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I completely forgot that i also shot this young lady in Milan
Thursday, October 11, 2007
UPDATE…Silver & Black, Paris – Silver & Beige, Milano
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83 comments
she's chic but the flat shoes are inadactily for her ankles. Sorry!
that is absolutely gorgeous.
Beautiful photograph, the colours in Paris are beautiful at the moment, oui?
She is beautiful, and I love her outfit. So elegant. But it is a tricky skirtlength, and I am note entirely convinced even this sophisticated lady pulls it off entirely. perhaps kitten heels would have been even better? Nonetheless, what a beauty!
Ah, beautiful. A women who knows how to dress for her figure.
How beautiful. I think this is my favorite outfit you have posted so far. After reading all your "smoking" comments, I thought I would add one as well. I enjoy your photos!
(especially after those cancer-seekers yesterday…)
This woman is seriously classy. What colours, what a face! Love her.
AND the light, the setting, wow!
The background, the girl, the pose, the coat.. what's not to love?
Absolutely lovely and ZERO comments so far? Sart, you should've photoshopped a ciggie into her hand!
Perfection! Clap Clap clap!
Oh so elegant. The dress (Jil Sander?) is divine, love the delicate pleating. That coat is the perfect choice – its proportions are just right, sets off the silver perfectly. She is beautiful.
She looks fantastic. I keep telling my partner that cloaks are the next big thing. I only wish she were wearing a little bit of a heel or the dress were a smidge shorter to better compliment her legs
This photograph is so special, it looks like it should be a painting. Keep snapping Sart.
a beauty!
This hem line doesn't go well with her body type. If if was a bit shorter, she would look slim and taller.
Amazing dress. My barbie had one when I was a little girl and I've always dreamed of wearing something like it. Its very 1920′s glam. The Jacket could be more so.
so flawless Shakhri….miss her A LOT)
Is that a cigarette in her hand? Ha-ha, I'm only joking.
I love these shots of the Tuileries, the straight lines of the trees/pathway with their natural vanishing point combined with the foreground subject and again combined with your eye for lighting and style makes for some beautiful photos. Keep it up Sart. And if you can, let's see some elderly gentleman.
Wow.. simply wow. (But I would have liked to see a heel, just to set off the dress and jacket even more)
how lovely she's wearing that jil sander dress…she is sort of making it very suited for the city, rather than a fancy evening party…
Transport me to the Tuileries now! How gorgeous it looks – and I will also take that great coat/cape and the bag…
Lovely coat that contrast very nicely with the shimmery dress. It has a 1960s look to it. Is that a vintage dress?
Didn't Marilyn Monroe wear something like that while standing on a air vent that fluttered up her dress??
I wish she was wearing heels….but the dress is fabulous and so is the cape.
She's absolutely lovely. There are no other words for it. (And how delicious is the dress fabric!)
wow! what an amazing photo.
wow….the set its so perfect and the contrast of colors……good job!
Look at her. So beautiful, so elegant. How can I want a cape/coat so much?
That dress is luminous. Was it really like that? Is it the Paris light? I wouldn't have chosen those shoes, but they really work. Sart, It seems like you've shot so many good pics in this exact spot; do these beautifully dressed people just keep wandering down this lane or do you direct them to stand there? Lovely shot.
ooo gorgeous! simple and chic. love love love the cape!
Beautiful lady!
stunning! i love silver and black (but I do not love the Raiders). and look at the foliage! what a pretty background for a lovely moment.
Love the composition of this photo, the simplicity of the colours and lines. Her dark jacket stands out beautifully against the amber trees. Also loving how her shoes pick up on the scattered leaves on the walkway. As a non-driver I applaud you for showing that women can be chic in shoes they can walk in. Thank you!
Classicly chic. More importantly, what a lovely location. If I ever get around to going to Paris, I'll have to get a picture there
Such a beautiful "day" treatment of that equisite dress (and cape!). All the elements are just right.
Lovely woman. Such a gentle beauty.
– desertwind
This is one of the best outfits you have ever shot, IMHO. I love the cape-coat, and the dress is flawless, though she does seem a leeeetle short for it (or maybe it it does have a flaw, after all, and is slightly too long). The only less than breathtaking aspect of the outfit is the shoe. I think something more colorful and high (a chartreuse wedge, peut etre) would have been better.
It's Jil Sander, isn't it? AW 07. I'm sure. The length is tricky, looked gorgeous striding up and down the runway, she's just not got the height. Shame.
The background for the picture is great.I think that the first girl was more to my taste than this one.A nice outfit though-suitable for evening wear.
Beautiful dress, didn't realize it was silver at first. Love her expression- distant yet intimate somehow.
I have to disagree somewhat with the comments — the colors ARE great, the cape is wonderful and the dress itself has huge potential, but just not here. And the shoes are just plain awful with the dress, taking a very beautiful woman who may have a gorgeous figure and making her look short and dumpy. She clearly chooses pieces well, but I wish she were wearing it better — even a wedge (very walkable) that gave some height could make such a big difference.
wow, she looks like she's floating…
what kind of effect is this?
did you use photoshop for this?
But i'm guessing they are all raw pictures on this blog.
Nice one.
Beautiful consistent personal style. So glad you showed both.
No matter what city she's in, she always looks fabulous therefore; I hate her! LOL!
I love the first girls coat/cape/vest thing she's wearing.
I like what the second girl is wearing too, I especially love her dress, she looks comfortable in her flats. Though, I think heels would have looked great too and lengthened her legs a bit. She looks great anyway though.
This is Shakhri Amirkhanova, the former editor-in-chief of the Harper's Bazaar Russia. Beautiful.
This is luminous.
Lovely. Very elegant.
Now I love her even more!
– desertwind
Sart, I love it when you show us two photos of the same person together — it really gives a great sense of their personal style, especially great when it's as considered and elegant as this young lady's. She is beautiful and I wish I looked that good in cool-toned colors.
wowee zowee! true elegance
Simply Ravishing
Sublime I say
Love that grey coat with the pink trim at the bottom!
This does look like a painting. So lovely.
You forgot that you shot her before?
These are rarefied circles you're traveling in, if this beauty slipped your mind.
i think she looks great. love the metallics
awesome update! that silver coat is fantastic!!!!
Love the color combinations, and how her arms peek out..
~ pearlescent
She is so elegant!
And from now on this lady is Editor-In-Chief of Tattler( Russian Edition), Conde Nast
that lady has style!
This is Shakhri Amirkhanova! This woman was the editor-in-chief of the Harper's Bazaar (Russia). And she said good bye when she were on the higtlite! In the time – when this magazine was the best! Her letter, her looks were magic! I miss about HER time. And it's nice to see her again – elegant, young and happy!
Sleeveless = Yes !
you've definitely shown the power of heels
Her name is Shakhri Amirkhanova, and she is editor in chief of TATLER Russia magazine now.
I love how she mixes riskier fabrics and colors with classic, elegant cuts. The silver coat is just beautiful. Great two-fer, Scott.
Glad to have learned Ms. Amirkhanova as the subject in these lovely shots. Upon learning she is Russian my own bias was revealed – I would never have guessed as I associate Russian style with bling and glitz. My error
The updated photo is a lovely as well. Clearly this woman knows how to dress. Thank god she has heels on…the flats were doing nothing for her legs (as I mentioned and so many others).
this young lady is the most elegant i ever see since a long long time , it's refresching !!!
Love the sleeveless Prada"coat" !
Absolutely love it- loved the Prada ads featuring sleevless as well.
So how come signature looks always look like a bit ridiculous in real life ? How come I feel they were only intended for the runway ?
wow, someone sure likes prada outerwear. but who can blame her. both look beautiful, and she wears them so carefree!
i believe she is carrying. though the flats make her legs somewhat stop short, i think the overall shot is great!
lovely & elegant. but the flats and hem length in the second photo make her legs look squat.
i love to see how people take a runway item and wear it in real life.. she looks beautiful and classy . the waistcoat is unique and i doubt anyone can pull it off, but she looks fabulous!
She looks wonderful. The colours just shimmer. It does however, look like she's missing her right arm in the top photo.
Amazing, she looks fantastic in both shots. I love how she is wearing the same combination (simple dress and fabulous coat) but how the look is so different. Also it looks careful and deliberate without being fussy. Inspiring!
She's obviously purchased those two coats (probably amongst many others without sleeves, but with slits on the side for arms) from the same place. Does anyone know where? Who is the designer of such cool coats?
Do you know that this woman is the editor in chief of a new magazine in CondeNast Russia?
very chic… but to balance out the proportions of the coat and skirt I would prefer a heel, in lieu of flats… overall very memorable
Her name is Shakhri Amirkhanova, she is Harper's Bazaar Russian edition editor
Wow. Seeing this in 2012, she still looks breathtaking. And that's timeless style.
I wouldn't forget that smile. She's gorgeous.
A real Parisian loidy. Wow. I love this kind of understated classiness.
this coat is beyond amazing – the grey one. <3 it.


