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Dr. Neff is the author of Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind.
The Science of Self-Compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff
by Emiliana Simon-Thomas
Kristin studied communications as an undergraduate at the University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1988). She did her graduate work at University of California at Berkeley (Ph.D., 1997), studying moral development with Dr. Elliot Turiel. Her dissertation research was conducted in Mysore, India, where she examined children's moral reasoning. (She also met her husband Rupert Isaacson while there, who was writing a guidebook to South India.) She then spent two years of post-doctoral study with Dr. Susan Harter at Denver University, studying issues of authenticity and self- concept development. Her current position at the University of Texas at Austin started in 1999, and she was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006.
During Kristin's last year of graduate school in 1997 she became interested in Buddhism, and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically.
In addition to her pioneering research into self-compassion, she has developed an 8-week program to teach self-compassion skills. The program, co-created with her colleague Chris Germer at Harvard University, is called Mindful Self-Compassion. She has a new book titled "Self-Compassion" that will be published by William Morrow on April 19, 2011.
Kristin lives in the countryside in Elgin, Texas with her husband Rupert Isaacson – an author and human rights activist – and with her young son Rowan. She and her family were recently featured in the documentary and book called The Horse Boy – horseboymovie.com


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It's the Clash of Countries, pitting two comedians against each other to answer the age old question: Whose country is the best? Canada or New Zealand?
Our completely unofficial ambassadors, comedians Sean Cullen and Jarred Christmas, must rise to every challenge and prove that their country is the best. But this is a task far greater than one person, a challenge so monumental, it will take an entire nation to pull it off.
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My New Years resolution is to stop colluding in the myth of stages of labour. Will you join me? This may be a little difficult as a midwife and an educator but I'll give it a go – will you?
The stages of labour
In current midwifery texts labour is divided into three distinct stages, and further divided into phases within those stages. The first stage of labour involves regular and coordinated uterine contractions accompanied by cervical dilatation. This stage includes three phases: latent, active and transitional. The second stage of labour begins when the cervix is fully dilated and ends when the 'fetus is fully expelled from the birth canal' (Stables and Rankin 2010, p.533). Again, the second stage is further broken down into three phases: latent, active and perineal. 'The third stage of labour is the period from the birth of the baby through to delivery of the placenta and membranes and ends with the control of bleeding' (Stables & Rankin 2010, p.547).
This concept of birth reflects the scientific, mechanistic model of how the body works (see 'a quick history lesson' ). It does not reflect women's experience of birth or the physiology of birth.
Problems with assessment and categorisation
The idea of stages of labour contradicts what we know about the physiology of birth. Physical changes in the cervix and uterus occur during pregnancy and the onset of labour is a gradual happening without a distinct start time. The definition of 'established labour' includes regular rhythmic contractions (3:10 or more, lasting 45 secs or more) and progressive dilatation of the cervix (1cm per hour). However, women's natural contraction patterns vary, and the idea that a cervix will follow a graph is outdated – see 'the effective contraction'. What about a woman who only ever has contractions 2:10 but births her baby? Did she skip the first stage of labour? Women with OP babies often have different labour patterns that will not fit this definition.
The definition of the first and second stages of labour also assumes that a vaginal examination will be carried out because everything hinges on what the cervix is doing. However, this doesn't quite work. If I examine a woman at 3pm and find out her cervix is fully dilated does that mean her second stage started at 3pm? What if her cervix had been fully dilated at 2pm but I didn't know? The only time measurement we can know for sure is the end of the second stage of labour – because the baby emerges (assuming we remember to look at the clock). We could get a time for the birth of the placenta, but the end of the third stage ends with 'control of bleeding' which is open to interpretation.
The impact of collusion
Care providers have accepted this categorisation despite the lack of evidence or sense to support it. The stages of labour are like the emperors new clothes. We educate women on the stages of labour; we assess their progression through these stages; and we fill in documentation about their progression through the stages (eg. time of 2nd stage). Perinatal data forms require the precise hours and minutes that a women spends in each stage of labour.
How this translates into practice is that midwives basically make it up. There is a box to fill, so we fill it. This results in some comical paperwork conversations between midwives/midwifery students eg.: 'What time would you say second stage started?' 'Umm not sure – she was making grunty noises around 5.30pm…' 'OK, I'll put 6pm.' Midwives also massage the paperwork to fit policies eg. ignoring that the woman was actually 'pushing' for 3 hours and only documenting a 1 hour second stage to avoid trouble.
These made up times are carefully recorded and then sent to organisations that collect and analyse the stats to provide information about labour and birth. By making our records fit the myth, we are colluding in maintaining the myth that labour can be compartmentalised into distinct stages and measured accurately.
Perhaps more importantly by colluding we are re-defining women's birth experiences – often in contrast to their own experience. Have you tried explaining to a woman why we only record 'established labour' and disregard the hours or days that she experienced contractions before being assessed as in established (real) labour?
The future
I guess I have it easier than those working in hospitals with hospital documentation. I'm in control of my own paperwork and have already excluded the stages of labour from the birth notes I write at homebirths. However, I still have to complete perinatal data forms. So, the question is do I put a '?' in the box or draw a line through it?
Merry Xmas readers and thanks for following my blog in 2010
*Update: This post has been expanded into an article for AIMS. You can read it here.


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Hello People!!!!!!!
Well I maybe a newbie to makeup but one thing that I have been experimenting since I understood the name has been face washes. I almost never repeat face washes unless and until it really impresses me. I started with pond's and pears face wash ( I used to buy them with my pocket money since the concept of face washes was new and my Mumma thought it as another one of my crazy expenses.)
Long story short today I am reviewing one of my most favourite face wash. Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser Kashmiri Saffron & Neem.
Forest Essentials introduction:Forest Essentials was founded in the year 2000 after many years of meticulous research. After many years of development with trained Ayurvedic physicians, a range of natural skin care and hair care products was evolved. The view that Ayurveda advocates, is that a holistic approach is necessary for beauty care.
What it claims:
Quick Overview:
The first rule of Ayurvedic skin care is cleanse, tone and nourish. The secret to proper cleansing is to remove dead cells and toxins, clear clogged pores and clean make-up without stripping the skin's natural oils and moisture content.
• Tones • Purifies • Adds Glow
Saffron has always been used in traditional formulations for glowing skin , along with Neem for purifying and deep cleansing.
- Suitable for all skin types.
Price Rs.675 for 200ml
Ingredients: Pure distilled Rosewater,Pure distilled Marigold water,Pure distilled Kewda water,Pure distilled Jasmine water,Lemon juice,Organic honey,Neem Oil,Nagkesar,Anantmool,Kumud,Pure Saffron Extract
A quick benefits of the ingredients:
Rosewater: Helps in natural toning and firming of skin along with hydrating the skin to make it glow. Helps in cleaning and tightening of pores. The anti bacterial properties of rose water help in preventing acne,pimples and wrinkles and also cures sun burns and stressed skin.
Marigold:Contains high content of flavanoids that act as anti-oxidants.
Kewda: Anti inflammatory and anti oxidant
Jasmine: Tones the skin and improves elasticity.Neutralizes oil production and evens skin tone.
Lemon juice:Cleansing and clarifyingAstringent.Antioxidant and anti bacterial.Removes dead cells,Neutralises oil production and evens skin tone.
Organic honey:Anti oxidant and anti moicrobial properties help to protect the skin against damages of sunrays and supports skin abilities to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin.
Neem Oil:Soothing,healing,cooling and anti inflammatory builds up collagen and promotes skin elasticity.
Nagkesar:Deeply nourishin, anti bacterial and moisturing properties.
Anatmool:Beneficial in treating skin disorders. The smell of this face wash is just amazingg!!!! It lifts up my mood immediately.It has a rose water kind of smell which is very refreshing.It is a very mild facewash and does not lather much. I use it after applyin saundarya ubtan sumtimes or even as it is. It gives an instant glow to my face which is evident after the 1st wash itself. I love the fact that i am applying a chamical free face wash. I feel as if I am giving my face a treat..hehehe…The face wash is like a liquidy gel in light yellow colour.
Pros of Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser
- The ingredient list. I picked it solely based on that. All the good things for skin rolled into one product kinds and the fact that it is chemical free!!!!
- The amazing refreshing smell.
- Gives an instant glow to my face.
- I have noticed a teeny reduction of my gigantic pores after I have started using it but I am also using Fabindia rose water so i guess it is a joined effort of both the products.
- It is suitable for all skin types..even sensitive skin.
- A very small quantity is required for one wash hence it will last me a loong time.( hehehe…I feel like a detergent salesperson here)
- Does not dry my skin. Although I have combination skin I do not like face washes that strip my face of all the moisture.
Cons of Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser
I cannot think of anything except the price.But I am willing to spend this much on a fab product like this.
And since it is too mild i mean if you have travelled and have all that grime and dust on your face..i feel using this face wash only wont give you a squeaky clean feel because it lathers very less. I therefore don't use it after I come home in the evening after office.
Rating: :-* :-* :-* :-* I have taken half a point for price and half for the apprehension i have about it removing all the dust and grime.
Will I repurchase it: Yes absolutely!!! I love this face wash but i will also want to try the other products in the range of Forrest Essentials.
I will recommend it to you if you are willing to spend this much on a chemical free, amazing smelling and feel good product!
Have you used Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser? Please rate in the box below
Also Read :
- Forest Essentials Starter Kit
- Forest Essentials Mashobra Honey, Lemon & Rosewater Face Wash Review
- Forest Essentials Facial Scrub and Facial Treatment Masque Review


