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Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Author Affiliations: Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (Dr Stamler); Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Dr Neaton).
Is Relationship Between Serum Cholesterol and Risk of Premature Death From Coronary Heart Disease Continuous and Graded? Findings in 356 222 Primary Screenees of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT)
The 356 222 men aged 35 to 57 years, who were free of a history of hospitalization for myocardial infarction, screened by the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) in its recruitment effort, constitute the largest cohort with standardized serum cholesterol measurements and long-term mortality follow-up. For each five-year age group, the relationship between serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) death rate was continuous, graded, and strong. For the entire group aged 35 to 57 years at entry, the age-adjusted risks of CHD death in cholesterol quintiles 2 through 5 (182 to 202, 203 to 220, 221 to 244, and ≥245 mg/dL [4.71 to 5.22, 5.25 to 5.69, 5.72 to 6.31, and ≥6.34 mmol/L]) relative to the lowest quintile were 1.29, 1.73, 2.21, and 3.42. Of all CHD deaths, 46% were estimated to be excess deaths attributable to serum cholesterol levels 180 mg/dL or greater (≥4.65 mmol/L), with almost half the excess deaths in serum cholesterol quintiles 2 through 4. The pattern of a continuous, graded, strong relationship between serum cholesterol and six-year age-adjusted CHD death rate prevailed for nonhypertensive nonsmokers, nonhypertensive smokers, hypertensive nonsmokers, and hypertensive smokers. These data of high precision show that the relationship between serum cholesterol and CHD is not a threshold one, with increased risk confined to the two highest quintiles, but rather is a continuously graded one that powerfully affects risk for the great majority of middle-aged American men.
See PDF for full text of the original JAMA article.
In 1986 in JAMA, we reported findings of the 6-year follow-up of the large cohort screened for the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT).1 The article, challenging existing dogmas about the relationship between cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD), generated much interest. Now, the 25-year results are available with almost 7% (23 382) of the men deceased due to CHD.2-4 The 1986 findings and conclusions regarding the relationship of a single measurement of serum cholesterol to premature CHD mortality are verified in depth by the 25-year data with extraordinary precision due to large size of the cohort, long follow-up, and a large number of CHD deaths.
The main finding of our report was that the relationship between serum cholesterol and CHD mortality is continuous, graded, and strong; ie, CHD risk is progressively higher at every cholesterol level from 160 mg/dL and higher levels, with no threshold. This finding prevails with 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year follow-up and for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth 5-year follow-up periods. These robust results, controlled for age, systolic blood pressure, number of cigarettes smoked per day, diabetes status, race and ethnicity, and study geographic site, prevailed over the 25-year follow-up with only modest attenuation in quantitative strength of relative risk from higher serum cholesterol levels and with increase over time in absolute excess risk from higher serum cholesterol levels as the CHD death rate increased annually.
These findings also held for men of every age 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54, and 55 to 57 years); race and ethnicity (African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and non-Hispanic white American); lower and higher income strata across the 22 MRFIT centers in 18 US cities; cigarette smokers and nonsmokers; normotensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive participants; nondiabetic and diabetic participants; and for men stratified into 6 subgroups based on blood pressure and cigarette smoking status; also for the separate cohort of 5362 men with a history of prior myocardial infarction—37% of whom died from CHD.
Data Regarding Other Cohorts
The 1986 findings and conclusions have also been validated for women and men by data from many other prospective studies, eg, on young adult and middle-aged Chicago residents (>35 000 individuals observed for >30 years)2 and on 61 cohorts worldwide (≈900 000 individuals) observed for an average of 13 years (33 744 CHD deaths [3.7%]) in an Oxford University meta-analysis.5 For the 61 cohorts combined, the relationship between a single serum cholesterol level and CHD mortality, ie, continuous, graded, and strong, was quantitatively similar for men in the MRFIT cohort and men and women of all the other cohorts. The cholesterol and CHD relationship prevailed across geographic locations (on 4 continents), at all blood pressure levels, for smokers and nonsmokers, and across body mass index (BMI) strata (MRFIT lacked BMI data). This further information set is especially relevant given the worldwide obesity epidemic, the consequent unprecedented high prevalence rates of overweight/obesity, and its adverse effects on serum cholesterol and other metabolic CHD risk factors (eg, blood pressure, glycemia/diabetes). With an apparent focus on the potential for CHD prevention and control, the Oxford University report highlighted relative risks with estimated "usual" serum cholesterol lower by approximately 40 mg/dL: CHD risk approximately one-half lower in early middle age (40-49 years), one-third lower in later middle age (50-69 years), and one-sixth lower in older age (70-89 years). Although relative risk was less extreme with older age, absolute excess risk was greater.5
Clearly, these fundamental findings quantitating the relationship between serum cholesterol and CHD are generalizable populationwide. The depth, breadth, and consistency of these findings reflect the fact, recognized throughout the research, public health, medical, and public policy communities, that this is an etiologically significant relationship.
Myths and Dogmas Refuted
The 1986 JAMA article1 helped refute several dogmas and myths that were once influential, eg, that the relationship between serum cholesterol and CHD is a threshold one—with greater risk only at cholesterol levels equal to or greater than 240, 250, or 260 mg/dL; that proper cut point for abnormal serum cholesterol is therefore 240, 250, 260, or even 300 mg/dL; and that serum cholesterol and the other readily measured major CHD risk factors (blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, overweight/obesity) account for no more than 50% of CHD events.6
In presenting MRFIT data rebutting these notions and explicitly rejecting them, the 1986 article1 helped strengthen scientific foundations for the efforts to prevent, control, and eradicate the CHD epidemic. The MRFIT data were powerful underpinnings for the clinical serum cholesterol classification of the National Cholesterol Education Program2,7,8: for adults, favorable levels are denoted as less than 200 mg/dL; borderline high levels as 200 to 239 mg/dL; and high levels as 240 mg/dL or greater.
Low Coronary Heart Disease Risk
The 1986 MRFIT report for the first time put forward the concept of optimal or low CHD risk, gave a first set of criteria for its definition, emphasized its rarity among US adults, and also emphasized its benefits.1 For participants in the MRFIT cohort without a history of myocardial infarction (N = 356 222), low risk was defined as all of the 5 following criteria: optimal level of serum cholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, nonsmoking status, and no history of treatment for diabetes. Only 2% of the men in the MRFIT cohort met these criteria, only 6 of these men died from CHD during the 6-year follow-up, and the CHD death rate was 87% lower than for the rest of the cohort.
Correspondingly, among the Chicago Heart Association middle-aged cohort only 2% (men) and 5% (women) were at low risk based on all 6 of the following criteria2: serum cholesterol lower than 200 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure 120 mm Hg or lower, diastolic blood pressure 80 mm Hg or lower, no smoking, no diabetes, and BMI lower than 25.0. For both of these subcohorts and the similarly defined MRFIT low-risk subcohort, the 25- to 30-year CHD mortality rate was lower by 69% to 82% compared with the corresponding rate for all other individuals; the all-cause mortality rate was lower by 52% to 59%; and estimated longevity was greater by 6 to 7 years.2
From 1986 to the present, the findings on low risk have informed public policy on the strategy for ending the CHD epidemic: because for low-risk individuals, CHD ceases to be epidemic and because relatively few individuals are at low risk, vital strategic challenges, tasks, and priorities for medical care and public health are to achieve steady, progressive, and sustained increases year by year in the proportion of all population strata at low risk.
"Disturbances of Human Culture": Causes of Disease Epidemics
Data are extensive regarding what needs to be done to help most adults become low risk for CHD. The essentials derive from a basic law of medicine and public health: epidemics are, as set down by Virchow, due to " . . . disturbances of human culture."9 The first and foremost of the crucial disturbances producing epidemic rates of major CHD risk factors and CHD is populationwide adverse dietary patterns, along with cigarette smoking and sedentary lifestyle at work and leisure. The diets—high in caloric density, total fat, cholesterol, and saturated and trans fats (from fat- and cholesterol-laden red meats, dairy products, egg yolks, visible fats, and commercial baked goods); high in salt and processed sugars; for some, excessive in alcohol intake; and for all too many, relatively inadequate/low in key micro- and macronutrients from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (eg, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, antioxidant and other vitamins, fiber, vegetable protein, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats)—account for the epidemic occurrences of adverse levels of serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and other metabolic CHD risk factors.
In 2008, the role of high dietary cholesterol intake needs to be emphasized for several reasons: first, high cholesterol intake significantly influences serum cholesterol level2,10-12; second, high cholesterol intake relates independently to CHD risk over and above its role in increasing serum cholesterol levels2; third, feeding cholesterol (eg, from egg yolks) is and has been since 190813 the sine qua non for experimental production of atherosclerosis in laboratory animals, including nonhuman primates (ie, for replicating the human lesion underlying the CHD epidemic); and fourth, sustained commercial propaganda seeks to obfuscate these facts.
