text:
La Leche League nursing bras are the perfect innovative bra for the nursing mother. The body of a pregnant woman grows along with the baby inside. This can become a problem for the regular bra as it becomes quite uncomfortable. La Leche League provides an answer to this problem as the bras are designed to support breasts while pregnant, when breastfeeding and for many years after nursing. All designs in the La Leche League collection have easy-to-open cups, a supportive system and impeccable style. This collection is designed with the busy mother in mind. The supportive sling is designed to allow extra bracing while nursing. It has nursing clasps in front, adjustable should straps and smooth backs.
The brains behind this collection of nursing bras is the La Leche League International. The LLLI is a worldwide organization providing information and support to breastfeeding mothers that has been around for over 50 years. The LLLI partnered with Q-T Intimates, manufacturers of lingerie since 1945 to develop a line of high-quality, high-fashion nursing bras and lingerie. Every purchase of a La Leche League product gives a portion to the LLLI to support their programs and services.
One of the most important things for a nursing mother when it comes to support is finding a quality maternity bra that will give her comfort and make her still feel beautiful. Besides the easy access nursing bras, there are other options to help the woman feel sexy and supported. The sleeveless nursing chemise feels silky smooth to sleep in, yet provides easy access for nighttime or morning feedings. La Leche League two-piece pajamas even have removable contour cups that can be replaced with nursing pads. Each piece in the La Leche League collection is designed with the thought of keeping the lingerie around for many years after nursing. The elegance and comfort of each piece is put to the test. Babble.com recently named the La Leche League Pull-Over Sports Bra the best sports bra on the market for nursing mothers. The support, breathability and comfort combined with the snap down top is a must-have for active mothers on the go.
La Leche League customers say the best thing about the nursing bras is instead of a circular opening there is an overlapping slit opening. This gives the mother more access and well covered. Others love the pullover sports bra and the strapless nursing bra because they are comfortable and easy to use. They offer the same clasp as the other bras. The only difference is the wider straps and a racer back. The strapless version comes with removable pads that give it a look of seamlessness.
The La Leche League maternity collection keeps up with the mother as they try to keep up with the baby. Life is always growing and changing. This collection gives the mothers a way to be proud of their nursing bra and not afraid to use it. While regular bras let you down as your breasts change sizes, those in the La Leche League collection will keep you both stylish and supported without worry.


text:
Fifty-six percent of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say it's not the responsibility of Erie County and state taxpayers to help pay for more than $200 million in proposed renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium, which opened in 1973.
The Buffalo Bills have been negotiating with Erie County to extend their stadium lease, which expires next July.
Bills CEO Russ Brandon recently voiced confidence that the team would sign a lease extension, keeping the franchise in Buffalo. However, the Buffalo News reported Wednesday that delays in negotiations with state officials have put the lease extension in jeopardy.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz had hoped to sign a long-term extension before training camp this summer. He reportedly wants terms that would keep the Bills in Buffalo even if ownership changes. Wilson, the team's nearly 94-year-old owner, recently was hospitalized for several days.
A slight majority of respondents said it's unlikely the Bills franchise still will be in Buffalo five years from now.
Readers also were fairly divided on how seriously Rochester would be affected if the team left. Slightly more than a quarter said not at all, compared with 13 percent who said very, and 62 percent who said somewhat or a little.
Meanwhile, Forbes released its annual list of NFL valuations last week; the Bills ranked 29th of 32 teams. The magazine said the Bills were "arguably the most troubled franchise" in the league, citing poor performance on the field, attendance woes and the cloud over the stadium lease. "Fortunately, the Bills are subsidized $7 million a year by (Erie) county and state taxpayers for stadium operating and capital improvement costs," Forbes said.
Nearly 800 readers participated in this week's poll, which was conducted Sept. 10 and 11.
Should taxpayers help fund Ralph Wilson Stadium renovations costing $200 million or more?
No: 56%
Yes, but only if the Bills commit to staying in Buffalo if ownership changes: 38%
Yes: 5%
Do you think the Bills franchise still will be in Buffalo five years from now?
No: 51%
Yes: 49%
If the Bills were to leave Buffalo, how serious a blow would it be for Rochester?
Very: 13%
Somewhat: 32%
A little: 30%
Not at all: 26%
Every taxpayer-subsidized stadium has ended up costing more than forecast. Furthermore, why should any entertainment or other facility receive favorable financing based on taxpayers? If the renovations are backed by the taxpayers, it will be just another example of "crony capitalism."
—Peter Durant, Nixon Peabody LLP
I'm sorry, whose name is it on the stadium? I am a huge sports fan, but this nonsense of shifting the burden of stadium renovation (or an entirely new building) to the taxpayer needs to stop. The NFL prints money. Ralph Wilson is a very rich man because of football. He can't take it with him. Fix your own stadium, Ralph.
—Vinny Dallo
There are minimal tangible economic benefits of the Bills to the Rochester business community. If Erie County and Buffalo anticipate sufficient benefits, they may "invest" $200 million in the stadium. But, like all investments, the anticipated return to the investors must exceed the investment.
—D.A. Kennedy, Rochester
An NFL franchise is one of the rarest in all of sports and an irreplaceable asset. To lose one would be a disaster of epic proportions. Most hover around $1 billion in value. Losing it takes away a tool for recruiting workers and students of all levels and diminishes the civic value of your community. A devastating blow to Buffalo and New York State.
—Rich Mileo
Not sure why the taxpayers need to fund professional sports stadiums. Maybe the players should be asked to give up part of their multimillion-dollar salaries to help pay for the renovation.
—Doug Lyon, Lyon Capital Management
It seems to me that the NFL generates plenty of revenue from those consumers that are willing to pay to be entertained by their business. Let the league or the individual teams pay for their own costs, just like other business owners have to do. Government should focus on cost-effectively delivering essential services—let's get back to the basics.
—Mike Charland, Webster
The deal should be conditional on the Bills staying, with penalties and paybacks required if they leave (payback requirement is obvious, but the penalty part is to compensate for the loss of what that money could have done for the area instead).
—Scott Ireland
For more comments, go to rbjdaily.com. To participate in the weekly RBJ Snap Poll, sign up for the Daily Report at staging.rbj.net/dailyreport.
9/14/12 (c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Blue Palm Villa
St. John, VI.
The Villa
Main House
Upper Bedroom
Lower Bedroom
Swimming Pool
Rates & Calendar
Guest Reviews
About St. John
Villa Photos
Contact Us
Welcome to Blue Palm Villa
Enjoy magnificent views from this new 3 bedroom, 3 bath home, located in beautiful Upper Carolina, overlooking the quaint port,
Coral Bay
. Blue Palm Villa is easily accessible by paved roads, just five minutes from Coral Bay, and 10 minutes from the North Shore
. Although Blue Palm Villa is convenient to beaches and shopping, it is miles away in atmosphere. Located high above the Bordeaux Mountain Valley, this home features many comforts such as:
Sparkling 10 x 20 swimming pool
Spacious decks for both sunning or relaxing in the shade
Seven color changing fiber optic pool light
Custom mahogany cabinetry throughout the villa
Solid granite counter tops
Pottery from Barbados
Wood Carvings from Jamaica and Dominican Republic
The home's three bedrooms offer the best of island ambience. Each bedroom features its own covered deck, which overlook beautiful Coral Bay and the Bordeaux Mountain Valley and beyond from an elevation of 800 feet. Each bedroom also features king size beds, with all the comforts of home, down to the very high thread count linens. The bedrooms occupy separate structures of each other for total privacy. Each bedroom has its own bath. All baths have clear cypress ceilings, custom mahogany vanities with Italian marble counter tops with matching Italian marble showers.
The great room features soaring ceilings with beautiful clear Cypress and imported Italian tile floors. The great room also features comfortable overstuffed furniture of wicker and rattan. You will enjoy the beautiful views from the great room while listening to your favorite CDs on the stereo system with outdoor speakers. The custom-made mahogany entertainment center houses the 32-inch LCD television, DVD, and VCR. You can choose to dine in the dining area around the granite counter top center island, the custom made enlarging bistro table, or outside under the large 10 x 20 foot covered deck, while listening to the soothing sounds of the swimming pool. For those who cannot separate themselves from the internet world, you will enjoy the wireless connection as you sit by the swimming pool, taking in the stunning views of Coral Bay Harbor and the Bordeaux Mountains and valley.
The kitchen is a large open design featuring a center island with stove, to enhance the flow of light and conversation throughout the great room. The custom pineapple tree lighting in the kitchen add to the island atmosphere as well as complementing the beautiful rich custom mahogany cabinetry and sleek solid granite countertops.
Please continue to navigate our web site as we have divided each area onto a separate page for better descriptions.
Coral Bay Vacation Rentals
on FlipKey
Coral Bay Vacation Rentals
on FlipKey
St. John Villas
St John Vacation Rental
To inquire about the rental of Blue Palm Villa please contact Woody and Joan Pool by phone at 816.809.5370 or by e-mail
Website Creation by
One Design Studios, LLC
© 2019 Blue Palm Villa


text:
|This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations from its web site at www.dir.ca.gov. These regulations are for the convenience of the user and no representation or warranty is made that the information is current or accurate. See full disclaimer at http://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html.
|Return to index
New query
(A) The employer's program;
(B) The exposures which have been associated with RMIs;
(C) The symptoms and consequences of injuries caused by repetitive motion;
(D) The importance of reporting symptoms and injuries to the employer; and
(E) Methods used by the employer to minimize RMIs.
(c) Satisfaction of an employer's obligation. Measures implemented by an employer under subsection (b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3) shall satisfy the employer's obligations under that respective subsection, unless it is shown that a measure known to but not taken by the employer is substantially certain to cause a greater reduction in such injuries and that this alternative measure would not impose additional unreasonable costs.
Note: Authority cited: Sections 142.3 and 6357. Labor Code. Reference: Sections 142.3 and 6357. Pulaski v.Occupational Safety & Health Stds. Bd. (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 1315 [90 Cal. Rptr. 2d 54].
1. New article 106 (section 5110) and section filed 6-3-97; operative 7-3-97
(Register 97, No. 23).
2. Editorial correction of subsection (b)(1) (Register 97, No. 29).
3. Change without regulatory effect repealing subsection (a)(4) Exemption and amending Note filed 4-28-2000 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2000, No. 17).
Back to Article 106 Table of Contents


