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Pre-Run Stretch Study Protocol
Protocol for a Large, Randomized, Prospective Study of the Impact of a Pre-Run Stretch on the Risk of Injury in Teenage and Older Runners
April 9, 2007
Sponsor: USA Track & Field
Principal Investigator: Daniel Pereles, MD
Project Coordinator: Alan Roth, Ph.D.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Over-use injuries are a common problem among runners. An individual runner may have biomechanical deficiencies that make running very difficult to accomplish without injury. Some runners may run for many years and not experience injuries. But for many runners, injuries are a constant threat, and it will be of great benefit to identify means to help avoid injury.
There have been many studies of stretching prior to physical exercise. To date, a number of studies have found that stretching and warm-up activities improve flexibility. However, none of these studies has conclusively determined that a pre-run stretch will prevent injury. Some studies have shown that stretching before exercise (but not looking at pre-run stretching) prevents injury, others show no benefit.
A prospective, randomized study is needed to appropriately address this important question and provide a basis for recommendations to athletes concerned about minimizing the risk of injury.
2. Background and Rationale
Stretching either before or after running has been an accepted training analog for many years. Laboratory studies of muscle cell contraction have shown improved function and more efficient metabolite transfer after mild sarcomere lengthening. Clinically, it was always assumed cold tight muscles were more easily injured, and thus stretching those muscles would impart protective qualities. In fact, uncontrolled studies claimed significant benefits from pre-participation stretching in football, soccer, and field hockey players.
Recently, a study claiming to show no benefit in the pre-run stretch was published, casting doubt on this commonly accepted principle. Shrier, in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, reviewed 23 articles relating stretching and performance. Stretching was defined as either acute, which meant that the stretch immediately preceded the activity, or regular, in which the stretch occurred at some other time unrelated to the activity. Articles specific to running and stretching were critically reviewed. The conclusions about acute stretching and running speed were equivocal, with one study showing benefit and one showing slight detriment. The majority of articles examining regular stretching suggested it was beneficial, improving both force production and velocity of contraction. Regular stretching was also shown not to decrease injury rate.
Another study was published in 2004, Thacker et al, The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature, in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, in which the study team found six of 361 identified articles compared stretching with other methods to prevent sports injuries. From these six articles, they reported "Stretching was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries (OR = 0.93, CI 0.78-1.11) and similar findings were seen in the subgroup analyses." However, their conclusion was, "There is not sufficient evidence to endorse or discontinue routine stretching before or after exercise to prevent injury among competitive or recreational athletes. Further research, especially well-conducted randomized controlled trials, is urgently needed to determine the proper role of stretching in sports." The Pereles/USATF study is intended to meet this need with specific attention to pre-run stretching.
Studies involving acute stretching and running were mixed in their conclusions. The studies themselves were done on small numbers and not specific to runners. In this Pereles/USATF study, the hypothesis is that a 3-5 minute pre-run stretch reduces running injuries. In an effort to better quantify the benefit or lack thereof of pre-run (acute) stretching, a study model was devised. Runners will be chosen in a randomized pattern to participate in or refrain from a pre-run stretching protocol of 4 minutes. The protocol will use static stretching which is the type of stretching most widely practiced by runners. The active study group will stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles based on photographs showing the correct manner of stretching and the amount of time for each stretch. The control group will move directly into training without stretching. Injury patterns and related medical histories will be recorded for each participant. The data collection will take place for 3 months per participant. The forms and enrollment will be mostly internet-based with participants having the option to use mail or facsimile communications.
The risk is minimal as the protocol for stretching uses a mild form of stretching that does not acutely stress soft tissue. This small risk is worthwhile as the study is intended make a major contribution to our understanding of the value of stretching in regard to injury and the tens of millions of runners who run regularly may have more guidance on stretching so that they may incur fewer injuries.
Consideration was given to the role of warm-up exercises prior to stretching. Participants will be informed that they can warm up as they normally would and data will be collected on if they warm up, whether they warm up before stretching, after stretching or, for non-stretchers, if they warm up before running.
Consideration will also be given to the flexibility of participants at the start of their participation. They will be asked to try to touch their toes while standing with their legs straight without forcing the stretch. How far they get will be recorded.
The study will be based on participants reporting injuries over the 3-month period. We encourage participants to obtain injury diagnoses from healthcare practitioners, but we expect many participants to self-diagnose their injuries and to do so fairly accurately. The runners will know which muscle groups they are stretching and will know when those specific muscles are painful. Runners are generally well-educated and know about muscle and tendon damage to the extent that they can describe an injury. If participants are not sure, we ask that they look for healthcare practitioner diagnosis. The study identifies the source of the diagnosis to aid data analysis.
The value of the study and the ability to bring in the analysis of many of the data points will depend on having an adequate number of participants. A study team will review the data on a regular basis to see how well analyses can be conducted with the data collected to that point. Runners will be invited to participate in the study on an ongoing basis using media outlets. Road Runners Club of America is the study's Outreach Partner to facilitate access to runners across the country. The study will be concluded when conclusions can be drawn and is expected to occur in late -2007 or early-2008.
A study in which people are randomly assigned to either a pre-run stretch, or no pre-run stretching can begin to understand the relationship between this type of stretching routine and injury. The study must include enough subjects to adjust for all of the aspects of an individual's physical capabilities and history of injury that may affect the rate of injury. Also, the effect of a pre-run stretch on injury may be different with different sub-populations (like ultra-marathoners or people with prior injuries) so this large study will also examine injury rates in these groups of people as well.
3. Objectives
The primary objective of this study is to determine whether a pre-run stretch reduces the risk of injury in runners over the age of 13 who run at least 10 miles per week. The secondary objective is to investigate whether there are additional risk factors contributing to the risk of injury where data can be obtained. Some known risk factors such as overtraining are too subjective to provide reliable, quantitative data.
4. Study Design
This is a prospective, randomized, 2-arm, unmasked comparative study of a pre-run stretch versus no stretch in up to 10,000 volunteers.
Subjects will be asked to adhere to their standard running regimen but to perform the test assignment instead of their usual pre-run routine. A post-run stretch is permitted. Applicants must provide a valid email address to participate, but no other identifying information will be collected. For those applying through regular mail, identifying information will be used only to conduct mailings and will be treated as confidential. Throughout the study, online subjects will receive e-mails reminding them of their test assignment, the study web address, the projected date of completion of their participation, and a reminder to report any injuries.
For the purposes of this study, an injury will be defined as any impairment that prevents subjects from following their usual running regimen for at least 3 days. If subjects participate in other activities, such as tennis, basketball, hockey, skiing/snowboarding, etc., which have the potential to cause injury, injuries occurring due to these specific activities are not to be specifically reported. They will be asked to report if an injury occurred during activity other than running, or became apparent following running or that other activity. Subjects should follow whatever their typical stretching routine is prior to participating in those activities. The test assignment (stretch or no-stretch) should be performed only prior to the subjects' typical running routine.
The maximum sample size will be 10,000, but the study may stop sooner if either test arm exhibits a statistically significant risk to subjects.
Due to the nature of the stretching regimen proposed, masking subjects is not feasible. Bias in injury reporting will be unavoidable. Subject self-assessed compliance scores will be collected to adjust for the actual amount of stretching that may have been performed.
A Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) webpage will be available on the study website to answer questions that are foreseen. Subjects and and prospective subjects who have questions will first be directed to that webpage. If that does not provide the needed information, the person will then be directed to a contact web page which will have an information request form to be sent to project management. There will be an administrative and a technical option on where to send the inquiry. If the person who wishes to inquire prefers to do so by telephone, there will a call center set up to handle inquiries. For the technical questions, Dr. Pereles will handle those calls. An early objective of Dr. Pereles is to identify questions that need to be added to the FAQ page. Administrative queries will go to Dr. Alan Roth, the USATF project coordinator, who also will be looking for common questions that need to be added to the FAQ. Since the study is expected to attract subjects slowly over time in the beginning months, call volume will be reasonable and steps can be taken to handle major concerns early. When the study is more heavily promoted, telephone messages can deal with the most common questions. USATF can recruit organization volunteers to help respond to callers if demand is high.
5. Study Population
5.1 Inclusion Criteria
Applicants will be provided a test assignment and invited to participate if they satisfy all of the following criteria:
5.2 Exclusion Criteria
Applicants will be excluded from the study if they satisfy any of the following criteria:
5.3 Recruitment of Runners
Interested parties will be informed that they may not receive any direct benefit from participating, but will enable investigators to learn more about the relationship between stretching and injury, which may benefit all future runners. Subjects will not be compensated for their participation.
Runners will be recruited through a variety of means. The Road Runners Club of America has about 180,000 members and it will be an official "Outreach Partner" to recruit volunteers through their newsletter and their website. A number of running publications have agreed to include information about the study in upcoming issues. USATF has a media office and transmits press releases almost daily to a large number of media companies, giving us a capability to frequently issue press releases for runner recruitment. USATF also has direct, frequent communication with its membership of approximately 100,000 people, most of whom are athletes. Press releases will include information about risk and that applicants will be randomly assigned to be stretchers or non-stretchers. The press releases will provide background information about the value of learning about stretching and injuries and will include information about past studies on this subject. Readers will be directed to the USATF website where they will find considerable background information in Study Protocol so that they can make an informed decision about participating in the study.
We expect some newspapers and magazines to include articles about the study. We will invite them to visit the USATF website to obtain background information, the Study Protocol and other information for their use in the articles.
6. Enrollment and Randomization
Study applicants may enroll in the study through a page on the USATF website, through the U.S. Postal Service, or by fax. Those who enroll online must complete an electronic form indicating that they satisfy all the study eligibility criteria. If completed successfully, a test assignment (pre-run stretch or no stretch) will be provided via email. Those enrolling through postal mail and fax will be sent a form to fill out and send back to USATF. They will be sent their assignment by mail or fax and they will be instructed to respond by mail or fax.
Test assignments will be made randomly using a random block size (from 10 to 50) to ensure partial balance between the test arms. Only one test assignment will be provided to each volunteer. If the volunteer chooses not to participate, that test assignment will not be reused.
7. Study Procedures and Evaluations
7.1 Data Collection
To apply for the study individuals will submit the Stretch Study Registration Form. This form will collect relevant background information on the subject, including current and past running and stretching routines as well as information about diseases and/or injuries that may impact their risk of injury.
Subjects will be asked to provide information on any injuries that occur during the study period, and complete an end of study form when their 3-month study period is complete. Subjects will be asked to submit their injury reports 3 weeks after the injury occurred.
Limited personal identifying information (name, and one of the following: e-mail address, street address, fax number) will be collected during the study. The identifying information that is collected will be kept confidential and in a secure location apart from the other study data. The only connection between the study data and the volunteer's identifying information will be a code number so that data can be processed anonymously (without identification other than a code number). (see 9.3 Confidential Information for more details).
The EMMES Corporation is providing pro-bono service to the study for statistical analysis. Quoting from the company's website: "The EMMES Corporation is led by professional statisticians and biomedical scientists whose highest priority is the scientific integrity of our research efforts...We are committed to conducting clinical research with a firm scientific basis that is fully compliant with national and international regulatory guidelines."
7.2 Stretching Regimen
The subjects who will stretch will be supplied with a very detailed stretch protocol that includes photographs of the correct stretching routine and have access to the images and descriptions online. The regimen consists of 3 stretches, described below.
Stretch 1 - Quadriceps: From a standing position, grab foot/ankle of same sided leg and pull foot gently up toward butt. Steady yourself with the opposite hand. You may lean back to increase the stretch if so desired. Without bouncing, hold steady for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 times for each leg.
Stretch 2 - Hamstring: From a standing position, place the leg to stretch on an object to elevate the leg. Lean forward over the thigh and reach for the foot. Without bouncing, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 times for each leg.
Stretch 3 - Calf/Achilles: From a standing position, lean forward with the leg to be stretched straight out behind you, foot flat on the ground. Keep the knee straight for a full 10 seconds. Then flex the knee and repeat the stretch with the knee bent for 10 seconds. No bouncing. Repeat 3 times for each leg.
Applicants randomized to the no-stretch group will be instructed to perform no stretching activities prior to their regular running routine.
Subjects will be asked to adhere to their test assignments and follow their normal running routine for 3 months.
7.3 Evaluation of Injuries
At the conclusion of the 3 months, the subjects will be sent a reminder to fill out a final form indicating that they have either reported all of their injuries or were not injured during their participation in the study. An injury is defined as any impairment which prohibits subjects from participating in their normal running routine for at least 3 days. Injuries do not need to be diagnosed by a medical professional, but whether or not they are, subjects will be asked to report the diagnosis and what type of professional made the diagnosis, if a professional was consulted. Subjects will be asked to submit their injury reports 3 weeks after the injury occurred. That will allow information to be provided about the duration of the injury and the recovery.
8. Statistical Considerations
This study will utilize a fully Bayesian primary interim monitoring plan as described in Fayer et al 1997 and Vail et al 2001. The primary analysis will not consist of a frequentist hypothesis test, but will provide posterior probabilities that there is a sufficiently large increased or decreased risk of injury.
8.1 Outcomes
The primary outcome for analysis is whether each subject has experienced a study defined injury or not. An important, confirmatory, secondary outcome will be the occurrence of injuries by a physician or other medical professional.
8.2 Primary and Interim Analyses
The primary analysis will be a Bayesian estimation of the posterior probability of a certain increase or decrease in risk. The final study results will be presented in a table similar to Table 1.
Table 1: Presentation of results for determining increased/decreased risk
Where ps and pns are the true probabilities of injury in the stretch and no-stretch groups respectively, and d is a real-valued and possibly negative measure of the incremental increase in the probability of injury:
The primary (interim) analysis will be unadjusted by covariates and will detect only overall aggregate differences between the two test groups. Since the expected sample size will be large, the standard Z-statistic for difference between two proportions will be used. The likelihood of interest therefore is Gaussian, as will be the 4 priors and therefore the resulting 4 posteriors. Figure 1, below, displays the approximate locations of proposed prior distributions. With respect to clinical impressions, the skeptical prior represents the strict belief that there will be no difference between the stretching and no-stretching group while an enthusiastic prior strongly believes that one of the test groups will be superior and not equivalent. The semi-non-informative prior lends some weight to no difference between the groups, but does allow for substantial probability around the region of no difference. The enthusiastic priors will be 3 standard deviations above and below zero.
With respect to Table 1, there will be indication of risk or benefit if the posterior probability of d is at least as large (positively or negatively) as 95% for all 4 priors. With consideration of perceived risks in other subgroups (Section 8.4) there will be some indication that the open portion of the study should be stopped if there is an indication of risk or protection (ie: posterior probability >95% for all priors) of at least 5% (ie: all 4 posterior probabilities are at least 95% that d is less than -5% or greater than 5%. The study may continue with enrollment into specific subgroups as indicated by the supplemental analyses.
Posterior probabilities will be calculated after every 100 subjects completes 3 months of follow-up. Unlike a frequentist setting, no maximum sample size is required (other than administrative requirements) and no adjustments for Type I error will be made.
Figure 1: Prior Distributions
8.3 Additional Supplemental Analyses
The primary analysis will be repeated at all interim steps but based only on the number of injuries that are diagnosed by a physician or medical professional. Since the study is unblended, this analysis will contribute to an assessment of reporting bias between the two arms.
If stopping is indicated according to the guidelines above, a full standard Logistic model for the probability of injury (McCullagh and Nelder 1999) will be constructed through backward model-building steps incorporating all available covariates including stretch assignment, compliance, gender, age, extent of running, medications, medical history, etc. The model will also be fit for specific injuries and for injuries diagnosed by a physician or medical professional.
8.4 Missing Data Considerations
Given the nature of this trial, missing outcome and covariate data is to be expected. Covariate and outcome data will be imputed following methods as outlined by Huang et al 2005 and Tang et al 2005. Sensitivity of the analysis to the missing data and imputed data will also be assessed by running the primary and secondary analysis on both the imputed data and the complete data. There will be two complete data sets considered. With respect to the primary, unadjusted analysis, only subjects who are injured or complete the 3 month study without injury will be considered. For secondary analysis, model building will be performed based on the imputed data set, and the complete data will be considered those subjects for whom the reduced set of covariate information is available.
9. Ethics and the Protection of Human Subjects
This study will be conducted following the principles laid out in the Declaration of Helsinki and the Belmont Report. The investigators recognize that although a medical product is not being tested, this study involves human subjects and is considered research. Subjects will not be compensated for their participation.
9.1 Informed Consent
Every subject will provide informed consent to participate in the study and will have ample opportunity to ask questions of the study Principal Investigator. For minors, a parent or guardian will be requested to sign the Informed Consent. USATF does not have the means to ensure that a minor does not self-consent, but there are no direct rewards for participation or other incentives that are expected to attract minors. There are no scores and no individual feedback from submitted data.
For online enrollment there will be blocks of text and applicants must check a box beside each block of text to indicate that they've read it. It looks something like this:
"Please put a checkmark in the box beside each statement to indicate you have read and agree to it. Registration for this study is conditioned upon acceptance of this Informed Consent."
9.2 Potential Risks to Subjects
There is a slight risk of soft tissue strain resulting from performing the protocol-prescribed, pre-run stretch. It is extremely unlikely that the pre-run stretch will cause any permanent disability of any kind.
Inherently, there is a possibility that one of the test arms will have a higher risk of injury than the other. In that sense, subjects in one group may be at a higher risk of injury than those in the other group. The study's analysis plan considers this possibility and includes the opportunity to stop the study if it becomes clear that one group is subject to a higher risk. Injuries that are expected to occur during the study include plantar fascitis, ankle/foot tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis, iliotibial band tendonitis, knee ligament tear, meniscal tear, patellar-femoral syndrome/chondromalacia, muscle tears, disc herniation, sciatica, groin pull, and stress fracture.
9.3 Confidential Information
Those who register online to participate in the study will be providing only a name and e-mail address, street address or fax number as identifying information. This identifying information will be separated from the study data and will be used only for communication with the subject specifically and strictly for study purposes with one exception (below). The data will be coded for that subject and processed as an anonymous participant. The name and the communication information will be kept in a separate location from the study data and will be kept in a secured manner. For online users of our organization's website, we provide the following information:
"This website takes every reasonable precaution to protect users' information. When users submit sensitive information via the website, the information is protected both on- and off-line.
When registration forms ask users to enter sensitive information (such as credit card number and/or social security number), that information is encrypted and is protected with industry-standard encryption software (SSL). While on a secure page, such as our membership application, the lock icon at the bottom of web browsers (i.e. Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer) appears locked. If not locked, any information a user submits is not secure, and USATF will not be responsible for the loss or theft of such information.
While we use SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also make every reasonable effort to protect users' information off-line. Access to users' information, not only the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our organization. Only those employees who need the information to perform their job are granted access to personally identifiable information. All employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices and are reminded about the importance we place on privacy.
USATF makes every reasonable effort to safeguard sensitive information by regularly reviewing our security standards and practices to protect against unauthorized access. If you have any questions about the security at our website, you can send an e-mail to email@example.com."
For those study participants who wish to use the U.S. Postal Service or fax, the identifying information that they provide, which can be limited to a name and return address or fax number, will be kept in a separate location from the study operation and will be kept in a locked compartment. The subject will be coded for data identification so that the data can be processed anonymously. The identifying information will be accessed only for communicating with the subject specifically and strictly for study purposes with one exception (below).
Exception: All study participants will be given information on how to become a member of USATF. There will be no linkage between their participation in the study and any subsequent membership decision of study participants. The information will be provided only one time.
10. References
Fayers P, Ashby D, Parmar M. Tutorial in Biostatistics Bayesian Data Monitoring in Clinical Trials. Statistics in Medicine 1997, 16;1413-30.
Huang L, Chen M, Ibrahim J. An Analysis for Generalized Linear Models with Nonignorably Missing Covariates. Biometrics 2005 Sep: 61(3): 767-80.
McCullagh P, Nelder J. Generalized Linear Models 2nd Edition. Chapman & Hall/CRC, 1999.
Shrier I. Does Stretching Improve Performance?: A Systematic and Critical Review of the Literature. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 14(5):267-273, September 2004.
Tang L, Song J, Belin T, Unutzer J. A Comparison of Imputation Methods in a Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trial. Statistics in Medicine 2005 Jul 30; 24(14): 2111-28.
Thacker S, Gilchrist J Stroup D, and Kimsey C. The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 371-378, 2004.
Vail A, Hornbuckle J, Spiegelhalter D, Thornton J. Prospective Application of Bayesian Monitoring and Analysis in and 'Open' Randomized Clinical Trial. Statistics in Medicine 2001; 20: 3777-3787.


