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fMRI-behavioral Study of Cholinergic Augmentation With Donepezil in Healthy Sleep Deprived Adults
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00800553
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : December 2, 2008
Last Update Posted : August 3, 2016
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Sleep Deprivation
|Drug: donepezil Drug: Placebo
|Phase 4
Short-term total sleep deprivation (SD) can result in cognitive impairments (Durmer and Dinges, 2005) that contribute to industrial catastrophes, transportation accidents, and medical errors (Mitler et al., 1988; Dinges, 1995; Barger et al., 2006; Philip and Akerstedt, 2006). This has motivated the use of pharmacological countermeasures, the most widely used being caffeine (Bonnet et al., 2005). Functional imaging studies of sleep-deprived persons could provide information concerning the neural substrates associated with SD-induced cognitive decline and in addition, provide functional assays for assessing drug effects. However, despite the growing number of functional imaging studies involving SD (Chee and Chuah, 2008), neuropharmacological studies in this context are rare (Thomas and Kwong, 2006).
Impairment of attention in sleep-deprived persons (Lim and Dinges, 2008) is an important cognitive deficit that affects other 'higher' cognitive operations, for example, visual short-term memory (VSTM) (Chee and Chuah, 2007). VSTM is used in service of many higher cognitive operations and has a capacity limit (Luck and Vogel, 1997; Cowan, 2000) that has neuroimaging correlates (Linden et al., 2003; Majerus et al., 2007; Mitchell and Cusack, 2007). SD-induced decline in VSTM capacity has been shown to originate from depressed visual attention or visual processing (Chee and Chuah, 2007). This was inferred from observing state-dependent, but load-independent, attenuation of parieto-occipital activation elicited by two visual tasks in which memory and perceptual load were independently and parametrically varied. Critically, the load-independent manner in which SD affected parieto-occipital activation across the tasks signified that something more fundamental than memory was depressed.
We reasoned that the decline in attention/visual processing might arise from reduced noradrenergic and cholinergic drive, given that these neurotransmitters underlie the maintenance of wakefulness (Everitt and Robbins, 1997; Steriade and McCarley, 2005) as well as visuospatial attention (Everitt and Robbins, 1997; Phillips et al., 2000). Increasing cholinergic transmission may improve visual working memory by increasing the selectivity of perceptual processing in the visual cortex (Furey et al., 2000a). Other experiments on visual memory have suggested that behavioral benefit may be associated with increases in extrastriate (Furey et al., 2000a; Lawrence et al., 2002) and superior parietal (Mentis et al., 2001) regions. Conversely, cholinergic blockade using scopolamine may impair orienting responses that involve parietal regions (Davidson and Marrocco, 2000).
Of relevance to the present study, the concentration of cholinergic effects in the parieto-occipital region coincides with the locus of state effects in several functional imaging studies of short term memory (Habeck et al., 2004; Chee and Chuah, 2007; Lim et al., 2007) in sleep-deprived persons.
Collectively, these findings led us to hypothesize that SD-induced deficits in visual processing/attention might benefit from cholinergic augmentation. We anticipated that the neural correlates of such performance modulation could be tracked by observing task-related parieto-occipital activation. To evaluate these hypotheses, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over functional imaging study to characterize the effect of donepezil on healthy young adults. In this within-subjects design, volunteers were scanned four times, twice following a normal night's sleep and twice after 24 hours of total SD.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|43 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Crossover Assignment
|Double (Participant, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Basic Science
|Official Title:
|The Neural and Behavioral Correlates of How Donepezil Modulates Memory and Inhibitory Efficiency in the Context of 24 Hours of Sleep Deprivation
|Study Start Date :
|November 2006
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|May 2007
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|May 2007
Experimental: donepezil
donepezil, 5 mg p.o. for approx 2 weeks
Drug: donepezil
5mg o.m. p.o. for approx. 2 weeks
Other Name: Aricept
Placebo Comparator: placebo
Drug: Placebo
5mg of placebo for approx. 2 weeks
- fMRI signal change in response to cholinergic augmentation within the context of sleep deprivation [ Time Frame: approx 1 month ]
- behavioral changes (response accuracy in a visual short term memory task) [ Time Frame: approx 1 month ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|21 Years to 35 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- The subject is able to read and understand the Subject Information Sheet and comply with protocol requirements, instructions and protocol-stated restrictions.
- Prior to any screening procedures, the subject and the physician must have signed a study-specific Informed Consent Form. No study-related procedures may be performed before the physician has obtained written informed consent from the subject.
- The subject is between 21 years to 35 years of age.
- The subject has a BMI of between 18.5 kg/m2 to 32 kg/m2 and body weight ≥ 50 kg.
- The subject is right-handed.
- The subject has a resting pulse >40 bpm and <90 bpm (normal range). The subject has a resting systolic blood pressure of between 91 mmHg to 140 mmHg (supine normal range) and a resting diastolic blood pressure of between 51 mmHg to 90 mmHg (supine normal range).
- The subject, in the opinion of the investigator, is in good health on the basis of a pre-study physical examination, medical history, vital signs, electrocardiogram (ECG), and the results of blood chemistry, haematology, and serology tests, and a urinalysis. A subject with a clinical abnormality or laboratory parameters outside the reference range for this age group may be included only if the Investigator considers that the finding will not introduce additional risk factors and will not interfere with the study procedures.
- The subject has habitual good sleeping habits: sleeping on average 6.5 to 9 hours each night in the past month.
- Have regular sleeping hours whereby they sleep no later than 1 am and rise before 9 am each day.
- Have no history of excessive daytime sleepiness or insomnia.
- Score no greater than 22 on the Morningness-Eveningness scale [Horne and Ostberg, 1976].
- If female, the subject must use a double barrier method of contraception (2 separate methods of contraception) from Screening until final discharge from the study. Oral contraceptives are not allowed.
Exclusion Criteria:
- The subject has taken prohibited medication within 1 week (or 14 days if the drug is a potential enzyme inducer) or within 5 half-lives prior to first dosing for any medication ingested, whichever is longer) prior to first dosing, unless in the opinion of the investigator and sponsor, the medication will not interfere with the study procedures or compromise safety. Prohibited medication is any prescribed medication or over-the-counter (OTC) medication, including high-dose vitamins or dietary supplements, or any herbal medicine known to interfere with the metabolic CYP pathways, (e.g. St. John's Wort) or cognitive function (e.g. ginko). Paracetamol for mild analgesia will be permitted.
- The subject has a significant history of drug or alcohol abuse, defined as an alcohol intake greater than 21 units per week or a history of drug abuse within the last 6 months, or a history of substance abuse deemed significant by the investigator. A unit of alcohol is defined as 250 mL of lager/beer, 100 mL of Wine, or 25 mL of spirits.
- The subject has an orthostatic blood pressure reduction >20 mmHg (based on the difference of systolic blood pressure between supine and after standing for 1 minute).
- The subject has been exposed to more than 3 new chemical entities (NCEs) within 12 months prior to the first dosing day, or participated in a trial with any drug within 84 days before the start of the study, or participated in a trial with a NCE within 112 days before the start of the study.
- History or presence of hypersensitivity to the study drugs or drugs of this class (hyoscine, atropine, donepezil) or a history of other severe drug allergy or hypersensitivity which, in the opinion of the physician responsible, contraindicates their participation.
- The subject has a serious illness, such as liver or renal insufficiency, or a cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological, infectious, neoplastic, or metabolic disturbance or other condition known to interfere with the absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of drugs.
- The subject has history or presence of peptic ulcer disease, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac conduction abnormalities, asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease.
- The subject has history or presence of psychiatric or neurological illness, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy or periodic leg movements as ascertained by questionnaire.
- If participation in the study will result in the subject having donated more than 1500 mL blood in the previous 12 months and where participation in study would result in donation of blood in excess of 500 mL within a 56 day period.
- The subject smokes more than 10 cigarettes per day or uses other nicotine containing products equivalent to 10 cigarettes per day (for example, snuff, nicotine patch, nicotine chewing gum, mock cigarettes, or inhalers) and is not able to refrain from using nicotine containing products during the complete study period.
- The subject tested positive after screening or at baseline for drugs of abuse (opiates, methadone, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and cannabinoids).
- Caffeine intake of greater than 5 drinks per day on average.
- Presence of glaucoma or raised intraocular pressure based on medical history.
- Has an abnormality on acoustic function.
- The presence of a cardiac pacemaker or other electronic device or ferromagnetic metal foreign bodies.
- The volunteer reports previous marked feelings of claustrophobia in enclosed environments.
- Abnormal anatomical MRI as defined by a radiologist on pre-study screening e.g. tumours, evidence of stroke, localized white matter lesions, excessive atrophy (local or global), aneurysms, vascular malformations.
- Subjects who cannot complete the neuropsychological test battery despite having undergone the training sessions.
- The subject's QTc (using Bazett's correction) is equal or greater than 430 ms (at Screening) as read on the printout of the ECG produced by the ECG equipment and evaluated by the investigator.
- The subject, in the opinion of the investigator, is unlikely to comply with the clinical study protocol or is unsuitable for any other reason.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00800553
|Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
|Singapore, Singapore, 169611
|Principal Investigator:
|Michael WL Chee, MBBS, MRCP
|Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
Additional Information:
Publications of Results:
|Responsible Party:
|Michael WL Chee, MBBS, Professor, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00800553 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|December 2, 2008 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|August 3, 2016
|Last Verified:
|August 2016
sleep deprivation
double blind crossover study
Sleep Deprivation
Sleep Wake Disorders
Nervous System Diseases
Neurologic Manifestations
Signs and Symptoms
Mental Disorders
Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Cholinergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Nootropic Agents