text:
Price (US$):
$255 - $360 / night
Located on the Rudaki Avenue a central location on the main boulevard through the city the Dushanbe Serena Hotel sets a benchmark in the… more »
Tajikistan, , is a landlocked country in Central Asia that borders Afghanistan to the south, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and Uzbekistan to the west and northwest. The ancient Silk Road passed through it. The nation is unique in that the majority culture is non-Turkic, unlike its neighbors to the north and west and east. Tajikistan is the poorest country out of the former soviet states, the poorest country in Central Asia and one of the world's poorest, largely owing to a devastating civil war that broke out shortly after independence in 1991.
Mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in the Pamir Mountains.
The Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate Tajikistan's landscape. The western Fergana Valley is in north, and the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys are in the southwest.
The country's lowest point is at Syr Darya (300 m), and it's highest point is at Qullai Ismoili Somoni (7,495 m)
The region covering today's Tajikistan was part the of Persian empires for much of its history. This region has been an important place for flourishing Persian culture and language.
In recent history, Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence from the USSR in 1991. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997 and implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace. In recent years, Unemployment has been fought by the government with a huge success, though the country has been unable to cope up with the problems left behind of the civil war. Today, most prospects of change are clearly being evident to help recover the country, though much of these measures are proving to be inefficient and unfulfilling.
Following the trends of other Central Asian countries, visas are increasingly easy to obtain, particularly for nationals of wealthy countries. This policy is designed to stimulate tourist activity in Tajikistan. The big change has been the abolition of OVIR registration for tourist visits under 30 days. Letters of invitation are no longer needed.
Visas have to have applied for in advance at Tajik embassies or may be purchased upon arrival at Dushanbe airport. However due to a recent change in the law, these visas are now technically only available to citizens from countries with no Tajik embassy. To save time you can complete and print a form before arrival . It is best to use the Tajik form, bring two passport photos, a handful of photocopies of your passport and cash. The process takes around 10 minutes. Tourist visa in Tajikistan costs $US25 in Dushanbe International Airport and in consular representatives abroad. A separate permit is required if you wish to travel to the GBAO region; it costs $US50 and is easily obtained when applying for a visa or in Dushanbe.
If crossing a land border then get a visa prior to arrival. The embassies in Vienna and London are the more professional. You may struggle to get a visa at some consulates who will simply say 'get it at the airport' (e.g. Kabul), which isn't useful if you want to arrive by land.
National carrier Tajik Air and the new private airline Somon Air are the country's two airlines. From Dushanbe, flights are available to numerous cities across Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Sochi, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Perm, Krasnoyarsk, Orenburg, Irkutsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Surgut, Kazan, & Yekaterinburg. Destinations within Central Asia include Bishkek, Almaty, Urumqi, & Kabul.
Aside from Russia, the main international destinations to/from Tajikistan are:
AirBaltic has several weekly flights to their Riga hub. Somon Air plans to add services to China in the future.
The airport in Khujand has service to about a dozen Russian cities through 8 carriers plus a weekly China Southern Airlines flight to Urumqi.
While relations with Uzbekistan are the best among Tajikistan's neighbors, it is the most crossed by travellers and the roads to these crossings are in much better condition than those leading to Kyrgyzstan or Afghanistan. The current situation (June 2010) is unknown, but in recent years Tajik vehicles have not been allowed into Uzbekistan and Uzbek vehicles needed to pay large tariffs to enter Tajikistan. So your trip may require taking one vehicle to the border and catching a ride on another after crossing the border. The journey from Tashkent to Khujand takes about two and a half hours and is frequently travelled by private cars and marshrutkas (minibuses) which will take you along for a small amount (under $US10). The short (60km) trip from Samarkand, Uzbekistan to Penjikent is also frequently travelled by private cars and marshrutkas. In winter months, snow blocks the passes connecting Dushanbe with the north of Tajikistan. To travel to Dushanbe during these months, you need to head south and cross from Termez, which will take you around the west & south sides of the mountains and take you to Dushanbe.
From Kyrgyzstan, there are a couple of options, mostly from Osh and none make for a very smooth journey. The rugged, remote Pamir Highway (see next paragraph) is the slowest, but most popular. From the crossroads at Sary-Tash, a road leads west for 500km through the Karategin Valley to Dushanbe. A little rugged near the border, but not nearly so as the Pamir Highway. A third option is from the Batken region to Isfara, but it passes through several of the Uzbek enclaves within Kyrgyzstan, necessitating a multiple-entry Uzbek visa and plenty of time for border crossings; bypassing these enclaves is a pain and requires navigating lots of poor, local roads with little or no signage. Travelling through the Ferghana Valley, it also has the least interesting scenery and recent ethnic confrontations in the region make this a poor choice for travellers.
A scenic, albeit rough, journey into Tajikistan is via the Pamir Highway which runs from Osh to Khorog to Dushanbe. Just about the only highway in the GBAO region, this route ranges from smooth tarmac full of busses, trucks to a single-lane road carved into a cliff. The border crossing lies at 4280m and peaks at the Ak-Baital Pass at 4,655m. The journey takes 2-3 days from Osh-Khorog and three on the rougher stretch from Khorog to Dushanbe, longer if you want to stop and enjoy the scenery. Minivans travel the route from Osh to Murghab every few days for $US15; hitch hiking on Kamaz trucks and ZIL petrol tankers is also possible anywhere enroute for $US10. A 4 wheel drive is necessary and large portions of the highway are impassible in winter and frequently blocked by mudslides in spring.
The US has funded a couple of bridges connecting Tajikistan with Afghanistan. Roads from Qurghonteppa, Kulob, & Dushanbe lead to the main crossing at Nizhnii Panj. From there, a road leads south to Konduz which unfortunately, as of 2010, is a stronghold of the Taliban in the north of Afghanistan. There is a bridge at Khorog leading to Feizabad, Afghanistan as well as a few mountainous roads elsewhere in the GBAO leading to Afghanistan.
A border crossing with China was opened in 2004. The crossing and connecting roads link the Pamir Highway with the the Karakorum Highway and provides a link to Kashgar (Kashi) to the north and Pakistan to the south. As of 2010, it remains closed to foreigners.
There is currently a ferry operating across the Pyanj river between Afghanistan and Tajikistan that costs roughly $US10 one way. However, the opening of the U.S. funding bridge over the Pyanj will likely end this service, which crosses roughly three times per day and does not run on Sundays.
The train to Moscow is popular with migrant workers. It takes around five days and crosses through Uzbekistan (twice), Turkmenistan, & Kazakhstan; transit visas are required for all these countries.
Train 367 - 08:08 leaves Dushanbe (Mondays & Wednesdays). 14:04 Arrives Khujand next day. Final destination Kanibadam.
Train 335 - Khujand-Samarqand-Saratov is three times a week. 18:44 depart Khujand (Mon, Thur, Sat) 02:15 arrives Samarqand.
Train 336 - 06:10 departs Samarqand (Wed, Fri, Sunday) 14:27 arrives Khujand.
Scheduled minivans run between the major cities but otherwise hiring a vehicle or sharing one with other passengers is the only way to travel around the country. Prices are generally per person, not for the vehicle, and divided by the number of passengers.
SUV's can be hired and leave daily from Khujand's large minibus terminal located just outside the city. Prices are negotiable but should be in the range 60 USD per person. Assure the vehicle is fit for long road travel, inspect spare tire.
As the country is broken into many isolated areas by mountain passes that are closed in winter, travel during this time is by air only, if the planes are flying. Tajik Air and Somon Air operate several daily flights to Khojand (between 35 and 70 minutes, depending on the plane) and Khorog, a thrilling plunge through mountain peaks. This flight does not go if it is windy. Ticket vendors next to the Green Market in Dushanbe can provide a reliable estimate of their timetable. Make sure you arrive early for your flight. Also, passports and visas will be checked on domestic flights, so bring them with you.
Train 368 - 16:34 leaves Khujand (Fridays & Sundays). 22:36 arrives Dushanbe the next day.
Tajik, mutually intelligible with Persian and often considered a dialect of it, is the primary and historical language of Tajikistan. However, due to Soviet promotion of Russian, almost all Tajiks also speak Russian, including most younger people, and in the cities people tend to be fluent. There are also ethnic Russians with Russian as their native language. Russian is widely used in government, which makes it widely spoken by government officials such as policemen. English, however is hardly spoken, and the only people likely to speak a word are youths, especially in the capital, but even to them Russian is often a stronger language since it is widely taught to them by their parents.
Tajikistan is a stunning place, and there is plenty to do, from the Silk Road mystique of places like Khujand and Istaravshan, to the stunning, untouched mountain scenery of the Pamirs and their accompanying allure of unclimbed peaks and virgin trekking routes. This site has a detailed country profile of Tajikistan, and some pretty amazing looking itineraries (if you can afford them): Be Travellers
Somoni (TJS, Tajik: cомонӣ) is the national currency. As of December, 2009, US$ 1 roughly equals to 4.38 somoni, while € 1 equals to 6.60 somoni.
Food in Tajikistan is a cross between that of Central Asia and that of Afghanistan & Pakistan along with a bit of Russian influence. If you like Russian food, you will probably have a good culinary experience. If you find Russian food bland, you may have a rough time here.
Take care with street food and do NOT eat unwashed vegetables and fruits. It's best to soak them in distilled water and cook thoroughly.
Now the situation is different. National cuisine is becoming more popular in Tajikistan, such as Shurpo, Oshi Palov, Mantu, Sambusa and etc.
Sleeping options in Tajikistan include the following:
Hotels. In Dushanbe, there are a small number of large hotels. The Hyatt Regency just built recently and opens doors in March 2009. Another one of big hotels is "Tajikistan" (recently renovated), located in the central city. Most are ex-Soviet era and tend to be over priced and in poor condition. There are a couple of newly built hotels offering western standards of accommodation for around from $US70 to $US220 per room.
MSDSP Guesthouses,
The Aga Khan's Mountain Societies Development Support Programme has a network of guesthouses in places like Kalaikhum and Khorog, offering a good standard of accommodation. Full board is around $US40 per person
Formal Homestays.
The French NGO ACTED is establishing a network of Homestays in the Pamir region, around Murghab, For around $US10 per person per night you get a comfortable bed in a family home. The facilities are basic, i.e. no running water and an outside toilet, but guests can expect comfortable clean rooms, good local food, and a very warm welcome.
Independent Guesthouses.
In Dushanbe, Khorog, and Murghab there are a small but growing number of independent guesthouses. These are similar in standard and price to the ACTED homestays.
Online Accommodation (couchsurfing).
Many cities of Tajikistan offer free accommodation in homestays through the couchsurfing.com
At embassies, NGOs , some hotels. A few hundred expatriates live in Dushanbe. Several ads each week in the electronic newsletter WhatsOnInDushanbe. For investors, cf. and similar publications.
Habitat for Humanity-Tajikistan, , constructs homes for needy, low-income families in addition to completing many unfinished Soviet-era homes and apartment blocks, provides seismic retrofits, works to provide sanitary water, and more. Once or twice a year, volunteer trips (through HFH "Global Village" program, ) are offered, entailing 2 weeks of building houses combined with a few days of sightseeing.
Tajikistan is a safe country, though some factional fighting spilling over from nearby Afghanistan (as well as local warlordism) still occurs in Tajikistan. Visitors should keep abreast of the security situation and not take any unnecessary risks. After sunset, it is not advisable to walk around outside alone; and generally do not travel unaccompanied to rural areas. Any concern you should have during your stay in Tajikistan, please write about as soon as possible it to your embassy or the European Commission – External Relations Directorate General in B-1049 Brussels [email@example.com].
Of significant concern is the inability of Tajikistan's law enforcement entities to provide adequate and immediate assistance. Lack of manpower, low salaries, and inadequate training all contribute to a lack of professionalism among law enforcement entities. If you are the victim of a crime, consult to your embassy. Your embassy may be able to help you locate stolen items or to renew your passport.
Don't buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal, but you may be breaking local law too.
In some places it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.
Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Tajikistan are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
The number of items that can be exported may be limited. It is illegal to export or possess unprocessed stones and metals and jewelry without a hallmark (mark of authenticity). Even if travelers have a receipt confirming legal purchase of such items at a store in Tajikistan, the items must be declared upon departure.
The health care system in Tajikistan is significantly underdeveloped below western standards, with severe shortages of basic medical supplies, including disposable needles, anesthetics, and antibiotics. Elderly people are at great risk. Most medical personnel are not qualified, adding on a significant concern.
DO NOT drink tap water. There is no working purification system, and outbreaks of typhoid and cholera (rarely) are common. Other preventable endemic illnesses are hepatitis A, rabies, poliomyelitis and tick-borne encephalitis. The occasional anthrax case comes in, but it's rare nowadays. There are, during the hot season, a few pockets where malaria can occur. HIV is a growing health threat in Tajikistan. There is now an English-speaking comprehensive primary care clinic in operation by the name of Prospekt Medical , right behind the Embassy of China. In the Pamir mountains, the risk of altitude sickness is substantial - one may read up on this here: (in English) or (in German). In case of ANY accident, call your embassy. Health insurance and medical evacuation insurance are recommended.
Longer stays may consider the hiring of private drivers and home security guards. Rent out secure known owners places.
Tajikistan is a somewhat conservative society. Women should be fairly modest in public, but head coverings and burkahs are exceptions and not the norm. Although some Tajiks can be extremely friendly, it is not uncommon for people to be equally rude. While this is a Persian-speaking country, do not expect the red carpet treatment that tourists receive in Iran and Afghanistan.
Note that Tajik telecom companies charge for internet usage by the amount downloaded. This is especially important to note for persons planing on living in Tajikistan and paying directly for the service, for example $US50 per month for up to 1GB of downloads.


