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I am not at all opposed to themed food. Last year's Valentine's column was a traditional Coeur à la Crème, a heart of sweet cream surrounded in a sweet strawberry sauce. This year, my Cupid's arrow is watermelon salad with baby arugula, honey-balsamic syrup, and torched goat cheese—something pink, which may lead down the road to something blue if you play this Sunday night right.
The key to romance is to share a meal, but to not eat anything too filling—or too smelly (hence a salad, with no onions, no garlic). This salad is composed of planks of sweet pink watermelon, with baby arugula tucked gently in between the Napoleon layers, drizzled with a balsamic reduction sweetened with honey, and then topped with olive oil, fleur de sel, black pepper, and goat cheese, which you then set aflame with a kitchen torch until it boils and bubbles and turns soft and charred. It's magnificent—plus I just used the words "pink," "baby," "honey," and "aflame" all in one sentence to describe it. How much more romantic can you get?
This salad is unusual, overly easy, and impressive. Once your Valentine sees you wielding a kitchen torch with finesse at the table, I assure you you won't be at the table for long. I would serve it with a glass of rosé champagne, and some baguette, and maybe a petit pot au chocolat for dessert, but then forget about the food and the dishes, which the great French romantic Pepe le Pew termed the "preliminaries," and spend the rest of the night engaged in more enticing pursuits.
Recipe Facts
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/8 large watermelon, cut into 6 1-inch planks
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 4 ounces chèvre
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Black pepper
- Fleur de sel
Make a balsamic syrup by pouring the vinegar and honey into a small saucepan and simmering over medium heat just long enough for it to reduce and have a thick, running consistency—about 5 minutes. Set aside, as it will thicken further as it cools.
Assemble each salad on its plate. First some arugula, then a slice of watermelon, then some arugula, another slice of watermelon, argula, then watermelon again. Crumble the chèvre over the watermelon, and season with cracked black pepper and fleur de sel. Drizzle with olive oil.
Using a crème brulée torch, melt and brown the chèvre quickly over the watermelon. Drizzle with balsamic syrup, and serve.


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Little Puzzle Thing - Cereal
by Areaware
little puzzle thing® jigsaws are miniature puzzles that can be completed in twenty minutes or less. Reward your mind with some off-screen time. Each series is a timed edition, printed in limited quantities. Act fast before they get eaten up.
More than 70 pieces. Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Materials: Paper and Chipboard
Dimensions: 8" x 8" assembled

subset: commoncrawl


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Just three days after fighting Antonio Silva in what is being talked about as one of the greatest UFC heavyweight fights of all time, Mark Hunt graciously appeared on the MMA Hour to discuss it.
And, not surprisingly, the laid-back New Zealander downplayed the 25 minutes of action that took place in Brisbane on Friday night, action that the general public has been gushing over all weekend.
"I just thought it was a normal fight," the "Super Samoan" told host Ariel Helwani. "It was pretty good…I thought it was pretty good."
"Normal" and "pretty good" don't begin to describe the teetering encounter of the UFC Fight Night 33 headlining bout, where both fighters had the other in serious jeopardy on various occasions. The drama only escalated throughout the fight, and yet each man -- bloodied and battered -- was still standing after each round.
In the end, the judges scored the bout a majority draw, which -- contrary to usual fight game taste -- many felt was just. What mystified some people, though, was that the fifth and final round was scored a 10-8 for Hunt to force the draw, rather than the third round, which felt like a more definitive example of a 10-8 round.
In either case, both Hunt and Silva got their arms raised. And three days removed from that decision, Hunt himself was totally fine with it.
"I think we both put our hearts out there and we did pretty well," he said. "I really didn't mind a draw anyway. We both had our moments in the fight, so it really doesn't matter to me. I mean, 'Bigfoot' popped me and I popped him, so…I wasn't at all mad about it being a draw. I was sort of like, okay, I can deal with that. I thought it was a good call, the draw."
The obvious question on people's mind after a memorable fight that was left unresolved is whether or not there would be an immediate rematch. Hunt, who broke his left hand in two places at some point during the fight and will be sidelined for the first half of 2014, said he wouldn't refuse a rematch.
But then again, given his druthers, the 39-year old fighter said his one-time training partner and friend wouldn't be his top choice to see again.
"Well, I wouldn't like to fight [Silva] again because basically I didn't want to fight him to start," he said. "But I'm an employee here [with the UFC] and this is my business.
"I'm out for a while, my metacarpal bones are broken. But whatever they put in front of me to fight, I'm there. I'm always in there for a battle, that's for sure. I've got my dreams. I want to be the best fighter on the planet."
Hunt said he had feared that he broke his leg in the second round of the battle, and was clearly affected when Silva landed a leg kick. He also thought that he might have broken his right hand, as well, but it turns out both were ultimately okay.
"I just remember I couldn't hold Bigfoot down," he said. "In the clinch I couldn't grab him and I thought, 'oh my gosh.'"
But his left hand wasn't so fortunate. He broke it in two places at some point during the fight, though he couldn't remember when. The metacarpal bones on the thumb and the forefinger are broken, and Hunt will be forced to sit out for as long as it takes to heal.
When asked how long he thought he'd be out for, Hunt didn't sound overly optimistic that he'd return anytime soon.
"The doctor said it would be six months before I could start hitting anything again," he said. "I have like 12 screws in my hand."
Hunt did say that he would test it in three months to see where things were at.


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You are trying to access the Women's Golf Coaches Association Members Only Area. WGCA members have a unique member login and password.
If you have forgotten your member login and/or password, please click on the link below that says "Forgot your login information", submit your email address and both your login and password will be emailed to you.
If the system does not accept your login and password, please contact Roger Yaffe at email@example.com or (800) 381-0769 and he will assist you.
If you do not know your login, please use the Reset Password feature.
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Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com and provide error code: A54. Thank you.


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6 Reasons to Think Twice About Hedge Funds
Hedge funds are a bit like a movie star whose latest films have flopped, but who still retains A-list status. These funds still have a certain cache among individual investors, who can feel like high rollers by participating in a vehicle not available to the average investor. They have also been eagerly pursued by institutional investors, who have been increasingly coaxed into alternative investments as a potential cure for portfolio results that have lagged behind goals.
The question is, do hedge funds deserve all the buzz? To put it more specifically, do hedge funds deserve a place in your investment portfolio?
A closer look at hedge funds
Here are six reasons you ought to think twice before investing in a hedge fund.
- The fees are over-sized. Hedge funds often charge annual management fees of around 2 percent. That may have been tolerable during the high-flying 1990s, but with interest rates now near zero and weak global growth reining in stock returns, 2 percent is just too big a hurdle to overcome.
- You'll probably have to share your profits. That 2 percent might seem like a fat enough fee, but besides charging that amount off the top, it is customary for hedge fund managers to also take 20 percent of any profits the fund makes. As with the high annual management fee, this profit participation is a practice that's ill-suited to today's low-return environment, and stacks the odds too heavily against investors.
- They don't constitute a well-defined asset class. Sophisticated investors seek asset-class diversification so different parts of their portfolios can play distinct roles. The problem is, even though hedge funds are often categorized as an asset class, they don't really fit into any sort of consistent definition. Some invest long while others short stocks; some specialize in commodities while others make interest rates bets. Part of the appeal of hedge funds is their investment flexibility, but this makes them behave more idiosyncratically than the components of a typical asset class.
- Too many players have gotten into the act. Hedge funds are supposed to be something of an elite investment, using strategies that are flexible enough to gain an edge on the financial markets. However, according to The Economist, there are now 8,000 fund managers trying to handle more than $2 trillion. At that size, the hedge fund market no longer seems elite nor flexible.
- They haven't delivered. The Economist reports that after fees, hedge funds have returned an average of 17 percent over the past decade. That's 17 percent in total, not per year. To put that in perspective, as low as CD rates are, you could have earned more in short-term CDs over the past decade.
- 'Funds of funds' only compound the problem. As the hedge fund industry has grown, a thriving business of putting together funds composed of several hedge funds has developed. The idea is to provide scrutiny and make it easier for investors to access multiple investment styles. More often, the reality is that this simply adds a layer of fees and makes the investment approach less transparent.
In the hands of managers with a well-established track record and a clearly defined investment approach, hedge funds really can be something special. More often, though, they turn out to be below-average performers at above-average prices.