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Join the NewCampus community for our Virtual Power Ladies Breakfast, a series of breakfast talks and group mentoring sessions with experienced female industry leaders, influencers and game-changers over Zoom. They share insights into their personal and professional journeys in small-group interactive sessions, driven by discussion, Q&A and a group exercise with participants.
Capped at 15 people: You will always have the opportunity to ask the speaker questions directly, or get feedback on any ideas.
Friday, March 27, 2020
7:55 AM - Doors open
8:00 AM - Welcome and mingling
8:15 AM - Guest shares their story
8:40 AM - Moderated Q&A
9:00 AM - Mini breakout sessions
9:25 AM - Wrap-up and takeaways
9:30 AM - Optional networking until 9:45 AM
We're not a webinar. Nor are we an online course. NewCampus is a community learning experience—interactive, intimate and energising. You are not listening passively, you will be actively getting involved. Our sessions are designed so that you actually get to interact with both the speaker, but also more importantly with your new peers. They will be your future collaborators, clients and co-founders.
All our learnings formats—workshops, mentoring sessions, tiny conferences, dialogues and more—are designed with these principles in mind. There will always be a chance for you to share ideas in a small group, practice newly minted skills and get real-time feedback.
A stable wifi connection, a quiet well-lit corner and some headphones. After confirming your spot, you will receive instructions in your email about how to join this session via Zoom. You will also need to be ready to switch on your laptop camera and microphone to interact with your fellow colearners, who will need to be able to hear and see you.
NewCampus works best for:
Many members are in the first 5-15 years of their career, but our community is diverse and sees many in different age groups.
Most colearners join in from the Asia Pacific region which our session times work best for, but we are seeing new people from Europe and the US every week.
You can choose to purchase a ticket, or book your spot as a member.
Members get access to all our events, classes and programmes, but also get much more: priority access, warm introductions to speakers, curated introductions personalised for your goals, invites to other exclusive events etc. We even help you review LinkedIn resumes, portfolios, and pitch decks if that's what you need. Find out more about our membership here.
See our full calendar here. In any given week, you will usually find at least 3-4 sessions happening—and sometimes more. All NewCampus events and workshops are designed to help you shape the disruption in your industry, broaden your view of the world, and build a fulfilling career.
NewCampus brings together growth-minded executives, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals who prioritise levelling up themselves, their companies and their communities.
Get an all-access pass to the skills, resources and network you need to get ahead by signing up for our membership.


