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When the largest recording conglomerate in the world, Universal swallowed legendary reggae imprint Trojan back in 2007, many feared it would be forgotten by its mighty new owner.
Now three years on Universal appear to be gearing up to make the most of the treasures at their disposal with some pretty impressive compilations emerging and loads more scheduled for imminent release.
To mark this new burst of activity, I had a natter with Trojan's Laurence Cane-Honeysett, who's been at the label for two decades now. For much of this time he's had what many would consider a dream job, rooting through the vaults, unpicking the scrambled or unlabelled 1/4 inch masters in search of undiscovered gems ripe for reissue.
Listen to the interview below – including classic Trojan sounds – to hear Laurence reminisce about trips to the Trojan archive in Walthamstow, reveal plans for future unreleased material, and talk through the Ska, Mod, Dub and Label overview compilations that have just hit the shelves.
MLD: What's your role in the now Universal owned Trojan Records?
I've worked for Trojan records as the Jamaican music consultant since 1990. I've worked in various capacities, I started off listening to the tapes and then compiling and writing sleeve notes. In later years I went on to oversee the releases, and now I work in an advisory capacity for Universal in terms of what they have in their reggae catalogue.
MLD: What's the idea behind the 4 compilations that have just been released?
We used to do a series pre-Universal of 3 CD boxsets, and these new comps are very much in the tradition of those. By and large genre-based, introductions to various genres and scenes, that follow that model except 2 cd's set and 40 tracks, but we didn't want people who'd bought the boxsets to think wait a minute I've got these tracks on the boxsets.
What we've tried to do with these is include as much rare and unreleased material as possible.
The only thing is we are limited in terms of what's available, we are negotiating to get the rights for more repertoire. People often think well it came out on Trojan in 1970 they can release it now, but obviously, agreements expire. So we are limited, and someone might say well whys there no Studio 1.
MLD: So when you say unreleased, what do you mean? Unreleased on CD, on vinyl, or never ever heard before?
The four compilations Ska, Mod, Trojan, and Dub. None of the stuff on the Dub collection has appeared on a Trojan collection before. Other companies may have released tracks or Trojan may have issues it years and years ago.
For the other collections we are trying to get stuff that has never been out before, it's a first. Never out in Jamaica or the Uk, focussing either never been on CD before or never been in the UK before but by and large, good stuff, the best stuff has been out in some form, but we're focussing on what's never been out in the UK, because obviously, Jamaica produced more music than ever made it to the UK.
TROJAN RECORDS – Website / Facebook
Buy: Trojan Amazon store
4 new compilations (40 tracks on each for a fiver) Dub, Mod, Ska & "The Heavy Heavy Monster Sound: The Trojan Story".
MLD: What particularly stands out for you? Is it the tracks issued for the first time like Rupie Edward's "Let Me Love You"?
It's a little subjective, for example, I've had Rupie Edwards "Let Me Love You" all my adult life, I bought the record god knows when, but that's never been issued in the UK and only ever limited issue in Jamaica. It's a cover of an old pop song by the Playmates although it's light years away from that in terms of style. It's a personal favourite, its studio 1 with Sound Dimension on backing.
The Mod one what I did like is that there are some old Island Chris Blackwell. A lot of Chris's early Ska productions especially UK ones have been overlooked, no ones known what to do with them. So this was a perfect vehicle to show them off, and demonstrate that he was a decent producer and some of the music that came out on Island in the early 60's and was big on the MOD scene.
MLD: Universal own Island so I imagine the plan is to tie in and plunder both archives as one?
We've Island, we've got Creole, Ras, Trojan, it's an incredible collection so let's really start making the most of it which up until now perhaps that hasn't happened. The opportunities to do "ultimate" compilations is there and that's what we're aiming for.
MLD: Is it a challenge servicing the "Now That's what I call Reggae" market while not forgetting the collectors or hardcore fans?
You cant abandon the hardcore market, and you have to service it? It's two distinct markets and there's room for them both.
Universal just did a compilation a hundred reggae hits for Tesco which was a really big seller, but obviously that sort of market is vastly different to the type of stuff that I get most joy out of which is stuff that's never been out.
Listen: Click here to listen to Jonathan Charles' fascinating BBC Radio 4 documentary on Sister Nancy "The Nun Nurtured That Reggae".
MLD: Tell me about the experience of getting the keys to the archive for the first time?
That's how it all started 20 years ago. That was my first job, the 9-5 job was working in Trojan's archive out in Walthamstow. I'd get off at Blackhorse Road tube station and it'd be a 30-minute walk from there.
MLD: My home station! On U Sound also had their studio near Blackhorse Road.
Blimey! A hotbed of reggae! That's where the warehouse was, all the tapes, all the stock.
I got the job because I was working for Record Collector writing review and articles, and then Steve Barrow who went on to run Blood & Fire, he left, and then I worked freelance for a while as a compiler and sleeve note writer. And then I said I want to be doing more and they said well we've got all these tapes that aren't logged, come in and let us know what we've got on the masters! So Id be in a little studio down the back day in day out just listening to tapes, identifying them, putting them on the system, writing on the tape boxes, what was actually the contents.
It was fantastic, you can imagine it was just an education in itself because back then pre the internet there were very few places you could go for solid information on Jamaican music. It was a gold mine!!
MLD: I'm told the labeling on the tape boxes could have been better?
The funny thing was I always used to wonder why Jamaican music the singles that were pressed over here were so often so badly wrong until I got to see the tape boxes because all the boxes… it was rubbish what was written on them. It was confusing, or nothing there, or people would make stuff up… that sounds like Jimmy Cliff lets put it out as a Jimmy Cliff thing.
Now of course we find the same situation with the Island tapes which I'm hoping to get to grips with. They have got a database there but the people who originally logged it didn't know what they were doing. They wouldn't know if the song title was the song title or the artist. For example, we did a Millie compilation recently, the most basic track My Boy Lollipop you'll get all number of spellings of the track, and of Millie. At the time it was throwaway music it wasn't really considered high brow or anything it was just lets get this out its a pop record from Jamaica.
MLD: Where are we now in terms of the tape archive, are you back getting access?
It's something that I'm really just giving my attention to. The Trojan is fine, but Island, the later stuff not just Marley, lots of artists, you name it they signed it. So even late 70's stuff you'd think by then they'd have sorted things out, but its all over the place. It's just a logistical problem for me to get in there, even to see the tapes is a help because sometimes you can see things that perhaps someone who's not knowledgeable about the music wouldn't.
MLD: So these are where… there's a vast store somewhere, they've not been digitised..?
No, they've not been digitised, some are, and the company is moving towards that. Its easier said than done with a vast company. There are people logging and digitising in some territories but not others. Trying to coordinate that effort takes a lot of effort and money. It is something that we know we need to do, especially as far as digitisation goes. While the hardcore might not be that interested in downloading, that's the way things are going.
Sandra Robinson – "Sensi For Sale (Part 1)"
The Ethiopians – "Everything Crash"
MLD: People I've talked to about Trojan or who are interested in Trojan seem to want to know… is there anything actually left in the vault!?
Ohh well, there is, the answer to that is simple. Funny enough I get asked that question a lot as well because people think wow you put out so much especially in Sanctuary days when they were putting out 7 releases a month! It must have dried up, but so much music was produced particularly from the golden age of Trojan which was the late 60's through to the mid to late 70's. The amount of music produced in that time is nothing short of incredible.
Even though we've released thousands of records over the last 20 years its just incredible how much for which they've got rights, which they could release, which is much more than has been out. Really of what's they've got rights to maybe only a quarter at most, so there's three-quarters of the catalogue that's not been out on CD or digital.
Download: A 21 track compilation of rare crackly 7″ flip side reggae dub versions.
Compiled by a now vanished blog liamskablog: The Dubs & Versions Collection (Rar)
MLD: Is one of the issues tracking down the artists, in terms of publishing? Reggae publishing is perhaps known for some shady deals?
That is a problem because there's a lot of how could one put it..less than honest practices, but it was easy to just point fingers at the record companies but in truth, it ran so much deeper than that. Producers – naming no names – would go to record companies and sign the repertoire exclusively, and then go to another company and do exactly the same deal. And then of course record companies would say what about the artists, and they'd say we'll sort the artist out. If the producer refused the record company to pay the artist directly there was nothing the record company could do about it.
But a stance has been taken that whether or not the producer liked it, we'd have to take the money for the artist and if the producers not paying them we have to. Its the right thing to do and we want to keep artists happy.
On the other hand I remember a long time ago there was an artist approached Trojan to pay his royalties, which they did, and the following week I read an article saying he'd never been paid any royalties.
Having said that there is a problem tracking artists down, and record companies have to actively try to do so that people are getting paid.
MLD: Have you had a eureka moment? Discovering a special treasure that meant a lot to you?
I'll be honest with you, there have been so many, especially with the Trojan catalogue. I was just like a kid in a candy shop. You can imagine there was stuff that had never been out, and still hasn't been out, and I was finding stuff from the golden age that got me into the music in the first place. By artists Id never heard of and wonderful wonderful recordings. The only thing I did find though is we put some of those recordings on a compilation back in the early 90's I think and it bombed. No one was interested. But I think now things have moved on and perhaps because not much has come out over the last couple of years its stoaked up more interest in the new stuff coming. It was getting a little tired before, the fact that we were putting out so much.