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How to Manage Pet Expenses
Make sure taking care of Fido doesn't break the bank
En español | When was the last time you went to a birthday party for a dog? Don't laugh. One in five of us has thrown or attended such a soiree, according to a recent survey from Coupon Cabin. I'm on that list (and yes, I brought a gift).
But this piece of research — which also found that 15 percent of pet owners spend more than $100 a month on their animals — has me thinking perhaps we should be hitting the brakes where our pet spending is concerned. The American Pet Products Association expects our pet-related expenditures to top $55 billion this year. That's more than the GDP of eight states, including Maine and Rhode Island. And nearly twice the GDP of Vermont. Yikes.
If this makes you want to take another look at your own pet-related expenditures with an eye toward trimming those bills, the good news is you can. And you can likely do it without robbing Fido (or Fluffy) of any TLC. Here are some ways:
Feed your pet the right amount
Feeding a small dog or cat costs $120 to $150 a year; feeding a large dog is $350, according to Stephen Zawistowski, science adviser at the ASPCA. Many people, though, spend much more than that because they overfeed their pets. "We have a huge pet obesity problem in this country," Zawistowski says. "On TV commercials you see this massive washbasin of food. You shouldn't be feeding them that, and you shouldn't be leaving food out all of the time." Follow the recommendations for your dog. In many cases one-half to three-quarters of a cup will do the trick. Also, for dogs, stick to dry food rather than canned, says veterinarian Karen Halligan. "Wet food is 70 percent water, so you're going to have to feed your pet considerably more."
Don't go crazy with the pet spa or hotel
When you need to leave your pet, look to board it in a place that is sanitary and comfortable, Zawistowski says. If you think your pooch or kitty deserves better, hire a pet sitter instead. You can save roughly 40 percent off the cost of a kennel using dogvacay.com, a website that helps pair dog owners with sitters who operate out of their own homes. (Or, as I've done, volunteer to watch the neighbors' pet gratis when they go away in exchange for their doing the same for you.)
Ask your vet about discounts and generics
We've gotten used to talking with our own doctors about things like generic medications and whether they can shave a bit off the bill. It's time to have the same sort of conversations with our vets, says Halligan. "Many vets and pet hospitals will offer discounts on certain procedures," she notes. "For example, there are often deals on dental specials in the month of February. Some also offer packages for cats or senior pets." And be careful that your vet isn't loading your pet up with unneccesary vaccines. Talk to your vet about what vaccines are necessary for your particular pet — rather than all dogs or all cats. Indoor cats, for example, may not need as many as those that live in and outdoors. "I vaccinate according to life cycle," Halligan says. "That's one way to save money on your vet bill." If you live anywhere near one of the country's 30 schools of veterinary medicine, taking your pet for treatment there can be significantly less expensive.
Take the first morning appointment
If your pet is scheduled for an in-office procedure, schedule it for first thing in the morning, Halligan says. That reduces the likelihood that your pet will have to spend the night, which saves on boarding expenses.
Prevent unneeded expenses
From washing your pet once in a while to brushing its hair/fur/teeth to keep them from getting matted and unclean, there's a lot an owner can do to keep a pet healthy, happy and, yes, fairly cheap to care for. One preventive measure that's abandoned all too often: a leash. Use one. "I'd say 60 percent to 70 percent of emergency room visits could have been prevented if owners used leashes more often," says Halligan. "I used to work in emergency, so I've seen it all."
Jean Chatzky, best-selling author, journalist and money editor at NBC's Today, is AARP's financial ambassador. With reporting by Kelly Hultgren.
Also of Interest
- Could you be saving more money?
- 9 common ailments that drive you crazy
- Get free help with your taxes with AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
Join AARP Today — Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts


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The Galician translation is now complete.
e.g. #: dbe_plugins/dbe_sqlite.py:308
msgid "The SQLite details are incomplete"
msgstr "Os datos de SQLite están incompletos"
It is now time to enable SOFA Statistics to use multiple translations successfully. Here are some possible issues:
- Overly-long strings: these can affect layout e.g. the buttons on the main form. There may be ways of abbreviating strings.
- A locale not being installed on a computer. Lots more to learn about this but here is a linux command for identifying what is on your system
locale -a
- How to allow a user to select a locale (or to automatically use the locale of their computer).
- Making sure everything works on Windows as well.
- Getting the Galician po file approved by Launchpad (currently stuck in "Needs Review")
Testing will begin soon. Most importantly, the internationalisation of SOFA Statistics has begun in earnest :-).


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*Recent ruminations from LUPEC Boston, originally published in the Weekly Dig.
by Pink Lady
A favored tipple of grandmas and Brits, sherry hasn't been popular among young'uns like us in a while. We happen to love the stuff. At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic in New York last week, we attended a seminar on sherry drinks that convinced us sherry will be the next hip thing. Here's a primer, so you know what to expect when you see it pop up on cocktail lists everywhere.
Most people think of sherry as a sweet wine, but it's actually made in a variety of styles ranging from super dry pale finos, to the rich, lush wines made from Pedro Ximinez, one of the sweetest wines you'll ever taste.
Sherry is a fortified wine made in Jerez (southern Spain). Palomino fino is the base grape for most sherries, and it yields a regular wine that is light, pleasant to drink and straightforward, if a bit uninteresting. The sherry-making process changes this wine completely, developing complex flavors that make it an interesting ingredient in any cocktail.
Sherry wines are aged in barrels called "butts" (hehe), under a thick layer of yeast called "flor," which prevents oxidation of the dry fino wines. After aging for six months, the winemaker checks the wines and determines, based on the flor's thickness, if the wine will be a fino, or a nuttier, oxidized style, like amontillado or oloroso. Each style is then placed in its own solera, a special system of fractional blending, in which old wine is constantly refreshed with new wine. The barrels are stacked on top of one another in rows called "criaderas," with the oldest butts on top. In some sherry houses, these criaderas house wine for years. Each time the sherry is bottled, an equal amount of vino is drawn off from each of the criaderas in the solera. That wine is then replaced with wine from the next oldest criadera, and winemakers are careful to blend horizontally and vertically across the rows in the solera. It's a crazy complicated system, brimming with tradition and, in our opinion, a little bit of magic.
Sherry may be perceived as grandmacore, but back in the Golden Age of cocktails, the sherry cobbler was one of the most popular drinks around. It's a light, refreshing sip, perfect for spring, and one we highly recommend resurrecting on the patio.
Adapted from IMBIBE by David Wondrich, based on Jerry Thomas' recipe
4 oz sherry of your choice
0.5 oz simple syrup
2-3 slices of orange
Shake ingredients with cracked ice, pour unstrained into a tall glass, with fresh fruits in season as garnish.
Dr. Wondrich suggests that Jerry Thomas would have been mixing this with fino sherry, but play around and see which you like best. For fuller, sweeter sherries like Pedro Ximinez or oloroso, scale back the sugar.


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Table of Contents:
Suspension of import duties on certain weapons and military equipment
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Suspension of import duties on certain weapons and military equipment
These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.
Suspension of import duties on certain weapons and military equipment
Document or Iniciative
Council Regulation (EC) No 150/2003 of 21 January 2003 suspending import duties on certain weapons and military equipment [Official Journal L 25 of 30.01.2003].
The Customs Union requires the consistent application of the Common Customs Tariff. It is in the interests of the Member States and the Community for the armed forces of the Member States to be equipped with the most technologically advanced weapons and military equipment available. Given that some of these weapons and military materials are supplied by third countries, it would be advisable to eliminate customs duties on these products, subject to certain conditions, and to set up common rules for these exemptions. This Regulation lays down the necessary conditions for the autonomous suspension of import duties on goods imported by or on behalf of the authorities in charge of defence in the Member States.
Suspension of duties.
The Regulation provides for the duties of the Common Customs Tariff applicable to weapons and military materials to be suspended, on condition that the goods are used by or on behalf of the armed forces of a Member State, for example in the territorial defence of Member States, participation in international peace keeping or other missions, e.g. the protection of European citizens. Annex I of the Regulation lays down the list of goods which are eligible for this exemption. Any material that is not listed in Article 2 and in the annexes is subject to customs duties, even if it is imported by the armed forces of a Member State.
Goods concerned.
3.The goods on which the duties are suspended are arms and ammunition, including parts and accessories, certain rare gases, explosives, detonators, certain photographic materials and certain chemical products.
The Regulation also applies the suspension of customs duties to imported parts, components and sub-assemblies that are to be incorporated into or fitted to the goods in the annexes or which are necessary for training or testing.
Private companies.
Private companies established in the EU will only be able to import the goods duty-free provided that that they manufacture the relevant military equipment, and that they supply final products to the authorities in charge of defence in the Member States. All other uses are liable for customs duties.
The request for entry for free circulation of these goods must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the competent authority of the Member State for whose armed forces the goods are destined. The model for this certificate is reproduced in Annex III to the Regulation. It is to be submitted to the customs authorities of the importing Member State with the goods to which it refers.
Military confidentiality.
To ensure military confidentiality, the Regulation lays down a specific administrative procedure for granting duty suspension, namely the authorities responsible for national defence may deliver the certificate instead of the customs services. The authorities must be notified accordingly.
Customs supervision.
The goods concerned are subject to end use conditions laid down by the Community Customs Code, i.e. their use will be supervised. Customs supervision of the end use ends three years after the date of release for free circulation.
For the purposes of customs supervision, the competent authority delivering the certificate or using the goods must notify the customs authorities of its Member State of any diversion of the goods from the use specified in the Regulation.
Exchanging information.
The names of the authorities authorised to issue the certificate must be communicated to the Commission by the Member States. The Commission will forward this information to the customs authorities of the other Member States.
The Member States must inform the Commission of the administrative implementation of the Regulation, and send information each year to the Commission on the number of certificates issued, together with the total value and gross weight of goods imported under the Regulation.
|Entry into force
|Deadline for transposition in the Member States
|Official Journal
|Regulation (EC) No 150/2003
|OJ L 25 of 30.1.2003