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Unfortunately, your access has now expired. But there's good news—by subscribing today, you will receive 22 issues of Booklist magazine, 4 issues of Book Links, and single-login access to Booklist Online and over 200,000 reviews.
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September 2023
Find more Dear Mr. S
[Molly McQuade, a Booklist columnist, is writing a series of meditations on J. D. Salinger that will be published on Booklist Online under the title "Dear Mr. S." Here is the first installment. —Ed.]
Dear Mr. S,
I don't want to be myself anymore. I have denied it, lied about it, lived, puttered, crept into a pause.
Maybe I never quite was.
In the midst of this, I reread you. Intriguing rumors are circulating now about you and your books, thanks to a recently released documentary film and a companion biography.
Yes, I want to see and read those. But I'm writing to you also for more timeless, selfish reasons. I want contact. I want the fiction of close contact with you, Mr. S.
As Holden Caulfield told us in your 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye: "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."
Still, the phone isn't me. A letter or two is more like it.
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University of North Dakota
M.Ed.,Stanford University
From over 16 years of teaching experience, he has philosophy that it takes humor, patience and understanding when teaching tough subjects.
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University of North Dakota
M.Ed.,Stanford University
From over 16 years of teaching experience, he has philosophy that it takes humor, patience and understanding when teaching tough subjects.
For some reason, you decided to take on calculus, why? Well I know I did because it's fun and it's really actually useful. It has got lots of uses in engineering and science. Today we're going to be talk about about the area between two curves. Now the area between two curves is just what it sounds like. You can have two different shapes there is an area trapped in between them, and finding out the area of trap between them is really just a matter of finding two integrals and subtracting them.
Now say an engineer wants to find the volume of a really complex casting, or say a say a bridge support. If they can work out some equations for the shapes that define that, and one small extension they can find what the volume of that shape is. Simply by starting with the area between those two curves.
Let's have a look at a problem. This one asked us to find the area between f(x)= x²-4x+7, that's the parabola and g(x)=7. What they're asking for is this area. Now this one has a very common complication, that it doesn't tell you the limits of integration. What you need to know is that, the limits of integration have to be places where the curves intersect.
So if you were to do this problem, first thing you would do, will be to find the area underneath the upper curve. Remember curves don't have to actually curve of a calculus. That's the rectangle and then you would subtract away the area underneath the parabola. And what's left, that will be the area trapped between the two curves.
Now there is a formula that you use for this, you don't really have to have it because the essentials are just doing one integral and subtracting the other integral from it. But it is often very convenient to subtract the two functions before you integrate. Now let's go and do the practise problem. This practise problem is one where you're going to be given the limits of integration.
Let's start by sketching the graphs. That's a really important because you need to know what the upper function is. If you don't know what the upper function is, you don't always know which one to set up first. After you've identified that upper function and lower function, subtract the lower function from the upper function. And then you need to find the limits of integration if they aren't given to you, and then finally integrate it.
So in this example, I have a parabola and a straight line, and we're going to do that on the intervals of 0 to 5. So the interval is given for you. Here is the graph. Looks like the upper function is a straight line, the lower function is the parabola. Our limits are from 0 to 5. So we're going to find the area that's stuck between them. And you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, this is below the X axis, so the area trapped between that and the x axis is going to be negative, and I'm going to mess around with changing between them." No you don't have to. The integral takes care of all of it. All you need to do is take this function, the x+10 and subtract that function, -x²+6x-9. So we'll put them together as a single integral.
So this is the formula, but the formula again just essentially tells you subtract them. So you have x-10 minus all that. The reason this is convenient is because we can do fewer parts of the integral, if we subtract first. So we have our area from 0 to 5. Be really careful of the plus and minus signs of these problems. Messing one of them up, you have no luck you have the wrong answer. It's really easy to mess one of them up, so make sure you show a very clear work, so you can go and check that plus and minus signs.
Now one way you can show clear work and save a little bit of time, since you can write on the test, is take care of this distributing this negative in, just by writing on the problem. When you distribute a negative in there it becomes a plus, that becomes a minus, that becomes a plus. So we've got work that we can follow without taking a ton of time to write. I mean always do that.
You may think, "Oh yeah! Subtracting problem I can do that, no problems I'm in calculus now." You'd be amazed on how easy it is to make a mistake on that step. So I have x² and I've got -6x+1x, that's -5x and we have a +9+10, that's 19. Now we'll integrate, since it's got three parts to it. And if we integrate this, the integral of x² is 1/3x cubed. Integral of -5x is -5/2x².
Remember I'm building the correction factors in there as we speak. The derivative of x² is 2x. So this 2 on the denominator is necessary to get rid of the 2 that comes from the derivative. And plus 19x and we integrate this from 0 to 5.
Well then you go and substitute. And again these problems often have a lot of substitution and a lot of fractions too, which makes it easier to make mistakes if you don't show clear work. We have though 1/3 of 5 cubed which is a (125/3 minus 5/2 times 5² plus 19 times 5) minus, this is the first part of the integral if I substitute the 5 into it, minus what I substitute the 0 into it. Now you might cast your mark to be leaving this off. And if you left it off at this one, it wouldn't have mattered but be aware you have to always double check to make sure that if one of your limits is 0, the result of putting it in really 0. 1/3 times 0 cubed, yeah that's 0. 5/2 times 0 square yeah that's 0. And 19 times 0 that's also 0. If you have a sine and cosine functions though, those might not all have been zeros. I'm not going to show all the work for dealing all these fractions, I've worked out that in advance.
The area that's contained between here and here turns out to be 445/6. That's the area of our first complete example.
Time to try another, noch einmal as the Germans would say. This one is going to be a little bit harder but the last one, we didn't worry about the curves intersecting. We just said, "Hey here are some limits find the area that's trapped in between those limits." This time the curves are going to meet and that's going to have to tell us what the limits are.
So we need to find the area contained between the parabola f(x) and g(x) which is a straight line. That would be this area right in here. And remember you find the area trapped between two different curves, or between any two different curves, by finding two integrals and subtracting them. Before you can do that though, you need to make at a definite integral where you'll know the limits of integration. You have to have this exact location. On the graph it looks like 0, but that's not good enough, you have to be sure that's 0. This one looks like it's probably 5, but you have to be sure about that.
You may actually run across something like this on the non calculator portion of the AP test, because this one can be solved out nice and easy. If you're given around the non calculator portion, there is a pretty good chance they might give you the graph but again you can count on it. You might actually have to graph that by hand. Not likely but it's possible. Anyhow remember back to Algebra 2, you did a lot of this, maybe a little bit than Algebra 1. Where you were finding the location where graphs crossed. That happens when the x coordinate and the y coordinate of both curves match up in the same time. So in other words that's when f(x) equals g(x).
So we're going to be finding the place where the y co-ordinates are equal. And since there is x on both sides of it, the x are going to be equal as well. f(x) was x²-4x+7, g(x) is x+7, and we've got a polynomial x² and x. So you're going to have to use old friend there, the zero product property get everything on one side. Take x from both sides and we have x²-5x, take 7 from both sides and there no constant on the left side any more. This is going to work out nice and neat. Just factoring the x out.
So binomial factor of x is taken out you get x times (x-5) equals 0. I'm going to do a little shortcut, you know how to do these. The values of x that will make this work are x=0 and x=5. We've got our limits of integration, 5 and 0, and now let's go give it a try.
Set this one up. Remember what you're going to be doing is to find the area is taking the integral of one function minus the other. I wrote (f-g), but that was because that's the way I remember the formula. In this case, look the upper function, it's g, it's the line. I should really put that one first. So bear in mind that when you look at the way that is written in the definition of how to do these, you can flip flop. And what matters is that the upper function has to be the one that you're subtracting from.
We found out a moment ago that the limits are 0 and 5, and g is (x+7). So we have (x+7),don't forget your parenthesis. Looks like the board here is forgetting the numbers, there I just remembered, minus write all that out. Take the time to write it out, it's not very long. And it can sure save you mistakes, especially when you have things where you have numbers that match up. The may or may not subtract away. In this case they will.
Remember on the last one, I distributed that negative in to reduce my chances of errors.
That changes into a plus, that becomes minus, that becomes plus and that becomes a minus. And now our integral from 0 to 5. I've got -x², I'm going to put that first, and I have 4x plus one more x, that's 5x. And I have got 7 plus -7 the constant is going away. I won't show you the substitutions. It's a matter of putting 5 and 0 and working at all those crazy fractions. If you take care of that, you'll find out that in this case the answer for this is 125/6, the area trapped between those two curves.
So we're going to try another now. This one is going to be the one where you're going to need to find the graph and calculator. You're very likely you're going to find one of these on the calculator part of the AP test. I'm supposed to find the area contained between cosine of x² and g(x) equals x².
Here is your x², here is that cosine related function. The area trapped between them is here and here. Now the reason you have to have the calculator on this one, is because if you set this equal to each other, you wouldn't be able to find out those location in exact form. There is no way. What you're expected to do is know how to put both of these functions into your calculator. You'd graph that function as separate functions and then you'd use your calculator's function that's called intercept to find out exactly where they cross.
I did that on my calculator in advance, and found out that the two places where they crossed were at -0.85970, that's this location and +0.85970. This one is symmetrical but don't count on they'll always be symmetrical. Well we'll go ahead and set up our integral now. It looks like our upper function for just this part, is cosine. If we were doing a different part, that might not be the upper function. Lower function is x², we just found out what our limits are. This is what the integral looks like. And now you're probably thinking, "How am I going to integrate that thing?" If you try substitution, you substitute u=x², there isn't the du that you need. That doesn't matter. This is on the calculator portion. Let your friend the calculator give you advise, just type it in again to find out the area.
Now you will find it's typically better to erase the two functions that you just had in there for finding the intersections, erase both. Type this in as a graph. It will look totally different to this but that doesn't matter because you don't care what it looks like at this point. You just want to use the integrate function on your calculator to integrate between here and here. And if you go about doing that, you will find that the area on this one is approximately 1.2042. I'd recommend you using three or four decimal places of accuracy when you put these down on the AP test.
Also, be really careful on the free response section when you're allowed to use the calculator, they won't expect you to show a lot of work, but they will expect you to demonstrate that you know the proper notation for it, and that your showing clearly how you set this up.
So you really do need to write out this integral. Even though you worked it out on your calculator. You could even write the steps as a next step. You could write out the words, "I found this integral on my calculator." And then write down the answer, but you have to show the setup. Part of the points that you get for a free response question, always are involved in the setup.
Another really important reason to make sure that you always draw the graph, is that the functions might intersect in more that one point. This one asks you to find the area contained between the sine function and this line function. And look, there is actually two different regions, the intersect here and the intersect here. In that section, the line is the upper function. In the next section where they intersect, the sine function is the upper function. The way you have to deal with this, is by separating into two different integrals.
If you find this area, the setup would look something like this. In the first region between here and here, you'd have to have the line minus the sine like that. Plus, for this region with different limits of integration, you would have to have the integral of sine minus line. Now while I can go through all the steps with you on the problem, I think it's important that you try it yourself. But remember what you'll be doing. You'll be finding intersections, setting up integrals. And this problem has a lot of similarities to the one that we just demonstrated with just one extra step.
Area between curves, you're guaranteed to see at least one of them on the AP test, so you need to be prepared. We started off talking about the basic concept, how to set them up and we only moved on through practise problems of increasing difficulty.
The first one we did was one where the limits were given to you, limits of integration were all set up and ready to go. Next, we moved on to where we had to find our own limits of integration because it was the area trapped between two curves. On that problem, we were able to find the limits manually, just by using a little bit of algebra. The third one involved a trigonometric function. We were finding the limits of integration, the places where the curves meet, required using your calculator. But no matter how these problems get, no matter how complex they are, they're essential still what you're doing area minus area.
You might be feeling now though like you're really pushing and things are getting harder, in other words they say you're pushing the envelope. But remember no matter how much you push the envelope, it's still stationary.


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December 18, 2013
Andersen receives doctoral award
Lori Andersen, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, received a doctoral student award in November for a superior degree of scholarship from the National Association for Gifted Children, or NAGC, at its national conference in Indianapolis.
Andersen was nominated for the award by Jennifer Cross, assistant professor of research at The College of William and Mary.
"It's a great honor to be recognized for superior scholarship by the national organization in my field," Andersen said. "I look forward to building on my dissertation research at K-State and collaborating with STEM colleagues."
Andersen earned her doctorate from The College of William and Mary then joined the K-State faculty this fall. Her research interests include talent development and science teacher development.


