoetida plus nux vomica compared to placebo. Sixty-eight per cent of patients in the homeopathy group improved compared to 52% of placebo patients.
The overall quality of the evidence was very low. There was no statistically significant difference between individualised homeopathic treatment and usual care for the outcome "feeling unwell". None of the studies reported on adverse events (which, by the way, should be seen as a breech in research ethics on the part of the authors of the three primary studies).
The authors concluded that a pooled analysis of two small studies suggests a possible benefit for clinical homeopathy, using the remedy asafoetida, over placebo for people with constipation-predominant IBS. These results should be interpreted with caution due to the low quality of reporting in these trials, high or unknown risk of bias, short-term follow-up, and sparse data. One small study found no statistically difference between individualised homeopathy and usual care (defined as high doses of dicyclomine hydrochloride, faecal bulking agents and diet sheets advising a high fibre diet). No conclusions can be drawn from this study due to the low number of participants and the high risk of bias in this trial. In addition, it is likely that usual care has changed since this trial was conducted. Further high quality, adequately powered RCTs are required to assess the efficacy and safety of clinical and individualised homeopathy compared to placebo or usual care.
Asafoetida, the remedy used in two of the studies, is a plant native to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It is used in Ayurvedic herbal medicine to treat colic, intestinal parasites and irritable bowel syndrome. In the 'homeopathic' trials, asafoetida was used in relatively low dilutions, one that still contains molecules. It is therefore debatable whether this was really homeopathy or whether it is more akin to herbal medicine – it was certainly not homeopathy with its typical ultra-high dilutions.
Regardless of this detail, the Cochrane review does hardly provide sound evidence for homeopathy's efficacy. On the contrary, my reading of its findings is that the 'possible benefit' is NOT real but a false positive result caused by the serious limitations of the original studies. The authors stress that the apparently positive result 'should be interpreted with caution'; that is certainly correct.
So, if you are a proponent of homeopathy, as the authors of the review seem to be, you will claim that homeopathy offers 'possible benefits' for IBS-sufferers. But if you are not convinced of the merits of homeopathy, you might suggest that the evidence is insufficient to recommend homeopathy. I imagine that IBS-sufferers might get as frustrated with such confusion as most scientists will be. Yet there is hope; the answer could be imminent: apparently, a new trial is to report its results within this year.
It is a three-armed study (same 1st author as in the Cochrane review) which, according to its authors, seeks to explore the effectiveness of individualised homeopathic treatment plus usual care compared to both an attention control plus usual care and usual care alone, for patients with IBS. (Why "explore" and not "determine", I ask myself.) Patients are randomly selected to be offered, 5 sessions of homeopathic treatment plus usual care, 5 sessions of supportive listening plus usual care or usual care alone. ("To be offered" looks odd to me; does that mean patients are not blinded to the interventions? Yes, indeed it does.) The primary clinical outcome is the IBS Symptom Severity at 26 weeks. Analysis will be by intention to treat and will compare homeopathic treatment with usual care at 26 weeks as the primary analysis, and homeopathic treatment with supportive listening as an additional analysis.
Hold on…the primary analysis "will compare homeopathic treatment with usual care". Are they pulling my leg? They just told me that patients will be "offered, 5 sessions of homeopathic treatment plus usual care… or usual care alone".
Oh, I see! We are again dealing with an A+B versus B design, on top of it without patient- or therapist-blinding. This type of analysis cannot ever produce a negative result, even if the experimental treatment is a pure placebo: placebo + usual care is always more than usual care alone. IBS-patients will certainly experience benefit from having the homeopaths' time, empathy and compassion – never mind the remedies they get from them. And for the secondary analyses, things do not seem to be much more rigorous either.
Do we really need more trials of this nature? The Cochrane review shows that we currently have three studies which are too flimsy to be interpretable. What difference will a further flimsy trial make in this situation? When will we stop wasting time and money on such useless 'research'? All it can possibly achieve is that apologists of homeopathy will misinterpret the results and suggest that they demonstrate efficacy.
Obviously, I have not seen the data (they have not yet been published) but I think I can nevertheless predict the conclusions of the primary analysis of this trial; they will read something like this: HOMEOPATHY PROVED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN USUAL CARE. I have asked the question before and I do it again: when does this sort of 'research' cross the line into the realm of scientific misconduct?
This post will probably work best, if you have read the previous one describing how the parallel universe of acupuncture research insists on going in circles in order to avoid admitting that their treatment might not be as effective as they pretend. The way they achieve this is fairly simple: they conduct trials that are designed in such a way that they cannot possibly produce a negative result.
A brand-new investigation which was recently vociferously touted via press releases etc. as a major advance in proving the effectiveness of acupuncture is an excellent case in point. According to its authors, the aim of this study was to evaluate acupuncture versus usual care and counselling versus usual care for patients who continue to experience depression in primary care. This sounds alright, but wait!
755 patients with depression were randomised to one of three arms to 1)acupuncture, 2)counselling, and 3)usual care alone. The primary outcome was the difference in mean Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores at 3 months with secondary analyses over 12 months follow-up. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. PHQ-9 data were available for 614 patients at 3 months and 572 patients at 12 months. Patients attended a mean of 10 sessions for acupuncture and 9 sessions for counselling. Compared to usual care, there was a statistically significant reduction in mean PHQ-9 depression scores at 3 and 12 months for acupuncture and counselling.
From this, the authors conclude that both interventions were associated with significantly reduced depression at 3 months when compared to usual care alone.
Acupuncture for depression? Really? Our own systematic review with co-authors who are the most ardent apologists of acupuncture I have come across showed that the evidence is inconsistent on whether manual acupuncture is superior to sham… Therefore, I thought it might be a good idea to have a closer look at this new study.
One needs to search this article very closely indeed to find out that the authors did not actually evaluate acupuncture versus usual care and counselling versus usual care at all, and that comparisons were not made between acupuncture, counselling, and usual care (hints like the use of the word "alone" are all we get to guess that the authors' text is outrageously misleading). Not even the methods section informs us what really happened in this trial. You find this hard to believe? Here is the unabbreviated part of the article that describes the interventions applied:
Patients allocated to the acupuncture and counselling groups were offered up to 12 sessions usually on a weekly basis. Participating acupuncturists were registered with the British Acupuncture Council with at least 3 years post-qualification experience. An acupuncture treatment protocol was developed and subsequently refined in consultation with participating acupuncturists. It allowed for customised treatments within a standardised theory-driven framework. Counselling was provided by members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy who were accredited or were eligible for accreditation having completed 400 supervised hours post-qualification. A manualised protocol, using a humanistic approach, was based on competences independently developed for Skills for Health. Practitioners recorded in logbooks the number and length of sessions, treatment provided, and adverse events. Further details of the two interventions are presented in Tables S2 and S3. Usual care, both NHS and private, was available according to need and monitored for all patients in all three groups for the purposes of comparison.
