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Tacoma Urbanist
Aug. 1, 2008 at 12:35am
Legendary T. Haggarty To Film Chalk Off *Slam* Today
Banner by Stowe
Today is Frost Park Chalk Off Friday noon at 9th and Pacific Avenue in Downtown Tacoma. Everyone is welcome to participate, eat lunch or just socialize.
Episode XVII: Week 17
Will Teddy Haggarty Film Frost Park Chalking Today?
RR Anderson's Message to Tacomas. Artists Especially:
Unique Selling Proposition (USP):
That's a gentleman's agreement
preventing any two companies from making the same product claim in an
advertisement. But the side effects of media campaigns are often elusive because
the people who see and hear these messages do not see and hear them in the same
context as the people who devised them. The audience responds to the message in
the context of their own lives and problems...
Friday, 12 Noon - 1PM
Larry Frost Memorial Park
9th & Commerce
STANDARD TIME TABLE for ARTISTS or SIMPLY ANYONE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE
...ONLINE VOTING BEGINS on feedtacoma.com
Corporate Sponsorship
Troy Wagner from Armstrong Roofing, his sod roof and his goat.
Chalk Challenge No.
17 is made possible through charitable donation
of $100 Coupon to Pacific Grill COURTESY OF TROY WAGNER OF
ARMSTRONG ROOFING! who is the BEST ROOFER IN TACOMA BY ANY STANDARD.
This man has built a garden oasis where a asphalt shingle roof ought to be. This
man is capturing 250 gallons of ILLICIT RAIN WATER AT THIS VERY SECOND with
LITTLE REGARD FOR HIS OWN REPUTATION! If you need a roofer, then this is the
man for you. I need to repair the roof on my shop. Now who do you think I'm
going to call now? Not those other roofing fools, no way.
Official Rules (for entertainment purposes only)
get pumped, visit FeedTacoma.com's TACOMA URBANIST.
PREVIOUS SIDEWALK CHALK CHAMPIONS (by
Andrea "LupinGoddess" Trenbeath Lowen
RR Anderson (Sponsored by Erik Bjornson Attorney at Law: Military Divorce Specialist)
Life of Elle (sponsored by Puget Sound Pizza)
- James Stowe (sponsored by EMBELLISH
Andrea "LupinGoddess" Trenbeath Lowen (sponsored by THE RED HOT)
- James Stowe (sponsored by BRICK & MORTAR
- RR Anderson (sponsored by CORINA BAKERY + BISTRO)
- Mr. Lance Kagey of Beautiful Angel
(sponsored by Hilltop Glass Artists, John Hathaway)
- James Stowe (sponsored by URBAN XCHANGE HIPSTER APPAREL )
Andrea "LupinGoddess" Trenbeath Lowen (sponsored by Jim McIntire's campaign for state treasurer )
- Dawn & Ariel (sponsored by buzzards cd's + Stadium Video )
- Andrea
"LupinGoddess" Trenbeath Lowen (sponsored by India
- Life of Ellle (The Lost Chalk Episode)
PAID Chalk Ringers Chelsey and Kelly (sponsored by Tacoma Art Place)
- Dawn (sponsored by The Helm Gallery)
- J. "The Prince of Chalk" Stowe (sponsored by Herban Cafe)
- your name here ??
Honorable Mention
- Dave L
- Laura Hanan
- Jeremy aka "The Garfield Kid"
- Dawn
- Mark Monlux
Rules for Chalk Art Contest:
Rules for Chalk Art Contest:
Feel free to post any pictures of the chalk art work below in this post or link to pictures or picture sets including close up shots that may make your favored piece look better or your opponents look worse.
Voting For Chalk Art Submissions (Revised)
Please vote for the chalk art entry you believe is the best in the comment section below. Explaining why you believe the piece is the best will add considerable context and meaning to your vote.
No doubt you will have friends and acquaintances who are in the contest. Do your best to be as objective as you can in your analysis of the chalk submissions which will strengthen the participatory voting system in place.
Frost Park Challengers are encouraged to vote as well for an additional perspective to the event.
Each person gets one vote. Votes will be accepted until midnight on Friday after which the winner will be declared. Votes will be accepted starting at 1:00 p.m.
Please use the word "vote" for easy reference to the chalk submission that you believe is the best.
Frost Park Chalk Off Scoreboard (Synopsis of Episodes I - XII)
Frost Park Chalk Off Rule Book
comments [78] | posted under tacomaComments
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 1:11am
|More playing cards by Stowe released.
Ok. I want the whole set now.
"Hologram Cosmonaut Stowe and his astronaut fat pants"
(babies love her, she is like baby crack)
by izenmania on 8/1/2008 @ 8:09am
|Something in the combination of the Red Dwarf reference and the tiny Adam shaking his fist from behind the moon makes that one awesome.
by jamesstoweart on 8/1/2008 @ 8:44am
|If it wasn't for a mutual love of Red Dwarf I don't think my wife and I would have ever been together. One of the Top Ten best shows ever.
Also, I told a few people that I was going to do another audience participation thing this week... but with the weather I don't think I am going to subject people to that. Instead I am going to do a quick retrospective...
A retrospective of what? You'll have to brave the drizzle to find out.
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 10:35am
|your space suit even has mark monlux style chalking knee padsI
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 11:49am
|Right now its completely dry downtown.
There look to be some people in red vests around Frost Park. Can't tell if they are with a film crew, the city or what.
by tacomachickadee on 8/1/2008 @ 1:41pm
|Sky was dry ... but not the grass. Why oh why did I kneel in the grass to chalk. Still soaked. :)
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 1:52pm
|Great to see Teddy Haggarty and his film crew at Frost Park today. They took a ton of footage and will apparently be putting it together for the Tacoma Film Festival. Can't wait to see it.
The chalking intensity at the main wall reached an all time high with spectators, chalkies and the film crew all in a pretty small space.
Here were some scenes:
Card trading:
More at:
by dawntown on 8/1/2008 @ 1:54pm
|Looks like Andrea and Stowe are the only chalkers we have. Hmm, funny...
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 2:09pm
|Here's some more:
Dawn again. Detail shot
Dawn in action:
Unknown Russell Investment chalk contestant:
Media Frenzy
Teddy making the film front and center of the chalking frey:
Here's Dave L. and Teddy's film crew:
Thanks Teddy for coming to Frost Park. We look forward to the film that is produced. Nice work Dave L. in letting Teddy know what was happening downtown.
I will post the chalk entries later tonight. I will let the pros post the first couple of sets.
by dawntown on 8/1/2008 @ 2:20pm
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 2:22pm
Voting continues until midnight tonight
All of the entries should be here:
Looks like Andrea and Stowe are the only chalkers we have. Hmm, funny...
Most of the pictures I posted were of Teddy and his crew and he did end up being on 9th most of the time. The chalk sets will come out later.
by MarkMonlux on 8/1/2008 @ 2:32pm
|As always it was a lot of fun participating in the Frost Park Chalk Challenge. I've been wanting to come down the last couple of weeks to get this design out of my head. It's just been sitting there saying draw me! Put me on pavement! If you do, you will win! And Stowe will make you a celebrity on one of his fantastic playing cards.
I'm just dying to be on one of his trading cards. So, when you see TIKI WATERS, vote for me! I do!
p.s. Stowe's work is excellent as always.
p.p.s. But still vote for me!
by jane on 8/1/2008 @ 2:57pm
|The tiki god is my favorite!!
by Lance Kagey on 8/1/2008 @ 3:17pm
|I VOTE FOR MARK MONLUX and his tiki fish flood.
Nice work Mark.
by D2 on 8/1/2008 @ 3:19pm
|Very Nicely done. Sharp detail for chalk, well thought out. Rich in color and details. I give this one a 9. I would have liked to see it bigger.
by intacoma on 8/1/2008 @ 3:54pm
|I vote for the penis party
by Adam the Alien on 8/1/2008 @ 3:55pm
|So, I only just realized I misspelled Haggarty. Wish someone had told me while I could have fixed it...
by intacoma on 8/1/2008 @ 4:01pm
|just go back and do the MS word red squiggles
by Darkain on 8/1/2008 @ 4:09pm
|Darkain's August 1st Photos
Some people also asked me about photos from previous meets. You can see all of the galleries from this page: Darkain.com/gallery/
by MarkMonlux on 8/1/2008 @ 4:26pm
|Nice photos Darkain.
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 4:33pm
|Wow. You have some nice ones in there Darkain!
by jamesstoweart on 8/1/2008 @ 4:42pm
I don't think anyone has posted a shot of that one yet... and it is really good.
I want to thank everyone that sat for me today and help we chalk. It was a lot of fun.
This week's voting is tough.
I am a sucker for zombie moobs... and Dawn knows it too.
But I am also a sucker for blatant self promotion and pleas for trading card immortalization.
Soooo torn.
I'll be back later to decide.
by scout on 8/1/2008 @ 5:34pm
|I'm torn - Gaucho, Zombie, and the Russell Investment Chalkie (RIC) newbie's baby are my favorites.
Is the Tacoma connection still an element of the competition? Assuming yes, I must choose Gaucho. Not only because of the Tacoma connection, but because of its unnerving ferocity. I want some!
Zombie is a close second 'cause it kinda looks like me naked.
And RIC's baby is a sentimental favorite because it is done by an emerging artist who had the guts to step up and participate in the nascent Tacoma art scene. Expect more from this exciting new talent!
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 5:38pm
|Adam the alien with the film maker discovery piece,
dawn of the dead..
Stowe with the amazing idea of chalk portrait caricaturist all highly interesting pieces.
I vote for MARK MONLUX ! The barfing salmon tiki !