MLD: So you turn up at this warehouse in Walthamstow, open the door and before you are just racks and rack of tapes??
yes, literally that, in boxes. Just boxers full of tapes that haven't been looked at since the day they were put in. That hadn't been played since the day they arrived at Trojan, it was just mind-blowing. Actually, there are still lots of unidentified things, especially on multitrack. Its just finding the time to play all these things, you've got hundreds. The only way is to get a studio go in here and play through them.
MLD: Are these all masters, 1/4 inch or are they mastered from vinyl?
It really varies, that's another thing that was a surprise. It was interesting that we used to ask well this sounds terrible, and we'd be told sometimes that the master was the 7″ single they were provided with. In Jamaica cutting costs, they'd use the tape over and over again, so a lot of those old original masters are long since gone and the ones that haven't that remained in Jamaica, they rotted or they were eaten by termites. Baring in mind what there should be there is really only a small percentage of original masters existing. So we do have to use Vinyl in a lot of cases but then again they were using vinyl back in 1970. Things like Liquidator which was a big hit for Trojan was sourced off of a Jamaican 7″ single. Some people would say that's the charm that roughness or rawness, it didn't necessarily need sweetening with overdubs of strings and the like.
Carl Malcolm – "No Jestering (Part 2 – Dub)"
Bob Marley & The Wailers – "Buffalo Dub"
MLD: Going back to Universal how does Trojan fit in such a vast company. How does it make itself heard?
I think that was a problem to begin with. Universal has a frontline or contemporary record company and they didn't really get to grips with marketing older music. Trojan is a rather small fish in a huge pond, and it was a little bit lost initially going from one of Sanctuary's main breadwinners to being a really quite insignificant part of Universal.
Now there is a concerted effort and recognition at Universal that Trojan has great value, historically, commercially, but also in kudos, the brand.
MLD: As far as the reissues go, will you be bringing out not just various artists compilations, but also single artist and album reissues? Also there appears to be very little actual product available on even Amazon?
That's another issue, there is a change over in the way the back catalogue is structured and im very optimistic for the future in terms of what's being said and planned now. There's going to be direct to consumer website, aimed at hardcore fans, and more in the way of single artist compilations and originals. On Spectrum albums will be coming out in the originals series such as Harry J Allstars
MLD: I looked on itunes and there appears to be barely any Trojan material available?
Yes, stuff is going up there but by the same token a lot of stuff has been deleted so its in everyone's interest that the product is available. It may not be of importance to hardcore fans but it's a great showcase, if its out there people like tv, adverts, games, films are more likely to use it. The only way we can make money is if the product is out there.
MLD: Aside from the 5 or 6 compilations that have come out in the last month or so, what else is in the pipeline?
Well we are going to be doing a vinyl range which is going to exclusive unreleased and rare material. We're doing a Bob Marley & Jimmy Cliff single artists compilations.
MLD: Yes I read about you finding lots of unheard Jimmy Cliff in the archive.
It was fantastic, really I could have done a whole album's worth of unreleased Jimmy Cliff, and if Id had more time to look maybe a few albums worth. Its astounding but also there is also the Bob Marley Jad stuff which is coming out which is exciting.
Universal acquired the JAD catalogue, pre Island stuff and from end of August beginning of September, the first fruits of that a 4 CD set of stuff that's never been presented in that form before. Bob Marley when he was a real Soul Rebel. There are a couple of tracks that have never been on CD before and we've been promised a 100 or so previously unissued titles, we don't know how good whether they are just demos, what they are , but that should be happening next year. So its happening across the whole Universal family, this realisation that reggae has this great value to the company.
There's also going to be a Trojan boxset hopefully, of CD, Vinyl, Memorabilia, an exciting project with the best of Trojan plus rare stuff in there, all sorts of interesting things in a luxury presentation.
Once the obvious names are out there then we get to artists like The Ethiopians and artists of that ilk who aren't perhaps as well known to the public but have a very important place in terms of the history of Jamaican music. And have commercial value, I mean Train To Skaville was used in a TV advert last year which brings a lot of money in. Its also important to appeal to the core fan base that love and cherish this stuff. Funny enough I found a couple of unreleased Ethiopians tracks amongst the Creole tapes that potentially could come out.
MLD: Well, thank you very much for your time, Ill let you know when its up on the site. Music Like Dirt is of course pinched from the old Desmond Dekker track, although people often don't understand what it means.
Yes, the 2nd compilation I ever put together was called Music Like Dirt, but the name can be funny. Its not easy, we've just done a Lee Perry Black Ark years compilation, which is provisionally called "Sipple Out There" ie "Trouble Out There". However a few people have quite rightly said what the hell does that mean!?
MLD: I can imagine. I got emails from Lily Allen fans when I put together a compilation of tracks she sampled on her first album… her music isn't like Dirt they'd say?
You sometimes have to explain it, and you think well maybe I should call it something else.
MLD: Whats the selling point with the Perry collection?
Its amazing its never been done, but its what came out in Jamaica on his label on 7″ single. There's never been a compilation saying well this is the stuff he issued himself after he opened Black Ark which he would obviously consider the best.
If it does well we could do the same with the disco mixes, 12″ single, then you could do UK singles, given that Universal have rights via Trojan and Island to all the stuff that Perry put out in the UK after 74. The cross over between Trojan and Island is perfect.
Listen: Boris Gardiner – "Melting Pot (Coldcut re-rub)
MLD: Finally are there plans to remix any Trojan material or release previous remixes such as WrongTom's Bob & Marcia's "I Don't Care" remix ?
A few things got caught up and not released in the buyout of Trojan by Universal but its definitely an area we want to get back into and release.
Going back to what Trojan have and what there is on the masters, with multitracks its ideal for remixing..24 tracks multi's.
Justin Robertson did one for the last track on the "Heavy Heavy Monster Sound – The Trojan Story" compilation, his remix of a Pioneers song. That's the sort of thing we'd like to aim at a younger market and to try and suck people in who then may want to dig further. The message to any remixers is come to us, we're interested in presenting or updating the music for a contemporary audience.
MLD: That's sort of what I hoped with the Lily Allen compilation, that perhaps her fans would download it, and then discover all this incredible older music they didn't know Lily was sampling.
To be honest I got into reggae in a similar way , it wasn't remixes it was covers,. I was a big R&B fan, and I would listen to the radio to people like Charlie Gillett who'd play sound by say Prince Buster. If they weren't covers they were heavily influenced at least the early stuff by American R&B. I then went back and dug further via that route so I think the same can be done via music now. Hopefully to introduce vintage reggae music to a whole new generation.
BBC Radio 2 Documentary – "Tighten Up – The Trojan Records Story"
Part 1
Part 2
Join the Music Like Dirt Facebook page – Im sure theres a very good reason to…let me know if you think of one.
13 Comments
Thanks for the linkage…I'll be sure to Shimmy Shimmy over to your blog from time to time. looks goodReply
Thanks for the linkage…I'll be sure to Shimmy Shimmy over to your blog from time to time. looks goodReply
[…] up; Laurence Cane-Honeysett of Trojan/Universal talks to the Music Like Dirt web site about working for Trojan, past and future projects at the label and shares lots of stories […]Reply
[…] https://www.musiclikedirt.com/2010/07/19/universal-love-for-trojan-records/ July 24th, 2010 | Tags: Interview, New Release, Trojan Records, Vinyl | Category: Information, Interview, New Release […]Reply
A very interesting interview with Laurence. It was good to hear that he's so optimistic about the future of Trojan under Universal. I'd really like to see some more of the Beverley's catalogue made available, and the forthcoming reissue of the Pioneers 'Long Shot' album is a good start. Having said that, what I'd really like to see is a Beverley's Roland Alphonso album..that would be great!Reply
A very interesting interview with Laurence. It was good to hear that he's so optimistic about the future of Trojan under Universal. I'd really like to see some more of the Beverley's catalogue made available, and the forthcoming reissue of the Pioneers 'Long Shot' album is a good start. Having said that, what I'd really like to see is a Beverley's Roland Alphonso album..that would be great!Reply
Excellent article!Reply
Historical moments in time……..great words and memories from a man in the know about reggae music…
Keep this crucial work up my friend…..guidance.Reply
I AM JAMAICA READING THIS ARTICLE JAH KNOW UNVERSAL BOUGHT OUT EVREY REGGAE COMPANY. VERY INTRESTING . ILOVE BBC TIGHTEN IT NEED TO BE ON CD.ONE LOVE RASTA FARIReply
WHEN ARE RELEASING GREGORY ISAACS ALONG WITH THE CONCORDSReply
[…] liner notes about this music" and next to a few other gentlemen like Laurence Cane-Honeysett, who oversees the Trojan catalog, has the background to prove […]Reply
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Right-To-Work Law Takes Effect In Michigan
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Michigan workers can choose not to financially support unions that bargain on their behalf under a right-to-work law now in effect.