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Sea beans: Brighten your salads with this free beachfront plant
Left: akulikuli in the wild: right in a dish at Vintage Cave
When Blaine Wetzel of Lummi Island's Willows Inn was in town last month for a collaboration dinner with Vintage Cave Honolulu chef Chris Kajioka, the menu included a Kelly green dish of greens and abalone bites coated in watercress puree and dotted with akulikuli freshly picked at Paepae o Heeia in Kaneohe and on the North Shore. The bulbous leaves added a delightful crunch to the composition.
The two chefs, led by Taste chef Mark Noguchi, spent a morning on the Windward side sourcing ingredients. When Noguchi pointed out the akulikuli, also known as sea beans and sea purslane, Wetzel perked up and said Lummi Island has its own variety that he uses.
What does Kajioka like about akulikuli? "The texture is really nice, they're crunchy, but the salinity isn't too strong. It's clean, oceany, almost like a succulent—it's refreshing."
Blaine Wetzel and his girlfriend Raquel Ruiz Diaz harvesting sea beans at Paepae o Heeia.
You can add that refreshing touch to your own concoctions at home. Kajioka suggests adding sea beans to salads for "a pop of texture," and using it in poke as a substitute for ogo, which the chef notes can sometimes have an almost hard, unpleasant bite. He also likes how fresh-picked sea beans last for weeks in a container in the refrigerator.
Noguchi likes to pickle the beans with ume, shiso and rice vinegar, and add them to salads. When he salted them, "it took two days before the thing started to pull water. It shows how sturdy the product can be. It maintains its structure, integrity and punch when pickled." He also uses sea beans as a counterpart to tomatoes.
Best of all, sea beans are free. For budding foragers, this is a good ingredient to start off with. Noguchi says they can be found in town at the Kaiser Bowl end of Ala Moana beach, all over the North Shore, and if you contact Paepae o He'eia (236-6178, paepaeoheeia.org) in advance and ask nicely of you can come and harvest some of the akulikuli surrounding the fish pond, they'll probably say yes.
"Once you start looking for it and using it," says Noguchi, "you realize it's all over the place."