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subset: commoncrawl


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Boston residents urged to take advantage of flu clinics
22 free flu clinics located throughout Boston
In response to the ongoing flu epidemic, Boston city officials are urging residents to get vaccinated.
Mayor Tom Menino and the Boston Public Health Commission were encouraging residents to take advantage of one of 22 free flu clinics that were taking place at community health centers throughout the weekend.
The clinics were held after Menino declared a public health emergency earlier in the week.
"The push this weekend is to get as many people vaccinated as possible," Menino said.
Public Health Commission Director Barbara Ferrer said a child under 6 years old from Boston who was diagnosed with a case of the flu died this week, but it was not determined if the flu was the victim's cause of death.
She said five adults over age 65 have died in the city this season.
As 2,000 new cases of flu in Massachusetts were confirmed by health officials, the state is reassuring residents that there is plenty of vaccine still available, even as clinics around the state are running out of the vaccine and turning people away.
Interim public health commissioner Lauren Smith said the state has distributed 760,000 doses of vaccine so far this season and there remains ample supply. She said officials are working with local boards of health to open public clinics to meet shot demand.
Health officials said they saw a great turnout Saturday morning at the free clinics and hoped that the trend continued.
"Some of the sites -- there were lines out the door of people coming to be vaccinated, wanting to get vaccinated," said Dr. Anita Barry, director of the Infectious Disease Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission.
She said more than 5,000 doses of the vaccine were distributed, some of which ran out at some locations. Those locations were then re-stocked to keep up with the demand.
Barry said despite the number of cases on the rise, it's not too late to get the vaccination.
"It's really important that something be done to try to head it off at the pass, and the vaccination is really the best way to do that," she said. "Once influenza's in the community, it tends to be there for about 12 weeks, so we still have some time to go with a lot of influenza circulating in Boston."


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham-Southern Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams combined to win 12 events and claim first place respectively in the BSC Swimming and Diving Invitational Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Hannah Busk, Peyton Langley, Molly Waddell and Kristen Stempak teamed up to win 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:53.29.
Busk would also claim first in the 200 individual medley with a 2:10.38 and then timed a 1:00.36 to win the 100-yard backstroke. Waddell posted a 1:59.47 to win the 200-free and recorded a 1:01 for second in the 200-yard butterfly. Stempak clocked a 54.81 to win the 100-yard freestyle and Lauren Kinsey claimed the 1000-yard freestyle with a 10:47.37.
Duncan Bonney and Wil Cushman won a pair of events to highlight the BSC men. Bonney won the 200-yard individual medley with a 1:57.19 and then posted a 47.43 in the 100-yard freestyle. Cushman won the 200-yard freestyle with a 1:47.4 and the 500-yard freestyle with a 4:55.09.
Drew Priede paced the field in the 1000-yard freestyle with a 10:13.44 and teamed up with Cushman, Duncan and Saul Hack to win the 800-yard freestyle relay with a 7:17.10.
The BSC Women totaled 183 points to edge second place Darton with 179 points followed by LaGrange College with 81 points and Thomas with 15 points.
BSC won the men's teams standings with 218 points with Darton just three points behind in second. LaGrange with 108 points and Thomas with 32 rounded out the meet field.
Birmingham-Southern men and women return to action in the first ever Southern Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships scheduled for Feb 14-16 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.


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Export 2 results:[ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Graham Taylor [Clear All Filters]
"Analysis of the IJCNN 2011 UTL Challenge", Neural Networks, vol. 32, pp. 174-178, 2012. Download PDF (669.65 KB),
" Unsupervised and transfer learning challenge", in International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, San Jose, CA, 2011. Download PDF (204.74 KB),


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The Who's Pete Townshend famously wrote the line "Hope I die before I get old". He didn't, but fellow band member Keith Moon did. "What a drag it is getting old," drawled Mick Jagger, but it was Brian Jones who died young. Jim Morrison sang of The End being his only friend, while David Bowie brilliantly explored what it would be like to be a rock'n'roll suicide. The former died, the latter lives on.
What marks out the pop stars who die prematurely from the ones who do not?
A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) provides some answers. It proves for the first time that it is not the fame that makes one prone to emotional problems, it is mostly childhood maltreatment and adversity.
Other studies had already proven that rock and pop stars die prematurely compared with the general population. This one examined a sample of 1,210 since the 1950s, with a minimum of five years of fame; 9% died prematurely.
Solo performers were twice as likely to die prematurely as ones in bands. Non-whites were also at greater risk. But the crucial finding was that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) – experiences like parental divorce or maltreatments like emotional neglect or abuse were the main cause of premature death – and a key factor is that they increase substance abuse.
Twice as many of the stars who died from substance abuse had at least one ACE compared with those who died of other causes. Whereas under a third of those who died from substance abuse had no such experiences, 80% had two or more.
This is exactly what studies of the general population would predict. Having four or more adverse experiences makes you seven times more liable to abuse alcohol and 12 times more likely to attempt suicide. ACE numbers have also been shown to be a major cause of personality disorders like narcissism – which, in turn, have been proven to be common among both fame-seekers and the famous.
The number of these experiences probably also explains why stars who survive into middle age die prematurely. Childhood adversity is a major cause of other diseases: people with four or more such experiences are twice as likely to suffer cancer and heart disease, partly as a result of substance abuse.
The BMJ study accords with a wider and still little-known fact: the Human Genome Project finds that differences in DNA, our unique genes, explain very little of why people suffer the vast majority of illnesses, both mental and physical – 5-10% at most. Childhood adversity is emerging as the main cause of mental illness, along with wider social factors.
And in an age when programmes like the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent have such a deep cultural impact, the BMJ study also provides potent reasons to discourage young people from believing that fame in itself is a desirable goal.
We already know that people who place too high a value on money and fame are more at risk of the commonest mental illnesses. The BMJ study provides further scientific reasons for government to consider our new obsession with fame regardless of talent as a major public health issue. Its authors conclude that "pursuing a career as a rock or pop musician may itself be a risky strategy and one attractive to those escaping from abusive, dysfunctional or deprived childhoods".
We have created a society in which far too many people suffer such childhoods. Growing numbers of children aspire to pop stardom; those who do so, and who engage in celebrity worship, are more likely to have had high numbers of adverse experiences. The case for meeting of the needs of children gets ever more persuasive.
• This article was amended on 26 December 2012 to correct the link to the study published in the British Medical Journal, which posters had pointed out was not working. This article was further amended on 4 January 2013 because the original said Pete Townshend sang "Hope I die before I get old". Townshend wrote that line, but did not sing it.