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Iran has inadvertently confirmed WND's report that the Islamic regime is working on nuclear weapons at a secret facility known as "Quds," a name synonymous with the Arabic word for "Jerusalem."
A WND report on March 20 and a follow-up in the Washington Times the next day revealed that Iranian scientists are trying to perfect nuclear warheads at the underground site, which is unknown to the West. The coordinates to this vast site and detailed information about the regime's secret operation were provided to WND by a high-ranking Iranian intelligence officer assigned to the Ministry of Defense.
Read the electrifying, award-winning story of Iranian insider turned CIA spy, Reza Kahlili's "A Time to Betray."
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Golpanews, which is associated with the Defense Ministry and is managed by Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, who heads the office of the supreme leader, published an article on Saturday under the headline, "New claim by America about revelation of Quds secret nuclear facility in Iran."
The article quotes the information that appeared on WND: Satellite images reveal the existence of the secret Quds site, indicating Iran, with North Korean help, clearly crossed the red line and is in the final stage of arming its missiles with nuclear warheads; and Iran not only has made great progress in enriching uranium to weapons grade, but also has succeeded in converting the highly enriched uranium to metal, a key step in making nuclear warheads.
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Although Golpanews calls the revelation the "West's imaginary stories on Iran's nuclear activities," the report verifies the site by stating, "It is clear that the claim by anti-revolutionaries about the existence of the secret nuclear site, Quds, if correct, is nothing more than the situation with the Parchin site and that the Islamic Republic, based on its international obligations, is only after the science of enrichment and the usage for peaceful nuclear energy."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly requested inspection of the Parchin military site, where it is believed the regime has tested nuclear bomb components. The regime replied that military sites are off-limits and has stonewalled the IAEA for over a year while satellite images show a great effort to clean up the area.
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Golpanews, with its connection to the highest levels of the Iranian government, is laying the groundwork for calling Quds a military site and therefore not accessible for inspection by the IAEA.
Also yesterday, Mashregh News, which is run by the Revolutionary Guards, bragged about Iran's missile might and how missiles will rain down on Israel. Mashregh inadvertently revealed images of mobile missile-launching vehicles for the upgraded Shahab 3 missile, which explains the missile depots and garages at the secret Quds site. Hundreds of these mobile vehicles can launch ballistic missiles concurrently at any one target.
Quds consists of three facilities:
- The first is where the regime's scientists are enriching uranium to weapons grade. They already have enough plutonium for several bombs and are in the last stage of putting together a nuclear warhead. This site is called "Quds" after Jerusalem, as they believe soon Israel will be destroyed and Jerusalem restored to Muslim rule.
- The second, which makes missile warheads, is dubbed "Marty Mughniyah" after the Hezbollah terrorist who, under the command of the regime, conducted multiple terrorist acts that killed hundreds of Americans and Israelis.
- The third facility is a vast site that houses over 380 missile depots and launching pads.
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Video of satellite imagery revealing the site can be seen below:
David Trachtenberg, who has 30 years of experience in the national security policy field and who served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense, reviewed the imagery with a colleague with extensive knowledge of imagery.
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"[The satellite images] suggest the possibility that Iran may in fact be further along in its nuclear weapons program than is generally assumed," he said. "It is clear they have gone to great lengths to bury and protect high-value assets at this site, which also complicates the possibility of direct military action and illustrates the risks of allowing years to pass while hoping diplomacy will work.
"An accelerating train is harder to slow and takes longer to stop. These images reinforce my concern that Iranian nuclear progress is accelerating," Trachtenberg said. "The more emphatically the U.S. declares its determination to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state, the harder it may be to ensure that outcome."
"Reza Kahlili (who wrote the article revealing the Quds site) has provided the West with one of the most critical pieces of evidence of the Iranian government's drive to break out its nuclear development into a fully operational capability," said Maj. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney (Ret.). "All the red lines have been crossed. Beware America, Israel and the West, a nuclear Iran is here!"
McInerney for 35 years served as a pilot, commander and strategic planner in the U.S. Air Force, including as deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, and also as vice commander in chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, a congressional advisory board, and who has served on the staffs of the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, the House Armed Services Committee and in the CIA, also reviewed the imagery and information from the source.
"This open-source analysis by itself illustrates that Iran is very serious about building survivable facilities for its nuclear enterprise," said Pry. "If the Obama administration does not know about this facility, it explodes their credibility. If the Obama administration does already know about this facility, it raises even more serious questions. Have they told Congress about this enormous, heavily defended underground complex and its purpose? Why have they not told the American people? Did the president discuss this matter with Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu – along with his public claim that Iran is 'more than a year away' from a nuclear capability?
"Either way," Pry concluded, "a nuclear Iran is such a grave threat to U.S. and global security that, at minimum, Congress should hold hearings on this matter, find out what the administration really knows and does not know, and whether their judgment about the 'nuclear red line' can be trusted to predict when it is about to be crossed."
Ambassador Hank Cooper and Fritz Ermarth, experienced national security experts who played prominent roles in achieving victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, reviewed the imagery on the new underground facility and the intelligence provided by the source. They both agreed with Pry's assessment and called for congressional hearings. They believe such hearings should also seek to understand Iran's underlying goals, its strategy to achieve those goals and appropriate U.S. policies and strategy to counter Iran.
Cooper led arms control negotiations with the U.S.S.R. during the nuclear and space talks and was director of the Strategic Defense Initiative. As an engineer, he helped design hardened underground systems. Ermarth served as chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which writes the National Intelligence Estimates, the most important analytical products of the intelligence community, and served as a special adviser to President Reagan.


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drug, any chemical substance that affects the functioning of living things and the organisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that infect them. Pharmacology, the science of drugs, deals with all aspects of drugs in medicine, including their mechanism of action, physical and chemical properties, metabolism, therapeutics, and toxicity. This article focuses on the principles of drug action and includes an overview of the different types of drugs that are used in the treatment and prevention of human diseases. For a discussion of the nonmedical use of drugs, see drug use.
Until the mid-19th century the approach to drug therapeutics was entirely empirical. This thinking changed when the mechanism of drug action began to be analyzed in physiological terms and when some of the first chemical analyses of naturally occurring drugs were performed. The end of the 19th century signaled the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and the production of the first synthetic drugs. Chemical synthesis has become the most important source of therapeutic drugs. A number of therapeutic proteins, including certain antibodies, have been developed through genetic engineering.
Drugs produce harmful as well as beneficial effects, and decisions about when and how to use them therapeutically always involve the balancing of benefits and risks. Drugs approved for human use are divided into those available only with a prescription and those that can be bought freely over the counter. The availability of drugs for medical use is regulated by law.
Drug treatment is the most frequently used type of therapeutic intervention in medicine. Its power and versatility derive from the fact that the human body relies extensively on chemical communication systems to achieve integrated function between billions of separate cells. The body is therefore highly susceptible to the calculated chemical subversion of parts of this communication network that occurs when drugs are administered.
Principles of drug action
With very few exceptions, in order for a drug to affect the function of a cell, an interaction at the molecular level must occur between the drug and some target component of the cell. In most cases the interaction consists of a loose, reversible binding of the drug molecule, although some drugs can form strong chemical bonds with their target sites, resulting in long-lasting effects. Three types of target molecules can be distinguished: (1) receptors, (2) macromolecules that have specific cellular functions, such as enzymes, transport molecules, and nucleic acids, and (3) membrane lipids.
Receptors are protein molecules that recognize and respond to the body's own (endogenous) chemical messengers, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Drug molecules may combine with receptors to initiate a series of physiological and biochemical changes. Receptor-mediated drug effects involve two distinct processes: binding, which is the formation of the drug-receptor complex, and receptor activation, which moderates the effect. The term affinity describes the tendency of a drug to bind to a receptor; efficacy (sometimes called intrinsic activity) describes the ability of the drug-receptor complex to produce a physiological response. Together, the affinity and the efficacy of a drug determine its potency.
Differences in efficacy determine whether a drug that binds to a receptor is classified as an agonist or as an antagonist. A drug whose efficacy and affinity are sufficient for it to be able to bind to a receptor and affect cell function is an agonist. A drug with the affinity to bind to a receptor but without the efficacy to elicit a response is an antagonist. After binding to a receptor, an antagonist can block the effect of an agonist.
The degree of binding of a drug to a receptor can be measured directly by the use of radioactively labeled drugs or inferred indirectly from measurements of the biological effects of agonists and antagonists. Such measurements have shown that the following reaction generally obeys the law of mass action in its simplest form: drug + receptor ⇌ drug-receptor complex. Thus, there is a relationship between the concentration of a drug and the amount of drug-receptor complex formed.
The structure-activity relationship describes the connection between chemical structure and biological effect. Such a relationship explains the efficacies of various drugs and has led to the development of newer drugs with specific mechanisms of action. The contribution of the British pharmacologist Sir James Black to this field led to the development, first, of drugs that selectively block the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine on the heart (beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic blocking agents) and, second, of drugs that block the effect of histamine on the stomach (H2-blocking agents), both of which are of major therapeutic importance.
Receptors for many hormones and neurotransmitters have been isolated and biochemically characterized. All these receptors are proteins, and most are incorporated into the cell membrane in such a way that the binding region faces the exterior of the cell. This allows the endogenous chemicals freer access to the cell. Receptors for steroid hormones (e.g., hydrocortisones and estrogens) differ in being located in the cell nucleus and therefore being accessible only to molecules that can enter the cell across the membrane.
Once the drug has bound to the receptor, certain intermediate processes must take place before the drug effect is measurable. Various mechanisms are known to be involved in the processes between receptor activation and the cellular response (also called receptor-effector coupling). Among the most important ones are the following: (1) direct control of ion channels in the cell membrane, (2) regulation of cellular activity by way of intracellular chemical signals, such as cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP), inositol phosphates, or calcium ions, and (3) regulation of gene expression.
In the first type of mechanism, the ion channel is part of the same protein complex as the receptor, and no biochemical intermediates are involved. Receptor activation briefly opens the transmembrane ion channel, and the resulting flow of ions across the membrane causes a change in the transmembrane potential of the cell that leads to the initiation or inhibition of electrical impulses. Such mechanisms are common for neurotransmitters that act very rapidly. Examples include the receptors for acetylcholine and for other fast excitatory or inhibitory transmitter substances in the nervous system, such as glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
In the second mechanism, chemical reactions that take place within the cell trigger a series of responses. The receptor may control calcium influx through the outer cell membrane, thereby altering the concentration of free calcium ions within the cell, or it may control the catalytic activity of one or more membrane-bound enzymes. One of these enzymes is adenylate cyclase, which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the cell to cAMP, which in turn binds to and activates intracellular enzymes that catalyze the attachment of phosphate groups to other functional proteins; these may be involved in a wide variety of intracellular processes, such as muscle contraction, cell division, and membrane permeability to ions. A second receptor-controlled enzyme is phosphodiesterase, which catalyzes the cleavage of a membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol, releasing the intracellular messenger inositol triphosphate. This substance in turn releases calcium from intracellular stores, thus raising the free calcium ion concentration. Regulation of the concentration of free calcium ions is important because, like cAMP, calcium ions control many cellular functions. (For more information on intracellular signaling molecules, see second messenger and kinase.)
In the third type of mechanism, which is peculiar to steroid hormones and related drugs, the steroid binds to a receptor that consists primarily of nuclear proteins. Because this interaction occurs inside the cell, agonists for this receptor must be able to cross the cell membrane. The drug-receptor complex acts on specific regions of the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the cell nucleus, resulting in an increased rate of synthesis for some proteins and a decreased rate for others. Steroids generally act much more slowly (hours to days) than agents that act by either of the two other mechanisms.
Many receptor-mediated events show the phenomenon of desensitization, which means that continued or repeated administration of a drug produces a progressively smaller effect. Among the complex mechanisms involved are conversion of the receptors to a refractory (unresponsive) state in the presence of an agonist, so that activation cannot occur, or the removal of receptors from the cell membrane (down-regulation) after prolonged exposure to an agonist. Desensitization is a reversible process, although it can take hours or days for receptors to recover after down-regulation. The converse process (up-regulation) occurs in some instances when receptor antagonists are administered. These adaptive responses are undoubtedly important when drugs are given over a period of time, and they may account partly for the phenomenon of tolerance (an increase in the dose needed to produce a given effect) that occurs in the therapeutic use of some drugs.


