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Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are well matched in this thriller based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Searle. Directed by Bill Condon (GODS AND MONSTERS, 1998, for which he won an Oscar for screenwriter, DREAMGIRLS, 2006, MR. HOLMES, 2015) and written by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, THE GOOD LIAR takes place in London 2009.
We are introduced to the two main characters, Betty McLeish (Mirren) and Roy Courtnay (McKellen) as they refine their profiles for an online dating service. After their first meeting in person, Betty is picked up by her over-protective grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey), and Roy catches a ride from his partner in crime, Vincent (Jim Carter).
Roy and Vincent already have one con working. They are duping two businessmen into investing in a land scheme involving a couple of Russian mobsters. When that ends in success, Roy sets his sights on conning Betty, who is a widow with a healthy bank account.
Using time and Vincent's persuasive techniques, the two men finally get Betty to agree to turn over her savings. What happens next is the surprising twist in THE GOOD LIAR.
Whenever you have a film dedicated to a con job, invariably there are those who will pick it apart. Though THE GOOD LIAR is far from perfect, it's thoroughly enjoyable enough. Mirren is her usual terrific self, playing Betty, the former history teacher at Oxford University, with a specific naivete. She is brilliant in her own manipulations of events --- we would expect nothing less from her.
McKellen is devilishly evil as the sly swindler with an easy-going manner and sheepish smile who is capable of inflicting great harm. Both he and Mirren are wonderful to watch, and they have a certain chemistry that is unmistakable. She manipulates him --- he uses her --- it's all great fun --- until it isn't, and we learn the real truth.
THE GOOD LIAR is unfortunately not exceptional. It is fairly well conceived and written, and, as I mentioned, there are some questionable moments, but I will not ruin the fun. It's great to see Jim Carter in a good supporting role after DOWNTON ABBEY, though Vincent isn't really given much to do. And Tovey does a very convincing job as Betty's research-obsessed grandson.
A really great mystery/thriller is incredibly difficult to pen --- and then turn into an even better film. Just think of all the Agatha Christie novels which have been made into movies --- some better than others. THE GOOD LIAR proves my point.
Opinion: Mild See It Now!
Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) and Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) get together for dinner after their initial meeting via an online dating service. If nothing else, THE GOOD LIAR proves that you're never too old to find companionship on the internet.
But the film is much more than a potential fluff piece about an elderly tryst. Under Oscar winner Bill Condon's direction --- he won the Best Screenplay award in 1998 for GODS AND MONSTERS --- these two accomplsihed actors engage the audience in an intellectual thriller that is as unpredictable as it is capably written --- screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher based on the Nicholas Searle novel.
Roy is a con man, ably abetted by his cohort Vincent (Jim Carter, fresh off the DOWNTON ABBEY reunion movie). Carter is one of those consummate actors with an undeniable screen presence.
Betty is a wealthy widow who is intrigued by an investment scheme presented to her by Roy and Vincent, but she doesn't dive in right away. Thus, THE GOOD LIAR takes its time as Roy and Betty build a relationship while the plot builds to a surprising conclusion. The film has a Hitchcockian feel to it of which the "Master of Suspense" would likely have approved.
A secondary storyline shows how brutal an individual Roy can be. But just as he barbarically murders a past associate, he appears to be falling for Betty. What's a vicious con man to do? Betty's grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey), is wary of Roy's motives but he eventually comes around --- or does he? --- to show he has misjudged Roy.
THE GOOD LIAR is a satisfying cat-and-mouse caper made compelling by superb performances from the veteran cast. And this is McKellen's third collaboration with Condon, including the aforementioned GODS AND MONSTERS and MR. HOLMES (2015).
Opinion: See It Now!


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If you're backpacking for a 10 day vacation, you really can fit anything in just one carry on. Trust me.
Packing like pro should be priority number one
before any international trips —we can help you out with that
Once I switched over to packing in a carry on, I was hooked on traveling like a minimalist. Now, I fit everything into a backpack rather than a roller bag (it's easier to carry if you're switching cities and hostels every couple of days), but either way, if you want to skip any checked-luggage fees, you need these tips for travelers.
Oh and to make things easier, this post has a couple of afflicate links which means if you make a purchase, we earn a smal comission. Just know that we're only sharing products and items that we ourselves have used and loved, that other volunteers have recommended, or just ones we think would be pretty useful!
Streamline Your Clothes
First, I make a packing list. Then, I lay out everything I think I need to wear for one week, then I downsize. You really need less than you think — you may only need one pair of pants, not four.
Plan out your outfits and see what you can mix and match for multiple outfits (pack the basic, black cardigan that'll match with your striped dress and your printed tee shirt, instead of the cardigan you could really only wear once), and try to streamline what you're actually packing.
Pack for multiple, thinner (but warm) layers if you're headed somewhere cold instead of five huge sweaters. Plan on wearing 2-3 pairs of shoes (max!) during your trip. Bring shirts and dresses that go with other items so you can mix it up without bringing half your closet.
Oh, and plan on doing a load of laundry at your hotel or hostel halfway through so you can pack even less.
For a week long trip somewhere warm, I only pack a pair of leggings for the plane/chilly nights, 3-5 tee shirts, 2-3 dresses/skirts, exercise shorts to sleep in + a tank top, a swimming suit, a pull over for chilly nights and enough underwear and minimal toiletries. On the plane, I will wear a pair of pants or my leggings and another shirt that I can wash if needed. I'll wear my sandals if those are the only shoes I'm bringing (I love, love, love, love my Saltwaters) or I'll wear tennis shoes with socks and pack my sandals if I need two different pairs of shoes.
In my backpack (I talk about my personal item more below) goes the essentials - sun glasses, phone, charger, laptop, wallet, etc.
For a week long trip somewhere chilly, I wear bulky layers on the plane - my thickest leggings or a pair of pants for sure, along with a long sleeved tee shirt and a flannel, with a pullover tied around my waist (stylish, I know). I will also wear my heavy boots or tennis shoes, depending on the length of the flight.
In my suitcase goes another pair of pants/leggings, maybe 1-2 more of either one depending on space. Inside my suitcase goes another pair of shoes (which takes up quite a bit of space) and my coat/jacket. I'll bring 3-5 long sleeved shirts and another pull over or sweater. Scarves and gloves if it's very cold, plus underwear and warm, warm socks. I don't get as sweaty for cold weather, so I plan on rewearing a few of my layers once or twice before washing which isn't as helpful as a strategy for hot vacations — You can't really do that with super sweaty clothes in hot weather.
Wear Your Heaviest Items
It's mentioned above, but here's a little more detail about the "wear your heaviest layer" strategy. Depending on the size of your luggage and the other contents, a big pull over or thick leggings could take up quite a bit of space .. but not if you wear it on the plane. I bundle up on the plane because it can get chilly on a long flight, plus it saves me room in my bag.
My go-to travel outfit is a pair of leggings, a short sleeve tee (or a long sleeved tee), a pull over, and my heaviest, bulkiest shoes (usually tennis shoes or boots). I've also been known to tie another layer around my waist, like a flannel.
If you're set on bringing a thick sweater, wear a tee shirt and the sweater on the plane (and plan on taking it off once you board) instead of stuffing it in your bag.
Wearing your thickest pair of pants, or legging and your heaviest jacket, sweater or coat means much more room in your carry on. Wondering how to pack for cold weather? I've got you covered.
Pack Your Clothes Like This
First, roll your clothes —
I'm a big fan of rolling my clothes instead of folding them. I start with my heaviest layer of pants (usually jeans) and roll those up to help form the bottom of my carry on. I'll roll most all of my items (skirts, tee shirts, dresses, shorts, tights) but I do tend to fold my sweatshirts and sweaters — if you roll these guys, they make a HUGE roll of clothing that isn't as slim as a good fold. After all of your items are rolled (and a few are folded) move onto the next step.
Pack them like this —
I put my heaviest rolled layers (that I'm not wearing) and form the bottom of my suitcase, along with my heavy shoes (like tennis shoes or boots — sandals I usually pack later on ... we'll get to that). I'll put my rolled pants down first and make single layer rolls of clothes. Once you have a layer of rolled clothes, build a second layer of rolled clothes, then a third if there is room. Then I'll top that all off with my folded clothes (like a couple of sweaters and a pullover, etc).
At this point, your suitcase should be pretty full but not stuffed. If it's unzippable, go back and cut out a few layers, refold layers and plan on doing more laundry when you're there instead of checking a big bag.
You'll notice that you have some pockets of space ... that's where little items come in. I'll wedge things like underwear, socks and a sports bra and any slim sandals into those gaps.
I also make sure I have room for my toiletries, so a little bag of my travel-sized gems (think toothpaste, contact solution, shampoo, etc) is what I'm talking about. But you can also be sneaky and hide these in other spots if you keep reading.
Then nest your clothes —
If you'll be packing light, you really need to make room for everything in a very strategic way. If you will be putting tennis shoes in your carry on, fill your shoes with socks and your toiletries (your mascara, your contact case ... any liquids you don't have to take out for security). Maximize any side pockets in your suitcase to help make everything fit.
Or, opt for packing cubes/space saving bags —
I had a girl in my ILP group who swore by packing cubes (you can get them on Amazon). Basically, they are little zip-up mesh bags that you put your clothes in, then put those into your suitcase. Somehow, it really helps everything fit.
You can also use those space saving bags. You'll need a vacuum to press out all of the air (which usually isn't a problem here, but may be an issue finding a vacuum in your ILP country, just as a head's up) and all the air gets sucked out of your bag, leaving you a very slim plastic sleeve full of your clothes. One thing to be careful with; your clothes will really compress down which is great, but you may have to worry about reaching your weight limit with this strategy. Your clothes are so thin, which means you can pack more in space-wise, but maybe not weight-wise.
I've hacked this strategy when backpacking by shoving tee shirts and other items into large gallon-sized (or larger) Ziplock bags, then using a straw to suck out the extra air. Not as efficient, but it does work!
Downsize Your Liquids
Even in a carry on, you can fit enough liquids for your whole trip. Since everything needs to be under 3.4 ounces and fit in a quart-size bag, I only pack the essentials. I pack lots of things (like face lotion, face wash, foundation, etc) into empty contact cases which take up basically zero space.
For the rest, I do get travel sized versions of what I need and sometimes even plan on buying essentials in-country (like toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, etc).
Ladies — you might really need to downsize your makeup. I stick with the basics on normal days, but really downsize when I travel. I'm taking tinted moisturizer for my foundation/face lotion (if I wear any at all), a tube of mascara, an eyebrow brush and maybe some tinted chapstick if I'm fancy. That's it. You don't have to be that minimal, but doing so means more space in your luggage.
Pick Your Personal Item
Most airlines allow a carry on, and a small personal item like a purse or small backpack with no charge. Your personal item sits under the seat in front of you, so it's got to be rather small, but you can fit a lot inside. I usually keep electronics (my computer, my DSLR camera, phone, charging cords, etc) in that personal item so they are easily accessible (plus it saves room in my carry on).
My go-to is a backpack. I love my Fjallraven Kanken, and usually situate a very small and flat leather purse at the bottom before putting my laptop inside, my DSLR and lenses inside, along with my water bottle. That way, I do have a small purse to carry around if I don't want to bring my backpack on day trips during my vacation.
Charging chords and my bag of liquids (for the TSA) go in the other pockets, along with my ID and my phone. I'm not a purse person and feel like you can fit more in a backpack, but it's a personal choice.
I've also been known to fit an extra tee shirt or more socks in my personal item if I feel like I need it and they won't fit in my carry on.
You can even use these tips if you spend a semester volunteering abroad
Volunteering with ILP means living in a foreign country for a semester while teaching English or volunteering in an orphanage (we have lots of countries to choose from) plus getting vacation time to really explore … so you'll want these packing tips for your semester abroad and this minimalist list for all of your dreamy vacations you'll be taking.