It is only in the results tables that we can determine what treatments were actually given; and these were:
1) Acupuncture PLUS usual care (i.e. medication)
2) Counselling PLUS usual care
3) Usual care
Its almost a 'no-brainer' that, if you compare A+B to B (or in this three-armed study A+B vs C+B vs B), you find that the former is more than the latter – unless A is a negative, of course. As acupuncture has significant placebo-effects, it never can be a negative, and thus this trial is an entirely foregone conclusion. As, in alternative medicine, one seems to need experimental proof even for 'no-brainers', we have some time ago demonstrated that this common sense theory is correct by conducting a systematic review of all acupuncture trials with such a design. We concluded that the 'A + B versus B' design is prone to false positive results…What makes this whole thing even worse is the fact that I once presented our review in a lecture where the lead author of the new trial was in the audience; so there can be no excuse of not being aware of the 'no-brainer'.
Some might argue that this is a pragmatic trial, that it would have been unethical to not give anti-depressants to depressed patients and that therefore it was not possible to design this study differently. However, none of these arguments are convincing, if you analyse them closely (I might leave that to the comment section, if there is interest in such aspects). At the very minimum, the authors should have explained in full detail what interventions were given; and that means disclosing these essentials even in the abstract (and press release) – the part of the publication that is most widely read and quoted.
It is arguably unethical to ask patients' co-operation, use research funds etc. for a study, the results of which were known even before the first patient had been recruited. And it is surely dishonest to hide the true nature of the design so very sneakily in the final report.
In my view, this trial begs at least 5 questions:
1) How on earth did it pass the peer review process of one of the most highly reputed medical journals?
2) How did the protocol get ethics approval?
3) How did it get funding?
4) Does the scientific community really allow itself to be fooled by such pseudo-research?
5) What do I do to not get depressed by studies of acupuncture for depression?
Has it ever occurred to you that much of the discussion about cause and effect in alternative medicine goes in circles without ever making progress? I have come to the conclusion that it does. Here I try to illustrate this point using the example of acupuncture, more precisely the endless discussion about how to best test acupuncture for efficacy. For those readers who like to misunderstand me I should explain that the sceptics' view is in capital letters.
At the beginning there was the experience. Unaware of anatomy, physiology, pathology etc., people started sticking needles in other people's skin, some 2000 years ago, and observed that they experienced relief of all sorts of symptoms.When an American journalist reported about this phenomenon in the 1970s, acupuncture became all the rage in the West. Acupuncture-fans then claimed that a 2000-year history is ample proof that acupuncture does work.
Even the most enthusiastic advocates conceded that this is probably true. So they documented detailed case-series of lots of patients, calculated the average difference between the pre- and post-treatment severity of symptoms, submitted it to statistical tests, and published the notion that the effects of acupuncture are not just anecdotal; in fact, they are statistically significant, they said.
"True enough", grumbled the acupuncture-fans and conducted the very first controlled clinical trials. Essentially they treated one group of patients with acupuncture while another group received conventional treatments as usual. When they analysed the results, they found that the acupuncture group had improved significantly more. "Now do you believe us?", they asked triumphantly, "acupuncture is clearly effective".
The acupuncturists felt slightly embarrassed because they had not thought of that. They had allocated their patients to the treatment according to patients' choice. Thus the expectation of the patients (or the clinician) to get relief from acupuncture might have been the reason for the difference in outcome. So they consulted an expert in trial-design and were advised to allocate not by choice but by chance. In other words, they repeated the previous study but randomised patients to the two groups. Amazingly, their RCT still found a significant difference favouring acupuncture over treatment as usual.
Now the acupuncturists were in a bit of a pickle; as far as they could see, there was no good placebo for acupuncture! Eventually some methodologist-chap came up with the idea that, in order to mimic a placebo, they could simply stick needles into non-acupuncture points. When the acupuncturists tried that method, they found that there were improvements in both groups but the difference between real acupuncture and placebo was tiny and usually neither statistically significant nor clinically relevant.
Absolutely not! The results merely show that needling non-acupuncture points is not an adequate placebo. Obviously this intervention also sends a powerful signal to the brain which clearly makes it an effective intervention. What do you expect when you compare two effective treatments?
At that stage, the acupuncturists came up with a placebo-needle that did not actually penetrate the skin; it worked like a mini stage dagger that telescopes into itself while giving the impression that it penetrated the skin just like the real thing. Surely this was an adequate placebo! The acupuncturists repeated their studies but, to their utter dismay, they found again that both groups improved and the difference in outcome between their new placebo and true acupuncture was minimal.
Certainly not, they replied. We have thought long and hard about these intriguing findings and believe that they can be explained just like the last set of results: the non-penetrating needles touch the skin; this touch provides a stimulus powerful enough to have an effect on the brain; the non-penetrating placebo-needles are not inert and therefore the results merely depict a comparison of two effective treatments.
We had many discussions and consensus meeting amongst the most brilliant brains in acupuncture about this issue and have arrived at the conclusion that your obsession with placebo, cause and effect etc. is ridiculous and entirely misplaced. In real life, we don't use placebos. So, let's instead address the 'real life' question: is acupuncture better than usual treatment? We have conducted pragmatic studies where one group of patients gets treatment as usual and the other group receives acupuncture in addition. These studies show that acupuncture is effective. This is all the evidence we need. Why can you not believe us?


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Discussion in 'White Hat SEO' started by RB1987, Jan 18, 2015.
What's the difference and whats the benefit??
There is always lots of debate on this, but here is a quick guide:
White Hat SEO - is SEO done in accordance with google's webmaster guidelines -- Can take a longer time to rank, and will likely take more effort. Should avoid penalties, so should be more stable rankings in the long run.
Black Hat - is SEO done not in accordance with google's webmaster guidelines. -- Takes advantage of loopholes in google's algorithm, allows you to rank faster and with less effort. Higher chance of being penalised by google, so rankings may only be short term.
What most people consider white hat SEO may not even in compliance with what Google wants.
Google wants all of us to use Adwords.