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NDIA provides a platform through which leaders in government, industry and academia can collaborate and provide solutions to advance the national security and defense needs of the nation. NDIA convenes events and forums for the exchange of ideas, which encourage research and development, and routinely facilitates analyses on the complex challenges and evolving threats to our national security.
NDIA now offers webinar, meeting, and conference content available On Demand for your review and information on your own time. See the On Demand link for available on-demand content. If there are no listings, please check back soon. We update the page regularly.
The NDIA Policy team monitors, advocates for, and educates government stakeholders on policy matters of importance to the defense industrial base. Our mission is to ensure the continued existence of a viable, competitive national technology and industrial base, strengthen the government-industry partnership through dialogue, and provide interaction between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Policy team also represents NDIA in several inter-association groups representing the defense industry and the government contracting community. Policy staff regularly meet with key policy stakeholders, and manage Congressional interactions with NDIA Chapters and Divisions.
Join Us at the Heart of the Mission
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The NDIA Business Institute exists to build a more capable, qualified, and
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The NDIA Chapters are the foundation of the Association. Located in areas of concentrated defense work, they collaborate with government and industry to facilitate important discussions of local issues and matters critical to our national defense.
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Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is something we've all heard horror stories about ever since we were young and first learned about periods. It's become a sort of monster looming whenever we realize we've left our tampons in just a *little* too long, or that maybe we should have used a different size tampon to deal with the current ~flow~.
Ultimately, it's super important to prevent TSS because it can most certainly be fatal, but there are some myths floating around that many of us believe. And they're simply untrue. HelloGiggles spoke to some experts about tampons, periods, and feminine hygiene to get to the bottom of what really causes TSS —and what doesn't.
Myth #1: TSS is entirely caused by tampons
What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of TSS? For many, it's "tampon." However, TSS is not only caused by tampons, and it's important to understand its real origins: bacteria.
It's technically caused by a strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, otherwise known as Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1), Sara Gottfried, MD, Harvard-educated gynecologist and NYT-bestselling author of The Hormone Reset Diet, told HelloGiggles. "It is thought that the hyper-absorbent tampons aid the TSST-1 infection because their prolonged use enhances bacterial growth," she told us. "However, tampons are not the only cause of TSS."
Because it's caused by bacteria, it can actually be contracted if that bacteria enters the skin through an open cut, an infected burn, or even while recovering from a surgery. In fact, according to Dr. Linda Nicoll, assistant professor of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center, that very bacteria resides symptom-free in 30 to 50 percent of healthy adults and children, "most commonly on the skin or in the nostrils, vagina, and/or rectum."
"These bacteria can produce and excrete toxins which are the cause of TSS," Dr. Nicoll told HG. "Small numbers of the bacteria produce smaller amounts of toxin than larger numbers of bacteria do. So the problem of TSS often occurs when staph are allowed to grow."
Myth #2: If you leave a tampon in too long, you'll *definitely* get sick
"Even in cases where TSS is associated with menses, it is not clear that tampons are causative factors in the development of this syndrome," Dr. Tosin Goje, Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN, told us.
Dr. Goje explains that their clinic much more often sees women who inserted a tampon weeks ago and are only coming in because of resulting bad smells — not because of TSS. "I have never seen a patient with a retained tampon present with symptoms of TSS and, upon removal of the tampon, none of the patients subsequently developed TSS," Dr. Goje told HG.
Myth #3: TSS is a "period" infection
Sure, you can get TSS from scrapes and cuts, but it's still pretty much a "period" infection, right? Nope, Dr. Nicoll explained. In fact, about half of the reported cases aren't even related to menstruation. "Other causes include infections related to childbirth or surgical procedures, breast infections during nursing, burns, and other serious infections," she said.
Myth #4: You can't get TSS from a period cup
Because people so often associate TSS with tampons, many use period cups thinking that it's impossible to contract TSS from them no matter how long you leave them in. While there are many benefits to period cups, that's certainly not one of them, and it's an incredibly dangerous myth to spread around.
Really, there's a certain amount of risk accompanying pretty much anything you leave in the vagina, Dr. Gottfried told HG. "TSS has been linked to the use of menstrual sponges and cups, diaphragms, and cervical caps," she said.
Myth #5: Tampons are dangerous
There can be a lot of pressure out there to convert to a method of feminine hygiene you're not comfortable with, but if tampons are your favorite way, keep on using them. "In general, tampon use is safe," Dr. Goje told us.
In fact, tampon manufacturers have been very careful since the media attention surrounding TSS and tampon use. "Tampon manufacturers have removed chemical constituents previously used to enhance absorbency," she explained. "They have also markedly reduced the maximum absorbency of tampons available for purchase. This industry-wide response has drastically improved the safety of tampons."
That said, it's still essential to use tampons correctly, such as changing them every four to six hours, never wearing them longer than eight hours at a time, and wearing pads at night and at the end of your cycle, Dr. Goje told us.
"It's also important that women choose tampons appropriate for their menstrual flow," she said. "Women with light bleeding should be discouraged from using regular or maximum absorbency tampons. . . It is especially important for young women to be educated with regard to proper tampon use and feminine hygiene."
Myth #6: You feel TSS in your vagina
I've certainly left my tampon in for too long at times, and while trying to get to a bathroom, I got it in my head that my vagina felt "different." Maybe it was achey, or dry, or just felt off. It's toxic shock syndrome! I thought to myself, panicking. Turns out that's just my imagination running rampant, because while TSS causes a ton of truly unpleasant symptoms, you don't feel them in your vagina.
"Symptoms can include fever, low blood pressure, rash, chills, malaise, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dizziness or loss of consciousness," Dr. Nicoll told us. (It'd probably be pretty hard to "feel" vomiting and fatigue in your vagina.)
Myth #7: Only women can contract TSS
Because TSS is so commonly associated with periods, it's thought that women are the only ones who can get it — but men and non-menstruating women are in danger as well.
"Toxic shock syndrome is caused by a bacteria, so anyone can be affected by it — men, women, and children," Dr. Gottfried told HG. "One may think only women can get toxic shock syndrome because of its association with tampon wearing, but this is not true. . . Burn units with men and women see TSS — and your risk is related to your immunity."
Myth #8: TSS is a sexually transmitted disease
Though this is a myth Dr. Nicoll comes across, it's most certainly false, she told us. So don't feel like that's another STD you've got to watch out for (though please, please, stay protected!).
Myth #9: TSS is common
We hear so much about TSS in the media and in women's magazines that you'd think it's happening to everyone and their mother, but it's actually rare — more rare than it's ever been in its history. "[T]oxic shock syndrome is very rare and there has been a significant decline in cases since the 1980s, probably because of the public health message about changing tampons more often," Dr. Gottfried told HG.
In fact, Dr. Nicoll believes this is the "most damaging" myth of all. "In reality, menstrual-related TSS affects approximately 1 in 100,000 women," she told us. "So even though it is serious, it is rare."
(Image via iStock)


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More funding for guards sought following prison uprising
Following a deadly prison riot, Delaware's governor is looking to hire 75 additional prison guards
Following a deadly prison riot, Delaware's governor is looking to hire 75 additional prison guards
Delaware's governor wants to hire 75 prison guards next year following an inmate uprising and hostage taking in which a correctional officer was killed.
Gov. John Carney said Monday that his fiscal 2018 budget proposal will include $2.3 million to hire 50 new guards at the maximum-security Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna and 25 new guards at the Baylor women's prison in New Castle.
Carney also is proposing $1.2 million in new spending next year for equipment, and additional funding for training and recruitment.
In the meantime, officials are allocating about $341,000 for immediate equipment purchases and are planning to increase security sweeps at Vaughn.
Last month, inmates took four correctional workers hostage at Vaughn, setting off a nearly 20-hour standoff during which correctional officer Steven Floyd was killed.