text:
That is a pretty good price
The real question is - does it run Linux? 2G RAM and 250G is "diet" for Windows 7. It will be aplenty for something less resource hungry. However the question is what are the real peripherals here: what ethernet, what wifi, what 3G did Packard Bell use.


text:
Message Board
Robert James Waller Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Waller has written!
Author Waller's Book Reviews
The Bridges of Madison County
Francesca is looking for romance and passion that she had when she was first married. She finds it with someone else, who she feels connected to in a way she's never felt before. They have a chemistry together right off and you can see it in their eyes whenever they look at each other. ...
The Bridges of Madison County
Francesca Johnson, a farmer's wife, gave up all her girlhood dreams a long time ago to fit into her new life in a small Iowa town. Robert Kincaid, a photographer, is on a journey to look for covered bridges. Who knew that these two people were meant to be star crossed lovers? This is a story of self discovery and the love that should have been. We all can relate to the novel, for everyone has had a deep romance that for one reason or another could n...


text:
From The Past To The Future: Tim Sweeney Talks
May 25, 2009 Page 1 of 10
Gears of War. Unreal Engine. Journalists commonly use these two phrases to quickly encapsulate the history of Epic Games, a highly successful video game developer based in Cary, North Carolina.
And why not? The Gears of War franchise has sold gazillions of copies, and the Unreal Engine commonly powers blockbuster titles like BioShock. Both successes have made the gaming industry look up and take notice. But to stop with those platitudes is to ignore a much deeper and richer past.
Epic Games, founded by Tim Sweeney in 1991, has a much bigger gaming footprint than most people realize. When I hear "Epic," I think back to a time in the early 1990s when I was deeply involved in my local computer bulletin board system (BBS) scene. BBSes were early dial-up online services that provided message boards, primitive online games, and numerous free files to download.
At that time, Epic MegaGames -- as Sweeney's company was then called -- published some of the world's most popular and successful shareware games. Games like Jill of the Jungle, Jazz Jackrabbit, Epic Pinball, and others could be found in nearly every BBS file section across the U.S.
And the game that started it all for Sweeney was ZZT. Released in 1991, ZZT is a text-based action/adventure/puzzle shareware title with a built-in game editor and scripting language. Think LittleBigPlanet in text. Sweeney's experiences with ZZT led directly to Epic's success with Unreal Engine, which inseparably integrates game engine and editor much in the same way ZZT did.
Sweeney -- now CEO and technical director of Epic -- is probably a genius, and he's definitely a geek. But he's not a geek in your standard "never leave the basement" sense. Although soft-spoken, Sweeney is quietly confident, and he possesses a keen business instinct that is rare in an analytical genius of his caliber. That instinct for business led him (and Epic) directly where they are today.
Earlier this year, I met with Sweeney to discuss his personal history over lunch. With so much press coverage overlooking Epic's early days, he was happy to oblige. During our one and a half hour conversation, we talked in earnest about Sweeney's early programming days, the story behind ZZT, the origins of Epic, the '90s shareware business, and even a bit about the future as well:
The Early Years
Where did you grow up, and where were you born?
Tim Sweeney: I grew up in Maryland in a little town called Potomac. It's where my parents live. My father started out working for the government. He worked for the Defense Mapping Agency creating maps from satellite imagery long before that was commonplace.
Do you mind if I ask you when you were born?
TS: 1970. That makes me 38 now. Scary. That's really old. For a long time -- this shows how old Epic is -- I was a really young guy running a game company. That was kind of unusual. The funny thing, though, is you see that happening throughout the whole industry. People really started getting into game development in a big way in the early-mid 1990s, so the industry's grown that much older.
Everybody's growing up together.
TS: Yeah. Back then, your typical developer was in his twenties; now, he's in his thirties. Most developers have a family -- wife and kids -- so the industry's really changed a lot.
What was the first computer you ever used?
TS: I started out with an Apple II. Which was a good computer to learn with because it had absolutely no hardware accelerated graphics or anything like that. It was just a little 6502 processor, so you had to do absolutely everything yourself. Of course, you learned things the hard way, and you basically learned about computer science rather than "how to use a Commodore 64 light-blinking flashing effect."
Did you program assembly on that, or did you just stick to BASIC?
TS: I started out with BASIC and then I learned machine language. I didn't know assemblers existed at that point, so I just learned the hex op codes and typed them into the little debugger manually. I'd write some fairly complicated assembly programs, manually assembled. That was a crazy time.
A lot of game developers actually started out that way. When I was out at Richard Garriott's new start-up, which is now NCSoft Austin, he had an Apple II sitting out, so we're like, "Oh wow!" I sat down, and I could still type the crazy assembly codes into it.
Yeah. That was my first computer as well -- an Apple II+. It was already pretty old when I got it, but I learned how to program BASIC on it.
TS: The great thing about that computer -- I just bought one about a year ago to go back and use it. The thing that strikes me is the first thing that starts up when you boot it. You're in a programming language. Try to find a programming language in Windows. Your computer's a million times faster, but you can't do a damn thing with it.
What was the first video game or computer game you remember playing?
TS: I used to play the early arcade games. You know, there's Pac-Man, Defender... there's this one I was addicted to for a while, Space Firebird. It was this little Galaxian-style game with a bunch of things flying around. I was never really a serious gamer that way, but I'd go to the arcades a lot and play them.
I guess when I was about eight or nine, the Atari 2600 came out, and it was a really sucky game machine. It was obvious even at the time that it was sucky relative to what the arcades could do. It was disappointing.
After that, I got the Apple II, and I really missed out on all of the game consoles after that. I missed out on the early Nintendo and Sega Genesis. I ended up basically being a generation ahead of CliffyB -- you know, the guys who got into computers and did gaming the computer route rather than going into the game consoles. You end up with a very different perspective that way.
Sounds like it. So you started programming on the Apple II. Did you move on from there to a PC?
TS: I got a PC in 1989. The Apple II is a great machine, but the problem was that, by the late 1980s, there was really no market around it anymore. There weren't games being actively developed, all of the bulletin board systems and developer forums had moved on to IBM-based development.
I moved, kinda begrudgingly, 'cause it was a pretty complicated and messy machine at the time, you know, with DOS and early Windows. I got that in 1989; I started writing random little programs for it.
I'd written maybe several hundred programs for the Apple, including maybe fifty little games. Some of them were pretty extensive, but I'd never released anything until ZZT, which I started in 1990 and then released in early 1991 sometime.
Page 1 of 10