subset: commoncrawl


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Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications networks. The messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk. Most mainframes, minicomputers, andcomputer networks have an e-mail system. Some electronic-mail systems are confined to a single computer system or network, but others havegateways to other computer systems, enabling usersto send electronic mail anywhere in the world. Companies that are fully computerized make extensive use of e-mail because it is fast, flexible, and reliable.
Most e-mail systems include a rudimentary text editor for composing messages, but many allow you to edit your messages using any editor you want. You then send the message to the recipient by specifying the recipient's address. You can also send the same message to several users at once. This is called broadcasting.
E-mail (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages by telecommunication. (Some publications spell it email; we prefer the currently more established spelling of e-mail.) E-mail messages are usually encoded in ASCII text. However, you can also send non-text files, such as graphic images and sound files, as attachments sent in binary streams. E-mail was one of the first uses of the Internet and is still the most popular use. A large percentage of the total traffic over the Internet is e-mail. E-mail can also be exchanged between online service provider users and in networks other than the Internet, both public and private.
E-mail can be distributed to lists of people as well as to individuals. A shared distribution list can be managed by using an e-mail reflector. Some mailing lists allow you to subscribe by sending a request to the mailing list administrator. A mailing list that is administered automatically is called a list server.
E-mail is one of the protocols included with the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols. A popular protocol for sending e-mail is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and a popular protocol for receiving it is POP3. Both Netscape and Microsoft include an e-mail utility with their Web browsers.


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Do you have big plans to celebrate tomorrow's Saint Patrick's Day? Are you headed out to a parade, or maybe a dinner of corned beef and cabbage with friends over at the RV park social hall?
Will ya be wearin' a bit o' the green so you don't get pinched? Or maybe you won't wear green at all because you're really into getting pinched?
Actually, you might want to wear blue, because according to historians, Saint Patrick's color was blue, not green.
But whatever. . .
And by the way, do you even know who Saint Patrick was? Here's the quick story: He is one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.
Now, it's time to answer the survey.