text: Pinch to zoom I'm in! Hampton Picnic Hamper by The Gourmet Trotter Company £599$1098.81€680.10$743.72 Favourite Favourite Ask Seller View your favourites quantity personalise PRODUCT DETAILS Launched this summer, The Gourmet Trotter is a unique luxury mobile picnic hamper. It is greatly admired for its innovation, quality and stylish solution to the age old problem of humping the hamper. At last – a sophisticated picnic without restrictions caused by weight. Now available in three stunning designs, The Gourmet Trotter is the perfect gift for the person who has everything. The Trotter ingeniously utilises an inclusive golf trolley for suitable mobility to transport its elegantly furnished compartments. It is made up of three detachable modules for ease of use and for storage purposes. Each module has been creatively designed to accommodate selected and inclusive designer glassware, cutlery and fine English china for up to four persons. The Trotter also allows generous storage space including stainless steel containers for your personal gourmet produce. The modules also feature cheese and cutting boards, salt and pepper mills, a waiter's friend and pure linen napkins to complement a lavish alfresco experience. Slightly more flamboyant is the regal Hampton. It conjures up a jousting tournament with the hearts of ladies being keenly fought over in the era of the Tudors. It has a beautiful warm ox blood red trim with our ubiquitous brass finishes that compliment its gold and dark red heraldic style fabric. Each module is 30cm high and 28cm diameter and connects with a hidden magnetic system. The height of the Trotter is approx 90cm and weighs 11kgs in total without the trolley. The gross weight for international delivery is 20kg product code: 137388 see more see less DELIVERY This product is dispatched to you by The Gourmet Trotter Company. RETURNS You have 28 days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. Please note: goods that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements, perishable products and personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken are non-refundable, unless faulty. Read more about our returns policy.Should you choose to return or exchange your order you will need to deliver the item(s) to the UK, where this seller is based.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you stare at the moon too long, it will consume you.
In this haunting collection of stories, emotions sparkle bright and warm, but they also sink into cold darkness as love and hate twist together to become one. When life slips out of control, and there's a whisper in your ear telling you to give in and blame it all on the moon, what will you do? Will you comfort or crush? Maybe, just maybe, you'll do both.
On a moonlit night, not a single man in MOON CENTAUR will remain the same.
Translated by Anne Whittingham
Edited by Kimberly Lammens
Lettered by Alexandra Gunawan
Available for all platforms at eManga.
Also available from Kindle, Nook, and Wowio.
Preview: Click images to make larger.
Moon Centaur - Kentaurosu No Tsuki © Ayumi Sasaki 2004. All rights reserved. Original Japanese edition published in 2004 by Oakla Publishing Co., Ltd.


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One of the trends we saw forming at this year's E3—and one that will likely explode at next year's GDC—was interest in iPhone gaming. Apple's little unit is a surprisingly powerful platform with a ton of potential for gaming, and developers big and small are already beginning to pool money for iPhone games. The latest win for the newfound gaming platform has come by way of GarageGames, which has announced today that its popular Torque Engine now supports the iPhone.
Brett Seyler, vice president of business development at GarageGames, noted that the company's experience with OS X games made the transition to the iPhone a snap. "We've already seen enormous interest in the iPhone within the Torque community," said Seyler. "Game developers want to make games for the iPhone and this is a natural step since we're already a very good choice for developing OS X games."
The iPhone is the latest platform for the popular Torque Engine, which currently supports Macs, PCs, the Wii, and the Xbox 360. With the news, the iPhone has now been instantly opened to a wide range of ports for popular Torque software such as Marble Blast Ultra.
Strangely enough, the Engine still doesn't openly support the PlayStation 3, in spite of recent news that the Torque-powered Penny Arcade game was making its way to the platform.


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GOP Leaders Seize on Health-Care Delay
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren and Corey Boles
House Republican leaders stayed on the attack Tuesday over the federal health law, saying the administration's recently announced one-year delay in requirements for businesses means the mandate for individuals should also be put off -- and said they were considering legislation to address the issue.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said at a press conference Tuesday the House would take up legislation this month to eliminate requirements for individuals. "I never thought I'd see the day when the president, the White House came down on the side of big business but left the American people out in the cold as far as this health-care mandate is concerned."
Last week, the Treasury Department announced it was delaying the enforcement of penalties that could be charged to employers with 50 or more people for not providing adequate health insurance starting in 2014 along with various reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act for one year. The department hasn't delayed a provision that could charge most individuals fees starting in 2014 if they opt against buying health insurance.
More In Health Law
- Republicans See Signs of Hope With Suburban Voters
- GOP Seeks to Salvage Senate Seat
- White House to Release New Rules for Refugee Admissions
- 5 Ways This ACA Open Enrollment Period Will Be Different
- Why Trump Is Playing Ball on the Health Bill
- Trump Pushes Congress to Move on Bipartisan Health-Care Legislation
House Republicans have been reluctant to take up any legislation that might be viewed as an attempt to fix the health-care law and instead have voted several times to repeal the entire health law. But Republican leaders are mulling bringing two bills to the House floor likely next week in response to President Obama's announcement of a one-year delay in the obligation for most businesses to provide health care insurance to their workers, a senior GOP aide said.
The first bill would codify the president's one-year delay. It would be immediately followed by a similar delay in the implementation of a mandate for individuals to purchase healt- care insurance, the aide said.
While there has been no final decision, the GOP aide said there is "a strong level of enthusiasm" among House Republicans for bringing bills to the floor. GOP leaders think it would force House Democrats to choose between backing Mr. Obama and voting to allow a similar delay on individuals and families.
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and top Republicans sent the White House a letter Tuesday asking for information about the decision to delay the employer reporting requirements and penalties and questioned the reasoning for not doing the same for individuals. "We agree with you that the burden was overwhelming for employers, but we also believe American families need the same relief," the letter said.
As it now stands individuals who don't purchase health insurance could pay a fee of $95 for 2014, although the fee wouldn't be collected until a person files their income tax returns in 2015. Low income people would also be exempt from the fee.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman didn't immediately address a question about whether the administration was thinking about delaying the individual mandate.
Separately, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee said it would hold a hearing on the decision to delay the employer reporting requirements on July 18.


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Published on
April 03, 2014
Matt Maloney, SM '00, MBA '10, has come a long way from pedaling his bike around the streets of Chicago to gather restaurant menus.
In just a decade, Maloney with his vision, persistence, and charm, built the nation's largest online food-ordering service, enabling hungry consumers to order from 28,800 restaurants in more than 600 cities. GrubHub on April 4 opened trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
"People like to say 'this incredible company came out of nowhere.' But there are those of us who know this has been a long, hard road to the success that they're seeing today," said Kevin Willer, '10 (XP-79), co-founder and partner of Chicago Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund and an advisory board member of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Maloney and cofounder Mike Evans were software engineers who met while working in Chicago at Classified Ventures' Apartments.com, where they wrote code. They came up with the idea for GrubHub because they were hungry and wanted to order food easily, the story goes.
They envisioned the future of ordering food online and hit the streets to get restaurants on board. "They were ahead of the curve," Willer said. "You couldn't just say I want to order food online. They had to go to all these restaurants. That's like hand to hand combat on the street level. That's a lot of work, a lot of doors slammed in their faces."
Maloney had earned a master's degree in computer science at the University of Chicago in 2000. With GrubHub already in an early stage, he enrolled at Chicago Booth. A turning point came in 2006, when the two-year-old start-up won the Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge. That first-place finish netted the company $17,500 in funding from Booth and $7,500 from the state of Illinois, as well as guidance for the early iteration of the business.
"The New Venture Challenge provided frameworks, mentoring, feedback, and networks that helped GrubHub refine its business model and accelerate its business," said Steven N. Kaplan, Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance and faculty director of the Polsky Center.
That same year, the company changed its business model from charging an upfront subscription fee for being listing on the website—to a transactional format, where restaurants get paid after an order is placed.
"After that, we saw a dramatic increase in restaurants adopting our ordering platform," Maloney told the Wall Street Journal in 2012. "Had we remained a subscription service, we would have had a much harder time signing up a critical mass of restaurants."
GrubHub's model is successful because it focuses on providing a service to local merchants, not just consumers who use the online ordering service for convenience, said Terry Howerton, managing partner of Chicago-based tech-business incubator TechNexus. "It's the restaurants that bring in revenue for the company by paying a percentage of sales for the service," he said. Restaurants pay GrubHub about 15 percent of each sale to use its online-ordering technology.
The company eventually began to attract backers from Silicon Valley, including venture capital giant Benchmark Capital, and had raised about $84 million in venture capital in five rounds of funding before filing plans for its public offering in February.
Last August the company merged with New York-based Seamless Inc. to become GrubHub Seamless, the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering company. That put GrubHub in a much stronger position to pursue an IPO, Howerton observed. "Imagine the company trying an IPO in a competitive environment against Seamless," he said.
The combined company had revenue of $170.1 million last year and net income of $4.2 million, according to the company's IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commision.
J.B. Pritzker, the Chicago investor and managing partner of the Pritzker Group investment firm, said Maloney will face a challenge producing the quarter-to-quarter earnings that Wall Street expects.
"But the fact that Matt ended up as the CEO shows how much faith the investors and the board of GrubHub and Seamless have in Matt," he said. "It's sometimes the case where people get too big for their britches. Matt has never had that attitude."—Kevin Davis
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My team and I gathered data from numerous cities around the World and we proceeded to rank the top 10 cities to launch a tech startup. We've ranked the top 10 cities and their 5 runner-ups based on the following criteria: a/ Availability of talent ("it's all about the startup team"), b/ Availability of infrastructure, c/ Availability of capital ("yes, this minor factor"), d/ Legal environment (labor law, corporate law, tax), e/ Entrepreneurship spirit ("Yes, people who are looked upon favorably to leave secure jobs and pursue an entrepreneurial journey).
Top 10 cities to launch a tech startup:
- Palo Alto (Silicon Valley)
- Los Angeles (Silicon Beach) [Read Forbes' Tara Tiger Brown]
- Boston (Route 128 corridor)
- London (Silicon Roundabout)
- New York (Silicon Alley)
- Dublin ("2012 City of Science")
- Munich
- Vancouver
- Paris [in French]
- Amman [Read Bloomberg's William Cohan]
Top 5 runners-up
- Madrid
- Buenos Aires
- Toronto
- Helsinki
- Dubai
How the scoring was done: This ranking was done on relative terms, and NOT on absolute terms. Indeed, it is clear that the amount of capital available in certain cities is far greater than that of many cities in this ranking. The weight given the above five criteria was computed to the ratio of each factor as a % of the whole data set for that city from our sources below. The goal of computing a ranking based on relative terms, rather than the easy absolute terms, was to attest to the vibrancy of each city's entrepreneurial community, no matter how small. Using relative terms, a city with $200M in seed and venture capital may achieve a better ranking than a city with more capital simply because other human, legal and infrastructure factors scored higher.
Sources: GEM, HBS, SBS, IMF, HDI, NVCA, EVCA, PwC.
Special thanks to my team and to our hardworking data-crunching interns