Public Policy and Popular Response
The role of adverse eating patterns as key causes of the CHD epidemic (especially the diet and serum cholesterol relationship) was largely delineated in the 1950s and 1960s and recommendations to modify and improve lifestyles were addressed both to the whole population (generally at risk) and to the sizable strata at higher risk (the 2-pronged strategy).1 The population responded by showing substantial improvements (albeit that fell short of national goals): eg, average intake levels of total fat (as percentage of total kilocalories) decreased from approximately 40% to 45% down to 32%; cholesterol from approximately 700 to 320 mg per day; and percentage of kilocalories from saturated fats from approximately 17% to 12%. Predictably (based on metabolic ward data that enabled precise estimates),10-12 population average serum cholesterol level declined considerably despite the countervailing influence of the obesity epidemic. From a 1950s/1960s level of approximately 235 to 240 mg/dL, it reached 200 mg/dL by the year 2000, a decline that predated mass statin use and that was undoubtedly due to improved dietary composition. A national health goal was achieved, but regrettably, little heralded. Over the decades from 1960 to 1990, the proportion of the population at low CHD risk also increased modestly but then decreased (Paul D. Sorlie, PhD, and Teri A. Manolio, MD, PhD, personal communication, July 2008); this remains a major clinical and public health concern.
Much progress has been made since 1948 when one of us (J.S.) began a research career studying classic texts averring that dietary factors had no influence on human serum cholesterol levels. Over the decades, epidemiologic, metabolic ward, animal experimental, clinical trial, anthropologic, and other research modalities have produced extensive concordant knowledge on the disturbances of human culture, first and foremost dietary—that caused epidemic CHD. The MRFIT findings have made an extraordinary contribution. They demonstrate the power of large numbers and hard clinical end points to illuminate public policy. Collected with years-long support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the MRFIT results have been and will continue to be an important national resource for informing public health policy.
The crucial scientific findings to end the CHD epidemic are now available. The challenge and task is to apply them in all appropriate patient contacts and across all population strata to extend the progress to date. One key for achieving this is priority emphasis on primordial prevention, ie, family dedication to favorable lifestyles (nutrition, exercise, nonsmoking) as norms of human behavior. This especially applies to the future mother so that when she conceives and throughout pregnancy, her exposures and those of her fetus are optimal and become primary and lifelong habits for the newborn infant and preschool child. Healthy eating patterns such as the DASH diet are available as models for this crucial aspect of disease.2,14,15
Corresponding Author: Jeremiah Stamler, MD, Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 N Lake Shore Dr, Ste 1102-D335, Chicago, IL 60611-4402 (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Funding/Support: This study for the 25-year follow-up of the MRFIT cohort was supported by the sustained contract and grant support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which includes research grant RO1-HL68140.
Additional Information: We express appreciation to the many colleagues who participated in the MRFIT research effort for their years-long contributions; some of these colleagues are cited by name in the 1986 article.1 This article was completed on July 30, 2008, the day the New York Times published the obituary of Julius B. Richmond, MD, a vigorous antismoking advocate and founder of Project Head Start, who in 1979 as US Surgeon General put forward the first set of health goals for the United States. We dedicate this Commentary to Dr Richmond and hope it will help individuals throughout the United States make further improvements in lifestyles and nutrition; eg, to achieve the further health goal of a national adult average serum cholesterol level of 180 mg/dL by 2020—without drug treatment.
Stamler J, Neaton JD. The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT)—Importance Then and Now. JAMA. 2008;300(11):1343–1345. doi:10.1001/jama.300.11.1343
© 2023
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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
I am trying to install Linux MCE from the bootable DVD. It starts, I can choose the hard drive and it starts to copy the files over. It then says MOUNT: Unknown File Sytem Type " Silicon_medley_raid_member" and hangs about 5 minutes into the install. I have tried a new hard drive and I receive the same error. I have D/L KBUNTU 7.10 from their site and it installs fine with no errors to the hard drive so the drive is good, even the old one. My guess is that it thinks my HD is part of a RAID which it is not. My motherboard does have a SIL raid controller on it but I do not use any of my drives in a RAID. I have tried both the AMD 64 DVD and i386 version. Currently I cannot get the cd torrents to D/L ? It is strange that it begins to install and fails about 5 minutes later. Any help would be great. Here is my setup.ASUS A8n-SLI premiumAMD athalon 64 X2WD sata hard driveseagate sata hard drive2 gigs of ram.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm a sucker for sidequests in Ni no Kuni. I blame the stamps. In the game, each time you do a sidequest, you get a number of "merit stamps" on your stamp-card, and if you fill out a card, you can trade it in for power-ups. The tougher the sidequest, the more stamps you get.
This system is good. So, so good. I don't know why exactly, but I CANNOT GET ENOUGH STAMPS.
One of the sidequests in the second city of Al Mamoon required me to track down and capture two specific beasties from the world—a little purple Turbandit and the walking banana-bunch that is called a "Green Buncher" but which I have taken to calling the Fighting Bananamonster.
Sometimes at the end of a fight, a defeated enemy will hang around at the fringes with hearts coming off of its head. That means it's time for you to quickly switch over to Esther and play it a song, and you can woo it into your expanding menagerie of beasts. I usually take these as they come, but the sidequest required that I capture two specific beasts. I already had a Turbandit, so it was time to go farm some Fighting Bananamonsters.
The only problem was, I was high enough level that every monster in the desert part of the world map would run away from me when I'd draw near. That could make running down Bananamonsters tricky—they're not very fast, but as I chased them, if one saw me while I was still a ways away, it would often vanish into thin air just as I caught up to it.
Which brings me to my one Ni no Kuni tip, which I discovered by accident. If you're farming monsters and get spotted, just hit square or triangle to call up a menu, then return to the game. The monster will "forget" it saw you and resume a regular walking pattern, which will make it a cinch to catch.
Sure, it's maybe less a "tip" and more a "minor bug/exploit," but when you're thirty minutes into a farming run and the stupid bananamonsters just won't fall in love with you no matter what, you might find it very nice to know. It still took me about a half-hour or more of farming, but eventually I did catch that Fighting Bananamonster, and I turned in the sidequest for some sweet, sweet merit stamps.
So there it is: My one Ni no Kuni tip. If you'd like a bunch of other useful pointers, go check out Jason's tips article. Okay, brb, gonna go get some more stamps.


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ICTJ has supported efforts in Timor-Leste to address the legacy of human rights violations left by a civil war and 24 years of Indonesian military occupation.
ICTJ has supported efforts in Timor-Leste to address the legacy of human rights violations left by a civil war and 24 years of Indonesian military occupation.
Following a brief civil war, Portuguese Timor was invaded by Indonesia in 1975. Over the next 24 years, East Timorese suffered displacement, sexual violence, torture and other abuses. More than 100,000 people died due to conflict.
In 1999, shortly after the fall of Indonesia's Soeharto regime, 78.5 percent of East Timorese voted for independence in a UN-organized referendum.
The vote sparked systematic violence from Indonesian security forces and their Timorese militia, resulting in more than 1,400 deaths and the destruction of most of East Timor's infrastructure.
UN-authorized troops intervened, and the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was established. In May 2002, Timor-Leste became an independent state.
The UN set up a special judicial process to investigate serious crimes committed during the conflict and indicted close to 400 suspects. As of early 2011, however, only 86 convictions have been made, and most indictees remain free in Indonesia. The Indonesian government has offered little co-operation. In addition, Timorese state institutions have suffered from a lack of political will and judicial capacity to conduct investigations and prosecutions.
In 2002, the Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation (CAVR) began investigating the violations committed between 1974 and 1999 and recommended measures to prevent future abuses. CAVR presented its final report in October 2005, followed by a popular illustrated version in 2010.
Indonesia and Timor-Leste established the bilateral Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) in 2005 to establish the truth about 1999's events. The CTF's 2008 report stated that Indonesian forces were responsible for much of the 1999 violence.
Both the CAVR and CTF recommended reparations for victims and a mechanism to search for disappeared persons. Though both were endorsed by Parliament in 2009, little progress has been made on either.
ICTJ has worked in Timor-Leste since 2002, advising the CAVR on its establishment and final report, and advising policy makers on implementation of key CAVR and CTF recommendations.
We work to ensure the voices of NGOs and victims' groups are heard in the national dialogue on transitional justice.
ICTJ also empowers victims through collaboration with local NGO partners and the Ministry of Social Solidarity.


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I'm grateful for my children, who are slowly emerging to become their own wonderful, interesting, compassionate young adults — which makes me believe that along the way I must have done something right.
— Jodi Picoult author of House Rules
My library card. Every hurdle I've faced, I have researched my way over at a library. I'm grateful for that part of the American spirit that believes every citizen should have access to books.
More From Good Housekeeping
— Sarah Bird author of How Perfect Is That
True love and good health are related in that we don't seem to appreciate them till they are gone. I try not to take either for granted.
— Abraham Verghese, M.D.author of Cutting for Stone
I'm truly grateful for my microwave, which allows me to easily clarify butter, steam vegetables, and — when I am really lazy — feed my three kids in less than five minutes.