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 5:59pm
by Mandiferous on 8/1/2008 @ 6:02pm
|Gah! I hate missing Fridays in the park! Stupid far away mechanic.
Gonna have to vote for Monlux. I was missing his tikis in the worst way.
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 6:04pm
|hurray for MARK MONLUX the man in yellow!
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 6:05pm
|they say yellow is a power color
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 6:07pm
|even so if you zoom in on those pics of my wife scoping out the dawn's zombie piece you can see her look of disgust. It's cute!
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 6:14pm
|Thanks RR or posting the first full photo set and you were not even there.
I am glad to hear that Andrea was finally able to go to El Gauchos, live it up, and use her winning certificates from an earlier Frost Park Episode and from her victory in Out in the Park. The spoils of victory.
Thanks Stowe for making all of the portraits. What fun. I am glad I sat down for one.
No doubt the El Gaucho piece is going to be used for something in the future. Looks like a great new brand campaign for them. Perhaps they will use it for the front of their menus like Pink Cookie Lady.
Dawn's zombie is cool and is topped off well with the list.
I can't say I am a big Tiki fan. But this Tiki is about the best ever.
by KevinFreitas on 8/1/2008 @ 6:19pm
|Here's my set of pics from the day:
Water on Mars by Kevin & Sarah
Baby Flower by Tyme
by Tacoma Chickadee
by Stowe
by Lance
by Andrea
by Mark
by Adam
by Dawn
Now to figure out my vote...
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 6:27pm
|Great photos Kevin.
I love this one which really captures the drama of the chalking, film, and spectator scene today:
by pietogo on 8/1/2008 @ 6:33pm
|I loved Lance Kagey's mystery man, it is so colorful. But I have to say Mark Monlux's Tiki Fish Flood is stupendous.
I vote for Mark. Beeee-autiful.
by Lance Kagey on 8/1/2008 @ 6:43pm
|It looks like Mark is heading for a landslide..
I vote for Mark...oh wait, I already voted for Mark. Well make sure you count my vote.
by Lance Kagey on 8/1/2008 @ 6:44pm
by MarkMonlux on 8/1/2008 @ 6:52pm
|Woo Hoo!
by KevinFreitas on 8/1/2008 @ 6:54pm
|Anyone else see this in this week's Volcano? Complete garbage.
by WaywardScooterGirl on 8/1/2008 @ 7:50pm
|The Volcano's piece on Frost Park flat out pissed me off! What drivel...Are there EVER any Volcano representative's at Frost Park Chalk Off? Somehow they've completely missed the intent.
I'd vote for myself, but someone called my piece a penis party... :-(
My vote's gotta go for the Tiki...love the salmon.
by jenyum on 8/1/2008 @ 7:57pm
|The Volcano thing.
Yeah, I'm pissed.
Anyway, I vote for Dawn because hey, zombies! Actually, it's awesome and it really pops on film, but I don't have a pic because I just sent it to......the Volcano.
I'm going out, now.
Honorable mention to Joseph, the newcomer of giant pink baby fame. I'm kind of afraid it's going to eat me, but it was a pretty cool accomplishment for having just stumbled on the event and decided to start drawing.
by ALT on 8/1/2008 @ 8:05pm
|I vote for Marky Mark and his Funky Fish. Supreme color saturation and great movement!
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 8:21pm
|yes. yes. vote for Mark! The Man in the Yellow Hat!
by dawntown on 8/1/2008 @ 8:25pm
|Ha, if Ms. Darcy was disgusted with it, then it worked! That was my first zombie EVER! And my first vote from Tacomama, too. I couldn't have done it without the help from all of my zombie afficionado friends.
BTW, Maximillian said he LOVED it. At least that's what he told me.
Hey Chickadee, I didn't know you did the garden thing! I loved that one. I almost did a tribute piece to the 6th ave Farmers Market. Im glad to see you do a full on piece.
Hmm, who to vote for????
by scout on 8/1/2008 @ 8:43pm
|Thanks Kevin for taking issue with the Volcano's misrepresentation of how the Chalk Offs came to be and what the event brings to Frost Park every week - to speak of this Tacoma centric, positive, self-sustaining, and community affirming event as anything other than positive is a failed attemp at self promotion.
Good job challenging this self-serving and sardonic editorial.
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 8:47pm
yeah Ms. Darcy is freaked out by anything zombie related. She also had a hard time with stowe's art door
My mom said she LOVES your zombie however.
(Maximilian was in a milk fueled coma the whole time)
by jamesstoweart on 8/1/2008 @ 8:56pm
|I am also extremely freaked out by anything zombie related. I think that is why they invade my work as often as they do. And as awesome as Dawn's first attempt at zombie love is... and I've thought long and hard about it... it all come down to the fact that Mark Monlux has always been the greatest illustrator in the universe of Tacoma. Who am I not to acknowledge that fact. So for this tiki and all the wonderful tiki that have come before it here in Frost Park and more than likely throughout Mark's esteemed portfolio... my humble vote goes to him.
For me he is certainly one of the greatest illustrators in the universe... Tacoma or otherwise. I'll be happy to draw his card. That's enough Monlux manlove... there are other people waiting to vote.
by jamesstoweart on 8/1/2008 @ 8:58pm
|Also, I wish I had a chance to talk with Teddy Haggarty today. I should have made him sit down in my shabby portrait chair. Next time.
by ensie on 8/1/2008 @ 9:04pm
|I loved being part of Stowe's portraits today. Very fun. As usual, great stuff all over the park.
Gotta go with Mark's excellent work this week. Lovin' the Tiki!
I really dislike the Volcano. Every time I see something awful they've written, they manage to top it with something worse.
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 9:07pm
long live ivan!
by Frinklin on 8/1/2008 @ 9:14pm
|Let's see... my wife is one of Stowe's subjects, so I think I'm pretty much locked in there.
by KevinFreitas on 8/1/2008 @ 9:21pm
|I'd vote for my own "Water on Mars" tribute to, well, finding water on Mars, but I gotta go Dawn today. Stowe's portraits were super fun and it was awesome to see Mark back in the mix. I totally dug the Red Hot hearts too. However, with Dawn as my mentor from last week was a great teacher then and this week with her zombie drawing how-to.
Cheers to everyone! So who thinked they sounded the worst on camera today? I'm pretty sure I could win a prize for that. ;)
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 9:38pm
|what was the story behind lance's piece ? was that a portrait of teddy?
by KevinFreitas on 8/1/2008 @ 9:43pm
|He wouldn't tell me when I asked. Probably just trying to be nice since I hadn't a clue who it was. Looks great tho! Took a page from your chalk portrait style of late, RR.
Episode 11
Episode 10
Lance's work for Episode 17
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 9:52pm
|If I put on my art columnist hat I'd venture to guess that Lance was paying tribute to a Teddy H. style sketch...
by NineInchNachos on 8/1/2008 @ 9:54pm
|Fill us in Lance! You cant be all mysterious
by dawntown on 8/1/2008 @ 9:55pm
|I first thought it was a young warhol, but now that you say, that's a Teddy. It even looks like his style. Copying the masters, huh Lance.
Ok, so was there a second place? If so, can the prize be a picnic on the Armstrong garden roof (with goat)? I can see the photos now...
If so, I vote for me. If not, I vote for Adam's jealous Alien.."Who's this dude sniffin' around my territory". It's alright, man, back down.
by Courtney on 8/1/2008 @ 10:28pm
|I'm going with Mark. Loved his piece! Sto had some other esoteric symbol on his forehead in his trading card but I was really happy to see that he changed it to the Red Dwarf reference.
by Adam the Alien on 8/1/2008 @ 10:56pm
|My vote goes to Dawn, who not only produced a piece both kickass and amusing...but also didn't limit herself to the vertical space she started on. I always love seeing pieces that ignore the apparent borders of their given space.
Also, I still have kneepads from many weeks back that no one has claimed...and today I picked up a child's jacket that was left behind amidst the chalk dust. Let me know if you're missing stuff, folks, I don't want to keep these things.
Side note: people sitting around the foliage raised into the air and contained by our vertical drawing spaces, please double-check your space before you leave. That area has become a magnet for leaving stuff behind, especially litter. I once left the park and got half a block away before realizing I didn't have my shoulder bag because I'd left it in that area. So I know how easy it is to set something down there and forget about it (especially since, once you leave the part by the grass to view the drawings, it can be above eye level). But that just means we all need to remember extra hard to double-check after being near there. Slightly-to-drastically raised as it is (depending on where exactly you're standing), and containing bushes that like to hide things, it's just too easy a spot to forget about and lose too many things.
by Dianne on 8/1/2008 @ 10:59pm
|I vote for Dawn's zombie.
by jamesstoweart on 8/1/2008 @ 11:02pm
|"Is it a red and black boy's jacket?" Asks a distracted father of a budding artist who is hoping his wife won't see this.
by tacomachickadee on 8/1/2008 @ 11:17pm
|Dawntown: Yes, I'm pretty involved in the gardens, and local food, and ... well, and today at Frost Park I was fresh from a meeting where we were planning the Aug. 23 Tacoma Community Garden Tour. And since I haven't apparently figured out how to make type photographable, I repeat: Save the date ... the 2nd annual Tacoma Community Garden Tour will be Aug. 23 ... and maps will be available at the Proctor Farmers Market that morning, and eventually available from one of my blog homes: www.growlocaltacoma.com.
Back to business ... I had fun participating today, as after a couple half-hearted child-distracted non-artist attempts, I've learned even a little black can mean the difference between complete crap and OK sketching. (Thanks to tacomamama for snagging me some charcoal!) But apparently I'm still learning how to make writing show up on camera. Every picture I look at is painful, because while I'm proud of the actual drawing side of it ... there appears to be this big blank space in the middle where my message is supposed to be!