Black-hat SEO is executed through posting articles - either paid ones or guest posts. and Black-hat SEO is buying links - usually on a big number of sites
Building link your self is black hat whatever techniq you use to build link all are black hat.just like clicking on your own adsense ads..google needs that website reputation grow in organic way.
There is no such thing as white hat SEO! All SEO is considered to be black hat and what people call white hat SEO is really just a mixture of online marketing and public relations.
Agreed, -- with this and the 'use Adsense only' comment above.
So the white hat is useless by looking black hat SEO in your opinion?
Pure Whitehat SEO - Build it and they will not come, buy adwords.
Blackhat SEO - Do what google does. Sell and buy links (adwords) duplicate content curation (Organic search) Use Networks of UGC to enhance algorythm ranking of your partners or self (Yelp, G+, 7 box etc...) Obscure your data (Matt Cutts - Their human link cloaker and redirect with all of his animal buddies). Use hidden recurring payment rises and add ons (Your 2001 links are in violation of 2015 TOS )
Colliquially White hat means to be in line with the TOS of any online real estate you interact with (With Google that means all of the TOS changes they might make in the future as well if you do not want a penalty) Anything you do today that sucessfully competes with adwords in the SERPS may be outlawed tomorrow.
It's not useless. It works the same way as Black Hat SEO except that it takes much longer, requires much more work and you lessen your chances of getting penalized. Although in the past some people who used White Hat SEO techniques still got penalized after Google update.
I'm just going to start creating and posting these when I notice older members posting these questions.
White hat SEO- make a website and start praying to get traffic from google.
Black hat SEO- Make a website and make Google send you traffic.
White hat SEO- For Long term benefits. Following Google's guidelines.
Black hat SEO- For short term benefits. Not to worry abt guidelines of Google.
Whitehat SEO - links are unsolicited.
Blackhat SEO - you build links.
I don't think Google approves "white hat SEO' either.
stupid thread.
It's hard to say "I do only white hat" because in the minute you placed a backlink somewhere you violated Google TOS, so it's kinda blackhat. White hat takes time if you don't have money to invest but once you manage to get up, it's haven. Check the sites with big authority (not saying only about well known blogs which are incredible). It's possible but it takes time and good skills to get there. If you work alone you will need to invest a lot of time to succeed.
So someone with a legit business that cannot afford to have penalties should stay away from black hat. But what about grey hat?
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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Everywhere I go I hear about the novelist Jennifer Haigh. I stop at an ING for tea, and there is Jennifer Haigh on the television screen. I leave and walk north. A big poster with Jennifer Haigh's name on it is at the public library!
Is she the savior of American literature-- or merely the conglomerate's Flavor of the Week? I'll have to look at her book-- but I'd wager its prose is as tame and domesticated as she is.
As contrast to Ms. Haigh, later in 2005 the ULA will be presenting wild young writers like Jessica Disobedience.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Who Is Jennifer Haigh?
1 comment:
- Adam Hardin said...
Typical MFA novel. Light and Breezy and utterly detatched at all points from reality. Iowa Graduate-Big Suprise. Not a New Voice at all. The same workshop voice hyped up once again.
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Edible Gardening 101: Your Best Basil Harvest Ever
If you fail to pinch the plant back, it will grow tall and spindly with few, if any, branches. Not only does this mean you'll have a measly harvest, but your basil won't taste as delicious either. Basil begins to lose its signature scent as it ages, because the oil content in the leaves diminishes over time. Regular harvesting signals the plant to continue to put out newer—and tastier—leaves. It also prevents the plant from flowering, which is good because after basil flowers it stops producing new leaves and the leaves that do remain are not as appetizing (though they are still entirely edible, just not as amazingly delicious).


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Friday, August 15, 2008
The Cool Interview!!
NOTE: Cooldude21 is one of the people I really like in WYD and he is one of the tough bloggers out there with his blog really taking much of the spot light, no offence is meant to ANYONE and the answers in this interview were altered to satisfy our needs :P!!
MSTR-FOEMA: Hey Coolioooo, nice to meet you, thx for giving me this interview :D
Cooldude21: You are welcome any time bro, his royal coolness is always there for his fans -.-!!
MSTR-FOEMA: His royal coolness..that is you...right?
Cooldude21: Oh yes his coolness is Cooldude21 mate!!
MSTR-FOEMA: Okay sure......:S!!! Lets talk about you for a while
Cooldude21: Heck yes baby lets ROCK AND RO...
MSTR-FOEMA: Okay okay, first of all did you play SD?
Cooldude21: Yes baby. SD, WYD, WHD, DDR, HDTV and...
MSTR-FOEMA: ( WTF?!) I see and you also played under the name Cooldude21?
Cooldude21: Of course I was like the strongest player out there, I owned even the GMs @@!!!
MSTR-FOEMA: Oh really?
Cooldude21: Yes man you know in SD, I could take out yunz, -JaXoN- and OFFROADXXX all at the same time :D!!
MSTR-FOEMA: Oh really that is really awesome, I bet your attack, def and HP were pretty high weren't they?
Cooldude21: Yes I had 9k melee dmg, 6k Def and 35k HP so I was really tough @@!!
MSTR-FOEMA: I bet you loved to hunt with such D E A D L Y character
Cooldude21: I liked particulary to hunt Rujuper Broken @@
MSTR-FOEMA: I bet you could kill it really fast...
Cooldude21: 2 Hits @@!!
MSTR-FOEMA: COUGH COUGH ehhm okay let's stick to the present, because the past is the past you know..
Cooldude21: Sure Cooldude says its cool to stick to..
MSTR-FOEMA: Okay, let's put game play aside get talk about the blogging event which is currently going on..
Cooldude21: Cooldude is all ears ;=)!
MSTR-FOEMA: What do you think of the tense competition out there?
Cooldude21: I think that bloggeres in this competition are really doing their best, but the CMs wouldn't really find the winner who don't deserve the +9 28/63 god class weapon..
MSTR-FOEMA: You think you don't deserve it o.O'?!!
Cooldude21: Heck no Cooldude doesn't deserve it!!
MSTR-FOEMA: OMG dude you are so humble and so..
Cooldude21: I deserve a +12 72/32 god class weapon!!!
MSTR-FOEMA: COUGH yes of course you do, I seriously like you blog but don't you think that this is kind of too much @@?
Cooldude21: Cooldude was going to ask for a +15 wep or even a especially made +16 or +17 but I guess the +15 can do also no problem!!
MSTR-FOEMA: NAHHHHHH! I guess you should ask for 2 +15 weapons, they don't really "make" them LOL!