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Caprica and Stargate Universe are both circling the drain, ratings-wise, but Syfy has already greenlit another Battlestar Galactica spinoff. Pointless TV spinoffs have a long history, littered with horrible failures. Here are the 9 most unnecessary science fiction TV spinoffs.
A lot of the blame for pointless spinoffs can be laid at Star Wars' massively successful feet. The original trilogy forever legitimized a genre that always had a bit of a shaky reputation — setting the stage for knock-offs and imitators aplenty in its wake. But even before moviegoers ever traveled to that galaxy far, far away, executives were looking to reap more dough by bringing large scale sci-fi to the small screen. (The most notable example being the Planet of the Apes TV series, which managed to be entertaining, campy and boring all at once). The good news is that science fiction will never go away.The bad news is that neither will lesser-quality spin-offs of popular shows and movies that cheapen the legacy of the originals. So while you wait for the inevitable zombie uprising to finally put an end to life's cruel shenanigans, here's a glimpse at nine TV spin-offs that should never have spun-off.
9) Robocop: The Series
When did it air? 1994
How many episodes before it was put out of its misery? 26 Bob Morton-free episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? Robocop should never have been sequelized let alone adapted for television. The show featured a deformed villain named Pudface. That's pretty much all you need to know about it. Oddly enough, Marvel's cartoon spin-off was awesome. Funny how the world works sometimes, isn't it? And by funny, I mean soul-crushing.
8) Logan's Run
When did it air? 1977-78.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 14 charisma-lacking episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? The theatrical Logan's Run was the last big sci-fi event film before Star Wars was released and changed the genre forever. It had overdramatic speeches from Michael York, a pointless robot and, as Jenny Agutter stalkers will tell you, boobies galore. The television version of Logan's Run had Gregory Harrison, an unnecessary android sidekick and homoeroticism aplenty between Logan and Francis. (Check out the above clip). As a public service, let me sum up every episode: Logan and Jessica find a community that they think is Sanctuary but is actually some sort of trap set up for them by robots/perverts/Sandmen. Skip the series and track down Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Brian Reitzell's amazing Logan's Sanctuary concept album from 2000. It's exactly the sort of fun mindfuckery that the show should have been.
7) Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters
When did it air? 1988-89.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 31 spooky episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? Technically, this was more of a retooling of The Real Ghostbusters into an hour-long format that featured a segment starring Egon, Ray, Peter, and Winston and one focusing strictly on the adventures of Slimer. The Slimer! portion of the show featured the spud palling around with some new characters at the Sedgewick Hotel. Aimed at pre-schoolers, these cartoons relegated the Ghostbusters we love to supporting roles. The show is lame and should have rocks thrown at it.
6) Baywatch Nights
When did it air? 1995-97.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 44 scream-inducing episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? Um, because it's a fucking spin-off to Baywatch. Originally, the show was conceived to be a sexier, edgier series than its predecessor with the Hoff taking a job at his pal's detective agency. When no one cared, they retooled the show for the second season into a low-rent version of The X-Files. Still no one cared. Demonic possessions, aliens, sea monsters, revived Vikings, Baywatch Nights had it all. If you think that video of a drunk, cheeseburger-eating Hasselhoff was the low point of his career you clearly haven't ever seen this show.
5) Beyond Westworld
When did it air? 1980.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 5 android-chasing episodes (only three of which were aired).
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? This rip-off of The Fugitive had the security chief of the corporation that created the robots featured in Westworld and Futureworld trying to track down a mad scientist hell bent on using evil androids to take over the world. Clearly, Westworld ranks alongside of Citizen Kane and Basket Case in the pantheon of the best films ever made. But did it really necessitate a follow-up TV series? That's a rhetorical question, but the answer is still no.
4) V: The Series
When did it air? 1984-85
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 19 resource-depriving episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? The two V mini-series chronicled the complete saga of the Visitors' arrival on Earth, their subsequent attempts to fuck up life for mankind and their defeat at the hands of a ragtag group of resistance fighters. After that, there was no more story to tell. But before you could say "red dust," the series came along and made V: The Final Battle not so final after all. Turns out that on a week to week basis, the fighting between Mike Donovan, Diana, et al just wasn't all that interesting. Combine less than stellar storylines done without the input of V creator/longtime TV veteran Kenneth Johnson with a severely decreased budget and the show died a death more painful than the one endured by the guinea pig Diana ate.
3) K9 & Company: A Girl's Best Friend
When did it air? 1981
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 1 yawn-inducing pilot episode.
Why shouldn't it have been spun-off? When K-9 first appeared on Doctor Who in the episode "The Invisible Enemy," the character soon became so popular with viewers—especially kids—that the decision was made to spin him and Sarah Jane Smith off into their own series. Too bad the result is a procedural investigation into witchcraft that induces sleepiness quicker than a box of Benadryl. Fortunately for the lovely and talented Elisabeth Sladen, she would eventually go on star in The Sarah Jane Adventures. As for K9, his long-threatened CGI comedy/adventure series is airing in Australia, and probably deserves an honorable mention on this list.
2) Ewoks
When did it air? 1985-86.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 35 non-Ewokese episodes.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? Because it's cutesiness and merchandizing potential directly led to the inanity of the prequel trilogy. I just made that up, but it's probably true, right? Nevertheless, the adorable furballs kids loved in Return of the Jedi weren't as charming on the small screen. Droids was no picnic to sit through either, but at least it didn't have Princess Kneesaa fucking up everyone's good time with her constant moralizing. (Disclaimer: The Star Wars Holiday Special does not appear on this list due to the coolness that is an animated Luke Skywalker referring to Boba Fett as his friend).
1) Star Trek: Enterprise
When did it air? 2002-05.
How many episodes were there before it was put out of its misery? 98 episodes that boldly went nowhere.
Why shouldn't it have been spun off? A series focusing on the era before James T. Kirk was just bound to piss people off. Much like Star Trek: Voyager before it, the series relied too much on what came before (Another Dr. Soong, that Borg episode, the Next Generation-centric finale that Jolene Blalock herself called "appalling," etc). This was an inexplicable move given that Enterprise was a PREQUEL series. In its defense, the show did attempt to establish its own identity with the Xindi storyline. Unfortunately, the arc ultimately played out like a second rate version of Deep Space Nine's Dominion War saga. Admit it, you watched because you wanted to sex up some of the cast members. It's okay, we're all friends here. The theme song can go fuck itself too.
This post by Chris Cummins originally appeared at Topless Robot.


text:
Source: HRO.org (info), 30/05/12
Moscow's authorities must uphold the rights to freedom of assembly and expression for the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, Amnesty International said after dozens were detained at a Pride event in the Russian capital.
On Sunday, a small group of LGBT activists gathered outside the Moscow City Duma and the Moscow mayor's office, where they attempted to unfold rainbow flags and raise small pieces of paper calling for an end to homophobia.
LGBT activists were immediately detained and later charged for allegedly violating the law on public meetings.
Meanwhile, another group of people was allowed to gather for at least an hour in front of the Mayor's office to protest against the Pride and shout homophobic slogans – police told the counter-demonstrators that their protest had been "unauthorized", but only arrested those who attempted to attack LGBT activists.
"The Moscow authorities' shameful approval of homophobia and discrimination against LGBT people is evident in the different treatment received by these two groups of protesters," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Programme Director.
"Freedom of assembly must be protected for all, and Moscow's police must halt their arbitrary detention of people merely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity."
Among those detained was Pride organizer Nikolai Alekseyev, who was whisked off the street the moment he appeared near the mayor's office with a rainbow flag in his hand.
Journalist Elena Kostiuchenko, who tried to unfold a rainbow flag, suffered a twisted arm when someone tried to tear the flag from her hands.
Activist Yuri Gavrikov, who spoke to journalists and tried to unfold a small rainbow flag was detained when he stood alone on a side street near the mayor's office.
"We will continue - these are actions to defend our human rights and we notice that more and more people want to join us. These actions become a platform for us to start a dialogue and call for broader recognition of our rights," Yuri Gavrikov told Amnesty International.
While police did detain counter-demonstrators who were trying to physically attack the LGBT rights activists, some were reportedly later released without charges.
In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights criticized Russia for failing to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and for discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. The Court found Russia had violated the rights of Nikolai Alekseyev, the main organizer of Sunday's action, by repeatedly blocking him from holding a Pride in Moscow over a five-year period.
Despite this, Moscow authorities continue to oppose Pride events in the city, in violation of Russian and international human rights law.
Russia's second-largest city St. Petersburg and other cities and regions have introduced laws which ban "propaganda of homosexualism, sodomy and lesbianism among minors".
On 25 May, the City Court of St. Petersburg turned down a complaint by an LGBT rights organization against the ban on "propaganda of homosexualism". The court decided that this law is in line with Russian legislation and legal norms.
"St. Petersburg and other Russian cities must immediately repeal such laws, which are clearly discriminatory in nature and only serve to fuel homophobia," said Dalhuisen.
For original, see Amnesty International website
Site Archive > LGBTI Rights > Moscow >