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I recently drove around the congressional district in which I grew up, Virginia's 7th District, which encompasses the suburbs of Richmond. It's the home of Dave Brat, the Tea Party-backed professor who stunned the political world by upsetting Eric Cantor in a 2014 primary that everyone assumed was a safe bet for the sitting House majority leader. Today, Brat is being challenged by Abigail Spanberger, a former C.I.A. operative and mother running in a district teeming with college-educated, suburban women who Democrats are counting on this year. The district hasn't elected a Democrat since 1963, but every Republican and Democratic professional in Richmond knows that anti-Trump energy has put the race in striking distance for Spanberger. National Republicans are now playing defense, with Paul Ryan's super PAC coming in to attack her on television and Brat playing hide-and-seek when it comes to scheduling a debate. Even two years ago, that state of play in that district would have been unthinkable.
The precinct where I was raised is mostly white and upper middle-class. Millennial parents move there for the good schools, pretty tree-lined streets, and nice mall (ahem, "Fashion Park") that includes both a Brooks Brothers and a humming P.F. Chang's. People in Richmond refer to the area, the West End, like people in Los Angeles talk about Orange County, or people in Cincinnati talk about Indian Hill. It's basically a wealthy, white suburb that's been reliably Republican since the 60s. Over the years, it's trended purple, handing more of its votes to centrist Democrats like Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. But never in my life have I witnessed what I saw driving around that pocket of Henrico County a few weeks ago: yard signs at every third or fourth house for Spanberger, a Democrat running for Congress in a district that should be as starched-shirt Republican as it gets.
And that's where I checked myself, because this kind of journalism-by-anecdote—the genre where Tom Friedman talks to an Uber driver with purple hair and renders some kind of sweeping cultural thesis—is supposed to be kind of unfashionable. Especially when it comes to political journalism. Since President Barack Obama's data-driven re-election in 2012, there's been a rush among political experts to embrace science over art, math over texture. Snark merchants on Twitter who rarely leave their desks sometimes enjoy mocking the old David Broder style of reporting, in which a big-foot journalist travels to a bellwether state, listens to voters, and tries to convey a political mood.
So I asked a Republican strategist in Richmond, Will Ritter, a veteran of Mitt Romney's campaign, what sort of public data might support the idea that Spanberger was surging. "Other than yard signs and chatter I've got no evidence," Ritter told me. "There's no numerical backup to the VA-7 race being Dem-energized except farts and smiles."
The lack of polling in races like Brat's is one factor leaving Beltway types uncertain about what's really happening in the midterms. National polling organizations have never really bothered to spend time or money polling House races, instead devoting their energy to sexier statewide Senate campaigns or approval ratings about the president. As a result, national pundits keep getting floored by the "shocking" success of insurgent Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, Andrew Gillum in Florida, and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts. If they had paid attention to the yard signs and chatter, or the opinions of the people living and breathing in those states and districts, political journalists might not have been blindsided.
All of which makes the reticence of our national electoral forecasting class even more exasperating. The midterm elections are coming into focus, and things look positively awful for Republicans. Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped to an atrocious 39 percent. A majority of Americans say he is simply unfit for office. Upstart progressives and millennials are flexing their muscles, defeating more established Democrats in competitive primaries from Florida to New York to Arizona. Incumbent Republicans in vulnerable districts are evading voters and the press; most hilariously, a Maine congressman hid from a reporter in a women's bathroom when he was asked about the G.O.P.'s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Democratic voter turnout, meanwhile, is way up compared to 2014. Fund-raising, too. The biggest gender gap in American electoral history is also taking shape, with women saying they prefer Democrats by 58 percent to 33 percent, an eye-popping 25-point margin. Nancy Pelosi, ever cautious, allowed herself to grace the cover of Time magazine, something she certainly wouldn't have done if she wasn't planning on becoming the Speaker of the House once again.
For any American with a pulse and even a whiff of political intelligence, two things are now self-evident with just two months until Election Day. Democrats everywhere in the country will walk over broken glass to vote in November, and Republicans are about to confront an unholy midterm bloodbath up and down the ballot. Every single piece of on-the-ground reporting suggests a wipeout on par with 2006 or 2010.
So why are the experts unwilling to say as much? Yes, the idea that Democrats will take over the House has congealed into conventional wisdom, and Republicans on Capitol Hill will privately tell you they're bracing themselves for a turnover in the lower chamber. But few journalists or pundits are willing to step out further and declare what should be pretty obvious to any reporter who has covered campaigns in the past: the vaunted blue wave is coming. Not only will it buoy Democrats to retake the House, but it will also propel Democratic Senate candidates in red states and power down-ballot Democrats into state legislative seats in every corner of the country. That's exactly what happened in Virginia's elections last year, right? That's how it feels right now, a total wipeout for Republicans, even ones we assumed were safe. But in politics, the heart and the head are always at war.
"There is some P.T.S.D. from 2016," said Amy Walter, the editor of the Cook Political Report. "Nobody wants to go out and feel too confident because of the 'what if' factor. All of the indicators are, 'Boy, this is going to be really bad for Republicans.' If you're the party in power, and your incumbents in districts that were easily held before are now only up within the margin of error, that's not good. Or you can look at it and say, 'Well in 2016, Hillary was up by the margin of error and look what happened!'"
Walter's point is that Trump's election created a crisis of confidence inside the political world like nothing that has come before. His victory broke so many assumptions—all of the hallowed "rules"—about how politics is supposed to work. Journalists placed great faith in certain inside-baseball factors that now seem somehow less relevant: the importance of fund-raising, the need to hire blue-chip staffers, the impact of the dreaded "gaffe," how demographic coalitions actually vote, the value of polling and television advertising, and America's tolerance for politically incorrect rhetoric and even straight-up racism.
And so heading into the midterms, smart people are staying away from the prediction game. When predictions do occur, they are imbued with caution. Even though Democrats are marching in the streets, super-charging their voter-registration numbers, electing a new generation of candidates, and making Republicans play defense even in Texas—all obvious factors that would normally point to a Democratic takeover—people in Washington are still tiptoeing carefully. The safest thing to say is that Democrats might take the House, and they probably won't take the Senate. Everyone is debating whether there will be a blue wave, not nodding in wide-eyed agreement that there will definitely be a blue wave, even though the anti-Trump energy in this country has been apparent from the very moment he took office in 2017. All of it's because in the Trump era, we're all asking ourselves the same question: does anyone know anything about politics anymore?
Covering the midterms race-by-race, while valuable, still doesn't answer the big, complicated question of who will control the Senate and House come next January. The best macro-analysis of whether Democrats will take back the House comes from national polling models developed by outfits like FiveThirtyEight, which currently shows Democrats with an 81.8 percent chance of winning the House. They need to pick up 23 seats to do so. But Micah Cohen, the managing editor of FiveThirtyEight, said that while their analysis could indicate a blue wave, "the data also suggests that Dems could gain a dozen or so seats and that would also be in line with the data."
For Democrats, that kind of caution can sound maddening. But most of the press also took it for granted, mistakenly, that the polling models in 2016 were somehow predictive. One of the biggest media failures in the presidential election was misreading analyses like FiveThirtyEight's, which actually gave Trump a one-in-three chance of winning. In baseball, that would be a damn good batting average. "The thing people need to get comfortable with [is] there is no solution to this problem of predicting the future," Cohen said. "It's not like if we could figure out the weights of certain polls, and we just knew the districts to visit to do on-the-ground reporting, we would have this perfect way to predict what's going to happen. There is no perfect way. It's a question about best guesses."
The Democratic enthusiasm I witnessed in Virginia, in Brat's district, might also be undercut by G.O.P. gerrymandering efforts that date back to 2010. Congressional boundaries that were re-drawn to favor Republicans haven't been tested like they will be this November. Spanberger might get suburban women and young voters riled up, but the district isn't just suburban. It extends into rural central Virginia, where plenty of Trump voters reside. There's also the relative health of the economy, which may give Trump air cover despite the fact that most Americans don't like him. "There is this sense with Trump that everything looks like a disaster and the bottom is going to fall out, but somehow it doesn't," said Walter. "He continues to hold his own with Republicans and they are sticking with him. Independents don't really like him, but they feel pretty decent about the economy. And so maybe that's enough in some of these races."


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Samantha asks: I have a question for you about something I haven't found a lot of info on. For years, after my long runs (whether it's my first 10 miler in a few months like this past weekend, or my first 18 miler of marathon training) I do my usual postrace routine, eat/hydrate, shower, and then most likely take a nap! A few hours after I'm done with my run, I get hot. Like, sweating, need to turn the AC up as high as it will go, put my hair up out of my face hot. I would assume it's what a hot flash feels like! (I just turned 30!) It lasts for probably an hour or so, and then goes away until my next longer run. Last night I had it happen to me a few hours after a tough track workout! What is this? How do I manage it?
It seems as if you are getting the sweats after hard workouts—long runs and speed workouts. Sometimes, the sweats can be related to the harder effort levels as the thyroid releases more hormones to help fuel the greater demands. If it is only happening when there are shifts in your workouts, like increases in distance or getting back into speed or pushing a lot harder, this may be your culprit. One way to reduce this in the future is to review your training to evaluate the total stress demands in your life and in your training and create a plan that flows with harder and enough easier effort workouts and recovery, nutrition, sleep...
If it is something that happens more often and regularly, it may be more related to an issue with your thyroid, a food-related issue or even alcohol. When I drink a glass of red wine, I'm sweating 30 minutes later.
More From Runner's World
It can also be informative to keep a log and track the details to see if there is a common variable. For instance, did it happen after you ate a certain food, or didn't sleep well, or were under a lot of stress? Sometimes you can pull out a detail and find the culprit.
Happy running.