The measure that took effect at midnight will apply to labor contracts that are extended or renewed after Wednesday. Many unionized employees won't be affected for months or years.
Union organizers are asking people to wear red Thursday to protest Michigan becoming the 24th right-to-work state -- a once-unthinkable change in a place where organized labor has played a central role. Meanwhile, supporters plan to celebrate the law's passage.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to see protesters at unrelated events in Detroit. He said Wednesday the continued political fighting, lawsuits and protests over right to work are "part of democracy" and he appreciates that "change is difficult for people."
Several courts are weighing a host of legal questions about Michigan's right-to-work law, including how it was passed and how it will affect tens of thousands of public workers.
None of the judges weighing four challenges to the law are expected to issue rulings this week, and the issue isn't likely to be settled anytime soon, as further lawsuits are expected over new, lengthy public-sector labor contracts that critics say are meant to circumvent the right-to-work law for as long as possible.
Cases are pending in Ingham County, the state Court of Appeals, the Michigan Supreme Court and a federal court in Detroit. While waging a potentially uphill legal battle that could take years to resolve, labor leaders also have plans for more immediate attempts to influence public opinion ahead of the 2014 election, when Gov. Snyder and many GOP lawmakers are up for re-election.
Although attempts to get judges to strike down the year-old right-to-work law in neighboring Indiana have failed, opponents say Michigan is different.
"All the cases are meritorious and have strong claims and arguments," said Andrew Nickelhoff, a Democratic labor lawyer involved in three of the four Michigan challenges.
He said Republicans began quickly pushing through the legislation in December when the Capitol was closed off to some members of the public due to safety concerns.
"I don't think Indiana closed its Capitol when it passed right-to-work," Nickelhoff said.
Supporters of the law say the lawsuits are frivolous and note that demonstrators already inside the Capitol were allowed to stay during legislative debate.
"Twenty-three other states have a right-to-work law. They've all been upheld, and that's why I have every confidence our Michigan version will be determined to be constitutional," said Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office is defending the law in state and federal courts.
The lawsuits challenge:
-- Public Act 348, the right-to-work law for private employees. The AFL-CIO, Change to Win and Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council sued Feb. 11 in Detroit's federal courthouse, arguing it violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution because federal labor law regulates the rights of private-sector workers.
The labor groups also say the law is an unconstitutional attempt to control workplace activities in federal enclaves such as dockyards. Similar arguments were part of a union-led lawsuit in Indiana that was dismissed by a federal judge in January. Michigan's response is due April 3, after which the judge will set a hearing date.
-- Public Act 349, the right-to-work law for public employees. Four of the five unions for 34,000 unionized state workers sued Feb. 14 in Michigan's appeals court, claiming the law does not apply to state employees because their employment conditions are set by the Civil Service Commission under the state constitution. The union for state police did not sue because the law exempts police and firefighters from opting out of paying union fees. A hearing date has not been set.
Also pending is Snyder's Jan. 28 request for the Michigan Supreme Court to issue a rare advisory opinion on whether the law applies to state workers. He also wants to know if the law is unconstitutional because it does not affect all employees. Snyder says the impact on unionized state workers must be resolved before new contract talks begin this summer.
-- How the law was approved. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Democrats, unions and others sued Jan. 31 in Ingham County, saying the law should be struck down because people were locked out of the Capitol for more than four hours while the measure was debated on Dec. 6 - the first of two days during which the GOP-led Legislature swiftly passed the measure.
Earlier that day, people were arrested for resisting and obstructing when they tried to push past troopers guarding a Senate door. The state Open Meetings Act says a decision by a public body can be invalidated if the body violates the law that requires government transparency. Republicans say it was not their decision to close the Capitol, and they worked to reopen it - although opponents had to obtain a court order for the doors to be opened. A hearing is set for April 3.
At least two other lawsuits have been filed regarding the approval or consideration by some public universities and schools districts of contracts to let unions keep collecting dues long after the law takes effect. House Republicans gave initial approval to budgets cutting state aid to schools and local governments that sign contracts that in some cases are 10 years long, although Snyder and the Senate leaders appear less open to the tactic.
TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Linda Jordan
Chiyome Fukino (former Director of Hawaii Public Health Department) had this to say about how "birthers" would respond to the release of Obama's "long-form" birth certificate:
"They're going to question the ink on which it was written or say it was fabricated," said Fukino. "The whole thing is silly." 1
Let's start with the ink, shall we?
From Hawaii Public Health Regulations. Title: Vital Statistics, Registration & Records. Chapter 8, Certificates of Vital Statistics Events, Section 1:
Preparation. Certificates of vital statistics events are to be filled in by typewriter or in ink. If ink is used only permanent ink will be acceptable. All signatures are to be made with permanent ink. In all other respects, the certificates shall comply with provisions of Section 57-14, R.L.H. 1955.
On April 27, 2011, Barack Obama revealed what his representatives said was a photocopy of his original long-form Certificate of Live Birth from Hawaii (as posted on the White House blog website). The signatures on this Certificate of Live Birth are required to be made in permanent ink.
The truth is in the pixels
Download the Certificate of Live Birth document off the White House blog website2 and open it in Adobe Illustrator. Now zoom in on the signature of Obama's mother.
The pixels reveal that only a portion of the signature is in ink as required by Hawaii Public Health Regulations.
Figure 1: The Dunham part of the signature of Obama's mother on the alleged long-form, original Certificate of Live Birth, posted on the White House blog website. Here it has been downloaded into Adobe Illustrator. Click to enlarge.
The Ann and the D in Dunham are in ink. The pixels are a variety of gradations in grays and blacks, like ink signature pixels are.
Figure 2: Zooming in on the top part of the D in Dunham. You can see the variation in color pixels–variations of grays to black tones. This is how pixels of a signature should appear when a signature is applied with ink and then scanned. Click to enlarge.
But what's really interesting is that the rest of the signature, 'unham Obama', is not in ink.3 The letters are a solid greenish-black color with no gradation in color at all. This lack of gradation reveals that this part of the signature was created on a computer and is not even penmanship.
Figure 3: Focusing now on the start of the u next to the D in Dunham. You can see there is no gradation of color at all. A solid, dark greenish-black color displays no evidence of the gradation in color for these pixels, which implies that this "signature" was created with image-editing software and not with ink. Click to enlarge.
Figure 4: This last image focuses on the O in Obama and part of the b. You can see there is no color change in the pixels. The solid pixel color again suggests that the signature was not scanned or representative of ink. The Obama portion of the signature was computer generated. Click to enlarge.
The Stanley Ann Dunham Obama signature is forged on this "document".
What's it called when you forge a signature on a Certificate of Live Birth from Hawaii?
Well, that would be my top pick, but hey! They also violated Hawaii Public Health Regulations by not using permanent ink in their forgery! Maybe that'll tick someone off.
So, yes, "birthers" do "question the ink" and say that Obama's Certificate of Live Birth was "fabricated." But it's far from "silly."


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Elite Army units to stop taking anti-malarial drug
WASHINGTON The top doctor for Green Berets and other elite Army commandos has told troops to immediately stop taking mefloquine, an anti-malaria drug found to cause permanent brain damage in rare cases.
The ban among special operations forces is the latest development in a long-running controversy over mefloquine (also know as lariam). The drug was developed by the Army in the 1970s and has been taken by millions of travelers and people in the military over the years.
As alternatives were developed, it fell out of favor as the front-line defense against malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that international health officials say kills roughly 600,000 people a year.
The new prohibition among special operations forces follows a July 29 safety announcement by the Food and Drug Administration that it had strengthened warnings about neurologic side effects associated with the drug. The FDA added a boxed warning to the drug label, the most serious kind of warning, saying neurologic side effects like dizziness, loss of balance and ringing in the ears may become permanent.
The drug's other side effects include anxiety, depression and hallucinations conditions that some military families over the years believe prompted psychotic behavior in their loved ones, including killings and suicides.
- FDA advisory on mefloquine hydrochloride
- More trouble for Lariam
- The dark side of Lariam
- Debate over drug given to GIs
Quoting the FDA's July safety warning, the Surgeon General's Office of the Army Special Operations Command sent a message to commanders and medical personnel last Friday ordering a halt in prescribing mefloquine for malaria prevention for the approximately 25,000 Green Berets, Rangers, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations soldiers, command spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Connolly said.
The message also told commanders and medical workers to assess the possibility that some of their troops have been sickened by the drug but may mistakenly have been thought to be malingering or to have post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological problems. That's because symptoms of toxic levels of mefloquine in the brain may mimic or be mistaken for other disorders. The message said questions about suspected cases of mefloquine toxicity should be submitted though the War Related Illness and Injury Center of the Veterans Affairs Department, which has been studying the issue.
"What this is is a wake-up call telling troops, `Look, you've been misinformed,"' said Remington Nevin, a former Army physician and epidemiologist who studies the psychiatric effects of anti-malarial toxicity at the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Nevin is a critic of military policy on mefloquine, which he says the Pentagon should have stopped using years ago, particularly because it confounds diagnosis of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, two signature health issues of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Others point out that the drug has been effective in preventing malaria and many people have preferred it because it is less expensive and has to be taken less often than alternatives.