text:
Super Talent SuperCrypt USB 3.0 32GB Thumb Drive Review
One Big Thumb Drive
Super Talent sent us its new USB 3.0 SuperCrypt USB thumb drive that will hopefully change the way we move forward with portable storage.
The encryption works with a dual-drive configuration - there are actually two controllers in the USB drive. The first is a small 32MB drive that includes the encryption application the user runs to authenticate and allow the second drive to activate. If no password has been set, then both drives show up automatically. Once the drive is unlocked it is fully accessible until the drive is removed from the USB port.
Along with the SuperCrypt line, Super Talent also has the Express Drive USB 3.0 and RAIDDrive USB 3.0 series that offer a more basic feature set and higher performance, respectively. If you are looking for a cheaper USB 3.0 offering then take a look at the Express option and if you want speeds as high as 300 MB/s, then the RAIDDrive could be up your alley.
You also heard me mention a Super Talent driver above - keep in mind I am referring to a Super Talent-built USB system driver update for Windows, not a new driver for the USB 3.0 hardware controller. More that likely if you have USB 3.0 support in your system today it is based on the NEC controller - the driver for that remains the same. When I asked Super Talent what their custom driver changed in the system, this is what they told me:
In our testing the driver did improve performance a bit but it wasn't necessary really at all. For me, I don't feel obligated to install the driver on any system I was using the SuperCrypt on unless I knew I would be copying a LOT of files to and from it.
Speaking of performance, let's take a look at our quick benchmark results on the next page!


text: My review of O'Reilly's latest clusters book published at HPCwire (http://www.tgc.com/hpcwire.html): > 'Crazy Talk' Clutters New Cluster Book > Glen Otero, Linux Prophet > When my colleagues and I heard that O'Reilly was releasing another > cluster book ("High Performance Linux Clusters with OSCAR, Rocks, > openMosix & MPI"), we knew it would not turn out well. One of my > colleagues even said, "It's going to be written by some guy that > doesn't know anything and [gets all excited] over clusters." > > Why such a pessimistic prediction? > > For one, it was uttered by the same cluster expert that O'Reilly > ignored while producing their first cluster book debacle several > years > ago. When told that their first book ("Building Linux Clusters" by > David Spector) should be scrapped and rewritten, O'Reilly ignored > their reviewers. The advice only came from the knowledgeable folks at > VA Linux, *the* cluster company at that time. But what does VA Linux > know? It's O'Reilly, they obviously know better. > The first O'Reilly cluster book was a complete disaster. I wrote a > scathing review of it for Linux Journal in 2000. Completely void of > anything useful, the book and included software were simply not > finished. It was like reading a rough draft. Totally embarrassed, and > suddenly void of hubris, O'Reilly apologized to its audience and > pulled the book from print. > Not satisfied to sit around pointing fingers and complaining, I told > O'Reilly I would help them with their next cluster book attempt, if > there even was one. Before long, I signed a contract to write a > clusters book for O'Reilly. But in their infinite wisdom, they didn't > like the first few chapters that I submitted. Although I had gotten > other cluster experts to review what I had written, O'Reilly didn't > bother to get any experts to review what I was writing. They just > didn't like it, so they dismissed it out of hand. Needless to say the > "we know better" attitude was back, and that ended the contract. > > Which brings us to present day. This latest cluster book suffers from > the same brain damaged, hubris-driven process at O'Reilly. Just like > the first book, it's written by a virtual unknown in the cluster > community (Joseph D. Sloan) and comes across as having been written > in > a vacuum. > > Let's start with the book's title, "High Performance Linux Clusters > with OSCAR, Rocks, openMosix & MPI." There's nothing high-performance > about this book because there's no discussion of using any high > performance networks like Myrinet, Infiniband, or Quadrics outside of > four paragraphs on page 40. There are so many ill-informed sweeping > generalizations made about cluster networks on that page that I threw > the book against the wall when I read them. For example, Quadrics and > Infiniband are clearly established networking technologies, not > merely > "emerging," as the author believes. Sloan obviously hasn't attended a > Supercomputing conference in the last several years. Unfortunately, > the rest of the book is rife with several inaccurate cluster > oversimplifications and incorrect definitions of terms like single > system image (SSI) and virtual machine interface (VMI). The > "beginner's guide" design of the book is no excuse for inaccuracies > and oversimplifications. > > In my eyes, this book was doomed for the trash after page 8. Sloan > states that the term "Beowulf" is a politically charged term that > would be avoided in the book. That is the most ridiculous thing I > have ever heard. It's impossible to take that comment seriously, > especially since the author doesn't even take the time to properly > define a Beowulf. For these reasons alone, I can't take this book > seriously. I've thrown back my share of adult beverages with Don > Becker, and trust me when I say that the political nature of Beowulf > has never come up. Adding to the confusion, the phrase "more > traditional Beowulf-style cluster" is then used on page 63. I hope > now > you'll understand why I think this book is schizophrenic at best. > > Defining a Beowulf shouldn't have been too difficult for Sloan. He > could have used a term that he introduced on page 10, "asymmetric > cluster." But I guess it's too much to ask that the Beowulf project, > Tom Sterling and Don Becker's brainchild that started the high > performance cluster phenomenon, be properly described and defined in > a > clusters book. By the way, I've never heard the term "asymmetric > architecture" used when describing clusters. And, outside this book, > you won't either. > > After page 8, it's apparent that the author has nothing original to > offer and is going to regurgitate what has already been written about > clusters. There is absolutely no value in this because the online > documentation for all of the cluster projects covered by the author > is > far more informative than what is included in the book. For example, > while screenshots of a cluster install are included in the online > Rocks documentation, they are omitted in the book. Furthermore, after > regurgitating much of the online Rocks documentation, the author > doesn't offer any additional helpful hints or troubleshooting advice. > As someone who runs a company that provides and supports cluster > software based on Rocks, I can tell you that there are plenty of > pitfalls that should have been mentioned. > > This underscores my major complaint with this book. There's nothing > new, nothing novel and no real help offered. Everything is just laid > out superficially in front of the reader for them to make the right > cluster decision. The book should guide the cluster decision-making > process, but it only offers a bunch of questions -- with no > substantial answers. > > Sloan even admits on page 91 that there is a very detailed set of > installation instructions for OSCAR, including screen shots, > available > online. So why is this book necessary again? Oh yeah, the author is > supposed to help the reader decide if OSCAR, or any cluster toolkit > for that matter, is right for the reader. Unfortunately, no help of > any kind is offered. > > The typos and omissions weren't rampant this time, but the errors I > found on pages 76, 123, 127, 130, and 136 provided nasty flashbacks > of > the first O'Reilly book. Good thing I resigned myself to do a shot of > tequila after every typo I found. It dulled the pain this book > inflicted. > > OK. "Part I -- An Introduction to Clusters" is just inaccurate and > infuriating. "Part II -- Getting Started Quickly" contains recycled > and reformatted content easily found for free online. "Part III -- > Building Custom Clusters" isn't really about building custom > clusters, > but looks more closely at some software that was gleaned over in > Parts > I & II. While I don't agree with the inclusion of the parallel > virtual > file system (PVFS) and the omission of Sun Grid Engine in Part III, > I'm sure this can be chalked up to one of the tough decisions the > author had to make, like the omission of PVM and Condor from the > book. > "Part IV -- Cluster Programming" is actually a very good introduction > to programming, debugging, and profiling MPI programs. > > It's obvious that this book has no clear identity. It's like a 5th > grader's book report: a lifeless facsimile of what's been read, > totally void of originality, wisdom or topic advancement. But it's a > quick read because it uses small words. > > Should I be this harsh? After all, cluster computing is a complex > subject where the answer to most questions is "it depends." However, > I believe that O'Reilly owed us an excellent book after their first > cluster gaffe, so I'm disappointed that O'Reilly took the easy way > out > by reorganizing and watering down documentation that is available > elsewhere. Even the content in the exemplary Part IV can be found in > several other places. It's just a lot less technical and intimidating > here. > > There are better ways to write a clusters book. I know because I've > read several cluster book outlines by members of the cluster > intelligentsia that would have been better than this offering. So I'm > not going easy on O'Reilly, no matter how good their intentions. The > cluster community has a difficult enough time assisting people with > clusters without books like this dynamiting the proverbial cluster > well. The statement on page 28, "...benchmarking is probably a > meaningless activity and waste of time," is just plain wrong and > demonstrates a glaring lack of cluster understanding. > > If you really want to learn about clusters, pick up a copy of > Sterling's "Beowulf Cluster Computing with Linux," 2nd edition, or > check out Warewulf, Rocks, OSCAR, OpenMosix, and ClusterWorld online. > You could join a mailing list, like the Beowulf mailing list, and > subscribe to ClusterWorld Magazine. This is where the creators and > maintainers of all that is clustering hang out, announce, debate, > rant, create, lurk, help, and publish. If you want to be part of > clustering's future, then you'll check out the community's Cluster > Agenda and attend this year's ClusterWorld conference. > > ================================================= > Glen Otero received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from > UCLA > in 1995 and immediately escaped to the more temperate climes and > better surf in San Diego. After some research on the molecular and > cellular biology of HIV and Herpes viruses at the Salk Institute for > Biological Sciences, Glen left the wet lab research bench in 1999. > Although leaving the research bench, he didn't leave science > altogether; traveling all the way across the street to the San Diego > Supercomputer Center (SDSC) for a stint at the Protein Data Bank. It > was while at SDSC that Glen had his Linux clusters and bioinformatics > epiphany. Soon after that illuminating event, Glen founded Linux > Prophet, a bioinformatics consultancy specializing in the > implementation, design, and deployment of Linux Beowulf clusters in > the life sciences. Late in 2002 Linux Prophet evolved into Callident, > a Linux cluster software and high performance computing company. > Glen Otero Ph.D. Linux Prophet -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 10616 bytes Desc: not available URL: <http://www.beowulf.org/pipermail/beowulf/attachments/20050225/3919966f/attachment.bin>