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How very upper class of him. How civilized. How completely absurd.
John J. Miller observes:
Perhaps releasing the photos of a dead Osama bin Laden is a bad idea. Maybe they would reveal an operational detail that's better left undiscovered. If this is the case, of course, President Obama (or someone else) could just say so and the controversy mostly would vanish.
What bugs me is the metaphor: Obama says the United States won't put out the pictures because "we don't need to spike the football." By this, he means that America shouldn't gloat over the death of the world's most-wanted terrorist. But if a police department releases gruesome photos of a shooting, does it "spike the football"? No, it simply provides evidence. It has nothing to do with gloating–and neither do the calls to release these pictures.
Separately, spiking the football is a great sport-specific ritual. The NCAA may frown upon it, but as end-zone celebrations go, this is about as modest as they come, like slapping the hand of the third-base coach on a home-run trot. I wish the president hadn't implied there was something unbecoming about it.
Well, don't forget, John, that Obama is superior to the rest of us. He's beyond all this talk of war and such.
I now have sincere doubts about Obama's role in the entire operation. I suspect he had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to actually make an operational decision. His behavior and his picture in the previous post would seem to confirm that he was most likely a bit player, or a bench warmer.
Let's face it: HE DIDN'T SCORE THE TOUCHDOWN. That's why he doesn't want to spike the football. He probably doesn't even feel like he's on the same team.
Michael Moore's response is classic (can't link to it because it has a virus). He claims Bin Laded wasn't "killed", he was "executed". My response: OK. And your point is???
As for all those questions about whether we should be celebrating the death of a terrorist, my response: Hell yes.
Did we violate international law? WTF cares?
Where does this sort of silliness come from? I question the survival instincts of all these holier-than-thou-moral-beyond-reason-or-sanity people and suspect that they are actually morally,culturally, and individually suicidal--or at least in the throes of a powerful death wish.
Meanwhile, let's celebrate shall we?


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- Privacy Authority Provision of 19 June 2008 on simplification of requirements for processing operations for administrative or accounting purposes
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applicable law
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Gmiro VE1*, Serdyuk SE1, Veselkina OS2
1Research Institute of Experimental Medicine, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
2Pharmaceutical Company Vertex, 199106, St. Petersburg, Vasilevsky Ostrov, 24 Line, 27-A, Russia
Received date: 25/01/2016 Accepted date: 24/03/2016 Published date: 31/03/2016
Visit for more related articles at Research & Reviews: Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Adamantan-containing glutamate antagonist IEM-1913, 1-amino-4- (1-adamantanamino)butane dihydrochloride, has antiparkinson activity similar to memantine, but exceeds memantine in the anticonvulsant, antidepressive and the analgesic activity, and also unlike memantine is less toxic and more safe for application. IEM-1913 cause reliable pharmacological effects in a wide range of doses of 0.03-1 mg/kg whereas the memantine is effective only in a narrow range of doses, 15- 20 mg/kg. High pharmacological activity and relatively weak toxicity IEM- 1913 is due to the fact that bis-cationic glutamate antagonist IEM-1913 unlike monocationic selective NMDA-antagonist memantine causes the combined block of NMDA and the AMPA receptors of brain.
NMDA, AMPA, Memantine, Seizures, Analgesia, Parkinsonism, Therapeutic index
Memantine is the single glutamate antagonist approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The basis of Alzheimer's disease is the toxic effect of glutamate on NMDA and AMPA receptors in the brain [1]. A serious disadvantage of memantine, that blocks only N/MDA receptors in the brain, is insufficiently high therapeutic activity, which requires its use in the highest possible dose of 20-30 mg, causing sleep, dizziness, motor discoordination, aggressiveness, joint pain, hyper locomotion, memory disorder, headache, anxiety and in some cases psychosis [2-4]. Despite the high efficacy of memantine in doses of 10-20 mg/kg on models of parkinsonism, depression, epilepsy, and pain in rats, it did not receive the application in the treatment of these diseases in humans, as it requires very large doses of 100-200 mg, 5-10 times exceeding the permitted dose of memantine [2,3,5].
We synthesized compound IEM-1913, which equally blocks NMDA and AMPA receptors in experiments on brain slices. The chemical structure of IEM-1913 has some similarities with memantine because, like memantine, contains adamantyl radical. The difference lies in the fact that IEM-1913 contains second amino group and tetra methylene chain between the nitrogen's, that is bis-cationic structure, while memantine- monocationic molecule (Figures 1 and 2).
We carried out a comparative study of anticonvulsant, anti-parkinsonian, analgesic and antidepressant activity, as well as the acute toxicity and safety of mixed antagonist of AMPA and NMDA receptors IEM-1913 compared with the standard NMDA antagonist memantine.
Anticonvulsant effects of substances were investigated in the model of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures (PTZ 80 mg/kg, i. m.) in rats.
Anti-parkinsonian action of the substances was investigated on the model of catalepsy in rats after administration of haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i. m.)
Antidepressant action of the substances tested in the two-day Porsolt swim test in rats.
Analgesic effect of substances was estimated by increasing latency of tail withdrawal in the tail-lick test in rats.
To assess the acute toxicity and safety of IEM-1913 and memantine calculated dose of substance that causes the death of 50% of mice (LD50) and therapeutic index (TI): LD50/ED50-the ratio of toxic dose that causes the death of 50% of mice (LD50) to dose eliminating clonic-tonic PTZ seizures 50% of the rats (ED50) (Table 1).
i. m.
|Anticonvulsant effect in the PTZ seizures test*
(n =7)
|Antiparkinsonianeffect in the haloperidolcatalepsytest**(n =7)
|Antidepressanteffectin the Porsolt test***
(n =7)
|The severity of PTZ seizures
(in scores)*
|The duration ofimmobilizationon the grid** (sec)
|The duration ofimmobilization for 5 min of repeatedswimming(sec)
|Control(distilled water)
|4.8 ± 0.4
|113 ± 8
|181 ± 14.3
|1 üó/úó
|111 ± 7
|149 ± 15.0
|3 üó/úó
|78 ± 4
|5 üó/úó
|4.2 ± 0.7
|92 ± 11.2
|10 üó/úó
|3.4 ± 0.5
|18 ± 42
|20 üó/úó
|1.9 ± 0.41
|46 ± 4.11
|0.01 üó/úó
|3.4 ± 0.4
|68 ± 7
|0.03 üó/úó
|1.8 ± 0.31
|60 ± 6
|106 ± 6.6
|0.1 üó/úó
|1.6 ± 0.31
|24 ± 42
|71 ± 8.31
|0.3 üó/úó
|1.6 ± 0.51
|20 ± 52
|28 ± 4.82
|1.0 üó/úó
|43 ± 41
Table 1: Anticonvulsant, antidepressant and antiparkinsonian action of IEM-1913 and memantine.
As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the IEM-1913 has equal antiparkinsonian and analgesic activity with memantine in model of haloperidol catalepsy and the tail-flick test, but in 1.4-1.8 times exceeds anticonvulsant and antidepressant activity of memantine on model of PTZ seizures and test Porsolt in rats. Importantly, the above-mentioned pharmacological effects after i. m. administration IEM-1913 develop at doses 50-500 times less than after i. m. administration of memantine.
|Analgesic activity*, i.m.
mg/kg(n = 7)
|Acute toxicityin mice**, i.m.
LD50mg/kg(n =7)
|The therapeutic index***(TI) n=7
|7.9 (79/10)****
|6430 (193/0.03)****
Table 2: The analgesic activity, acute toxicity and the therapeutic index of IEM-1913 and memantine.
Memantine has a low therapeutic index equal to 7.9 which indicates low safety of memantine (Table 2). At the same time, the IEM-1913 has a very high therapeutic index equal to 6430 (Table 2). Thus, IEM-1913 has a therapeutic index in 814 times higher than that of memantine, and therefore, unlike the memantine is a compound substantially non-toxic and safe for use.
IEM-1913 causes reliable pharmacological effects in a wide dose range 0.03-1 mg/kg, while memantine is effective only in a narrow range of doses 10-20 mg/kg. The relatively low therapeutic activity and narrow therapeutic window of memantine is related with the selective block only one NMDA subtype of glutamate receptors in the brain, eliminating only part of the toxic effects of glutamate. At the same time, the toxic effect glutamate on the AMPA receptors in the brain under the action of memantine compensatory even is enhanced, and this leads to a weakening of the therapeutic efficacy (Should be blocked both types of glutamate receptor) and increase in side effects of high doses of memantine [6,7].
It can be assumed that the high of antiparkinsonian, analgesic, antidepressant and anticonvulsant activity and low toxicity IEM-1913 is due to the combined block NMDA and AMPA receptors in the brain that contributes to a more effective elimination of the toxic effects of glutamate.