Cooldude21: Your pathetic opinion is right...
MSTR-FOEMA: That's wonderful now I guess you need take your pills so we can continue this interview without me killing anybody!!
Cooldude21: HUhhhhhhhh? ( Pills being shoved in his mouth!! )
Break Period for pills to take effect.............................................
MSTR-FOEMA: Bro you are okay now..?
Cooldude21: I guess so yes @@!!
MSTR-FOEMA: You still insist on 2 +15 perfect stats weps for your blog..?
Cooldude21: What are you talking about :S!?!
MSTR-FOEMA: Okay I guess they are working, please lets talk about the event shall we?
Cooldude21: Sure man No problem
MSTR-FOEMA: What do you think of Soloran's Weblog @@..?? <<< (HOT PART COMING!!)
Cooldude21: I think it's one of the good blogs in the competition so yah..
MSTR-FOEMA: Yes I think it's good enough to declare him of the winners even before half the competition period is over and..
Cooldude21: Ermm bro watch it...
MSTR-FOEMA: I mean why not he had a really great interview with CM Dhar, and as they said he is way ahead of the other bloggers to the "race" to the grand prize....in your opinion what effect would that have on the fellow WYDIANS participating in the competition?
Cooldude21: You mean beside demoralizing them..?
MSTR-FOEMA: Yes that and screwing their spirit, would it have an effect on them..?
Cooldude21: I guess it will have no effects on them @@!!!
MSTR-FOEMA: Same here, you know tomorrow I will win the blog entry of the day, you know how..:P?
Cooldude21: LOL no, I would like you to show me please :P
MSTR-FOEMA: No problem check this one out "Noob Questions" Can I trade my ashen bow for you +11 isis?....
Cooldude21: Nice title XD!!
MSTR-FOEMA: That was the entry itself, I will publish it tomorrow and get the blog entry of the day, as you can see it is really hilarious and you can understand what's the point of it :D!!
Cooldude21: Yes the point is "Help out the noobs" :P
MSTR-FOEMA: Exactly bro, exactly, thank you very much for giving me this interview :D
Cooldude21: Sure man you are welcome ^^
Hope I had yall entertained :P
4 comments:
his ahead at that time XD but now every thing has changed since i revised the rules .... XD the competition gets tougher and tougher..
and yeah that interview part is to demoralize those "ilegitimate blogs" *cough copy paste* since at that time there are only 3 serious bloggers XD that includes the owner of this blog ( evil CM )
-CM Dhar
- August 15, 2008 at 2:15 PM
- MSTR-FOEMA said...
LOL finally CM Dhar commented on my blog :D It isn't that hard to post a comment you know :P Anyway your comments really means a lot to all bloggers so try to comment on our work because this is as good as winning blog entry of the day lol
Hope ur enjoying my blog and wanna see you posting here a lot ^^
- August 15, 2008 at 2:47 PM
- Cooldude21 said...
lmao. i couldnt help clapping to ur entry. seriously smart way of putting it.
esp the ashen bow to isis part totally got me on the floor laughing lol.
grats on the win bro and im honoured to be part of your blog.
enjoy the laks and thanks for participating in mini contest. :)
- August 15, 2008 at 7:33 PM
- MSTR-FOEMA said...
LOL thx man and glad you liked it, actually I was kinda scared in the begining that you wouldn't like it, but I guess it came hilarious after all and got CM Dhar to FINALLY take those precious seconds to comment on my blog ^^ Congratz on winning too i also like your entry :)
have fun and see you in game :D
- August 16, 2008 at 3:53 AM


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Frank Cho
Look What She's Done To Me! from Bride of the Beast Man
The title comes from the caption given to it when it was published as an illustration to Allan Gross' "Bride of the Beast Man" which appeared in TITANIC TALES.
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Iron hot - Ad 2 Honolulu strikes another victory
POSTED: Friday, June 05, 2009
Young advertising professionals from Honolulu have again taken top national honors at the American Advertising Federation's annual conference in Virginia.
Goldyn Zimetbaum and Tai Leong of Anthology Marketing Group led Ad 2 Honolulu's presentation of its pro-bono advertising campaign for nonprofit organization Kanu Hawaii - and came away with the club's sixth win since the 2000-2001 campaign for Hale Kipa, a program for at-risk youth.
That win was the first of four consecutive national presentation awards. Others were for campaigns for Aloha United Way organizations providing services to individuals with mental retardation, for Hawaii Literacy and for Hawaii Meals on Wheels.
The group's presentation for AccesSurf Hawaii in 2007 also beat other Ad 2 chapters around the nation, as did this most recent one.
Ad 2 Honolulu came in second for Club of the Year behind the Tampa Bay chapter.
The clubs submit books detailing other activities and programs for judging, and Ad 2 Honolulu won two first-place honors, for Club Operations and Programs; two second-place awards, for Membership and its Public Service book; and a third-place award, for Government Relations.
";This year we've been really pushing forward and getting back on track,"; said Tyson Yamada, Ad 2 Honolulu president.
";Goldyn called me. ... She's pretty happy,"; Yamada chuckled.
Kanu Hawaii is a nontraditional nonprofit organization. It encourages people to make personal commitments to make Hawaii a better place through activities such as conserving water, converting to compact fluorescent light bulbs, buying local products and more.
Television, online and radio commercials, as well as print ads for the organization, can be found on its Web site.
New FM station coming
A new radio station is due to grace the FM dial before the end of the month.
KNAN-FM 106.7 is to be erected, for now, on an existing cell tower, said Will Kemp, president of Nevada-based Kemp Communications Inc.
The company is a 49.9 percent stockholder in the joint venture building the station.
Nevada-based Big D Consulting Inc. led by president Donald Hildre, won the station in January 2006 in Federal Communications Commission FM Auction No. 62.
Big D Consulting's gross bid was just under $1.7 million during a time when FCC FM auctions appeared to be an exercise in what Alan Greenspan might have described as ";irrational exuberance."; However, Big D's $1.7 million was a pittance compared with the $6.7 million paid by A & J Media LLC for the right to spend potentially millions more to build a radio station in Indian Wells, Calif.
Big D was granted the construction permit for the station on June 27 of that year; the partners have until the 27th of this month to get the station signed on.
";We're still looking around for a studio site. We'll probably broadcast from the tower site for a while,"; Kemp said.
Kemp Communications owns five radio stations in Nevada and Arizona and is mum about the format with which the signal will be fired up.
It's going to stay ";a secret,"; he said, though it will not be hip-hop, given that there already are three stations locked in battle with that particular format.