text:
Morvan's syndrome
|Morvan's syndrome
|Morvan's fibrillary chorea
Morvan's syndrome is a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease named after the nineteenth century French physician Augustin Marie Morvan. "La chorée fibrillaire" was first coined by Morvan in 1890 when describing patients with multiple, irregular contractions of the long muscles, cramping, weakness, pruritus, hyperhidrosis, insomnia, and delirium.[1] It normally presents with a slow insidious onset over months to years.[2] Approximately 90% of cases spontaneously go into remission, while the other 10% of cases lead to death.[3]
In 1890, Morvan described a patient with myokymia (muscle twitching) associated with muscle pain, excessive sweating, and disordered sleep.[4] This rare disorder is characterized by severe insomnia, amounting to no less than complete lack of sleep (agrypnia) for weeks or months in a row, and associated with autonomic alterations consisting of profuse perspiration with characteristic skin miliaria (also known as sweat rash), tachycardia, increased body temperature, and hypertension. Patients display a remarkable hallucinatory behavior, and peculiar motor disturbances, which Morvan reported under the term "fibrillary chorea" but which are best described in modern terms as neuromyotonic discharges.[5]
The association of the disease with thymoma, tumour, autoimmune diseases, and autoantibodies suggests an autoimmune or paraneoplastic aetiology.[1] Besides an immune-mediated etiology, it is also believed to occur in gold, mercury, or manganese poisoning.[6]
Signs and symptoms
In one of the few reported cases, the subject presented with muscle weakness and fatigue, muscle twitching, excessive sweating and salivation, small joint pain, itching and weight loss. The subject also developed confusional episodes with spatial and temporal disorientation, visual and auditory hallucinations, complex behavior during sleep and progressive nocturnal insomnia associated with diurnal drowsiness. There was also severe constipation, urinary incontinence, and excessive lacrimation. When left alone, the subject would slowly lapse into a stuporous state with dreamlike episodes characterized by complex and quasi-purposeful gestures and movements (enacted dreams). Marked hyperhidrosis and excessive salivation were evident. Neurological examination disclosed diffuse muscle twitching and spontaneous and reflex myoclonus, slight muscle atrophy in the limbs, absence of tendon reflexes in the lower limbs and diffuse erythema especially on the trunk with scratching lesions of the skin.[4] Compulsive behaviours, stereotypies and reduplicative paramnesias can be part of the CNS spectrum.[7]
In all of the reported cases, the need for sleep was severely reduced and in some cases not necessary. The duration of sleep in one case decreased to about 2–4 hours per 24-hour period.[8] Clinical features pertaining to insomnia include daytime drowsiness associated with a loss of ability to sleep, intermingled with confusional oneiric status, and the emergence of atypical REM sleep from wakefulness. The polysomnogram (PSG) picture of this disease is characterized by an inability to generate physiological sleep (key features are the suppression of the hallmarks of stage 2 non-REM sleep: spindles and K complexes) and by the emergence of REM sleep without atonia. The involvement of the thalamus and connected limbic structures in the pathology indicate the prominent role that the limbic thalamus plays in the pathophysiology of sleep.[3] In a case documented in 1974, PSG findings documented the sustained absence of all sleep rhythms for up to a period of 4 months.[5]
Electroencephalography (EEG) in one case was dominated by "wakefulness" and "subwakefulness" states alternating or intermingled with short (< 1 min) atypical REM sleep phases, characterized by a loss of muscle atonia. The "subwakefulness" state was characterized by 4–6 Hz theta activity intermingled with fast activity and desynchronized lower voltage theta activity, behaviourally associated with sleep-like somatic and autonomic behavior. The subject was said to have "agrypnia excitata", which consists of severe total insomnia of long duration associated with decreased vigilance, mental confusion, hallucinations, motor agitation, and complex motor behavior mimicking dreams, and autonomic activation. CNS and autonomic symptoms were caused by impaired corticolimbic control of the subcortical structures regulating the sleep-wake and autonomic functions.[4]
Neuromyotonia refers to muscle twitching and cramping at rest that is exacerbated with exercise. It is caused by sustained or repetitive spontaneous muscle activity of peripheral nerve origin. Myokymia, or spontaneous rippling and twitching movements of muscles, is a visible component of neuromyotonia. Electromyography (EMG) discloses spontaneous, repetitive motor unit or single fiber discharges firing in irregular rhythmic bursts at high intraburst frequencies.[1] Some of the muscles exhibiting twitching include the bilateral gastrocnemii, quadriceps femoris, biceps brachii, and right masseter.[8] In vivo electrophysiological studies suggest at least some dysfunction of the muscle cell membrane.[6] In the examined muscles, no abnormal insertional activity or fibrillation potentials were noted. Nerve conduction studies were normal.[4]
Other symptoms
Breathing difficulties can occur, resulting from neuromyotonic activity of the laryngeal muscles. Laryngeal spasm possibly resulting from neuromyotonia has been described previously, and this highlights that, in patients with unexplained laryngospasm, neuromytonia should be added to the list of differential diagnoses.[6]
Studies have shown subtly decreased metabolism on positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in the left inferior frontal and left temporal lobes.[8] and or basal ganglia hypermetabolism.[7] Ancillary laboratory tests including MRI and brain biopsy have confirmed temporal lobe involvement. Cranial MRI shows increased signal in the hippocampus.[9]
Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shows normal protein, glucose, white blood cell, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels, but there are weak oligoclonal bands, which are absent in the blood serum. Marked changes in circadian serum levels of neurohormones and increased levels of peripheral neurotransmitters were also observed. The absence of morphological alterations of the brain pathology, the suggestion of diffusion of IgG into the thalamus and striatum, more marked than in the cortex (consistent with effects on the thalamolimbic system) the oligoclonal bands in the CSF and the amelioration after PE all strongly support an antibody-mediated basis for the condition.[4] Raised CSF IgG concentrations and oligoclonal bands have been reported in patients with psychosis. Anti-acetylcholine receptors (anti-AChR) antibodies have also been detected in patients with thymoma, but without clinical manifestations of myasthenia gravis.[1] There have also been reports of non-paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis associated with raised serum VGKC suggesting that these antibodies may give rise to a spectrum of neurological disease presenting with symptoms arising peripherally, centrally, or both. Yet, in two cases, oligoclonal bands were absent in the CSF and serum, and CSF immunoglobulin profiles were unremarkable.[2]
Comorbid conditions
In one case, a patient was diagnosed with both Morvan's syndrome and pulmonary hyalinizing granulomas (PHG). PHG are rare fibrosing lesions of the lung, which have central whorled deposits of lamellar collagen. How these two diseases relate to one another is still unclear.[10]
Thymoma, prostate adenoma, and in situ carcinoma of the sigmoid colon have also been found in patients with Morvan's Syndrome.[1]
Antibodies against voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKC), which are detectable in about 40% of patients with acquired neuromytonia, have been implicated in Morvan's pathophysiology. Raised serum levels of antibodies to VGKCs have been reported in three patients with Morvan's Syndrome. Binding of serum from a patient with Morvan's Syndrome to the hippocampus in a similar pattern of antibodies to known VGKC suggest that these antibodies can also cause CNS dysfunction. Additional antibodies against neuromuscular junction channels and receptors have also been described. Experimental evidence exists that these anti-VGKC antibodies cause nerve hyperexcitability by suppression of voltage gated K+ outward currents, whereas other, yet undefined humoral factors have been implicated in anti-VGKC antibody negative neuromyotonia.[6] It is believed that antibodies to the Shaker-type K+ channels (the Kv1 family) are the type of potassium channel most strongly associated with acquired neuromyotonia and Morvan's Syndrome.[11]
Whether VGKC antibodies play a pathogenic role in the encephalopathy as they do in the peripheral nervous system is as yet unclear. It has been suggested that the VGKC antibodies may cross the blood–brain barrier and act centrally, binding predominantly to thalamic and striatal neurons causing encephalopathic and autonomic features.[2]
Differential diagnosis
The symptoms of Morvan's Syndrome have been noted to bear a striking similarity to limbic encephalitis (LE). These include the CNS symptoms consisting of insomnia, hallucinations, and disorientation, as well as dementia and psychosis. Both entities can be paraneoplastic and associated with thymoma. Recently, VGKC antibodies were found in patients with LE, strengthening the hypothesis that LE and Morvan's Syndrome may be closely connected.[9] Varying symptoms may be used to determine which of the two diseases the subject has. Amnesia, seizures, and mesial temporal lobe structural abnormalities are features of LE, whereas myokymia, hyperhydrosis, and insomnia favor Morvan's Syndrome.[8]
In most of the reported cases, the treatment options were very similar. Plasmapheresis alone or in combination with steroids, sometimes also with thymectomy and azathioprine, have been the most frequently used therapeutic approach in treating Morvan's Syndrome. However, this does not always work, as failed response to steroids and to subsequently added plasmapheresis have been reported. Intravenous immunoglobulin was effective in one case.[9]
In one case, the dramatic response to high-dose oral prednisolone together with pulse methylprednisolone with almost complete disappearance of the symptoms within a short period should induce consideration of corticosteroids.[9]
In another case, the subject was treated with haloperidol (6 mg/day) with some improvement in the psychomotor agitation and hallucinations, but even high doses of carbamazepine given to the subject failed to improve the spontaneous muscle activity. Plasma Exchange (PE) was initiated, and after the third such session, the itching, sweating, mental disturbances, and complex nocturnal behavior improved and these symptoms completely disappeared after the sixth session, with improvement in insomnia and reduced muscle twitching. However, one month after the sixth PE session, there was a progressive worsening of insomnia and diurnal drowsiness, which promptly disappeared after another two PE sessions.[4]
In one case, high dose steroid treatment resulted in a transient improvement, but aggressive immuno-suppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide was necessary to control the disease and result in a dramatic clinical improvement.[7]
In another case, the subject was treated with prednisolone (1 mg/kg body weight) with carbamazepine, propranolol, and amitriptyline. After two weeks, improvement with decreased stiffness and spontaneous muscle activity and improved sleep was observed. After another 7–10 days, the abnormal sleep behavior disappeared completely.[8]
In another case, symptomatic improvement with plasmapheresis, thymectomy, and chronic immunosuppression provide further support for an autoimmune or paraneoplastic basis.[1]
Although thymectomy is believed to be a key element in the proposed treatment, there is a reported case of Morvan's Syndrome presenting itself post-thymectomy.[2]
There are only about 14 reported cases of Morvan's syndrome in the English literature.[8] With only a limited number of reported cases, the complete spectrum of the central nervous system (CNS) symptomatology has not been well established.[9] The natural history of Morvan's is highly variable. Two cases have been reported to remit spontaneously. Others have required a combination of plasmapheresis and long term immunosuppression, although in one of these cases the patient died shortly after receiving plasma exchange (PE). Other fatalities without remission have been described by, amongst others, Morvan himself.[2]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lee, E K; R A Maselli; W G Ellis; M A Agius (1998-06-15). "Morvan's fibrillary chorea: a paraneoplastic manifestation of thymoma". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 65 (6): 857–862. doi:10.1136/jnnp.65.6.857. PMC 2170383. PMID 9854961.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cottrell, D A; K J Blackmore; P R W Fawcett; et al. (2004). "Sub-acute presentation of Morvan's syndrome after thymectomy". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 75 (10): 1504–1509. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2003.031401. PMC 1738744. PMID 15377711.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Plazzi, Giuseppe; Pasquale Montagna; Stefano Meletti; Elio Lugaresi (2001-10-25). "Polysomnographic study of sleeplessness and oneiricisms in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome". Sleep Medicine. 3 (3): 279–282. doi:10.1016/S1389-9457(02)00014-X. PMID 14592220.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Liguori, R.; A. Vincent; L. Clover; et al. (2001-08-07). "Morvan's syndrome: peripheral and central nervous system and cardiac involvement with antibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels". Brain. 124 (Pt 12): 2417–2426. doi:10.1093/brain/124.12.2417. PMID 11701596.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Montagna, P.; E. Lugaresi (2002-01-23). "Agrypnia Excitata: a generalized overactivity syndrome and a useful concept in the neurophysiopathology of sleep". Clinical Neurophysiology. 113 (4): 552–560. doi:10.1016/S1388-2457(02)00022-6. PMID 11956000. S2CID 45499918.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Loscher, Wolfgang N.; Julia Wanschitz; Karlheinz Reiners; Stefan Quasthoff (2004-03-24). "Morvan's Syndrome: Clinical, Laboratory, and in vitro Electrophysiological Studies". Muscle Nerve. 30 (2): 157–163. doi:10.1002/mus.20081. PMID 15266630. S2CID 8791898.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Spinazzi M, Argentiero V, Zuliani L, Palmieri A, Tavolato B, Vincent A. Immunotherapy-reversed compulsive, monoaminergic, circadian rhythm disorder in Morvan syndrome. Neurology. 2008 9;71:2008-10.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Bajaj, B.K.; S. Shrestha (2006-10-07). "An interesting case report of Morvan's syndrome from the Indian subcontinent". Neurology India. 55 (1): 67–69. doi:10.4103/0028-3886.30432. PMID 17272905. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Deymeer, Feza; Sukriye Akca; Gulsen Kocaman; et al. (2005-10-25). "Fasciculations, Autonomic Symptoms and Limbic Encephalitis: A Thymoma-Associated Morvan's-Like Syndrome". European Neurology. 54 (4): 235–237. doi:10.1159/000090719. PMID 16401901.
- ↑ Winger, David I.; Peter Spiegler; Terence K. Trow; et al. (2007-03-26). "Radiology-Pathology Conference: pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma associated with lupus-like anticoagulant and Morvan's Syndrome". Clinical Imaging. 31 (4): 264–268. doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2007.03.007. PMID 17599621.
- ↑ Kleopa, Kleopas A.; Lauren B. Elman; Bethan Lang; et al. (2006-03-13). "Neuromyotonia and limbic encephalitis sera target mature Shaker-type K+ channels: subunit specificity correlates with clinical manifestations". Brain. 129 (Pt 6): 1570–1584. doi:10.1093/brain/awl084. PMID 16613892.
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text:
Gun-rights backers expect suits against gun law
Thousands of gun rights advocates signed a petition against New York's new firearms restrictions on Wednesday as opponents of the new rules said they expect legal challenges to the tightest-in-the-nation rules signed into law a day earlier.
A Republican state senator from Saratoga said her online petition for repealing the provisions quickly drew more than 37,000 signatures since she posted it Tuesday. If upcoming legislative attempts at repeal fail, Sen. Kathleen Marchione said she'll go to court to fight restrictions she says are unconstitutional.
"We're certainly going to wait some time and see how many people sign this petition who feel as strongly as we do," Marchione said. The freshman Republican said she recently took an oath to uphold the state and federal constitutions that include the right to bear arms. "We'll look at legislation, and if it's not successful we'll be looking at legal action," she said.
Besides banning certain semi-automatic rifles and large magazines, the state law requires owners to register within a year any once-legal guns banned under the law. It outlaws bringing those guns and clips into New York from elsewhere.
"Listening to the people in my district one of the things they're concerned about is registering their guns now that have been banned," Marchione said. "They're very concerned the next step might be confiscation."
Administration officials have estimated there are 1 million formerly legal rifles owned by New Yorkers that now must be registered.
The law also institutes mandatory background checks for ammunition purchases, tries to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people who may be a threat and increases prison penalties for gun crimes.
The head of the state's National Rifle Association affiliate said he expects other legal challenges, though the NRA's lawyers were focused Wednesday on President Obama's national gun control proposals. "It's not going to be today. It's going to be a couple of days," said Tom King, president of the New York Rifle & Pistol Association. He said there are about 4.75 million gun owners among New York's 19 million residents, and getting any sort of repeal through the heavily Democratic assembly is nearly impossible.
In western New York, a lawyer said thousands of gun owners have contacted him to join a class-action lawsuit. Attorney James Tresmond of Hamburg told WBEN radio they are looking at filing a federal suit in three to four weeks.
The law, starting when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it Tuesday, defined as illegal assault weapons semi-automatic rifles that accept detachable magazines and have one additional military-style feature such as a pistol grip, flash suppressor or bayonet mount. The old law required two such features.
"Other states have an assault weapons ban. All of them are sort of limited and they vary," said Fordham Law Professor Nicholas Johnson, author of several articles about gun rights. They include New Jersey, California, Connecticut and Maryland, he said. "It reflects basically a notion or designation, not a technical design but a political one, that emerged in the late 1990s."
One particular provision unique to the New York law limits legal magazines to seven bullets, down from the common 10-bullet magazine, Johnson said. The law also calls for owners to sell elsewhere their formerly legal large magazines, which hold more than 10 bullets and were bought before 1994. That's probably unique also, he said.
"I'd expect some sort of challenge in New York," Johnson said.
In a 2008 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court seemed to indicate that guns protected by the constitution are those in common use. Johnson said New York could face a challenge from someone arguing there are probably close to 10 million AR-15 type semi-automatic rifles in common use in the U.S.