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DSL705EU is a high-speed DSL modem with USB port. Connect to ADSL via USB.
Security is ensured via a double Stateful Packet Inspection and NAT based Firewall. In addition, the VPN Pass-through and DMZ support provide additional security support for users and permit exibility while retaining security against malicious hackers. Home Networking is made easy with Universal Plug and Play support.
DSL705EU comes in a stylish and compact life-style design that can be used when placed in a horizontal, vertical or wall-mount position.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) establishes quickly to the Internet for you unlike a dial-up service. With DSL, you can surf the Internet, chat online and check email at a faster speed. You can also share high quality digital pictures, video and music files with friends and family without lag.
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When it comes to plant biotechnology, and more specifically to the genetic modification of plants, Europe still seems to be different from most other parts of the world. While many countries have embraced the technology at a breathtaking pace, and the number and acreage of genetically modified plants are constantly growing at double-digit figures year after year, the European Union has had constant discussion on perceived risks, exaggerated benefits and scientific independence—with a near-total absence of any practical field experience.
Garlich von Essen is the secretary general of the European Seed Association.
The European Union has been at the center of numerous trade disputes, even at the level of World Trade Organization panels, as many countries see their exports unduly restricted by the EU's rigid zero tolerance policy and painstakingly slow approval processes.
Lately, the European Commission has tried to bring new movement into the deadlocked discussion through its proposal to nationalize the decision on actual plantings of GM crops while maintaining the competencies and bodies for safety assessment and general approval at the EU level. But again, this attempt seems to have generated no more than debate, with no concrete results in sight.
For at least a year, member states have been unable to make the principal decision of whether or not to take legal responsibility for their policies on GM crops. There are a number of reasons for this, which plant breeders and biotech developers should make clear to the interested and wider public.
First and foremost, the current status means that there have been no positive decisions made on new GM crops for planting. This is exactly what the vast majority of member states consider to be in line with two of their main political objectives—not to upset their highly vocal and well-organized environmental NGOs (specifically when elections loom on the horizon), and to shift the actual political responsibility for all negative consequences to the European Commission.
So what would national ministers and governments actually 'gain' in the case that they could make the final decision on GM plantings themselves, without interference at the EU level? Not much. On the contrary, they would have to visibly and legally take responsibility. In other words, they would need to substantiate claims of the lack of safety of GM crops for human health or the environment, outline the specific climatic or agronomic conditions that would make the co-existence of GM and non-GM agricultural production technically impossible, and to stand up at the WTO level and argue their individual cases. In short, they would have to admit that they are constantly breaking the rules and regulations that they themselves have set for no other reason than the political consideration to avoid difficult discussions and unpopular decisions that require true leadership.
Currently, national ministers with or without direct responsibility for the biotech dossiers are in the luxurious position of claiming to defend their citizens against the technocrats in Brussels (and non-European multinational companies) that seem to be trying to force GM crops and food down the throats of Europeans. What they deliberately forget to admit is that GM products are basically present everywhere in Europe. Huge amounts of feed and food products produced from genetically modified plants in other parts of the world are shipped to the EU daily, fed to its cattle, pigs and poultry, and are—directly or indirectly—part of our everyday diet.
But then again, this is largely hidden behind traceability and labeling rules that are designed to prevent, rather than ensure, consumer understanding. Sugar from a genetically modified sugar beet must be labeled as GM sugar while the use of genetically modified enzymes in sugar production from conventional sugar beets does not need to be labeled GM. And meat or dairy products from animals fed with GM products do not require any labeling at all. In short, these rules are a veil that hides the truth from consumers: that Europe's farm production is largely dependent upon imports of products that are genetically modified, and that the often-claimed 'GM-free Europe' is a myth rather than a reality, but a myth that is politically too convenient to be demystified.
"Huge amounts of feed and food products produced from genetically modified plants in other parts of the world are shipped to the EU daily, fed to its cattle, pigs and poultry, and are—directly or indirectly—part of our everyday diet … This is largely hidden behind traceability and labeling rules that are designed to prevent, rather than ensure, consumer understanding."—Garlich von Essen
The question remains: is Europe really so different? Do Europeans really welcome biotechnology when it comes to medicinal and pharmaceutical applications, but strongly resent it when it comes to food or even feed production from plants? What can be deduced from all respective studies and enquiries? The picture is blurred at best. Many Europeans have a strong skepticism, mainly motivated by the simple question, "What's in it for me?" Most Europeans don't see any personal benefits. And the ones that should (i.e. Europe's farmers), have so far not been very vocal in their advocacy of access to the technology.
However, with food security coming back to the political agenda, higher feed prices—and consequently higher food prices—and increasingly fierce competition on the world commodity markets, the situation may change faster than many have considered possible. Suddenly, the question, "What's in it for me?" may be answered with "lower prices." And Europeans are highly sensitive to food price developments.
Of course, there is no single argument that will suddenly win the hearts and minds of Europeans for agricultural biotechnology. Or, more generally, for its agriculture. For decades, the EU's agricultural policy, farmers and associated sectors, such as plant breeders and feed or pesticide manufacturers, have been branded as expensive to taxpayers, largely unnecessary and unsuccessful in addressing the wishes of citizens. While this appreciation is now finally changing as Europe realizes its needs and responsibilities toward its own food security, it is important for plant breeders and biotech companies to seize this opportunity, to form a strong, vocal and lasting coalition with its customers—Europe's farmers and growers—and advocate the much-needed sustainable intensification of European agriculture, to the benefit of the environment and the economy.
This sustainable intensification can only be achieved with technology. It is new plant varieties carrying new traits that are the answer to the increasing demands of an increasing world population. It is high time that Europe recognizes plant breeding and biotechnology for what they are: key sectors for our future that deserve strong and visible political support, and honest, transparent and enabling regulations as well as long-term commitment.
Garlich von Essen


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Wine Glass Painting (champagne flutes available)
Thursday, December 06, 2018 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Come paint in your PJ's! Payment is made at the door(cash or credit). Book online to reserve your seat. Walk-ins may attend if there are seats left. We prefer online reservations first. Cancellation Policy: Please contact us 48 hours in advance to cancel your seat or reschedule. Last minute cancellations and no-shows will have their credit card charged after the party that night. By registering for this event, you will allow us to post photos of the party online. If you do not allow your picture taken, please email email@example.com or speak to the instructor during the party and we will make sure your privacy is intact. Mimosas, Nonalcoholic beverages and prepackaged chocolates are available for sale. (We serve alcohol to 21+ only). No outside beverages are allowed, Southborough does not allow BYOB. You may bring food or take out. This party is open to 16 & up. Ages 7 & up may attend with an adult.
Event Instructor : Expressions Staff
We're sorry, but this event's date has passed,
but please check the calendar for more upcoming classes like this one!


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Monarchs Host North Carolina Central Sunday At 4 p.m.
December 11, 2008
By ODU Athletics
By ODU Athletics
Dec. 11, 2008
Complete Gamenotes in PDF Format
The ODU Monarchs (3-3) return to action Sunday afternoon at the Constant Convocation Center when they host the Eagles of North Carolina Central. Game time is 4 p.m. The Monarchs have won two straight with victories over Richmond and Delaware. Gerald Lee continues to lead ODU in scoring (14.7), and field goal percentage (.569), while Ben Finney leads in rebounding at 5.3.Darius James is second in scoring at 9.0 along 4.1 assists per game. ODU has a plus 6.2 rebound margin against opponents. NCCU, from Durham, NC. Are led in scoring by Vincent Davis with a 14.9 per game average.