"I take mefloquine when I travel," said Dr. David Sullivan of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. "For 80 percent, 90 percent of the people, they have no trouble with it."
Mefloquine is still prescribed to the traveling public and to volunteers in the Peace Corps, which also has reduced its use.
The new prohibition among commando units goes beyond guidance from top Defense Department health officials, who say mefloquine use by the different branches of the military has been dramatically reduced in recent years but is still given to troops who can't use alternatives.
The drug was given to 2,417 uniformed and civilian defense personnel and family members in the first seven months of this year, compared with more than 20,000 in all of 2009.
The Pentagon says it doesn't have data on the number troops who may have suffered ill effects from the drug. But two days after the FDA announcement, the department began a review "of potential neuropsychological effects on service members who were prescribed mefloquine," said Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a defense spokeswoman.
The review is expected to be finished in January.
for more features.


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A couple of weeks off has provided me an opportunity to reflect. While the time was fleeting, the reflection was powerful and important. When it comes to geography, I have a renewed sense of wonder when it comes to all the Places yet to explore. Earlier today, after a Google search for "Maghreb" I ended up on a wiki commons page of a map of northwest Africa by Guilliaume Delisle.
This ain't a bad Guilliaume! I wonder what else he has done? Surely, a map of Michigan.
adverts claiming mitten status over Michigan!
You be the judge. Which looks more like a mitten ? :)
Monday, January 9, 2012
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Employers' Accounting for Pensions (Issued 12/85)
This Statement supersedes previous standards for employers' accounting for pensions. The most significant changes to past practice affect an employer's accounting for a single-employer defined benefit pension plan, although some provisions also apply to an employer that participates in a multiemployer plan or sponsors a defined contribution plan.
Measuring cost and reporting liabilities resulting from defined benefit pension plans have been sources of accounting controversy for many years. Both the Committee on Accounting Procedure, in 1956, and the Accounting Principles Board (APB), in 1966, concluded that improvements in pension accounting were necessary beyond what was considered practical at those times.
After 1966, the importance of information about pensions grew with increases in the number of plans and amounts of pension assets and obligations. There were significant changes in both the legal environment (for example, the enactment of ERISA) and the economic environment (for example, higher inflation and interest rates). Critics of prior accounting requirements, including users of financial statements, became aware that reported pension cost was not comparable from one company to another and often was not consistent from period to period for the same company. They also became aware that significant pension-related obligations and assets were not recognized in financial statements.
Funding and Accrual Accounting
This Statement reaffirms the usefulness of information based on accrual accounting. Accrual accounting goes beyond cash transactions to provide information about assets, liabilities, and earnings. The Board has concluded, as did the APB in 1966, that net pension cost for a period is not necessarily determined by the amount the employer decides to contribute to the plan for that period. Many factors (including tax considerations and availability of both cash and alternative investment opportunities) that affect funding decisions should not be allowed to dictate accounting results if the accounting is to provide the most useful information.
The conclusion that accounting information on an accrual basis is needed does not mean that accounting information and funding decisions are unrelated. In pensions, as in other areas, managers may use accounting information along with other factors in making financial decisions. Some employers may decide to change their pension funding policies based in part on the new accounting information. Financial statements should provide information that is useful to those who make economic decisions, and the decision to fund a pension plan to a greater or lesser extent is an economic decision. The Board, however, does not have as an objective either an increase or a decrease in the funding level of any particular plan or plans. Neither does the Board believe that the information required by this Statement is the only information needed to make a funding decision or that net periodic pension cost, as defined, is necessarily the appropriate amount for any particular employer's periodic contribution.
Fundamentals of Pension Accounting
In applying accrual accounting to pensions, this Statement retains three fundamental aspects of past pension accounting: delaying recognition of certain events, reporting net cost, and offsetting liabilities and assets. Those three features of practice have shaped financial reporting for pensions for many years, although they have been neither explicitly addressed nor widely understood, and they conflict in some respects with accounting principles applied elsewhere.
The delayed recognition feature means that changes in the pension obligation (including those resulting from plan amendments) and changes in the value of assets set aside to meet those obligations are not recognized as they occur but are recognized systematically and gradually over subsequent periods. All changes are ultimately recognized except to the extent they may be offset by subsequent changes, but at any point changes that have been identified and quantified await subsequent accounting recognition as net cost components and as liabilities or assets.
The net cost feature means that the recognized consequences of events and transactions affecting a pension plan are reported as a single net amount in the employer's financial statements. That approach aggregates at least three items that might be reported separately for any other part of an employer's operations: the compensation cost of benefits promised, interest cost resulting from deferred payment of those benefits, and the results of investing what are often significant amounts of assets.
The offsetting feature means that recognized values of assets contributed to a plan and liabilities for pensions recognized as net pension cost of past periods are shown net in the employer's statement of financial position, even though the liability has not been settled, the assets may be still largely controlled, and substantial risks and rewards associated with both of those amounts are clearly borne by the employer.
Within those three features of practice that are retained by this Statement, the Board has sought to achieve more useful financial reporting through three changes:
- This Statement requires a standardized method for measuring net periodic pension cost that is intended to improve comparability and understandability by recognizing the compensation cost of an employee's pension over that employee's approximate service period and by relating that cost more directly to the terms of the plan.
- This Statement requires immediate recognition of a liability (the minimum liability) when the accumulated benefit obligation exceeds the fair value of plan assets, although it continues to delay recognition of the offsetting amount as an increase in net periodic pension cost.
- This Statement requires expanded disclosures intended to provide more complete and more current information than can be practically incorporated in financial statements at the present time.
Cost Recognition and Measurement
A fundamental objective of this Statement is to recognize the compensation cost of an employee's pension benefits (including prior service cost) over that employee's approximate service period. Many respondents to Preliminary Views and the Exposure Draft on employers' accounting for pensions agreed with that objective, which conflicts with some aspects of past practice under APB Opinion No. 8, Accounting for the Cost of Pension Plans.
The Board believes that the understandability, comparability, and usefulness of pension information will be improved by narrowing the past range of methods for allocating or attributing the cost of an employee's pension to individual periods of service. The Board was unable to identify differences in circumstances that would make it appropriate for different employers to use fundamentally different accounting methods or for a single employer to use different methods for different plans.
The Board believes that the terms of the plan that define the benefits an employee will receive (the plan's benefit formula) provide the most relevant and reliable indication of how pension cost and pension obligations are incurred. In the absence of convincing evidence that the substance of an exchange is different from that indicated by the agreement between the parties, accounting has traditionally looked to the terms of the agreement as a basis for recording the exchange. Unlike some other methods previously used for pension accounting, the method required by this Statement focuses more directly on the plan's benefit formula as the basis for determining the benefit earned, and therefore the cost incurred, in each individual period.
Statement of Financial Position
The Board believes that this Statement represents an improvement in past practices for the reporting of financial position in two ways. First, recognition of the cost of pensions over employees' service periods will result in earlier (but still gradual) recognition of significant liabilities that were reflected more slowly in the past financial statements of some employers. Second, the requirement to recognize a minimum liability limits the extent to which the delayed recognition of plan amendments and losses in net periodic pension cost can result in omission of certain liabilities from statements of financial position.
Recognition of a measure of at least the minimum pension obligation as a liability is not a new idea. Accounting Research Bulletin No. 47, Accounting for Costs of Pension Plans, published in 1956, stated that "as a minimum, the accounts and financial statements should reflect accruals which equal the present worth, actuarially calculated, of pension commitments to employees to the extent that pension rights have vested in the employees, reduced, in the case of the balance sheet, by any accumulated trusteed funds or annuity contracts purchased." Opinion 8 required that "if the company has a legal obligation for pension cost in excess of amounts paid or accrued, the excess should be shown in the balance sheet as both a liability and a deferred charge."
The Board believes that an employer with an unfunded pension obligation has a liability and an employer with an overfunded pension obligation has an asset. The most relevant and reliable information available about that liability or asset is based on the fair value of plan assets and a measure of the present value of the obligation using current, explicit assumptions. The Board concluded, however, that recognition in financial statements of those amounts in their entirety would be too great a change from past practice. Some Board members were also influenced by concerns about the reliability of measures of the obligation.
The delayed recognition included in this Statement results in excluding the most current and most relevant information from the statement of financial position. That information, however, is included in the required disclosures.
Information Needed
The Board believes that users of financial reports need information beyond that previously disclosed to be able to assess the status of an employer's pension arrangements and their effects on the employer's financial position and results of operations. Most respondents agreed, and this Statement requires certain disclosures not previously required.
This Statement requires disclosure of the components of net pension cost and of the projected benefit obligation. One of the factors that has made pension information difficult to understand is that past practice and terminology combined elements that are different in substance and effect into net amounts. Although the Board agreed to retain from past pension accounting practice the basic features of reporting net cost and offsetting liabilities and assets, the Board believes that disclosure of the components will significantly assist users in understanding the economic events that have occurred. Those disclosures also make it easier to understand why reported amounts change from period to period, especially when a large cost or asset is offset by a large revenue or liability to produce a relatively small net reported amount.