subset: commoncrawl


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Blind Judo Foundation
Judo: empowering and enhancing the lives of the blind and visually impaired The Blind Judo Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization introducing and training blind and visually impaired individuals in the sport of Judo. A select few elite athletes become candidates for the US Paralympic Judo Team representing the USA on the world stage. The benefits of Judo go beyond the color of the belt to include empowering and enhancing the lives of all who step onto the Judo mat. The tenets of Judo includes confidence, character development, commitments, humility, respect and responsibility. – See more at: ADA Compliance Directory


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Timeline describing the history of fraud against Chevron in Ecuador.
Evidence in video, images and audio of fraud against Chevron in Ecuador.
Chevron opinions on fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment.
For years, the Ecuadorian government, environmental activist groups and calculating lawyers have used images of oil pits, spills and indigenous peoples in the Amazon to mislead the public and pressure Chevron into settling a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the company. Rather than give in to these tactics, Chevron has fought back, exposing the lawsuit as a fraud and holding the purveyors of that fraud accountable.
The fraudulent lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador began over 20 years ago. A group of lawyers and activists concocted a plan to extort billions from Chevron. In 2011, an Ecuadorian court issued a judgement against Chevron for $19 billion, but evidence of rampant fraud and misconduct were revealed. In 2014, a U.S. Court found that the lawyers behind the case violated federal racketeering laws, committing mail and wire fraud, money laundering, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.
Steven Donziger and his team claim the $19 billion judgment against Chevron in Ecuador is based on "overwhelming scientific evidence." But according to his own scientific experts, their so-called scientific evidence was completely fabricated. One by one, Donziger's scientific experts have testified that when the science didn't go their way, Donziger and his team simply made it up.
This video, developed by Chevron, provides an overview of facts about its subsidiary Texaco Petroleum Company's operations in Ecuador and the fraudulent lawsuit against the company. For more information about the Ecuador lawsuit, visit Chevron.com/Ecuador.


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Many on Wall Street are coalescing around the view that a deal to end the government shutdown will get rolled into a deal to raise the debt ceiling, with the two issues being resolved together at once.
However, in a note to clients this morning, Goldman Sachs economist Alec Phillips lays out another scenario, to which he assigns a 30% probability: the debt ceiling gets raised, and the government shutdown continues.
Phillips writes:
The debt limit is increased well before October 17 but the shutdown continues beyond that. It is possible that after attempting to merge the two issues, congressional leaders could find themselves still unable to agree on how to resolve the shutdown by the time the debt limit deadline has been reached. However, it appears fairly clear to us that neither Republican nor Democratic leaders are interested in allowing the Treasury to run out of cash.
In such a scenario, it is plausible that House Republicans could agree to bring up a "clean" or nearly clean debt limit increase, which would pass with more Democratic than Republican votes. Media reports indicate that Speaker Boehner has raised this possibility with some of his Republican colleagues. We assume that Senate Democrats would prefer to deal with both issues together, but since the White House's position has been that there will be no negotiation on the debt limit, it might be difficult for them to reject a clean debt limit extension simply because it did not also reopen the federal government. That said, while this is a possibility, this would only come about if the approach to combine the debt limit and the shutdown fails. We believe this outcome has a 30% probability.
Still, the most probable scenario, to which Phillips assigns a 60% chance: "If the shutdown continues into next week, both parties seem likely to agree to merge the discussion of these issues. This would make sense from a practical perspective since negotiating and passing a continuing resolution could take at least a week if there are procedural objections in the Senate, leaving little time for a debt limit negotiation before the October 17 deadline."


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Click to viewOver at CEATEC, Fujitsu's showing off a snazzy dual touchscreen smartphone with a hinge that allows it to stack vertically or horizontally. And the most exciting part? They've let UI-wizards The Astonishing Tribe loose to make the software. Watch.
The device is just a prototype, but the hardware—and especially its magical hinge—looks like it's pretty far along at this point. The video shows the dual 960 x 480 displays seamlessly scrolling content, but what's even more exciting is the flick to share interface TAT has whipped up for photos, reminiscent of the awesome screens-of-the-future video they teased us with last month.
There's no word on when or if the transformer phone might come to market, but it is very cool to see in a real, working state nonetheless. Give TAT some crazy hardware and things start looking futuristic awfully fast. [TAT via Engadget]


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PETALING JAYA: GDEX Bhd will make efforts to optimise its human resources and operational efficiency.,
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, GDex said it expects the challenges from competitive pricing in the courier services and logistics industry to continue in the second half of the year.
For the second quarter ended June 30, GDex reported a net loss of RM2.7mil, compared with a net profit of RM6.76mil in the previous corresponding period. Revenue declined to RM93.53mil from RM106.67mil a year earlier.It reported a loss per share of 0.07 sen, compared with earnings per share of 0.11 sen.


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The 3Ms of Procrastination
I love stop-motion stuff, and this is one of the most clever videos I've seen in a while. According to AdFreak, this 2-minute short by Bang-yao Liu took three months (three months!) of planning, four days of shooting and more than 6,000 Post-Its. Pretty incredible. I'm posting the "making of" video after the jump as well, in case you're interested in seeing just how much not procrastinating went into the production.
Link via the always entertaining AdFreak.