text:
Globalization and Banking
Since the global financial crisis of 2007, international banking has attracted heightened interest from policy makers, researchers, and other financial sector stakeholders. Perhaps no sector of the economy better illustrates the potential benefits—but also the perils—of deeper integration than banking. Before the crisis, international banks (banks that do business outside of the country they are headquartered in) were generally considered to be an important contributor to financial development as well as economic growth. This belief coincided with a significant increase in financial globalization in the decade prior to the crisis, particularly for banking institutions.
- Tags:
- Financial Sector


text:
Forum Rules
Registration to this forum is free! We do insist that you abide by the rules and policies detailed
below. If you agree to the terms, please check the 'I agree' checkbox and press the 'Register' button below.
If you would like to cancel the registration, click here
to return to the forums index.
General Rules and Terms of Service:
Commercial Posting:
Although the administrators and moderators will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off this forum, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the author.
By clicking "I Agree", you agree that you have signed this document as if signed with your actual signature. (See Fla. Stat. §668.50 - E-SIGN - NCSL).
Last Updated: 8/04/2017


text:
As a teenager in the 1960s, Cheryl Boone Isaacs would often spend summers visiting her older brother, an advertising and publicity executive at United Artists in New York City. He would leave her in a screening room to watch movies all day long, fueling her love of film — and a career ambition.
After graduating from Whittier College, she landed a job at Columbia Pictures as a film publicist. She remembers pinching herself when she first walked onto the studio lot, then in Burbank. Later, she moved to publicity at Paramount Pictures, and as her career advanced she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1987.
She cried then, and on Tuesday night the tears flowed again when she was elected the first African American president of the movie industry's most prominent organization. Her appointment signals that the academy, long criticized as too old and too white, is actively seeking to diversify its leadership ranks in terms of race and gender.
"I know it's big news, and I knew it would be big news," Isaacs, 63, said Wednesday morning. "But it's a good thing. We have increased the diversity with the inclusion of new members, and we are going to continue on this road. It's very important to me."
Isaacs is the third woman president in the 86-year history of the group, which puts on the annual Oscar telecast.
Although the academy employs a chief executive, Dawn Hudson, who oversees day-to-day operations, the president is the public face of the group, appearing on the Oscar show, running board meetings and managing membership issues.
The first item on Isaacs' agenda will be helping producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron select a host for the 2014 Academy Awards.
Another big part of her job will involve the fundraising and design plans for the academy's $300-million movie museum, slated to open in 2017.
The coming year will be a big one, with the expected hiring of a curatorial staff and groundbreaking on the site at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus. Isaacs said she also intends to continue efforts to involve more of the academy's 6,000 members in the group's wide range of activities.
Oscars 2013: Winners | Highlights
Isaacs is used to breaking barriers in Hollywood — she was the first African American woman to run a studio marketing department in 1997 when she joined New Line Cinema as its president of theatrical marketing — and she attributes her success to perseverance and dedication.
"With both situations, I worked very hard and had great support from staff and leadership wherever I worked. When I got the job at New Line it was a big first and the same thing here," she said.
A 2012 Los Angeles Times study found that Oscar voters were 94% white and 77% male with African Americans representing 2% of the academy. The median age of Oscar voters was 62. But a new class of 276 members, admitted last month, appears to be much more diverse.
In choosing Isaacs, who is now an independent marketing consultant, the academy's board of governors selected a loyal, behind-the-scenes operator over the higher profile studio executive Rob Friedman, co-chairman of Lionsgate's motion picture group.
Isaacs, a native of western Massachusetts, joined the board in 1988 and has served in every position throughout her 25 years volunteering within the organization. Most recently, she produced last year's Governors Awards, a non-televised ceremony that recognizes recipients of honorary Oscars.
"She has a real knowledge of the motion picture community, and she really wanted to protect the legacy of these people we were honoring," said veteran producer Don Mischer, who worked with Isaacs on the ceremony. "She helped us find the little surprises we could use when honoring them."
As an example, Mischer recalled that it was Isaacs' idea to invite 102-year-old animator Ruthie Thompson to help give a tribute to DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. (Thompson lives at the Motion Picture Home in Calabasas, and Katzenberg is a key fundraiser for the retirement facility.)
"She was a good leader and guided us through the show," Mischer said.
Several people who have worked with Isaacs describe her as an active listener yet someone with strong opinions who isn't afraid to let herself be heard. Jeff Blake, now vice chairman of Sony Pictures, recalled working with Isaacs during her tenure at Paramount when she was involved in the campaigns for "Forrest Gump" and "Braveheart."
"I think she's a very smart woman that really understands the film business," said Blake. "She was not afraid to stand up for what she felt was the best route to go. I think she will be really good for this role."
Though the president's post is unpaid, Isaacs intends to treat the role like a full-time job, as did her recent predecessors, Hawk Koch and Tom Sherak. That's a change from the earlier days of the academy, when luminaries such as Gregory Peck and Karl Malden helmed the nonprofit and brought a lot of attention to the group but did little in terms of oversight.
For Isaacs, whose term is one year but who will be eligible for reelection, it will be the chance to give back to a place she's spent many years.
"It's one thing to be an officer and to be involved quite a bit," said Isaacs. "It's another to be president. I'm diving into this full time."
Isaacs' ascension to the academy presidency also appears to be part of a movement to include a wider range of professional backgrounds among the organization's top officers.
The group also named costume designer Jeffrey Kurland and make-up artist Leonard Engelman to vice president positions — posts that have often been occupied by members from splashier branches like producers and screenwriters. And in another step toward making the tent bigger, the academy formed a new branch for casting directors (previously, they could only join as members-at-large).
"This academy is now represented across the board," said former academy president Sid Ganis, referring to the inclusion of Engelman and Kurland. "Both above-the-line people and below-the-line people are now running the organization. That's how it should be. That's what it takes to make a movie."


text:
Obama Struggles to Find Footing in Egypt
Why is it so hard for Obama to find a middle ground in an increasingly polarized situation in Egypt? Jerry Seib explains on the News Hub. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... present Obama struggling to find its footing as the divide between Washington and Cairo deepens ... this has more violence ... expected in need its capital in the coming days joining me now is the vs day ... Washington bureau chief Jerry Sithe ... he joins us from Washington Jerry thank you Brian much for being map ... sure some ... said Jerry this is that ... Wipro ... said that has to be walked halfway bought by the president how does the flying ... how does he want is why a long lead time from ... Prada's e close to defy ... Hyzy make this work ... well look I think that the problem here tracks for close to Charles's is describing which is to say that this is the emerging in it that the situation in Egypt that is is emerging ... I as a pretty stark choice of dividing line between those in the region who want secular government and those in the region who won Islamist governments and that's the way ... that did the ... debate that the controversy the violence in Egypt are shaking up ... in in that kind of the world it's very hard to find a middle ground ... you have the Saudis the Israelis United Arab Emirates up the Jordan All-American allies basically lining up with the Egyptian military in its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood because all those people fear the rise of Islamic governments ... they're increasingly seeing Egypt and as the Crucible in that struggle ... in on the other side is the Muslim Brotherhood it does not appear as if ... the them in the military in Egypt wants a compromise of the property was to squelch the brother who was to drive it out of business ... so with a middle ground that present Obama has been looking for ... is very hard if I know it's gonna get a lot easier ... and and and is particularly tricky because of the U S as its long history of saying we support democracy when ... we support representative government wet when I made they have the same time in the Middle East you've also gone ... is his wry laugh which needs the support of the U S ... and to add and would suddenly may not Wellcome an Islamist government right on the board of with ... you know with with the ship that so when it is SS class ... this is us up a lot can be splat ... well this is a classic case of Ryall policy what's more important your principles or your national interests and I think the national interest the United States lie in having ... a stable relationship with Egypt why and having a secure Israel why having a good relationship with the oil producing states the Persian Gulf ... those things are not necessarily consistent with ... standing up for the rights of people in the chips that go on a street protests and and they don't necessarily make it easier to go to the government of Egypt the military leaders are now are pulling pot calling the shots in Egypt ... a convincing them to create a broad based pluralistic government which the Muslim brother has a place of the table ... those two things are not necessarily consistent with each other right now ... and again to go back the racial point if your present Obama is trying to find a nice middle ground between those two things ... that does not a lot off of a firm ground which afoot on right now ... to ... the world will present Obama be influenced by what the Europeans do I mean the Europeans have been good lately it's of me in the last twenty thirty years ... of dealing with crises the mental staffing the crisis in Yugoslavia was and I was very well in your pants ... some TheKnot swiftly ... can present Obama except I would expect ... swift assistance from Europe ... well look I mean the Europeans are going through this a mag I doubt that the president is the use to citing right now this to continue its a program to Egypt ... I think they're the reality of it is that in the context of were talking about here is the matter is much ... U S still matters in Egypt even though it's been it's the it's what's probably been diminished because it provides one point three billion dollars year in military aid that means it provides all the hardware that the Egyptian military news is that the claims that Ric thinks the helicopters ... the guns that the of the Bradley fighting vehicles all those things are American made ... out you can pull the plug on that if you're Egypt Egypt needs the U S more than I as much as the U S needs Egypt in some ways to more than the Egyptians European sell ... us as a little more leverage called Zazzle more agonizing decision of the