* * * * *
After considering the range of comments on Preliminary Views and the Exposure Draft, the Board concluded that this Statement represents a worthwhile improvement in financial reporting. Opinion 8 noted in 1966 that "accounting for pension cost is in a transitional stage." The Board believes that is still true in 1985. FASB Concepts Statement No. 5, Recognition and Measurement in Financial Statements of Business Enterprises, paragraph 2, indicates that "the Board intends future change [in practice] to occur in the gradual, evolutionary way that has characterized past change."


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People with serious pre-existing diseases, precisely those the president aimed to help with ObamaCare, could find themselves paying for expensive drug treatments with no help from the health care exchanges.
Those with expensive diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis face something called a "closed drug formulary."
Dr. Scott Gottlieb of the American Enterprise Institute explains,"if the medicine that you need isn't on that list, it's not covered at all. You have to pay completely out of pocket to get that medicine, and the money you spend doesn't count against your deductible, and it doesn't count against your out of pocket limits, so you're basically on your own."
The plan had claimed it would rescue those with serious pre-existing conditions.
"So it could be that a MS patient could be expected to pay $62,000 just for one medication," says Dr. Daniel Kantor, who treats MS patients and others with neurological conditions near Jacksonville, Florida. "That's a possiblity under the new ObamaCare going on right now."
In fact, one conservative group, Americans for Prosperity, is running an ad on exactly this subject, featuring a woman with lupus, an auto-immune disease.
She starts by saying, "I voted for Barack Obama for president. I thought ObamaCare was going to be a good thing."
But Emilie Lamb says she later got a letter saying her insurance was canceled because of ObamaCare, pushing her premiums from $52 to $373 a month.
"I'm having to work a second job, to pay for ObamaCare," she adds. "For somebody with lupus, that's not an easy thing. If I can't afford to continue to pay for ObamaCare, I don't get my medicine. I don't get to see my doctors."
One of the problems is that drugs for some diseases such as MS do not have generic versions. So without cheaper alternatives and no help from ObamaCare, patients could face huge personal out-of-pocket bills, forcing some to skimp on their medications.
Kantor worries that "this may drive more patients" to not buy their medicines, "which we know is dangerous," he says. "We know MS can be a bad disease when you're not treating it. When you're treating it, for most people they handle it pretty well, but we know when you don't treat (it), it's the kind of disease where people end up in wheel chairs potentially."
In the commercial market, of course, drugs not on a preferred list would also be more expensive, but with a major difference, according to Gottlieb.
"You go outside that list, you have to pay out of pocket for it, but you do get some co-insurance, meaning the plans will pay some of the cost of that."
Some say ObamaCare hoped to do better on that problem but ran out of time. Matthew Eyles of Avalare Health, a consulting firm, says although officials wanted "to be able to make sure that all the systems were operational in 2014, they realized that they needed to give an extra year to get those systems changes in place."
Officials intend to try again next year.
Additional benefits cost more, though, meaning premiums would have to rise, or the networks of providers would shrink even further.


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I have a confession to make. I hate crossovers. So, before driving the 2010 Lexus RX 350, I was prepared to berate it as boring and soft-boiled. After driving, I still will, only now, unfairly.
Full disclosure: Lexus wanted us to test drive their new RX so badly, they flew me down to Georgia, put me up for a night in a fancy oceanside hotel, and fed me high class food.
As I said, I hate crossovers. Hate them with the anger of a thousand soaking wet cats trapped in a dog pound. I do not understand the need for such vehicles when perfectly good station wagons, minivans, or truck-framed SUV are as capable or more in most respects — I do however understand their customer's motivations. As much as I revile the crossover as a segment, the crossover-buyer is looking for a littler more form than function. Capitalism demands the supply of a product the consumer demands, and there is nothing wrong with crossover buyers. We just don't see eye-to-eye.
The Lexus RX invented the luxury crossover market and maintains leadership today. Sweeping changes are not the Toyota Way — their success comes from measured, incremental changes, carefully orchestrated with the customer in mind. The new RX starts from all the things its previous customers liked about it, refining them to make a car they'll most assuredly like even more.
Exterior upgrades reflect evolutionary changes with an eye to the L-Finesse design language, with crisply updated nose-end reminiscent of the IS350, standalone LED tail lights, bigger rear glass for better visibility, and a now-standard rear spoiler hiding the top-mounted rear wiper which might be challenging to change out if you're a DIY'er, but such filthy work is beneath a Lexus owner anyway. The profile is updated with smoother door panels and a crisp character line ahead of the rear wheel and chrome trim down low and around the windows. Lexus added quarter windows ahead of the doors to improve forward visibility but they're only useful if you're turning while trying to spot Georgia's numerous raccoons.
The mechanical news with the RX 350 is the addition of a six speed transmission, a new double wishbone rear suspension replacing the McPherson, and a simplified AWD system with an electromagnetically-actuated clutch pack in the differential managing automatic power distribution during wheel slippage. The 3.5-liter V6 gets a five HP bump to 275 HP but the new transmission means much stronger acceleration and better passing power while returning improved fuel economy. It won't be mistaken for a drag racer but repeat buyers will be happy with the improvement.
The RX 450h offers standard all-wheel-drive with the approach of a hybridized front-wheel-drive power pack and an all-electric rear-wheel-drive system. All is largely carryover, but a new power controller has bumped system voltage from 280V to 650V, resulting in better power delivery and a bit more torque out of the electric motors. Total power for the hybrid is around 295 HP with engine torque at 245 lb-ft and the e-motors providing variable torque across the range. The layout allows Lexus to create more streamlined transitions from all-electric starts to gas powered operations, and to be honest, if not for the cacophony of annoying green idiot lights splayed across the gauge cluster, you'd never know it was anything special. Well, that and the tach has been replaced with an economy gauge.
The problem with the RX is that it's as interesting sitting still as it is rolling and that's due mostly to the interior. Some of the most useful upgrades actually come in the cargo area, where the switch from McPherson struts to the lower-profile double wishbone means the wheel wells shrink and greatly improve cargo space. Also great is the addition of handles in the cargo bay which release the spring loaded seat backs and give a flat load floor without the run-around-the-car dance.
The asymmetric design of the dash and center console may cause some consternation, but in practice it's actually pretty nice. A low center pass through allows for purse storage or murse storage, which is not out of the question with this car. Rear seat legroom is generous and back seat passengers are treated as nicely as those in the front, they even get optional twin DVD players. Lexus has also launched the latest salvo in the safety dance wars; sporting a total of ten airbags surrounding front and rear seat occupants.
As of late, the term luxury has been confused with technology, but the new RX amazingly manages to be gee-whiz and user friendly. The RX offers everything buyers in the segment ask for; Bluetooth, navigation, heated and cooled seats, cameras all over the place including side-view mirror mounted units which show how close you're getting to the curb, iPod functionality...you'll want for nothing. The centerpiece though is a completely new control method called "Remote Touch Interface," which we were begged not to liken to BMW's iDrive. In fairness, we won't; RTI makes iDrive feel like it was designed multiple product cycles ago (which it was).
Lexus has moved to a non-touch, eight-inch screen buried high in the dash and controlled with RTI, a hybrid of force feedback joystick and computer mouse. Rolling over the software buttons provides excellent haptic feedback; selections are done with buttons under the right thumb and pinky with menu, map, and display shortcut buttons around the perimeter. Lexus claims the front passenger can use the system as well, but we'd advise against it unless you're quite intimate with the driver. You'll be caressing his or her outer thigh with every twitch of the wrist, which could be considered a pseudo-flaw or a great feature. In case you don't want to make a pass at the driver, most systems have duplicate button controls below the screen.
Driving the RX 350 and the RX 450h, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart, ignoring the low speed silence, which is part of the hybrid experience. The new six-speed makes a big difference in power delivery off the line and in passing situations while the interior provides the coddling luxury the segment buyers are looking for. Handling is very much like any other large luxury car; it happily soaks up bumps, body roll is kept to a minimum, as is driver involvement. The Georgia State Police were omnipresent in a way which prevented at-limit testing, but honestly, there would have been no point in knowing how balanced the RX is. You won't exactly see them scooting around your next SCCA meet, but this is sort of the point. A car like the RX isn't aimed at grease-stained speed freaks, but the legions of car-as-appliance drivers.
And that's our only problem with the 2010 Lexus RX. It's a hugely competent car for people who don't care about driving. Lexus continues to distill the RX down to the ultimately perfect luxury crossover, great if you're into that kind of thing, but we are not.


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What to Know
- Macy's plans to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with most stores closing at 2 a.m. on Black Friday and reopening at 5 a.m.
- The department store chain has been open on Thanksgiving evening since 2013, but had previously remained open through the night
- The Herald Square store typically attracts 35,000 to 40,000 customers a week, and 75,000 during the holidays
Macy's is staying committed to Thanksgiving Day shopping, saying it'll open an hour earlier this year.
The company plans to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with most Macy's stores closing at 2 a.m. on Black Friday, and then reopening at 5 a.m. It cited "ongoing customer interest in shopping on Thanksgiving, both at Macy's and at many other retailers."