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WHITEFIELD, N.H. — Some latter-day puritans contend that excess is a moral abomination and just plain wrong. In the case of the latest Ram 1500 pickup, they would be wrong. Excess is precisely why the revamped Ram is so good.
The Ram 1500 was wholly redesigned for the 2009 model year, so the 2013 model was supposed to get what the auto industry calls a freshening. This typically involves a few small changes — adding some chrome here or an extra doodad there. The real work goes into the news release, which usually seeks to redefine the common understanding of the word "new."
But when the Chrysler Group approached the freshening of the 1500, reality disrupted the process. Market research indicated that fuel economy was becoming a bigger concern among truck buyers.
So the product planners decided to install the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine that was already found in many of the company's vehicles, along with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Thus began a sequence of developmental dominoes in which one upgrade tumbled into another.
For example, Michael Cairns, the chief engineer for Ram Truck, said his team realized that the air suspension of the Jeep Grand Cherokee would work on the 1500 pickup. That was added to the wish list. But the air suspension required a new frame, and one was developed.
After looking at rivals like the Ford F-150 — and mindful that a new Chevy Silverado would soon come to market — the team decided the interior needed changing.
Then electric power steering was added to improve fuel economy, and new tires and wheels. "When you add all those things up, it became pretty much a major program," Mr. Cairns said.
The engineer said the package cost four or five times what would normally be spent on refreshments, although he politely declined to provide a dollar amount.
He said he expected a challenge when he asked top executives — including Sergio Marchionne, the Chrysler chief executive — to spend the extra money. But the upgrades were approved, and they have substantially transformed the Ram truck that is now on sale.
Like most full-size pickups, it comes in a dizzying variety of cab sizes, bed lengths and trim levels, with names like Big Horn and Longhorn seemingly intended to stimulate cowboy fantasies.
The least expensive version is $23,635 for a regular cab with two-wheel drive, a 4.7-liter V-8 rated at 310 horsepower and a 6-speed automatic. But ticking off the option boxes can push the price past $50,000.
Most of my time was spent in a four-door Crew Cab SLT with part-time 4-wheel drive and the Pentastar V-6 with the 8-speed automatic. Options pushed the $37,735 starting price to $42,835.
Not surprisingly, considering the price, the cabin offered all the comforts of a well-equipped sedan. The rear has 40 inches of legroom, almost as much as the front, which means two six-foot adults will easily fit fore and aft. With bench seats in front and rear, six people could be carried.
For carrying cargo inside, the bottom cushions of the rear seat fold up; unfortunately, the floor isn't flat, which makes stacking things a problem.
When it comes to basic controls, the review is mixed. Instead of changing gears with a lever, there is a large dial on the dash. It is out of the way, easy to use and clever. But making the cabin warmer or cooler requires using small buttons that you have to seek out visually.
There's also good news for those who want the four-door Crew Cab but need a long 6-foot-4 cargo bed. Previously the Crew Cab came only with a 5-foot-7 bed.
A drive along Kimball Hill Road, a two-lane along a ridge here in Coos County, gave me a chance to explore how well the new hardware works. Brian Thompson, the generally pleased owner of a 2009 Ram 1500 Laramie with a 5.7-liter V-8, was at the wheel. "This thing rides fantastically," said Mr. Thompson, who is also the postmaster of the nearby town of Bethlehem and an F-16 technician for the Vermont Air National Guard. "There is no harsh backlash when you hit a rut. It is kind of plush."
Heavy Refreshments
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Indeed, it was. And over two weeks driving on Interstates and mountain roads, it was clear that the new Ram handles quite well, particularly for a truck with a curb weight of almost 5,200 pounds.
The new electric power steering lacks feel, as is the case in most cars and trucks that use it. The weighting is also a bit inconsistent, getting a little lighter when the vehicle is turning. But it is predictable, and for a large pickup the Ram is surprisingly willing to head into a turn. Hard cornering on a rumpled surface — like washboards — doesn't make the rear skitter.
The body also feels solid. Hitting a bump or pothole doesn't generate the quiver one might expect with a body-on-frame design.
I also spent some time in a regular cab model with 2-wheel drive and a conventional suspension. That Ram was bouncier but rode reasonably well, although it couldn't match the air suspension.
Three engines are available, including two V-8s; another choice, a 3-liter turbocharged diesel, arrives late this year.
The V-8s include a 4.7 liter that makes 310 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. With a 6-speed automatic and 4-wheel drive, it is rated at 14 m.p.g. in town and 19 on the highway. But with the new V-6, the 4.7 is redundant and will be discontinued in March.
The second V-8, a 5.7-liter Hemi, produces 395 horses and 407 pound-feet. Mated to a 6-speed automatic, it is rated at 13/19 m.p.g. with 4-wheel drive. In the spring the Hemi will be available with the 8-speed.
The Pentastar V-6, rated at 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet, carries a respectable fuel economy rating of 16/23 m.p.g. with 4-wheel drive.
The V-6 and 8-speed make an impressive combination. While cruising at 55 m.p.h. that eighth gear lets the engine loaf at a drowsy 1,300 r.p.m. There's virtually no pause when you punch the pedal, and under hard acceleration the transmission will hold a gear until the engine speed nears the red line, prompting an upshift.
The transmission was cleverly calibrated. While climbing a hill it will settle into a gear and hold it without second-guessing itself and shifting up or down. The 8-speed can be shifted manually, with small buttons on the steering wheel, though paddles behind the wheel would be better.
The standard towing capacity for my main test vehicle was 4,100 pounds; buying a rear axle with a different ratio (3.51) raises the capacity to 5,800 pounds.
That compares with 6,550 pounds (and 8,600 pounds with the 3.51 gear ratio) for a comparably equipped truck with the 5.7 liter V-8 and the 8-speed.
Chrysler offers both part- and full-time 4-wheel-drive systems. The part-time system should be shifted into 4-wheel drive only if the road were slippery. In either case, low-range gearing is available for low-speed maneuvers on rough ground.
Low range was the choice for a narrow wooded trail on a relative's land in Bethlehem, where my destination was a field called the Hidden Pasture. This was no challenge until I reached a 10-inch-diameter birch that had fallen across the trail. This caused my passenger — my 93-year-old mother — to suggest we call it quits.
My mother has a history of providing excellent advice, which I have a history of disregarding. For instance, she thought it was a mistake to give up a college deferment and enlist in the Army in 1968.
A chronic disregarder, I pushed a button and the air suspension raised the ride height by two inches, to 10.1 inches (or 10.8 for a truck without skid plates). With just a little thump, over the log we went.
One area in which the 1500 has not uniformly done well is tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It got a Good rating for front and rear impacts, but Marginal for roof strength. It has not been tested for side impacts.
Over all, the reworked 1500 trumps its competitors with an impressive blend of comfort and convenience. But it has not lost the ability to handle the grubby chores for which pickups were created, and sometimes still perform.
INSIDE TRACK: Nothing succeeds like


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The Oracle APEX Builder Plugin is now also available for Internet Explorer!
For a long time I was looking for a Greasemonkey like add-on for Internet Explorer. I found several of them, like Greasemonkey for IE, Trixie or Turnabout. But the drawback of all of them is that they are not maintained anymore. In most cases development stopped already more than a year ago and the homepages do not mention if they work with Internet Explorer 7 or not.
On Saturday I finally found IE7Pro, which supports IE 6/7. And the good news is that it's actively developed. It has some other features too, but I was just interested in the scripting feature.
After adapting my Greasemonkey APEX Builder Plugin script yesterday, I'm proud to announce Oracle APEX Builder Plugin release 1.6 with support for Internet Explorer and Firefox!
Internet Explorer users can now gain the same productivity enhancements in there Oracle APEX Builder as Firefox users. Like
- Resizeable Textareas
- Keyboard shortcuts
- "Set" operations
- Seamless integration of the ApexLib Framework
- and much more!
Download the new version and follow the HowTo Install file for the necessary installation and configuration steps.


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Fernando Allende/Broadimage
Brace yourselves, Jennifer Aniston fans–following months of buzz, the actress has announced that she will indeed be launching her first ever fragrance. "It's been a year-and-a-half journey," Aniston told WWD. "I'd been asked to do things before, and it never felt organic. But when Leon [Falic, president of the Falic Fashion Group] approached me to be involved with the process from inception to fruition, I thought, 'This could be a creative expression.'" Aniston describes the end product, named Lolavie, as "a nonperfume perfume." And while specific fragrance notes have yet to be released, one thing is certain, it will be a lighter take than her childhood introduction to scent. "The first perfumes I ever wore were Miss Dior and Anais Anais," she says. "My mother wore Calèche and my grandmother used a body splash that came in a big yellow jug that she kept by the bathtub. Those were very strong scents. Now I am not a big perfume-y fragrance fan." So what does she want her scent evoke? "I want people to go, 'What is that? You smell great!' But most of all I wanted it to smell natural," she says. American fans will have to pull out their passports to get a first sniff of Lolavie, which will launch in the U.K. at Harrods in June starting at around $47 for a 50-ml. bottle, or wait for the as yet undetermined U.S. distribution that will follow. Tell us: Will you buy Jennifer Aniston's debut fragrance? –Katherine Kluznik Rentmeester