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You might consider Associated Press reporter Tom Breen to be the anti-William Lobdell. Breen recently told me he eventually became a weekly Mass attendee after educating himself on the Catholic abuse scandals for his journalism job. His story is quite the opposite from Lobdell, whose work on the religion beat at the Los Angeles Times caused him to drop his faith and write Losing My Religion.
Instead of re-writing Breen's story into an intro, I'll let him tell you about it before he answers some questions about the religion beat:
I was baptized a Catholic, but never really in any tradition other than a vague understanding of Christianity coupled with a sort of tribal pull toward the Catholic Church. My mother died when I was very young, and my father had enough bad experiences with church growing up in an Irish neighborhood in Chicago that he wasn't particularly driven to make sure my brother and I were raised as active members of the faith.
My father is a journalist, though, and it was his influence that steered me toward news. After college, I was working at the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass., at the time the most recent sex abuse scandals began to break in Boston. Partly because I had some Catholic bric-a-brac on my desk, my editor assumed I actually knew something about the church, and so I was assigned to cover a few local stories related to the scandal.
I quickly realized that I didn't know anything about Catholicism, and so to avoid embarrassing myself and the paper I resolved to learn what I could. In addition to reading everything I could get my hands on, I started pitching stories on religious topics that had nothing to do with the abuse scandal, hoping to bring myself up to speed.
This continued after I moved to the Journal Inquirer, the paper in my hometown of Manchester, Conn. By now I had discovered that I was interested not just in Catholic stories, but in religion generally. It was not only a fascinating topic, but it was one that not many other reporters were interested in covering, so I could pursue stories without stepping on any toes. I also had tremendously knowledgeable editors who were hungry for religion news. One of them put it to me in a way I've always remembered: compare the amount of resources the press spends on covering primary elections, he told me, with the number of people who vote in primary elections. Now compare the resources spent on covering religion with the number of people who attend a weekly worship service.
So that's how I became hooked on religion coverage. On kind of a parallel track, I eventually became a devout Catholic, going through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and becoming a weekly churchgoer. Ironically, it was my work covering elements of the sex abuse scandal that led me to become an "official" Catholic; I learned all I could about the faith to make sure my stories were accurate, and my learning convinced me this was the truth.
I realize personal belief is a touchy subject for journalists, but in the religion beat it's been a tremendous asset to my reporting. It's an imperfect comparison, but if you grew up rooting for the Chicago Cubs you're going to be a better baseball reporter than someone who's never been to a game. That's not to say I think active membership in a religious group is a prerequisite for the beat, but an ex-Cubs fan still knows the game even if she doesn't follow the team anymore.
That's probably far more than was necessary, and I apologize. On to the questions!
In your role at the AP, how do you boil down everything into a brief story and still maintain nuance, balance, complexities, etc.? The AP's very talented religion editor once described the faith beat as "intimidating," and I think that's absolutely right, for precisely this reason. There is no government, economic philosophy or baseball team on the planet with a back story as rich, detailed and complex as, say, Judaism. Or Christianity. Or Islam. Or Hinduism. You get the idea. What we strive to do is work in our "pre-reporting" to identify the telling details, wise sources and most salient facts to make sure that even an 800-word story has enough nuance and balance to meet our standards. When writing about Rob Bell's book Love Wins and the wide-ranging debate it prompted, for example, I knew in the earliest stage of the story that I wanted to talk about the Christian theologian Origen in the context of universalism. I hit the books, talked to some sources, and spent maybe half an hour boiling down what I learned into two paragraphs that I could then bounce off editors who are religion pros (to make sure it was accurate) and editors who don't know Methodism from method acting (to make sure it was right for a general audience). Knowing what's going to be important in terms of background and detail to augment the main news in the story is a huge help when it comes to "front-loading" our reporting.
Where do you get your news about religion? Have blogs, social media, etc. changed how you read and then cover religion news? My news about religion comes from a lot of sources: newspapers and broadcasters, the denominational press, tips from sources, friends and acquaintances, press releases, etc. But the most important day-to-day aspect of covering the beat is social media and blogs, something that's a huge change from when I started in daily journalism 10 years ago. Twitter in particular is a chance to monitor international conversations about faith as they happen, with everyone from Rick Warren to the person in the next pew pitching in. And for reporters looking to go beyond the usual pundits, officials, experts, talking heads, etc. and get deeper on a story, there's nothing like social networking. On a story about American Catholics' reaction to the beatification of John Paul II this year, I was able to write a story out of Raleigh with voices from all over the country thanks to finding folks on Facebook and Twitter and contacting them for interviews. Blogs have also changed the way the beat works, moving from commenting on stories or developments to breaking news; the questions about Ergun Caner's resume being a good example of a story that was broken first by bloggers. I honestly don't think it's possible to do a good job covering religion today without daily use of those resources.
What is the most important religion story right now that you think the mainstream media is having a hard time grasping? Some of the tectonic shifts in American religion are being only dimly appreciated so far, I think. The U.S. has in all likelihood become a country without a Protestant majority for the first time in its history, a change with lots of implications, both in the short and long terms. The major inroads that Evangelical churches are making among first and second-generation Latinos in the U.S. is also a big story with major implications that I think too often gets lost in coverage of how Latino immigrants are providing the bulk of the Catholic Church's new members. And the fact that growing numbers of Americans say they have no religious preference is interesting in ways that I don't think are being fully explored – too often, that's taken as a decline in religious belief, when I think a big part of the story is a change in how people are defining religion.
What's the story you will be watching carefully in the next year or two? I'll be very interested to see how American Catholics receive the new translation of the Roman Missal, which has been getting a roll-out in some places for months, but which is going to "go live" on the first Sunday of Advent. It's not on the same level with the changes to the liturgy that came at the end of the 1960s, but it's altering parts of the Mass most American Catholics have known for their whole lives. People are going to have add the word "consubstantial" to their vocabularies! There's been some pushback in Anglophone Europe from priests and laypeople, but so far we haven't seen much of that in the U.S. I don't know if that will change on November 27. I think it's going to be an opportunity for some great stories about what people believe and why.
What is the funniest, most ironic twist that you have seen in a religion news story lately? I don't know about funny or ironic, but a story that really provided me with a "Wow!" moment this week was the AP's coverage out of Jerusalem on a small group of Muslim missionaries who spend their days trying to win Jewish converts to Islam, apparently a first in the history of Israel. Given the social, political, cultural and religious contexts, this is bound to be an interesting story, but what I especially liked was that it explored questions that can resonate with missionaries in any tradition: how seriously do you take your faith, and what are you willing to do for it?
BONUS: Do you have anything else you want to tell us about religion coverage in the mainstream news media? I've had plenty of experiences where I've called a member of the clergy or a layperson for a story on a religious topic and as soon as I identify myself as a member of the press, they react like a babysitter in a 1980s horror movie hearing the words, "The calls are coming from inside the house!" One of my fondest wishes is that I will one day be able to make people understand that the vast majority of reporters want just two things: to tell a good story and to get it right. And the only way reporters can tell good, true stories about religion is by developing relationships with people who know faith and aren't afraid to trust their story to someone.


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Riedel Sommeliers Champagne Flute
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Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Riedel's premier collection, the Sommeliers line, includes an impressive assortment of crystal glasses, each developed by expert tasters to flatter a specific type of fine wine or liquor. This glass is designed to showcase fine Champagne, including Cuvée Prestige, Vintage Champagne, Vintage Sparkling Wine and Rosé Champagne.
- This sparkling crystal glass is individually crafted by master artisans who perform every step of the glassmaking process by hand.
- Large fluted bowl provides ample breathing space, which concentrates the yeasty bouquet and brings out the full range of aromas.
- Narrow mouth directs the flow of liquid to areas of the palate that best recognize the creamy texture.
- To preserve the Champagne's effervescence, each flute has a tiny dot etched into the base of its bowl, generating a continuous stream of bubbles.
- Hand made at the Riedel family's own glassworks in Austria, where artisans have been crafting exquisite glassware since 1756.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 11.6-oz. cap., 9 1/2" high.
- Before ordering, please be sure your wineglass storage can accommodate the height of this glass.
- Made in Austria.
- Use & Care
- Wash under warm water; detergent is not necessary.
- Allow to air dry.
- For extra shine, steam over boiling water.
- If desired, carefully polish with a lint free cloth.
- Never twist the base and bowl.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
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text: iStockphoto.com Opinion 13.7: Cosmos And Culture Obesity And The Toxic-Sugar Wars August 23, 2013 Forceful voices, like that of pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig, insist that eating sugar is highly toxic. More moderate voices from science aren't so sure that's the case. Barbara J. King offers her own view of the ongoing controversy about diet, health and obesity.


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Nuremberg trials also judged "a waste of time"
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Monday, December 22, 2008
It's par for the course for Obama and Biden, the men who promised "change" but in every step of their preparations for assuming office have pursued nothing but continuity, to acknowledge that they will protect criminals in the Bush administration from prosecution for authorizing torture, a complete violation of both the U.S. constitution and the Geneva Conventions.
When asked by ABC host George Stephanopoulos if top level Bush administration officials would be prosecuted for mandating prisoner abuse, Biden said that he and Obama would be "focusing on the future," adding "I think we should be looking forward, not backwards."
Such rhetoric goes to the very heart of the gigantic con job the "Obama change" hoax has wrought upon millions of befuddled Americans who naively presumed that voting for the lesser of two evils would result in anything other than more evil.
Perhaps Göring, Ribbentrop and the rest of the Nazis prosecuted at Nuremberg for their war crimes were following the wrong line of defense when they claimed they were merely "following orders," they should have just proclaimed that the world should be "looking forward not backwards" and according to the Biden/Obama view of justice, they would have got off scot free.
Likewise, pedophiles and rapists who abuse children and women in ways not far removed from what was approved at Abu Ghraib should merely tell police that since the abuse and rape occurred in the past, everybody should just move on, "looking forwards not backwards".
Obama and Biden, with their de-facto pardons of the Bush administration torture masters, are ensuring that what happened at places like Abu Ghraib, including beating people to death, raping people with acid covered batons and sexual abuse of children, will continue to happen in future without consequence.
Of course, those that protect war criminals from prosecution should be treated no better than the war criminals themselves, and when real "change" comes to America, Obama and Biden will face the same justice as Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.