The department store chain has been open on Thanksgiving evening since 2013, but had remained open through the night.
In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, it said it surveyed store employees well in advance about their preferences.
"We are working diligently to staff Thanksgiving with associates who volunteer," Macy's said. "Doing so means that our employees are able to make their own decisions about how they contribute to our most important and busiest weekend of the year."
The Friday after Thanksgiving had long served as the official kickoff to holiday shopping. But over the past few years, more stores have opened on Thanksgiving itself to lure early shoppers and amid online competition. The move has been a controversial one, as many workers complained that stores were putting profits over workers' time with their families.
The trend appeared to be reversing as several stores including Staples and consumer electronics chain, as well as the Mall of America and mall operator CBL & Associates announced in the last two weeks that they will be closed on Thanksgiving. They said they wanted to give back the day to employees. In reality, many also say it doesn't make good business sense as sales continue to be stretched out for the week — and the month.
Other major retailers like Target, Best Buy and J.C. Penney are expected to announce their Thanksgiving weekend hours soon.
CBL & Associates Properties Inc. said last week most of its 89 shopping centers will be closed on Thanksgiving. However, department stores, movie theaters, restaurants and retailers with exterior entrances have the option to open on Thanksgiving. When the Mall of America, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, announced its Thanksgiving strategy, it said some tenants may choose to be open. So it will have security and other key personnel on duty to ensure smooth operations.


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The other day I was humming one of my favorite songs of all time, "The Tide is High," by Blondie. The song reminds me of being little listening to records in my living room. Blondie's videos are still some of my favorites, and "The Tide is High" is no different, with a quick nod to the ocean during some 1980-approved special effects.
Those special effects were on my mind for a week or so when I realized I needed to turn them into a project. Luckily I'd been trying out some new Mod Podge products and had fallen in love with the Dimensional Magic. The product acts like resin but is definitely still your favorite Mod Podge. It floods an area and after just a few hours creates a hard surface that products whichever image you have underneath it. It comes in clear, silver, and gold. I put my thinking cap on and realized that my favorite video would be great as a nautical-themed coaster.
- Four screen-grabbed images from your favorite YouTube clip – either four different images or four of the same
- Four plain wood shapes – circles, squares, etc. I used a pack of rounded-corner rectangle blanks
- Matte Mod Podge
- Clear Dimensional Magic (Depending on how much you apply and how big coasters are, you might need two bottles
- White glue
- Foam brush
- Jute crafting cord
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Silicone project mat
- Scissors
Start out by positioning your wood coaster shape on your image and tracing around it.
Cut out each of your images.
Apply a small amount of the matte Mod Podge on the wood shape and place your image on top.
Carefully flatten the image onto the wood blank to remove any excess Mod Podge.
Measure around the outside of your wood blank and cut that length of craft jute cord. Dip each end of the cord into plain white glue and let dry. Once dry, apply a small of hot glue to one corner of the coaster and apply the cord to it. Apply a think line of glue to one side of the coaster and press your cord into place. You'll want the cord to be slightly higher than the front of the coaster – this will help create a lip all the way around. Keep working around all sides of the coaster applying glue and pressing the cord into place.
With your Dimensional Magic, start applying it at one corner and let it slowly flood the coaster. Continue working all over the surface applying the medium until the entire area is covered. Let dry. Repeat for the rest of your coasters.
After about three hours, your coasters are all set! Feel free to apply a think layer of Mod Podge to the back of the coaster to make sure the front and back are sealed
8 thoughts on "Project: Dimensional Magic Mod Podge Coasters"
So cute! and now I humming a little Blondie too!
looks awesome, well done tutorial!
you mean "protects" the image underneath??
I love this!! it looks so great!
This is awesome! Do you know the durability of the dimensional magic glue? I mean, is it like resin that will last for years and not turn yellowish?
Comments are closed.


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Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Pierce JP, Gilpin EA. Impact of Over-the-Counter Sales on Effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Aids for Smoking Cessation. JAMA. 2002;288(10):1260–1264. doi:10.1001/jama.288.10.1260
© 2023
Author Affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla.
Context Successful smoking cessation is a major public health goal. In controlled
clinical trials, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and the antidepressant
bupropion have been shown to significantly increase cessation rates only for
moderate to heavy smokers (≥15 cigarettes/d). Nicotine replacement therapy
is heavily promoted to the general population by both the pharmaceutical industry
and tobacco control advocates.
Objective To examine trends in smoking cessation, pharmaceutical cessation aid
use, and success in cessation in the general California population.
Design, Setting, and Participants The large population-based California Tobacco Surveys of 1992, 1996,
and 1999, including 5247 (71.3% response rate), 9725 (72.9% response rate),
and 6412 (68.4% response rate) respondents, respectively.
Main Outcome Measures Rates of cessation attempts (≥1 day) among smokers in the last year,
use of pharmaceutical aids (mostly over-the-counter products since 1996),
and cessation success.
Results Between 1992 and 1999, cessation attempts among California smokers increased
61.4% (from 38.1% to 61.5%), and NRT use among quitters increased 50.5% (from
9.3% to 14.0%). A total of 17.2% of quitters used NRT, an antidepressant,
or both as an aid to cessation in 1999. In 1996 and 1999, the median duration
of aid use (14 days) was much less than recommended, and only about 20% of
users had adjuvant one-on-one or group behavioral counseling. Use of NRT increased
short-term cessation success in moderate to heavy smokers in each survey year.
However, a long-term cessation advantage was only observed before NRT became
widely available over-the-counter (August 1996). In 1999, no advantage for
pharmaceutical aid users was observed in either the short or long term for
the nearly 60% of California smokers classified as light smokers (<15 cigarettes/d).
Conclusion Since becoming available over the counter, NRT appears no longer effective
in increasing long-term successful cessation in California smokers.
Over one third of US smokers attempt cessation each year1-5;
however, the success rate per attempt is low.2,6,7
Few smokers seek assistance for cessation,3,8,9
and those who do tend to be more dependent.3,9,10
During the 1990s, following clinical trials indicating efficacy, a variety
of pharmaceutical cessation aids became available.11-19
Designed to lessen nicotine withdrawal symptoms (eg, anxiety, irritability,
intense craving), these aids were recommended as adjuvants to behavioral therapies.11-14 In
the controlled-trial setting, with well-monitored protocols, nicotine replacement
therapy (NRT) and the antidepressant bupropion increased success for moderate
to heavy smokers (≥15 cigarettes/d) by 50% to 100%.11-18
There is no consensus of a benefit for light smokers (<15 cigarettes/d).
In the early 1990s, we reported a possible population cessation advantage
for NRT, when prescribed and used together with counseling or self-help materials.10 Since then, the nicotine patch became available over-the-counter
in 1996, and the efficacy of bupropion was demonstrated in clinical trials.15,17,18 Pharmaceutical companies
have marketed these products extensively, both to physicians and the public.19 A pack-a-day cigarette habit costs about $150 for
6 weeks in California, nearly identical to the cost of the nicotine patch
but about half the cost of nicotine gum, if used as recommended. In some instances
(eg, California's Medi-Cal program), pharmaceutical cessation aids are supported
as a prescription benefit, reducing the cost disincentive for use.12,20-22
We report population trends and effectiveness in NRT use by recent smokers
undergoing cessation in California from 1992 to 1999. In 1999, we examined
duration of aid use, if aid users would recommend these products to other
smokers, whether assistance in paying for the medication was associated with
longer use, and the use of adjuvant behavioral assistance. Finally, we searched
for evidence that, collectively, pharmaceutical aids increased successful
cessation among moderate to heavy and light smokers.
The analyses for the present study focused on smokers in the previous
year from the 1992 (n = 5247), 1996 (n = 9725), and 1999 (n = 6412) California
Tobacco Surveys (CTS). The methodology for the CTS (large population surveys
undertaken since 1990) is described elsewhere.23-25
Briefly, a random-digit-dialed telephone protocol enumerates household residents,
gathering demographic information and smoking status. An adult sample was
scheduled for interview on tobacco-related issues, with selection probability
related to smoking status. Completed interviews were obtained for 71.3% of
adults in 1992, 72.9% in 1996, and 68.4% in 1999. In all years, there were
slight differences in demographics between those selected and those who completed
interviews. Following standard practices, the CTS are weighted to make the
data representative of the California population in a 2-step procedure: for
the probability of respondent selection and for nonresponse, using ratio adjustment
to census data.23-25
Duplicate estimates of California smoking prevalence from the US Bureau of
the Census in 1993, 1996, and 1999 are within 1 percentage point.26
Survey questions were drawn, wherever possible, from previous national
surveys. Respondents were asked about current smoking status, whether they
smoked a year previously and how much, whether they had in the past year quit
intentionally for a day or longer, which is the standard definition of a meaningful
cessation attempt,27 how long they were off
cigarettes the last time they attempted cessation, and if they used a pharmaceutical
aid or had other assistance for their most recent attempt in the last year.