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The Armstrong Institute's five-day Patient Safety Certificate Program is currently in a re-discovery process. Please check back for updated content.
The Armstrong Institute's five-day Patient Safety Certificate Program immerses participants in the key concepts, tools and skills that they need to reduce preventable harm to patients, whether at the level of unit/clinic, clinical department or hospital. Learners delve into performance improvement approaches--such as Lean Sigma, Human Factors and Design Thinking--while delving into strategies to engage their organizations in this critical work. Consisting of 24 modules, the program also covers such essential topics as patient safety culture, patient-centered care, safe design principles, and interdisciplinary teamwork and communication.
Continuing education credits available.
The Armstrong Institute also offers an online Patient Safety Certificate Program. To decide which is best for you, compare these programs.
The Participant Experience
- Frequent opportunities to apply the concepts and skills to problem-solving and action-planning in realistic scenarios
- Group activities--such as simulations, design sessions and case studies
- A "sandbox" environment that allows testing of solutions with peers
- Learning from peers, as well as from instructors who have led successful safety projects at Johns Hopkins, across the United States and internationally
"This course is extremely well-taught, engaging and entertaining. The week goes by quickly. I got what I came for – a broad overview of patient safety concepts, as well as skills in areas such as teamwork, problem-solving and design thinking from an international leader in safety."
–Michele Follen, M.D., Ph.D., Gynecologic Oncologist, New York City
Read what other participants are saying.
Learning Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:
- Develop patient safety initiatives for real and lasting change
- Create and sustain a patient safety culture that has patient-centered care as its linchpin
- Use a system-based approach to identify and reduce defects in health care organizations
- Apply evidence-based practices to develop and support effective multidisciplinary teams that work in partnership with patients and their families to improve patient safety outcomes
- Act as a change agent in their organizations as they lead efforts to continuously learn from defects and improve patient safety and quality care by developing action plans for patient safety improvement
Hanan Aboumatar, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Matt Austin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Lauren E. Benishek, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Sean Berenholtz, M.D.
Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Emily Boss, M.D.
Associate Professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Cheryl Connors, M.H.S.
Quality and Innovation Coach
Robert Hody, B.S., M.S.
Assistant Director, Lean Sigma Deployment
Eileen Kasda, M.H.S.
Senior Project Administrator
Paula Kent, DrPH, M.S.N., M.B.A., R.N., CPPS
Patient Safety Specialist
Lori Paine, Dr.PH, R.N., M.S.
Director of Patient Safety
Michael Rosen, M.A., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Times and LocationConstellation Energy Building
750 E. Pratt St., 4th Floor Conference Room
Baltimore, MD 21202
Get details on parking, hotels and attractions
Days 1-4: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Day 5: 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Cost and Registration
The program costs $3,495 per participant.
Please see our Cancellation/No Show & Refund Policy. Beginning January 1, 2021, the No-Show Policy has been reinstated.
Target Audience
This activity is intended for health care professionals seeking to lead, facilitate and implement programs to improve patient safety and quality of care in inpatient and outpatient settings.
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician Continuing Medical Education
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 30.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Pharmacy Education
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 30.0 contact hour(s) (3.0 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
(Universal Activity Number - JA4008162-9999-19-613-L05-P)
Type of Activity: Application
Continuing Nursing Education
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 30 contact hours.
Type of Activity
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest (COI) they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified COI are thoroughly vetted and resolved according to PIM policy. The existence or absence of COI for everyone in a position to control content will be disclosed to participants prior to the start of each activity.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Event staff will be glad to assist you with any special needs (ie, physical, dietary, etc). Please contact the Armstrong Institute Learning and Development team prior to the live event at (410) 637-7170.
Fee and Credit Request Information
A statement of credit will be issued immediately upon completing the evaluation on www.cmeuniversity.com.
For Pharmacists: Upon completing the evaluation on www.cmeuniversity.com, your transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service.
"The course has re-energized my interest in patient safety. The presenters were multi-faceted, with backgrounds in research, business, health care and even the military. They provided real world examples of safety initiatives outside of health care that were translatable to the hospital and ambulatory settings. I was able to network with colleagues from other institutions who were passionate about patient safety in small groups allowing for great exchange of ideas. The sessions were very comprehensive touching upon all facets of safety, including Six Sigma and Lean. I would recommend the [certificate program] to other colleagues."
– Jennifer Lenoci-Edwards, Project Manager, Partners Clinical Performance, Partners Healthcare, Needham, Mass.
"This was one of the best run and most practical courses that I have ever attended. The week just flew by. Great instructors with practical examples, and lots of camaraderie with other participants. It was a really terrific learning experience."
– William Brooks, MD, MPH, Tampa, Fla.


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Even we have to admit quality hair care can be a frustrating endeavor. Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, your hair just refuses to thrive the way you want it to. It may decide it wants to remain dull and limp or just refuse to grow. When this happens, it's all too understandable you may reach your wit's end and have no idea where you're going wrong. Unfortunately, there are all sorts of habits and factors out there that could be affecting your hair's health without you even realizing. Here are just a few to watch out for.
It's somewhat well known specific medications can cause detriment to your hair. This can include the likes of thyroid pills, statins, blood pressure drugs and antidepressants. The reason for this lies in how these drugs actually work, which is through fiddling around with your hormonal chemistry. Much like your mood, your hair is also affected by your hormones. If they're thrown out of whack in any way, you could likely see some ill effects with your hair.
Should you start a new medication and find your hair thinning or just refusing to grow, it's best to speak with your doctor as soon as possible. Together you can find a new medication that won't affect your hormonal balance quite as much, kickstarting your hair back into its usual growth routine.
Hot Showers
What could be better than a long, hot shower after a hard day? It's a highlight for many people because it grants them the chance to relax and wash away their stress along with the grime gathered from a long day's work. You often even take advantage of this time to use your trusty sulfate free shampoo and conditioner! There's just one problem with a hot shower: heat is dehydrating.
By standing under that steamy water, you're effectively stripping away all of the natural moisturization your hair builds up on a regular basis. This can lead to dryness, which in turn causes breakage and other problems. Luckily, you don't have to go all the way to the opposite end of the showering spectrum to fix this problem! Try to use colder water when you rinse your hair only, and stick to showers that aren't quite as hot for regular bathing.
Styling Serums
We all love our styling sprays! However, it's important to remember it's a product, and like any hair product, there's a certain risk of clogging your follicles or worse. In some cases, the ingredients present in your styling product of choice can dehydrate your hair. This holds especially true for styling gels designed to last all day long. Try gentler products for styling your hair instead. Also, don't hesitate to use your leave in conditioner because it will help your hair retain the moisture it generates and needs, making it naturally easier to style!
If you're looking for more tips on how to maintain quality hair care, we've got you covered. Contact us to learn how else you can help your hair flourish!