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Wrapping Up MusicfestNW
As the dust from Portland's largest music event, MusicfestNW, settles, Culturephile's team of showgoers recaps the six-day, 150-plus-act, 16-venue sonic extravaganza, from Typhoon's triumphant record release to Neko Case's birthday party in Pioneer Square.
Like A Villain/Typhoon, Old Church, Thursday
The first of Typhoon's back-to-back record-release shows had the feel of a victory lap, as the Portland band played cuts from its newest album of meticulously arranged orchestral indie rock to a celebratory hometown crowd that filled the Old Church's pews and packed into the back of the venue. The church's arched ceilings and cozy interior made for the perfect setting for Typhoon's intricate yet expansive songs, and its acoustics were perfect for opener Like a Villain, who has a gorgeous and arresting voice that completely consumed the room and the audience. (Nathan Tucker)
Dan Deacon/Animal Collective, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Friday
I showed up just in time to witness crowd control as imagined by Baltimore-based electronic guru Dan Deacon, which included some improvised and politically charged yoga, individual and team dance competitions, and a meet-and-greet between the standing and seated contingents of the Pioneer Courthouse Square population. Animal Collective came on late and stayed on late, throwing plenty of variety into its set—"What Would I Want? Sky" within the first 10 minutes—and somehow managing to make more noise than Deacon did. (Marco España)
Titus Andronicus/Superchunk, Crystal Ballroom, Friday
After Titus Andronicus worked the all-ages section of the Crystal Ballroom into a frenzy with its brand of energetic, irreverent, sing-along punk rock, Superchunk picked up right where the younger opening act left off. The indie veterans' high-energy DIY guitar rock has aged about as gracefully as possible, but it was still the underage kids in the very front who were having the most fun. (NT)
Mt. Eerie/Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Aladdin Theater, Friday
Following a quiet opening set courtesy of Phil Elverum's Mt. Eerie trio, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, a.k.a. Will Oldham, walked onstage alone to alternating shouts of "Will!" and "Bonnie!" and didn't let go of the crowd for the duration of his hour-plus set and encore. He solicited requests from the audience throughout, and they happily—sometimes manically—obliged. Slightly unexpected takeaway: Oldham is funny as hell. (ME)
Brian Posehn, White Owl Social Club, Friday
Stand-up comic Brian Posehn's relentless set covered all the essentials—Star Wars, metal, unwelcome biological developments—and added a few crucial Portland-themed customizations for an appreciative crowd. (ME)
Shuggie Otis/Charles Bradley, Crystal Ballroom, Saturday
Shuggie Otis may be best known for his 1977 hit "Strawberry Letter 23," but his Musicfest set showcased a talented guitarist and singer with enough charisma to get away with dressing like some sort of R&B pirate. Charles Bradley had plenty of charisma himself, not to mention a seemingly bottomless well of energy and emotion to draw from onstage. Seeing a 64-year-old man and his much younger, commanding backing band play a marathon set like this convinced us soul isn't going anywhere anytime soon. (NT)
Earth/Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Roseland Theater, Saturday
The Roseland didn't start to feel claustrophobic until opening act Earth finished up and Godspeed You! Black Emperor took over for the next hour. Those who weren't shaking by the time the post-rock outfit ambled into place with their instruments were compelled to do so once they got started. Everyone left the theater a little worn out. No one complained. (ME)
Pickwick/Neko Case, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Sunday
The gents of folk-turned-soul group Pickwick put their hearts into their crowd-pleasing set, singer Galen Disston wailing and flopping his curly brown mop around with the pathos of a heavy-metal balladeer, but by the end of the set, this viewer was bored: these six white boys from Seattle do soul well—but do they have anything to add to the tradition?
Actually, they could learn a thing or two from Neko Case: she has made of alt-country a sound all her own. The singer-songwriter closed out Musicfest at a dusky Pioneer Square on what was apparently her 43rd birthday (the adoring crowd, unsolicited, sang her "Happy Birthday"). Looking delightfully Lilith Fair and bantering boisterously between songs, the forceful vocalist's long set mixed songs from her just-released album with plenty of old favorites. (Jonathan Frochtzwajg)
For more of Musicfest's best photos, click the photo below.


text:
A new variant of the iPad 4 has gone on sale today sporting a beefy 128GB of internal storage and an equally sizable price tag.
We'd heard rumours that Apple was planning a bigger storage capacity for its incredibly popular tablet, and fiction became fact at the end of January when the Cupertino-based firm casually announced it.
In stock now the 128GB iPad 4 will set you back £639 ($799/AU$869) for the Wi-Fi only model, or £739 ($929/AU$1,009) if you want to get your mitts on the 4G enabled version.
Out with the old (PC) and in with the new (iPad)
Commenting during the launch of the 128GB iPad, Apple's senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller said: "It's clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and every day they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs."
A cheeky dig at Mircosoft and co. then, and one we're sure Apple is very proud of - but we're not entirely in agreement with Mr Schiller.
The additional space will come as welcome to relief to some, but we can't help but think that the inclusion of a microSD slot from the offset would make everything a lot easier, not to mention cheaper.