If so, they were asked how long they used the aid, whether they would recommend
it to a friend, and who paid for it. Following a validation study, only the
most recent cessation attempt was assessed.28
A smoker in the last year either smoked currently or a year previously. Cessation
duration for recent former smokers (12 months ago but not currently) was the
difference between the survey date and when they last smoked regularly. Average
daily consumption a year ago was computed by multiplying the number of days
smoked by the number of cigarettes smoked on those days and dividing the product
by 30 days.
These population surveys were not exclusively designed to measure cessation
aid use by smokers; however, sample sizes were large enough to address effectiveness
of NRT use. All estimates were computed using sample weights23-25
and are presented together with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Variance estimation
and statistical inference for these complex surveys used a jackknife procedure29 from the statistical package WesVarPC version 2.0
(Westat Inc, Rockville, Md).30
Because this is not a randomized study, individuals who choose to use
a pharmaceutical aid likely differ from nonusers. In addition to stratifying
for daily cigarette consumption (<15 or ≥15 cigarettes/d), we used Cox
proportional hazards regression analyses to examine the effect of pharmaceutical
aid use on duration of abstinence of the most recent cessation attempt in
the last year, adjusting for demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational
level) and reported cigarette consumption a year earlier. The Cox proportional
hazards regression model considers both those who relapsed from cessation
and those who quit at the time of the survey. Since it is unknown how long
those who were still in cessation when interviewed will remain abstinent,
their contribution to the analysis is censored to the duration observed. A
specially-written SAS version 6 program (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) derived
the appropriate jackknifed variance estimates for the regression coefficients
to determine whether any was significantly different from zero. We verified
the proportional hazards assumption for each predictor with the Grambsch and
Therneau31 procedure, available in the statistical
package S-plus version 2000 (MathSoft Inc, Cambridge, Mass).
The weighted percentages (95% CI) of California smokers in the last
year with a cessation attempt lasting a day or longer were 38.1% (36.1%-40.1%)
in 1992, 56.0% (55.0%-57.0%) in 1996, and 61.5% (60.0%-63.0%) in 1999, an
increase of 61.4% in the 7-year period.
For smokers' most recent cessation attempts, overall assistance use
(self-help, counseling, NRT, or in 1999, an antidepressant) increased from
18.4% (16.0%-20.8%) in 1992 to 19.3% (18.0%-20.6%) in 1996 and to 22.1% (20.3%-23.9%)
in 1999; the increase from 1996 to 1999 was statistically significant (P = .01). Group counseling for the most recent attempt
was received by 2.9% (2.1%-3.7%) of those who made a cessation attempt in
1992, 2.1% (1.6%-2.6%) in 1996, and 2.3% (1.7%-2.9%) in 1999. One-on-one counseling
was received by 2.8% (1.6%-4.0%) of those who made a cessation attempt in
1992, 3.4% (2.7%-4.1%) in 1996, and 2.8% (2.2%-3.4%) in 1999. Self-help materials
were used by 7.9% (6.2%-9.6%) of those who made a cessation attempt in 1992,
10.1% (8.6%-11.6%) in 1996, and 11.2% (9.8%-12.6%) in 1999.
Nicotine replacement therapy use for the most recent cessation attempt
increased significantly from 9.3% (7.5%-11.1%) in 1992 to 12.7% (11.6%-13.8%)
in 1996, and to 14.0% (12.7%-15.3%) in 1999, an increase of 50.5% from 1992
to 1999 (P<.001). In 1999, the percentage of individuals
using any pharmaceutical aid was 17.2% (15.7%-18.7%). Because we assessed
only the most recent cessation attempt, our estimates of the annual number
of NRT users are conservative. In California, an estimated 116 209 smokers
used NRT in 1992, 337 142 in 1996, and 423 290 in 1999, representing
a 3.6-fold growth in NRT use.
Smokers could use multiple pharmaceutical-aid products. In 1999, 5.4%
(4.5%-6.3%) used nicotine gum, 10.7% (9.5%-11.9%) used a nicotine patch, no
respondent reported using a nicotine inhalant, and 5.2% (4.3%-6.1%) used an
antidepressant (bupropion, 3.2% [2.6%-3.8%]). Of NRT users, 14.6% (11.6%-17.6%)
also used an antidepressant.
Because of small sample sizes for specific aids, Figure 1 shows the percentage of quitters using any pharmaceutical
aid in each survey year, according to cigarette consumption a year previously.
In all years, aid use was low among those who made a cessation attempt who
smoked less than 5 cigarettes/d and increased markedly in each higher consumption
category. Between 1996 and 1999, aid use increased significantly in groups
consuming 5 to 9 cigarettes/d (P = .048), 10 to 14
cigarettes/d (P = .01), and 20 to 24 cigarettes/d
(P<.001). Of the additional 161 865 smokers
using a pharmaceutical aid in 1999 compared with 1996, 59 273 (37%) were
from the lighter smoking group for whom pharmaceutical aids are not currently
Most smokers paid for NRT themselves, but some smokers' insurance plans
covered physician-prescribed antidepressants (Table 1). The vast majority of NRT users say they would recommend
it to a friend, but antidepressant users were less enthusiastic. Individuals
who were still in cessation when interviewed had a more favorable opinion
than relapsers.
Mean duration of NRT use in 1999 (28.2 days; 95% CI, 25.2-31.2) was
not statistically different from the 29.7 (21.8-37.6) days in 1992 or the
26.2 (22.5-29.9) days in 1996. Use duration was skewed and ranged widely;
median use was only 14 days. Of NRT users who remained abstinent after stopping
aid use, 12.5% (6.7%-18.3%) used the product more than 12 weeks. Nearly one
third (31.7% [27.4%-36.0%]) of NRT users relapsed and quit aid use simultaneously.
Approximately a quarter (23.3% [19.1%-27.5%]) continued NRT use after relapse
(median, 21 days; interquartile range, 7-42 days).
Duration of NRT use was related to payment mode (P = .02). Of smokers whose insurance completely covered NRT, 39.5%
(22.1%-56.9%) used it 6 weeks or longer. Of smokers who shared the expense,
44.3% (22.4%-66.2%) used it 6 weeks or longer, but for smokers who paid the
entire cost, only 21.8% (17.3%-26.3%) used NRT 6 weeks or longer. Nicotine
replacement therapy users reported more behavioral assistance than antidepressant
users, but both groups relied mostly on self-help materials.
Cox proportional hazards regression analyses of cessation duration for
moderate to heavy smokers, adjusted for demographics and smoking level a year
previously, indicated a significant effect for NRT use (Figure 2) and smoking level for each year (P<.001
and P = .008 in 1992; P<.001
and P = .02 in 1996; and P
= .002 and P = .01 in 1999, respectively). However,
in contrast with 1992 and 1996, the effect in 1999 was only short-term; after
about 3 months, the curves are nearly identical. In all years, the curves
for those not using any pharmaceutical aids were nearly identical over the
entire range of cessation duration, and the curve for 1996 NRT users is between
the curves for 1992 and 1999 NRT users.
Figure 3 shows that in 1999,
when users of any aid are compared with nonusers, the short-term advantage
is present for the moderate to heavy smokers but not for light smokers. While
aid use and level of consumption were statistically significant (P<.001 and P = .01, respectively) in the
Cox proportional hazards regression analysis for the moderate to heavy smokers,
neither variable was significant in the light smokers.
Despite widespread promotion of pharmaceutical aids for cessation throughout
the 1990s, and an 85% increase in the percentage of quitters using any such
aid from 1992 to 1999, the percentage of California quitters using a pharmaceutical
aid in 1999 for their most recent cessation attempt was low (17.2%). Nonetheless,
the large increase in smokers making cessation attempts boosted the pharmaceutical
aid market more than 3-fold from 1992 to 1999. This increase occurred as the
percentage of the California smokers who are moderate to heavy daily smokers
decreased from 56.4% (54.7%-58.1%) in 1990 to 40.6% (38.9%-42.3%) in 1999,25 and reflected the successful recruitment of light
smokers, for whom evidence of a potential benefit is lacking.
In 1999, although collectively pharmaceutical aids helped moderate to
heavy smokers discontinue using cigarettes longer, they were not associated
with a clinically meaningful long-term improvement in successful cessation,
and no benefit was observed for light smokers. In 1992, NRT was prescribed
by physicians only, and physicians or pharmacists may have provided counseling
about product use. By mid-August 1996, NRT was widely available over-the-counter.32 Thus, individuals who made a cessation attempt, from
the 1996 CTS conducted in September through December who report on cessation
attempts any time during the previous year, may or may not have obtained their
NRT by prescription. Nonetheless, there appears to be some long-term benefit
that was not observed in 1999, when all NRT was obtained over-the-counter.
In 1999, only about half of California aid users managed to discontinue
smoking even for a day after they stopped using the aid. There was little
evidence that smokers used NRT as a long-term substitute for cigarette smoking.
Having insurance co-pay led to longer use, but only about 40% used NRT longer
than the recommended minimal period of 6 weeks.12,13
However, the loss of long-term effect cannot be completely due to short duration
of aid use, as mean duration was similar in all years.