*head smack*
I'm learning.
In the end, I vote for Mark.
While the Tiki That Pukes Salmon disgusts me in part, it tied in well with my morning WTF??!?!? of seeing dozens of boats oddly congregated at the mouth of Commencement Bay this morning. As I drove down N. 36th or 37th toward the water, there were all these odd dots on the water that aren't normally there. I was wondering if we had a massive whale or orca misdirect at first. But I quickly realized: they were all boats. And they were all fishing. Apparently it was opening day for fishing Commencement Bay. Amid the pouring rain, people were getting their fish on.
Oh, and Mark just rocks, so he definitely deserves it. I think the spirits were calling him this week ...
by Adam the Alien on 8/1/2008 @ 11:21pm
|"Is it a red and black boy's jacket?" Asks a distracted father of a budding artist who is hoping his wife won't see this.
Yes it is, and it was near your drawing space.
by AngelaJossy on 8/1/2008 @ 11:35pm
|Damn. I coulda had a Stowe portrait if only I'd stopped by the park today! Dagnabit.
My vote is for Andrea this week because her fantastic El Gaucho man kinda reminded me of Antonio Banderas in Zorro and since Latino Festival is happening this weekend, sexy Latin men are on my mind.
by tacomachickadee on 8/1/2008 @ 11:46pm
|Oh! And a total shout-out to the newbie! The Russell guy, Joseph/Tyme, did a kick-butt job with the baby-emerging from rose in nearly one color. He's a newbie who tripped upon the gathering and jumped in ... and I overheard him saying he was eager to bring his kids down for a future chalk-off. Which makes me happy, since that's of course what I do ... drag the kids down on (most) Fridays. (Not this one, obviously ... they were running around with the grandparents today.)
by Erik on 8/1/2008 @ 11:55pm
|I vote for Mark Monlux. He outperformed today. His fish and Tiki of blew out the park.
He also explained in some detail why he wears yellow shirts. He apparently has a great many of them.
"Branding" theories in action I guess.
The Russell guy, Joseph/Tyme, did a kick-butt job with the baby-emerging from rose in nearly one color.
Yeah he was good. Looking forward to his future entries.
by Erik on 8/2/2008 @ 12:20am
|Went for drinks tonight with "Mr. Streetcar." I peered into the darkness at El Gaucho and made out a poster reminiscent of Lupin's submission today:
by tacomachickadee on 8/2/2008 @ 12:36am
|Me thinks Mark won ...?
by Erik on 8/2/2008 @ 12:53am
|What a great day.
Teddy Haggarty and his film crew were great professionals and real characters. I am looking forward to the film on Frost Park.
Haggarty took so much footage, I have no idea how the film will turn out. Yet, it was nice to see Teddy have so much enthusiasm for Frost Park Chalk offs. He loved the scene and we were able to see him describe what Frost Park seemed to be for him.
The chalking scene was more intense than ever down at the corner of 9th and Pacific, yet the top entries ended up coming from up the hill and down Pacific from Mark and Dawn.
Stowe's portrait work really brought a great interaction between the crowd and the artists. One of the best ideas to be had at Frost Park.
Here's some shots of four different people sitting in Stowe's portrait chair:
(Last picture by Kevin)
Voting Tally
A total of 22 votes
Mark Monlux......14
Adam................ 1
Congratulations Mark Monlux!!!!
Mark Monlux has submitted one submission after another in Frost Park. Despite having not won until today, he always seemed to have a great time and he has now established himself in the winners circle.
As one can see from his web site, he is an established professional..
Mark wins $100 gift certificate at Pacific Grill.
Future Sponsor
Today was nice in that a future sponsor came up to me with a gift certificate, introduced herself and lined herself completely up for next week. I took a simple photo of her and now she is in the que.
by Erik on 8/2/2008 @ 1:28am
|Check out Mark's comics:
Mark Monlux is an award winning freelance illustrator veteran. His client's include Microsoft, Workman Publishing, Eating Well Magazine, Sunterra and a host of independent and agency design groups. While imaginative cartoons have a look and feel of their own, it's Mark's ability to quickly invent iconic imagery from vague concepts makes him a valuable resource.
Hi is ideal for situations where ideas have to be created on the fly, such as storyboard, research and development, and innovation sessions. He loves his work and is proud of what he has contributed to the marketplace during his long career.
There is a lot to know about Mark Monlux. He has published a ton:
Mark Monlux's Summary
Award Winning Freelance Illustrator and Cartoonist with a 20 year track record. www.markmonlux.com:
My training in Graphic Art occurred before the advent of computers and desktop publishing. This has proven beneficial as my knowledge of pre-press productions, and press capability is more extensive than many current entries into the design field.
Book Chapter Header, Editorial and Icons:
Titles from Microsoft Press: Running Microsoft Works 3, Microsoft PowerPoint 4, Microsoft Windows NT, Running Microsoft Word 6, Microsoft MS-DOS 6, Microsoft Excel 5, Code Complete, Rapid Development Microsoft Bookshelf Internet Directory.
Magazine and Newsletter Covers, Editorial, and Icons:
Well Magazine, Canoe Magazine, Computer User Magazine, Seattle Seafood Magazine, ACT Theater Magazine, Promise Keepers, Iconoclast Magazine, Bellevue Athletic Club Selections Magazine, Microsoft Mindshare Newsletter and Bingo Bugle Newspaper.
Television and Radio:
KOMO, KIRO, KING Channel 13
by NineInchNachos on 8/2/2008 @ 8:17am
|hurrah! a Mark Monlux trading card by stowe!
by dawntown on 8/2/2008 @ 8:25am
|Kick-tiki-butt stuff, Monlux, My Light in a Yellow Hat (light house?). Im glad you were finally able to get that idea to pavement. And what a great one it was! Welcome back, too
Darkain: Those are some super vivid pictures, man. I send a big thank you from all of us that attempt this chalking thing every Friday. Your pictures really make our work "pop".
Kevin: I thought I saw an alien on your Mars Landscape, you sneaky devil! See ya laters...
Tyme: COME BACK!!!! I can't wait to see what you do next week...If you need chalk, Target has a big box of different colors for like $6, if you are looking for some intense colors, Micheals has a good set for $5. And cowboy charcoal is a must; $5 at Home Depot, but there is always a few bags hanging around the park.
by MarkMonlux on 8/2/2008 @ 11:44am
|Wow! I get to take my wife out to dinner. I'm so happy. Thanks for all the great postings. Eric is right. I do have a lot of yellow shirts. But, my hawaiian shirt collections is far larger. It was warm yesterday. I should have worn one. If you would like to see my daily, weekly cartoons along with other doodles, you can check out my blog at www.markmonlux.blogspot.com
Thanks for voting for me! Woo Hoo!
by Lance Kagey on 8/2/2008 @ 9:35pm
and yes, I can be mysterious
by Dave_L on 8/4/2008 @ 12:35pm
|Just an update, I received a call this morning from Randy Sparks, the filmmaker who was heading up the filming of last week's Chalk Challenge with Teddy. He said he was just putting the finishing touches on the editing, credits, etc., and he easily had enough to produce a 45-minute documentary. But Randy was able to piece together a film for the Tacoma Film Festival 5-minute category that flows very well and does a good job of representing this community event. He used some stills from on-line, and those sources will be in the credits. Randy was under a serious time-crunch as the deadline is today, but he's pretty confident this film has a good chance of being selected for the festival. And if it does, he hopes we all attend the showing. Whenever he hears the results of the selection process, he will let us know. Regardless, there will be copies of the film for those who contributed and participated. (You're alright, for a Clover Park grad, Randy!)
by Erik on 8/4/2008 @ 1:24pm
|But Randy was able to piece together a film for the Tacoma Film Festival 5-minute category that flows very well and does a good job of representing this community event. He used some stills from on-line, and those sources will be in the credits. Randy was under a serious time-crunch as the deadline is today, but he's pretty confident this film has a good chance of being selected for the festival.
by dawntown on 8/4/2008 @ 2:17pm
|can't get to the site no more :(
by Dave_L on 8/4/2008 @ 2:52pm
|Oh, the link I attempted to cut-and-paste above was just for Randy Saprks' myspace page, because I thought you might like to read his bio. But I guess it doesn't let you do that.
by Erik on 8/4/2008 @ 4:42pm
|Tiki loves Pink Cookie Lady:
by Erik on 8/16/2008 @ 12:54am
|Mark Monlux collects his prize ($100 at Pacific Grill) for prevailing in Episode XVII
A ongoing conversation to make Tacoma a better to live and work through better urban design.
See my downtown Tacoma and neighborhood pictures of coffee, food, people, art, urban blight and Frost Park Chalk Off events.
Watch Mayor Marilyn Strickland deliver Tacoma's first State of the City Address.


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Heart of Thorns
by DR Harris
Slab-made, hand painted, highest quality porcelain, 2016. 9.5″W X 25″H. Fired twice at cone 12. A maquette for a 25-foot aluminum painted sculpture.
In the late 60's, I lived on West 71st Street in Manhattan and borrowed books from a store. It was a stationary/news store. In the back of the store were books for purchase and a big section of books available to borrow. It was located on West 72nd Street between West End and Broadway, next to where I had my shirts laundered. There was a five-dollar membership fee. Books were free for three days and ten cents a week afterward.
The yellow taxi pulled up to 5555 Palm Avenue. A tall, slender woman dressed in a mauve Chanel suit exited the cab and walked into the building. Her heels made staccato clacks as she hurried across the terrazzo lobby floor to the elevator.