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This is not the first immigrant crisis in America
Children are fleeing strife-torn Central American countries and crossing the border into the United States. Congress rants about border security yet cannot agree on any reform legislation. Barbed wire-topped walls to keep people out work no better than the Berlin Wall did to keep people in.
But this is not the first immigrant crisis in America.
On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell and the long war in Vietnam finally ended. Vivid television news clips showed throngs of Vietnamese attempting to catch the last helicopter lifting off the American Embassy in Saigon.
Soon waves of Vietnam refugees arrived in the United States and were housed temporarily at Camp Pendleton. As Washington state governor, one morning I heard a radio report that Gov. Jerry Brown of California wanted no Vietnamese refugees to settle in California. One of his senior staff even attempted to prevent airplanes loaded with refugees from landing at Travis Air Force Base.
I was appalled and furious, and stormed to my office determined to take action. When I arrived, I found that my staff had already heard the news and were just as offended.
Many U.S. citizens vehemently opposed giving haven to an enemy we fought so bitterly. But these were innocent people fleeing the excesses of a new regime.
Ralph Munro, who later became Washington's secretary of state, was then a young staff member and I asked him to go to Camp Pendleton and invite Vietnamese refugees to come to Washington to settle. I added, "If you see Gov. Brown, ask him to reread what it says on the base of the Statue of Liberty."
We then found sponsoring families to aid refugees during their early stages of resettlement. Hundreds of Washington state residents responded. Many churches and community organizations offered to assist.
Ralph spoke to the refugees from the camp's loudspeaker system, inviting them to come and settle in Washington. Hundreds responded. I suspect many thought they were heading for the nation's capital.
On a sunny May morning, my wife Nancy and I drove to Camp Murray to greet the first plane load of new Washington residents. Several buses pulled up to the reception center and families began to emerge into their new home state. The group gathered, I was introduced, and I welcomed them all to the state of Washington. I expressed to them my hope that they would find new opportunity here and described some of Washington's great diversity to them. They were then paired with their sponsor families and entered a new life bringing only the clothes they wore, their talents and a fierce determination to succeed.
President Ford asked me to serve on a presidential advisory committee on Vietnamese refugees. At the opening meeting he eloquently stated, "Most, if not all, of us are the beneficiaries of the opportunities that come from a country that has an open door. In one way or another, all of us are immigrants. And the strength of America over the years has been our diversity ...
"The people that we are welcoming today ... are individuals who can contribute significantly to our society in the future. They are people of talent, they are industrious, they are individuals who want freedom, and I believe they will make a contribution now and in the future to a better America."
In September, my assistant Esther Seering told me that a baby was born into one of the Vietnamese families I greeted at Camp Murray. In honor of their new beginning in Washington, the parents named their new son Evans Nguyen. I was astonished, honored and curious to meet my new namesake.
His parents were Chuong Huu Nguyen and Xuan Hoa Pham, otherwise known by their Americanized names of Colin and Mary Nguyen. They soon found jobs, moved into a modest home and devoted their lives to the education of their children. Nancy and I gathered with their family each year for a Christmastime celebration, attended school events and watched with pride as each child graduated with honors from Liberty High School near Renton.
All six of their children graduated from the University of Washington, several received graduate and professional degrees, and all are now highly productive members of our Washington state community. We still join for a yearly celebration with a growing number of their next generation.
The Nguyens are a stellar example of the success of our Vietnamese immigration program. Washington state has the third-largest Vietnamese population in the U.S., behind California and Texas. I'm exceedingly proud of the volunteer sponsors, support organizations and legislators who welcomed these productive new citizens to our state.
But that was 40 years ago. What should we do today about immigration?
First, receive the children fleeing from repression in Central America the same way we welcomed refugees from Vietnam 40 years ago.
Second, the U.S. House of Representatives should debate and pass its version of an immigration bill, which the U.S. Senate has already done. It is unconscionable to delay just because the issue is politically uncomfortable.
Then the House and Senate should meet promptly in conference to attempt to reach agreement on a comprehensive reform proposal.
Third, Congress should adopt rules that would allow highly educated foreign students to remain in the United States after graduating from U.S. colleges and universities, instead of requiring them to return home. These bright young graduates could help fill increasing worker shortages for high-tech jobs.
Fourth, our foreign-aid program should add a mini-Marshall Plan for Mexico and Central America. After World War II, the Marshall Plan reinvigorated a devastated Europe and helped immensely to create a peaceful and prosperous continent.
If the U.S. helped Central American nations build strong, free economies and working democracies, and treated Mexico as a true economic partner, the surge northward of desperate refugees would slow to a trickle. It would be an investment far more productive than a barbed wire-encrusted barrier that screams "STAY OUT."
We cannot forever huddle fearfully behind high gray walls. That is not the America I know. Instead, let us celebrate our diversity that makes us strong.
Daniel J. Evans was governor of Washington state from 1965 to 1977 and U.S. Senator from 1983 to 1989. He wrote this for the Seattle Times.