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Think about the last time you scanned through a tv-programma.
Eric Standridge offers relationship tips and tricks based on private practice.. from the perspective of a former bashful dude.
Online Dating Advice: Dating te a Fresh Age
When the web wasgoed youthfull, online dating wasgoed frowned upon. Finding love online wasgoed like arguing with the man at the roulette wheel overheen what's considered an odd number, it just wasn't done. Those were the days of the wild and unruly web where predators stalked every corner and every voeling could be a veiled disaster.
Those days have long since gone the way of dial-up and AOL. There are still dangers out there, but ter today's world, online dating is now the official preferred method for singles to date.
Still, for many, this is a fresh practice. For others, the ones who are internet experts, online dating just hasn't worked for them.
This article is total of dating advice, including several online dating rules to help you ter your search to find love online.
The Facts about Online Dating
For those who are still hesitant about online dating, the facts should speak for themselves:
- There are overheen 40 million American singles that use online dating and social networking sites to meet fresh people. 1
Online Dating Advice: The ",Do's", of Online Dating
Existente World Dating Advice: When creating your online profile.
- . provide quality photos. Nothing says more about you than your photo, make sure it's clean, crisp, and latest.
. proofread. Look, it's plain. Leave behind about using "text speak", and truly take the time to make sure that your profile is written well. This is a presentation of who you are spil a person, so waterput your best foot forward and go all out. Check your grammar, your spelling (most browsers have a spell check function), and make sure that the profile is readable.
. create something to attract attention. Think about the last time you scanned through a tv-programma. What articles attracted you? What about those articles wasgoed attractive? Now zekering and think about your profile. Typically, you have less than three seconds to make an impression. Three seconds to find love online. That's not a loterijlot of time, so make those seconds count. You have your own personality, and your profile is a potential match's gateway to you. If you don't catch their eye within the very first three seconds, they are more likely to keep browsing.
Existente World Dating Advice: When engaging ter conversation with someone you toevluchthaven't met te person.
- . be different. What sets you chic from everyone else? What is it about you that people are attracted to? Be who you are, and be proud of that person. Do you have a good sense of humor? Use it. Are you brainy? Be clever. Are you timid? ..work on building your confidence, but don't pretend to be someone you're not. The point of online dating is to find love online by meeting someone whom you can have a successful relationship with.В You can only do that if the person accepts you for you.
Verdadero World Dating Advice: Other "Do's" of Online Dating.
- ..be patient. Finding love online isn't instant, even however that seems to be what everyone expects. There are those few that meet the person of their desires within just a few brief weeks, but those few are zonderling. Sometimes it could take months to meet the right person. Recall, there's thousands of fresh people that sign up daily.
- . Set Boundaries. Only you know what attracts you to another person. Only you know what's significant to you. Examine those things, and when you're looking for a potential match, don't lodge for someone that you're not compatible with. Te the same line of thought, don't set too many boundaries, keep those lines to the significant things. By setting too many boundaries, you may pass by someone who you could build a lasting relationship with.


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The game you are trying to view has ceased development and consequently been archived. If you are a member of this game, can demonstrate that it is being actively developed and will be able to keep this profile up to date with the latest news, images, videos and downloads, please contact us with all details and we will consider its re-activation.
Find Me Coppers is a Treasure Hunting game using the Platinum Arts Sandbox Free 3D Game Maker/Cube 2 engine where you explore five (or more depending on funding) vastly different areas, find secret passages and areas, avoid and escape traps, solve puzzles, and get to be a real adventurer! Think back to the days of hunting for Easter candy, playing Hide and Go Seek or when you'd go out exploring. That is the excitement we want to bring to the game and have interesting areas that keep you wondering what will be around the corner!
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text: Senator Ron Wyden hosted Eric Shinseki, US Secretary of Veterans Administration, for a veterans round table at Portland State University on Wednesday August 19, 2009. After President Wim Wiewel welcomed the Senator, Secretary, and Governor Ted Kulongoski to campus the round table proceeded. Included in the event was ASPSU Student Body President Jonathan Sanford and other student veterans. The round table was centered around the new G.I. Bill, which the Senator was a big champion of in Congress. PSU will be seeing many more veterans taking advantage of this program and we are prepared for the incoming veterans. It was an honor to host the Secretary and Senator and we look forward to working with them in the future on veterans issues.