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Chilambu is a 1986 Malayalam film. Directed by Bharathan, this film is about the revenge by a young man against his uncle who grabbed his family properties by expelling his mom and father from the house. Rahman, Thilakan,Shobhana, Nedumudi Venu, Ashokan, Santhakumari and Babu Antony appeared in leading roles.The script was written by Bharathan himself, based on a novel by N.T Balachandran by the same title.
Martial arts has vital role in the movie. Movie depicts "Kalarippayattu" the traditional martial art of Kerala and also Karate. The film is one of the rare and genuine martial art movie in Malayalam. The film was a big hit at the box office.Babu Antony made his debut into cinema by playing the main antagonist in this film. The music composed by Ouseppachan.Lyrics by Bharathan.
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This is a FREE service made available only to users who registers with the portal. A buyer or a seller, at any stage of the deal, can opt for availing the services from an experienced Interior Agency, who is registered with the portal as a registered service provider. Your home/office brings in a lot of positive energy when the interiors are well done and the colour combinations are soothing in nature. These experts know the best utilization of the available space and at the most economical cost.
You can get just the design work done or get complete interiors made through a composite contract within your budget. The registration procedure for the service provider is online but subject to confirmation of the portal and on payment of an annual subscription. The Buyer/Seller can be assured of quality service as service providers registered on the portal have paid subscriptions to render services and therefore quality offering from experts in the domain, will be the key parameter under this category of service.
The "Interior Agency's" brief scope of work can be defined by the buyer/seller but could also include the following:
The portal does not interfere in the commercial agreement between service provider and the service recipient. However the portal will interfere in the interest of both the parties, in case of any dis-agreement between both of them. The portal does not have any commercial interest in the arrangement between the service provider and the service recipient.


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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Roundup 20070605
It's been quite some time since I've had any time to make a pass at a roundup. The forces of the universe tend to act against me in ways that are completely undefinable. Whao ... serious déjà vu! But I swear, this type of thing NEVER gets in the way of my hobbies. Heh, I should go back and see how many weekends I complain about how it was too hot or too rainy to mow the lawn. A nice ven diagram of my topics and the bleed between posts would probably be rather pedantic. Weather, gardening, lawn-mowing. I suppose substituting leaf-raking or snow-blowing for lawn-mowing as weather dictates would be ok. The incipient kvetching will continue until further notice.
Speaking of snow, I understand that Linda is having a bit of a heat-wave over at Brain-Cheese. She does mention that her previous life in the warmer climes had given her the steel temper to match that of the demons from the lowest planes of hades, but her new Blue State environs do not usually let the local thermostat vary much between the 45-75 zone. The fact that we here in the swamplands of the Haupertonian Heatsink had 45 in the morning and 85 in the afternoon would have driven much of her fellow Emerald City Edenites swoon. Go over and offer her a glass of mint julip.
Zoom down south a thousand miles or so and you'll notice a slight warming trend. Not that Miss Hot-Hot-Hot Stuff Chris would notice. What? 120 degrees in the shade? The sun wearing Bermuda shorts and whisking sweat from it's brow? Burr, get me a jacket! And just because it's not quite toasty enough for her, she takes a vacation to temperate Las Vegas!? Now granted, most of that town is covered with a gigantic Tupperware lid and air conditioned to preserve the clients in a semi-cryogenic state (just mobile enough to pull those levers and play keno), but JEEZE!? I hear if you stand still on the streets of Vegas, if you wait long enough you will sink into the asphalt and become one with the town. Nova Scotia anyone?
A bit closer to EST, YodaMomma is also in a cooler world, but must contend with the insectoid invasion that comes along with a more temperate clime. I too encountered a tick this past weekend with was quickly pointed out by one of the Tyrants and disposed of in a rather brutal and final manner. Lyme disease; no thank you - I've already got a heaping plate of hurtin'. And I certainly hope that her 'tater bugs stay put up there in the hinterlands. My own taters are doing just fine and have not been exposed to those fiends. Sure, the weather is nice up there, but man, the resident fauna is not to be envied!
Scan a bit more to the East and you find yourself in the back-yard of the FOB (Forward Operation Base: Ithaca, NY). Pat at the MS Companion is struggling under the icy glare of the Glassy corporate eye. Not so much the chill of a bitter NE spring morning, but the even greater freezing effect of a stone-cold corporate entity squeezing a few more drops of blood out of a dessicated turnip. Funny about the printing.paper-media industry, they are all for the little-man so long as the little guy is not working for them. Pat, I'm sorry for your situation there ... some times living on the cusp of a change in the social dynamic just is not fair. Bop on over and give her a morale boost, we all could use one every so often.
So, how is the weather in your neck of the woods?
Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!
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Archive for the 'Templestay' Category
- September 14, 2014 Typhoons: beauty and destruction posted in Exploring, Templestay tagged adventure, Buddhism, coming home, Korea, long reads, meditation, Mihwangsa, temple, travel, typhoon
- August 23, 2012 Divergent paths. posted in Templestay tagged goodbye, Korea, lesson, long reads, temple, templestay, travel
- August 13, 2012 Head monk attacked by the children of Mihwangsa posted in Templestay tagged beach, Buddhism, children, crafts, Korea, life, long reads, Mihwangsa, Outliers, religion, student, tea, temple, templestay, travel
- August 2, 2012 The onset of contentment. posted in Observations, Templestay tagged Buddhism, Korea, long reads, mediation, Mihwangsa, philosophy, religion, student, summer, temple, templestay, tourist, travel, vacation
About the archives
Welcome to the archives here at Reserved Abandonment. Have a look around.


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In 2004, the PBS series Independent Lens televised a documentary about the late teacher Albert Cullum. It was entitled A Touch of Greatness, and it was unquestionably one of the most inspiring programs I have ever watched. Dr. Cullum's classrooms were alive- electric, and his students were engrossed in learning. They wore costumes, performed scenes from Shakespeare in the woods, and watched chairs topple down from desks to understand physics and because Dr. Cullum said it was exciting to watch things fall. Robert Downey frequently videotaped the classes, and this footage is presented beautifully in the documentary. Former students speak throughout the piece, and they share stories about school, and mostly, about how Dr. Callum inspired them to be great.
In a time when aggressive testing methods are being hotly debated, it would be worthwhile for all educators (and educational policy makers) to watch this documentary so they remember what it was like to be young and impressionable, and also so they recognize that teachers and classroom environments plant seeds in children that grow their entire lives.