Maureen E. Mulvihill, August 2016, Sarasota, FL

subset: commoncrawl


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As new fiber networks either replace legacy copper or are being laid for the first time, OTT in LATAM looks to be entering a period of rapid and sustained expansion.
Often unfairly overshadowed by its neighbour to the North, Latin America is a huge market for the video industry in itself, with a population of around 639 million. Decades of relative political stability have led to sustained economic growth and infrastructure investment, and have seen its GDP rise almost 4x over the past quarter of a century.
This is making it increasingly fertile ground for OTT services. According to Digital TV Research's latest report on the region, Latin America OTT TV & Video Forecasts, OTT revenues are planned to grow an impressive 160% over the course of the six years from 2017, reaching a total of $6.43 billion by 2023.
SVOD is the main driver here, accounting for close to two-thirds of that total. This is due to a rapid expansion of the subscriber base, which will more than double to reach 48.24 million viewers by the same period.
OTT delivery across LATAM
It is, of course, not an even picture. The five largest economies across LATAM will contribute over 80% of the revenues, though this is a reflection perhaps more of the varied population sizes in the region than anything to do with economic disparities (though these do exist).
Recently it has been increasingly targeted by the large North American SVOD services, though Netflix is finding that it has not got the market all its own way. Indeed, Digital TV Research sees its market share falling even as overall subscriber numbers increase, accounting for around half the region's paying subscribers by 2023, down from a two-thirds peak share in 2017.
So, where are the opportunities in the region? What factors are driving the markets across LATAM forward, and what challenges does it still face? Can it overcome a frustrating history of poor broadband provision? We sat down for a quick chat with our VP Sales & Business Development, Americas , Carlos Ramos, to find out.
Fireside Chat: Carlos Ramos
Q: What are the main trends in the LATAM market at the moment? Is cord-cutting as much of an issue there as it is in North America?
A: There are currently a lot of ISPs all across the region that are installing fiber. In some countries this activity is being subsidised by the government, in others it is private industry, but the ambition is always the same — to improve broadband services that are no longer up to the task. And there is a definite trend for all these ISPs to also offer TV services through the same fiber connection; the smaller ISPs need to compete with the large telcos offering a triple-play and so they need to offer Pay-TV services on top of the internet connection.
Cord cutting? Netflix, Roku and Hulu are trying to make a big splash in markets like Brazil, but I don't feel that cord cutting is a trend here yet. OTT delivery is being seen as a complementary rather than a competing service.
Q: LATAM is a huge area. How big are the regional variations between countries?
A: It is quite fragmented. In some countries there are more and more ISPs setting up in individual cities and towns, in other countries it is a case of big telcos trying to migrate from legacy technology to the next generation of equipment.
One thing that is common across all countries is that it is these small ISPs that are laying fiber: that is happening all over Latin America. They may go from 15,000 households to 50,000 or 60,000 in their home towns or cities. And they're all looking for Pay-TV distribution.
Q: What are the main current challenges in the LATAM market? What factors make it unique?
A: One of the big differentiators in the region is that there are a lot of new licenses currently being granted. In Colombia, for instance, the authorities are issuing new Pay-TV licenses and there are a lot of small ISPs that will be acquiring these to compete with the big, incumbent telcos. There will be a lot of competition as a result. In Chile, by contrast, there is a lot of new fiber being laid as a replacement for legacy technology.
Companies are looking at establishing broadband internet services and they are bundling the TV services with the internet, partly as a way of upselling households on higher speed connectivity.
Q: Any current key events having an impact on the market?
A: Roku entering the market in particular could be disruptive. But Netflix, Amazon, Hulu… all the established players in Latin America are trying to build a relationship with these companies. The big telcos in particular know that if they don't embrace multiscreen offerings they will be left out of the market.
Q: How much of an issue is content piracy?
A: Piracy is a big issue, and always has been. This is especially true now as sports are increasingly going OTT, and the pirates are following by setting up illegal live streaming websites. Data presented at the Sports Anti-Piracy Summit in Mexico City in February suggested there are 400 million users accessing illegal content in LATAM , and there are over 300 illegal apps and 500 Spanish-language websites hosting illegal content.
Q: What are the immediate prospects for the LATAM market?
A: I am pretty optimistic about LATAM, mainly because of the proliferation of new fiber connections in the region. Everyone is trying to offer Pay-TV and we are seeing a lot of interest in VO's products and services as a result. There is a lot of interest in CMAF as well, and that is a technology that could open up OTT delivery as a viable option to many more content providers, especially given its ability to offer sports and other live content at very low latency. New protocols involving that and the fiber that is being laid throughout the region, are the perfect components for change.
Q: What do you think the LATAM video industry will look like in five years' time?
A: I think we will have seen a full replacement of the current broadcast services. The set-top boxes currently in the market will be replaced by OTT specific set-top boxes, most of which will be based on Android TV. All legacy broadcast boxes will disappear. It will be a very different industry.


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text: Teens age 12 to 18 can create a working catapult at the Moline Public Library on Monday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. Materials will be provided and there will be a contest for the most accurate contraption. This program is free, but registration is required. Call 309-524-2470 to sign up. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 .


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The Website is intended to provide information on the activities, trades, product lines and achievements of the company Miroiterie GRAV'OR.
The director of the publication is Mrs. Isabelle RATISKOL and the editor, Mr. Mathieu MAUGIN.
The host of the Website is the company OVH, 2 rue Kellermann 59100 Roubaix – France.
All the photographs were made by the studio 1915 Homeprod and Grav'or.
The personal data collected on the website of GRAV'OR are intended to improve the quality of services and / or to better meet the expectations of the user. They are intended for use by GRAV'OR and are likely to be processed by service providers acting on behalf of GRAV'OR.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act of 06/01/1978, you have a right to access, rectify and delete data concerning you and opposition to their treatment. If you wish to exercise it, you can write to:
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In accordance with the provisions of Law No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978 relating to data, files and freedoms, the present site has been the subject of a declaration to the CNIL (Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté) under the number (waiting for the receipt of the N °).


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The advantages of avoiding a hysterectomy
If you want to have children, then the prospect of a hysterectomy can be devastating, but even if your child baring days are done, there are advantages to avoiding this highly invasive surgery.
One of the primary advantages of the prolapse treatment provided by Mr Jonathan Broome (Consultant Gynaecologist at The Pelvic Clinic) is that the sacrohysteropexy procedure he uses repositions the uterus, removing the need for a hysterectomy.
With a 100% success rate, this means there are well in excess of 1000 women in the UK who avoided a hysterectomy, but why is that significant if you're not planning on more children?
After caesarean sections, hysterectomies are the most commonly performed surgeries for women. In some cases, they are entirely necessary and can save lives, and improve health and wellbeing.
Clearly a hysterectomy is a major operation with increased risks, more possible side-effects and a longer recovery time. It can leaves a considerable external scar (if you opt for open surgery)and can have an impact on other bodily functions such as bladder and intestinal changes.
Some women experience a sense of loss when they have their uterus removed, feeling as if they have lost part of what makes them, a "woman". This – and a general fragile feeling after the surgery – can impact negatively on libido.
Sometimes the emotional impact of a hysterectomy will linger long after physical recovery. Side-effects can include depression and insomnia.
Also, surgically induced menopause can be a tough time for some women, and the preference is to let nature – and your own individual hormones – bring about changes gradually.
It is important to note that there are myths about hysterectomies that should not influence you when weighing up the pros and cons. Depression and "forced" menopause is not automatic and many women avoid both. There is no evidence to suggest you will gain weight or grow facial hair either.
What is for certain, is that the sacrohysteropexy procedure used by The Pelvic Clinic gives you more choice, and avoids irreversible and major changes to your body. Recovery time is quicker and you will be able to enjoy welcome comfort and sense of wellbeing from ending your uterus problems, with less side-effects to hold you back.
It's your body, and you should be able to control what happens.
Contacts us today to discuss your options.


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Posted February 01, 2018
by Anna Teehan
In 2018, the food insecurity crisis that is impacting millions of people in parts of Africa is expected to continue. Learn what is happening, who is being affected, and what is being done to help.
Posted February 21, 2013
by Red Cross Talks
- Red Cross blogger
I have been in the North of Senegal over the past couple of days to meet with families who have benefitted from Red Cross assistance in response to the food security crisis. This region of Senegal was affected by the 2011 drought that continued ...
Posted February 18, 2013
by Red Cross Talks
- Red Cross blogger
I have just returned from The Gambia where we visited four community gardens in North Bank and Lower River Region. These women-run community vegetable gardens, supported by the Red Cross and the Government of Canada, allow families affected by t...
Posted November 22, 2012
by Gina Holmes
- Global reporter
The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
Kenya: A year has passed since the Kenyans for Kenya Drought Initiative began and one of the areas, Walda Location in Sololo District,...
Posted August 01, 2012
by Red Cross Talks
- Red Cross blogger
The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
PARAGUAY: A variety of traditional Paraguayan handicrafts created by women prisoners of the Good Shepherd have been displayed during Expo-2...
Posted November 04, 2011
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*Every Friday is all about food on Red Cross Talks – everything from Red Cross inspired recipes to emergency food tips and solutions.Happy Food Friday! The inspiration for this week's post is courtesy of our friends at the British Red Cross who recen...
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Wed, 1 February 2012
Daniel and Paul bring you another Five Senses of Disneyland segment. This time it's Tomorrowland! We also visit the Main Street Newsstand and Tommy brings us our Tip of the Week. We would also like to thank our very first sponsor, Know the Mouse!