text:
Happy Thursday!! I hope everyone is doing well. I know that in my neck in the woods we are being teased with Spring like weather. I can't wait till it gets here for good. My kids and I can't wait to get outside and play.
I know there are some really cute kits coming our way. Here are a few layouts to tease you a little. I love the colors in this kit by Keep In Touch Designs. The black and white photos are just stunning. The colors are so soft and delicate. I can't wait to see the entire kit.
I am in LOVE with the templates from Pretty In Green. The blocking technique is so clean and it really focuses your attention on the pictures. This is a super example. I love the small picture inside the heart element. So, so sweet!
Make sure you check out the store on Friday so you can see all the goodies and remember that they will be on sale. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll be back next week with more beautiful goodies to share.


text:
Very comprehensible list!! I would like to suggest the followings to be considered as goals: - Interoperability with GRID technology since GRID computing is also moving towards Serviced-Oriented Architecture. - Ensures scalability of web services. - Ensures local Autonomy. Regards, Sharad -- -----Original Message----- From: Austin, Daniel [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 9:02 AM To: firstname.lastname@example.com Cc: Carroll, Tom Subject: Strawman list of goals for WSAWG Gentlebeings, By way of clarifying the existing issues list, I've tried below to create a list of overall goals and number them. Basically this is the same list as I wrote earlier, but I've tried to be more concise with the language and break compound statements down into individual parts. (There are couple of additions.) As before, this list is my own proposal and is subject to revision according to the sense of the group. Proposed Goals for the Web Services Architecture Working Group To develop a standard reference architecture for web services that: AG001 ensures the interoperability of web services software products from different implementors based on well-defined standards AG002 provides modularity of web services components, allowing for a level of granularity sufficient to meet business goals AG003 is sufficiently extensible to allow for future evolution of technology and of business goals AG004 ensures platform independence of web services components in a way that does not preclude any programming model nor assume any particular mode of communication between the individual components AG005 provides simplicity and ease-of-use that does not impose high barriers to entry for users of web services AG006 addresses the security of web services across distributed domains and platforms AG007 is reliable, and stable, and whose evolution is predictable over time AG008 is coherent and consistent in its definition AG009 is aligned with the semantic web initiative at W3C and the overall existing web architecture AG010 uses XML technologies in the development of the web services architecture to the extent that this is compatible with the overall goals of the group AG011 is consistent with the existing web and its heterogenous environment and distributed architecture to the greatest extent possible. In addition, the Working Group will also act to: AG012 evangelize and promote the benefits of web services to potential users, both consumers and producers AG013 co-ordinate the development of web services within W3C, together with other W3C Working Groups where there is overlap among their problem domains AG014 serve as liaison with groups outside W3C who are working on web services in order to achive interoperability and reduce duplication of effort Comments, corrections, feedback, and flames to the mailing list please! :) Regards, D- *********************************************************************** Dr. Daniel Austin, Sr. Technical Architect email@example.com (847) 793 5044 Visit: http://www.grainger.com "The will is expressed through the hands."Received on Thursday, 14 February 2002 14:38:16 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:40:53 UTC


text:
- 21 & over
- Two drink minimum
Hypnotist Mark Sweet
Share with your friends:
Performing Artists (Click on Artist for Reviews and Previews)
Purchase Tickets
Hypnotist Mark Sweet
Sunday, June 24, 2018 7:00 PM
The Ice House, Pasadena, CA
Preview Video
Show Details
- Ticket Price: $15.00
- Door Time: 6:00 PM
- Show Type: Stand Up
- Showroom: Main Room
21 & over
Two drink minimum
Mesmerizing comedy with the amazing hypnotist MARK SWEET!
Mark Sweet: A certified clinical hypnotherapist, Mark Sweet is the man that can help you "Focus the Power."With his blend of hypnosis and comedy, Sweet pulls seemingly ordinary people from the audience and makes them capable of doing extraordinary things by tapping into the subconscious mind.He has been seen on "Access Hollywood", "The Today Show" and CNN and has been featured in The New York Times.He currently works warming-up studio audiences in "Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men."


text:
From aircraft to cars, industrial machinery, ships, and white goods, complexity of products and the systems that keep them running is steadily increasing. CATIA enables you to model and compose complex products, while defining and executing their driving systems to manage this complexity and deliver products on time?
CATIA Live Compose
Manage your product structure from 3D.
Starting the development of a new product does not mean to begin from scratch all the time. It often relies on validated parts of previous products. So, you may want to compose rapidly a new product structure just by picking what must be kept from existing assemblies.
With CATIA Live Compose, simply search for the right pieces, drop them into your "3D basket" and position them to compose a new assembly on the fly. With collaborative sessions in 3D, anyone can easily modify your proposal in a collective brainstorm anytime, anywhere.
No need to be a CAD-expert to compose rapidly assemblies. Anyone can either create a structure from a part split in several shapes or he can reuse existing designs to assemble them in a new way. As navigation on the product structure becomes intuitive and goes by the 3D visualization of the product, diving into the specification tree is no more necessary. Immersive search, positioning with the robot, turntables and a level selector make it very natural to manage the product structure.
Moreover, as engineering connections, which gather mechanical constraints, are automatically created, the process to kinematics definition is speeded up.
- Access and compose new projects from existing products instantly.
- Compose with speed and ease.
- Put the 3D product in the center of the design.
- Brainstorm in 3D instantly between designers and non-CAD specialists.
- Harness collective intelligence
Immersive searchThe user often starts by searching for parts in the database in a 3D Live session. Then, while working in Live Compose, he sometimes may need to search for some more existing product. By using the search field, he will get the search results "embedded" in the scene, without swapping from a window to another.
Rapid composition & access to product structure from 3DSimply collect a set of products and drop them into a "selection basket". When entering a Live Compose session, via south quadrant of the PLM compass, these products will be automatically placed in a new "root" assembly. Consistent user interface from 3D brings fluency, productivity and agility without the need of the specification tree description.
Easy positioning with constraints captureSmart mating allows positioning a sub-assembly respectively to another one with a direct manipulation (drag & drop). Basic objects created on the fly at assembly level can become construction objects to position sub-assemblies. Engineering connections will capture mechanical constraints between the different parts, automatically or on demand. Each sub-assembly can be Moved Under Constraints (MUC) by robot if desired.
Navigation into the assembly structure becomes very naturalGet a clear idea of the assembly structure as turntables display how it is broken down. Edition of the structure is easy too. A sub-assembly can be moved from a structure level to another by drag and drop on turntables or by up & down moves on a level selector.
Build consensus through N to N collaboration for collaborative design and review.Instant collaboration ensures 3D Brainstorming between several users at the same time. Browse, enrich and modify a product structure in a synchronous collaborative way. Share & merge of components allows a fast design project check and generates new ideas. Anyone in the collaborative session can take lead and make propositions to build a consensus, such as during a DMU validation scenario for instance.
Reach users beyond the design officePowerful 3D collaboration tools, with no more specification tree, toolbars or icons, help to reach new users across multiple communities. Designing is easier with real-time visual modifications, putting 3D at the foreground of innovation.


text:
SOURCE: Luxury Institute, LLC
February 19, 2013 11:30 ET
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Feb 19, 2013) - U.S. shoppers earning at least $150,000 a year rank 16 mainstream retailers in the 2013 Luxury Consumer Experience (LCEI) survey jointly conducted by the independent and objective New York-based Luxury Institute and Customer Culture Institute. Respondents evaluated national and regional department store brands, as well retailers of office supplies and electronics.
Among national retailers, Lord & Taylor earns the highest (8.00) LCEI score, and ranks first on all seven subcomponents, which include shoppers' evaluations of staff, stores and degree of overall satisfaction. Lord & Taylor was visited by just 14% of surveyed shoppers in the past year but those who did rave about their experiences. Target, the most popular chain, saw visits from 66% of wealthy shoppers but earns a 6.90 LCEI score.
In electronics, Apple's LCEI score of 8.40 tops Best Buy's 6.97. Apple also enjoys nearly unanimous (98%) agreement from shoppers that they will come back to Apple retail locations in the future, compared to 92% for Best Buy.
Staples (7.31) is the clear winner in office supplies, ranked ahead of Office Depot (7.05) and OfficeMax (7.00).
Iowa-based Von Maur receives the highest LCEI score (8.61) among regional retailers and the highest of all 16 brands covered. Furthermore, 100% of Von Maur's wealthy customers plan to shop there again.
"Wealthy consumers don't confine their shopping to luxury retailers. In fact, they spend much more with mainstream brands," says Luxury Institute and Customer Culture Institute CEO Milton Pedraza. "As in luxury, brands that differentiate themselves with a customer centric culture are the ones that rank highest."
About Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)
The Luxury Institute is the objective and independent global voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute conducts extensive and actionable research with wealthy consumers about their behaviors and attitudes on customer experience best practices. In addition, we work closely with top-tier luxury brands to successfully transform their organizational cultures into more profitable customer-centric enterprises. Our Luxury CRM Culture consulting process leverages our fact-based research and enables luxury brands to dramatically Outbehave as well as Outperform their competition. The Luxury Institute also operates LuxuryBoard.com, a membership-based online research portal, and the Luxury CRM Association, a membership organization dedicated to building customer-centric luxury enterprises.
For Further Information, Please Contact:The Luxury Institute, LLCMartin Swanson
Vice President Business Development
(914) email@example.com
For Further Information, Please Contact:The Luxury Institute, LLCMartin Swanson
Vice President Business Development
(914) email@example.com
See all RSS Newsfeeds