— Sara Gruen author of Water for Elephants and Ape House
When I was adopted, I went to the home of Jerry and Junie Chenoweth. I feel like I won the lottery in the family department. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful thatI was placed with the right family. I believe God had a big part in that. Also, I do have long legs, which I am thankful for because I'm only 4'11".
— Kristin Chenoweth Emmy and Tony Award — winning actress, currently appearing in Promises, Promises
Little treats. My daily Nespresso coffee, an unexpected shaft of sunlight through the window on a winter's day, my bargain Missoni sunglasses (70 percent off!).
— Sophie Kinsella author of Mini Shopaholic
This may sound disingenuous, but I'm truly glad for adversity. Because it, more than anything, can shape you into what you want to be, and do work you'd otherwise put off doing. For example, after my divorce, I saw that many problems I'd blamed on my spouse were really problems in myself. And painful though it was, divorce led me to taking the first steps toward real self-knowledge and personal responsibility.
— Elizabeth Berg author of The Last Time I Saw You
I am grateful for all the military families that I've met. I wanted to spread hope and cheer to all; little did I know that they would be the ones to change my life the way they have! — Wynonna Judd singer and actress
After experiencing my husband's and my sister's deaths, every day that my family is healthy, I am grateful. To not be sick with worry is a real gift.
— Katie Couric anchor and managing editor, CBS Evening News
I'm grateful to have married a man who can't abide a dirty kitchen. Because I hate mess marginally less than he does, I'm almost never the one who has to clean up!
— Ayelet Waldman author of Red Hook Road
Every chair at the kitchen table occupied, candles lit, hands held for a brief moment of grace before dinner. Now that my children are grown and away from home much of the time, a simple family meal feels fleeting, precious, worthy of thanksgiving.
— Katrina Kenison author of The Gift of an Ordinary Day
There was a time when I was in a state of utter despair, immersed in guilt over promises made on which I had not delivered. I went to my vocal coach, Fred Wilkerson, weeping copiously. He asked what was the matter. I responded, "I'm going crazy. I am almost at the brink of suicide." He offered me a legal-size, lined yellow pad and a pen. He said, "Write down your blessings!" Furious that he didn't understand my condition, I shouted, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm telling you I am going crazy." He said, "Write down that you could hear me say 'write down' and think of the millions who cannot hear the cries of their babies, or the sweet words of their beloveds, or the alarm that could help them seek safety. Write down that you can see this yellow pad and think of the millions on this planet who cannot see the smiles of their growing children or the delight in the faces of their beloveds, or the colors of the sunrise and the softness of the twilight. Write down that you know how to write. Write down that you know how to read." Wilkie, as he was known, gave me that lesson in 1955. Fifty-five years later, I have written 31 books, essays, plays, and lyrics for songs — all on yellow pads. I remain in an attitude of gratitude.
— Maya Angelou performer, poet, and author of Great Food, All Day Long
I'm grateful for my brother, Louis, who always told me the truth about boys. Also: I can still get on the scale every morning and see the numbers and my toes!
— Heloise Good Housekeeping cleaning guru
I am grateful for what I call well-spent moments: Making a tuna fish sandwich with the works. Taking at least a half hour to eat it outside. Ironing my vintage tea towels while watching old black-and-white film noir movies and sipping one martini with extra olives — a quirky combination, but it works.
— Sarah Ban Breathnach author of Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity, out this month
Perspective. As much as I sometimes rue the mounting physical evidence of being around for 40-something years, it's a fair trade for the gift of knowing what matters. Related: Spanx, and an affordable colorist.
— Kyran Pittman author of Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life, to be published this summer
I am every day grateful for the gift of life, and for the uncountable charms and promise of Creation. I glimpse eternity in the coral sky of a dawn drenched in silence, in the mystical eyes of my golden retriever, in my wife's lovely hands as she prepares vegetables for dinner, in the diamonded night sky, and in every humble thing.
— Dean Koontz author of What the Night Knows
I am so grateful for after-school snack time, when I light a candle, pour some tea, slice some apples, and get to listen in on my kids' highs and lows of the day.
— Laurie David producer of An Inconvenient Truth and author of The Family Dinner
I am grateful to sit down to dinner with Deborah [Roberts, my wife] and the kids. It's that connective tissue.... "What did you do that was fun today?" Occasionally one of the kids will even say, "Daddy, how was your day?"
— Al Roker TV broadcaster and author
Nancy Drew, who made it possible to envision a life beyond fifth grade. She is directly responsible for pointing the way to the career I love so much today.
— Jayne Ann Krentz author of In Too Deep and other romantic suspense novels
I'm grateful for my whole family, but my dad is like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Superman, and Evel Knievel all at one time. I can think I have it all figured out, and he'll say, "But did you look at that side of it?" He shows me just how much more there is than what appears to be.
— Guy Fieri TV host, chef, and author
I'm thankful for the freedom to worship as we choose in this country.
— Joel Osteen pastor and author of The Christmas Spirit, just published
I'm grateful to the genius who invented root touch-up. I can stretch a dye job an additional three weeks!
— Adriana Trigiani author of Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from My Grandmothers
Audiobooks. I listen to them while taking my daily walk: Being read to is at once a treat reminiscent of childhood and a privilege that transports me into literature through a whole different portal from the printed page.
— Aimee Liu author of Gaining and Cloud Mountain
Every day after lunch when I was writing my first book, I'd nibble a square of fine chocolate and meditate on all that had gone into its creation: the sun and rain that spilled on the cocoa plant, the soil that nourished it, the hands that picked the beans, and so on. My taste of chocolate became a lesson on the interconnectedness of things, and the infinite blessings for which I am grateful.
— Laura Hillenbrand author of Seabiscuit and Unbroken
I am so grateful that I have one last year of my little girl believing in Santa Claus.
— Kathryn Stockett author of The Help
I am extremely grateful for two big gifts from my father. First, my sense of humor — the ability to see the humor in something while it is happening. That has cushioned my life. I am also grateful for the work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It has enriched my life and made me a very different person.
— Marlo Thomas actress, author, and activist
Anyone who has been through dark times knows there are moments when you can't think what, exactly, there is to be thankful for — you simply can't feel, in the depths of your heart, grateful. When those moments pass — and when I look around, and feel that profound, heart-stopping gratitude for all that is right and beautiful in the world — well, I'm grateful for gratitude.
— Dominique Browning author of Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put On My Pajamas & Found Happiness
That we have something to be thankful for. That pumpkin pies are once more in fashion. That turkey is cheap enough for the poor man's table. That the cranberry crop wasn't ruined by the frosts. That the country is still quite safe in spite of the politicians.
— Good Housekeeping, November 1888
...salute the joys of these simple pleasures:
- McDreamy, McSteamy, and — occasionally — McNuggets
- Friending long-lost gal pals you've found on Facebook
- Self-tanners that don't streak, smell, or stain your clothes
- A Sudoku book stashed in your purse when you're waiting — and waiting — at the doctor's office
- Looking through those old cards and letters your grandparents sent you
- Realizing your purchase qualifies for free next-day shipping
- Every Audrey Hepburn movie. But especially Sabrina's train station scene, after she's returned from Paris with a chic suit, a gamine haircut, and a toy poodle atop her stack of luggage
- Chasing fireflies with the kids
- The mammogram being all clear
- That he remembered your wedding anniversary and that you love yellow roses
- The nice person ahead of you in line at the supermarket who sees you are just buying milk and says, "Go ahead of me"
- The first snowfall of the year, every year n
...my freedom! I just listened to a story of life in the Congo...heartbreaking, and I couldn't imagine!
— Brooke O'Kelly
...my husband having a very secure and wonderful job.
— Kristine Franzese Carbone
...the soldiers that fight for our liberty.
— Heather Starr Johnson-Shanahan
...my family and my faith, both of which are what keep me going every day.
— Audrey Marie Sheppard
Readers, what are you most grateful for? Please add your comments below!


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Bumgarner pitches Giants to brink of Series crown
ARLINGTON, Texas – The rookie pitched way beyond his years, sending a shudder through Rangers Ballpark.
Madison Bumgarner dominated for eight innings, Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey homered and the San Francisco Giants put on a fielding clinic in Game 4, beating Texas 4-0 on Sunday night to move within one win of that elusive World Series title.
Dressed in black-and-orange, the Giants were spooky good in taking a 3-1 edge. The 21-year-old Bumgarner allowed only three hits and took all the fun out of a festive, Halloween crowd.
"I can't say enough about what he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Ace Tim Lincecum will try Monday night to deliver the Giants' first championship since they moved to San Francisco in 1958. And now it's up to Cliff Lee to save the Rangers' season in Game 5.
"With a win, I usually sleep pretty good in the playoffs, with a loss pretty shaky. Hopefully we sleep good tonight. We've got a big challenge tomorrow with Cliff Lee," Huff said. "We got him last game, but you know he's going to come out and really want to get us."
Bumgarner and closer Brian Wilson made the Giants the first team to post two shutouts in a World Series since Baltimore threw three straight to close out the Dodgers in 1966.