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Futurama 2: What 1964 Thought the Future Would Be Like
At the 1964/65 New York World's Fair, General Motors brought us Futurama 2, its vision of the not-too-distant future. In this futurist ride envisioning the future, lunar bases were a fact of life, weathermen lived at the South Pole in Lost-style bunkers, lasers cut down trees, and seaweed farms provided abundant food as "aquacopters" mined the seafloor. Deforestation via gigantic "factories on wheels!" Deep sea mining! What could possibly go wrong?
This was the second version of Futurama; the original was presented in 1939 and was a little less kooky. But for now, just strap yourself in and enjoy 1964's vision of the future.
My favorite part of this film? The hats.


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The Walmart Foundation Grants $100,000 for Scholarships
July 12, 2011
The Walmart Foundation has announced it is granting $100,000 to the American Indian College Fund for scholarships for Native students for the 2011-12 academic year.
Under the program, one $2,500 scholarship will be given to a first-year, first-generation student at each of the 33 accredited tribal colleges nationwide. To qualify for the scholarship, students must be an enrolled tribal member or a descendant, be attending a tribal college, and have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
Richard B. Williams, American Indian College Fund President and CEO, said "The Walmart Foundation has been a dedicated partner with the American Indian College Fund over the years to provide Native students with access to higher education through scholarships and support. Native students face major financial obstacles to attending college as some of the poorest Americans, and thanks to Walmart, these hurdles have become a lot smaller. Walmart is helping to change the face of Indian Country one student at a time, while providing hope for them."
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better. From Feb. 1, 2010 through Jan. 31, 2011, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave $732 million in cash and in-kind gifts, including donating 257 million pounds of nutritious food to local food banks across America. The Foundation also supports education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. Internationally, Walmart gave $66 million in cash and in-kind gifts to charitable organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfoundation.org.


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The period known as the Middle Ages stands out as one of the most violent eras in history. This epoch, lasting roughly 1,000 years, from the fifth century to the 15th, was a time of great inequality and brutality in much of Europe.
What really sets this time apart is the ghoulish inventiveness that gave rise to a plethora of torture methods. There were many grounds for torture during the Middle Ages — religious fervor and criminal punishment come to mind — but why would a person take the time to invent a device designed to maim?
In his 1975 book "A History of Torture in England," L.A. Parry attempted to explain this bizarre phenomenon:
"...What strikes us most in considering the mediaeval tortures, is not so much their diabolical barbarity … as the extraordinary variety, and what may be termed the artistic skill, they displayed. They represent a condition of thought in which men had pondered long and carefully on all the forms of suffering, had compared and combined the different kinds of torture, till they had become the most consummate masters of their art, had expended on the subject all the resources of the utmost ingenuity, and had pursued it with the ardour of a passion."
In this article, we will explore a collection of the most heinous torture devices ever invented. We begin on the next page.


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College student struck, killed by pickup truck
Medway man killed in Delaware
Delaware State Police say one man was killed and another injured when they were hit by a pickup truck while crossing a road in Newark.
It happened about 12:30 a.m. Friday on South College Avenue. Troopers say 19-year-old Ethan Connolly of Medway, Mass., and 18-year-old Daniel Bernstein, of New York City, were crossing the road when they were struck. Police said the two pedestrians were not crossing at a fully-marked crosswalk and not carrying a flashlight.
Police said they were hit by a pickup truck driven by 48-year-old Linwood McLean of Bear.
Connolly was pronounced dead at the scene. Bernstein was taken to Christiana Medical Center with injuries that are not life-threatening.
Connolly was a sophomore at the University of Delaware.
"On behalf of the university community, I would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to Mr. Connolly's family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Bernstein, his family and friends," said Dawn Thompson, interim vice president for student life. "We are all deeply saddened by this tragic event and the loss of a member of our community."
The accident is under investigation.


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More About Orchestra Fundraising:
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If you have a business website, you've probably already heard, and are worried, about the Heartbleed Bug.
Simply put, the Heartbleed Bug is a flaw in the SSL certificate used by some websites. That flaw might allow passwords, credit card numbers and other data to be leaked as a result.
SSL certificates are usually limited to websites that deal with online financial transactions. Websites that use it can be distinguished because they include an "https" instead of "http" in their URL. A lock can also often be seen in the search window in front of the URL while visiting the site.
Mashable recently published a hit list of some big sites and services affected. These include:
- Tumblr
- Yahoo
- Gmail
- Yahoo Mail
- Amazon Web Services
- Etsy
- GoDaddy
- Flickr
- YouTube
There has already been a Chrome extension (and probably other tools out there) claiming to help determine whether your site is affected. Of course, it's important to be careful when using such tools and perhaps make some tests to be sure they are reliable. For example, you might test them to see whether you get any false positives.
Since only "https" sites can potentially be affected for example, test to see whether you get positive reads off "http" sites, too. If so, the tool your using might not be trustworthy.
Dominic Lachowicz, Vice President of Engineering at Merchant Warehouse, also cautions that not all SSL certificates are flawed. Merchant Warehouse provides electronic sales tools for mobile, ecommerce and storefront sales, but Lachowicz says the company was not affected by the bug.
Lachowicz spoke with Small Business Trends recently about some of the issues of most concern with Heartbleed. He acknowledged:
"This is indeed a serious problem on the Web. The first thing I'd like to advise everyone is to not panic."
He says the first step is to determine whether your site has been affected. If you maintain your own site, Lachowicz recommends testing it for the bug using a tool built by encryption consultant Filippo Valsorda.
If your site has been affected, you will need to reinstall your site's SSL certificate. For example, Lachowicz writes in a recent post on the official Merchant Warehouse Blog that a new fixed version of OpenSSL has already been released.
If you don't manage your own website, Lachowicz recommends reaching out immediately to your Web development team or online provider. They will be able to tell you whether they have been affected.
If they have, chances are a fix has already been installed, in which case you will simply need to change any passwords associated with the site. That should be enough to protect against any future exposure.
Concerned Photo via Shutterstock


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A nameless high school dropout teenager turns into an assassin for hire. He is a complete loner who uses his knife to kill his targets without any emotion or hesitation. He kills anyone who gets in his way whether they be a complete stranger or even the client that hired him in the first place. He meets a man named Iwanishi after one of his jobs goes bad. Iwanishi nicknames him Semi (Cicada) because he apparently talks too much and offers to become his manager, handling the business side of assassination. But it seems like Iwanishi has some secret agenda Semi isn't aware of.
Source: MU
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text: It's hard to put moments that change your life into words. They are always completely random and unexpected. One day you're one person, and then suddenly, without any warning, you're someone else entirely. I had listened to a lot of music before Green Day, but "Dookie" was the first music I actually heard. More