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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
versión On-line ISSN 2078-5135
versión impresa ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.101 no.7 Cape Town jul. 2011
Pathogenic lower genital tract organisms in HIV-infected and uninfected women, and their association with postpartum infectious morbidity
H M SebitloaneI; J MoodleyII; T M EsterhuizenIII
IMB ChB, FCOG, MMed. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
IIMB ChB, FCOG (SA), FRCOG (UK), MD. Women's Health and HIV Research Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal
IIIMSc. School of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of vaginal pathogens during pregnancy and their impact on postpartum infectious morbidity among antiretroviral-naïve HIV-infected, and HIVuninfected, women.
METHODS: Vaginal swabs were obtained during early labour by speculum examination prior to digital vaginal examination, and sent for microscopy and culture. Women were assessed for infectious complications within 24 - 72 hours of delivery, and up to 2 weeks postpartum.
RESULTS: Laboratory results were available for 801 women who delivered vaginally (418 HIV infected and 383 uninfected). The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable, and the median CD4 count for HIV-infected women (N=391) was 416/µl. Fifty-five per cent (54.8%) of women had positive cultures (439/801), more among those who were HIV infected than uninfected (60% v. 49.1%, p=0.002). Women with positive cultures had slightly higher rates of infectious morbidity than those without (20.5% v. 15.2%, p=0.052). Trichomonas vaginalis and group B streptococci were significantly associated with sepsis (p=0.023 and <0.001, respectively), whereas the presence of Candida species seemed to be protective (relative risk 0.69, p=0.014).
CONCLUSION: The study shows that a high proportion of pregnant women have pathogenic organisms in the lower genital tract that are associated with development of postpartum infectious morbidity.
A balanced colonisation by endogenous vaginal microflora of the lower female genital tract consists of predominantly Lactobacillus species,1 co-existing with vaginal anaerobes and aerobes such as Streptococcus agalactiae (e.g. group B streptococci)2 and the Bacteroides family.3 Disturbing this microbial milieu results in overgrowth of bacterial vaginosis-related organisms which are associated with a 3 - 6 times greater risk of postpartum endometritis.4,5 However, the role of endogenous lower genital tract pathogens, especially bacterial vaginosis organisms, and their impact on postpartum infectious morbidity, is controversial.6,7 Other vaginal organisms associated with postpartum infectious morbidity include Ureaplasma urealyticum, group B streptococcus (GBS) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as Trichomonas vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Case detection and treatment of the latter STIs is often technically difficult and expensive. Furthermore, the prevalence of genital tract infections is probably higher among HIV-positive women because of their associated immunosuppression. Studies have shown perturbations in the vaginal flora of HIV-infected women, with approximately 20% of HIV-infected women having Lactobacillus-dominant vaginal flora.8,9 Cu-Uvin et al. found no difference in the prevalence rates of lower genital tract infections among HIV-infected women compared with HIV-uninfected women.10 These conflicting findings led us to determine the prevalence of lower genital tract infections during pregnancy and their impact on postpartum infectious morbidity among HIV-infected and uninfected women.
Study population
Our study was nested within a prospective trial of 1 404 women (716 HIV positive compared with 688 HIV negative) over a 2-year period.11,12 Women of 18 years and older, and who were at 36 weeks' gestation and greater, in whom vaginal delivery was anticipated, were enrolled after obtaining consent. In addition to standard antenatal tests, pre- and post-test HIV counselling and HIV rapid testing were offered to all the women. CD4 lymphocyte counts were performed in the HIV-infected women. Vaginal swab specimens were obtained during early labour by speculum examination prior to digital vaginal examination. Since the parent study involved randomising HIVinfected women to receive either a stat dose of cefoxitin or placebo, the specimens were taken before the administration of the study drug. The vaginal swab specimens were rolled onto a glass slide for the determination of a bacterial vaginosis (BV) score using Nugent's criteria,13 and then transported in Ames medium (for detection of Gram-negative and positive organisms) and Diamond's medium (for detection of trichomoniasis). In the laboratory, the swabs were also inoculated on cefoxitin CLED plates, bacitracin choc plate and laked blood cefoxitin, for the detection of any significant isolates, and an AMS plate was inoculated to detect the presence of any antimicrobial substances. Significant isolates were identified, and susceptibilities were determined. Screening tests for syphilis (rapid plasma reagin) were also performed, and presence or absence of vulvo-vaginal warts was noted during speculum examination. Swab specimens for N. gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia species were not taken.
Demographic details and obstetric information were obtained, including: the number of vaginal examinations before and after the rupture of membranes, duration of ruptured membranes, and mode of delivery. All deliveries were conducted by professional midwives or doctors. Women were assessed for infectious complications within 24 -72 hours of delivery, at 1 week (range 6 -10 days), 2 weeks (range 11 - 17 days) and 6 weeks (40 - 49 days) postpartum. Infection occurring at any time point up to 2 weeks was recorded as a positive result. Only participants who had all microbiological laboratory results available were analysed.
Statistical analysis
Data were captured on Epi-Info 6 and imported for analyses into SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill.). A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Pearson's chi-square analysis was used to compare categorical variables between groups. Quantitative variables were compared between treatment groups using independent t-tests or non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests as appropriate. Generalised linear models estimated crude and adjusted relative risks. The dependent variable was modelled as binary with a log link to estimate relative risks. For multivariable analysis, the independent variables were chosen as those which were statistically significant at the 90% level of confidence on crude analysis. They were entered as main effects. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Since HIV status and mode of delivery were possible confounders, these were entered into the model, and adjusted relative risks were calculated.
Laboratory results were available for 801 (418 HIV infected and 383 uninfected) of the 885 who had vaginal deliveries (including episiotomy and assisted deliveries). Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable, with no statistical differences in mean age, parity and body weight. The median CD4 count for HIV-infected women (N=391) was 416/µl (range 24 - 1 393), with 49/391 (12.5%) having CD counts <200/µl.
Overall, 439/801 (54.8%) had positive cultures, which was significantly more among HIV-infected women (251/418 (60%)) than HIV uninfected (188/383 (49.1%), p=0.002). T. vaginalis, BV and Candida species were significantly more prevalent among HIVinfected than uninfected women, as was vulvo-vaginal warts (Table I). Of these organisms, only T. vaginalis was significantly associated with presence of vaginal discharge on enquiry (p<0.001) (the p-value was 0.391 for BV and 0.080 for Candida species). Other organisms that were cultured included streptococci (groups B and F), as well as Gram-negative bacilli, none of which was significantly different among the HIV-infected and uninfected groups. Syphilis serology reactivity was also slightly more among HIV-infected women than among those who were uninfected (p=0.082).
Association between vaginal organisms and development of postpartum infectious complications
The overall puerperal sepsis rate in this cohort was 18.1% (145/801) over the 2 weeks of follow-up. Women with positive cultures had higher rates of infectious morbidity than those without (90/439 (20.5%) v. 55/362 (15.2%), p=0.052).
HIV status was not associated with development of sepsis (p=0.391) in crude or multivariable analysis and was therefore omitted from the multivariable model. Mode of delivery, Candida, T. vaginalis, Gram-negative bacilli and group B streptococci were added to the multivariable model as independent variables. After adjustment for confounding effects, assisted vaginal delivery or episiotomy posed a significantly higher risk for sepsis than non-assisted normal vaginal delivery (NVD) (p=0.001). The presence of Candida species seemed to be protective (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47 - 0.92) (Table II), while T. vaginalis, Gram-negative bacilli and group B streptococci were all significant risk factors for sepsis.
In this cohort, more than 50% of women had culture-positive pathogenic organisms detected during early labour, which represents a very high rate of microbial pathogens in the lower genital tract of pregnant women who were asymptomatic, with the exception of a possible vaginal discharge. However, similar rates have been reported.14,15 In a similar population, one or more STIs was found to be present in 16.5% of asymptomatic antenatal patients.15 Though not statistically significant, postpartum infectious morbidity was higher in women with positive cultures (p=0.052). Furthermore, in our study, positive cultures were significantly higher among HIV-infected (60%) than HIV-uninfected women (49.1%, p=0.002). The difference according to HIV status was expected and is in keeping with other reports of increased rates of lower genital tract pathogens among HIV-infected women.16
A higher incidence of infectious morbidity among HIV-infected women was expected in view of their higher rate of positive cultures. The lack of influence of HIV status on the development of postpartum infectious morbidity in our study has also been noted in other reports;11,12 this is probably because most HIV-infected women in our study were immunocompetent, with mean CD4 counts >350.
The most common organisms detected in our study were associated with BV, with rates in keeping with other sub-Saharan Africa rates of up to 50%.8,17,18 Although organisms associated with BV were the most prevalent, there was surprisingly no association between presence of BV and postpartum infectious morbidity. The vast literature showing an association of BV with pregnancy complications has mainly focused on preterm labour and delivery, and subsequently postpartum endometritis.19 We postulate that the postpartum endometritis in those studies is a continuation of the preceding inflammatory process that led to miscarriage or preterm labour, and asymptomatic women who proceed to term are less likely to experience BV-associated complications in the postpartum period. This observation could explain the lack of association between the presence of BV and postpartum infectious morbidity in our cohort of otherwise asymptomatic women, recruited at > 36 weeks' gestation.
We showed a significant association of postpartum infectious morbidity and presence of T. vaginalis. This organism colonises the lower genital tract, and is therefore not expected to be associated with upper genital disease (above the level of the internal cervical os). T. vaginalis has been documented in the upper genitalia and is associated with pelvic inflammatory disease in those who are HIV infected,20 but not among those without HIV infection. Although small numbers were T. vaginalis positive, our study also found a significant association between T. vaginalis and postpartum infections in the whole cohort (p=0.010), and particularly among HIV-infected women (relative risk (RR) 3.36, p=0.009) rather than HIV-uninfected women (RR 1.29, p=0.599). This association between HIV and T. vaginalis-associated morbidity may suggest an altered host-microbe relationship, resulting in an apparent increased risk of upper genital tract infection.20 Since the parent study involved randomising HIVinfected women to a single dose of 2 grams of cefoxitin and placebo, cefoxitin administration was found to significantly reduce the development of infectious morbidity in women who had T. vaginalis (RR 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.03 - 1.22, p=0.024). Cefoxitin has little effect on anaerobes such as T. vaginalis, and it therefore raises the possibility that its effect is more on the 'secondary invaders' that cause infection in mucosa that is already compromised by the presence of T. vaginalis. This relationship is well known in the development of pelvic inflammatory disease in non-pregnant women.21
As expected, the presence of GBS was strongly associated with development of postpartum infections. However, the prevalence rate of GBS in our study was much lower than the 15% prevalence rate reported previously from the same institution.22 This may be due to swabs only being taken from the cervico-vaginal area in this study, whereas Naidoo et al. noted that a combination of vaginal and introital swabs increased the yield for GBS by 25%.22
Candida species were present in at least 30% of our cohort; however, most women were asymptomatic. A surprising finding in our study was that the presence of Candida organisms protected against the development of postpartum infectious morbidity, which persisted even after controlling for other variables. Further studies are needed to confirm this.
In conclusion, HIV-positive women did not have an increased risk of postpartum infectious morbidity despite higher rates of pathogens in the lower genital tract, a finding which may be due to the reasonably intact immune system of the study cohort. However, the presence of T. vaginalis, Gram-negative bacilli and group B streptococci was associated with a significantly increased risk of postpartum morbidity, irrespective of HIV status.
1. Witkin SS, Linhares IM, Giraldo P. Bacterial flora of the female genital tract: function and immune regulation. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2007;21(3):347-354. [ Links ]
2. Thadepalli H, Chan WH, Maidman JE, Davidson EC Jr. Microflora of the cervix during normal labor and the puerperium. J Infect Dis 1978;137(5):568-572. [ Links ]
3. Goplerud CP, Ohm MJ, Galask RP. Aerobic and anaerobic flora of the cervix during pregnancy and the puerperium. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976;26(7);858-868. [ Links ]
4. Jacobsson B, Pernevi P, Chidekel L, Platz-Christensen JJ. Bacterial vaginosis in early pregnancy may predispose for preterm birth and postpartum endometritis. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2002;81:1006-1010. [ Links ]
5. Watts DH, Krohn MA, Hillier SL, Eschenbach DA. Bacterial vaginosis as a risk factor for post-cesarean endometritis. Obstet Gynecol 1990;75:52-58. [ Links ]
6. Piper JM, Newton ER, Peairs WA. Is bacterial vaginosis associated with postpartum infectious morbidity? Abstract 156, 15th Annual Meeting of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1995;172(1):304. [ Links ]
7. Faro S. Postpartum endometritis. Clin Perinatol 2005;32:803-814. [ Links ]
8. Gray RH, Waiver MJ, Sewankomb N, Serwadda D. HIV-1 infection associated with abnormal vaginal flora morphology and bacterial vaginosis. Lancet 1997;350:1780. [ Links ]
9. Martin HL, Richardson BA, Nyange PM, et al. Vaginal lactobacilli, microbial flora, and risk of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and sexually transmitted disease acquisition. J Infect Dis 1999;180(6):1863-1868. [ Links ]
10. Cu-Uvin S, Hogan JW, Warren D, et al. Prevalence of lower genital tract infections among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and high risk HIV-seronegative women. HIV Epidemiology Research Study Group. Clin Infect Dis 1999;29(5):1145-1150. [ Links ]
11. Sebitloane HM, Moodley J, Esterhuizen TM. Prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of postpartum infectious morbidity in women infected with human immunodeficiency virus: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008;198:189e1-189e6. [ Links ]
12. Sebitloane HM, Moodley J, Esterhuizen TM. Determinants of postpartum infectious complications among HIV uninfected and antiretroviral-naïve HIV infected women following vaginal delivery: a prospective cohort study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2009;145(2):158-162. [ Links ]
13. Nugent RP, Krohn MA, Hillier SL. Reliability of diagnosing bacterial vaginosis is improved by a standardized method of Gram's stain interpretation. J Clin Microbiol 1991;29(2):297-301. [ Links ]
14. Akerele J, Abhulimen P, Okonofua F. Prevalence of asymptomatic genital infection among pregnant women in Benin City, Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health 2002;6(3):93-97. [ Links ]
15. Dietrich M, Hoosen AA, Moodley J, Moodley S. Urogenital tract infections at King Edward V111 Hospital, Durban, South Africa. Genitourin Med 1992;68:39-41. [ Links ]
16. Mbizvo EM, Msuya SE, Stray-Pedersen B, Sundby J, Chirenje ZM, Hussain A. Determinants of reproductive tract infections among asymptomatic women in Harare, Zimbabwe.Cent Afr J Med 2001;47(3):57-64. [ Links ]
17. Mayaud P, Uledi E, Cornelissen J, et al. Risk scores to detect cervical infections in urban antenatal clinic attenders in Mwanza, Tanzania.Sex Transm Infect 1998;74(Suppl 1):S139-146. [ Links ]
18. Hillier SL, Krohn MA, Rabe LK, Klebanoff SJ, Eschenbach DA. The normal vaginal flora, H2O2-producing lactobacilli, and bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women. Clin Infect Dis 1993;16(Suppl 4):S273-281. [ Links ]
19. Hillier SL, Nugent RP, Eschenbach DA, et al., for the Vaginal Infections and Prematurity Study Group. Association between bacterial vaginosis and preterm delivery of a low-birth-weight infant. N Engl J Med 1995;333:1737-1742. [ Links ]
20. Moodley P, Wilkinson D, Connolly C, Moodley J, Sturm AW.Trichomonas vaginalis is associated with pelvic inflammatory disease in women infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Clin Infect Dis 2002;34(4):519-522. [ Links ]
21. Chow AW, Malkasian KL, Marshall JR, Guze LB. The bacteriology of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1975;122(7):876-879. [ Links ]
22. Naidoo TD, Hoosen AA, Peer AK, Moodley J. Late antenatal screening for group B Sterptococcal colonization using vaginal introital/rectal swabbing: implications for maternity services in South Africa. S Afr J Epidemiol Infect 2003;18(3):48-51. [ Links ]
Accepted 22 October 2010.
Corresponding author: J Moodley (email@example.com)