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I don't think everyone is meant to marry. No, not everyone should not be allowed to marry! When I look around I see so many kids who have got a bad life just because their parents didn't know how to raise a kid. There are those who abuse kids, mentally, physically, emotionally and sometimes sexualy. I am sure most people think that physical and sexual abuse is more frequent, but most children go through a lot of emotional and mental torture throughout their childhood. They just learn to cope with it. After all, that is what you would go through your entire life. Maybe it isn't abuse, but the induction to real world. If you are to grow up in a world were you will be tortured through never ending tests and trials which will emotionally and mentally drain you, what is a small dose at a younger age? In a world were you …Read More »
Tag Archives: Patently Me
Good bye Fakebook
I logged out of Facebook, not just closed the tab, but logged out. If I need to check Facebook, I have to log back in instead of just opening the page. Facebook is a place where you meet fake friends and I'm tired of all the people who doesn't care about me. I know, I'm a lonely person. Any idiot can have opinion on anything. I know, because I have. But on Facebook, even those idiots who are incapable of having a coherent thought can copy half-baked thoughts from someone else, a photoshopped picture would attract those mindless nitwits faster than honey attracts honeybees. I wouldn't mind it so much, if they had the ability to listen to reason and correct themselves. Those handful of people who I consider friends don't need Facebook to contact me and I don't need facebook to remember their birthdays. I would probably log in …Read More »
Corporate Responsibility – Google Style
I am not a management guru, but I did learn something about management and corporate responsibilities. Recently on Facebook I came across a post from Robert Scoble about how US market is the market that counts. He was talking about an article which reported that the iPhone 5 sales have helped Apple to take climb up the sales chart atleast in the US. I agree with him on the point that US market is one of the major market there is and being the leader there counts for something. But I would like to take a look at the bigger picture. According to reports, the the individual parts of iPhone costs less than $200, yet it is sold at over $600 unlocked. Is that a 300% markup? Probably not. Though $200 is not the exact price and Apple would obviously get more discount based on the fact they are ordering …Read More »
Essence of Education
Kids always have fun, especially in school. Maybe it was the time spend not studying and some of the lessons could be so boring. I know I didn't enjoy all the classes; that is not to say that education is not important. I had often wondered why I had to learn some of the stuff which seemed so unimportant and useless. Yes, I was told that it was the foundation that I should have so that I can learn whatever I wanted later on. But, is that all education is? Learning stuff that you may or may not use in the future? I have heard parents, elders and teachers saying that you need education to get a job, a job that will pay you well so that you have the luxuries that they didn't have. It will bring you respect and I could go on and on. Good job, money …Read More »
Fool Circle – Repeating Our Mistakes
Are we fixing the problem that we had fixed 6 months back? Are we making the same mistake, as a person and as a race?Read More »
Give Me Your Soul
And I will give you 10 years of bliss! If you could live 10 years of your life in total bliss – with NO pain – but in the end, not remember any of it – would you do it? via A Happiness Tip From Aristotle | Psychology Today. I was stumbling, after a long time, when I came across this question. And according to Aristotle, you should say no. I would agree with him for various reasons. I am the sum of my experience The individual that I am, is not just a 3 dimensional figure frozen in time. I would have to say that every atom that is present in the universe has its influence on me, and so has every thought that goes through the minds of other people. The interaction between 2 or more objects (living or non-living) would have an impact on who I am and how I …Read More »


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Procrustus is here!
Any additional questions, just ask and I'll do my best to answer!
Procrustus is here!
Any additional questions, just ask and I'll do my best to answer!
For toy review videos and more, visit Pixel-Dan.com!
SUBSCRIBE to me on YouTube! YouTube.com/c/Pixel-Dan
Yay - pretty please with sugar on top Dan can we please do an extra long Netossa one please
Excellent! I am even more excited for him now!
Awesome review PD, but one question: does Procrustus' head come off like Megator's?
We need the POWER of the GOOD and the WAY of the MAGIC !!!
**Staunch FILMation lover!!! **** Uber NEW ADVENTURES Fan!!!**
It's TIME to finish the New Adventures figure lineup !!!
Oh boy he looks awesome!!! Every figure straight from the minicomics is very welcome
Great review Dan. Some fans have expressed concern regarding his arms being assembled wrong. Do you see anything wrong with them?
Anyway, Procrustus rocks! Can't wait for him.
He has that amazing mythological "Clash of the Titans / Ray Harryhausen"- vibe to him. LOVE IT!
Press down on dragon's head. It sprays enemies with a jet of water!
Press down on a camera's shutter release. It will take pictures that tell stories!
some fans think that the position of their arms are wrong because are in the back and not below the other arms but thats the way he appeared on the minicomic
visit my albums:
awesome trades with: harold, krosfyah, bobtheodd, Agostinho, boggs32, sallah, beastor
Visit my facebook page 2917 likes already!!!!! XD
Press down on dragon's head. It sprays enemies with a jet of water!
Press down on a camera's shutter release. It will take pictures that tell stories!
He looks great! Very excited about him! Thanks for the review, Dan!
MOST WANTED: Filmation Whiplash, Filmation Ram Man, Filmation Two-Bad, Filmation Buzz-Off, Filmation Sy-Klone, Ice Armor He-Man
The figure seems to be well done, he's for sure the best giant in this line, but I have no connection to him, although I know him since the 80's... Not a fan of this obscure stuff anymore... easy pass...
I had no idea of this characters existence till the toy reveal but he is so cool, may well be my favorite giant though i'll have to wait till I have him in hand to know for sure. It never really bothered me that the other giants didn't have as much articulation as the regular figures but it's cool they have added it now.
I'm one of the people who is going to miss the variety as the line pares and winds down; "new" stuff in the line gave it a breadth no other MOTU line has had (the only new figure that wasn't a re-do of a vintage one in the 2002 line was the small version of "The One" that came with the slime pit). I've liked the concept and never-made figures so far, and Procrustus (though I admit I had completely forgotten him when they revealed the figure) is definitely a welcome addition. I know there have been some mistakes with this kind of figure (it's become apparent that the concept/never produced three packs were not a good idea mainly due to the price point), but folks like me have waited for He-Ro for two decades, and I'll take him over guys like Extendar or even Rio Blast (though I want them all, if possible).
I know a lot of folks are going to bemoan the concept type stuff if the line ends without doing all the vintage figures, but the fault for that would lie not in the figure choices, but in the absurd mismanagement and incompetence of Mattycollector and DR.
"I will use this power for all the good that can be done, to work for peace, to encourage virtue, and above all, to preserve life in all its forms..." Superman
Procrustus is awesome!!!! The 3 giants look great together, never thought of displaying them that way.
The new sculpted parts are awesome, however the reused Megathor parts are too plain compared to the new parts. But I understand that re-used parts are the policy of the whole line.
Whenever people used to speculate about this guy as a figure I was never interested and always hoped they wouldn't make him so that I didn't 'have' to buy him (as I always subscribe), but after he was revealed I was thrilled! He just looks awesome, and I do love The Star Seed, so yeah, bring him on!
My feedback: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/...=125066&page=2
Awesome Traders List: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/...d.php?t=135253
The Cradle Will Rock As I'm Drivin' Down Highway 40 In My Big Ol' Pick Up Truck.
Thanks for the review Dan, it answered some questions I had that I was originally gonna tweet to you when you first posted this vid being up.
I do like him yet was saddened to hear he DOES have more articulation than Tytus and Megator though it definitely makes him worth his cost, whereas I always felt Ty and Meg were over priced due to the lack of, but don't get me wrong i did like them; but after seeing this I really wished they would've got this articulation in with the previous giants.
And glad to see they found a way to reuse this buck and size, here's hoping they get to the 3 giants from MYP since there's not much more use for this buck after... BUT WAIT! After seeing the extra arm socket area, how cool would that be if the re-sized Draego Man into a giant? I mean he is a dragon so other than costs why not??? As much as I love Draego, I never thought him being on scale with the others (and this doesn't not ignore the basic logistical reasons why) was just off sine he is part dragon, just food for thought.
'Tis the wind and nothing more.....
Thanks for the review.
'Tis the wind and nothing more.....
He looks AWESOME! Yet another fantastic mythical beast in this toyline. He obvious works for who he is, but for me I like him as just a giant rock monster! I dunno how I'll use him yet, but I'm super excited! I just love everything about this guy. This is how giants should be!
"Since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking." ~ Tock, the Watchdog
Alexx has a blog?! Come on in and check out Toys and Tomfoolery! You won't regret it...until the next morning.
Very cool review Dan. I'm warming up to Procrustus, but it's a slow warming.
Cool! We need another grains related action figure!
"Wheresoever on earth he dwells, man is prey to two weaknesses: the need to pray and the need to love."-Marquis de Sade
"It is not by reasoning or by our understanding that we have received our religion; it is by external authority and command."-Michel De Montaigne
Heretical Vintage Purist and Non-Fan Extraordinaire!
Excellent review! Love that the Star Seed fits into his palm, and into the TOD Sorceress podium!
I want a new cartoon now based on the MOTUC toy line! One that draws across all MOTU content!
Funny thing. I was looking forward to this figure, but seeing him in action has kind of cooled me towards him.


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Tales of Vesperia - Walkthrough/guide (PDF)
Tales of Vesperia Walkthrough by VHayste IGN presents a PDF walkthrough on Tales of Vesperia by VHayste. You will need to download the file and use Adobe Acrobat Reader to read it. If your browser is set to automatically open PDF files and you wish to save it instead, right-mouse-click on the link and choose to "Save As". For Mac users, mouse over the download link and a context menu will appear with the commands.