text:
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Whatever Could The "C" Stand For?
147 comments:
I'm of an age that saw me spend years and no small sum on underwear that didn't disappear and then along comes Rudi Wotsisname with his thong.At that time several people said:'Where will this end?'ReplyDelete
Now we know.Replies
It ends in the end.Delete
First of all, please remove the picture of me from your blog. Second of all, am I the only person who thinks that it looks like someone drew on that c-string in paint? Thanks for the laugh Murr...this post cracked me up.ReplyDeleteReplies
Cracked! I get it!Delete
Sorry, I just have to repeat this: "you could knit your pubic hair in place". You come up with the best imagery...ReplyDeleteReplies
I wish some of my imagery would just stay unimagined.Delete
Dammit, where did I put that Preparation H?ReplyDeleteReplies
Most people know exactly where they put it. You ARE forgetful.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 4:37 AM
It is WAY to early in the morning to be laughing this hard...I haven't even had coffee.ReplyDeleteReplies
I have to have coffee before I can operate these machines.Delete
"It seems to me we're heading down a narrow path to a dark place here." Ah, yes, a slippery slope, indeed.ReplyDelete
How I love Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Thank you, Murr.Replies
Ar ar ar. Slippery slope.Delete
I look at "inventions" like this and think, "someone had too much time on her hands." I never felt that panty lines were a problem, and I thought the thong was stupid (not to mention the pads that were designed for thong wearers).ReplyDelete
But then, I grew up in an era when a lady wore skirts, not too tight, and no one commented about her underwear. Not even in a women's dormitory. Naturally, we never commented about what went under the panties either.
But you sure write funny posts!Replies
Oh my. I do not know about the pads designed for thong wearers. Those giant overnight ones must look like a mattress strapped to the top of a car.Delete
I still have some boxer underwear but I only use them for shorts in the summer. Wearing clothes under your clothes is only necessary if it is very cold.ReplyDelete
I hear there is a particular religion that wears under-underwear, then underwear, then what you see. I guess the more layers you wear the more devout you are. Strange.
Since I am a kilt wearer you know what I wear and it really is no ones business but mine.
Underwear is a solution pushed by the clothing industry looking for a problem. What a scam.
My bride calls thongs "butt floss".
Good post.Replies
Ah yes. I have frequently found myself wondering if Mitt wears an angel suit. And if he will ever accidentally tweet himself in it.Delete
Thanks for the heads up about something else I won't ever buy!ReplyDelete
I wonder if the C-string and the thong were designed by men!? Do women design these kinds of things?Replies
Women do all sorts of odd things. I wouldn't put it past us.Delete
Evidently it is necessary for wearers of the c-string to pour hot wax on their nethers, let it harden, then rip it, and all body hair off. At this point, it becomes more of a psychological then a sartorial problem. How far are you willing to go for style?ReplyDeleteReplies
Reply to Roxie: Whoa!!! Not that far! And the Brazilian wax procedure---no thanks...ReplyDelete
Funny post-where DO you find these things to write about?Replies
I don't know if Dave Barry and I have anything else in common, but I'm getting Alert Readers now!Delete
Do you know, it's not only the girls of that generation who remove pubic hair, the boys do, too. I have had to make my 20 year old son buy his own disposable razors and stop using mine.ReplyDelete
As my father so eloquently said, "Kids these days."Replies
Oh please. Just the thought. If I ever decided to do any shaping, it would be like trimming a deciduous hedge in the winter. TMI?Delete
First of all, I don't get the concept of thongs. It looks like someone is flossing their butt. Also? How can you wear jeans? Won't they chafe your buttocks if there is no underwear in between? Questions like these keep me awake nights.ReplyDelete
Now this...whatever...that you showed us - what? Really? I agree that having something poking up your ass is a bad idea, although I swear I've met a lot of people lately who ACT like they are wearing this contraption. Actually, that could explain a lot.Replies
Now I'm wondering if they come in sizes. The model is wearing one that pokes up above her ass, but surely there are women for whom the rear portion would be...more securely anchored.Delete
Maybe these things have a hidden purpose. Maybe they're like the intrauterine devices that no one knows how they work. Perhaps they're sending signals to a mother pant.ReplyDeleteReplies
I feel more secure just thinking there is a mother pant.Delete
Can't wait for the C-string to show up on a Walmartian. BTW, boxers are pretty good protection against the seams and stuff in pockets and miscellaneous protrusions found inside of men's pants.ReplyDeleteReplies
I can't believe I never heard or thought of a "Walmartian."Delete
I can't believe you let Mr. Charleston get away with mentioning "miscellaneous protrusions found inside of men's pants." But I suppose sometimes it's like shooting fish in a barrel, huh?Delete
Well, I like the idea that men need protection against their own protrusions.Delete
Now, now ladies. Besides, I 'm not sure I should take advice, or criticism, about protrusions from someone who is unfamiliar with such protrusions as offered by Walmartians.Delete
More likely to be protection against the zipper. I understand accidental zippering on tender parts is rather excruciating.Delete
They appear to me to be a sort of non-organic fig leaf with a stiff stem. I mean if you think about it, Adam and Eve had to keep those things on somehow. Just getting back to "fundamental" basics, methinks.ReplyDeleteReplies
Maybe the fig leaf just grew there? In the, uh, personal soil?Delete
Better than the funny papers for a morning chuckle. So, if we don't want panty lines, why do we bother with them? Going commando seems to work for the guys. Well, those who don't need a junk-whisperer, that is.ReplyDeleteReplies
Interestingly enough, I've read that men prefer panty lines. It jump-starts the imagination.Delete
I did not believe that was a real product at first. I guess if you are a tight wearing celebrity and are tired of the paparazzi getting camel-toe shots, this is the product for you.ReplyDeleteReplies
Even looking at a camel-toe makes me squeamy.Delete
I never say I'm laughing out loud when I'm not, Murr, but the whole thing about the boxers had me cracking up. Thanks.ReplyDeleteReplies
What? You're not a promiscuous LOLer? Modern up, girl.Delete
Wouldn't pasties be a more "fitting" top component of the c-string bikini?ReplyDeleteReplies
I think we could cover the whole subject with a little plaster-of-paris.Delete
First of all, as one whose sexuality emerged (as we said then) during the late 60's/early 70's, I have a fair amount of experience with going without underwear. There was all the chafing, but we pretended it made us feel sexy.ReplyDelete
Second of all, "miscellaneous protrusions found inside of men's pants"----should have been Murr's line.Replies
True. I wore a patched pair of tight jeans with no underwear for a few years, and didn't like to do laundry. I don't like to think about that now.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 9:18 AM
if this came with... ummm.... "mounting hardware". you know... something that might hide a little inside, and perhaps require a battery or two? THAT would make a day full of meetings far more pleasant. well. at least for me...ReplyDelete
i was smiling along with your well-chosen words. but when i got to the comparison of boxer shorts to a towel over the parakeet cage, i straight up snorted! thank you!Replies
Oo I like the mounting hardware idea. Maybe it could have a ring tone too. William Tell Overture?Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 9:33 AM
That is one scary-looking piece of nether-region-invading equipment. And what does the "C" stand for?ReplyDelete
First responders to a crisis flatulence situation? So glad I wasn't drinking any beverages when I read that one. This post wins best laugh of the week.Replies
For the record, the manufacturers say the C stands for the shape of the thing. Sure it does!Delete
Dang, Murr, you made me hurt myself laughing! I'm still wiping away the tears. That thing looks like a grievous injury searching for a place to happen, and I'm much too fond of certain parts of my anatomy to take that kind of risk.ReplyDelete
And what happens if the spring tension is off? Make a wrong move, and wham! Hard to explain when it flies across the room and embeds itself in the birthday cake. "Oh, um... that's a... a... it's an earmuff for people with one ear... I was just keeping it warm for a friend..."Replies
I KNOW! It looks like a grievous injury that knows exactly what place to happen.Delete
I asked my doctor if at my age I should wear boxers or shorts and he said "Depends".ReplyDelete
Crotch calipers, butt floss and snatch patches are all signs of global warming.Replies
I think everything is a sign of global warming, but I'm a Democrat.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 11:28 AM
This is almost getting too raunchily fetishistic for me. I'm weak when it comes to such realms as women's nether garments. Oh hell, they turn me on, I'll confess. But truly, regarding this thing which I think is more of a device than a garment, why not just go commando and be honest about it?ReplyDelete
As for men's underpants, very much a briefs guy. Boxers are, as you suggested, pointless because they don't do any job I want them to.
Mmm Mmm mmmm--what some people won't write about to get 51, or make that 52 comments.ReplyDelete
Mmmm mmmm (please say aloud in an elderly maiden aunt sort of voice).
Frankly, I thought underwear were there to make it possible to wear your jeans for weeks on end.
Oh, and also to protect you against rampant zippers grabbing stray hairs.
I think I will do with the C the same thing I dod with the thong--fuhgeddaboutit!Replies
Good for you, for snatching the high ground.Delete
Wow, this is encouraging! I thought the function of men's briefs and boxers was an open secret, but apparently not. We'll leave it shrouded in mystery, then.ReplyDeleteReplies
A little mystery is good in a relationship, and sometimes a lot of mystery is even better.Delete
Oh-fer-cryin-out-loud. I couldn't believe this; I just had to Google it to be sure. And six or eight people had posted testimonials swearing that the thing is comfortable. I think its best use is as fodder for one VERY funny post!ReplyDeleteReplies
I could not have made this thing up.Delete
FWIW, a friend of mine has referred to thongs a "butt floss" - which means that this contraption is, perhaps, "butt orthodonture"?ReplyDeleteReplies
Adore your comment :}Delete
You know, I got suspicious whenever my dentist got anywhere near there.Delete
[Let me apologize in advance, "sorry"]Delete
Having said that, it certainly wouldn't be butt orthodonture, but rather, braces for vagina dentata.
[Yup, 'google' that one, too. Another thing that not-even-Murr could make up.]
Eeeeuw and aaaargh. I cannot C any way that this could be comfortable. And I shudder to think what would happen if it started to ride up.ReplyDeleteReplies
You remind me of the way we had to reposition our belt-and-napkin combo by backing surreptitiously into the corner of a desk.Delete
Oh dear god I remember that. Now, young people think a sanitary belt is a drink from a clean glass.Delete
The mattress-on-strings suspension system was bad, but it was the little clippy thing with the teeth that bothered me most about those belts. Guaranteed to bite you in a super-sensitive spot just when you least expected it. See Murr's comment about Tourette's...Delete
- Reynolds PotterFebruary 11, 2012 at 3:09 PM
Crutch ?ReplyDeleteReplies
Sure! Let's say crutch!Delete
I will never forget the ignominy of entering a large public dressing room (I had a baby in a shopping cart and we wouldn't fit anywhere else) to find two twenty-somethings giggling and trying on clothes. Both were wearing thongs. Needless to say, I was not. And I had never seen a thong in practice, much less in theory. I snuck sidelong glances, trying to figure out the advantage of having one's fanny flapping around in what appeared to be buttfloss. Thanks, but I'll take granny panties any time, Eeeeew. And the C-patch? Eeeew squared. And dangerous. You couldn't do the things I do all day wearing something that's liable to give you an intestinal perforation with one wrong move. Kids these days!ReplyDeleteReplies
On the other hand, it might give your birdies a place to land.Delete
The joy of being of middling years is that things like this bounce off the bubble of one's reality and get vapourised into nothingness. They aren't even anti-matter, they just don't matter. Now the gals at the old gym I used to go to will likely show up in one of these gizmos because they were engaged in some heavy duty underwear wars there. They were bethonged, scooped up and upheld in gravity defying breasticle contraptions, even when they were past their best-by date and should have conceded the field with grace. Happily none of this goes on at the good old Y where we haul on our bumbags and our sensible shoes.ReplyDelete
Oldfool: my godfather was approached by a woman who coyly asked him if it was true about what Scotsmen wear under their kilts. "Gie us yer hand, I'm a man 'o few words"Replies
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 6:39 PM
Read this blog for the sheer joy of it,this one====you have almost surpassed yourself,I am wordless with admiration.ReplyDeleteReplies
Best reason to read. Thanks.Delete
I liked the "booty shorts" better. Same manufacturer, better...ah...presentation, by far.ReplyDeleteReplies
Well, it all kinda depends on what you're presenting, I think.Delete
- RebeccaFebruary 11, 2012 at 7:01 PM
I'm just happy to know I'm not the only one who wears my underwear inside out to avoid the seams. Men's underwear is made seamless these days; how come we can't get that same perk?ReplyDeleteReplies
Ah! A fellow princess!Delete
Cranky, the 'C' stands for cranky which I would be if I had this thing clamped to my crotch. Crotch Caliper.... perfect :}ReplyDeleteReplies
Rhymes with cranky.Delete
I'm so behind. I didn't know that there was such a thing as a C-string. I do appreciate this enlightening post. You are an excellent teacher; you know how to make learning fun. LOL over and over again!ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh well, Sheria, it's not me, you have to have good material. And not all that much of it, sometimes.Delete
First of all, I REALLY thought you were making this "C string" up in your imagination. But I checked and, lo and behold, it is real!!ReplyDelete
And $24 for something with less fabric than 3 sheets of toilet paper! I think going totally panty-less would be more comfortable.
I never got the g-string and definitely do not get this!Replies
The used ones aren't really flying off the racks at Goodwill, either.Delete
Dang, Murr. This one had my sweetie and me in hysterics.ReplyDeleteReplies
Ex-cel-lent. [tapping fingertips together]Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Sheria, please tell me that you were "cracking" a joke when you said "I'm so behind."ReplyDelete
Hey Murr! This made me laugh in an inappropriate way for The Day Of Rest.ReplyDelete
"I already am willing to plant a stick up my ass. What else might I be willing to do?"
Priceless. Thank you. Indigo xReplies
Priceless. Shouldn't we be charging?Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2012 at 4:43 AM
Murr, you rock. As a post-menopausal woman, I sincerely appreciate something that looks like a urine-trapping device. I can wear it with my big white panties and my pajama jeans.ReplyDeleteReplies
Let's start a new thing! Pleated panties. That'll give us all sorts of room.Delete
I gotta say, Murr, I wonder where you come up with some of the things you write about. I still wear grandma underpants, and happy to do so. That new thong would stretch out and become more of a flat line than a C, U or even a V.ReplyDelete
This contraption was clearly engineered by a man who wants women's underwear that's easily removed, quickly....a happy coincidence for the ner-do-well stalker/rapist down the street.
No thanks.Replies
As opposed to the well-intentioned stalker or rapist?Delete
Such a wonderful piece of writing. I had happy tears in my eyes shortly after I started reading and was near hysterical reading about your take on boxers. So apt, so true, SO funny!ReplyDelete
Oh, my, gosh- but it's not new, I promise! In Florida we saw bikinis with "bottoms" of this stuff in 1985. The clerk told us most earnestly that they really did sell, a few. She even urged us to try them out in the dressing room, but to be very careful when "placing" the uh, back-piece as the metal is very springy. Careless work could give one a bad slap-bruise, according to her.ReplyDelete
Go figure....
Tiffin, I told my kilt-wearer your story, and he says thanks, that now he's got two- including his about Angus in the park.Replies
Gosh. Seems to me if you try one on, you've pretty much bought it.Delete
The C might stand for Clit Clamp?ReplyDeleteReplies
Yet another possibility...Delete
Murr, my dear, you have a chapter for a book right here. All you need is permission from everyone house their comments.ReplyDeleteReplies
I don't know what it says about us that this post has gotten more comments than any other, but I don't think it's good.Delete
Don't like 'em and don't understand 'em. Even now I am preparing a bumper sticker: Down with C String!ReplyDelete
I was on a.cruise last year and a GUY was wearing a similar contraption in order to tan most everything. I was perplexed. A) because it just made me want to scream "Really!!?." B) because he really needed to cover some of that shit up with clothes and C) I couldn't figure out the logistics of it staying in place!ReplyDelete
I should have known!!!
Great post!Replies
They do make them for men. Every time I googled it I blacked out.Delete
Murrmurrs, this one takes the cake! I am sitting here at my computer laughing my panties off! I cannot believe these things! OMG. You are such a good writer and you put it all so succinctly. I cannot even imagine who would want to wear these things. Like you, I can only say; "If you are going to wear this thing, why wear anything at all!" It all seems so pointless at this point!ReplyDeleteReplies
Seems to me if I can get people to laugh their panties off, I can make some real money. Not necessarily in this business.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2012 at 9:31 AM
Did you see this one?Replies
I did now. And thanks for that (bleah).Delete
Your are so delightfully demented and this has got to be a personal best. My screaming laughter has the cat hiding under the bed. You, Ms. Murr, are a national treasure.ReplyDelete
Frankly, I've always been a fan of 'granny panties' even before I was a granny. The idea of something stuck up my butt turns me off. And the idea that my apparatus might "spring" and bounce across the room in the business meeting while I'm setting up a PowerPoint presentation just leaves me cold.ReplyDeleteReplies
If you can't tuck your panties under your bra, which gets easier and easier as time goes on, you're wearing the wrong kind.Delete
I almost spit out my coffee when I read the "knit your pubic hair in place". My day is complete now lol!ReplyDeleteReplies
Sadly, not an option for me. I'm running out of yarn.Delete
Sorry, Murr, I can't write anything right now...still too weak from rolling around on the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.ReplyDeleteReplies
Under the circumstances, your typing skills are amazing.Delete
Towel over the parakeet cage - ahahahahahahahaReplyDelete
"Interesting" read, Murr.ReplyDelete
Male Bear makes no further comment.Replies
Insert grunting here.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2012 at 9:19 PM
Well, let's be completely accurate here. That is no string. In fact, it looks suspiciously like a pad. A pad with a sick on the end. Closer to a lollipop than a string.ReplyDelete
In any event.....I can see the future, having recently purchased very large packages of "Poise" (for my mother, I swear!), these will eventually be pads on the end of sticks. How convenient when one is unable to wiggle a fanny out of a skin-tight garment in order to attend to one's, er, business. (I claim patent rights!)Replies
Man, I would hope by that time, we'd all be too old to wear skin-tight garments. I plan on mine being so baggy I could host a midget convention with nobody the wiser.Delete
Murr, rolling here. Will you marry me?ReplyDelete
I came to your blog via Kimberly Cockrill [Fragrant Liar] & Jayne Martin [Jaynes World]. And man I'm sure glad I did. HOLY HILARIOUS. I cannot stop laughing.ReplyDelete
"you could knit your pubic hair in place". Maybe the funniest sentence EVER.Replies
I only wish I had enough wool left...Delete
All you listen now and C here:ReplyDelete
C it hides all that needs to be hidden.
C it hurts nothing.
C that it is safe.
C that it looks damn good.
C that I can have nothing to do with it.
C that I am do old.
C that it is good.
C that "knit your pubic hair in place" is a very good option.
Tonto call central control now!
This must be one of the funniest posts EVER! I'd rather go without, thank you.ReplyDeleteReplies
You don't mean "go without funny posts." Right?Delete
In tears reading this! You are the BEST blogger ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Okay, now you made ME cry.Delete
Oh my goodness. I loved this post so much I read it three times. Hilarious!! Found you via Clay Baboons! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
We loves us some Clay Baboons.Delete
Holy hell, but you are funny. This is not a new sentiment, I see. But really. This?ReplyDelete
"If you wanted a more minimalist approach, you could just knit your pubic hair in place."
Shoot, I just wish I didn't visualize these damn things.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 19, 2012 at 1:33 AM
This post made my day. "...like some kind of crotch caliper." Found you via Clay Baboons, and glad I did. (Im the author of www.candyforbfast.com, was on the same list as you)ReplyDelete
Thank you for making me choke on my Coke Zero while I read this. It went up my nose, which was absolutely delightful. Although it MAY have been the paint fumes! The kitchen cabinets are almost finished.ReplyDelete
It's definitely the paint fumes.Delete
Thank you for the many, many laughs in this post. This product is so ridiculous, I'm sure they'll sell like hotcakes.ReplyDelete
I'm with you on the underwear debate - inside out and big and comfy. When the thong first came out, my cousin said she just couldn't figure out which side of her hemorrhoid to put the string around, and I naturally think of preparation H every time I see a thong, which, thankfully is not often.
Thanks again for making me laugh. And maybe the C stand for callipygian, one of my most favorite words, which means, essentially beautiful butt. I think they'd look better without the wire sticking out of them. :)
You're very welcome, Mel! As it happens, one of my favorite words is "steatopygian."ReplyDelete