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Raleigh's 2011 line up has something traditional and race-worthy and something brand new and lust-worthy. The classically-styled workhorse of a bike in its alloy geared RX 1.0 will be a no-frills racer's weapon of choice while the completely revamped singlespeed frame with a carbon frame and carbon belt drive train will add pizazz to one-geared events from coast to coast.
by Jamie Mack
Raleigh SSCXWC – 2011 Limited Edition Carbon Singlespeed Frameset
Raleigh turned a lot of heads last year with a limited edition singlespeed 'cross frame. The retro colors, solid build and boutique factor of the limited production made it an appealing ride across the country. So, how do you up the stakes even more? How about going to a carbon frame — including the drive train. Yes, while Raleigh's only geared offering for 2011 will be an alloy framed, retro looking 20-speed, the company's only SS offering will be a full-color carbon frame with belt drive. Ironic, huh? [Rumor has it that a geared version of the carbon frame will be coming soon!]
The frame itself is a well thought-out carbon frame with geometry similar to the full-production RX 1.0. But that's where the simplicity ends. The frame will be equipped to accommodate the Gates Carbon Drive System, which replaces the standard chainring/chain/cog with a belt. The carbon is included as strands in the belt to provide strength and longevity to the parts. Multiple belts and cogs are available to customize the ride to fit your legs and the course at hand. The belts do not require the tension of a singlespeed chain system, allowing for less wear and tear on the hubs and other components in the system. The belt drive also necessitates one of the most unique features of the frame: Because the belt is one piece that cannot be broken like a chain, the drive-side dropout must be opened to allow placement of the belt.
The frame doesn't just rely on the drive system to make it appealing; the entire design is intended to be raced, and there are features incorporated that 'crossers will appreciate. The brake stays are thinned to help smooth out some of the bumps and grinds, and the top tube is shaped to provide a more comfortable shouldering experience. However, Raleigh told us that "Honestly, the thing is so light you shouldn't have to." And this was confirmed by Cyclocross Magazine as a frame we were able to weigh came in at under 1,100 grams.
The production frame will include an ENVE fork (formerly Edge Composites) and be setup for the Gates drivetrain. The good news is that the MSRP for the frame will be a reasonable $1,200 and one rider will have the chance to take home the frame dressed in the latest from Shimano (details were sketchy on this, but Raleigh told Cyclocross Magazine that riders would likely be asked to prepare a video entry, so brush up on those YouTube skills). And if you're one of the lucky riders unable to snatch one of only 40 frames being built this year, you'll also be supporting the 'cross community because a portion of profits from each frame sold will benefit the frame's namesake event, the SSCXWC.
Let the drooling begin. (See also our spotlight on the Gates Carbon Drive system. See Photo Gallery below)
Raleigh RX 1.0
Raleigh is one of the oldest names in bicycles, having been formed in England in the late 1800's. Over the years the company has gone through multiple mergers and acquisitions, morphing from a small shop producing three bikes a week to a corporate entity with representation in most major markets throughout the world. And while the bikes have changed quite a bit as well, the latest geared offering in the cyclocross market seems to call back to those days.
In a world of flashy, over-decaled carbon bikes, the 2011 RX 1.0 stands out for what it's not. The frame is simple alloy and it's coated in a simple retro, yet elegant paint job. And the frame has useful, practical touches that most of today's designed-for-the-race-course bikes wouldn't be caught wearing, such as rack and fender mounts.
But that's where the call back to the old days end. The alloy frame features a shaped top-tube to allow for more comfortable shouldering. And it's complemented by an Easton EC70 carbon fork, FSA BB30 bottom bracket and Gossamer cranks. The headset is an integrated piece with cartridge bearings, again made by FSA. The bars, stem, seatpost and saddle are the latest from Avenir, although seeing that brand may give some riders a hint of nostalgia as well. And the drivetrain is the dependable Shimano 105 10-speed group, with everything coming to stop courtesy of Tektro retro-style (their words, not mine) cantilever brakes.
Overall, whether you see it as a racer or commuter, the latest for the budget minded racer or a throwback to that "old bike you once had", the RX 1.0 presents a solid, appealing package.
SSCX Limited Edition Photo Gallery:
Raleigh RX1.0 Photo Gallery:


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Geoffrey (Geoff) Holm
Department/Office InformationBiology
email@example.com (315) 228-6495
My research focuses on mammalian reoviruses, members of the Reoviridae family of non-enveloped viruses containing genomes of 10-12 segments of double-stranded (ds) RNA. This family includes mammalian orthoreoviruses (reoviruses), orbiviruses, and rotaviruses.
Reoviruses infect many mammalian species, including humans, but unlike their close relatives rotaviruses, are rarely associated with human disease. Accordingly, they serve as a useful model for undergraduate-focused studies of virus replication, virus-cell interactions, and viral pathogenesis. Recent interest in reovirus stems from its use as an "oncolytic virotherapy" to treat human cancers, as the virus replicates better in cancer cells leading to tumor cell death or immune-mediated clearance.
Through the research tutorial, independent study, and summer internships, more than 20 students have conducted research in my laboratory over the last three years. Several of these projects have resulted in departmental honors. Researchers in my lab have subsequently enrolled at graduate or medical schools such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Ohio State University, and Vanderbilt University.
Read more about my research
See my most recent publications
BS Bates College 1997; MS Harvard Medical School 1999; PhD Harvard University 2004
Teaching fellow, Harvard University, 2002; senior teaching fellow, Harvard University, 2004
My teaching interests run the spectrum from basic molecular and cellular biology to virology and immunology and to the pathogenesis and epidemiology of infectious disease.
Currently, I contribute to Biology 182: Molecules, Cells, and Genes, in addition to the following courses:
Core Scientific Perspectives 117: Outbreak! Historical Pandemics and Emerging Infectious Diseases. This course examines three historical epidemics: the "Black Death;" cholera in London in the 1850's; and 1918 "Spanish flu," and some more recent outbreaks, including SARS and the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Through lecture, discussion, and in-class exercises, these outbreaks are used as a framework for investigation into basic epidemiological principles. We investigate different methodologies of epidemiologic data collection, and analyze data sets derived from various outbreaks. We also discuss the microbiologic, social, and environmental factors that contribute to disease pathogenesis, and examine our current preparedness for future infectious outbreaks.
Biology 205: Cell Biology. Cells are the basic units of life. This course uses the study of cell biology to explore the collaborative process of scientific research, the critical reading of primary literature, the design and implementation of experimental studies, and the interpretation and communication of research results. Course topics include regulation of the cell cycle and cell division, cell structure and motility, inter- and intracellular communication, and organelle structure and function. Students learn how to critically read and evaluate primary journal articles and will integrate content from the course and published literature into multi-week, lab-based investigative research projects.
Biology 313: Microbiology. Microbiology is an incredibly broad field, loosely defined as (but not limited to) the study of organisms that require a microscope to visualize, or "microbes." This broad classification includes the subfields of bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and mycology (among others), but has also traditionally included other disciplines, such as immunology and epidemiology, that are directly relevant to the study of microbes. Additionally, microbiology encompasses studies of microbes at levels ranging from genetics and molecular biochemistry to cellular physiology to organismal pathogenesis to global ecosystem ecology. This course aims to introduce or expand on many of these aspects of microbiology, and is loosely grouped around six themes: Microbial Principles, Microbial Genomes, Microbial Metabolism, Microbial Ecology, Microbial Diversity, and Medical Microbiology. The required laboratory component of the course aims to integrate many of these topics, and illustrate some of the principles and techniques used in the study of microbes.
Biology 373: Virology. This course is an in-depth examination of the biology of viruses. The course is developed around three units. The first examines general features of virus structure and replication. The second focuses on specific virus families and the mechanisms of pathogenesis of representative viruses. Finally, we will examine broader implications of virology, including viruses and cancer, vaccinology, and antiviral therapies. Critical reading of the primary virological literature is an important element of the course. The required laboratory component integrates instruction in modern virologic techniques into a semester-long, investigative project.
Biology 374: Immunology. This course examines the molecular and cellular components of the human immune system. We investigate the general principles that govern different components of the immune system, and integrate those principles to create a broad picture of how the immune system functions to eliminate infectious diseases. We examine the consequences of malfunctions in the immune system, and how researchers and clinicians can manipulate the immune system to positively impact human health. In addition, we emphasize how immunologists understand what they do about immune system function, as well as discuss research methods that allow for investigation of new questions about how the immune system functions.
Check out the Colgate Immunology Blog, where current students post summaries and comments on recently published papers in immunology.
Biology 484: Molecular Analysis of Cellular Responses to Microbial Infection. In this research tutorial, students develop an independent research project that investigates aspects of the cellular response to reovirus infection. We use quantitative PCR, RNAi, reporter assays, and other techniques to determine the role of cellular genes in coordinating the anti-viral response. Students utilize primary literature articles to design and test hypotheses in the laboratory, and to develop a mock grant proposal on their research. Students also participate in a weekly group journal club. At the end of the term, students present results to the department in a poster session or oral presentation, and write a paper summarizing their results in the style of a journal article.
Recent publications include the following co-authored articles (* indicates Colgate undergraduate author):
- Doms, A.,* Sanabria, T.*, Hansen, J.N., Altan-Bonnet, N., and Holm, G.H., "25-hydroxycholesterol production by the cholesterol-25-hydroxylase interferon-stimulated gene restricts mammalian reovirus infection," J. Virol., 2018, 92: e01047-18.
- Anafu, A.A.*, Bowen, C.H., Chin, C.R., Brass, A.L., and Holm, G.H., "Interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) restricts reovirus cell entry," J. Biol. Chem., 2013, 288: 17261-17271.
- Knowlton, J.J.*, Dermody, T.S., and Holm, G.H., "Apoptosis induced by mammalian reovirus is beta interferon (IFN) independent and enhanced by IFN regulatory factor 3- and NF-kB-dependent expression of Noxa," J. Virology, 2012, 86: 1650-1660.
- Danthi, P., Pruijssers, A.J., Berger, A.K., Holm, G.H., Zinkel, S.S., and Dermody, T.S., "Bid regulates the pathogenesis of neurotropic reovirus," PLoS Pathogens, 2010, 6: e1000980.
- Holm, G.H., Pruijssers, A.J., Li, L., Danthi, P., Sherry, B., and Dermody, T.S., "Interferon regulatory factor 3 attenuates reovirus myocarditis and contributes to viral clearance," J. Virology, 2010, 84: 6900-6908.
- Zurney, J., Kobayashi, T., Holm, G.H., Dermody, T.S., and Sherry, B., "The reovirus m2 protein inhibits interferon signaling through a novel mechanism involving nuclear accumulation of interferon regulatory factor-9," J. Virology, 2009, 83: 2178-2187.
- Holm, G.H., Zurney, J., Tumilasci, V., Leveille, S., Danthi, P., Sherry, B., Hiscott, J., and Dermody, T.S., "Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I and interferon-beta promoter stimulator-1 augment pro-apoptotic responses following mammalian reovirus infection via interferon regulatory factor-3," J. Biol. Chem., 2007, 282: 21953-21961.
Mechanisms of Bystander T Cell Apoptosis in HIV-1 Infection
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 2005-2008
- American Society for Virology Young Investigator Award 2007;
- Individual Postdoctoral Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award 2006;
- Vanderbilt University Postdoctoral Fellowship Enhancement Award 2005;
- Institutional Postgraduate Fellowship, Molecular and Cellular Microbiology Departmental Training Grant 2005;
- Harvard College Certificate of Distinction in Teaching 2002


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In a book released today, Silvio Berlusconi's wife says he "look[s] ridiculous before the world." But are Italians willing to forgive his lavish parties and dalliances with young women?
A newly revised biography, Veronica's Way, details the relationship between Berlusconi and Veronica Lario from its beginning in 1980 to its current unhappy end. Lario says that when her husband attended the birthday party of an 18-year-old (and bought her an $8,500 birthday gift), he told her he was at a conference. She tells biographer Maria Latella,
It was the umpteenth lie. Better to finally respect myself, better to divorce. [...] I cannot condemn myself to be his wetnurse and I cannot stop him from making himself ridiculous before the world.
But according to Daniel Flynn of Reuters, neither the 18-year-old nor Berlusconi's alleged party with a high-priced call girl have soured Italy on him. Flynn writes, "While the 'sexgate' scandal has excited the foreign press, opinion polls show many Italians consider it a private matter and it has done little to dent Berlusconi's high popularity, despite the worst economic downturn since World War II." In a Times editorial, Italian professor Chiara Volpato has a different take. She says,
Many outside Italy seem to assume that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gets away with his sexist behavior because Italian men condone it and the women at least tolerate it. But this is no longer true. Today there are two Italys: one Italy has soaked up Mr. Berlusconi's ideology either out of self-interest or an inability to resist his enormous powers of persuasion; the other is fighting back.
After a discussion of Italy's gender gap (example: fewer than half of Italian women have jobs, but Italian men still have 80 minutes more free time per day), Volpato describes the ways Italian women are fighting back against sexism in general and Berlusconi specifically. She mentions a documentary about female objectification called Il Corpo delle Donne, a recent first ladies' boycott of the G8 summit in Italy, and Berlusconi's dropping approval ratings among women. Still, she says, Italians must do more to combat Berlusconi and the anti-woman culture he represents. She writes,
An important step is to make dissent known, a difficult task considering that true free speech is largely limited to only a few independent newspapers and, importantly, the Internet. We need to start working on a systematic documentation of incidents of discrimination against women.
Michael Wolff's recent Vanity Fair article illustrates why this may, indeed, be very difficult — through his TV empire, Berlusconi has made both himself and the object vacation of women key facets of Italian pop culture. Wolff writes that Berlusconi's rise to control Italy's three private TV networks (as prime minister, he now controls the three public TV networks as well) can be traced to his replacement of "heavyset" male talking heads with "big-bosomed girls" called veline. These veline are now at the center of Italian culture — varying soccer stars and dictating fashion trends — and of political life as well. Berlusconi has appointed many of them to government positions, and one former velina, now Italy's equal-opportunity minister even hosted the very G8 summit the first ladies boycotted.
It sounds a little like packing Parliament with Playboy bunnies — but there's a reason Italian women haven't yet risen up against Berlusconi's velinocracy. The veline are popular. According to Volpato, becoming one of them is now the most popular career goal among Italian teenage girls. Volpato chalks this up to the fact that in Italy, "young women and girls are consistently taught that their bodies, rather than their abilities and their knowledge, are the key to success."
But maybe Veronica Lario can change that. In her biography, she says, "I think that I have no choice but to separate...He would tell me another lie and this time I could not stand it," and "I've reached the end of the road. Ten years ago I was not ready but now I can say: I am leaving this man." Lario herself is a former velina, who took up with Berlusconi when she was 23 and he was 43 and married. Perhaps her very public rage at him will provide an antidote to his advice to a female student — to get ahead, marry a rich man. Veronica's Way could serve as a lesson that neither being a velina nor marrying up necessarily brings an Italian woman happiness — and as an impetus for other women to demand more real power.
Italian Women Rise Up [NYT]
Berlusconi Wife: He Is Ridiculous Before The World [Reuters]
All Broads Lead To Rome [Vanity Fair]
Earlier: Wine, Women, & Santa Costumes Have Italian Leader In Loads Of Trouble


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- You may be looking for Derek the Dodo or Derek, who is mentioned in Grand Theft Auto V.
|GTA San Andreas
|Full Name
Derek is a character in the 3D Universe who appears as a trivial character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He is an employee at the petrol station in Dillimore.
Character history
Derek, at an unknown point, became an employee at the Dillimore petrol station, working as the cashier. In 1992, in their crime spree across Red County, recently exiled protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson and countryside criminal Catalina attempt to rob the station but are taunted by the manager, behind bullet proof glass. Carl and Catalina then decide to steal a tanker full of petrol, with the manager and a reluctant Derek giving chase, shouting things such as "This ain't my fight..." or "That rig will crush us!". The player can choose to destroy the pursuing car, killing both Derek and the manager.
If the player, however, does deliver the tanker to Mr. Whittaker at the RS Haul depot in Flint County, a cutscene will begin showing Derek losing control and crashing the car into a petrol station, although the two occupants bail out just in time to survive the explosion caused when their car crashes. The player can also kill both Derek and the manager after the completion of the mission.
- Derek does not have a unique character model and shares his design with that of a resident of San Fierro.
Mission appearance
- GTA San Andreas