Directed by Leslie Sullivan and Produced by Catherine Gund


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@ http://www.sovereigngraceministries.com notes:
No one has taught me more about biblical counseling, progressive sanctification, and how to evaluate my heart in the shadow of the cross than Dr. David Powlison. If you are not familiar with David, you can get to know him well in this candid and colorful interview with Mark Dever. Download the 70-minute interview audio here or listen here:
Life and Counseling with David Powlison
If you are looking for more from David, I highly recommend two of his books: Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community (New Growth Press, 2005) and Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition through the Lens of Scripture (P&R, 2003). Though I recommend the entirety of each book, readers new to David will get an excellent intro to his teaching by starting with two chapters of Seeing with New Eyes: chapter 8 ("I Am Motivated When I Feel Desire") and chapter 13 ("What Do You Feel?").


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We're a hawk on the issues.
Trump Targets CNN in Latest Attack
A new day, a new target for Donald Trump. In his latest rant, Trump targeted CNN.
"Sara Murray didn't report it very well because she never flips the camera to show the lines. I think she's absolutely terrible, your reporter," Trump told CNN's Chris Cuomo.
"Either she's a very unemotional person or she's not a very good reporter," Trump continued, adding later, "Maybe she's a low-key individual and doesn't believe in showing the crowds."
The Hill reports:
Cuomo pushed back, forcing the real estate magnate to call him "a top-notch" host. The pair sparred later in the phone interview over CNN's coverage of Trump's event.
"Excuse me, it stretched all the way down to Madison Avenue from the door!" Trump interjected, referring to the crowd.
He returned to suggesting the CNN reporter who covered his book signing reported inaccurately.
"I don't know if that's because she is incompetent, or she doesn't like me or maybe she's given instructions from up above. Who knows? I don't really care," Trump said.
"Oh please. Listen, you know she's not getting instructions," Cuomo said.
"I'm sure, CNN is very straight, I'm sure," Trump said.
The billionaire-turned-GOP-candidate has picked fights with the network before, in addition to high-profile feuds with personalities from Fox News and Univision.
Explaining why he insults his opponents, Trump said Wednesday, "I want to win. I have 90 days left."
Photo credit: All Today.


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Whew. The heat wave is over.
But you probably noticed that. But dayum…it was astonishingly hot all over. Maybe it seems more remarkable to me because I traveled over 2,000 miles from one scorching hot place and it was STILL SCORCHING HOT. There was no escape. Yesterday in Indiana? 96F with almost 80% humidity. There are no words for how uncomfortable this is. The couple days prior weren't quite that hot, though, but still plenty toasty. I was so relieved to see the weather here in SoCal is forecasted to be in the mild mid-80's all week with possible rain! There were clouds and everything today!
Our little trip was fun and successful, if quite tiring. We got in very late last night. I have a kind of photo essay to document the knitting portion of my trip. Even in semi-rural northern Indiana, I visited two LYS's and even found some local handspun!
But first I want to send a huge ginormous Thank You to Bron for the wonderful goodie that was waiting for me upon my return:
She sent me one of her incredible handmade candles, and it has the most wonderful light scent of lavender. This is all because I've sent a couple very small packages for things she needed that I happened to have handy, all in due course for a blog buddy, right? Nate handed me the package when we got in last night, and I think I said "What did she do?!?" She also tied on a silver charm that says "Dream" and I think the yarn is the Pakucho cotton like that I sent to help her finish a special pillow project. I mention this because I think this particular choice of yarn for this task is especially symbolic and heartwarming! She's such a wonderful gal!
Thank You Bron! I love, love, adore and love it! And you know, purple IS my favorite color 🙂
Well, on with the knit show! I did manage some completely unplanned stash enhancement (if driving by an unexpected knitting store and pointing excitedly while shouting "Please please can we stop so I can get a souvenir?" is unplanned shopping).
The middle yarn is from a shop in South Bend I have been in before called Sit n' Knit and the top and bottom are from Ewe-Nique Knits in Goshen, which was a complete surprise. From the top, Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch Softcolor in 507, Catalina 70/30 baby alpaca and silk blend (heavenly soft), and 95 yards of wool/mohair worsted 2-ply handspun called Teal Ripple. This was spun by Patricia Oakley, a math teacher at Goshen College, and she had a wonderful array of different fibers and colors. She has a website, too!
Here's something to like about small towns. When we parked outside the shop, the proprietor was watering her flower baskets out front. She said she'd be right in, to which I said no hurry, and she replied, "OK then, just holler if you need anything." There was no one else in the store and she didn't mind us looking around all by ourselves.
Here's the inside of Ewe-Nique – I loved it's simple rustic-ness:
And here's the shopfront:
Here's a scene of downtown Goshen on a hot, sleepy Saturday afternoon:
Please notice how absolutely flat it is. It's like that EVERYWHERE.
I did get quite alot of knitting done, mostly on the blue blob. I finished up the body and wove in the ends:
So far I've used just about 5 skeins, so I guess that means I knit up a little over 2 skeins on the trip. On the first evening, Nate's stepmom realized I was (apparently) making a sweater by hand and she exclaimed in a surprised voice "You're not actually knitting that, are you??!!??" It was meant in appreciation, but I thought it was darn funny! I love the yardage, not to mention the feel, of this yarn! A couple of sleeves and a good blocking and the blob will be ready for its closeup.
When it was too hot to handle the blue blob, I turned to socks! I finished up the cuffs of the Baby Cashmerino Cable Socks.
But I did not do these at the same time! I attempted the short-row heel as described in the pattern on my first sock, and was getting huge holes. Blech. So I ripped back and figured I'll do the other cuff and tackle the heels later. I tried it again when not just getting off a redeye flight – and still huge holes!
On the second go, I tried to tighten the stitches around the short rows as much as possible, and got exactly the same result. The holes don't appear until the second "part" of the short row heel, where you knit one stitch more than the previous row until you are back to the original number of stitches. The pattern calls for my to slip the first stitch of each row throughout the heel, and I think this is what's causing the hole. No matter how tight I knit, that slipped stitch is going to be tall enough to leave a hole.
So today I stopped by a local bookstore and got this:
Knitting Spaz Jen once told me that this was a fabulous book to have, and I have to say I agree! Now that the siren song of the sock is calling me, I have a greater appreciation for the technical info in this tome!