text:
It has been brought to my attention that there are no female web 2.0 bloggers or entrepreneurs in Australia. The 2Web guys were talking about it in one of their podcasts recently.
I know, I'm surprised too.
And I think we need to do something about it.
Of course, it's complete rubbish to suggest that there aren't smart, articulate women out there working in web 2.0 (or whatever other web-type label you feel more comfortable with). It seems, however, they generally do a pretty good job of hiding their lights under bushels (to make a vast generalisation).
Here are some smart women talking about this problem:
From what I've heard, engineering college grads are comprised of roughly the equivalent numbers of each gender. So, where do they go? Or are there oodles of women around who just aren't profiled as publicly?… So, why aren't there more women in technology? Or…to rephrase it…why aren't there more prominent women in technology? Tara Hunt
From the folks at O'Reilly, these are the numbers from ETech: "We received 223 proposals, 15 of them from women, for 6% of the total. Of the women who submitted proposals, 46% were selected; for men, the acceptance rate was 32%.†….At least for most of the O'Reilly conferences, the *only* thing stopping more women from being presenters is the lack of proposals from women. We should, and could, be doing more. Kathy Sierra in response to a Shelley Powers post (see comments)
… I have to say, there are very few women entrepreneurs, and we must do something about this. Women are naturally very good at the things this kind of work requires, and yet, we don't do take it up very much. … women are afraid to sign up because they see other more accomplished people and find that intimidating, instead of realizing everyone starts without much and builds up (whatever: talks, experience, education.. it's a process and there is nothing wrong with having less.. in fact, I think there is a huge opportunity there to show something new!)… if we don't engage women, we are losing experience, perspective and opportunity to balance our products and make better experience. Mary Hodder
The issue even got a panel talking for an hour at the recent SXSW conference. (LiveBlogs from the Increasing Women's Visibility session at SXSW this year are available from Dru Blood's Blog, the Worker Bees Blog)
So, what to do.
I guess there are probably three main areas we need to think about:
- Helping to promote great women bloggers
- Encouraging women who *should* be blogging to get off their butts
- Creating a network to grow attention within the network
I know there are plenty of women bloggers webrings, and there's Blogher of course (which does great work) and others in a similar ilk out there. I haven't come across one that focusses on 2.0 issues. Have you?
What say we get a bit of a list together? A way that we can quickly find top women writers that we can add to our RSS feeds lists etc. What say we find a way to get the message out to women when conferences are calling for submissions and encourage them to submit something? (Is this what Misbehaving does… kind of?)
Just some initial thoughts. I'd be interested in yours.
Assuming there are women out there, reading this. I think my comment ratio is about 90% male at the moment.
(not to discourage the blokes, of course. bring it on).
ok. over to you.


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Colombia's new government must guarantee an independent justice system
Juan Manuel Santos won a landslide victory in a second round of elections © APGraphicsBank
Colombia's new government must ensure the independence of the country's justice system, allowing it to bring to justice those responsible for human rights abuses committed during the country's long-running armed conflict, Amnesty International has said.
Juan Manuel Santos is set to be inaugurated as President of Colombia on 7 August, after winning a landslide victory in a second round of elections held on 20 June.
"If human rights abusers are to be held to account, urgent action also needs to be taken to stop the killing of and threats against witnesses, lawyers, judges, human rights defenders and prosecutors involved in human rights cases," said Marcelo Pollack, Colombia researcher at Amnesty International.
A UN report on Colombia published earlier this year found that at least 300 people working as part of judicial investigations had been killed in the past 15 years.
Amnesty International documented the killing, mainly by paramilitaries, of at least 8 human rights defenders and 39 trade unionists during 2009
"The new government has an opportunity to move away from the hostility shown by the outgoing administration towards human rights defenders and end the culture of impunity that has allowed those who commit abuses to evade justice," Marcelo Pollack said.
Amnesty International also called on the government to resist the temptation to weaken the ability of the civilian courts to investigate security personnel implicated in human rights violations, something suggested only a few months ago by the outgoing administration.
The Colombian security forces have in recent years been implicated in thousands of extrajudicial executions of civilians. Most are yet to face trial over such killings.
"If the new government is serious about ending impunity it must put an end to the campaign waged by the previous administration to discredit the Colombian Supreme Court, which has successfully prosecuted some of those with links to paramilitaries who carry out human rights violations," said Marcelo Pollack.
"Guerrilla groups must also be condemned for their attacks on civilians. They should once and for all take steps to put an end to the human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law committed by their fighters."
The situation faced by Indigenous Peoples, as well as by Afro-Colombians and peasant farmers, also remains acute.
Amnesty International documented the killing of at least 114 Indigenous People in 2009, carried out by members of the guerrilla, the security forces and paramilitaries.
"The recent increase in killings of leaders of displaced communities, who are campaigning for the return of lands stolen from them by paramilitary groups, has been a source of particular concern, and urgent action must be taken to protect these leaders", said Marcelo Pollack.
"The new government must also make clear that the defence of human rights is not a threat to the security of the state. An immediate public statement asserting the legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders would help assuage fears that activists will continue to be harassed and left unprotected".
The new government must also ensure that the Interior Ministry's protection programme for human rights defenders is strengthened to ensure its effectiveness.
President Álvaro Uribe's government was tainted by its repeated efforts to smear defenders by falsely linking human rights work with support for guerrilla groups. This compromised their safety and weakened their capacity to defend human rights.
Amnesty International is also calling for:
- The new government to quickly announce a plan, with targets, benchmarks and a timetable, to implement in full the long-standing human rights recommendations of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN treaty bodies and special procedures, as well as those issued by the Inter-American human rights system.
- The new government to ensure that the integral mandate of the Office in Colombia of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which expires at the end of October 2010, is renewed.
- Guerrilla groups and the security forces to respect the right of civilians not to be drawn into hostilities. All parties to the conflict have been responsible for such abuses as unlawful killings, enforced disappearances or abductions and forced displacement.
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Listen to NEW Mozart's Sister Track: Enjoy + Debut Album Announced!
Mozart's Sister has been one of my most consistent musical obsessions over the last three years. I've been clinging on to her 3-track EP, Dear Fear, originally self-released in 2011, for what feels like an eternity.
Caila Thompson-Hannant aka Mozart's Sister re-released Dear Fear as Hello in 2013 with the addition of one more track via Merok Records. With little-to-no news about further releases, my consistent anticipation for amazing electro-pop pureness from the Montreal-hailing songstress remained faithful.
Today, news of her debut album, Being, is finally here, and it's due out August 5th (!!!) via Asthmatic Kitty Records. We're also given a glimpse of the record with the release of a new track and video for, "Enjoy."
According to Asthmatic Kitty, "inspired by Discovery-era Daft Punk, Post-era Bjork, and Betty Davis, Caila produced, recorded and wrote Being using a cheap sound card and Ableton software, approaching it with a do-it-all-by-my-self ideology… 'Being is a fracture,' says Caila. 'A note between thought and expression. When I wrote this record I was riding a wave of light and dark; I still am. It's not a twisted path but one that aspires to harmony. In all the little bits that make up the bulk of the 'songs' of this album is a jump. So here I am jumping into your mercy, a leap I will never forget. I feel the future can only bring better or worse and definitely not the same. So this record is a thing that will never happen again. I hope you enjoy it.'"