"It's certainly been pitching as advertised," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "They've got good stuff. They've got velocity. They can spin the baseball. They can change speeds and they keep their defense engaged."
Huff, who grew up in the Metroplex, hit a two-run homer in the third that gave Bumgarner all the support he needed. Posey added a solo shot in the eighth – Bumgarner and Posey became the first rookie battery to start in the Series since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra for the Yankees in 1947.
Even though Bumgarner got relief help, it was a complete game for the Giants. Andres Torres doubled twice, singled and drove in a run and Edgar Renteria also got three hits.
Left fielder Cody Ross came up with a shoestring catch, second baseman Freddy Sanchez made a leaping grab and Posey threw out Josh Hamilton trying to steal. Bumgarner helped himself, too, knocking down Hamilton's scorcher up the middle.
Coming off a 4-2 win Saturday night, the Rangers and their fans were ready to even this Series. Earlier in the day, about a quarter-mile away at Cowboys Stadium, Dallas dropped to 1-6 with a 35-17 loss to Jacksonsville. Two little boys held up signs inside that read: "Hurry Up Cowboys … I Have a Rangers Game to go to."
The father-and-son team of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first ball in what Major League Baseball said was the first time two former presidents attended a World Series game.
The elder Bush's wife, Barbara, even kept score from her front-row seat next to the Texas dugout. There wasn't much to write down – not on the Texas side, anyway.
Bumgarner didn't permit a runner past first base until the seventh. Facing his only jam, the lefty retired Ian Kinsler on a fly ball to strand two runners and preserve a 3-0 lead.
Bumgarner struck out Vladimir Guerrero three times, the first time the star Texas designated hitter had done that this season.
The Giants' fourth starter, Bumgarner went 7-6 in 18 starts this season. He began this game with a four-pitch walk to Elvis Andrus and ran into little trouble after that. He struck six, walked two and improved to 2-0 in three postseason starts.
"I try to tell myself all the time just to relax and take deep breaths, control the breathing. It helps me relax and stay calm and act like it's not a big deal. Obviously it is, it's the World Series. Just tried to go out there and relax, and it's worked out," he said.
Wilson closed with a hitless ninth.
The Giants tweaked their lineup, benching strikeout machine Pat Burrell and making Huff the DH for the first time this season. Bochy put Nate Schierholtz in right field and Travis Ishikawa at first base – fine fielders, not great hitters. That's more the NL way, where spare bats rarely grow on the bench.
Washington came off his bench twice to discuss calls with first base umpire Jeff Kellogg. Both plays were bang-bang, and replays seemed to show both were misses that went against the Rangers.
Thwarted early, the Giants took a 2-0 lead in the third on Huff's homer. Torres led off with a grounder that hit the first-base bag, kicked up and rolled into the corner for a double. Sanchez failed to advance him and was still shouting at himself down in the dugout tunnel when Huff hit a long drive to right.
Huff homered on the 62nd pitch overall from Hunter, who tossed strikes but couldn't throw the ball past anyone. Alexi Ogando began warming up in the Texas bullpen in the third and replaced Hunter in the fifth.
Ogando set down five straight batters, then bounced a breaking ball to the sixth and immediately grabbed his left side. A trainer went to the mound, Ogando came out and Darren Oliver relieved.
The Giants took an aggressive approach from the get-go. After Torres led off the game with an infield single, Bochy ordered up a bunt, hit-and-run and a steal – all with Sanchez at the plate.
Hamilton kept things scoreless in the Giants second. The All-Star center fielder charged hard to make a diving, backhanded catch on a blooper by Schierholtz that stranded runners at the corners.
Notes: At 21, Bumgarner became the fifth-youngest pitcher to start in a World Series. Bullet Joe Bush was 20 for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913. … Hunter has not gotten past the fourth inning in any of his three postseason starts. He went 13-4 during the regular season. … Huff hit his first homer since Sept. 25. … Hunter fielded Renteria's bat after it slipped out of his hands and slithered to the mound in the second. Hunter politely handed it back to Renteria. … Ishikawa, making his first start since Aug. 14, scraped his chin making a headfirst dive into third base.
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A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture often built in regions with sufficient snowfall.
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New way to control disease-spreading mosquitoes: Make them hold their urine
Cornell researchers have found a protein that may lead to a new way to control mosquitoes that spread dengue fever, yellow fever and other diseases when they feed on humans: Prevent them from urinating as they feed on blood.
The work may lead to the development of new insecticides to disrupt the mosquito's renal system, which contributes to a mosquito's survival after feeding on blood.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit the virus that causes dengue fever, putting 40 percent of the world's population at risk of catching the disease, and causing 50 million to 100 million infections (22,000 deaths) annually. They pick up diseases when feeding on infected hosts and can then infect new hosts when they feed again. Currently, no vaccine or treatment protects against dengue, so the only way to stop its spread is by controlling mosquitoes.
But now, a Cornell study published in the March 4, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology has identified a protein from the renal tubules of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that appears to be involved in promoting urination as they feed on blood. When mosquitoes consume and process blood meals, they must urinate to prevent fluid and salt overloads that can kill them.
Also, "they have to undergo rapid urination when feeding, or they can't fly away," said Peter Piermarini, the paper's lead author and a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Klaus Beyenbach, a professor of biomedical sciences in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine and the paper's senior author. "Too much weight will impair the mosquito's flight performance, like an aircraft with too much payload. [If they get too heavy,] they may become more susceptible to being swatted by their host or eaten by a predator," said Piermarini.
The researchers discovered a key protein expressed in the mosquito's renal system that contributes to urination. In lab experiments, Piermarini, Beyenbach and colleagues demonstrated that blocking the protein's function in the renal tubules with a drug reverses the enhanced rates of urination that would occur during blood feeding.
"Thus, blocking the function of this protein in natural populations of mosquitoes may limit their ability to survive the physiological stresses of a blood meal and to further transmit viruses," said Piermarini.
The Aedes aegypti renal system also serves as a valuable model for parts of the mammalian kidney, with similar cells in each system and possibly similar proteins, said the authors.
Provided by Cornell University


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White House Chief of Staff To Be U of I's Commencement Speaker
New White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley is the speaker for the University of Illinois' 140th commencement ceremonies next month.
The longtime executive with JP Morgan Chase & Co. also served as president of SBC Communications from 2001 to 2004.
He was a campaign manager for Al Gore's presidential run in 2000, and was Secretary of Commerce from 1997 to 2000, overseeing a department of more than 40,000 people. He was Special Counsel to President Clinton in 1993, focusing on international trade issues. Daley served as a lawyer early in his career, and has served on the boards of several corporate, academic, medical, charitable, and civic organizations.
The Chicago native is brother to the city's outgoing mayor, Richard M. Daley. He is married to Bernadette Keller. William Daley will deliver his commencement speech at the 10:30 and 2 p.m. ceremonies at Assembly Hall on May 15th.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)


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Sammy is a wonderful teacher. He has students at his shop and often teaches workshops at Cross Cultural Collaborative in Nungua. When not teaching, Sammy is also a student, studying dyeing techniques with artisans from Niger and other African countries. These are techniques that he adds to his visual arts degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.


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Deadlines looming under the dome
Over 6,000 bills were filed in the 2013 legislative session. And historically speaking, only about 20 percent of them will be signed into law.
Many of those that don't pass won't even receive the dignified end of being voted down by lawmakers. Some will instead get trapped forever in the labyrinth of procedures and deadlines that mark the last month of the session.
"You know the legislative session is set up like a funnel, at the beginning you can consider everything. And they file about 6 or 7 thousand bills and say we want to do this and that and the other thing," Texas Tribune executive editor Ross Ramsey said.
"There's this calendar page that floats around the legislature. It's black on white prints and some of the dates on this have red squares around them and those are deadline days."
May 6th is the first of these deadlines. That's the final day a House committee can pass out a bill and send it on to the House floor. There are similar deadlines in the Senate. But that chamber tends to suspend any rules necessary to pass a bill.
"The way the Senate works it's rules they can suspend the laws of gravity if they want to," Ramsey said.
The deadlines are just the first of many procedural pitfalls that end a legislative session. Got a question about how the 140 days wrap up? Send it to us at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also follow us on Twitter: @AgendaTexas.


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Correlation of brain tissue oxygen and regional cerebral blood flow
Korrelation von Hirngewebssauerstoff und regionalem zerebralen Blutfluss
Search Medline for
|April 23, 2004
To analyse the relation between the partial pressure of brain tissue oxygen (PtiO2) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF).
In 8 patients after severe aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH, n=5) and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI, n=3) simultaneous continuous monitoring of PtiO2 and rCBF was performed. Parameters were measured using a flexible polarographic PtiO2-probe and a newly developed thermal diffusion microprobe. The mean duration of monitoring was 10 days. Statistical analysis of the data was made using linear regression.