That's all the knit news fit to print! I have to go finish unpacking now. Post first, unpack later. A girl has to have priorities 🙂


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Zayn Malik Reveals Why He Developed An Eating Disorder
In his new self-titled book, Zayn Malik revealed he previously suffered from an eating disorder, The Sun reported, and it was not driven by the desire to lose weight.
Malik, who left the popular boy band One Direction last year, wrote that the final months of his time in the singing group were very dark, as he would go days without eating. He allegedly wasn't motivated to be skinny, but rather he wanted to have some control over his life.
"I think it was about control. I didn't feel like I had control over anything else in my life, but food was something I could control, so I did," Malik wrote in his new book "Zayn," according to The Sun. "I had lost so much weight I had become ill. The workload and the pace of life on the road put together with the pressures and strains of everything going on within the band had badly affected my eating habits."
This report comes just a few months after Malik canceled a show due to intense anxiety:
Malik's latest revelation opens the curtain on a common reason for developing an eating disorder.
Though some people may develop eating disorders as a result of body image issues, not everyone is motivated by the prospect of weight loss. A lack of control in one's life can lead someone down a path of eating disorders, according to ANRED.com, an informational resource from the now defunct non-profit Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders:
"[Some have eating disorders] to try to take control of themselves and their lives. They are strong, usually winning the power struggles they find themselves in, but inside they feel weak, powerless, victimized, defeated, and resentful. People with eating disorders often lack a sense of identity. They try to define themselves by manufacturing a socially approved and admired exterior."
Online resource Eating Disorder Hope states that some people have anxiety as well as eating disorders:
"Often, it is the case that anxiety precedes an eating disorder. In struggling with severe anxiety, for instance, being able to control the aspect of one's life, such as food, weight, and exercise, indirectly gives the suffer a false sense of control, which can temporarily relieve symptoms experienced due to anxiety."
[H/T Cosmopolitan.com]


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419 North Mulford Road, Suite 4
Rockford, IL 61107
Trusted Rockford area TMJ/TMD dentist Dr. Michael Teuscher can help you live pain-free again. If your life is disrupted by head, neck or facial pain, we can evaluate you for temporomandibular joint disorder, and provide treatment for the underlying jaw and joint problems.
Let our team of highly skilled professionals provide treatment that brings relief from the pain. There's no need to suffer any longer.
At Teuscher Dental Excellence, we accept several types of dental insurance. With the proper information, Dr. Teuscher and his staff will be happy to file your insurance claim for you. We strive to make the insurance paperwork process as simple and streamlined as possible. You are only personally responsible for the co-pay or deductible amount.
Dr. Michael Teuscher at his Rockford area dental implants practice offers extensive experience restoring your dental implant crown.
Our dedicated team uses state-of-the-art materials and techniques for stability and longevity. You'll enjoy the comfort and confidence of natural-looking teeth.
If you prefer home teeth whitening for convenience, set up an appointment with Michael Teuscher, D.D.S. at his practice in the Rockford, IL area. You'll be able to whiten your teeth in the privacy of your home, and on your own schedule, even while you watch television or read a book. You'll be very pleased with the results of Dr. Teuscher's natural home tooth whitening process.
If you're looking for a more pleasing, silver-free smile, you'll want Rockford area dentist Dr. Michael Teuscher to replace your amalgam fillings with natural-looking composite fillings. Tooth-colored fillings are thought to be safer and more attractive than older silver amalgam fillings. Dr. Teuscher will precisely match your new tooth-colored composite fillings with the natural color of your teeth, providing you with virtually invisible fillings.
930 North York Rd, Suite 120
Hinsdale, IL 60521
Would you like your smile to be a bit brighter than it is right now? We can make it happen at John F. O'Connell, D.D.S Ltd., with professional tooth whitening for brighter natural looking teeth. Dr. John O'Connell's Hinsdale, IL area office can effectively lighten your stained or discolored tooth enamel. Whiter teeth not only look great, they improve your self-confidence.
A beautiful smile can brighten your life! If you are continuously hiding your chipped, stained, or cracked teeth from others, it's time for a change! John O'Connell, D.D.S., a trusted Hinsdale area dentist, can fix chips, cracks, and stains to reveal a great new smile - and a new you. You'll look so good you'll wonder why you waited so long!
Hinsdale area restorative dentistry at John F. O'Connell, D.D.S Ltd. can produce natural-looking results. If you have a damaged or missing tooth, we can help.
Our highly skilled team will assess your need for a crown, bridge, implant or other procedure to restore or improve your smile. Our goal is to provide quality dental care for your life-long oral health.
Most major credit cards are accepted at John F. O'Connell, D.D.S Ltd. in the Hinsdale area. Types of cards accepted include Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card.
Hinsdale area cosmetic dentist John O'Connell, D.D.S. has extensive experience creating beautiful smiles. They're one of the first things people notice about you.
Our professional team will be happy to discuss your aesthetic dentistry options. The attractive results you'll get from John F. O'Connell, D.D.S Ltd. can change your life!
235 North Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60067
Webster Dental Care North Suburban of Skokie
4833 Church St
Skokie, IL, 60077-1357
(847) 673-7118
Dr. James J. Hogg, D.D.S.
120 Oakbrook Ctr
Oak Brook, IL, 60523-1806
(630) 218-1920
Dr. Sarode Pundaleeka MD
2614 W Jefferson St
Joliet, IL, 60435-6433
(815) 725-1355
James D. Rohan D.D.S. PC
30 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL, 60602-3402
(312) 372-4845
discount dental plans in Spartanburg 29306
periodontal in Washington District of Columbia
dental financing directory California
The new dentistry brings together a unique complement of skills, knowledge, and capabilities with one primary focus: ensuring your dental health care. Working as a team, your dentist and the dental finance team he or she has assembled wants to recruit you to join them in making sure this focus is maintained. The dental team has two major parts that you may hear referenced during your visits: the "back" and the "front." These terms refer to two very specific functions of your dental team. The front office handles all the administration, scheduling, and dental financing, and the back office provides the treatment.
Your front office team makes sure you know about scheduling opportunities, handles dental finance, and keeps the administrative details under control to provide you efficient services and support. The back office team is thus free to do what they do best: provide the best dental health care, financing health care and service for you. You'll find the dentist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant ready to assist you during your appointments.
The key component for success of any team is each member's commitment to do their part. As a consumer and team member, your commitment involves three things:
You can maximize the benefits of the skills and expertise of your dental finance team by deciding for yourself what kind of relationship you want with your dentist and the dental team and how they can help you achieve a positive outcome for your dental future.
By Brian DesRoches, PhD
What are the Costs Associated with Root Canal Treatment?