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Fuel From Food? The Feast Is Over
Right or wrong, that was when blame firmly settled on biofuels for the surge in food prices. The diversion of American corn from flour to fuel put the flat corn bread out of reach for Mexico's poorest.
Two years later, the search is on for ways to keep corn on the table rather than in the gas tank. Moving away from food crops, the biofuel of the future may come from the tall grass growing wild by the roadside, from grain stalks left behind by the harvest, and from garbage dumps and dinner table scraps.
Carlo Bakker's tiny biofuel operation, World Mobile Plants, avoids edibles. He says his mini-refinery, loaded into a 40-foot shipping container on a flatbed truck, roams South Africa making biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil, or from sunflower seeds or the jatropha shrub, which grows in poor soil with little water. He says he plans eventually to use organic household waste as well.
Bakker says one mobile unit can make 260,000 gallons per year, which he sells for the equivalent of US$3.79 per gallon, on a par with regular diesel prices.
"We don't compete with the food chain," Bakker said during a biofuels conference in Amsterdam. "We see opportunities not only to make money but to help people."
Governments encouraged the switch to alternative fuels in recent years to lessen dependence on imported oil. But producers are taking a hard look at the food crops used as raw material for these so-called first-generation biofuels. After all, they too had to pay more as prices spiked.
"They got burned. They don't want to go through that problem again," said Vicky Sharpe, director of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, which administers a US$1 billion Canadian government fund to invest in clean technologies.
Universities, corporate research laboratories and startup companies are pouring millions of dollars into finding ways to break down woody or grassy biomass for cellulosic ethanol - or second-generation biofuel - that would unshackle ethanol from the volatile food market.
"You will see a movement from first- to second-generation biofuels, because the second generation uses waste streams. They don't enter the food-versus-fuel debate," said Sharpe. "This is just stuff that would be wasted otherwise."
But second-generation technology is still young, and Sharpe believes commercial plants are still several years away.
Food prices rose steadily for the past three years until they peaked last June. Before they retreated, the World Bank said corn prices had tripled since January 2005. Rice and wheat weren't far behind.
Around the world, the poor - U.N. figures say the number of undernourished is approaching 1 billion - protested that they were hungrier than ever. Food riots erupted in 18 countries, from Bangladesh to Haiti. Some 75,000 Mexicans marched in their capital, accusing the government of "stealing tortillas." Some countries imposed export bans to hoard their grain stocks.
World grain harvests had soared, reaching a record 2.3 billion tons last year. But demand continued to grow, not only for biofuel but for animal feed to satisfy an increasingly meaty diet for the growing middle class in India and China.
Just how much influence biofuels had on food prices is debatable. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said biofuel production was responsible for just 3 percent of the global price increases. It said the real culprits were oil prices, which pushed up fertilizer and transportation costs, and the sharp drop in the dollar's value.
On the high end, a World Bank report in June calculated that 70-75 percent of the price rise was due to biofuels and the cascading effect they had on grain stocks, export bans and investor speculation.
"The moderation of global prices over the last few months is scant consolation to the millions who are still facing high domestic prices and have cut back on eating nutritious food and investing in their child's schooling," a World Bank report said in October.
Energy policies played a role. The European Union last year mandated a 10 percent biofuel mix in transport fuels by 2020, and the U.S. set a production target of 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022 - compared with 6.5 billion last year, which already consumed almost one-quarter of the U.S. corn crop.
The EU mandate is being reconsidered, and calls are being heard in Washington to rethink the U.S. goal.
Some producers say critics unfairly lump all biofuels together.
"You should look at biofuels as separate kinds of fuel," says Uwe Jurgensen, head of the Association of Dutch Biofuels Producers.
Brazil's massive ethanol industry, based on sugarcane grown on just 1 percent of its arable land, has little impact on edible sugar.
Biodiesel, the biofuel of choice in Europe, is made largely from rapeseed grown on disused land, Jurgensen said. Only 40 percent of the crushed rapeseed is refined into biodiesel, while the rest is processed into the food chain as animal feed.
Blaming biofuels for exploding food prices "was an easy argument. Either you eat or you drive. If you look at it a bit further, you see that is not the case," Jurgensen said, speaking at a gleaming, soon-to-be-open US$110 million biodiesel factory at Rotterdam port.
Peter van der Gaag agrees. The head of BER-Rotterdam, building a plant in the port city to convert 350,000 tons of wheat a year into ethanol and gas, said just 2 to 3 percent of the world's wheat goes toward ethanol. How much impact can it have on the price of bread? he asked.
"Biofuels are certainly not to blame for poverty, but it is easy for environmentalists to give a bad name to biofuels," he said.
In fact, environmentalists are skeptical of even nonfood biofuels, which consume scarce water and are sometimes cultivated on fertile cropland.
"If biofuels were grown on degraded land, that could be a good thing. But it has to be seen with a lot of caution," said Frauke Thies, a Greenpeace campaigner for renewable energy. "We are not opposed to biofuels in principle, but the practices of today are not sustainable."
Even as scientists work on second-generation answers, foodstuffs are likely to remain in the fuel chain for years to come because of government subsidies. In the United States, biofuels have been getting tax credits since 1978. Globally, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates governments supported biodiesel and ethanol with up to US$12 billion in 2006.
Last year, 139 U.S. ethanol plants produced fuel equal to 5 percent of U.S. gasoline consumption. As of July, however, just 33 cellulosic ethanol plants were in the pilot or demonstration phase.
Corn ethanol costs US$1 a gallon to make, but cellulosic fuel from stalks, leaves and straw costs US$5 to US$6. It requires the injection of enzymes to convert plant matter into sugars that are then fermented into ethanol.
Michigan State University's Mariam Sticklen is one scientist trying to reduce that cost, to about US$2 a gallon, by genetically engineering crops to produce their own enzymes.
"It's still early days," she said, "but the world needs a no-food-for-fuel policy."
By Arthur Max


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In a surprising move, Puerto Rico's Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed an executive order to legalize medical marijuana on the U.S. territory island. While there has been a lengthy public debate about legalizing marijuana in Puerto Rico, not many expected the governor's decisive action on the matter. Garcia said in a statement […]
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Need App Store Ratings and Review
Presupuesto $30-250 USD
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This is the link to the store
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Thank you.
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text:
"Sunset Boulevard" - The American Dream Machine
An ABC Saturday Night Event - An Unprecedented Ride Down One of the World's Most Famous Boulevards, Starring the Real Life Dreamers, Lovers and Killers That Call It Home - Airs Saturday, April 21 on the ABC Television Network
Sunset Boulevard - a curving slice of American romance running from the rough edges of East LA through the music of Hollywood, past the riches of Beverly Hills and ending at the Pacific Ocean. It is a famous stretch of 22 miles that has attracted American dreamers of all walks of life, hoping to make it big. "Sunset Boulevard," airing as a special edition of "20/20," reveals some of the riveting stories and pivotal moments in the make-it or break-it world of this American dream machine, including:
- the farm kid turned hot shot gossip columnist partying with the hippest stars, who reveals on camera those with whom he allegedly did drugs
- the starry eyed new band named "Queen Caveat" on the brink of success or burn out
- the young war veteran turned aspiring actor haunted by his past, determined to make this his moment
- the teenagers at Hollywood High - once a school for nurturing Hollywood talent and royalty like Judy Garland, now a last chance for some of LA's toughest kids
- the Hollywood beauty turned runaway, dying to be loved, her body dumped off Sunset, and, in a gripping police investigation, her killer caught on tap
Anchored by Jay Schadler, the special includes interviews with Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Mickey Rourke, Alice Cooper and Hugh Hefner, all featured in the recent documentary "Sunset Strip The Movie." Lou Adler, owner of the famed Roxy nightclub, and his son Nic, who currently runs it, are both interviewed and allowed ABC unprecedented access on and off stage to the Sunset Strip's most legendary and influential music venue.
Created and written by Jay Schadler and produced by an Emmy Award-winning ABC News team, "Sunset Boulevard" airs on SATURDAY, APRIL 21 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. The stylish two-hour broadcast also features original music.
Meet the dreamers of "Sunset Boulevard":