Regarding the whole monitoring period, the data suggested a linear relation between rCBF and PtiO2. In 72 % of 400 analysed intervals of 30 minutes duration, a strong correlation between rCBF and PtiO2 existed (r > 0,6) and in 19 % of intervals a less strong, but statistically still significant correlation was observed (0,3 < r < 0,6). During the remaining 9 % no correlation was found (r < 0,3).
This study demonstrated that changes of PtiO2 are induced by simultaneous changes of rCBF in more than 90 % of episodes. Other factors influencing PtiO2, such as arterial oxygen content, may be of secondary importance.


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KRASNOYARSK, Russia — Two jailed members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were released Monday following an amnesty law that both described as a Kremlin public relations stunt ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were granted amnesty last week in a move largely viewed as the Kremlin's attempt to soothe criticism of Russia's human rights record ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.
The third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released on a suspended sentence months after all three were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison for the performance at Moscow's main cathedral in March 2012.
The band members said their protest was meant to raise their concern about increasingly close ties between the state and the church.
Russian parliament passed the amnesty bill last week, allowing the release of thousands of inmates. Alekhina and Tolokonnikova, who were due for release in March, qualified for amnesty because they have small children.
There has been an international outcry over Russia's human rights record, including for passing a law earlier this year that bans so-called homosexual propaganda among minors, which gay groups in Russia and abroad say feeds the existing enmity toward gay people in the country.
Tolokonnikova walked out of a prison in the eastern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on Monday, smiling to reporters and flashing a V sign.
"How do you like our Siberian weather here?" said Tolokonnikova, wearing a down jacket but no hat or scarf in -25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Fahrenheit). Tolokonnikova said that she and Alekhina will set up a human rights group to help prisoners.
Tolokonnikova said the way prisons are run reflect the way the country is governed.
"I saw this small totalitarian machine from the inside," the 24-year-old said. "Russia functions the same way the prison colony does," she said.
Alekhina, who was released earlier on Monday from a prison outside the Volga river city of Nizhny Novgorod, said she would have stayed behind bars to serve her term if she was free to turn it down.
"If I had a chance to turn it down, I would have done it, no doubt about that," she told Dozhd TV. "This is not an amnesty. This is a hoax and a PR move."
She said the amnesty bill covers less than 10 percent of the prison population and only a fraction of women with children behind bars. Women convicted of grave crimes, even if they have children, are not eligible for amnesty.
Alkhina said that prison officials did not give her a chance to say goodbye to cell mates, but put her in a car and drove her to the train station in downtown Nizhny Novgorod. Before seeing her family and friends, she met with local rights activists and said she will work on defending human rights.
The release of the two Pussy Riot band members came days after President Vladimir Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon and once Russia's richest man, who spent a decade in prison after challenging Putin's power. Khodorkovsky flew to Germany after release and said he will stay out of politics. He pledged, however, to fight for the release of political prisoners in Russia.
Russia's Supreme Court earlier this month ordered a review of the Pussy Riot case, saying that a lower court did not fully prove their guilt and did not take their family circumstances into consideration when reaching the verdict.
Also on Monday, the European Court of Human Rights said it will review a complaint filed by band members over their treatment while on trial in Moscow in 2012.
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So, who's the cuddly one in your dyad?
Here's an interesting advice column from one of my former employers, the national Canadian daily The Globe and Mail, on the issue of a non-cuddly husband.
Typical of Globe stories, this one has 298 (!!) comments.
I wanted to blog this because, in my marriage, I'm the dude, the one much less comfortable with emotions, expressing tender feelings, being cuddly and saying "I love you."
When Jose and I started dating 12 years ago, I quickly noticed this, and often joked that he's the girl and I'm the guy in this respect. He always wanted to talk about our relationship, to share his feelings, to feel validated by my listening attentively to them.
It's not that I didn't love him. But I come from a pretty frosty family, hardly unusual among educated WASPs, especially Canadians, (some of whose British stiff-upper-lip-ness affects all aspects of life, from work to medical treatment.)
It's not easy at midlife to radically alter your emotional style, even when you know it's a good idea.
I'm grateful Jose is as accepting of me as he is. As I've written about here, I spent most of my childhood at boarding school and summer camp, starting at the age of eight. I didn't see my Dad that much as he traveled a lot and he and my mother were divorced by then.
When I hear people chirp "Love you!" into their cellphones, I wonder how it comes so easily to them.
So I learned, young, to keep my softer emotions hidden and in check. There was little reason to hug a ferocious, scolding housemother!
Jose, who is Hispanic, grew up in a loving and intact family, with a Mom who was thrilled to have him — surprise! — when she was 49. I keep a photo of him as a small baby on my computer, his Mom holding his tiny hand as he stands on their piano bench, as they both look so totally delighted with one another.
I never got a chance to meet her, as she and his Dad died decades ago. But her abundant love perfumes my every day through her loving son. At our wedding reception, in September 2011, I toasted Gregorita and thanked her for the spirit of affection that Jose so embodies and shares, with me and with others
He freely and easily says "I love you" a lot. He hugs and kisses. He holds my hand. All of which I adore and am very grateful for.
He knows I'm nuts about him, even if I'm not very skilled at expressing it.
Thank heaven!
In your relationship, who's the huggy one?


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Education's cheating epidemic
Cheating was, is and probably always will be a fact of life. Recently, technology has provided new ways to cheat, but advanced electronics can't be blamed for our increasing willingness to tolerate it.
Once upon a time, being an honorable person included the notion that your word was your bond, and integrity was a crucial element in establishing a good reputation. At least, that was part of the narrative that made up our social compact. My teaching experience tells me, however, that lying and cheating are seen by a lot of kids today as a crucial part of any path to success. The only shame is in getting caught.
Students tell me that math is the easiest course in which to cheat because they can program calculators before a test and cheat undetected. An English teacher told me she no longer counts her vocabulary quizzes in her students' grades because she hasn't found a way to stop them from copying the answers. And our school's not-uncommon policy is basically to forgive a first offense and to enter it into the permanent record only if the student is caught again.
Compounding the problem is the fact that many students aren't fully aware of what constitutes cheating. While teaching at a university a few years ago, I was surprised when a student I had accused of plagiarizing by cutting and pasting text from a website denied having cheated. He indignantly argued that he would never cut and paste — he had retyped the entire thing.
A few weeks ago, a student took my final exam in the morning and gave the answers to someone who was taking it that afternoon. The second student didn't notice that the question on his test was slightly different, and the answer was now wrong. When confronted, he professed not to understand that he had cheated. He thought that getting a test answer from another student in advance was no different than studying with a partner. A few days later, when his mother came in to find out why her son had failed, she too said she couldn't understand the difference.
In a survey of students last month, I asked what they thought of the idea of requiring next semester's students to sign a pledge that said, simply, "I will not lie, cheat or steal." Most thought it was a great idea, but they didn't think the pledge would change anything.
As for the proposed penalties, they thought that giving an F on an assignment was OK, giving an F on the report card was acceptable but harsh and that putting the names of the cheaters on a public "wall of shame" would be going too far.
That implies that students put a value on their public reputation, so a wall of shame might be an effective threat. But the idea didn't fly any better with my colleagues than it did with my students. One compared it to cutting off the hands of a thief as a deterrent to crime. Another went so far as to say that it would be the same as taking the offending students outside and having the class throw things at them. Instead of focusing on the penalty for cheating, she said, we should be addressing the pressures that make students feel they need to cheat to succeed.
She has a point. It's easy to see how students these days end up feeling that cheating is an accepted part of success. They hear every day about people borrowing money they had no way of paying back, and banks falsifying forms to enable the borrowing, and Wall Street brokers knowingly selling worthless housing securities based on those loans. And no one was punished for that, except for those who happened to be holding the bag when someone noticed it was empty.
Today's vice president of the United States was caught having plagiarized his stump speech in the 1980s. At the time, many thought that would be the end of his political career, but in today's world, it's just one of those things.
Students, parents, teachers and administrators complain that there is too much cheating going on in our schools, but they tend to point at each other when asked who should be responsible for fixing the problem. That's not how change will happen — but something has to change.
Cheating needs to be addressed as part of a cultural problem. It is up to us to make it unacceptable not only in schools but also throughout society. Every time we accept it as unavoidable or tolerable, we help ensure that the culture of cheating is passed on to the next generation.
Victor Dorff, a former attorney and journalist, teaches math at Palisades Charter High School.
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Pete Souza: "To appreciate this photograph, one must know the iconic photograph by Stanley Tretick of John Kennedy Jr. crawling out from the trap door of this same desk while his father, President Kennedy, worked at the desk. Caroline Kennedy had stopped by to see President Obama, and when she mentioned that he was using the same desk as her father, the President immediately remembered the Tretick picture and tried to open the trap door. It was locked and no one had a key." March 9, 2009
Today (All Times Eastern)
12:45 PM EDT: The President delivers remarks on energy, Walmart, Mountain View, California
1:45 PM EDT: Departs California
6:35 PM EDT: Arrives White House
Taegan Goddard: ObamaCare Is Working – And The GOP Is Shifting Its Attack
After pounding Democrats on ObamaCare for the last several years, Republicans have a big problem. The law is working and their message is falling flat. This was confirmed again by testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday in which health care industry executives surprised Republican lawmakers. They said the law has not led to a government takeover of the industry, that most enrollees are paying their premiums as required, and that premiums are not certain to go up next year as Republicans claim. With more than 8 million people enrolled in health plans through the ObamaCare exchanges, many Republicans know it's much harder to repeal the law now than it might have been several years ago. And they tried more than 50 times already without success.