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|Off Eff
|FT Rate
I don't know that I can add a lot to the above table. One watches the Raptors sees and knows that they're bad, really bad defensively but it's not until one watches them (not) defend the team* one's most familiar with* that the comprehensive nature of Toronto's failings become fully apparent. Toronto did not pressure the ball. They did not keep the dribbler in front of them. They did not challenge shots. The didn't rebound missed shots. They fouled fairly frequently. They did not force turnovers.
*A team about which the second half against Orlando and the intermittent commitment to getting good shots in the loss Sunday in Detroit live in the forefront of the mind.
Toronto looked so bad defensively that it's difficult to give Atlanta much more credit for their ease in scoring the basketball than one would give, say, the Kansas Jayhawks for scoring 98 points* at home against Alcorn State tonight. But that's not fair. The talent gap** between the Hawks and the Raptors isn't enough to explain scoring 146 points or 154 points per 100 possessions. No, the Hawks did what they chose not to do in Detroit. They kept it simple offensively. They moved the ball. They moved without the ball. If they dribbled, they dribbled toward the basket. It was easy. Part of that was Toronto's incompetence but part of it was Atlanta's competence.
*But only 122 points per 100 possessions.
**The difference in forethought regarding team construction might. How did Colangelo think the Bosh/Bargnani post duo would defend anyone? Sure, Bosh is great defending the pick-and-roll but who's going to run pick-and-roll when they can just dump it into their other big man in the post when he's guarded by Bargnani? So you put Bosh in the post where his lack of bulk is something of a weakness and then you still have Bargnani struggling to guard players away from the basket. It's a hell of a collection of offensive players but no sort of good team.
This rout doesn't solve anything. Most teams are going to take away the first, best, and easiest offensive option some* of the time. The Hawks will again (maybe even Friday night against the Knicks) have the opportunity to fall into old habits and their collective life more difficult. Tonight was fun, though, and should be enjoyed. I'm not even the least bit concerned about the Hawks allowing the most points per possession of any game yet this season. Toronto made this game perverse and it's unlikely to have much predictive value but failing to enjoy the laughers makes the season drag.
*Joe Johnson, after the Hawks scored on each of their first nine third quarter possessions (totaling 21 points), did use his last two on-court offensive possessions to dribble a lot at the top of the key before 1) missing a fall-away 20' and 2) missing a weak, floating runner amidst multiple defenders. He's still got it.


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Investigative reporter and historian Gareth Porter at IPS News writes in an article titled CIA Drone Operators Oppose Strikes as Helping al Qaeda:
Some CIA officers involved in the agency's drone strikes programme in Pakistan and elsewhere are privately expressing their opposition to the programme within the agency, because it is helping al Qaeda and its allies recruit, according to a retired military officer in contact with them.
The interview he landed is an eye-opener.
"Some of the CIA operators are concerned that, because of its blowback effect, it is doing more harm than good," said Jeffrey Addicott, former legal adviser to U.S. Special Forces and director of the Centre for Terrorism Law at St Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, in an interview with IPS.
Not only that, but neither are "'The people at the top . . . believers,' said Addicott, referring to the CIA. 'They know that the objective is not going to be achieved.'"
Especially discouraging . . .
Addicott said the drone programme has been driven by President Barack Obama, rather than by the CIA. "Obama's trying to show people that we're winning," he added. …
Within the administration, it appears that the logic behind the programme is that it has to be seen to be doing something about al Qaeda. … "Very frankly," Panetta declared May 18, 2009, "it's the only game in town in terms of confronting or trying to disrupt the al Qaeda leadership."
CIA officers: Come to Florida, where you, too, can become a victim of PTSD while dealing out indiscriminate death from the comfort of your own console.
Be sure to read the rest of Gareth Porter's exclusive at IPS News: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51706


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5 Kid-Friendly DIY Home Projects
Having young children fills our house with a lot of noise, and a lot of laughter. They keep us so busy, it also makes me wonder when we will ever get to concentrate on some of the basic home projects on our ever-growing list. I've finally come to the conclusion that if we ever want to get anything done, we have to find a way to involve them.
1. Paint a Room
I distinctly remember helping my parents paint their bedroom when we moved into our new house. I made a giant smiley face on the wall and some clouds and other things. They only let me do the undercoat, of course—I was four—but it was loads of fun. With a little direction and supervision, even young children can help paint their bedroom. If you want to let creativity run free, give them a wall, or a portion of a wall, and let them make their own mural. It's just paint, after all.
2. Plant a Window Box
A small container or window box is just the right size to introduce kids to the basics of planting. If your kids are like mine, they already love to dig in the dirt, but to help keep everyone on task, make sure you have all your tools and supplies ready to go when you start your project. Over time, your kids will enjoy a real sense of ownership in watching these plants and flowers grow.
3. Build a Bat House
Did you know that a single bat can eat 500-1000 mosquitoes an hour? Yes, an hour. So if you live in an area besieged by biters in the summer, this simple carpentry project could be just right for your family to work on together. What better way to teach your kids about how ecosystems work? Ok, or you can use it to get into the spirit for Halloween. However you do it, Bat Conservation International has a wealth of information on their website, including these plans for a single chamber bat house.
4. Clean Your Drains
"What?," you ask. "I'd never let my kids near a bottle of harsh, caustic chemicals!" I wouldn't either. But you don't have to. There are simple DIY solutions for cleaning a slow or unstopping a clogged drain. Your kids can help mix your recipe and run the water for you. It's like a mini science experiment.
DIY Drain Cleaner Recipe:
– 1 cup baking soda
– 1/2 cup salt
– 1/4 cream of tartar
Mix ingredients together in a resealable container. Pour 1/4 cup of your mixture into your drain. Pour 2 cups of boiling water down the drain and let stand for 30 minutes to an hour. Follow by flushing the drain with fresh water from the tap.
5. Make Stepping Stones
Homemade stepping stones are a wonderful way to dress up and personalize a garden or walkway. You can buy kits at craft stores, but they are expensive, and you can get results just as nice with things you collect around your house and at the hardware store.
– Bag of Quikrete cement or mortar mix
– A mold (You can use old baking pans, used pizza boxes, disposable food tins, or other containers that seem suitable.)
– Decorations (Shells, marbles, and even laminated pictures may be used; be creative!)
Mix your concrete according to the instructions, fill your mold, and add your assorted decorations. The result will be something you'll enjoy for many years to come.
Whatever home projects you have on your list, try to find a way to involve your kids, at whatever age, in an appropriate way. It will help give them a sense of ownership in your home and important life skills for the future—and it's a wonderful way to spend time together.
For more on kid-friendly DIY and design, consider:
Project Guide: Building a Sandbox
Kid-Friendly Bathroom Design
Quick Tip: Kid-Friendly DIY (VIDEO)


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McCaskill: Rice Is Scapegoat for Benghazi
Sen. Claire McCasklll, D-Mo., defended U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice against the pointed Republican attacks that could endanger the diplomat's possible appointment to be secretary of State, saying Rice has been unfairly scapegoated for the mistakes of others.
Rice has come under fire for comments she made in September regarding the terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in which she insisted the attack was in response to a controversial video.
"I think it's terribly unfair what has happened to Susan Rice," McCaskill said Sunday on "Meet the Press."
"I do not understand for the life of me — the talking points came from the intelligence community, yet you don't hear one criticism of [former CIA Director] David Petraeus. It was his shop that produced the talking points that Susan Rice talked about, and she mentioned al-Qaida in the interviews."
McCaskill also suggested Susan Rice is being held to a higher standard than Condoleezza Rice, though Condoleezza Rice was heavily criticized by Democrats and some Republicans when she held the top State Department post under President George W. Bush.
"I mean, really? Is there a double-standard here? It appears to most of us that there is. A very unfair one," McCaskill said. "This is a strong, smart, capable, accomplished woman, and I think there are too many people over there that are looking for a scalp."
When asked whether she thought President Barack Obama should push forward with Susan Rice's nomination to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, though, McCaskill would not commit definitively.
In the same interview, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the likely ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee in the 113th Congress, said he would consider any Rice nomination as part of the confirmation process, but he predicted it would never get to that point.
"I don't think she is going to be nominated, but I've told people I certainly will give her a fair hearing," Corker said, noting that Rice is viewed by many Republicans as more of a political operative than a government emissary.