text:
Meh. It wasnt really what I expected. The story was pretty blah and I didnt find it to be engaging.
I dont think it is scenarios in general, which I think could be a very good idea (LoTRO does the very well).
This one just did not catch my fancy. Afterwards, I got a tabard in the mail, so that is something cool.
By completing it, you get a theramore bag....I am not sure if there is any kind of loot in it besides fireworks and a few gold. Nobody in my group got any kind of loot. Anyone know if there is other loot in there?
Overall, I am more than ready for Pandaria to already be out. CANT WAIT!!!!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
3 comments:
- Grimmtooth said...
Rades has a good list of Theramore loot on his blog. It doesn't drop by who you are, so for example my priest got an Int hat, which would have been nice had it also had Spirit.
(spoiler: he ain't happy with 'em)
- September 20, 2012 at 10:02 AM
- Fabad said...
There is an helmet and a weapon of ilvl 384, appropriate for your class and spec, that can be contained in the Theramore spoil bag. You have a chance to get an item everytime you do a scenario (not only once a day).
- September 20, 2012 at 10:03 AM
The warrior tanking hat is a golden crown, which could be funky for transmog.
- September 20, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
About two weeks back, on our last warm-ish day before the bitter cold set in, Skip's crew convened at the office after work. It was 4:15 p.m. and the sky was dark. Skip presented us with an oyster farmer dilemma: What does one do between the time the sun sets and the bar opens? We were done with work, we'd put in a full day and we were ready for a brew. The Winsor House wouldn't open for another 45 minutes. Skip's answer: Warm Bud Light. (Random fact about Skip: He likes his beer warm.)
But more often than not, the farmers I work with enjoy heartier beers, especially ones that pair well with our 'sters. So it only made sense, Skip told me a few months back, that Island Creek and Harpoon Brewery had decided to pair up to brew Harpoon's next 100-Barrel Series, Island Creek Oyster Stout, a heady, dark beer brewed with our very own oysters. The guys are pretty stoked: They get to pair their creative energies with another local institution, one who supported us at Oyster Fest and who we support by drinking gallons and gallons of their IPA.
Last week the brewer Katie came down to check out the grant — she's still working on her test batches (that's actually chocolate stout in the bottle) but will be brewing in January. The beer launches on February 5th so keep your eyes on local beer menus.
While we were out there (it had been awhile since my last trip to the grant) we actually got some work done too (riiiggghhht…. work). We've been prepping for winter by stashing some oysters into mesh bags that will lay on the bottom of the grant. We connected all the bags together with system lines so that if there's ice (fingers crossed there won't be), we'll be able to pull the bags up easily. Out on the tide last week, we got about 200 bags connected. As we zip tied everything together bare-handed, Skip cried out: "Hey office girl – no gloves?"
As we'd hoped (prayed, begged for, desperately needed), the last of the seed came out of the water this week. Berg pulled the very last of it today and Skip will get it planted tomorrow. No more dirty bags, no more cages (except the ones we have to pull)… We can all breathe a little easier. Berg especially (that stout can't get here soon enough).
Friday was our first below-freezing day and of course, we weren't ready for it. We got to work to find our hoses completely filled with ice (we defrosted them in the shower at the Maritime School) and spent the day tackling the temps and high winds.
Despite running out of propane for our space heater midday we survived the coldest day of the year. And while the temps are already much lower than they were my first day, I'm feeling a lot more prepared this time around. Maybe it's the fact that the office is calling my name in just a few short weeks. Or maybe I'm just plain used to it.


text:
|2011-01-16, 04:05
|Link #61
Yurippe is mai waifu
Join Date: Sep 2006
Do I think it's going to sell? Probably to kids, and for a short while to the older crowd who looks curious. But it won't last long if the game is as simplistic as they're making it sound.
Anyway, onto the anime itself...
Spoiler for episode 1:
Spoiler for episode 2:
To be fair, it's only been two episodes, but hopefully, it won't end up being a series about nothing but people playing card games just for the sake of it. I'll continue watching the series, since there's still room to grow and admittedly, my inner child finds some small level of entertainment in it.(tl;dr using the anime to sell a card game to kids might actually work) I wouldn't say the anime is atrocious, but it really doesn't seem to be leaving room to be more than a toy commercial.
|2011-01-16, 11:06
|Link #62
Translator, Producer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Age: 39
Also, since it IS an advertisement for a card game, it probably wasn't that expensive... It should make it much easier for Bushiroad to license the card game in the US with the exposure it got already.
And finally, the animation company is TMS, one of the oldest and most "venerable" animation companies left, like Toei and even Tezuka Productions. Any relationship with them is a good thing for cred. in the industry.
|2011-01-16, 11:14
|Link #63
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Age: 25
It is only an assumption it will be a long running series, as well that the card game will make it to America. CR doesn't dub, so what chance will it have with the target demo? I assume once a major R1 company like Viz or 4kids gets their hands on this, CR will sell the sub rights.
|2011-01-16, 19:20
|Link #64
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Now if it turns out that the game is to prep players to fight against an invading race on that planet. Then. we'll be snickering and thinking Bakugan Battle Brawlers.
If it comes over here as a children's title, that Jam Project them is prob going to be dropped so better enjoy it now.
|2011-01-16, 22:38
|Link #65
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 57
|2011-01-16, 23:22
|Link #66
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Age: 25
Weird, I don't remember that being mentioned. You mind links?
But yes, it would be really dumb for it to not be long running. It just feels like from the first two episodes, it doesn't really set anything up like most long running series do. Is the show all going to be card games just for the sake of it to advertise the incoming card game in Japan, or will there be a story like in Yugioh 5Ds that can generate such speculation that can go on for months on end back and forth (you gotta trust me on the 5Ds part). I don't see it being so as 5Ds had a very strong start, much stronger than this.
|2011-01-17, 10:15
|Link #69
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 57
|2011-01-17, 10:24
|Link #70
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Age: 25
|2011-01-17, 11:30
|Link #71
Translator, Producer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Age: 39
I'm working closely with Bushiroad and TMS on the translation of this series and taking all possible efforts to make sure card names and rule translations are all pre-approved, and for that purpose I've been given quite a lot of information.
If you still want to insist it's 13 episodes because somebody at CR copied the entry from ANN like they always do, well, be my guest .
|2011-01-17, 11:35
|Link #72
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Age: 25
Well, that is awesome, hope it gets interesting. Could you perhaps vouge that it does portray something that shows it might go long past March as well?
Also, with such insider info, how does Bushiroad intend to advertise the card game in the US without the anime airing on TV like Yugioh does? Is there any inkling on a TV broadcast deal?
(I hope you are allowed to reveal just enough to make us wondering still)
|2011-01-17, 12:32
|Link #73
Translator, Producer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Age: 39
I'm sure TMS is looking for a US TV deal, but if there was a chance of one any time soon I doubt they would have sold it to CR...
And as for spoilering what will happen in the show: Absolutely not.
|2011-01-17, 13:17
|Link #75
阿賀野型3番艦、矢矧 Lv168
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Belgium, Brussels
Age: 32
As a YGO player and judge, I can't say the mechanics of this card game is anything interesting.
To begin with, comparison with YGO or magic isn't really a good one. You should rather compare it with Weiß Schwarz: it does uses some sort of "damage counter", creature formation, and more importantly: trigger upon attack.
But unlike WS, Vanguard has a giant flaw: the game doesn't allow enough room to make a game decently long (leading to a lot of problems such like being much more luck based than WS).
While it takes a certain while in WS to be defeated (thus a much more decent pace), Vanguard has a very restrictive "joust" gameplay with a very limited damage limit.
And to make a match longer, they will have to introduce abilities that reduce damage, but that is hindering the player's ability to activate their cards' skill since cost are retardedly linked with their damage counter. Furthermore, that kind of ability will be unmistakenly be broken at some point, as the damage counter pool is way too small.
Overall, Vanguard as a TCG wouldn't be any good outside of short lived skirmish: the structure doesn't allow a proper pace for a match, and the gameplay doesn't allow a great variety of strategy (a direct damage one would be godlike there, even for 1 single damage counter at time).
Design wise, nothing really outstanding: it is basically a mix of YGO and Duel Masters design taking over the bishoujo of WS TCG (which is very likely a handicap to attract WS fanbase towards this card game).
As for the anime itself, it is rather flat. Aside from the obvious YGO legacy here and there, it is just lacking a lot in term of tension whatsoever.
And due to the nature of the card game, it makes the whole deal even less appealing.
|2011-01-17, 13:31
|Link #77
阿賀野型3番艦、矢矧 Lv168
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Belgium, Brussels
Age: 32
I can understand that having a fixed ressource related to your damage counter is appropriate in a way so you can only dish out broken abilities when you are near death.
But the way how it was made, it is just convulated: even 1 single cost is precious as hell (since unless "healing" is introduced, you can only have 5 stock available for a whole match. And even with healing skills, it will also cut short your precious stock at the same time, so yay), and having skills costing like 3 just makes the whole deal worse than a dilemna.
Because of the way it is heavily tied to the damage counter, no one in their right mind would use ability that cost 1-2, let alone using that kind of cards.
And suffice to say, if you don't draw that ass whooping card with that expensive ability, your stock just remains idle for nothing.
In comparison, WS allows a steady income of stock, without being fixed (affected by attack trigger).
|2011-01-17, 13:39
|Link #78
Translator, Producer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Age: 39
|2011-01-17, 15:42
|Link #79
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Age: 25
No opinions? Or unable to comment? That's fine. Personally, I could see 4kids being the best bet as TMS has already worked with them for a long running series already and it still is successful (Sonic X), but that doesn't deplete the possibility for Viz Media, who also has merchandising rights to Sonic X.
My own question for the card game is are there separate values for defending and attacking, or is it all the same and monsters from the hand can be used to block using the same value they do for attack?
|card game, cardfight vanguard, moe
|Thread Tools