More here
David Jackson: Obama Touts Energy Plans, Trumpets W. House Solar Panels
President Obama will announce new plans Friday designed to boost solar power and promote energy efficiency, including the completed installation of solar panels on the White House roof. The solar panels on the president's residence are "part of an energy retrofit that will improve the overall energy efficiency of the building," said White House spokesman Matt Lehrich. During a visit to Wal-Mart in Mountain View, Calif., near San Jose, Obama will also outline what aides call some 300 "private and public sector commitments" designed to create jobs and reduce carbon pollution.
The speech comes three days after the administration issued a report saying that climate change caused by pollution is already damaging the environment and triggering extreme weather conditions. The initiatives Obama will announce Friday include programs aimed at financing for new solar business ventures, training and developing a solar workforce, and enforcing new building codes to promote efficiency. Private companies, including Wal-Mart, will commit to similar projects, the White House said. The plans are projected to create enough new solar energy to power more than 130,000 homes, and energy savings that are the equivalent of taking 80 million cars off the road for one year, the White House said.
More here
One of the best stigma reducing pieces and videos I've seen on abortion. She uses facts to combat the rightwing extremism and lies. Bravo, Cosmopolitan for featuring this article.
Emily Letts: Why I Filmed My Abortion
When Emily Letts got pregnant, she knew she would get an abortion. Then she decided to film it. Letts, 25, is an abortion counselor at Cherry Hill Women's Center in New Jersey, which is where she had her abortion. The non-graphic video focuses on her face and shows her breathing and humming through the procedure. The doctor on the other side of the sheet is out of view. When she entered the Abortion Care Network's Stigma Busting video competition and won, the video went viral. Here, she explains why she decided to share her experience so publicly. I searched the Internet, and I couldn't find a video of an actual surgical procedure in the clinic that focused on the woman's experience. We talk about abortion so much and yet no one really knows what it actually looks like. A first trimester abortion takes three to five minutes. It is safer than giving birth. There is no cutting, and risk of infertility is less than 1 percent. Yet women come into the clinic all the time terrified that they are going to be cut open, convinced that they won't be able to have kids after the abortion. The misinformation is amazing, but think about it: They are still willing to sacrifice these things because they know that they can't carry the child at this moment.
There are three options for a first-trimester abortion: medical abortion, which is the pill; a surgical abortion with IV sedation, where you're asleep through the whole thing; and a surgical abortion with local anesthesia during which you're awake. The first night I posted the video to my Facebook page, I couldn't sleep. Then I looked at my Facebook wall. I was expecting this tsunami of hateful, scary things, but everyone was so breathtakingly supportive. People who I have never talked to started writing their own abortion stories. I had one woman who messaged me saying she'd had an abortion that week and she was plagued with guilt. Her boyfriend called her a killer, but she said she was recovering well and appreciated the video. Another woman told me she'd had a miscarriage and that because of my video she felt like she could talk to me about it. Just all of these things started pouring out of women.
More here
Derek Willis: The Most Republican Company?: The Makers Of Wonder Bread
The most Republican-leaning company in the country, based on political donations, isn't Koch Industries. It's the company that makes Wonder Bread. The political action committee of Flowers Foods, a Georgia company that produces the pillowy sandwich bread, Tastykakes and Nature's Own baked goods, has given more than 99 percent of its political contributions since 1979 to Republicans. Only three Democratic congressional candidates have gotten money from its PAC since 1984, and not one in the past 20 years. Most corporations involved in national politics don't operate this way. Despite its largess, Flowers keeps a low profile that masks the motives for its one-sided giving. It's based in Thomasville, a southwestern Georgia city just over the Florida border best known for an annual rose festival and grand antebellum homes.
There are other companies that lean heavily toward Republicans: The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store PAC routinely gives them more than 80 percent of its contributions. The PAC of Phillips International, a financial information publisher, gave a combined $1,100 to just two Democrats between 1994 and 2006, compared with more than $545,000 to Republicans. The California-based radio and publishing company Salem Communications, which like Phillips has openly embraced a conservative message, also gives almost nothing to Democrats. Some trade associations, like the Associated Builders and Contractors, have long been exclusive donors to Republicans, much the way many labor unions have given almost all of their contributions to Democrats. But none of those companies have given as much money as Flowers has, and over as long a period of time.
More here
[lunges for credit card] buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynsk… http://t.co/uqtWXAJqLj v @BuzzFeedAndrew—
Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) May 08, 2014
Barack Obama is helping victims of a disaster, Michelle Obama is busy with the kidnapped girls & the GOP is making up the next conspiracy.—
John (@linnyitssn) May 07, 2014
NBC News: The Newest Benghazi Controversy: Political Fundraising
House Speaker John Boehner would not say Thursday if the House GOP's campaign arm should stop including the Benghazi attacks in fundraising appeals. Asked three times whether the National Republican Congressional Committee should be fundraising based on what they call Democratic obstruction of the Benghazi investigation, Boehner answered only: "Our focus is on getting the answers to those families who lost their loved ones. Period." An NRCC email sent Wednesday morning included a link to "become a Benghazi watchdog" – which led to a page where supporters can donate cash. A separate website called "BenghaziWatchdogs.com" still contains a link encouraging visitors to "help fight liberals by donating today."
Democrats say that's inappropriate and calls attention to the political nature of the GOP focus on Benghazi. In a statement sent minutes before Boehner's weekly press conference began, Rep. Steve Israel, who chairs the Democratic counterpart to the NRCC, called the Republican cash appeal "callous." "Fundraising off the Benghazi tragedy is despicable and insulting and has no place in the national conversation," he said. "Speaker Boehner and Chairman Walden should immediately take down their BenghaziWatchdogs.com website and stop insulting the memory of the brave Americans who were lost there."
More here
Man, that Obamacare is milking me dry. http://t.co/x759F9aFgo—
(@bellesouth) May 08, 2014
Called by Republicans, Health Insurers Deliver Unexpected Testimony nyti.ms/1orNvIm—
The Caucus (@thecaucus) May 08, 2014
Eleanor Kennedy: HCA, Community Health Systems And LifePoint Starting To See Benefits From The Affordable Care Act
One quarter in, Nashville's publicly traded hospital operators seem optimistic about the effects of the Affordable Care Act on their bottom lines. Community Health Systems CFO Larry Cash told investors and analysts during the company's first-quarter earnings call Wednesday that the ACA should decrease self-pay admissions from about 8 percent to about 4 percent over a three-year period. The company has seen some early moderate impacts, especially in Medicaid expansion states where self-pay admissions have already begun to drop, Cash said. "We believe we have recognized, although on a roughly calculated basis, at least $10 million from the 'woodwork effect' [in which people currently eligible for Medicaid but who had yet to sign up will now do so because of the ACA] and the Affordable Care Act for additional Medicaid business," Cash said.
Brentwood-based LifePoint was also high on the ACA's impacts during its first-quarter earnings call last week, with company leadership emphasizing Medicaid expansion's effects in many of the states where it operates hospitals. "So far and as expected, the new health care law has been a net positive for LifePoint with respect to Medicaid expansion," CEO Bill Carpenter said during the call. "In the seven states where we operate that have expanded coverage, we saw increasing Medicaid and decreasing self-pay volumes. Increases in Medicaid membership and health insurance exchange participation contributed measurably to our results in the quarter.
More here
WH: POTUS to nominate Robert Stephen Beecroft as U.S Ambassador to Egypt and Stuart E. Jones as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq—
Jim Acosta (@JimAcostaCNN) May 08, 2014
Readout of @AmbassadorRice's Meeting with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority: wh.gov/l7ZUY—
@NSCPress (@NSCPress) May 08, 2014
Readout of the @VP's Call with President Dilma Rousseff of #Brazil: wh.gov/l79F9 #FIFA #WorldCup—
@NSCPress (@NSCPress) May 09, 2014
Elise Vebeck: Obama's HHS Nominee Breezes Through Senate Confirmation Hearing
Senate Republicans mounted little resistance Thursday to Sylvia Burwell, President Obama's nominee to replace Kathleen Sebelius as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While several of the senators played up their opposition to ObamaCare, most Republicans called Burwell a qualified pick, and several went out of their way to praise the former Clinton administration official as uniquely suited to lead HHS. GOP lawmakers solicited Burwell's views on major policy debates, such as how ObamaCare will affect the economy, the deficit and federal healthcare costs. Not surprisingly, Burwell sided with the administration on every point. "The Affordable Care Act is strengthening the economy … reducing the deficit and providing great savings," she said.