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My good friend Letha won "Tip of the Month" in Darcie Litwicki's newsletter - I've adapted it for the Arctic cold wave that's hit Arizona this week.
Here in Sunny Arizona, we're not used to breaking up two or three inches of ice on our water tanks. The automatic waterers that serve as the main (or only) source of water for many horses are frozen up solid. With frozen hoses, and the barn a fair distance from my house I need a way to get drinking water to my horses. Preferably warm or even hot water to bring their water buckets up to drinking temperature.
The five gallon buckets I get my supplements in (thank you HorseTech) are pretty manageable - I can fill them with hot water, load them in the back of my truck and drive them to the barn. But how do I keep from sloshing half the water into the bed of my truck?
Letha had suggested using trash bags in a muck bucket on a cart to keep water clean and from splashing when hauling water while camping. Using this same technique, I can line my five gallon buckets with a "kitchen" size trash bag, fill with hot water from my kitchen sink, then tie them off to load in the truck. I'll do this at night to ensure they have drinkable water while they eat their main portion of hay, then do the same in the morning to bring the tank in their turnout up to drinking temperature.
If your barn isn't too far from the house, using the larger muck bucket or 5 gallon buckets on a cart may work for you. If I only needed one or two buckets, I would consider using the wheel barrow (it's two-wheeled so doesn't tip easily) to take the buckets over to the barn but for five or six, the truck works best.
Make sure if using "kitchen" trash bags as liner that they are the unscented ones. If you'll be doing this several days, consider using two as a double liner - the cost is well worth the hassle saved.
Check your automatic waterers - even if the water in the bowls isn't frozen the mechanism can freeze up. Put securely fastened water buckets in each stall or pen, watch that they don't freeze over and monitor that your horses are drinking enough water - at least five gallons for an "average" size horse based on NRC guidelines.
Increasing the salt in your horse's ration can encourage drinking but this can backfire on you if the water is not available - either because the bucket or waterer is frozen or the water is too cold for your horse to comfortably drink.
Of course those stalwart horse owners living in the north are probably thinking "...those weenies - we deal with freezing temperatures all winter long." But the bottom line is we don't expect or anticipate weather like this - it can sneak up and take us and our horses by surprise. So haul out those buckets of warm water - and remember this will only last a few days.


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Former NHLer Chris Nilan Gets Candid about His Life as a Hockey Enforcer; Talks About the New Documentary, The Last Gladiators
In recent years, we have seen numerous accounts of what happens to professional athletes after their careers are over. More than ever, we are seeing the pains athletes deal with after they leave their sports. This could be physical pain, the pain of broken relationships or financial pain. A new documentary, The Lost Gladiators, explores the life of some of hockey's toughest players – known in the sport as enforcers – long after the games are over. At the center of the piece is Chris "Knuckles" Nilan. The former Montreal Canadien, Boston Bruin and New York Ranger spoke candidly about the personal challenges he has faced during his life and the pain he lives with every day from having played professional hockey.


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When my coach Derick, at Durata Training, and I came up with my race schedule at the beginning of the season we decided that I would race the Rev3 Series along side the XTERRA series. To maximize the potential for Rev3 that meant that I would race on back-to-back days, XTERRA Southeast Championship on Saturday and the Rev3 Knoxville Championship on Sunday. I had raced back to back before in 2006 with the Tri Cal Pacific Grove Triathlon and LA Triathlon and last year in the BE Series race and knew the pain, suffering and logistics of racing twice in a weekend. What was different was the length and challenging courses that these races had. XTERRA SE is a 0.9mile swim, 20mile mountain bike and 6mile run and Rev3 is a rather odd 1.2mile swim, 40.1mile bike and 9.8mile run. It would be a tough weekend no matter if the conditions were perfect, what was an immeasurable help was having, my love Bri along my side to go through the absolute craziness with me. She went above and beyond in being my Sherpa, support crew, cheering squad, coordinator and chauffer from the start of the first race until the car was packed the final time. I can't thank Craig Evans enough as well for his support through the weekend, for not just the use of his car for the trip, airport shuttling, and awesome crawfish dinner to close out the trip but for his friendship and unselfishness to always help me and anyone else improve and learning how to ride his XTERRA course even through we are competing against each other.
XTERRA Southeast Champs
Race Equipment, Setup & Nutrition
Clothing- 2XU Custom Compression Long Distance Tri Shorts
2XU Custom Long Distance Tri Singlet
Swim - 2XU Race Goggles
2XU X:3 Project X Wetsuit
Bike - Pro Cycling SW Epic, Rotor 3D+ SRM w/38-27 Q-Rings
Effetto Mariposa Sealant in Fast Trak 2.2 Tires, Front 22psi, Rear 25psi
Rudy Project Windmax Helmet
Rudy Project Noyz Fluo Sunglasses
Run - Colorado Running Company Trailroc 245
Nutrition - First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan
|Photo bombing Chris Jeffery after the first lap of the swim.
After two days of perfect temperatures and dry conditions it was an unexpected dark stormy morning to which we woke and with a light rain completely changing the conditions of the course. The magic XTERRA thermometer measured "64 degrees" presenting a wetsuit swim, thankfully this year I was prepared for it unlike last year. Though I needed to race each race as if each were the only one that weekend there were certainly ways I could try to conserve as much energy as possible as well and the first step was successfully accomplished in the swim. As soon as the cannon blasted I jumped straight on to the feet of Dan Hugo, Craig, Mauricio Mendez, Flora Duffy, Sean Bechtel and drafted through the entire swim in the lead pack and into transition.
|Perfect position photo bombing Craig as we hit the Oak Mtn Trails
On the bike I found my target position right on Craig's wheel right as we hit the trail and the only focus was to keep the master right in front of me through the ride. Though the wet conditions did make the roots and rocks slick and the wood bridges like ice there is one constant in how you ride the trails at Oak Mountain, you attack them and that is exactly how I took to the course. Craig was on a singular mission to catch Dan who what ahead and riding like his bike was on rails, I was following as close as possible but he slowly crept away. I was superbly confident in my riding and continued to rip along
|Blood Rock photo bomb of Josiah
better than ever hoping to distance myself from the young stud Mauricio, Brad Weiss and Josiah. At the base of the jeep road climb I was super encouraged to hear that I was only 60 seconds down from Craig and Dan, the closest I had been to the front of the race at that point ever and charged the climb harder than ever. On the climb the darkness closed in and the skies opened up for a good 10 minutes. On the rolling section along the top Josiah and Brad had caught up and latched straight on to Josiah's wheel over to the descent of Blood Rock. With the slick conditions it is best to keep a short
|Ripping Blood Rock to stay with Josiah.
distance between you and the rider in front of you incase of mistake and you need to adjust and get around. I had a small bobble but stayed on my
bike, Brad was too close got jammed and had to put a foot down and there was a gap between us. I descended like a mad man closing the small gap to Josiah at the base of Johnson's Mountain. On one of the wood bridges I don't even know what happened but my wheels went straight out from under me and hit the deck. I remounted my chain and got going a bit shaken, Brad was right back up to me. It took a bit to get my wits about me and start to ride hard again after sliding out but I had to stay with it as Brad took the opportunity and jumped ahead. Through the last section of the course I was able to attack the course but stayed relaxed and closed the gap to Brad and we hit transition together, we had lost about 2.5min to Craig, Josiah was 1 minute up and Dan was about 40 seconds up.
|SRM Powerfile of XTERRA Southeast Championships
On the run I had Dan in sight and the legs were flying along well and reeled him in the first mile. About two miles in Brad passed but stuck fast about ten seconds behind for the next few miles, using him as a carrot to pull me along. I knew I wasn't safe as Mauricio's speed on the run is unmatched by anyone and I didn't have any idea of how far behind he was. With about a quarter mile to go I heard the dreaded light quick footsteps and he cruised past me, it was a bit crushing. I cruised in able to see that he nearly caught Brad as well in the finishing straight, crossing the line in 5th only 12 seconds out of 3rd place.
|Congratulating Mauricio after a close finish, this kid is the real deal, so young and talented, sky's the limit.
|2014 XTERRA Southeast Championship Men's Podium
Race report is on the way from the Rev3 Knoxville Championship.