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(CNN) -- Start the "computers are conquering the world" jokes now. "Jeopardy!" master Ken Jennings already has.
The IBM supercomputer Watson won its second "Jeopardy!" game in Wednesday's edition of the TV show, completing a sweep of its two human opponents, including Jennings, who acknowledged mankind's trivia inferiority before the match was even over.
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords," Jennings wrote under his correct Final Jeopardy! solution, prompting laughter from the studio audience.
Watson -- despite being far from perfect -- was too far ahead in the two-game match to be caught. It beat Jennings and fellow "Jeopardy!" champion Brad Rutter, earning $41,413 for the day and $77,147 for the two-game total.
Jennings, who led for a good portion of the second game before succumbing to a late string of correct Watson answers, ended the game ($19,200) and match ($24,000) in second place.
The "IBM Challenge" match was spread over three days, with the first game taking two days so that host Alex Trebek could take time explaining what Watson is.
A massive machine represented at the studio by a tablet-like avatar, Watson was in development for years and has the processing power of 2,800 "powerful computers." IBM trumpets Watson as a machine that can rival a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural human language.
For the games, the computer -- stored in a separate building in New York -- received clues through digital texts and buzzed in against the two other contestants like any other player would.
Watson was often quicker to the draw than its opponents and usually correct when it was. It breezed through clues relating to geographic nicknames ("Coyote State" is an unofficial nickname of South Dakota, Watson knew) and legal terms ("esquire" is a title added to the name of American attorneys).
But Watson stumbled, too. One of its most curious errors happened during a Daily Double. The category was nonfiction.
Clue: "The New Yorker's 1959 review of this said in its brevity and clarity, it is 'unlike most such manuals, a book as well as a tool.' "
The correct response (always given in a form of a question, because the clue is technically an answer) would have been "What is 'Elements of Style?' " Watson, however, responded not with the name of a publication, but a person, Dorothy Parker, who indeed wrote some opinions about "Elements of Style" but was not anywhere near what Trebek was looking for.
Watson still came out the winner, earning a $1 million prize. IBM said it would donate all of Watson's winnings to charity.
As runner-up, Jennings received $300,000. Rutter won the $200,000 third-place prize; both human contestants said they would donate half their winnings to charity.
Rutter, who entered the final game in second place, finished last on Wednesday's show ($11,200) and for the match ($21,600).
Jennings, of Seattle, shot to "Jeopardy!" fame for winning the most consecutive games (74). Rutter, of Los Angeles, won the highest cumulative amount ever by a single "Jeopardy!" player ($3,255,102) when including special tournament appearances.
CNN's John D. Sutter and Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.


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It is strange to see how many people object to the idea of ending the government monopoly for any service or product that is even marginally now provided by government.
Some people seem to really believe things can be best done by government, using coercive wealth confiscation known euphemistically as taxation and by not allowing anyone to opt out and choose a free market alternative.
That is an odd belief that goes against years of observations and experience.
In my last column where I wrote about privatizing the firefighting profession, some people seemed to believe it was wrong to monetarily reward firefighters for doing a good job. They also seemed to think I was implying that firefighters need more incentives to do what they do. I have no doubt that most firefighters would choose to keep doing what they do with or without financial reward, but let's face the facts: It takes money to survive in the world today and there is no more practical way to say "thank you" than to pay for a job well-done. Who could be reasonably opposed to that?
The same goes for schools, security/police, roads, libraries, zoos, or anything else that is currently provided by a tax-imposing entity. There are privately financed alternatives to the government institutions in all these categories already. Let the market take it further by allowing people to economically support only the option of their choice, without any government interference, and see where it leads.
This isn't to say that those who choose to continue operating on a similar basis to what we have now would be prevented; they wouldn't. It is just that there would be a way for people to opt out and choose a service that better fits their specific needs. This means if you choose to subscribe to a private service you can no longer be taxed to support the government option.
If the government institution is truly that much better, after the market has tried and failed, they should be able to reimpose a universal tax and re-establish a monopoly with no trouble at all. Of course, if as I suspect, the private options crush the coercively financed option, both in cost and in service, it would be really hard to justify taxation any longer.
All the rest of government might soon come under the same scrutiny and be held to the same standards, which just might be the reason for the resistance to this liberty-enhancing change.


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Welcome to the official tourism website for Olomouc.
Olomouc at the top
Three years, three excellent awards by the world's prestigious guidebook. Lonely Planet made a list of the most beautiful, yet lesser known tourist destinations. It wasn't the hot springs of Iceland, Gibraltar Rocks, Odysseus' Ithaca or Luxemburg that ranked in first place but the historical center of Olomouc!
The mini guidebook, Secret Europe, presents tourists with fifty cities from different parts of Europe. The largest, world-renowned guidebook publisher attracts tourists to Olomouc by saying that "in terms of tourism Olomouc can be equated to an authentic restaurant which is your own, small, personal secret. The Main Square is amongst the most enchanting in the country. It is surrounded by historical buildings. It is adorned by the Holy Trinity Column listed as the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Magnificent churches, many of which host an exciting history, are scattered in the streets of the historical center. Explore the foundations of the ancient Olomouc castle in the Archdiocese Museum which is a must-see and then set out to one of the many pubs or mini-breweries". In 2012, the publisher also awarded Olomouc by ranking it in the top ten most beautiful hidden treasures in Europe. One year later it was once again on the list of the recommended destinations in Moravia. "It's beautiful as well as surprising for us. Lonely Planet is to tourist guidebooks what Michelin is to gastronomy. I perceive it as a win in the tourist Olympics," responded Olomouc mayor, Martin Major, when he first heard of the award. "I am very pleased that the professional editor-in-chief of this publication truly appreciates the beauty of our city, its picturesque atmosphere and its uniqueness.
Apart from other things, Olomouc captivated them by the fact that it offers the same architectural treasures as Prague but without the crowds of tourists. It is definitely Olomouc's advantage in comparison with our capital. However, despite repeated acclaim from the renowned guidebook, it may only be temporary", mentioned the mayor, Major, with a smile. The deputy mayor, Jan Holpuch added, "I believe that this is an opportunity to introduce our beautiful city to many other tourists." "I think that being awarded as a hidden treasure or undiscovered city will give Olomouc an even stronger stamp of attractiveness and will evoke more interest in potential visitors."
Olomouc has been trying to advertise its beauty in a high-quality and systematic way. In the past years, this attempt has proved effective. Statistically as well as simply looking into the streets of the city center confirms that the number of tourists to Olomouc has truly increased. Olomouc is on the list of destinations offered by travel agencies as for example, one-day trips from Prague or as a part of the Vienna – Krakow route. "Greater advertising in cooperation with the agency CzechTourism certainly helped.
This agency gives Olomouc more space than before", says Karin Vykydalová, head of the tourism department. "Acclaim from Lonely Planet obviously helps. Ideally, a visitor comes here based on the recommendation, is satisfied here and then recommends Olomouc to his friends back home", adds Dušan Gavenda of the same department. Lonely Planet Secret Europe can be downloaded for free at: www.lonelyplanet.com/secret-europe.
Information Centre
Horní náměstí (Upper Square)
Town Hall's archway
779 11 Olomouc
Opening hours: daily 9:00am –7:00pm
Tel.: (+420) 585 513 385, 392
E-mail: [email protected]
Olomouc region Card
Olomouc Region Card is a tourist discount card that allows you to visit Olomouc significant savings. Its purchase to make sure you completely discounted or free admission.
Olomouc parks have multiple cycling and inline skating routes and a Cardio route. Newly added is the nordic walking s průvodcem. The trail leads through the Olomouc parks and the historic city centre.
Olomouc parks belong to the historical and cultural treasures of the city. The first Olomouc public park, the Rudolph alley, founded by the Archbishop of Olomouc, was a popular place for outings of the Olomouc population as early as the 1820s.
The park, located originally on military lands, was taken over by the city administration in 1832. This laid the foundation of urban public parks in Olomouc. Today Olomouc boasts three large parks covering more than 47 hectares – Smetana Park, Čech Park and Bezruč Park. Of particular interest is the main avenue of the Smetana Park, 710 meters long. Also worth visiting are the botanical collection greenhouses – the Palm-, the Cactus-, the Tropical- and the Subtropical greenhouses with a unique collection of plants and trees. A Botanic Garden and a Rose garden (Rosarium) are accessible in the Bezruč Park in summer. In the Botanic garden there are wooden sculptures placed that originate from several sculptural symposia held in Olomouc.


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Stutes injures back
ST. LOUIS -- The last casualty on a road trip that could not end soon enough was rookie righthander Michael Stutes. He was the first reliever used Tuesday night and lasted three pitches before needing to leave the game.
Stutes said he felt burning in his lower back after throwing his second pitch, a 93 m.p.h. fastball to Lance Berkman. He tried to pitch through it, threw another 93 m.p.h. fastball and then the pain was too much.
The Phillies are unsure if Stutes will require the disabled list. He will see a doctor when the team returns home Wednesday.
"I don't know," Stutes said. "I've never had an injury before. I guess we'll figure it out [Wednesday]. Hopefully it's just a freak thing where I just strained something and I'll wake up tomorrow feeling good."
Stutes said he felt fine warming up in the bullpen and did not feel any pain until the Berkman at-bat.
It threw a wrench into Charlie Manuel's bullpen plan after Roy Oswalt gave him five innings while on a pitch count. Manuel said he had hoped to squeeze two innings out of Stutes.
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