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In 'docu-ganda' films, balance is not the objective
In "An Inconvenient Truth," now playing in theaters, former Vice President Al Gore asserts that global warming may soon eliminate one of the world's great natural vistas: the snows of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In the forthcoming film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" celebrities such as Mel Gibson and Ed Begley Jr. lament the "murder" of General Motor's EV1 electric car and the loss of California's "most radical smog-fighting mandate since the catalytic converter."
These two follow in the footsteps of other recent movies in the same nonfiction genre: last year's "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," "Sir! No Sir!" (about the G.I. antiwar movement during Vietnam), "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," and 2003's "Super Size Me" (about obesity and fast food).
All deliver on the promise to tell an "untold" story, but is theirs the full story? Or even the true story?
Don't count on it, say media experts. The days when "documentary" reliably meant "inform the audience" - rather than "influence the audience" - are no more. The makers of such films today see their cinematic contributions as an antidote to media consolidation that, they say, restricts topics and voices to the bland and the commercial. As such, they feel little or no obligation to heed documentary-film traditions like point-by-point rebuttal or formal reality checks.
"We need to clarify that this new wave of 'documentaries' are not, in fact, documentaries," says Christopher Ian Bennett of New School Media, a communications and public-relations firm in Vancouver. "They fail to meet the Oxford Dictionary definition, in that they editorialize, and opine far too much. They are entertaining.... But they can be dangerous if viewers take everything they are saying as the whole truth."
The films' benefit is that they foster public discussion, whether via outrage or applause, say Mr. Bennett and others. "These op-ed documentaries are catalysts for the great public debates - whether it's the war in Iraq, global warming, or the downfall of Enron," he says.
In America, documentaries grew up in the early days of TV, nurtured by journalistic doctrines of fairness - and federal licensing requirements concerning equal time, say TV historians.
The new, one-point-of-view documentary made its first commercially successful debut in 1989, when Michael Moore's "Roger & Me" explored the effects of General Motors Corp. on Flint, Mich. Since then, Mr. Moore has been turning out personal-viewpoint books and films that continue to produce accolades from liberals and clenched fists from conservatives. "Fahrenheit 9/11," about the Bush administration's march to war after the 9/11 attacks, is the largest-grossing documentary film of all time.
Moore's success, followed by the growth of independent theaters and the development of alternative means of film distribution such as the Internet and DVD, has led to a groundswell of similar films. Media observers generally welcome the new diversity of viewpoint, even as they urge viewers to beware.
Directors, for their part, are attracted by the opportunity to get their messages out without having to persuade the media gatekeepers - a handful of Hollywood studios, and cable and TV network brass - that their movies are worth doing.
"This is a revolution - that anyone can make a movie and spread the word about something they believe deeply in, and find an audience that cuts across politics," says Robert Greenwald, director of "Wal-Mart" and 2004's "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism." Before the December release of "Wal-Mart" - about the effects of company policies on employees and communities - Mr. Greenwald set up a website and hired an organizer to contact church, educational, and civic groups willing to sponsor the showing of his film in their homes, churches, and schools. By the time it opened, 150 such groups had arranged 7,500 screenings, reaching 750,000 viewers.
At his website, Bravenewtheaters.com, visitors can log on to host a screening, or find one. "We're a movement using film to change the world," say site directions. "Get involved by hosting a screening or attending one near you. And bring your friends!" Two future Greenwald films deal with soon-to-retire Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas ("The Big Guy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress") and the war in Iraq ("Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers").
Does he feel the need to present more than one side of an issue? "Is it my job to tell the story that everyone is already getting over and over 24/7? I don't think so," says Greenwald. "In a democratic system you want to hear something that hasn't been told."
Others concur. "There is no such thing as objectivity," says David Zeiger, director of "Sir! No Sir!" "The idea of presenting one point of view that absolutely has to give equal time to another point of view is spurious. If you make a film with both sides, you are going to make a boring film. The [film] medium is not the same as journalism."
One problem with such "docu-ganda," say some media experts, is that the films risk limiting their audiences to those who agree with their premises.
"One concern I have about such films is that they are merely preaching to the choir. You're not going to have a fellow with an NRA [National Rifle Association] bumper sticker walking into [Moore's] 'Bowling for Columbine,'" says Matt Felling of the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs in Washington, which studies news and entertainment media. "[Former US Sen.] Pat Moynihan was famous for saying, 'Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but they're not entitled to their own facts,' " says Mr. Felling.
A case in point is Don Richardson, who drove an hour to see a recent showing of "An Inconvenient Truth" in Los Angeles. His own community is too conservative for any theater chain to show it, says the retired railroad worker. "None of my Republican neighbors want to see it."
All this demands a higher media literacy from filmgoers, say Felling and others. But the ability to discern what is fact, what is varnish, and what is debatable is largely untaught, and viewers are often complacent, they say.
The advent of such films does not mean that people shouldn't see them, but rather that viewers should practice critical thinking, say experts. "The danger of the advocacy documentary is that things might be being kept from you ...," says Peter Lehman of the Center for Film and Media Research at Arizona State University, Tempe. But he adds that it is legitmate for a filmmaker to acknowledge that his film is not neutral. "It's a different mission," he says.


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computer mouse FREE for Personal Use SVG
computer mouse free for personal use SVG. This wonderful clipart is perfect for your Cricut, Silhouette Cameo, and other projects requiring an image saved in SVG format.
PAID download includes:
SVG files- useful for Cricut
PNG files are great flexible image formats
DXF files for Silhouette Cameo
JPEG files for various digital use
PDF files are vector images similar to SVG and DXF files
FREE download includes:
SVG files only
This product is an instant download only. No physical products will be delivered.
File use:
Commercial License. You can use it for commercial purposes. But you can't sell it as is- on other platforms such as Etsy, Creative Fabrica, The HungryJPEG, Redbubble, etc., which will be in direct competition with Crafteroks.
Please note that the number of files in each format will depend on the number of images in the product.
You can go here if you're interested to see more Free SVG files for Personal Use.


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Building trusted solutions
Panasonic entered into a long term partnership with National Trust in October 2014, under which Panasonic technology will be used to help enhance the experience for National Trust visitors.
The latest Panasonic technology will be used to allow visitors to delve deeper than ever before into the unique stories of National Trust locations.
Our interactive technologies create atmospheres and movements that bring exhibitions to life, making it easier to imagine what it would have been like to live or work at one of the properties.
Panasonic's ranges of user-friendly cameras are also used by National Trust, to capture and communicate people's unique visits and relationships with the venues. To this end, Panasonic has equipped National Trust staff with the latest Lumix cameras to help them share with visitors exactly what it is they do to help preserve the sites.
Panasonic also works together with National Trust to inspire individuals to capture their own memories with exciting content, special offers and new ideas.
Banking for Victory
One example of our work with National Trust is the Banking for Victory exhibition at Upton House. It tells the wartime story of the Bearsteds, who moved out of their family home near Banbury to allow the family owned Bank to move in. Driven by the need to protect staff and assets from the London air raids, M. Samuel & Co., moved in lock, stock and bought ledger, for the duration of the Second World War.
Panasonic has helped bring the exhibition to life, by providing high resolution projection and display technologies that add interactivity, atmosphere and movement to the exhibition at Upton House.
Going green
As well as using technology to enhance visitor experience and capture special moments, Panasonic's innovative eco technologies will be used by National Trust to help achieve a goal of moving towards a greener, more sustainable mode of operation.
For more information about integrated solutions from Panasonic, please visit: https://business.panasonic.co.uk/solutions/
More about the National Trust Partnership
Press Release – Banking for Victory!! Brought to life through Panasonic technology


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Another taste of summer special.
2 cups bread cubes (from stale white bread)
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
6 scallions, minced
4 basil leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Place bread in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out extra water.
In a large bowl, mix bread cubes with tomatoes, scallions and basil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and mix well. Let rest for about 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.