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WASHINGTON — President Trump has vanquished Republicans and Democrats with his mastery of the media and disregard for facts. With denials and by shifting blame to victims, he has survived allegations of sexual abuse and infidelity. He has turned swaths of the GOP base against the FBI and Department of Justice.
But Trump's pugilistic style and misdirections appear to be failing him as he struggles to dodge responsibility for the latest political crisis to rock the White House: stories and images of immigrant children wailing and locked in chain link detention pens that are essentially cages after they have been forcibly taken from their parents.
Accused of inhumane actions, the president and his team have cycled through myriad explanations for the disturbing sights and sounds from the southern border.
Here's a sampling:
1.) It's God's will. 2.) It's the Democrats' fault. 3.) President Obama basically did something similar. 4.) It's an intentional zero tolerance policy to discourage migrant families from coming here. 5.) It's a backhanded way of forcing Congress to pass immigration legislation. 6.) It's not really a policy at all. 7.) Can we go back to talking about the Witch Hunt?
In the space of a week, as the number of children separated from their parents has swelled to more than 2,000 and the federal government prepares to open more children's shelters, the Trump administration has offered falsehoods, obfuscation, and spin to justify a man-made humanitarian crisis where none existed before.
All the while, the administration is contending with a sustained public relations and political tornado. On Monday, the news outlet ProPublica released a surreptitiously recorded audio of children screaming for their parents at a federal facility.
For days prior, media outlets have shown an image of a young girl crying as her parents are detained. There are photos of children kept in enclosures that resemble kennels. Even the border patrol has asked some in the media not to use the word "cages" to describe the chain-linked holding areas, according to "CBS This Morning," because it finds the word "cages" to be uncomfortable.
Trump's staunchest allies, including his wife, the religious community, conservative commentators, and former employees, have rejected many of the explanations — leaving the president and his top Cabinet officials in a lonely spot.
On Monday, the White House briefing was delayed by four hours so White House press secretary Sarah Sanders would not have to face the media alone to answer questions about the new policy.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was flown back from an event in New Orleans to also take reporters' questions. She said Trump, in removing children from the custody of parents who committed a crime by entering the United States illegally, is merely enforcing laws that were ignored by previous administrations.
"Congress alone can fix it," Nielsen said, rejecting the idea that the administration could go back to its previous posture of leaving families intact.
For critics, and Trump allies looking for cover, the shifting explanations weren't convincing, particularly since previous presidents have used their discretion not to strip children from their parents.
"They are doing something that is indefensible, so it's hard to explain," said Peter Wehner, who has worked in the last three Republican administrations, including as a speechwriter for George W. Bush. "They are throwing everything against the wall and seeing what might stick."
The Trump administration is not tethered to the truth, he noted, which opens broad avenues previous US leaders would never travel.
"It's a post-truth presidency," said Wehner. "People are just throwing out whatever they feel like. It doesn't have to correspond with reality." He had a simple piece of advice: "If it's indefensible, you've got to quit defending it."
Even Trump's former communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, expressed his own bafflement with the White House lines of defense.
"You can't simultaneously argue that family separation isn't happening, that it's being used as a deterrent, that the Bible justifies it, and that it's @TheDemocrats fault," explained Scaramucci via a post on his Twitter feed. "@POTUS is not being served well by his advisors on this issue."
Democratic strategists have also been watching in shock.
"For 18 months they've been putting lipstick on a pig. They just found out they can't put lipstick on a dumpster fire," said Jesse Ferguson, who was a spokesman for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
"It makes it clear how much of a disaster this policy is when you see that they can't even agree with themselves over a defense for it," Ferguson added.
Part of the discomfort is rooted in the fact that the various explanations crumble under scrutiny.
Trump himself has insisted that Democrats are to blame for his administration's decision to separate families. Trump is, perhaps, referring to the 1997 Flores Agreement, a legal settlement that determined migrant children should not be imprisoned and was settled after a lengthy court process during the Clinton administration.
But none of the presidential administrations since then has determined that it required families to be split up.
Trump may also be referring to the inability of Democratic minorities in the House and Senate to pass a law preventing the families from being splintered.
"CHANGE THE LAWS!" Trump tweeted Monday, as if he was some kind of casual observer to the pain that his Cabinet officials and agencies are inflicting on thousands of people.
But, as Trump is aware, Democrats are in the minority in both chambers. Moreover, other parts of Trump's own government have taken responsibility for the new policy — at times. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Nielsen, both Trump appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president, have described the new policy as an intentional tool to discourage migrants from making the treacherous journey north to the United States.
"We have to do our job. We will not apologize for doing our job. We have sworn to do this job," Nielsen said Monday.
Sessions, on April 6, spelled out the initiative in a memo describing the new "zero tolerance" policy at the southern border.
"To those who wish to challenge the Trump administration's commitment to public safety, national security, and the rule of law, I warn you: Illegally entering this country will not be rewarded, but will instead be met with the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice," Sessions wrote.
Last week, Sessions cited Romans 13 in the Bible to justify the policy, saying God has ordained the laws of government for reasons of keeping order. But even the Trump administration's closest allies are having trouble accepting any of the justifications being offered.
"The government should know how bad this looks and how innocent children are actually suffering," said former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, on Twitter. "The Trump administration will not win on this one and it should reverse course today."
Even first lady Melania Trump noted discomfort with the policy. She is spearheading a #BeBest campaign to protect children from bullying, and she said in a prepared statement that she "hates to see children separated from their families."
Annie Linskey can be reached at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @annielinskey.


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Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Happy (American) Thanksgiving!
23 comments:
Thank you very kindly - have a wonderful thanksgiving!ReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Enjoy.ReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving to you. Wonderful picture.ReplyDelete
Thanks. That is a very cool picture. Love the dog and the background!ReplyDelete
Awesome photo of you Tootsie :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2013 at 6:14 AM
You guys too. Will you you celebrate a liitle?ReplyDelete
Golden Thanks and to you too. Love your scenery. Happy BlogPaws WW. Lots of Golden Woofs, SugarReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2013 at 6:30 AM
Have a great thanksgiving and the biggest turkey. Here we celebrate just "any thursday" tomorrow :o)ReplyDelete
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you all as well. Please give Tootsie a hug from me and my pack!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2013 at 7:02 AM
Achieved a fine balance between macrocephalic narcissism and artistic pastoral lyricism.....or in dogspeak;ReplyDelete
...her have big head....
Happy Thanksgiving back at ya!ReplyDelete
Thank you, dear friends! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. :)ReplyDelete
Yes, it is american thanksgiving! There's so much to be thankful for! Don't forget to hop on over to the Thanksgiving Edition of This 'N That Thursday tomorrow for a increase chance to enter a giveaway from doggyLoot! Anything goes!ReplyDelete
Aww. Thanks guys!ReplyDelete
My WW entry is #95. Come by and vote for us?
Amazing picture! Happy Thanksgiving!ReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving to you. In Canada we celebrate in October. Lee and PhodReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours too Tootsie!ReplyDelete
Lily Belle & Muffin
You too, Tootsie!ReplyDelete
That's so cool, we've been through a few places around the Swiss/Italian border while visiting family there… I bet this is one of the times of year when you miss the states, all the turkey! Happy ThanksgivingReplyDelete
Lovely photo, beautifully stated message.ReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving Tootsie, to you and all your family.
Toodle pip!
- Christa taking dictation from BrunoDecember 1, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Happy Thanksgiving/Thanksgivukkah from your American male doppelganger, Bruno, and his pack. That is a particularly stunning photo of you, Toots! Enjoy beautiful places and people and feelings, sweet pup!ReplyDelete
Same to you Tootsie :DReplyDelete