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NEW YORK - To hear Elijah Wood talk about the 1978 slasher film "Halloween," he sounds, well, giddy.
"I've seen it so many times," he said in a recent interview. "The feeling that I get from the movie? It's almost like the feeling one would get from watching a Christmas movie. It made me feel happy! Like, I don't know if it's a sense of nostalgia I attach to the film? Maybe I've seen it so many times it feels like, you know, an old familiar record or something. But I put it on and I feel joy watching that film."
Such is the reaction of a true lover of the horror genre. The 32-year-old actor, known for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and his FX TV series "Wilfred" and in the music world as a popular DJ, has an encyclopedic knowledge of scary movies, with a starring role in the new film "Maniac" and his own fledgling horror production company.
Wood plays a serial killer in "Maniac," a film told entirely from his point of view - you see Wood only in his reflections or in his hands as they cross in front of the camera.
In a recent interview, Wood said he found the experience to be extremely technical but also an exciting, collaborative effort.
"You go into (shooting from a point of view aspect) thinking, `It's gonna be easy. It's a single shot but you're under such intense parameters that every scene became a puzzle."
Wood's new production company The Woodshed Horror Company has three movies in the works. Its first film picked up for distribution, "Toad Road", was discovered at the horror film festival Nightmare City (which The Woodshed helped present.) It will hit theaters in October.
AP: Where did this love of the horror genre come from?
Wood: I think I've always been relatively fearless, so they never really scared me.
AP: What was the first horror film you ever saw?
Wood: I saw my first horror film when I was 5. It was a movie called "Truth or Dare: A Critical Madness," and it was a VHS like direct-to-video horror film. Part of the reason I was excited about watching it, I remember, was I knew that I wasn't supposed to. So that of course as a child you do all the things that you know is not... like it's suddenly more exciting. But I love the movie.
AP: Do you have a favorite villain?
Wood: I love Mike Meyers. He didn't have a long shelf-life because I didn't love all the iterations of that character. He's a great rendering of the boogey man. Jack Nicholson's character in "The Shining" is extraordinary. I tend to find characters from a more rooted, real place to be more frightening and unsettling. What happens to Reagan in "The Exorcist" I love and find horrifyingly scary. Freddy Kruger is more fun. He becomes a jokester which is fun to watch. That's another angle with horror.
AP: Your TV series "Wilfred" is now in its third season (airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX.) Do you have a theory as to why your character Ryan sees this dog as a man in a dog suit?
Wood: My feeling is that he's a manifestation of his psyche as a result of having reached an impasse mentally in his life. It's almost like something has snapped and it's a part of his psyche that was lying dormant that is now kind of pushing him to live kind of beyond the confines that he's somehow created for himself or maybe self-imposed, maybe imposed by others in his life.
AP: Ryan addresses his confusion over seeing Wilfred on the series but do you think there will ever be a big reveal about that?
Wood: I don't think there should be, personally. I think that's part of the magic of the show. Wilfred is Wilfred and I think people can have their own ideas as to what Wilfred is and why. But, I think if you kind of definitely answer that, even at the end. Like let's say it ends in two or three more seasons or whatever and the end is the answer, I think that misses the point. I think the point is in the searching and it's in the relationship and it's in what's gained in that relationship.


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On This Page
Public Health Statement for Tetryl
June 1995
This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for tetryl. It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also available. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636.
This statement was prepared to give you information about tetryl and to emphasize the human health effects that may result from exposure to it.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 1,397 hazardous waste sites as the most serious in the nation. These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities. Tetryl has been found in at least 12 of the sites on the NPL. However, the number of NPL sites evaluated for tetryl is not known. As EPA evaluates more sites, the number of sites at which tetryl is found may increase. This information is important because exposure to tetryl may cause harmful health effects and because these sites are potential or actual sources of human exposure to tetryl.
When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This release does not always lead to exposure. You can be exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking substances containing the substance or by skin contact with it.
If you are exposed to a substance such as tetryl, many factors will determine whether harmful health effects will occur and what the type and severity of those health effects will be. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), the route or pathway by which you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact), the other chemicals to which you are exposed, and your individual characteristics such as age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.
1.1 What is tetryl?
Tetryl is a synthetic substance that was used to make explosives, mostly during World War I and World War II. It is no longer manufactured or used in the United States. The chemical name for tetryl is N-methyl-N,2,4,6-tetranitroaniline. Other commonly used names are 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-Nmethylnitramine, nitramine, tetralite, and tetril. Stocks of tetryl are found in storage at military installations and are being destroyed by the Department of Defense. Tetryl was frequently manufactured as pellets or powder. Under certain manufacturing conditions, it could exist in the air as a dust. Tetryl is a yellow, crystal-like solid at room temperature. It dissolves slightly in water. It can also dissolve in other liquids, including benzene, alcohol, and acetone. At temperatures of 369�F (187�C) or higher, tetryl will explode. Tetryl has no odor, but some of its manufactured forms may have odors due to the presence of other chemicals. In addition, high concentrations of tetryl dust have an irritating effect on the nose that produces a sensation that might seem to be an odor.
1.2 What happens to tetryl when it enters the environment?
Tetryl may be released to the air, water, and soil when old stores of the explosive are destroyed by exploding or burning. However, tetryl has not been measured in air during any of these activities. Tetryl that was manufactured or stored at military installations, or Army ammunition plants may still be present in the soil and water at or around these sites. Tetryl is not likely to evaporate into air from water or soil surfaces. However, tetryl may be present in air mixed with dust from these sites. Tetryl appears to break-down rapidly in some soils. Picric acid is one of the break down products of tetryl in soil. Tetryl probably does not easily travel from soil to groundwater. Erosion of soil from contaminated sites may release tetryl to nearby surface water. Once it is in the water, tetryl may dissolve or associate with small particles of suspended solids, sediments, or organic debris. Some of these particles will settle to the bottom. Tetryl breaks down rapidly in sunlit rivers and lakes, but much more slowly in groundwater. It is not known whether tetryl will build up in fish, plants, or land animals.
1.3 How might I be exposed to tetryl?
Most people are not exposed to tetryl because contamination is localized around military installations where it was manufactured, used, or stored. Tetryl can move through soil and enter underground water. If you live near one of these installations with tetryl contamination, you may be exposed to tetryl by drinking contaminated well water. You may also be exposed to tetryl by skin contact with contaminated soil or water. Workers who were previously involved in the processes of making, using, packing, or loading tetryl were probably exposed to tetryl by breathing contaminated dust and through skin contact. Workers currently involved in the clean-up, disposal, and destruction of tetryl may also be exposed by these routes. We do not know how many workers are exposed to tetryl.
Tetryl has been found in soil and water at some military installations, such as Army ammunition plants, and in underground water at one site near a military installation.
1.4 How can tetryl enter and leave my body?
Tetryl can enter your body if you breathe it in the air, drink it in water, or get it on your skin. We do not know the extent to which tetryl enters your body by these routes. Based on limited information from animal studies, tetryl probably leaves your body in urine after being broken down to other substances.
1.5 How can tetryl affect my health?
Most of the information on the health effects of tetryl is from studies on workers in military facilities during World War I and World War II. These workers were involved in the production, use, packing, or loading of tetryl. The levels of tetryl in air at these facilities were often not measured. Many workers who breathed tetryl-laden dust complained of coughs, fatigue, headaches, eye irritation, lack of appetite, nosebleeds, nausea, and/or vomiting. Most workers who routinely handled tetryl powder and pellets in munitions factories developed a distinct yellow staining of the hands, neck, and hair. Workers with this staining were sometimes referred to as "canaries." Many workers who had skin contact with tetryl dust or compounds containing tetryl also developed skin rashes (dermatitis). The rashes ranged from mild to severe and symptoms often included reddening, itching, swelling, and peeling of skin. Most of these health effects usually developed within a few days to a few weeks after exposure to tetryl. Some workers were more sensitive to tetryl exposure and developed allergies to tetryl. These often included severe asthma-like reactions that sometimes required medical attention or hospitalization. Workers who developed allergies to tetryl had reactions within a few hours after being exposed again to tetryl. Many of these workers were moved to work areas where there was no tetryl. Little is known about the longer term health effects in workers exposed to tetryl.
There is no information on health effects in people exposed to drinking water contaminated with tetryl. Rabbits fed high doses of tetryl every day for 6 to 9 months developed degenerative lesions of the liver and kidney. Decreased blood-clotting capability and changes in the spleen were also noted. We do not know if tetryl causes cancer or birth defects, or if it affects reproduction in people or animals. The Department of Health and Human Services, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental Protection Agency have not classified the carcinogenicity of tetryl.
1.6 Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed to tetryl?
During World War I and World War II, most workers who routinely handled tetryl powder and pellets in munitions factories developed a distinct yellow staining of the skin. Many workers also developed skin rashes. These workers were exposed to high concentrations of tetryl dust in the air and by direct contact with the explosives. There are no medical tests to show if you have been specifically exposed to tetryl. However, if the breakdown products of tetryl found in the urine of animals exposed to tetryl were also present in the urine of exposed people, these breakdown products could be used to indicate exposure to tetryl or similar substances. The symptoms caused by exposure to tetryl can also occur for many other reasons; therefore, they cannot be used as proof of tetryl exposure.
1.7 What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?
The federal government has developed standards and guidelines to protect people from the health effects of tetryl. The Department of Transportation has many regulations for the transportation of explosives such as tetryl. Although tetryl is no longer being manufactured or used, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a regulatory level for tetryl in the workplace. The maximum allowable amount of tetryl in workroom air during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, is 1.5 milligrams of tetryl per cubic meter of air (mg/m�). This level may apply to workers engaged in destruction of tetryl explosives and those who work in locations where tetryl is stored. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that workers not be exposed to air containing more than 1.5 mg/m� during a 10-hour workday.
ReferencesAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for tetryl. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop S102-1
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO · 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: Contact CDC-INFO
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
- Page last reviewed: January 21, 2015
- Page last updated: January 21, 2015
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