At the same time, Burwell played up her desire to be flexible on certain issues, like states' desire to expand Medicaid in alternative ways. She also sought to quiet debate on the cost-cutting Independent Payment Advisory Board and other controversial topics. "IPAB never needs to be used," Burwell said, noting that the panel is only triggered when the rate of healthcare spending rises above a certain level. "In the current window that we're looking at, it is our estimate that it would never be activated," she said. The path to confirmation for Burwell would look very different had Senate Democrats not used the "nuclear option" last year. The procedural maneuver gave Democrats the power to confirm nominees like Burwell with a simple majority vote, which means they can approve Obama's choices without any Republican support. Last April, she was confirmed to head the Office of Management and Budget by a vote of 96-0.
More here
I have cancer. Its hard for me to work full time. Thanks to @BarackObama I have been able to cut to 3/4 time and still have health coverage—
Robert Gillespie (@nffc65) May 08, 2014
Yes, Obamacare will save lives, and here's the evidence: fw.to/QIwULDM—
Michael Hiltzik (@hiltzikm) May 06, 2014
Scott Keyes: Before Obamacare, GOP Candidate Was Denied Health Coverage For Adopting A Child
In a parallel universe, Matt Bevin might not be an anti-Obamacare crusader, but instead a poster child for the issues with the old health insurance industry and the ways in which the Affordable Care Act now prevents insurers from taking advantage of consumers. That's because Bevin, a Republican Senate candidate trying to unseat Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), himself was once the victim of an unfair insurance industry practice: Denying coverage to consumers because of a pre-existing condition. During a campaign stop in western Kentucky on Monday, Bevin told the crowd that after leaving a job, "My wife and I literally didn't have health care for about a year because of a pre-existing condition."
Was it cancer? Heart disease? Pancreatitis? No. It wasn't a health condition at all. "I was rather shocked… What it was is that we were adopting. That's considered a pre-existing condition," Bevin said. He and his wife have four adopted children from Ethiopia in total. As a result, Bevin noted, "For over a year or so, I had no coverage for my entire family. That's a little bit unnerving for people." Bevin's experience is exactly the type of ordeal that families no longer have to go through now that Obamacare is the law of the land. Despite unwittingly making a succinct case in favor of health reform, Bevin's takeaway from his own insurance debacle was that we need to repeal Obamacare and instead "let states come up with solutions."
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Obama's big move on solar is equivalent to a year without 80 million cars thkpr.gs/1joPkpF http://t.co/2JsuprLNMs—
ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) May 09, 2014
Eugene Robinson: Obama's Transformational Presidency
Is it safe to say that Barack Obama's presidency will be remembered as the most consequential since Ronald Reagan's — a presidency that "changed the trajectory of America" and "put us on a fundamentally different path"? In both the domestic and foreign spheres, Obama has had transformational impact. And there is more to come. Reagan's great achievement at home was to shift the political spectrum to the right. People tend to forget how radical his ideas once seemed. His biggest legislative accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act, is a landmark because it establishes the principle that health care should be considered a right, not a privilege. Democrats such as Harry Truman — and Republicans such as Richard Nixon — sought for decades to move the nation toward universal care. The fact that Obama succeeded where others failed is, in itself, a huge achievement.
What kind of monster must someone be to actually root for ppl 2 NOT get private insurance? Politics over humanity. thehill.com/policy/healthc…—
Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) May 07, 2014
Health care is part of a larger suite of issues on which Obama has swung the pendulum back to the left. He made the case, for example, that more regulation of the financial sector was needed. Republicans were forced to give way. The president has been hammering away in speeches about the need for an increase in the minimum wage. Republicans haven't caved on this yet, but in the end they almost surely will because of widespread public support for it. Whether Democrats lose the Senate or not, Obama will have a tough time getting significant legislation passed in his final two years. Please don't tell me he simply needs to be a better politician, like Bill Clinton. Obama ran rings around both Clintons in 2008. A black man with the middle name Hussein who gets elected president twice should be in the all-time-all-world Politics Hall of Fame.
@SpeakerBoehner & @GOPHouse say No time for #ImmigrationReform #Jobs Just whip up #teabagger base for political $$ nytimes.com/2014/05/09/opi…—
Bill R (@cmpnwtr) May 09, 2014
Obama is not the first president to endorse multilateralism, but he may be the first to mean it. He agreed to use force in Libya only after France and Britain nominally took the lead. He has kept the NATO allies together in cautiously dealing with the Ukraine crisis. He has refused to be drawn into Syria because he is unsure whether intervention would make the situation better or worse. The president realizes that even the most powerful nation on earth cannot mediate every dispute, take sides in all wars, alleviate all suffering. He acknowledges our limitations and more narrowly defines our national interest. The public approves, even if some foreign policy sages are apoplectic.
More here
Boss Move Of The Day
Finally, people noticing that even vulnerable Dems are campaigning aggressively on the Medicaid expansion.—
Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 08, 2014
.@JohnKerry & Syrian Opposition Coalition President Jarba speak to the press. Full remarks: go.usa.gov/8q6F http://t.co/YFSS9GaSKS—
Department of State (@StateDept) May 08, 2014
On This Day
President Obama "meets" with speechwriter Cody Keenan, who dressed as a pirate for an Oval Office photo taken for use in the President's humorous speech to the White House Correspondents Association dinner May 9, 2009. "But as I said during the campaign, we can't just talk to our friends. As hard as it is, we also have to talk to our enemies, and I've begun to do exactly that," the President said in his speech. (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama talks on the phone to Solicitor General Elena Kagan from the Treaty Room in the White House residence, Sunday night, May 9, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama walks through the Rose Garden of the White House for an outdoor meeting with senior staff, May 9, 2011. Walking with the President, from left, are: Senior Advisor David Plouffe, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Counselor to the President Pete Rouse, and Counsel to the President Bob Bauer (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama watches a demonstration by Oscar Perez and Bobford Do as he tours a classroom at Manor New Technology High School in Manor, Texas, May 9, 2013 (Photo by Pete Souza)


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Mini-games. Apparently, they're still a thing. If you own one of those new-fangled motion controllers for your system, invariably you'll discover that there are mini-game collections to be found for your device. PlayStation Move users have one of these collections available now as a download on PlayStation Network.
This is a review of said game, Lights, Camera, Party! The exclamation mark is only part of the title, nothing more.
Lights, Camera, Party! (PlayStation Network)
Developer: Frima Studio Inc.
Publisher: SCEA
Released: August 28, 2012
MSRP: $29.99 ($14.99 for PlayStation Plus)
In the game's story mode, one of APE TV's satellites crashes into the Funzini family's house so the studio owner, Gus Pacho, invites them to star in a wacky game show and compete for the grand prize: THE HOME OF THEIR DREAMS! Players then have to compete against each other in a variety of mini-games sharing a single controller. As each player gains points during their game, whoever wins the round wins a portion of the house designed with their selected character in mind. For example, Papa Funzini loves candy, so his house is themed with sweets, while little Billy Funzini loves cowboys, so his dream home looks western, and so on.
There are five family members to choose from, but this is only used to put a face to your profile in story mode and a style to your home sections. The story mode supports up to four players, but there's a party mode which supports up to eight. Again, all of these modes can be played with a single Move controller.
The mini-games themselves are your standard motion-controlled fare: swing at this, rotate that, move it up to do one thing, down for another, etc. Honestly, there's nothing really inspired or unique that you haven't seen before in another form in some other mini-game collection, but at least the motion controls perform well. Because it's PlayStation Move, they incorporate some forward and back movements — such as twisting blocks to be pushed into the properly shaped holes — so it's not just a lot of waggle (though there is plenty of that, too).
There's also some color matching for the ball on the top of the controller, but every mini-game is easily described just before you perform it, from holding it up to your face to dodge incoming pies, to yelling into the mic on the PlayStation Eye camera to raise the decibels and destroy a mountain. For some reason, there is a heavy monkey theme to be found (many of the games star the APE TV's staff, who are all monkeys), but it's never explained. Not that you'll be looking for much plot here.
As you play through, there's a decent amount of competition to be had, as players can try to beat high scores on different events. However, the announcer will begin to get on your nerves. Even as you fail an event completely, he'll claim that you're "one step away from victory" despite completely screwing up. But hey, positive thinking, right? Thankfully, there's an option to turn him off by lowering the sound of the voice in the options menu. Also there is no single-player option, other than the game's challenge mode.
The game is meant for families to pick up and play quickly while hopefully having fun and laughing at the on-screen antics and variety of mini-games, all while frantically passing the one controller back and forth to each other. However, because there's not a lot of games unlocked at the start, I found myself repeating mini-game events in my first few go-rounds. Once you unlock a good batch, though, you shouldn't see too many repeats, as there are a total of 50 mini-games in all. Because there are only five avatars, when playing with more than five people, you'll also end up having many folks using the same character for their profile. Again, not a huge deal, but a bit more variety would have been nice.