This study adds to concerns that the efficacy of pharmaceutical aids
observed in clinical trials may not extend to effectiveness in the general
population.32,33 There are a number
of possible reasons for this mismatch. Trial participants may differ from
those who made a cessation attempt in the general population, particularly
with respect to motivation (willingness to tolerate the participant burden
involved). Not all trials included in the recent meta-analyses12,14-16
used continuous abstinence as the outcome measure. In one study, the preferred
measure was abstinence for at least a week at 5 months,16
which could lead to artificially high cessation rates. Our study analyzed
the duration of smokers' most recent intentional cessation attempt in the
past year lasting a day or longer (the accepted definition of a serious cessation
attempt27), which allows the pattern of relapse
to be examined. Certainly, lack of adherence to recommended guidelines and
lack of adjuvant behavioral counseling among California smokers was also a
factor. Other studies of over-the-counter patch users documented similar problems,33-36 and
some NRT trials that attempted to simulate an over-the-counter setting showed
an advantage,37-39
but another did not.33 The present study highlights
the need for more research nationwide concerning barriers to more appropriate
use of NRT in the nonclinical setting. Finally, the use of bupropion, which
could not be evaluated separately in this study because of small sample size,
requires evaluation in the nonclinical setting.


text:
Looks like I am on a little design jag here. Due to demand, I've been dreaming up more sweaters to be knit in the round. At the same time, cables are worming their way back into my brain as well, resulting in two cabled yoked sweaters in magazines this Fall.
From the Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting:
#8 Cable Pullover knit in Berroco Blackstone Tweed. Photograph by Rose Callahan
…and on the cover of the UK magazine Knitting:
I've seen this magazine in larger bookstores like Borders, so it is available in the states. It's Knitting Magazine #81, October 2010. The pullover is knit in Ultra Alpaca.
I am such a firm believer in cable charts and both of these charts make easy work of cabling and decreasing at the same time. One small chart is repeated around each yoke. For me it's a bit addictive, and I find myself going faster and faster as the number of stitches diminishes and sweater completion looms ever nearer.
As I look at my most recent Ravelry design page, I wonder if I may be a bit addicted to orange these days too!


text: Engineered to perform and designed to inspire, our signature men's t's are constructed with a slightly tapered fit using soft and breathable recycled fabrics. Easily paired with sweats to the gym or pants for a night out, this versatile garment will keep the vibes flowing no matter what lies ahead. T E C H N I C A L F E A T U R E S Breathable, moisture wicking fabric keeps you cool and dry Superior print quality retains vibrancy wash after wash Recycled contents created from plastic bottles Pre-shrunk, wrinkle free, and antibacterial F A B R I C | 92% Recycled Polyester / 8% Spandex Blend O R I G I N | Made in USA C A R E | Machine wash / Tumble dry S I Z E & F I T | Fit – True to Size M E A S U R E M E N T S | Length: 27.25in / 68.5cm. Measurements taken from a size M M O D E L M E A S U R E M E N T S | Model is in a size M Model is 6' / 183cm, chest 36.5in / 93cm, waist 32in / 81cm


text:
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BNSF Railway operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, covering the western two-thirds of the United States.
Ride with style in the state of Texas with Longhorn Charter Bus!
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text:
Taft and Bryan Compared
| Next
Click to see a large version of this cartoon
Cartoonist J. S. Pughe suggests injecting "a little novelty into the campaign" by having both nominees campaign together. In the central image, Bryan (left) and Taft (right) debate jointly from the back of a train. Other shared activities include (clockwise from upper left): kissing babies, wooing Filipinos (the Philippines were under American control at the time), shaking hands, judging livestock at a county fair, exercising, and riding in a parade. In the bottom-center scene, "Muldoon's Rest-Cure" refers to the Muldoon Hygienic Institute in Purchase, New York, an athletic training camp and health spa run by champion wrestler William Muldoon.
This cartoon was partly prophetic because in September Taft decided to forego the front-porch tactic and follow Bryan's example. The Republican traveled 1800 miles and delivered 400 speeches. Although they did not travel together, it was the first time in American history that the two major-party presidential nominees participated in campaign speaking tours.
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text:
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text:
"Age of the Nones"
Echoing prior studies over recent years, a report released last week by Trinity College in Hartford honed in on the proportion of Americans identifying with no religious affiliation -- dubbed "Nones" -- which doubled (to 15%) from 1990 to 2008.
Of the influx (or outflux), 35% of first-generation "Nones" surveyed said they were Catholic at age 12 -- by far, the largest slice of the group. Among the regions most impacted by the shift is New England, where one in five residents now claim no affiliation.
The survey was an outgrowth of Trinity's 20-yearly study on American religious identification. Released in March, the college's ARIS report tracked the dramatic movement of the Stateside church's center of gravity away from the Northeast toward points South and West, with significant growth in Texas and California offsetting precipitous declines in the nation's traditional Catholic base.
Among the roughly 64 million who remain, national figures say that under a quarter assist at Mass at least once a week. That said, though, last year's widely-circulated Pew Study on the nation's religious landscape put the state of things in its starkest light with its finding that a tenth of the US' population -- a figure as high as 30 million -- had left the church.
To be sure, there's been no shortage of herd-riding on this from the very top of the ecclesial food chain, and well prior to the surveys at that. Long before B16 begged down a "new Pentecost" and urged a "renewal" in American Catholicism on his East Coast visit last year, earlier this month saw five years pass since John Paul II reminded a group of Northeastern bishops that "experience shows that when priority is mainly given to outward stability, the impetus to personal conversion, ecclesial renewal and missionary zeal can be lost and a false sense of security can ensue.
"The painful period of self-examination provoked by the events of the [clergy sex-abuse scandals] will bear spiritual fruit," he added, "only if it leads the whole Catholic community in America to a deeper understanding of the church's authentic nature and mission, and a more intense commitment to making the church in your country reflect, in every aspect of her life, the light of Christ's grace and truth."
Then as now, the pointers went largely unheeded.
Bottom line, gang: there's no shortage of work to do... and only when everybody goes all in can it ever begin to get done.
Buona domenica a tutti... let's get to it.


text:
Below is a list of construction documents available at 11657 n amigo ave in northridge in the state of California
(CA) where construction documents and building plans are available on the ABR GIS system.
This address has 3 record(s).
Type of work performed at this address
* Data presented here is partially redacted and not all fields are shown. Request access to see full dataset of the construction information card.
To request this construction document, log in or register, navigate to the National GIS, search
for address, and click on Request button.


text:
SuicideGirl of the Day — Vassilis
Meet Vassilis, a SuicideGirl who has a favorite position and plenty of humbling moments.
Name: Vassilis
Age: 24
Location: South Africa
Heroes: Spiderman
Favorite position: On top.
Most humbling moment: HA! If i named all of them, I would probably run out of space.
I'm looking for: Whoever comes along.
My status: Single
I spend most of my free time: Training or teaching, reading, studying and hanging with my favorite people.
SuicideGirls is a community that celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world. Since 2001, tens of thousands of models have submitted millions of photos to their website hoping to become SuicideGirls.


text:
Los Angeles, CA (KTLA) – A woman, who asked to be identified only as Carrie, has lived in her Shadow Hills home for 21 years.
But for the last six months, she claims her tenant has her family living in fear.
"My house has turned into a battleground," Carrie said.
Two years ago, Carrie started renting a room to 26-year-old Sara Rogers for $1,500 a month. And even though Rogers filled out her application using a different last name, Carrie said her reason seemed legitimate.
"She said … 'I'm getting divorced. I was only married for a short time, so I changed my name,'" Carrie said.
Rogers said she was a student who worked at the strip club Deja Vu in downtown Los Angeles.
Everything was fine for the first year.
But in late 2013, Carrie said Roger's friends moved in, she got cats, installed an air conditioner and started making a lot of noise at odd hours of the night.
"The screaming, the spanking, the moaning … that would wake the dead and my 5-year-old," Carrie said.
According to Carrie, when she tried to talk to Rogers in January about the situation she was served with a "cease and desist order for criminal stalking and harassment."
After that, Carrie claimed a well-planned drama unfolded. She said Rogers changed the locks and put up industrial chains to keep her out.
When Carrie called police to report flooding coming from Rogers' room, she claimed police told her she was in danger.
"Five officers came up and said to me 'there is a loaded handgun in there … you have an unsecured door and an unsecured weapon in a house where you have a 5-year-old, you're in trouble.'"
When Carrie hired an attorney she discovered she was not the first landlord to have issues with Rogers.
The attorney told Carrie that he had represented Rogers in other eviction cases, under her previous name, and that the young woman did this for a living.
Carrie's attorney advised her to settle with Rogers for $4,000 instead of going to court.
Rodgers, who hasn't paid rent in 6 months, was supposed to be out of the house by July 21, Carrie said.
When KTLA reached out to Rogers to get her side of the story, she responded with a text message stating, "It's OK, the court settlement is enough for me. I'd prefer not to engage further with someone who doesn't respect my privacy."
Carrie told KTLA that the entire ordeal has cost her about $40,000.
By Kennedy Ryan and Kacey Montoya