There are many factors that affect the costs and payment associated with root canal treatment. Each patient and tooth presents a different set of circumstances. Generally the cost of root canal treatment is directly related to the chair time necessary to perform the treatment as well as to the costs of the dentist staff, training, and technology that the dentist has available when performing the procedure. Be sure to ask your dentist about dental financing credit, dental treatment financing, or if there is a possible loan for dental work available.
There are many factors that influence the amount of chair time necessary to treat any particular tooth:
In addition to the chair time involved for treatment, other factors are also taken into consideration when determining a fair fee for root canal treatment:
In conclusion, there can be marked discrepancies in the fees charged for root canal treatment by different dentists. Ultimately, the best value for care is treatment that is done once and works over a period of many years. Conversely, the most expensive dental treatment is the treatment that may cost less initially but does not work predictably and needs to be redone one or more times. The wise dental consumer does not make a treatment decision on the basis of cost alone.
Will Insurance Cover the Cost of Root Canal Treatment?
Dental insurance will usually help with a portion of the endodontic treatment fee. A variety of dental insurance plans are available. A specific benefit package is selected contractually by each employer for the benefit of the employees. Some benefit packages may restrict or not recognize certain procedures, while in other instances the yearly maximums are unrealistic for anything other than the most basic care. The dentist will make a professional judgment and treatment recommendation based on what is best for the patient, not on what is best for the for-profit insurance company. The total fee is the patient's responsibility but the dental office will work with the insurance carrier to get the maximum contracted benefit. The patient should speak with the dental treatment coordinator before treatment begins in an attempt to estimate the available insurance benefit. Be sure to ask your dentist about patient financing, dental treatment financing, dental credit cards, or if there is a possible loan for dental work available.
by Clifford J. Ruddle, DDS, in collaboration with Philip M. Smith, DDS


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What a wonderful day for me today! Can't access internet due to streamyx down for my office area...duhhhh but managed to get dial up once a while. kekeke
Wanna wish everyone since early morning "Happy Mid Autumn Festival!" Enjoy the family dinner or dating whatever you will and enjoy the mooncake on your table! I wish to have a good dinner with family or someone but don't think it will happen. Forget it! I'm ok with it and it's not any special day :D
Vishal Chandrashekar - Music Composer
1 year ago


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Tyler's 3 months old!
Tyler's look says it all!
Tyler and his mommy have been staying at our house since Monday! His daddy has had the flu, which sent mommy and Tyler packing for grandma and grandpa's house. Tyler was supposed to stay until Wednesday, but on Saturday, grandpa got the flu, then on Sunday grandma...This sent Tyler packing for home. Uncle Jeremy got the flu Sunday night!
I finally made my decision on the kitchen tile and it will be installed on Monday! I can't wait to see how it turns out! As of today, this project has been postponed until Thursday! Guess the contractor doesn't want to get the flu!
I have now entered the world of the Blackberry....which will include internet access while I'm away from the computer....No more missed important emails! Of course I don't know how to use it yet....Jeremy will be working on that with me later. Does this mean I have my own Geek Squad support? After rubbing it in to Joel, that we got new phones today, Joel made me feel quilty, so of course, he'll get his new phone tomorrow.
I'll be able to blog at the lake. Kinda exciting to know I'll have internet access no matter where I am.
In a blender, combine the pineapple chunks, coconut milk, banana, ice and, if desired, honey. Puree until smooth. Pour into 2 large glasses. Garnish each serving with a pineapple wedge.


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KAMIAH – It's time to don those boots and hat and head over to the Clearwater Valley Roundup Association (CVRA) Rodeo.
The event is set for this weekend, June 27 and 28, in Kamiah. Saturday will begin with the cowboy breakfast from 7-10 a.m. The Main Street parade starts at 2 p.m. and all are invited to participate. The rodeo will follow at 5 p.m. Following Saturday's rodeo live music and dancing with the Crawford Graham Band. Barbecue pork concessions and a beer garden will also be available.
Sunday the rodeo starts at 1 p.m.
"I would like to invite everyone to the 52nd Annual CVRA Rodeo this weekend," said queen Jade Dutcher Paul of Kooskia. "We have recently installed a new handicapped area so come on down to the 'biggest little rodeo in Idaho!'"
Paul is a sophomore at Clearwater Valley High School. She is the daughter of Bryan and Roberta Paul of Kooskia.
CVRA royalty tryouts for the coming year are set for June 26, 6 p.m., at the rodeo grounds. Contact Jade at 451-5227.
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When players are eliminated and the table movements screen pops up to announce seat movements. Would it be possible to get TD to flash up a message, when a table is breaking up. Something like " Table 5 is Breaking"
so do you use the movement suggestions when running tourneys? I'm interested as I only use TD for the inital seating draw and redraws for final table, all the rest is done manually to keep it as fair as possible by moving the next big blind. When running bigger tourneys with more than 6 tables I use the 'bust anyone'method so TD is only keeping a track of the amount of active players and tables, and then the names are put back in before the bubble or a redraw needs to be done.I've thought about using TD for balancing and consolidation, but for big tourneys it just ends up a mess! with players not being eliminated so seats not available on the computer etc.Stu
yeah use it all the time , that way the tournament decides the seat movements. At the start I always tell players that the tournament decides the movements. They cant argue then. Its fair to all as everyone is subject to the same possible movements. The only time that i move players into the big blinds is nearing or in the money. Then I move them manually and try and place the big blinds into the appropiate seats. The reason why i would like the ability to see a "Table breaking" display is that many times when the "movements suggests" appears your in such a rush to get the moves done that I shout out the names and the tables that players are moving too. A shout of "table 2 breaking" would let the players know of the impending break and finish off the current hand and get players who are not in hands moving tables quicker. Done it before where i told the first 2 players of a move. Its amazing when 1 minute later they come across and say "where am i moving to again" (despite a big screen display showing the movements) then they and I have to check again. By the time i get to tell the rest of the players at the table they have inevitably started a new hand. Then the new table, that is waiting for the new players is playing short handed and complaining about the missing players.
I'll look into this. It's not as simple as it sounds, because of the way the movement algorithm works. Obviously there are times when the software decides fewer tables are needed, and thus a table is eliminated, but this is only one of several possibilities. Might be something I can add to the variables that are available for Events and their messages, so you could create an event that displays a specific message when a table is breaking. And/or maybe I can categorize the various scenarios and come up with some summary messages, and they could be added to the top of the Player Movement dialog and the Player Movement page.