There were 17,300 registered runners over the entire weekend; 12,000 of which ran in Sunday's half marathon. The race was targeted, but not limited to, women and the numbers certainly reflected it. Of the 12,000 runners, 11,082 of them were women! The Disneyland Resort traditionally holds a half marathon in the late summer but the addition of this new winter half marathon takes advantage of a traditionally slower time at the resort. The result is an influx in tourism dollars to the resort area and hotels to the tune of an estimated $14 million dollars!
Disneyland is updating 'The Magic, The Memories & You' projection show for Valentine's Day. New version starts feb 1st. and runs through april.
"One of my favorite moments comes when the king and queen from "Tangled" appear on a balcony, lifting a single lantern to the sky for their missing daughter. It's soon joined by hundreds of others, creating a magical sight sure to draw "oohs" and "ahhs" from the crowd. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it! Of course, the most heart-warming part of any segment of "The Magic, The Memories and You!" is the images of our guests, captured by Disney PhotoPass photographers during the day and incorporated into the show each night. "
The Matterhorn continues to disappear behind scaffolding as its six-month refurbishment gets underway. In fact I saw some reports that the interior of the queue has been demolished. The roof remains however.
Haunted Mansion has reopened as It's a Small World closes.
Disneyland celebrated the Lunar New Year over the past few weeks. This year this did it in the Small World Mall. Last year it was part of the Family Fun Weekends. They added some decorations and food items as well. They have a Mulan and Mushu meet and greet. As well as some other Disney characters in Asian garb.
Getting ready fro Mardi Gras
There is a new video inside the waiting area for The Enchanted Tiki Room. I actually haven't watched the video in years. But I remember it being all 70's. It's still a video that's about Dole but from what I hear it's kinda bad.
Tom Cruise Visits DL
In Carlsland a new sign popped up to the right of the courthouse that says, "FastPass Distribution" so it's safe to say the RRR will have fastpass!
They also started playing around with the neon lighting over at Carsland as well as lighting the Cadillac Range. It has sort of a purpleish look to them.
I must admit seeing the photos I'm a little concerned. My first knee-jerk reaction is that the main drag looks very busy. There is this row of streetlights and it looks... busy. Maybe too much. Hard to tell.
Something I didn't notice last week was that Red Wood Creek Challenge Trail is closed. Looks like the are referbing in and it is set to reopen in March.
5 Senses of Disneyland - Tomorrowland
Tip of the Week
Downtown Disney District
Daily Events - Live Outdoor Entertainment every night 6 - 10pm
La Brea Bakery
3 hours of parking free - up to 5 hours with validation
Bonus Tip: Text DTDNOW to DPARK (37275) to get information on events and special offers.
Do you really know your Disneyland Trivia? Try this amazing app for your ipad, iPhone, or iPod Touch that features tons of questions, beautiful graphics and Game Center Integration. Take your knowledge of Disneyland to new levels with Know the Mouse. Now available in the App Store.
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With a natal Mars in Aquarius, this winter Air sign will give to the individual a strong urge for freedom, and will create a personality that fights for social rights. The fiery traits of Mars do not find real problems operating in Aquarius, a liberating sign that allows rapid decisions and movements. Mars is known to have very dynamic attributes, while Aquarius is known as a rather extrovert and even eccentric sign; the result of this mixture is a wild and progressive spirit, always on the move and with a thirst for pioneering actions.
Mars is generally governing activity and our drive, what we fight for and what we conquer too. The red planet rules our actions and where we place our energy to receive results, yet also can show life areas where fighting for our goals receives resistance from other people (or life itself). Naturally, this planet is also connected to any types of violence and anger, as it is rather abrupt, impatient and explosive. Since the ancient times, the fiery planet has taken the name of the Greek god of war, Ares, and his Roman equivalent Mars. His energy is extremely masculine, symbolizing (together of course with the Sun, one side of the Sun-Moon dual axis) the archetype of the male. His opposite counterpart is of course Venus, creating with him the Mars/Venus axis as another archetypical Yin/Yang. An interesting fact is that even the ancient ones were being careful while handling the powers that god Ares (Mars) represented. There were very few temples of Ares, compared to all the other gods of the Greek Pantheon, and they were not invoking him. Of course, he was naturally receiving his share of respect, yet without specialized priests and cults of worshippers – as war and violence was always undesired. By analyzing this through a psychological filter, the sole fact of not making a lot of festivities in his name made him difficult to reach in the subconscious and unconscious of the masses and individuals. This way, he was in a rather idle mode, being invoked only when war had already erupted in order to raise the spirits and create a holy frenzy to the warriors.
In the sign of Aquarius, Mars is in peregrine condition. Peregrine is a rather neutral condition, where a celestial body does not function very potently (as it does when in domicile or in exaltation), nor is very weak (as it does when in detriment or fall). Yet, we can mention that Mars placed here does not feel restricted and suppressed – which is what he cannot easily stand. On the contrary, Aquarius grants him the ability to act upon will. This freedom may eventually make the chart bearer have a rather weird character, as he tends to develop unusual patterns of actions which eventually blend with his cosmotheory and become a stable – and vital – part of his existence. Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, and has Uranus as his ruling celestial body. Before the discovery of Uranus, planet Saturn was considered to be its ruler. Even now, many astrologers consider him as the sign's co-ruler, and especially the first decan of Aquarius still holds Saturnian traits due to its bordering Capricorn. Aquarius is also the natural ruler sign of the eleventh house, which governs groups and organizations, friends and interactions with the social system. We should also note that Mars needs around two months to move to a next sign, while travelling through the skies. Once every two years Mars has a period of retrograde motion, where it appears to move backwards on the celestial canvas for apparently two months. Additional information about Mars' potency in each sign can be read in the article about Mars' Essential Dignities.
An Aquarius Mars person dedicates a lot of his time and power towards social activities. He is an active member of the community, usually being a member in more than one social groups. Usually, those groups have some type of reformist agenda, battling against the established social rules. Mars in Aquarius makes the native rebel against social injustice, which may easily lead him towards organizations that fight for the rights of minorities or generally against discrimination of individuals and groups. This planetary combination can make the chart owner quite rebellious, and he will frequently join demonstrations or perform other actions of social or political activism. Such a person will always enjoy confrontation with the authorities, so in case you have this placement always question whether you indeed fight for the rights of others, or just have a need to get an adrenaline rush through revolting.
Individuals with their Mars in Aquarius are very inspired through teamwork. They do not like working alone, and usually get bored when they do not have a bunch of people around them. An ideal surrounding for them to feel happy is a group of people working for some special cause, yet without some type of strict hierarchy that structures the group into a pyramid. Auto-organised and de-centralized groups are for them a second home, where they can spend endless hours and put tremendous effort. Many times, such groups can be of a totally voluntary nature, and the Mars in Aquarius individual should be careful to not sacrifice too much of his time and energy so that he does not complicate other parts of his life – especially those areas that are guaranteeing his material wealth or general well-being.
This natal placement will definitely make the Mars in Aquarius native rather eccentric, and quite unpredictable when a situation needs an immediate action or response. Aquarian energy always tends to distort decisions, making them be more based on intuition rather than logic; Mars also is a planet widely known to give rapid reactions and even hasty decisions. Thus, by having this placement you should try to stall a little bit when some decision you should make is important. On the other hand, this placement can indeed make someone find genious ideas and solutions, that other people would not be able to foresee as correct – or even as possible options! Such solutions may come as thunderbolts, sudden intuitive blasts of ideas, and are usually uncontrolled. Thus, in case you feel that some of your next actions is "dictated" by something out of your own self, you may give it a try and you will probably be positively surprised. Of course, the condition of Mars concerning its aspects to other natal planets is always very important; you should examine them in detail in order to understand whether it is indeed good to risk or it is better to have at least one foot on the ground.
Mars in Aquarius will make the chart bearer very interested in new technologies, and can be a very useful placement for scientists – or generally professions connected to mechanics, electronics and electricity. If Mars happens to be well-aspected with Jupiter, Mercury or especially Uranus, this person can become a huge innovator, an inventor of new technologies and a pioneer in this field. In case of challenging aspects to Mars, and if he is near the Ascendant or elsehow governing his body, the individual should guard against accidents – particularly those concerning machinery and electricity. Generally, an adversely aspected Mars signifies the need to slow down and to be extra careful when operating tools, as it can indicate clumsiness.
A person with his Mars in Aquarius will not allow being controlled by other individuals, revolting whenever such attempts happen. In addition, he will also disobey governmental rules, especially those that he feels unfair. In general, whenever he sees injustice, he will get triggered and even retaliate in unpredictable ways. The feeling of personal freedom is a core trait of his existence, and any possible threat to it is rapidly considered as a hostile movement. Of course, in case he manages to tame his Mars and analyze with cold-blood such situations, he will usually reach better results than fighting back without a strategy. In addition, he should guard against false alarms; he is always ready to strike back rapidly and there can always be misunderstandings because of hasty decisions. The more such a person waits and uses logic, the more effective will be his actions.
This natal placement can make the native have an unusual, pioneering or elsehow unique approach towards his sexuality. This can be particularly noticed in men, who generally as a gender have Mars expressing their sexual drive more than other planets. People with this placement will usually have a more liberal view concerning their intimate life, not necessarily connected with their sexual orientation but mostly through their theory of love, passion and even relationships in general. For example, such a natal aspect will probably emphasise on the word "friend" at first and "lover" secondarily. In addition, Mars in Aquarius may make them attracted to people who share common ideas and fight for the same social cause. Also, it will bring the tendency to be attracted to other eccentric people. Also, new technologies may play a vital part as a mean for enhancing their sexuality – no matter if it is a computer screen or some toy that runs on electricity!