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Influencing Health Policy: Efforts and Impacts of the American Academy of Actuariesuninsured, health care affordability, consumer-driven health care and long-term care. MR. GEOFFREY ... Milliman, and she has more than 20 years of health care expertise. She's consulted with health plans on ...
Description: This session discusses the role the Academy plays in helping policymakers understand the implications of health policy decisions. This session also includes an overview of the Health Practice Council, Hill briefings and recent legislative issues. From Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 30, No. 1, Session 62Hide
- Authors: Geoffrey C Sandler, Janet Carstens, Cori Uccello, Craig Hanna
- Date: May 2004
- Competency: Communication>Persuasive communication
- Publication Name: Record of the Society of Actuaries
- Topics: Actuarial Profession>Academic partnerships; Actuarial Profession>Professional associations; Public Policy


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The Paleo Solution Podcast #148
Responding to question #7, Robb Wolf said (at ~55 minutes into the above noted episode):
"An underfed baby will not have adequate..will not have normal cognitive development. That is, ya know, the classic scenario when you're looking at an underfed baby– which interestingly you actually see a lot of this stuff in like the vegan community, because even if the mother is breastfeeding, the mother's breast milk is so nutrient deficient that the baby's not doing well, and then beyond that..um..you know it's a clear indication that when the baby is, has a failure to thrive, there's a lack of body weight gain, and there's a lack of normal, kind of psychomotor development…"
WHAT?! Did Robb Wolf actually say that the breast milk of vegan mothers is nutrient deficient?? Is he saying that "you see a lot of" vegan babies who are underfed…failing to thrive…lacking body weight gain…and lacking normal psychomotor development? Seriously?
That's a bold statement: "You actually see a lot of this stuff in like the vegan community." Someone making a statement like that needs to back it up with some facts!
On 9/11/12 I went to the Robb Wolf website to ask for the reference:
"What exactly is the reference to Robb Wolf's statement about "seeing a lot of this stuff in the vegan community?""
CHRIS WILLIAMS (from the Robb Wolf website):
"Hi Elisa, here are a couple of examples (not to mention Robb's own experiences and things he's seen personally)
It's not an attack against vegans, but it's pretty much impossible to get everything necessary for human thrival on a diet without animal products without supplementation."
So…what do YOU think about those examples?
The first example— of "seeing a lot of this stuff in like the vegan community"– is the case of one baby who died in France. The unfortunate 11 month-old died of a pneumonia-related illness. She was underweight and suffering from vitamin A and vitamin B12 deficiencies. She was reportedly fed "only on her mother's milk." Her mother just happened to be vegan.
Is this a fair example? NO!! This baby should have been started on solid food months before. Breast milk shouldn't be the exclusive food source for an 11 month-old infant. This is NOT a failure of the vegan diet. This is a failure of parenting, in general.
The second example— of "seeing a lot of this stuff in like the vegan community"– is the case of one baby (a 5 month-old) with a vitamin B12 deficiency. The deficiency was "due to low vitamin B12 concentrations in the maternal breast milk." The case did not indicate whether the mother actually came from "the vegan community" or not.
What the case did indicate was that the mother was found to have classical (Addisonian) pernicious anaemia and hypothyroidism. Is pernicious anemia unique to vegans? NO!!
Is this a fair example? NO!! Fortunately, the baby in the second case example was treated with B12 and showed a "rapid clinical and haematological improvement."
Let's still learn from this…
- Everyone needs vitamin B12. Everyone should have vitamin B12 levels checked periodically.
- Vegans should supplement with a B12 supplement.
- Non-vegans may also need to supplement, because vitamin B12 deficiency is not only a "vegan issue." Besides cases of pernicious anemia, people over age 50 lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from foods.
Dear Robb Wolf,
Please stop talking out of your paleo ass about vegan babies.
Dear Chris Williams,
To use your words..it's "pretty much impossible" to take you seriously when you provide such ridiculous examples.
Freeheel Vegan
(thriving without killing animals…with the intermittent help of a modern world supplement that is cheap and readily available 🙂 )


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Ford says it has developed a fix for the potential engine fire problem that prompted it to recall nearly 90,000 copies of the new Escape and Fusion with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine.
Ford traced the problem to a glitch in the engine software that could lead to an engine fire in the event of pressure dropped in the cooling system. So dealers will update the software on the recalled vehicles.
Ford dealers have been giving owners of the recalled cars free loaner vehicles to drive while the problem was being traced and a fix developed.
But the new Escape and Fusion are high-profile launches for Ford. This marks the fourth time the Escape has been recalled since it launched last spring.


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- It's admirable.
- It can't be exported to countries that aren't as small and ethnically homogeneous as the Nordic countries.
In a recent interview in the New Perspectives Quarterly (h/t to New Economist's very helpful series on the Nordic model), Milton Friedman summarises the argument in this way:
Gardels: Perhaps the Scandinavian countries are a model to look at. They are high-tax but also high-employment societies. And they have freed up their labor markets much more than in Italy, France or Germany.
Friedman: Though it is not as true now as it used to be with the influx of immigration, the Scandinavian countries have a very small, homogeneous population. That enables them to get away with a good deal they couldn't otherwise get away with.
What works for Sweden wouldn't work for France of Germany or Italy. In a small state, you can reach outside for many of your activities. In a homogeneous culture, they are willing to pay higher taxes in order to achieve commonly held goals. But "common goals" are much harder to come by in larger, more heterogeneous populations.
That sounds reasonable, and Friedman may well be right. And it would appear that there are reasons to believe that the Nordic model can't be applied to the US in the near future. But it's less clear that those reasons apply to Canada, notwithstanding the fact that we are far from being ethnically homogeneous.
There's a very useful paper by Alberto Alesina, Edward Glaeser and Bruce Sacerdote: Why Doesn't the US Have a European-Style Welfare System?. Here's the abstract:
European countries are much more generous to the poor relative to the US level of generosity. Economic models suggest that redistribution is a function of the variance and skewness of the pre-tax income distribution, the volatility of income (perhaps because of trade shocks), the social costs of taxation and the expected income mobility of the median voter. None of these factors appear to explain the differences between the US and Europe. Instead, the differences appear to be the result of racial heterogeneity in the US and American political institutions. Racial animosity in the US makes redistribution to the poor, who are disproportionately black, unappealing to many voters. American political institutions limited the growth of a socialist party, and more generally limited the political power of the poor.
So if a higher level of altruism - call it solidarity or a sense of community, if you prefer - increases the likelihood that a country will adopt redistributive policies, what determines altruism? Since their focus is the US, the obvious place to look is the extensive literature on racial fragmentation in the US, and the conclusions aren't promising:
Since minorities are highly over-represented amongst the poorest Americans, any income-based redistribution measures will redistribute particularly to minorities. The opponents of redistribution have regularly used race based rhetoric to fight left-wing policies...
Racial differences between the poor and non-poor in the US will tend to create the perception of the poor as "other" in the US, but geographic or social isolation might do this as well. If the poor in the US are more geographically or socially isolated, this might create a situation where non-poor Americans have little sympathy for the poor. Furthermore, as Lipset (1996) noted, (page 133) several polls suggest that a large majority of white American, believe that African Americans would be as wealthy as whites if they tried hard enough.
Hard evidence on the importance of race and in-group status in the support for welfare corroborates these anecdotes. Luttmer (2001) looks at support for welfare in the General Social Survey in the US. He finds that support for welfare is higher among people who live near to many welfare recipients who are of the same race. This confirms the idea that geographic isolation from the poor may lead Americans to think of them as member of some out-group.
Conversely, support for welfare is lower among people who live near welfare recipients who are of a different race. The difference between within race and across race effects seems to mean that people have a negative, hostile reaction when they see welfare recipients who are of a different race and a sympathetic reaction when they see welfare recipients who are of their own race.
Their analysis is convincing, albeit somewhat depressing. But I'm less convinced about how the US experience can be extended to make conclusions about Canada.
The obvious place to start is ethnic homogeneity. I'm hardly an expert on these matters, but my - possibly naive - impression is that redistribution from rich to poor would not be perceived as being primarily a transfer from one ethnic group to another. Toronto and Vancouver are probably the most multicultural cities on the planet, and they seem to make it work pretty well. I'm not saying that life in Canada is a never-ending United Colours of Benetton commercial, or that there aren't real problems (eg: the First Nations). But I don't think racial animosity - the sense that only "the others" will benefit - is strong enough to doom to failure any attempt to implement more redistributive policies.
Unfortunately, there's another, possibly more potent obstacle. An important source of division in Canada is the regional cleavages that go along with having too much geography - and it's not just limited to Quebec. Bashing other provinces is a time-honoured tradition in Canada, and no-one seems to see the point in being subtle about it, either. When an election is going badly near the end of a campaign, desperate Canadian politicians don't reach for the race card: they point to their opponent's province of origin, and hope that everyone else will recoil in horror ("A Prime Minister from Alberta?!?").
But there's still hope. Canada's federal structure - and the fact that responsibility for most social programs lie with the provinces - mean that we don't have to build a coast-to-coast sense of altruism. We can still do it at the provincial level.
The standard counter-argument to this approach, of course, is the 'race-to-the-bottom' hypothesis. But I'll deal with that in another post.
[Update: see Federalism and the race to the bottom]
[I'm taking a break from blogging over the holidays, and recycling some earlier posts. This one was first published on February 8, 2006.]


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Video | Stripes in 7 for Oct. 18, 2022
Stars and Stripes October 18, 2022
Here's our latest edition of Stripes in 7, featuring top stories impacting the U.S. military community in a seven-minute recap.
WATCH MORE: See Stars and Stripes videos, including Stripes in 7, on our Multimedia page. If you're on our mobile app, find Stripes in 7 under Videos in the dropdown menu.