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In recent months we've has been making a Non-Farm Payrolls (jobs report) prediction in the days ahead of the official number. Our estimate is based on a variety of data. However this month we're going to present a series of "flash" estimates, as the economic data comes in, thus allowing us to build out our model. So this is the first instalment of our series, which we will be updating before next Friday's number.
The economy likely added some 130,000 net jobs in May, new data out of Business Insider shows in advance of the Non-Farm Payrolls report on June 1. The current median Bloomberg estimate is for 155,000 net jobs, with projections ranging from 70,000 to 190,000.
If that figure holds, it would represent the eighth consecutive month of job growth at greater than 100,000. Business Insider also estimates the unemployment rate will remain unchanged at 8.1 per cent (consistent in a scenario where the participation rate is unchanged at 63.6 per cent).
Flash projections are based on regional Federal Reserve data and are updated as the five districts that publish monthly regional readings report over the course of the month. Those districts include the New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Dallas and Richmond reserves.
The May figure is currently based on data from New York, Philadelphia and Richmond. While the New York and Richmond employment reports were relatively robust, Philadelphia recorded a substantive decline, falling to -1.3 from 17.9 a month earlier.
"Firms' responses suggest a slight decline in employment this month," the Philadelphia Fed said in a statement. "The percentage of firms reporting decreases in employment (16 per cent) was slightly higher than the percentage reporting increases (14 per cent). Firms also reported a slight decrease in average hours worked compared with April."
The data generated a 0.700 R Square with monthly changes in non-farm employment — somewhat weaker than the model Business Insider typically uses when making final estimates.
Below, breakouts of the individual Federal Reserve reports plotted to changes in non-farm employment (based on first readings before revisions are made).
Blended Fed:
Photo: Eric Platt/Business Insider, Data: Regional Federal Reserves
New York Fed:
Photo: Eric Platt/Business Insider, Data: Regional Federal Reserves
Philadelphia Fed:
Photo: Eric Platt/Business Insider, Data: Regional Federal Reserves
Richmond Fed:
Photo: Eric Platt/Business Insider, Data: Regional Federal Reserves
Business Insider will issue changes to its flash estimates on Thursday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 29.
SEE ALSO: The Truth About Gold >
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Moderator: Moderators
Needless to say, I did NOT say "I will arrest Pope Benedict XVI" or anything so personally grandiloquent. You have to remember that The Sunday Times is a Murdoch newspaper, and that all newspapers follow the odd custom of entrusting headlines to a sub-editor, not the author of the article itself.
What I DID say to Marc Horne when he telephoned me out of the blue, and I repeat it here, is that I am whole-heartedly behind the initiative by Geoffrey Robertson and Mark Stephens to mount a legal challenge to the Pope's proposed visit to Britain. Beyond that, I declined to comment to Marc Horme, other than to refer him to my 'Ratzinger is the Perfect Pope' article here: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5341
Here is what really happened. Christopher Hitchens first proposed the legal challenge idea to me on March 14th. I responded enthusiastically, and suggested the name of a high profile human rights lawyer whom I know. I had lost her address, however, and set about tracking her down. Meanwhile, Christopher made the brilliant suggestion of Geoffrey Robertson. He approached him, and Mr Robertson's subsequent 'Put the Pope in the Dock' article in The Guardian shows him to be ideal:
The case is obviously in good hands, with him and Mark Stephens. I am especially intrigued by the proposed challenge to the legality of the Vatican as a sovereign state whose head can claim diplomatic immunity.
Even if the Pope doesn't end up in the dock, and even if the Vatican doesn't cancel the visit, I am optimistic that we shall raise public consciousness to the point where the British government will find it very awkward indeed to go ahead with the Pope's visit, let alone pay for it.
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It should come as no surprise that a man who refers to a woman's menses as "Shark Week" is totally cool with other men asking for sex on the first date.
Kevin Chmura, a.k.a. self-described foreplay expert/professional playboy Spencer Burnett, explained the key is putting it in context.
"Within the first date, it is completely acceptable and possible to tell a girl 'I want to (have sex with) you. I want to (have sex with) you silly,'" he said. "Only as long as you have the same permission to say 'I think I'm in love with you. We might get married some day.'"
Burnett, a gregarious 29-year-old Rogers Park resident who could pass for a younger Johnny Knoxville, is one of a growing number of coaches helping improve Chicagoans' dating and sex lives. For $1,000 a month over a three month span, he'll work with his "Spencer boys" and "Spencer-ettes" to teach them how they can become more successful in their personal lives.
It's money his clients say pays off handsomely in the bedroom.
"Absolutely," a client named Jeff said laughing. "It's overwhelming, it's really not a question."
The 31-year-old Rogers Park resident, who like every other person associated with Burnett that RedEye spoke with for this story asked that we not print his last name or occupation, has paid Burnett around $5,000 in retainer fees.
For him initially, it wasn't necessarily as much about getting in a girl's pants so much as it was getting into her life.
"For me, it was about taking a girl who was interested in me after two or three dates and keeping her interested in me," Jeff said. "Since I started working with him, it's at the point where I have to cut off relationships with girls that I'm not interested in so I can pursue other girls."
Burnett, himself a community college dropout, said he was able to leave his full-time job in the fitness industry about a year and a half ago thanks to a steady stream of word-of-mouth referrals from guys like Jeff.
"I really don't stick with guys for more than three months because if you're not getting it, it's not going to happen," he said.
As we're sitting in the dimly lit bar area at J. Parker, the Hotel Lincoln's new roofop bar, his phone consistently buzzes with clients asking him questions or sending him updates on their lives as his longtime girlfriend -- yes, the professional playboy has a main squeeze of over a year -- makes small talk. His cameraman, a recent college graduate named Eric, films his every move in preparation for a documentary he's pitching to entertainment industry executives. Later this month, he'll be speaking to business students at the University of Chicago about subliminal influence and the way relationships play a part in everyday business.
His goal?
"To teach people the skill of communication and likability and if you go a little bit deeper, it's the skill of rapport, is the most important thing in the world," he said.
In Burnett's world, regardless of who he's dealing with, the first step to a better personal life is to stop overthinking situations and let your guard down. Self-confidence is a large part of the equation as well, even if it does come across as being crass at times.
"We need to be able to talk to women sexually without being able talk at them sexually," he said. "A lot of times when I go out with my boys, I'll show them how I'll get a girl to start talking about 'how do you masturbate,' " before launching into a rather graphic list of descriptors of that particular act not suited for a family newspaper.
And lest you think strange women aren't necessarily receptive to a stranger approaching them in a bar to ask them about their self-pleasuring habits, you'd be wrong.
"I don't think I've ever been slapped," he said.
Burnett's training sessions include taking his clients out to a variety of places, including non-traditional meeting places such as pharmacies and turtle races at places like Joe's Bar in Lincoln Square, and giving them exercises designed to get them to come out of their shell socially.
"Most guys' problem is not that they need to learn, it's that they need to unlearn all of the [BS] that they've been told, that they think works, that they think they need to do to impress women," he said. "The hardest place to pick up a girl is at a nightclub. It's funny--the more slutty they dress, the less receptive they are to being hit on."
So what's a session with him like?
"It really depends on what you're going through in life because that's like saying what's a one-on-one session with your doctor like," Jeff said. "It really depends on what your specific areas of need would be."
As for the foreplay aspect of his job, Burnett said that while he does teach physical technique, he would rather his clients take care of their partners' emotional well-being first.
"I teach men how to create a story for women, that story that next morning where she calls her girlfriends and she can't believe what just happened," he said. "At the end of the day, the orgasm, the technique, that's not what it's about. It's about the experience."
Related: See Burnett's top first date spots.
Matt Lindner is a RedEye special contributor. | @mattlindner


text:
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Joss Whedon undoubtedly has one of the most fervent followings in the world, but the truth is that sometimes he makes it really hard to be a fan. Throughout his career, Whedon has made a regular habit of killing off characters that his audience loves, such as Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fred in Angel, Wash in Serenity, and Penny in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. As a result, when he was given the reins of The Avengers sequel last year many fans took a deep breath, instantly fearing that the writer/director would use the sequel to kill off their favorite superhero or supporting character. But can we really expect some kind of major death in 2015's The Age of Ultron?
Following up on comments that Whedon made back in February at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, where he promised "death, death and more death" in the upcoming sequel, Entertainment Weekly asked the director point blank if we will really be seeing the life of a fan-favorite character come to an end. Unsurprisingly, the filmmaker decided to play coy with his response. First responding, "Um... maybe?" Whedon explained to the magazine that killing off characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a tough sell simply because it means potentially killing the future of a solo movie franchise. Said Whedon,
"I'd have to have a really good reason, a really great sequence for [Marvel executives] to go, 'We'll cut off a potential franchise, that's fine!' They know, as any good studio does, that without some stakes, some real danger, how involved can we get? We don't just rule it out across the board, but neither is the mission statement 'Who can we kill?' We try to build the story organically and go, 'How hard can we make it on these people?'"
The truth of the matter is that while Whedon does have a reputation for killing off some of his best creations, he actually does do it for the best reasons. As he explained during his panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, not only does every death serve a larger purpose in terms of story and character arcs, each life that he takes allows him to save characters without it seeming cheap or phoney. It's a trade off that has caused a lot of heartbreak over the years, but few modern filmmakers do it better.
Superhero movies also allow Whedon a certain amount of leeway simply because comic book history is littered with characters coming back from the dead. And it's already started to happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only will we see the resurrection of Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes in next year's Captain America: The Winter Solider, Whedon has already brought back to life the one major character that he killed off in the first Avengers movie: Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson (who will be the lead character on the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series). So even if the writer/director decides to kill someone off in The Avengers: Age of Ultron it's possible that they could one day return.
If Whedon does end up killing off a major character in the film, the big question is who. Non-franchise leading characters like Scarlet Johansson's Black Widow, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury are probably the easiest to point to, but that doesn't necessarily put a target on their back. It's true that Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans have contracts that extend beyond the Avengers sequel, but if Captain America 3 and Thor 3 don't end up being part of the Phase Three plans that means that they could potentially be put to sleep for a little while. And while Robert Downey Jr. is signed on for The Avengers 3 that doesn't mean his fate is sealed. Really the only character that seems safe is Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and that's only because he's damn near impossible to kill.
If Whedon does end up killing one of the Avengers in The Age of Ultron, who do you think it will be? Answer our poll and tell us what you think in the comments below.
Which character do you think could be killed off in The Avengers: The Age of Ultron?