When an Aquarius Mars is well aspected in a natal chart, the native will be very active in the life area that the sign of Aquarius rules, winning his battles concerning those house matters. He will tirelessly dedicate his energy, confronting any possible difficulties and problems successfully and enjoying the conquest of the desired goals. The victories in those areas will gift him the drunk-like feeling of the warrior who raises his sword and yells when the battle is finished and the opponent defeated. On the contrary, bad aspects to Mars can bring quite a lot of problems mostly connected with anger and putting too much efforts in vain. Also, when the darker traits of Mars are awakened by difficult natal aspects, the Mars in Aquarius person may experience war-like situations from rivals, too much turmoil and even defeats.
Each planets have a different effect on you, depending on which house and sign they reside in. In order to find out where they are located in your natal chart, you can use our free birth chart generator. Also, examine the aspects that they form with other planets in your chart. You will understand a lot more about the detailed role that they have in your horoscope.
Do not forget to like our Facebook Page and join our Astrology Community Facebook Group, where you can take part in conversations and vote about next articles to be written!
Latest posts by Xaos (see all)
- Natal Saturn in Libra - December 16, 2019
- Natal Saturn in Virgo - September 17, 2019
- Natal Saturn in Leo - July 30, 2019


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"LAST Wednesday, more than 100,000 people showed up in Istanbul for a funeral that turned into a mass demonstration. No formal organization made the call...Protests like this one, fueled by social media and erupting into spectacular mass events, look like powerful statements of opposition against a regime. And whether these take place in Turkey, Egypt or Ukraine, pundits often speculate that the days of a ruling party or government, or at least its unpopular policies, must be numbered. Yet often these huge mobilizations of citizens inexplicably wither away without the impact on policy you might expect from their scale.
This muted effect is not because social media isn't good at what it does, but, in a way, because it's very good at what it does."


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The PGA Show Demo Day is staged on a huge circular range at Orange County National Golf Center. This year, the outdoor event featured more than 90 golf manufacturers set-up across 100+ hitting bays.
Hopefully, I will be returning to Orange County National at the end of the year… The course is hosting the finals of PGA Tour Q-School in December..


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The Garden Factory
Call us today 01376 573 302
The Blagdon Minipond garden pumps 900lt is a high quality pumps manufactured with advanced technology, designed specifically to run pond fountains and water features efficiently. This fountain pumps has a powerful motors which is easy to maintain, this is because they have a single moving part impeller system, featuring highly wear-resistant ceramic shaft design. All this together gives you a great pump that has low running cost with a 3 year guarantee.
- Low running cost
- Fountain heads, fittings and adjusters included
- Advanced foam-free pre-filter cage
- 3 year guarantee
- Flow Rate: 900lt/hr
- Weight:1.67kg
- IP Rating: IP68
- Max pumping Height: 2m
- Wattage: 18w
Included in the box
- Minipond 900 pump
- 3 x fountain heads Daisy Super, Single Daisy, Water bell
- 5 x fountain extension pipes
- 2 x threaded hose adapters (½ and ¾)
- Pre-filter foam
- 10 metre cable with UK 3 Pin Plug included
- Product CodeSTAX-716417
- Height0cm
- Width0cm
- Depth0cm
- ColourN/A


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Getting Together (teen safety) Card
- Free
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Note: This product is sold individually, not in sets. Selecting a quantity of "10" means your order will contain 10 individual cards.
The Getting Together safety card and its poster, with card pockets, are for teens of all genders. Created in partnership with Alaska teens across the State, these materials provide information about healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to help others, and how to get help. Along side resources of iknowmine.org and loveisrespect.org listed, there is also room to write-in the local organization or contact person.
This card is produced by the Healthy Families Initiative at the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center at ANTHC, a Statewide program to address violence.
To order the Getting Together poster with card pockets, order more in our Poster section.


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Why should you let getting up and down the stairs stop you from having a fully independent lifestyle? With a tailor made Mexborough Mobility Straight Stairlift you can stay in your home, and continue to enjoy independence.
The simplest solution for a straight staircase, the Mexborough Mobility Straight Stairlift uses a single rail attached to your staircase. Its unique slimline design ensures that there is plenty of space left for other members of the family to use the stairs
- • Fully fitted within 7 days
- • Free no obligation home survey
- • Fitted free by our engineers
- • Two remote controls enabling to send the lift up/down
- • 12 Month FREE Warranty
- • A safety belt is fitted
- • Easy to operate paddle switches
- • Will function even during a power cut
- • Smooth, whisper quiet operation
- • Lockable swivel seat means you can get off/on without twisting your body
If your staircase has turns, intermediate landings or limited space at the top or bottom, it may be necessary for a curved stairlift to be fitted.
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In idiopathic Parkinson disease and atypical parkinsonian disorders, central dopaminergic and overall brain functional activity are altered to different degrees, causing difficulties in achieving an unambiguous clinical diagnosis. A dual examination using I-123-FP-CIT (I-123-N-omega-fluoropropyl- 2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane, or I-123-ioflupane) SPECT and F-18-FDG PET provides complementary information on dopamine transporter (DAT) availability and overall brain functional activity, respectively. Parametric images based on a single, dynamic C-11-PE2I (N-(3-iodoprop-2E-enyl)-2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-methyl-phenyl) nortropane) scan potentially supply both DAT availability (nondisplaceable binding potential [BPND]) and relative cerebral blood flow (relative delivery [R-1]) at voxel level. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of C-11-PE2I PET against the dual-modality approach using I-123-FP-CIT SPECT and F-18-FDG PET.
Methods: Sixteen patients with parkinsonian disorders had a dual examination with F-18-FDG PET and I-123-FP-CIT SPECT following clinical routines and additionally an experimental C-11-PE2I PET scan. Parametric BPND and R-1 images were generated using receptor parametric mapping with the cerebellum as a reference. T1-weighted MR imaging was used for automated definition of volumes of interest (VOI). The DAT VOIs included the basal ganglia, whereas the overall brain functional activity was examined using VOIs across the brain. BPND and R-1 values were compared with normalized I-123-FP-CIT and F-18-FDG uptake values, respectively, using Pearson correlations and regression analyses. In addition, 2 masked interpreters evaluated the images visually, in both the routine and the experimental datasets, for comparison of patient diagnoses.
Results: Parametric C-11-PE2I BPND and R-1 images showed high consistency with I-123-FP-CIT SPECT and F-18-FDG PET images. Correlations between C-11-PE2I BPND and I-123-FP-CIT uptake ratios were 0.97 and 0.76 in the putamen and caudate nucleus, respectively. Regional C-11-PE2I R-1 values were moderately to highly correlated with normalized F-18-FDG values (range, 0.61-0.94). Visual assessment of DAT availability showed a high consistency between C-11-PE2I BPND and I-123-FP-CIT images, whereas the consistency was somewhat lower for appraisal of overall brain functional activity using I-123-FP-CIT and F-18-FDG images. Substantial differences were found between clinical diagnosis and both neuro-imaging diagnoses.
Conclusion: A single, dynamic C-11-PE2I PET investigation is a powerful alternative to a dual examination with I-123-FP-CIT SPECT and F-18-FDG PET for differential diagnosis of parkinsonian disorders. A large-scale patient study is, however, needed to further investigate distinct pathologic patterns in overall brain functional activity for various parkinsonian disorders.
Radioimmunoassay of myoglobin (Mb) was performed in rat hind limb muscles after surgical denervation and during reinnervation following cryolesion of the sciatic nerve. Muscles of the contralateral leg served as controls. After resection of the sciatic nerve, decreased Mb concentrations were noted on the fourth day in the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Thereafter, the levels increased up to the last observation on day 32. The increases in Mb levels in the tibialis anterior and EDL muscles were considerably more pronounced (305% and 324%, respectively) than in the peroneus longus and soleus muscles (148% and 137%, respectively). After cryolesion of the sciatic nerve, the Mb concentrations in the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and EDL muscles increased, reaching maximal values on days 16-21. The levels then decreased and normal values were observed 2 months postoperatively. The normalization of the Mb levels during reinnervation corresponded fairly well in time with the clinical recovery and neurophysiological findings observed in a previous study.
Consecutive 60-min microdialysis samples were taken from the tibial anterior muscle in 11 healthy subjects and 4 patients with mitochondrial myopathy before (2-3 samples) and after (3-4 samples, 2 controls and 1 patient excluded) sustained isometric foot dorsiflexions. Before exercise, mean concentrations of lactate, pyruvate, hypoxanthine, urate, aspartate, and glutamate did not significantly differ between controls and patients. After exercise, the controls showed significantly increased concentrations of lactate, pyruvate, and urate, decreased hypoxanthine, and no change in aspartate and glutamate. Similar findings were observed in the patients. Plasma lactate was unchanged. Exercise-induced increase in integrated electromyogram amplitude and rated subjective fatigue were correlated to increased post-exercise lactate concentrations, with no obvious difference between the groups. Microdialysis of skeletal muscle allows the detection and monitoring of biochemical changes in the interstitial space. With the exercise protocol used, however, it was not possible to demonstrate any biochemical difference between healthy controls and patients with mitochondrial myopathy.
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is characterised by the occurrence of symmetrical weakness and sensory impairment in arms and legs. The course is relapsing or chronic and progressing. CIDP is considered to be an autoimmune disease, which is supported by the beneficial response to immunomodulating therapies in most patients. We report on a patient with CIDP who has been in remission for more than 3 years after treatment with high dose cyclophosphamide and autologous blood stem cell transplantation in CIDP on two occasions.
Neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and myasthenia gravis are leading causes of physical disability in people of working age. In the last decades significant therapeutic advances have been made that can ameliorate the disease course. Nevertheless, many affected will continue to deteriorate despite treatment, and the costs associated with disease-modifying drugs constitute a significant fiscal burden on healthcare in developed countries. Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment approach that aims to ameliorate and to terminate disease activity. The erroneous immune system is eradicated using cytotoxic drugs, and with the aid of haematopoietic stem cells a new immune system is rebuilt. As of today, more than 1000 patients with multiple sclerosis have been treated with this procedure. Available data suggest that autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is superior to conventional treatment in terms of efficacy with an acceptable safety profile. A smaller number of patients with other neuroinflammatory conditions have been treated with promising results. Herein, current data on clinical effect and safety of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for neurological disease are reviewed.
PURPOSE: T cells are important in the immunopathology of immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies (PNP) and activated vitamin D regulates the immune response through increasing the amount of regulatory T cells. An association between vitamin D deficiency and polyneuropathy has been stipulated; hence we assessed whether patients with primary immune-mediated PNP have low vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels.
METHODS: Plasma levels of 25(OH)D were analyzed in 26 patients with primary immune-mediated PNP, 50 healthy matched blood donors and 24 patients with motor neuron disease (MND). INCAT score was assessed in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. ALSFRS-R score was applied to MND patients and the modified Rankin (mRankin) scale compared disability among patient groups.
RESULTS: Mean 25(OH)D value in PNP patients was 40±16nmol/l, compared to 69±21nmol/l in healthy blood donors (p<0.001). MND patients had a higher mean 25(OH)D than PNP patients (59±26nmol/L; p=0.006) and comparable levels to healthy blood donors (p=0.15). Mean 25(OH)D value was not higher in PNP patients with pre-existing vitamin D3 supplementation of 800IU/day (N=6; 35±18nmol/L) than in unsupplemented PNP patients (42±16nmol). INCAT score ranged from 0 to 10 (mean 3.5) and ALSFRS-R ranged from 11 to 44 (mean 31). mRankin score was more severe in MND patients (mean 3.5) compared to PNP patients (mean 2.1).
CONCLUSIONS: All patients with primary immune-mediated PNP were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and they had significantly lower 25(OH)D values than healthy control persons and MND patients. We suggest monitoring of vitamin D status in patients with autoimmune PNP, since immune cells are responsive to the ameliorative effects of vitamin D.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease characterized by progressive muscle paralysis. Currently clinical tools for ALS diagnostics do not perform well enough and their improvement is needed. The objective of this study was to identify specific protein alterations related to the development of ALS using tiny muscle biopsies. We applied a shotgun proteomics and quantitative dimethyl labeling in order to analyze the global changes in human skeletal muscle proteome of ALS versus healthy subjects for the first time. 235 proteins were quantified and 11 proteins were found significantly regulated in ALS muscles. These proteins are involved in muscle development and contraction, metabolic processes, enzyme activity, regulation of apoptosis and transport activity. In order to eliminate a risk to confuse ALS with other denervations, muscle biopsies of patients with postpolio syndrome and Charcot Marie Tooth disease (negative controls) were compared to those of ALS and controls. Only few proteins significantly regulated in ALS patients compared to controls were affected differently in negative controls. These proteins (BTB and kelch domain-containing protein 10, myosin light chain 3, glycogen debranching enzyme, transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase), individually or as a panel, could be selected for estimation of ALS diagnosis and development. Biological significance ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, and luckily, very rare: only one to two people out of 100,000 develop ALS yearly. This fact, however, makes studies of ALS very challenging since it is very difficult to collect the representative set of clinical samples and this may take up to several years. In this study we collected the muscle biopsies from 12 ALS patients and compared the ALS muscle proteome against the one from control subjects. We suggested the efficient method for such comprehensive quantitative analysis by LC-MS and performed it for the first time using human ALS material. This gel- and antibody-free method can be widely applied for muscle proteome studies and has been used by us for revealing of the specific protein alterations associated with ALS.
The expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA were studied in muscle biopsies from five patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), six patients with other neuromuscular diseases and eight healthy control persons. All five patients with ALS had higher GDNF mRNA expressions in their biopsies than the healthy control group (almost a three fold increase). Among the other patients only one, who had a rapidly progressing toxic polyneuropathy, showed a GDNF mRNA expression above those of the controls. The BDNF mRNA expressions in the biopsies from the ALS patients were in the same range as those from the healthy controls, although the mean value of the ALS patients was higher. The only biopsy that showed a markedly higher BDNF mRNA expression was taken from one patient with progressive muscular atrophy. These results suggest that increased GDNF mRNA expression in muscle is an unspecific response to ongoing denervation and that this response is maintained in ALS, at least temporarily. If increased GDNF mRNA in muscle proves to be a constant finding in ALS the rationale for the use of GDNF as a therapeutic agent in ALS must be questioned.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To prospectively identify different coping strategies among newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and whether they change over time and to determine whether physical function, psychological well-being, age and gender correlated with the use of different coping strategies.
BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal disease with impact on both physical function and psychological well-being. Different coping strategies are used to manage symptoms and disease progression, but knowledge about coping in newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients is scarce.
DESIGN: This was a prospective study with a longitudinal and descriptive design.
METHODS: A total of 33 patients were included and evaluation was made at two time points, one to three months and six months after diagnosis. Patients were asked to complete the Motor Neuron Disease Coping Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Physical function was estimated using the revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale.
RESULTS: The most commonly used strategies were support and independence. Avoidance/venting and information seeking were seldom used at both time points. The use of information seeking decreased between the two time points. Men did not differ from women, but patients ≤64 years used positive action more often than older patients. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale was positively correlated with positive action at time point 1, but not at time point 2. Patients' psychological well-being was correlated with the use of different coping strategies.
CONCLUSIONS: Support and independence were the most used coping strategies, and the use of different strategies changed over time. Psychological well-being was correlated with different coping strategies in newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The knowledge about coping strategies in early stage of the disease may help the nurses to improve and develop the care and support for these patients.
Objective: To use deuterium-substituted [11C](l)-deprenyl PET to depict astrocytosis in vivo in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Background: In human brain, the enzyme MAO-B is primarily located in astrocytes. l-deprenyl binds to MAO-B and autoradiography with 3H-l-deprenyl has been used to map astrocytosis in vitro. Motor neuron loss in ALS is accompanied by astrocytosis and astrocytes may play an active role in the neurodegenerative process. Deuterium-substituted [11C](l)-deprenyl PET provides an opportunity to localize astrocytosis in vivo in the brain of patients with ALS. Methods: Deuterium-substituted [11C](l)-deprenyl PET was performed in seven patients with ALS and seven healthy control subjects. Results: Increased uptake rate of [11C](l)-deprenyl was demonstrated in ALS in pons and white matter. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that astrocytosis may be detected in vivo in ALS by the use of deuterium-substituted [11C](l)-deprenyl PET though further studies are needed to determine whether deuterium-substituted [11C](l)-deprenyl binding tracks disease progression and reflects astrocytosis.
[11C]-PIB positron emission tomography ([11C]-PIB PET) is a sensitive marker of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its specificity has not been fully evaluated. Vascular amyloid-β deposition is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and α-synuclein, the major component of the Lewy bodies in PD, forms amyloid fibrils. We investigated five apparently cognitively normal PD patients with [11C]-PIB PET. The results were compared to 16 patients with AD and six healthy controls from a previous study. [11C]-PIB retention was not significantly increased in our patients who all had early stage PD. Further studies of more advanced PD patients are warranted.
[11C]PE2I is a highly selective dopamine transporter PET ligand. Parametric images based on dynamic [11C]PE2I scans, showing dopamine transporter availability (BPND) and relative cerebral blood flow (R1), can be used in differential diagnosis of parkinsonism. This work aimed to investigate a shortened scan duration and automated generation of parametric images which are two prerequisites for routine clinical application. Twelve subjects with parkinsonism and seventeen healthy controls underwent 80 min dynamic [11C]PE2I PET scans. BPND and R1 images were generated using cerebellum reference region defined on a co-registered MRI, as well as a supervised cluster analysis (SVCA)-based reference. Initial 20, 30 and 40 min of the scans were extracted and images of standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) and R1 were computed using MRI- and SVCA-based reference. Correlation was high between striatal 80 min MRI-based BPND and 40 min SVCA-based SUVR-1 (R2=0.95). High correlation was also found between R1 values in striatal and limbic regions (R2≥0.91) whereas correlation was moderate for cortical regions (R2=0.71). The results indicate that dynamic [11C]PE2I scans can be restricted to 40 min and that SVCA can be used for automatic extraction of a reference region. These outcomes will support routine applications of [11C]PE2I PET in clinical settings.
The radioligand [(11)C]PE2I is highly selective for dopamine transporter (DAT) and can be used in vivo for investigation of changes in DAT concentration, progression of disease and validation of treatment using positron emission tomography (PET). DAT is an important protein for regulation of central dopamine concentration and DAT deficiency has been associated with several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Accurate parametric images are a prerequisite for clinical application of [(11)C]PE2I. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different methods for producing [(11)C]PE2I parametric images, showing binding potential (BPND) and relative delivery (R1) at the voxel level, using clinical data as well as simulations.