There's not a whole lot that can be said about this title. The main "story" can be played in about a half hour max if you have all four player slots filled, and the mini-games speed by fairly quickly. There at least is a selectable difficulty for the mini-games, which can present a challenge, but usually only in the time limit needed for task completion. There's also the aforementioned a challenge mode, where you can choose which mini-game you want to play to see if you can beat high scores and for medals and such, with a promise of DLC on the way for more mini-games, but after a few rounds, you'll feel as though you've already seen and done everything that you would want.
Lights, Camera, Party! is not a bad game. What it does, it does fairly well, and the art style looks neat. However, despite the graphics and accurate gameplay, the collection falls into the problem all mini-game collections have: repetition, which leads to boredom.
Once you've done a few mini-games, you may not be compelled to unlock the rest. This exists to be a mini-game collection, and nothing more. You know what to expect.


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Inkar | Embroidered Dungarees
Product Details
Our new chic and comfy harem overalls are guaranteed to help your stand out. Made to be loose fitting for extra comfort, they are also made with the lightest cotton fabrics to keep you cool during the warmer days.
This overall comes with 2 pockets and adjustable shoulder straps.
Size | One size fits most
Length | 52 inches


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Sentry Hairball Remedy with Petromalt Technology is an intestinal lubricant with an irresistible fish flavor. Aids in the elimination of swallowed hair and the prevention of hairballs.
Dosage and Administration:
The medication should be placed on the nose or front paws where it can be licked off. Petromalt should be given between meals. Do not mix with food or give close to mealtime. The veterinarian may give specific directions for use and the professional advice should be followed closely. Petromalt is a non-prescription (OTC) product.
How Petromalt for Cats works: Mineral oil is included in the ingredients for its laxative properties. Glycerin is added for its moisturizing properties.
Active Ingredient: Mineral Oil.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) - 0.5%
Crude Fat (min) - 0.4%
Crude Fiber (max) - 16.0%
Moisture (max) - 15.0%


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1. RIMMEL LONDON "STEAL THE SHOW" CONTEST: How to Enter: Beginning 12:01am ET on 3/5/13 through 11:59pm ET on 4/15/13, go to seventeen.com/showstealinglook and complete and submit the entry form pursuant to the onscreen instructions. All entries must include a photo showcasing your ultimate show stealing beauty look. Winner Selection: All entries will be judged by Seventeen staff based on the following criteria: creativity (50%) and precision of make-up application (50%). In the event of a tie, the person among the tied entrants with the highest score in creativity will be the winner. By participating in the Contest, entrant certifies that her entry is original, has not been previously published or won any award, and does not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyrights, trademarks or rights or privacy or publicity. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any entry that it believes contains obscene, offensive or inappropriate content, that does not comply with these official rules or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the contest. In the event the Sponsor receives insufficient amount of entries, the Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the contest. The decision of the Sponsor and judges is final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest. Prizes and Approximate Retail Values: One (1) winner will receive the following prize package: (a) show tickets for winner and five friends in winner's hometown (ARV: $1,500); (b) VIP limo service (approximate retail value $1,000) from the winner's residence to the show and back; (c) at-home makeovers for winner and five guests (ARV: $600); (d) a spring wardrobe for winner (ARV: $1,000); (e) Seventeen and Rimmel London swag bags for winner and five guests (ARV: $300); (f) a paparazzi photographer to document the night (ARV: $750); (g) a custom-made keepsake photo book for winner (ARV: $150); (h) and the chance for winner and her five guests to appear in an upcoming Check It Out! promotional listing (the issue will be at Sponsor's discretion). Total ARV: $5,300. Should the cost of any prizing elements be less than the ARV listed, Seventeen will not reimburse the winner for the difference. In the event the show is cancelled or postponed, an alternate show will be selected. In the event the winner does not respond to Sponsor's notification within five (5) business days, an alternate winner will be selected and the Winner will forfeit the prizes. Winner will be notified on or about April 30, 2013. Winner's List: For winner's name, send a separate self-addressed, stamped envelope to Seventeen, attn.: Promotion Department/Rimmel London "Steal the Show" Contest, 300 West 57th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10019 by June 30, 2013. Incomplete entry forms or entry forms that have been tampered with will be disqualified.
2. ENTRIES: Limit (1) one entry per person and per e-mail address for the RIMMEL LONDON "STEAL THE SHOW" CONTEST (referred to as the "Promotion"). Entries using macro, robotic, script or other forms of automatic entry will be disqualified. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Proof of submission does not constitute proof of receipt. If there is a dispute as to the identity of an online entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address. The "authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person to whom the email address is assigned by an internet service provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
3. ELIGIBILITY: Must 13-24 years of age, and a legal resident of the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, or District of Columbia at time of entry. Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.
4. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: Entrants must have valid e-mail address and it is entrant's responsibility to update Sponsor of any change in e-mail address. Expenses not specifically included in prize description and all taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. Each prize is awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied outside of manufacturer's limited warranty. No transfer, assignment or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize for an item of equal or greater value in the event an advertised prize is unavailable. All federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations apply. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Promotion. Winner (and parent or legal guardian if winner is a minor) may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Winner hereby further agrees that it will sign any documents necessary to transfer copyright of the entry to Sponsor within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification. Entering the contest constitutes permission for Sponsor and its agencies to use winner's name and/or likeness, biographical material and/or entry (including an altered form of the entry) for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. Also, because the approximate retail value of the prize is $600 or more, a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is required to be provided to Sponsor for issuance of a 1099 Form. In the event of noncompliance with this or any other requirement, the non-complying potential winner will be disqualified. By accepting prize, winner agrees to hold Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representative agents, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and employees harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Promotion or acceptance or use of the prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any printing, typographical, mechanical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Promotion or in the announcement of the prize.
5. INTERNET: Sponsor is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Promotion, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date. Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in a Promotion if it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion by cheating, hacking, deception or other unfair playing practices or intending to abuse, threaten or harass other entrants. Caution: Any attempt by a participant to deliberately damage any Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such participant to the fullest extent of the law.
6. DISPUTES/CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in New York, New York, (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (3) no punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including without limitation lost profits may be awarded (collectively, "Special Damages"), and (4) entrant hereby waives all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have such damages multiplied or increased. New York State law, without reference to New York's choice of law rules, governs the Promotion and all aspects related thereto.
7. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Promotion is Hearst Communications, Inc., 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.


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Welcome to the first "Random Editing Day" as part of the Blog Exercises series.
The purpose of Random Editing Day is to help you edit and upkeep your site, but also to revisit and revise posts of the past.
Throughout this year we are going to have monthly editing exercises to help you flex your editing muscles, which improves your writing muscles. We'll start with one post the first month and increase the number throughout the year, hopefully ending with 12 posts edited in one day.
If you would like to do more, help yourself, but the exercise begins with one post.
Edit one previously published post. Select it at random by putting in a search term, clicking a category or tag link, or just randomly selecting something out of your archives.
Read through the post carefully and considering editing it for the following reasons:
- Spell check. Read through the post to look for misspellings. Not a good speller? Edit the post and use the Visual or Text Editor to look for red squiggle lines under misspelled words in your browser, if your browser has spelling enabled and available. Most modern browsers today do.
- Check links. Click on the links or run the web page through a link checking utility online. Are they still good? Do they need updating?
- Clean up the content. Everything can use a little clean up, fixing a word here and there, moving a paragraph or sentence around, fixing punctuation. Tighten up the phrasing and edit useless babble. Consider breaking up big blocks of text into shorter paragraphs or possibly lists.
- Off to a fast start? When we start blogging, we often take too long to get to the point. Now that you are more experienced, edit the start of the post to get to the point faster.
- Are the points clear? Again, now that you are more experienced, you've learned how to make your point faster and clearer. Maybe this post needs a visit from that wiser blogger.
- Fix Link Dumps: In the beginning, you may have been a bit lazy in adding links to your posts, so now is the time to change those link dumps into properly formed links that are easy-to-read.
- Add or change images? Are the images in the post still relevant and appropriate? If this was published during the craze of publishing no post without some eye candy, consider changing the image to one more appropriate and related to the content, or remove the image.
- Think SEO. As you read through the article check for pronouns. Search engines exist for nouns, not pronouns. Name things. Name them properly. Use nouns everywhere and anywhere you can to add keywords to your content and help the visitor skim through the content faster to determine if this is the information they need.
- Relevancy check. Is the post still relevant? Should it still be on your blog or have you left this topic behind you? Should you delete it? Or maybe it is time to update it, adding new information.
- Does it say what you still want it to say? Over time, our say changes as our blogging voice changes. Check to make sure the post says what you intended to say, and maybe say it better.
Everyone has their list of things to look for when editing their content. Sift through it carefully and make sure it still connects with your audience, whether it was published two days ago or ten years ago. Because you never know when an old post will be new again to a reader, and any post can be a gateway to your site from search engines.
Note: Tom Ewer of ManageWP Blog has taken this exercise to the nth degree in "A Simple Checklist for Editing and Optimizing Old Blog Posts."
You can find more Blog Exercises on Lorelle on WordPress. This is a year-long challenge to help you flex your blogging muscles.
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