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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wishing it all away.....
I sighed...
She sighed...
I said that I wished it was Friday....
She said, "no...don't do that"....
"Don't do that"
"Do what?"
"Wishing like that"
"Wishing like what?"
"Wishing it was Friday"
"So what's wrong with that?"
"Your wishing your life away.....that's what we all do....I wish it was Friday...I wish it was Summer....I wish it was my vacation.....your wishing it all away....then when your older, you'll wish you were right back here where your wish first started"
I blinked a couple of times....
And I looked at her....
Really looked at her...
Her face showed heavy lines of age..
Her hair was a beautiful snowy white color waved into pin curls..
Her eyes twinkled in the dim light of the elevator..
And it was at that moment that my whole life flashed in front of me....ok...not really, but you know what I mean!
I nodded...."Your right"...I said..."I never thought of it that way.."
She smiled....the creases around her mouth deepened even further...
That elevator ride down 10 floors ALWAYS stops and picks up other passengers...
But not this time..
It didn't stop once...
This lady and I were meant to be in the elevator together...
It was meant for me to hear those words..."don't wish your life away"...
I wanted her to tell me more..I didn't want the door to open...
She opened her mouth to say something....
And the doors open and she swiftly walked out and disappeared into the crowd..
"Wait!"....I said...but she didn't hear me...
Everyday I look for her...
But I've never seen her again...
Almost like talking to an Angel...
And talking to an Angel doesn't happen every day...
So don't wish your life away....I'm not going to any more...I'm going to live in the moment...cherish every second...every minute..every day...
When you start making your days count, you'll never again have to worry again about counting the days.
Today is a gift....that's why they call it the "present".....
37 comments:
Oh, sweet Ms. Java...thank you for sharing this...I needed to be reminded of this, too!!!ReplyDelete
Oh, Java, this is so powerful! What an amazing encounter.ReplyDelete
I just love this story...with age comes wisdom..oh that we all would learn from her!!ReplyDelete
Excellent advice--but difficult to live by so much of the time.ReplyDelete
Very neat and memorable experience. And I bet you're going to remember it for a lifetime. ;)ReplyDelete
Even hearing that lesson right now... I can't "hear" it *right now*.
I wish I could...
...Two weeks ago I found out that Matt's wife is pregnant. I can't even bear to write about it, it's so painful. I can't even allow myself to think about it. All I have done the last couple of weeks is wish all of this was just... over. Would anyone ever really want to revisit the most painful time in their life Java? I almost emailed you when I found out, but I just wasn't ready... :(ReplyDelete
I find myself wishing my life away more often than I would care to admit. I recognize it when I'm doing it, but like Emily (above) said, it's not so easy to stop doing it.ReplyDelete
Definitely something I think most of us could stand to work on. Lovely story. Thanks for sharing it!
~Mrs B
Remember being a kid and wishing we were 18 so we could do what we want? I agree w/the lady u met.. She is wise and right about wishing for it to be another day... Besides, what is the rush? When Fri. comes it just means that its closer to Monday where wishing for Fri. comes again?? lolReplyDelete
My Mom used to say that to me. Of course, I didn't understand it then, but I do now.ReplyDelete
That is such a good post. We all do it, don't we. But this really is a reminder that we must treasure every moment, for life really does zip by in a flash and, before we know it, we will be that old lady in the lift.ReplyDelete
That's an amazing story and such a good reminder!ReplyDelete
Thank you, Java, for a beautiful, sweet story that hits home. I was wishing for spring but think I'll enjoy today more.ReplyDelete
Maybe she was an angel!ReplyDelete
My granddaddy told me that when I was a kid and I've never forgotten it! Great advice!ReplyDelete
What an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing it!ReplyDelete
Very inspiring and gave me a smile. Thanks :)ReplyDelete
Great post and I believe maybe God did send an Angel down to the elevator to speak thru him to you.ReplyDelete
I had a freaky thing happen to me today, check out my post.
how very true her words were and how lucky you stopped to listen.ReplyDelete
love that story :) and I LOVE chatting with older people because the old women are so wise and helpful, and the old men have such funny stories. You always come out of a conversation inspired.ReplyDelete
Your story gave me the chills while I was reading. I do believe she was sent to you, possible so you could share the story. So many times I have said the same thing. I wish it was Friday, wish it was summer, wish it was time for vacation..only to find the days, and years, flying by and life passing too quickly.ReplyDelete
Thanks for reminding us to enjoy the moment, live for today and not to wish everything away.
Thank you God, for sending the Angel to Java!
What an awesome experience for you, and she is so right.ReplyDelete
It's hard to do, but yes, she is right!
What a wonderful reminder that every day is precious. Every day is a gift from God that we should enjoy and use wisely. I wonder if that lady was an angel. Thank you for sharing this!ReplyDelete
a lesson we can all learn from. I think we are all guilty of wishing our lives away....thank you for making us stop and think.ReplyDelete
What a great story... Thank you for sharing!ReplyDelete
I have often thought this exact same thing. We spend so much of our lives wishing it was Friday or waiting until we lose weight or whatever that we're wishing our lives away.ReplyDelete
You touched me.Thank youReplyDelete
What a great story - and a great reminder! Too easy to forget sometimes. I also love "Today is a gift....that's why they call it the "present"....."ReplyDelete
Great moment in an elevator. Thanx for sharing it with us. Wise words form a wise woman or.......ReplyDelete
Love this post and the mantra we live our life by:ReplyDelete
don't wish it all away, live in the moment!
Good case in point. And be careful what you wish for because you always get your wishes !!!!!!ReplyDelete
Love and peace,
What a great story, and a much needed reminder. My mom always says that to me, when I start saying I wish the week was over, or if I wish something I am waiting for would come... She has said it to me so much over the years; sometimes I even stop myself from wishing our lives away. It is hard sometimes to do, but so important to live every day for today. Another great saying a friend told me was, "live everyday like it is your last, one day it will be, and you will be prepared."ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 18, 2011 at 10:33 AM
So true! It's the same like complaining about raining, and warmth. There is need and beauty in what each day brings!ReplyDelete
The woman was right we do wish our lives away instead of enjoying the present. We live life in the fast lane and its time to slow down and smell the coffee!ReplyDelete
New follower. You can come visit me at http://momsinvent.blogspot.com/
I never thought I would be over 40 and 50 is just around the corner.
that's awesome-- my mother in law says something similar to meReplyDelete
I'm a new follower to your blog, too (awesome site, by the way).ReplyDelete
Watching my 44 yr old sister-in-law die of ALS gave me a different perspective on life and with that I stopped wishing my life away. I try very hard to appreciate each and every day.
Great post and reminder to live our current life.ReplyDelete
Just wonderful, really, wonderful post.ReplyDelete
I love, love, love comments!! Thank you for taking the time and for making my day!! I read every single one and if you ask a question please be sure that I will get back to you as soon as I can!


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That's the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is working to prevent manufacturers of over-the-counter sleep products for babies from claiming that their use will prevent or lower the chance of SIDS. These products include infant positioners, mattresses, crib bedding, pillows, crib tents and baby monitors. Baby products that claim to cure, treat or prevent any condition are considered medical devices, and are subject to FDA regulations designed to protect consumers and patients.
The agency has never approved a product to prevent SIDS—the unexplained death of a baby younger than age 1—and is asking manufacturers to stop marketing their products with these claims until they have received FDA clearance or approval, or to change their labeling to remove all medical claims.
"These products are absolutely not necessary and they can be very dangerous," says Susan Cummins, M.D., M.P.H., chief pediatric medical officer in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
[box_light]Dangerous Comforts[/box_light]
FDA is aware of 13 infant deaths in the past 13 years associated with sleep positioners, which are used to keep the baby in a desired position. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received reports of babies found in hazardous positions after being placed in a positioner.
Other products can also be hazardous. Babies can slide down and be trapped by wedges designed to keep them on their back, says Cummins. Blankets, quilts, soft toys and pillow-like crib bedding can smother, she adds.
It's a matter of A-B-C, says Cummins:
- Alone in their own bed. Don't keep the infant in your bed next to you and risk that the baby will be accidentally suffocated if you roll over.
- Back to sleep—every sleep. "The safest way to put the baby to sleep is on his or her back every time," says Cummins. "Do not put the baby on his side or on his stomach."Since the national Back to Sleep campaign in 1994 urged parents to place babies on their backs, there has been a 60 percent reduction in SIDS, Cummins says.
- Crib. The baby should always be placed in a crib or bassinet to sleep.
Cummins describes the ideal sleep environment for an infant as being free of anything that could block the infant's movement or breathing. All that's needed is a firm crib mattress and a tight-fitting sheet.
To parents who have visions of a crib filled with comforts, she says, "Though a crib full of plush toys and soft bedding may look appealing to you, it is hazardous for your baby during his or her first year of life."
"Your baby will develop faster in that first year than any time after. Newborns can't even hold up their head, yet by their first birthday they are walking or nearly so," says Cummins. "In between, your baby will learn to roll, sit, turn, crawl and even may start to climb!"
"So in that first year, your baby constantly and rapidly develops new skills, even in the crib during sleep time," she says. "Make your baby's crib a safe place to sleep and move, with nothing to get in the way."
[box_light]Safe Sleep Resources[/box_light]
FDA is starting a new website on SIDS prevention claims for parents, caregivers and manufacturers of sleep products for babies. Its purpose is to:
- inform parents and caregivers about the risks associated with over-the-counter products that claim to prevent SIDS.
- help manufacturers understand and comply with FDA laws and regulations governing medical devices, which are designed to protect consumers and patients.
The site also offers advice to parents on reducing the risk of SIDS and a list of "baby safe sleep" resources.
"The sleep environment is the one place where the baby is alone, so we want to make sure it's safe," says Cummins. And in this case, she says, less is more.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.