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Anticipat Beta Research Database recently released the tech center search filter and the tech center column in the table display. Appeals data can now be examined for trends using tech center groupings. In this post, we will showcase one example of how this might be useful using the "abstract idea" ground of rejection.
In the past 7 months, 123 decisions have been decided on the "abstract idea" ground of rejection. Here is the breakdown for the "abstract idea" statutory subject matter rejection across all tech centers.
Tech center 3600 is software and business method-heavy. In the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court deciding Alice, many suspected that these types of patents/patent applications would be on the chopping block. And many examiners have sought to enforce such an approach. Small wonder, then, that this tech center leads in abstract idea appeals.
To put context to these numbers, we looked at the intake number of appeals per tech center. This intake of FY17 is only a rough comparison of the decided appeals in FY17 since it takes many months for an appeal taken in to be decided.
Comparing intake of appeals and abstract idea decisions, appeals of tech center 3600 are very much overrepresented compared to the decided abstract idea appeals. With the exception of the two lowest tech centers, the appeal intake of tech center 3600 is anywhere from 2-4 times the intake of other tech centers. But tech center 3600 decided appeals are a much different story–anywhere from 5-36 times the decided appeals.
An obvious reason for this overrepresentation is that the abstract idea doctrine does not affect all tech centers equally. Tech centers 1600 and 1700, for example, are focused primarily in the biotech and chemical arts, and other judicial exceptions to statutory subject matter are more applicable (e.g., law of nature, naturally-occurring phenomenon). Other tech centers are focused on physical inventions where the abstract idea ground of rejection is theoretically less applicable. For example, tech center 2800 includes inventions in semiconductors, memory, circuits, optics and printing. And as can be seen, the ratio of abstract idea appeals in tech center 3600 to tech center 2800 is far greater than the ratio of the corresponding intake.
Another reason for the overrepresentation stems from the large number of abstract idea rejections introduced as "new." For the relevant time period, there were 16 new rejections in this tech center alone. This number is more than any of the other tech centers' total number of abstract idea decisions of any disposition. This shows that the abstract idea doctrine is top of mind for judges deciding these types of cases, even if the Examiner did not apply an abstract idea rejection for the appeal.
A final reason for the overrepresentation may stem from the high volatility of the abstract idea doctrine. We generally assume based on anecdotal evidence that filing for an appeal is a (comparatively) arduous alternative to working with the Examiner through argument, interviews, and making amendments to overcome rejections. Thus, appealing a case requires a level of dedication that is born of coming to an impasse with the Examiner. Often times such an impasse can take place when the law is in flux—the Examiner can hold to one position and the applicant can hold to a contrasting position. And with software-focused inventions, such as those in tech center 3600, often times the impasse is the Examiner asserting that there is nothing patent-eligible in the application. Such a position leaves little room for any other procedure but appeal.
It would be discouraging if the judges in tech center 3600 supported this abstract idea chopping block attitude reflected by some. But the outcomes data show that they do not. We previously reported that the rate that abstract idea rejections are reversed are in line with other Section 101 nonstatutory rejections: 25% wholly reversed and 27% partially reversed. As we drilled into the abstract idea rates on a tech center level, we found that the same reverse rates hold true for tech center 3600. That is, 19/75 decisions (25%) in tech center 3600 were wholly reversed and 20/75 decisions (27%) were at least partially reversed. This shows that in the face of significant abstract idea rejections in tech center 3600, judges reverse at the same rate as other tech centers.
The above discussion shows that, by using tech center-focused appeals data, a quantitative assessment of how strong an Examiner's position for a particular ground of rejection can be deduced by comparing that ground of rejection by technology center. While we have done this for "abstract idea" grounds in this post, this same analysis can be done for the other grounds of rejection reviewed by the PTAB. With this information, the odds of success on appeal can be better calculated based on which technology center is examining a particular case.


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Yet Another Assault on the Meaning of an EducationNews at Home
tags: education, history, higher education, academia, liberal arts
David Barber is a professor of history at the University of Tennessee at Martin and is the author of A Hard Rain Fell: SDS and Why it Failed.
On Valentine's Day the University of Tennessee at Martin offered students a little Valentine's gift: a shortened path to a college degree and a law degree. Known as the 3+3 Program, students majoring in Political Science or English can now opt for taking three years of undergraduate work, and, with an appropriate LSAT score, proceed directly to UT Knoxville's Law School. On completing three years of law school the student will then earn both hisor her BA or BS and Law Degree. Most attractive of all, the program covers tuition for the first year of law school, which can be very expensive, with the various scholarships and loans that would have covered the fourth year of undergraduate education.
I know that on the surface some of our students will find this program very appealing. I know that as an undergraduate I would certainly have grabbed at such an opportunity. Nevertheless, I want to suggest that this program is detrimental to our students, to our school, and to the very meaning of the word education.
My department, the Department of History and Philosophy, has begun to discuss whether we should offer this same option to our History and Philosophy majors. I recently sent other faculty members in my department an email opposing our joining this program and asking that we, as a department, register our opposition to the program and appeal to English and Political Science to reconsider their participation in the program. I said in my email that I was opposed to the program for three principal reasons.
"First and foremost, this program, which substitutes the first year of law school for the final year of a student's undergraduate education, deprives our students of the strongest possible grounding we can give them in the liberal arts and humanities. Our students will miss not only two semesters of what our department offers them – four upper division history or philosophy classes – but likely will miss two or three upper division classes in other branches of the liberal arts as well: English, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, to name a few subject areas. Substituting for six or seven upper division classes, then, classes which ground our students in an understanding of their society, and of how our society shapes all of us, students will take first year law classes:
"Semester 1: Civil Procedure I, Contracts I, Criminal Law, Legal Process I, Torts I
"Semester 2: Civil Procedure II, Contracts II, Legal Process II, Property, Torts II
"… I hope that we can agree that these law school classes do not in any serious way allow students to better shape the values that will guide their lives, the very purpose of an education and the clear function of humanities classes."
Let me emphasize this point here: the purpose of education is to help students understand themselves; help them understand their relation to the society and the universe in which they live; and help them choose the values and the principles by which they will live their lives. We live today in tremendously dangerous times, times of the most rapid, frightening changes, times that demand that we understand what is going on around us – lest we be caught unaware and intellectually unarmed in the face of ongoing and potentially catastrophic wars and economic depressions. Only a liberal arts education – a grounding in history and literature and psychology, to name some key areas of that education – allows us to understand something about the society in which we live, and something about ourselves, something that will allow us to act intelligently in the face of these contemporary events. Absent this education, we are simply tools in the hands of the powerful, servants to be stampeded in this direction or that.
My email continued: "Second, while I certainly believe that a university education should challenge all students, and ground them in a sense of their own humanity, those students who take up the law need even more grounding in the liberal arts than students pursuing other areas of study – if for no other reason than that lawyers, far more than other occupations, deal with power, and power demands an education in ethics and in the humanities."
"Finally, this 3+3 proposal is part of a larger trend in higher education, a trend that devalues the liberal arts and pushes students through career tracks as quickly as possible. We do ourselves no favors by yielding to this trend. On the contrary, we set the precedent of practically declaring that our disciplines, and the humanities in general, are merely stepping stones to careers, rather than being essential components of responsible citizenship and the leading of meaningful lives."
I know that a growing body of students on this campus hunger for a real education. But real education, that education which allows us to discover ourselves, who we are, and where our potentialities and passions lie, that education can only be achieved if we demand it. A small group of concerned students and faculty are building a "Campaign for the Humanities." Please contact me if you'd be interested in joining us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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