Investigations were made in twelve subjects either with social anxiety disorder (n=6) or parkinsonian syndrome (n=6), each receiving an 80min dynamic PET scan. All subjects underwent a T1-weighted MRI scan which was co-registered to the PET images and used for definition of regions of interest using a probabilistic template (PVElab). Two basis function implementations (receptor parametric mapping: RPM, RPM2) of the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) and three multilinear reference tissue models (MRTMo, MRTM and MRTM2) were used for computation of parametric BPND and R1 images. In addition, reference Logan and standard uptake value ratio (SUVr) were investigated. Evaluations of BPND and R1 images were performed using linear regression to compare the parametric methods to region-based analyses with SRTM and cerebellar gray matter as reference region. Accuracy and precision of each method were assessed by simulations.
Correlation and slope of linear regression between parametric and region-based BPND and R1 values in both striatum and extra-striatal regions were optimal for RPM (R(2)=0.99 for both BPND and R1; slopes 0.99 and 0.98 for BPND and R1, respectively, in striatum). In addition, accuracy and precision were best for RPM and RPM2.
The basis function methods provided more robust estimations of the parameters compared to the other models and performed best in simulations. RPM, a basis function implementation of SRTM, is the preferred method for voxel level analysis of [(11)C]PE2I PET studies.
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder mainly characterised by motor symptoms. Extensive physical activity has been implicated in the aetiology of ALS. Differences in anthropometrics, physical fitness and isometric strength measured at 18-19 years were assessed to determine if they are associated with subsequent death in ALS. Method Data on body weight and height, physical fitness, resting heart rate and isometric strength measured at conscription were linked with data on death certificates in men born in 1951-1965 in Sweden (n=809 789). Physical fitness was assessed as a maximal test on an electrically braked bicycle ergometer. Muscle strength was measured as the maximal isometric strength in handgrip, elbow flexion and knee extension in standardised positions, using a dynamometer. Analyses were based on 684 459 (84.5%) men because of missing data. A matched case control study within this sample was performed. The population was followed until 31 December 2006, and 85 men died from ALS during this period. Results Weight adjusted physical fitness (W/kg), but not physical fitness per se, was a risk factor for ALS (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.97), whereas resting pulse rate, muscle strength and other variables were not. Conclusions Physical fitness, but not muscle strength, is a risk factor for death at early age in ALS. This may indicate that a common factor underlies both fitness (W/kg) and risk of ALS.
Continuous duodenal infusion of carbidopa/levodopa has been shown to control motor fluctuations in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The authors compared the pharmacokinetics of levodopa and 3-O-methyldopa in patients with advanced PD after administration of an oral sustained-release levodopa preparation and after continuous intestinal levodopa infusion with a new formulation as a gel suspension. A randomized crossover trial was carried out in 12 patients. Carbidopa/levodopa was administered as an oral sustained-release tablet and by nasoduodenal continuous infusion for 3-week periods for each treatment. Plasma levodopa concentrations and motor performance were evaluated every 30 minutes during 3 test days of each treatment period. The average intraindividual coefficient of variation for the plasma levodopa concentrations after oral therapy was 34% and was significantly lower (14%, p < 0.01) during continuous infusion. Hourly video evaluations showed a significant increase in ON time during infusion and a significant decrease in OFF time and dyskinesia. Continuous intraduodenal delivery of a new carbidopa/levodopa formulation offers a means for markedly improved control of motor fluctuations in late stages of PD.
The aim was to elaborately describe individual pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic profiles in patients with difficult-to-treat dyskinesias treated with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion.
A nonrandomized, partly blinded, investigator-initiated trial was conducted in 5 patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease who were difficult to keep in "on" state without dyskinesia. Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (Duodopa) doses of 80% to 120% of individually and clinically optimized dosage were infused during five 4-hour periods. Pharmacokinetic profiling, blinded assessment of video recordings, and objective movement analysis were applied every 20 to 30 minutes.
Individual correlations between plasma levodopa concentrations and corresponding motor scores 20 to 30 minutes after the sampling time were significant in all patients (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Motor scores were generally stable during the 4-hour periods. The objective test revealed that motor performance was faster the more dyskinetic the patients were. Mean individual Treatment Response Scale scores were positive in 24 of the 25 steady-state periods. Dystonia was always combined with choreic dyskinesias.
Motor response from different doses of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel is in a broad sense predictable even in dyskinetic patients although major interindividual differences in dose requirement, plasma levels, and motor response are found. That motor performance was faster the more dyskinetic the patients were implies that motor performance may be better with moderate dyskinesia than with mild dyskinesia. This may explain why patients with persistent dyskinesias choose to keep their doses above the dyskinesia threshold. There is no ideal therapeutic window in such patients, but levodopa infusion offers stable motor response.
Background and purpose:
Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors may be used to decrease levodopa requirement. The objective was to investigate whether the levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion dose can be reduced by 20% without worsening of motor fluctuations and levodopa concentration stability when oral catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors are added.
A short-term, randomized, partly blinded, crossover, investigator-initiated clinical trial was performed, with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel combined with oral entacapone and tolcapone on two different days in 10 patients. The primary outcome measure was difference in coefficient of variation of levodopa in plasma between levodopa/carbidopa, levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone, and levodopa/carbidopa/tolcapone. The secondary outcome measures other pharmacokinetic variables, patient-reported outcome, and blinded analysis of motor performance.
Variation of plasma levodopa concentrations did not differ significantly between the treatments. The treatments did not differ regarding motor performance. Levodopa concentrations were significantly higher using tolcapone. Concentrations of the metabolite 3-O-methyldopa decreased gradually during catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibition.
According to this small, short-term pilot study, oral catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors administered in 5-h intervals may be useful in cases where levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel dose reduction is wanted. Stability of plasma levodopa levels is not significantly altered, and off-time is not increased when decreasing the levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel dose by 20%. Rather, the dose should probably be decreased more than 20%, especially under tolcapone co-treatment, to avoid increased dyskinesias with time.
OBJECTIVE: Only 70-80% of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) respond satisfactorily to the established first-line immunomodulatory treatments. Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has been performed as a last treatment resort in a few therapy-refractory cases with CIDP. We describe the results of AHSCT in 11 consecutive Swedish patients with therapy-refractory CIDP with a median follow-up time of 28 months.
METHOD: Case data were gathered retrospectively for AHSCT treatments in 11 patients with CIDP refractory to the first-line immunomodulatory treatments, intravenous high-dose immunoglobulin, corticosteroids and plasma exchange and to one or more second-line treatments used in 10 of the 11 patients.
RESULTS: The median Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) score within 1 month prior to AHSCT was 6 and the Rankin score 4. Total INCAT and Rankin scores improved significantly within 2-6 months after AHSCT and continued to do so at last follow-up. The motor action potential amplitudes (CMAP) improved already within 4 months (median) after AHSCT. Three of the 11 patients relapsed during the follow-up period, requiring retransplantation with AHSCT in one. Eight of the 11 patients maintained drug-free remission upon last follow-up. AHSCT was safe but on the short term associated with a risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus reactivation, CMV disease, haemorrhagic cystitis and pancreatitis.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results though hampered by the limited number of patients and the lack of a control group suggest AHSCT to be efficacious in therapy-refractory CIDP, with a manageable complication profile. Confirmation of these results is necessary through randomised controlled trials.
This study demonstrates the power of a novel proteomic approach developed for the detection and identification of biological markers in body fluids. The goal was to observe alterations in the protein patterns of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neuro-degenerative disorder with unknown etiology. In the experiments, tryptic digests of CSF from patients and healthy controls were analyzed by on-line capillary liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Typically, around 4000 peptides were detected in one such experiment, and a pattern recognition program was constructed for the data analysis to distinguish mass chromatograms from patients and controls. This strategy was evaluated comparing the peptide patterns of CSF spiked in vitro with a biomarker, with control CSF. The patterns were clearly separated and the tryptic peptides of the biomarker were successfully selected as characteristic peaks. Hence, the method was applied to compare mass chromatograms of CSF from 12 ALS-patients and 10 matched healthy controls. While no biomarker alone could be identified from the characteristic peaks, we were able to assign 4 out of 5 unknown samples correctly (i.e. 80% correctly diagnosed, 20% false-negative), and it would be 100% if we reject a possible outlier believed to be caused by an occlusion in the spinal CSF compartment. These findings are very promising, although the clinical relevance is not fully established due to the low number of unknown samples analyzed. In addition to the diagnostic potential, these results may be important steps towards understanding the neurodegenerative process.
A 75-year-old man with severe oculobulbar myasthenia gravis (MG) treated with acetylcholine esterase inhibitors (AChEIs) was found to have muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies. Neurophysiological examination displayed extra repetitive discharges after the compound motor action potential (CMAP) at low-frequency stimulation, possibly triggered by AChEI. This indicates an abnormal sensitivity to acetylcholine in patients with MuSK antibodies and may be a useful indicator of the adverse effect of AChEI treatment in these patients. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Disorders affecting the postsynaptic side of the neuromuscular junction include autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) as well as some of the congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS). Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an acquired autoimmune neuromuscular disorder in which autoantibodies are directed against the presynaptic calcium channels. Here we describe two monozygous twin brothers: case 1 was diagnosed with an indeterminate form of acquired postsynaptic neuromuscular junction defect at age 32 and case 2 with LEMS at age 47. Case 1 presented clinically with mild generalized myasthenic weakness, neurophysiological examination revealed disturbed neuromuscular transmission along with probable myositis and serum analysis regarding antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor and muscle-specific tyrosine kinase was negative. Case 2 presented with proximal muscle fatigue accompanied by areflexia at rest and antibodies against the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels were present. Neurophysiologically, case 2 had reduced baseline compound motor action potential amplitudes on neurography, decrement on low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) and pathological increment on high frequency RNS. To our knowledge this is the first case report of its kind and adds an intriguing contrast to the more common diagnosis of CMS in monozygous twins.