text:
Architect 1964-1984.
Meier, Richard.
AbeBooks Seller Since July 9, 1997
Association Member: ABAAQuantity Available: 1
Bookseller Image
AbeBooks Seller Since July 9, 1997
Association Member: ABAAQuantity Available: 1
About this Item
Bibliographic Details
Title: Architect 1964-1984.
Publisher: New York. Rizzoli. 1984.
Binding: Hardcover
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
Edition: 1st Edition
Store Description
All items subject to prior sale. Books may be returned within ten days and with
prior notification if found to me mis-described or damaged.Shipping is at cost.
We ecourage you to order from us with the confidence that you shall receive the book you wish, as described and backed by the full authoratative ethical guidelines and recourse proceedures of the ABAA (http://www.abaa.org) and the ILAB (http://www.ilab-lila.com/).
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.
Payment Methods
accepted by seller
MasterCard Check Visa American Express Money Order PayPal Bank Draft Bank/Wire Transfer


text:
By ANDY KIRKALDY
FERRISBURGH — A major federal grant recently earned by the Rokeby Museum could "transform" the Ferrisburgh institution that illustrates the key role Vermont played in the anti-slavery movement, its director said.
Rokeby director Jane Williamson announced this week that the National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the historic Route 7 museum a $235,000 grant to develop a permanent exhibit on the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves find their freedom.
Rokeby earned the highly competitive grant by developing a proposal to highlight the stories of two fugitives who enjoyed long stays at the Ferrisburgh farm, then owned by Rowland Robinson, after fleeing slavery in Maryland and North Carolina.
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Nick Artim still vividly recalls his high school guidance counselors' reaction when he first told them of his desire to work at a job that melded his love of history and architecture.
"They said, 'You're never going to make money at that,'" Artim recalled.
Well, Artim is currently proving those guidance counselors wrong.
Artim, 50, has quietly become one of the country's most respected authorities in designing fire protection systems for some of the western world's most historic homes, libraries, museums and castles. Even if you look real closely, you'd be hard-pressed to see his handiwork — sprinkler heads, smoke detectors and the like — craftily camouflaged within the rafters, banisters or log walls within such iconic structures as Edinburgh Castle in Scotland and the Vermont Statehouse.
Subscribe to Online Edition
Online PDF Print Edition
Copyright 2011 Addison Independent | 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, Vt. 05753 | All Rights Reserved
Site Development by Surf New Media


text:
November 3, 2000
On November 1, 2000 The New York Times reported that the Immune Response Corporation "tried to block the publication of a scientific paper that showed its HIV vaccine was not effective, and it has asked for damages of more than $7 million from the universities and researchers who published the findings."(1) The disputed paper was published in the same day's issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association,(2) along with several articles and editorials on relationships with industry and conflict of interest in medical research.(3,4,5,6)The New York Times story was picked up or rewritten by many news outlets. Also see Los Angeles Times, November 1, 2000.
Because we learned about this dispute shortly before press time, we have not had time for our own investigation. But in this case we see credible people on both sides -- and beyond the obvious issues, some difficult ones which did not come out in the headlines. Of course it is wrong when companies take legal action to pressure researchers and universities to spin scientific results their way -- that is a no-brainer, and the community must support researchers' right to report, especially when persons have volunteered for participation medical research studies. This is part of an enormous problem ["when an investigator has a financial interest in or funding by a company with activities related to his or her research, the research is lower in quality (2 references), more likely to favor the sponsor's product (5 references), less likely to be published (2 references), and more likely to have delayed publication (1 reference)"(6)], and to that extent, the public was well served by the press coverage.
But tougher questions about how best to serve the public interest arise from the fact that today immune-based therapy is an enormously important research area, and yet there is no satisfactory way to test such treatments for clinical efficacy in patients (see "FDA Meeting on Approving Immune Therapies: Background and Comment," AIDS Treatment News #353, October 20, 2000). Immune Response Corporation did what it had to do and ran a huge trial originally designed to look for differences in survival between those who did or did not receive Remune, the HIV immunogen developed by the late Dr. Jonas Salk; both the treatment and placebo arms had more than a thousand patients each, who were allowed to use any antiretroviral therapy they chose (including experimental treatments, or including no antiretroviral therapy at all), in addition to the immunogen or placebo, which was administered every three months. But after the trial was designed, the introduction of protease inhibitors reduced overall AIDS deaths enough that the trial could not have detected that the treatment improved survival even if it did -- so the trial was quickly changed to include AIDS-related illnesses as well as deaths as end points.
The treatment certainly did increase HIV-specific immunity as shown by lymphocyte proliferation assay (p<.001),(2) but this measure is not currently accepted as a surrogate marker of drug efficacy, because there is no proof at this time that increasing this response is clinically beneficial to patients.
The company has long had a reputation of looking for creative ways to interpret its data, which angers some researchers and activists. A serious communication problem with unconventional ways to look at data is that even if they are valid, outside analysts have a hard time verifying that -- because they must ask, "If we were given unlimited access to the raw data, and months to play with it (months which we don't have), might we have found equally convincing ways to come to very different conclusions?" Yet when facing a serious situation where conventional ways of analyzing studies of immune-based treatments do not work, it might or might not serve the public interest to insist on strict adherence to established data-interpretation rules. Sometimes it is necessary to push ahead on faith in what one is doing, break some rules and take some risks, or nothing will happen.
The controversy over the publication of this study re-emphasizes the importance of developing workable, well-accepted standards for the relationship between researchers and industry. But here again there are complications. For example, telling sponsors to keep hands off of the scientific publication clearly seems like a good idea. But in this case the press, investors, and the public ended up with a bottom line which is at least questionable, if not wrong -- that the "HIV vaccine was not effective" in general and not just in this trial. Certainly this study did not find a clinical benefit -- but if no such finding were possible because of unrelated improvements in HIV treatment, the study did not find that the treatment was not effective, either; rather, the result was inconclusive. Can standards decree that a sponsor has no legitimate interest in preventing such misunderstandings?
In this trial the treatment consisted of killed HIV plus an adjuvant -- a substance which makes vaccines work better. The placebo consisted of the adjuvant alone. Has it been ruled out that the adjuvant itself might have been beneficial, without the killed virus -- since the volunteers already had their own HIV, including dead virus, on board? This seems unlikely, given the lack of HIV-specific lymphocyte proliferation in the "placebo" arm -- but much is still unknown, and if the adjuvant itself were effective, the study result could have been negative even if the product being tested were beneficial.
"This study provided the first information regarding disease progression among a large group of well-treated patients with CD4 cell counts between 300 and 549 x 106/L that was collected in the controlled setting of a randomized trial. The progression rate of 1.8 per 100 person-years of observation was one third of what had been reported in the literature prior to the widespread introduction of protease inhibitors. This provides additional evidence of the long-term benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapies. . . ."
The study also found a surprisingly high incidence of lymphoma, "the second most common clinical progression event" (the most common was oral candidiasis).
Copyright 2000 by John S. James. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used.
Back to the AIDS Treatment News November 3, 2000 contents page.
The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our content and advertising policies.


text:
St Michael's Mount Canvas Print, Cornwall
St Michael's Mount Canvas Print, Cornwall
St Michael's Mount
A beautifully handcrafted, solid wood frame, canvas print of St Michael's Mount.
This is a scene of St Michael's Mount just after the sun has set. A peaceful, tranquil place. Handcrafted in Falmouth, Cornwall.
The canvas is hand-stretched over the solid wood frame and is then taped to ensure the perfect finish. As canvas is a natural product, we provide stretcher bars so that you can manually stretch the canvas over time. Each canvas is then checked, a hanging kit is installed, along with corner protectors, and it is then bubble-wrapped and placed in a protective cardboard box ready for shipping.
Additional Information
Beautifully Handcrafted has done more than refine an old tradition: We've started a new one. Guided by looking to traditional techniques and combining state-of-the-art equipment, we fuse unique handcrafting techniques from Cornwall to create a stunning collection of gifts and prints. We make everything in small batches from our home in Falmouth.
About the canvas Print
A stunning gallery canvas print (print wrapped around the edges) inspired by picturesque Cornwall. We want to capture the authentic side of Cornwall in all of its natural beauty. Our canvas prints are professionally prepared on the finest canvas using pigment dyes that truly bring out the beauty of a canvas whilst preventing it to fade over time. Colours may vary from the sample photo as every computer monitor will be calibrated differently.
• 20" canvas uses a 18mm solid wood frame. 32" and 46" canvases use a 35mm solid wood frame.
• As we use only natural products, the finished sizes might vary slightly and are therefore approximate.
Questions and Comments
We welcome feedback and strive to learn and improve what we do. If you feel that we have missed something or just want to get in touch, please contact us by one of the methods below and we will do all we can to help.
We only supply the canvas print; all additional props such as chairs are for demonstration purposes only and not included in the sale.