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US stocks declined over the past week as investors engaged in profit-taking while fretting about the health of the US economy and whether the Federal Reserve may seek to raise interest rates anew.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6 percent in the week to Friday to 11,392.11, while the tech-rich NASDAQ composite declined 1.3 percent to 2,165.79.
The broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 shed 0.9 percent on the week to 1,298.92.
Tradition also seemed to be playing a hand in Wall Street's past week as September is historically the worst month of the year for the stock market.
The debate about whether the US central bank will be forced to hike interest rates again in the near future was spurred in the past week by a stronger-than-expected reading on wage inflation in a government report on productivity.
"The major problem remains a market that is coming off a seven-week rally and into the tough month of September," observed Al Goldman, an analyst at AG Edwards.
"The economic news is mixed, but the fact that unit labor costs are rising much faster than earlier data had indicated raised fears of possible additional rate hikes by the Fed," Goldman said, referring to the productivity report.
inflation gauge
Investors will get a fresh snapshot on inflation next Friday when the government releases its Consumer Price Index reading for last month.
Most analysts expect last month's CPI to tick up 0.2 percent, and for the core rate, which excludes energy and food prices, to rise 0.2 percent compared with respective July gains of 0.4 and 0.2 percent.
Investors are jittery over inflation as the recent rise in oil prices has stoked inflationary pressures, a development which might encourage the Fed to raise rates.
However, oil prices have fallen sharply in recent days and some analysts said the threats of energy-driven inflation are now easing.
New York's main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery next month, closed down a hefty US$1.07 at US$66.25 dollars per barrel on Friday, marking its lowest level since April 5.
New York prices have now fallen over US$12 from a record high of US$78.40 struck in mid-July.
The coming week will also see fresh updates on the US trade deficit with its major trading partners, as well as reports on retail sales, industrial production and consumer sentiment among other data due for release.
declining sales
Retail sales for last month are expected to have fallen 0.1 percent following a gain of 1.4 percent in July as US consumers cut back their spending amid higher energy costs and rising mortgage payments.
With the housing market cooling rapidly, economists will be closely tracking the retail sales report for fresh clues on the consumer. Further pullbacks by consumers would apply less pressure on the Fed to raise rates, a move which could dampen consumer sentiment.
"It seems clear that the slowing economy means that the Federal Reserve has finished its rate-tightening campaign," Bob Doll, the chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch, said in a note to investors.
"Although the central bank will likely continue its hawkish rhetoric regarding inflation," Doll added.
Doll believes that a slowing economy will eventually become more of a concern to the Fed than inflation and that the Fed will begin easing rates during the first half of next year.


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Category:Workbooks and Forms
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
MeritBadge.Org is home to a great selection of free Workbooks and Forms!
Workbooks (Worksheets) include the maps, charts, logs, blank maps and diagrams, graph paper, links, and checklists you need:
- Merit Badge Worksheets also have link to related Merit Badges and Scout Awards.
- Cub Scout Belt Loops and Pins Worksheets also have links to related Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos requirements!
- Webelos Activity Badge (Pin) Worksheets also have links to related Cub Scout Belt Loops & Pins and Cub Scout Awards.
There are also many nomination and application forms, checklists, and similar resources.
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Our entire family loves cake pops, and Chloe loves to make them for her friends. She's made them for parties, teachers, friends, and classes at school for years. Most of her friends are now baking cake pops themselves, which means she's also a great teacher! But for this tutorial, we turned to our friend Kim of KC Bakes. We are honored to have her share her tips and awesome photos with us for a set-by-step cake pop tutorial. And we are delighted that we can help you get started with a hobby, a fun day in the kitchen, or turn your baking into a profit-making venture this summer! And we also have more sweets on a stick with a recipe for a super-simple chocolate lollipop... Hi everyone, I'm Kim, founder of KC Bakes. A few years ago, I wanted to order a cool custom cake for my husband's birthday. But after calling around to a few bakeries, I couldn't afford the high bakery prices for all of that fancy fondant work. One of my favorite shows is Project Runway, so in a true Tim Gunn "make it work" moment, I Googled how to make fondant, baked hubby a really cool cake and started off on an accidental baking journey. Then when cake pops popped onto the baking scene, I had to try those too! In this tutorial, I'll share my tips and tricks for basic cake pops. They're easy to do, and really fun to make with a group of friends.
Ingredients • Baked cake, fully cooled • Cake frosting • Two bags of white candy melts • One bag of red candy melts
Supplies • Cake Pop Sticks • 1.5" cookie scoop (like this) • KC Bakes Cake Pop Stand (or Styrofoam) • Ziploc sandwich bag
Cut your cooled cake into smaller pieces.
For best results, hand-crumble the entire cake. Some bakers like to use a food processor to crumb the cake. While it's definitely quicker, I've found that process limits the amount of cake pops that you can get in one batch. The problem is that it makes the cake crumbs too fine, and when you mix in the frosting, the fine crumbs get absorbed into the frosting, rather than binding together. Your crumbs should look like this…
Mix in about 1/3 of the can of frosting, and remember these three words: less is more. You can always add more frosting later, but if you add too much up front, you'll not be able to correct it.
A good way to test if your cake mix is moist enough is if it holds its shape when you squeeze it in your hand. Try rolling it into a ball – if it stays together, you are good to go. If it starts to fall apart, mix a little more frosting into the cake mix.
Pack the cookie scoop full with the cake mix – similar to how you pack brown sugar into a measuring spoon, smush it in there nice and tight. Using a cookie scoop is a very effective way to get your cake balls to be consistently all the same size.
I like to scrape the scooper against the side of the bowl to make sure it's fully packed. After ejecting the cake ball, you'll see it's a little rough-looking. Squeeze it a few times in your hand, then roll it into a smooth ball.
A standard 13"x9" boxed cake will yield about 36-40 cake balls. If the cake is overcooked, the edges can get too hard, and it will limit the amount of fluffy cake to turn into pops.
Divide your cake balls onto smaller plates and place them into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so, just enough to chill them. I leave them in there until I'm done melting the candy melts in the next step, and that timeframe works great. If they are left in there for too long, the cake balls tend to split when the stick is inserted. Having the cake balls divided onto smaller plates will help you in the dipping process. If you bring all of the cake balls out of the fridge at the same time, they will soften up as they rise to room temperature, and likely fall off of the stick when dipped. Place your candy melts into a microwave-safe bowl and melt according to the package directions.
It's very important not to overheat your candy melts. The ideal consistency should flow smoothly off of a spoon. If it drops off thick or in clumps, it's likely been overheated. In this case, try mixing in some cooking oil – again, less is more – add it in little by little, until you reach a good consistency.
Bring a plate of cake balls out of the fridge. Dip the tip of the lollipop sticks into the melted candy, and insert them into the cake balls. Return that plate to the fridge, and repeat until all of the cake balls are finished.
Bring your first plate back out from the fridge. Holding the pop straight up and down, submerge it into the candy melts.
Lightly tap the stick against the bowl to remove all of the excess chocolate.
Place the cake pop into your KC Bakes stand (or Styrofoam) to allow the pop to dry.
Melt a small amount of candy melts for your drizzle.
For an easy and mess-free way to fill your Ziploc bag, line a small cup with the bag. Pour in the melted candy, get most of the air out of the bag, and seal the zipper.
The temperature of your candy melts is important during this step. If it's too hot, it will cause your cake pops to split open. Allow it to cool slightly, until its lukewarm.
Snip a very small tip off of the corner of the bag, and drizzle the melted candy in a zig-zag pattern across the pops.
Ta daaaaaa. Cake pops!
If you're feeling adventurous, we have a variety of tutorials on our website to teach you other decorating techniques such as side drizzle pops and cupcake pops:


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Dear Java Programmers:
During my life I have programed in several languages all of them compiled or interpreted.
Now I am doing in Java which I use as a type of C, but I have a lot of problems with transporting the code from one machine to another, in fact I am asking for help, because I am working with two machines one foot apart and my code runs perfectly in one but not in the other.
I am at lost on how to solve this problem, as it supposed that the code should run in any machine as my C code works on any machine C compiler.
The details follow:
I have written some small keyboard driven java applications.
They work OK on Eclipse and Netbeans on Centos 4.8 with jdk1.5.0_09.
But, on Centos 5.4 with any Eclipse, Netbeans and java they ignore the key
pressed when they run, but work OK under debug.
I do not know whether it is pertinent but the Centos 4.8 machine has a PS2 keyboard plug and the Centos 5.4 one an usb one.
I know that I was very silly of me to use Java in something in which it
does not have any particular advantage over C, but now it is too late and I need
urgent help, so any clue would be greatly appreciated.
As I said before the code is not the problem as it works in one machine and it is a very usual piece of code, but just in case the pertinent parts of it follow:
The pertinent part of a Canvas class is as follows:
key = new Key(); KeyboardFocusManager manager; manager = KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager(); manager.addKeyEventDispatcher(key);
In the Canvas I also set the focus, which I do not use, but need for the
next class.
I use the Key class to obtain the characters typed through e:
package system; import java.awt.*; import java.awt.event.KeyEvent; public class Key implements KeyEventDispatcher { KeyEvent e; boolean ready; public Key() { } public boolean dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent e) { if (e.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED) { this.e = e; ready = true; } return true; } public KeyEvent getKey() { while (!ready) { } ready = false; return e; } }


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Programming Praxis is language-agnostic: the problems are intended to be amenable to solution in any reasonable programming language. More information about various languages can be found on these pages: Awk, Haskell, Lua, Python, and Scheme.
Programming is, at heart, about algorithms and data structures. The best text on algorithms and data structures, by far, is Donald Knuth's three-volume Art of Computer Programming. Introduction to Algorithms, by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest and Cliff Stein is also excellent. Chris Okasaki's book Purely Functional Data Structures provides a somewhat different look at some familiar data structures, plus some good material not usually covered elsewhere. And there are many other textbooks on algorithms and data structures, with varying emphases and degrees of excellence.
The good folks who used to work at Bell Laboratories wrote some fantastic books about programming. Brian W. Kernighan and P. J. Plauger wrote Software Tools and Software Tools in Pascal back in the 1970s, but they are still relevant today. Jon Bentley's books Programming Pearls and More Programming Pearls are entertaining as well as educational. More recently, Brian W. Kernighan and Rob Pike wrote The Practice of Programming, which is simply superb. All these books are highly recommended.
People who are just learning to program would be wise to look at How to Design Programs by Matthias Felleisen, Robert Bruce Findler, Matthew Flatt, and Shriram Krishnamurthy, which uses Scheme as the programming language but is not about programming in Scheme. Another classic book is Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman, known as the wizard book due to its cover art, which is the textbook that accompanies MIT's introductory computer science course; it's complete text is available on-line at http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/.


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How You Can Help Conquer Diabetes In All Its Forms
You can help Joslin Diabetes Center in the battle to find new ways to treat this disease and its complications and ultimately find a cure.
Participate in Clinical ResearchOne way to help is to become a research volunteer. Research volunteers at Joslin in Boston play a critical role in helping to advance the treatment and understanding of diabetes and its complications.
To learn more about the nature of diabetes and related metabolic disorders, our researchers recruit patients for "clinical trials," studies that test the effectiveness of new drugs, devices or other treatments that may be approved for general use. Individuals participating in any research study must meet certain study requirements and be willing to sign an informed consent, a form that indicates voluntary agreement of the person (or responsible proxy) to participate in the study after being informed of the methods, procedures, risks and benefits that will result by participating. Consent must be given freely and without undue influence. Participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without losing any of the benefits due to them as a patient at Joslin.
In some cases, research studies are being conducted by Joslin Affiliates in other parts of the country that may be nearer to where you live—enabling those who do not live in the Boston area to participate in our efforts to conquer diabetes. Click here for a complete list of Joslin Affiliated Centers, or call 617-732-2400. For a complete list of current research studies at Joslin in Boston, visit our Web site at http://www.joslinresearch.org/PINET/ClinicalDetail.asp?clinicalSectionID=3, or call (617) 732-2400.
Donate to ResearchAnother very important way you can support our research efforts is by making donations to fund general research purposes or to support a particular area of research that interests you. This research report provides a wealth of information about the types of research conducted at Joslin. Each year, millions of dollars in charitable contributions help fund these research efforts. Without these donations, we could not conduct such wide-ranging scientific activities.
Charitable gifts can be made as outright contributions, or through gifts of stock or life insurance, or through planned gifts, such as leaving Joslin in your will or establishing a trust in which Joslin is a beneficiary. To make a gift to Joslin's research effort, or for more information about how to make a gift to the Center, please contact our Development Office at (617) 732-2412.
Research Training OpportunitiesJoslin Diabetes Center offers a wide range of research training opportunities for M.D.s and Ph.D.s. Applications for fellowships can be obtained directly by contacting each investigator, c/o Joslin Diabetes Center, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215.
About Joslin Research
Enhancing Multidisciplinary Research
Page last updated: October 28, 2016


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I would like to check basic thermal leaks of the house heating system (and perhaps the house thermal insulation as well). As the professional services or equipment (thermocamera) are very expensive, I would like to check if there is perhaps some DIY solution, e.g. using a digital camera, using IR webcam, using a thermometer or any other cheap or commonly used equipment.
If the tools are not something I already have at home, I am willing to pay at most USD 200 (EUR 150) for the required tools.
And as a bonus:
- what is the difference which makes the thermocamera so expensive (USD 6000 and more) compared to a webcam or a normal digital camera? Does it have some special properties, like broad input spectrum, or what?


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ROCKLEDGE, FL (September 3, 2013) – Health First is pleased to announce Gary Stubblefield as its new director of growth and development. Stubblefield will assist with the process of strategic planning and execution of programmatic development opportunities across the Health First system.
He most recently served as assistant administrator at Sebastian River Medical Center. Stubblefield also gained extensive hospital administrative leadership experience serving as assistant director-hospitals for Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, NY and as project manager of Queens-Long Island Medical Group.
Stubblefield earned his Bachelor of Music from Belmont University in Nashville, TN and is a classically trained vocal performer. He also attended La Scuola Lorenzo d'Medici in Florence, Italy with a concentration in Italian and International Business. He is currently enrolled in the Executive Distance Learning Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL and will earn his Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration in 2014.
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is a not-for-profit and is Central Florida's only fully integrated health system and employs more than 7,500 people and has four hospitals (including Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Hospital, Cape Canaveral Hospital and Viera Hospital). Health First Health Plans also offers a wide variety of health insurance plan options for Brevard and Indian River Counties. In addition, Health First is home to Brevard County's only Trauma Center. Health First Medical Group is the largest multi-specialty physician group on the Space Coast. Health First offers numerous outpatient and wellness services, including four Pro-Health and Fitness Centers. Visit www.Health-First.org for more information.


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At a time when India and Pakistan are looking at cementing trade ties through the Attari-Wagah land border, trade has taken a hit after huge quantities of heroin hidden inside cement bags were seized in Punjab.
No cement stocks have moved from Pakistan after over 105 kg of heroin, oneof the biggest hauls and worth Rs.525 crore (nearly 100 million USD) in the international market, was found being smuggled in cement bags imported from Pakistani manufacturers in October.
In just over three months (July-October), various agencies seized over 135 kg of heroin smuggled into India through Pakistani cement bags. The seizure is valued at over Rs.675 crore in the international market.
Following the seizures, exporters as well as importers are treading with caution until a mechanism is in place to curb the drug smuggling through consignment.
"We don't want to end up facing court cases. Moreover, we suffer losses as the stocks remain sealed after any drug seizure," a cement importer here, who did not wish to be identified, told IANS.
For the past three years, India has imported Pakistani cement in huge quantities owing to its rising demand in the infrastructure sector.
In October alone, Pakistan sent 1,329 railway wagons loaded with cement bags to India.
However, after the drug seizures, the number of cement wagons from Pakistan came down sharply to just 189 in November, said officials at Attari, about 30 km from here.
This has spelled trouble for Indian exporters as well, as they find it tough to send their goods to Pakistan since there are not enough wagons to carry them to that country.
Their goods are piling up at the border.
Indian exporters and traders recently met railway officials to request that more wagons be made available for export of their goods.
The trade of goods between India and Pakistan is also carried out on trucks.But the bulk of the goods are sent to either country in rail wagons.
"Importers in India are scared due to the drug seizures.
The Pakistani exporters and traders have stopped sending in cement following these developments," M.P. Singh Chatha, president of the cement importers' association, told IANS.
Indian traders feel the issue can be resolved if authorities in both countries can work out an arrangement by which smuggling of drugs, particularly heroin, is curbed.
"Traders are scared. The decline in export and import in recent days is unprecedented," Rajesh Setia, a leading importer and exporter, told IANS.
Officials agreed that India-Pakistan trade has been affected in recent days.
"There is a steep decline in trade. There is virtually no trade taking place through the goods trains," Vijay Bahadur Singh, a customs official here, said.
Punjab is a major destination and transit point for drug smuggling through the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route.
Various agencies, including the Border Security Force (BSF), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, customs and Punjab Police, seize hundreds of kilograms of heroin and other drugs along the international border annually.
This year, the BSF alone has seized over 250 kg of heroin along the border.


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Cards could take a look at complementary pieces
ST. LOUIS -- Baseball's Hot Stove season has ignited quicker than normal this winter, with teams not hesitant to start dealing and signing before baseball officials from all 30 clubs gather in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Monday.
The Cardinals have been no exception.
ST. LOUIS -- Baseball's Hot Stove season has ignited quicker than normal this winter, with teams not hesitant to start dealing and signing before baseball officials from all 30 clubs gather in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Monday.
The Cardinals have been no exception.
When general manager John Mozeliak and Co. gather in their suite next week, they'll find an offseason checklist that has already been substantially dented. The team's biggest need was addressed last week with the signing of shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Days before, the Cards acquired Peter Bourjos in a move designed to boost the team's speed and defense.
A team that won 97 games and the National League pennant in 2013 does not have any additional glaring holes with Spring Training now just a little more than two months away. It does not mean the Cardinals will necessarily be silent at the Winter Meetings. But they also will not arrive inclined to have to act.
As the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort prepares to be overrun by team personnel and media in a few days, here is a look at the Cardinals' position heading into the Winter Meetings:
Club needs
While the Cardinals have already upgraded in the areas the organization deemed most critical, their bench could still use some tweaking. It was an area of weakness last season, especially late in the year when Matt Adams was thrust into a starting role. Depending upon how all the pieces are put together in 2014, Adams could be starting at first base or back on the bench. If he's needed in a starting role, the bench would lack a legitimate power bat.
Mozeliak has noted an interest in creating a bit of spring competition for Kolten Wong, which could lead the Cardinals to add another middle infielder this winter. If so, it would likely be a right-handed hitter who could complement the left-handed-hitting Wong.
Who they can trade if necessary
By landing a shortstop via the free-agent market, the Cardinals were able to hold onto their surplus of pitching. The fact that they have more starting pitchers than rotation spots is seen as a luxury, not a conundrum. However, if the Cards wanted to make another impact trade, they would seemingly have the pitching to pull it off. Young pitchers like Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal have drawn interest by other clubs looking to upgrade. With no glaring needs remaining, the Cardinals would have to be overwhelmed by an offer to part with any of those arms.
Top prospects
Per MLB.com's most recent prospect rankings, the Cardinals' top 10 list includes: Oscar Taveras, Wong, John Gast, Tyrell Jenkins, Marco Gonzales, Carson Kelly, Stephen Piscotty, Rob Kaminsky, Charlie Tilson and James Ramsey.
The Cards have worked hard to stock their farm system with talent, and they reaped the benefits of that in 2013. The organization is not opposed to dealing prospects for an already established player, though with the team's primary offseason needs already addressed, it seems unlikely that the club would need to do so.
Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Thursday, the final day of the Winter Meetings. The Cardinals have openings on their 40-man roster, meaning that they will be eligible to make a selection in the Draft should they want to. However, the crop of Rule 5 Draft-eligible players will have already been picked through by the time the Cards get their chance. By virtue of having baseball's best record in 2013, the Cardinals have the final selection in each round of the Draft.
Since 1998, only three of St. Louis' Rule 5 Draft selections have stuck through a season. If a player does not remain on the team's 25-man roster for a full year, he must be offered back to his previous club for half of the $50,000 purchase price. The Cardinals did not make a selection in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft last year.
Big contracts they might unload
Payroll summary
With close to $50 million having already come off the Cardinals' payroll through offseason departures, the Redbirds find themselves in an ideal financial position. Peralta will add $15.5 million to the 2014 payroll. Adam Wainwright, Jason Motte and Jaime Garcia are in line for raises of at least $2 million. But with only three arbitration-eligible players to pay and the majority of the roster still having less than three years of service time, the Cardinals' projected payroll is currently well below the 2013 Opening Day total of $116 million.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB.


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Jon Stewart had a Mexican mariachi band welcome anti-illegal immigration critic Lou Dobbs on "The Daily Show" Wednesday, but later avoided a discussion of immigration policy when challenging the ex-CNN pundit's political positions.
In a nearly 21 minute interview posted in full on Comedy Central's website, the pair clashed on whether America could afford to make health reform a priority with double digit unemployment. Stewart said both were linked; Dobbs said jobs were more important.
They found common ground on the idea that opinions should have a place in news coverage.
"I do respect that your views -- however abhorrent and wrong -- have always been consistent," Stewart said.
Dobbs --who recently left CNN citing a change in "tone" since Obama's election -- revealed his most explicit description yet of the discussions with network execs that led to his exit.
"Jon Klein, president of CNN, told me point blank the network was going to move away from the advocacy journalism that I practice into something that he called middle-of-the-road-journalism," he said.
Stewart shot back: "He really said 'we're moving toward middle of the road journalism,' a flavorless gruel of journalism?"
|The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
|Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
|Exclusive - Lou Dobbs Extended Interview Pt. 1


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I'll be honest. Since reading The Driver and watching 32 Hours 7 Minutes (sorry Mr. Roy, had to see at least some footage of the run), I've been thinking of ways to beat Alex Roy and David Maher's record of crossing the country in 31 hours and 4 minutes. Which Ed Bolian broke last October. Naturally, this also involved thinking of vehicles currently on sale that could be used for the record. Which led to this list containing both serious thought and ridiculous pretensions.
Author's Note: Law enforcement agencies of America (and members of Team Polizei 144) please take notice. This list was written by a penniless unemployed millennial who had nothing better to do than think up lists like these. The only cars he has access to are a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T and a 1999 Honda Odyssey on its rebuilt second transmission. (His dad's E39 [not an M5] was off-limits.) Also, in no way does the author condone any attempts to set a new cross-country record. Actually, he will condemn the attempt, mainly because he wasn't invited to come along.
BMW 535d
Originally, the E350 Bluetec occupied this slot. But for 2014, Mercedes inexplicably stopped sending an E-Class diesel to the U.S. in favor of the E400 Hybrid. So BMW has swooped in and has given Americans a 5-Series diesel. I've never driven this car (probably because it's not quite available here yet), but it has serious potential to take down the record. As much as I loathe the current 5-Series driving feel and recommend the Lexus GS instead, I have to say it's a decent choice for quick coast-to-coast journeys. With a claimed 36 mpg on the highway and 0-60 in under 6 seconds, it'll be both fast and fuel efficient. It may be no E39 M5, but the 535d more than makes up for it with excellent range and fuel economy.
Porsche 991 Carrera S
I actually love the 997 GTS, either PDK or manual. But the current 991 is still fantastic to go cross-country in, and I'd never refuse the chance to drive it. Part of the reason why Roy did his cross-country run in the E39 M5 was because he loved it, and therefore enjoyed the 30 hours he was in the car. As small as the Porsche is compared to the rest of the cars on this list, I would have genuine pleasure just listening to that 3.8-liter flat-six droning on while crossing Oklahoma. A key problem is fitting a fuel cell and space for only one other person since the back seats are useless. It's also a reliable car if Porsche winning plenty of endurance races is any indication. (This may be some sort of fallacy.) Even the fuel economy is pretty good, due to the seventh gear. You need to have a machine you respect when trying to break an "unofficial" record, and the 991 fits that bill.
Honda Odyssey
It's no secret on Jalopnik I have a penchant for the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey is the ultimate family car with do-anything potential. Funnily enough, it's the only vehicle on this list apart from the BMW I've never driven (though I've driven the prior two generations). A 3.5-liter Honda V-6 can get the job done, though I wouldn't be sure about anything at speeds over 120 mph. Also, the fuel economy is acceptable. I would get the LX version (lightest though it doesn't have the six-speed transmission) and strip the inside accordingly for more weight savings and to accommodate the large fuel cell. A van like this can make up time saved from fuel stops and there is so much space that driver changes can be made while in motion (not that I would recommend it). I was also going to talk about Variable Cylinder Management, but then I realized it would be useless.
Ford Taurus SHO
One car being used by highway patrols at the moment had to be on this list for obvious reasons. So Motor Trend ended up doing a lot of the work for me on this one. It turned out the Charger hasn't been the most reliable of police cars while the Caprice can't be bought by civilians. (Don't worry; if the Crown Vic was still being made, it would occupy this space.) A black SHO with Performance Package can look something like a modern-day police car so people will get out of your way. Also, Ford has been constantly promoting the reliability of the Ecoboost and I'm inclined to believe them; otherwise, I'd be hearing plenty of criticism about the engines on Jalopnik (or TTAC). And a Volvo platform means AWD and that it can handle (somewhat).
Audi S8
This car is quick. Seriously quick. Like 0-60 mph in under four seconds quick. It'll eat up the highway at 150 mph. An S8 is super-light (for its size) and spacious, so a fuel cell is definitely an option for extending the range. The fuel economy is decent as well, and the MMI system is pretty good if I have to rely entirely on it. Also, it can comfortably fit a staff of people who work out fast routes on the go. I'd like to think Audi intended this car to be used for crossing countries quickly, because the car is very well-suited to that purpose. It is so quiet and blends in so naturally, that from a distance, some people will say it's an A4. And the S8 is a bargain compared to a Panamera Turbo. Drive an S8 if you possibly can. You'll know it's the perfect car to beat 31 hours and 4 minutes.
What five cars would you consider for a cross-country record run?
This post originally appeared on my Kinja blog BecauseCAR.
Cover photo courtesy of Autoblog. Rest of the photos are per the manufacturers.