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CLARINET Study in Metastatic Enteropancreatic NETs Published in the New England Journal of Medicine
ESMO @ ECC 2013: Phase III trial results favour Lanreotide therapy in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuro-endocrine tumours. New and compelling evidence for the antiproliferative effect of lanreotide
- Date: 17 Jul 2014
- Topic: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours / Anticancer agents & Biologic therapy
A strong anti-proliferative response was demonstrated for the somatostatin analogue lanreotide in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuro-endocrine tumours. The final analyses of data from a phase III trial showed that treatment with lanreotide significantly prolonged progression-free survival in patients with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) compared to treatment with placebo.
Lead investigator Dr. Martyn Caplin, Professor of Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrinology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK presented late breaking results on 28 September from the CLARINET study (Abstract E17-7103), which was completed in June of this year, during the Presidential Session I of the 17th ECCO – 38th ESMO – 32nd ESTRO European Cancer Congress.
In search for antiproliferative response of lanreotide
The CLARINET (LanreotideAntiproliferativeResponse in patients with GEP-NET) is until now a largest phase III, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational study that evaluated the anti-proliferative effect of the somatostatin analogue lanreotide in patients with GEP-NETs. Although somatostatin analogues have been indicated for treating patients with GEP-NET, there were limited data on their antiproliferative activity. It had been shown previously in just one prospective trial in patients who had midgut tumours and limited liver tumor burden.
The CLARINET (CT. gov NCT00353496; EudraCT 2005-004904-35) is the first large phase III prospective trial to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of lanreotide Autogel (Autogel is a lanreotide preparation preloaded in a syringe) in patients with non-functioning GEP-NET. The study enrolled 204 patients with well or moderately differentiated non-functioning GEP-NETs, including pancreatic and gastrointestinal tumours, and defined as having less than 10% of proliferation marker Ki67. All patients were 18 or more years with no hormone-related symptoms and had not received somatostatin analogues, interferon, chemoembolisation or chemotherapy with six months prior to study entry.
CLARINET is a large phase III trial assessing the anti-proliferative effect of lanreotide scheduled for a total of 24 monthly injections in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Compared to placebo, there was a highly significant advantage in progression-free survival (PFS) with the use of lanreotide. Data from CLARINET were both confirmatory and instructive. PROMID study was the first study to show somatostatin analogues (SSA), octreotide LAR in this case, had anti-proliferative effect in NETs (Rinke et al J Clin Oncol 2009). However, only 85 patients were randomised in PROMID study constituting a very small clinical trial dataset. Furthermore, only patients with well differentiated/Ki67 ≤2% midgut primary or unknown primary NETs were eligible. Three-quarters of patients had ≤10% liver involvement and nearly 40% of patients had functional tumours. In contrast, CLARINET study recruited NETs of both GI and pancreatic origins and in particular 45% had primary pancreatic NETs – an important subgroup not included in the PROMID study. Both well- and moderately differentiated NETs were recruited and one-third of patients had >25% liver involvement. The anti-proliferative effect of SSA was confirmed in the CLARINET study, but also appeared to apply to a wider group of NET patients – a conundrum often faced by clinicians in routine clinical practice armed with only PROMID data to decide what to do with other groups of patients.
Progression-free survival has been recommended as the primary endpoint for phase III trials as overall survival was not deemed to be a practical endpoint for most advanced NETs trials in the recent Consensus Report of the National Cancer Institute Neuroendocrine Tumor Clinical Trials Planning Meeting (Kulke et al J Clin Oncol 2011). This recommendation was attributed to long survival after progression and the wide variability of salvage regimens in many patients with NETs who are often of excellent performance status still. Unlike other solid tumours, there is no definitive evidence in NETs that radiographic progression equates to symptom deterioration or worsening of quality of life. In some occasions, clinicians may consider minor tumour growth with worsening of carcinoid symptoms as disease progression. This would not be the case in the CLARINET study as patients had non-functioning NETs. Data are not currently available for the proportion of patients with disease progression who are also symptomatic with pain, weight loss or deterioration of performance status within CLARINET. Furthermore, it is unclear how many patient had progressing disease on study entry, despite this factor was stratified at randomisation.
Several areas within the CLARINET study would be of interests. Firstly, the proliferative behaviour of NETs when lanreotide was stopped after 96 weeks. Did the patients experience accelerated tumour growth or continuing tumour control? Secondly, did patients on placebo crossed over to octreotide LAR and did tumour achieve control with octroetide salvage? Thirdly, if eventually no overall survival advantage is demonstrated with lanreotide, does this PFS advantage matter? Patient reported outcome would be of great importance and we shall wait to see the completeness of quality of life data as this is an area clearly deficient from PROMID, RADIANT II & III and sunitinib A6181111 studies.
Lanreotdie will provide a new treatment option for patients with wider spectrum of GEP NETs. Both patients and clinicians will however need to decide whether this delay in radiographic disease progression is a worthwhile clinical gain.
*Ian Chau, ESMO spokesperson who was not involved in the study
The patients were randomised to receive either 120 mg lanreotide Autogel (n=101) or placebo (n=103) every 4 weeks for 96 weeks or until progressive disease (PD) or death. The trial's primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by RECIST criteria. Secondary endpoints were the percentage of patients who died or showed PD and safety. Computed tomography (CT) scans taken at baseline and at restaging timepoints throughout the study were centrally assessed.
At baseline 45% of patients had primary tumours located in the pancreas, 36% in the midgut, 7% in the hindgut and 13% of patients had tumours in unknown locations. The majority of patients, 96%, had stable disease (SD) and 81% were treatment-naive (81%). Levels of Ki67 between 3% and 10% (WHO grade 2) were recorded in 22% of patients and 33% had a hepatic tumour load greater than 25%.
The study met its endpoints
The CLARINET trial of lanreotide Autogel met both primary and secondary endpoints. At a time-point of two years following initiation of treatment, median PFS was not reached with lanreotide compared to 18 months with placebo, hazard ratio (HR) 0.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30, 0.73 (p = 0.0002). Neither disease progression nor death occurred in 62% of lanreotide patients compared to 22% of placebo patients.
The safety results showed lanreotide had favourable safety and tolerability that was consistent with its known safety profile. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 50% of patients receiving lanreotide and 28% of placebo patients, with diarrhea being the most frequently reported AE in 26% versus 9% of patients receiving lanreotide and placebo, respectively. Serious AEs were reported in 3% patients receiving lanreotide and in 1% of placebo patients. Adverse events led to withdrawal from the study for a total of six patients, three from each treatment group.
The authors concluded that lanreotide Autogel can substantially prolong PFS for GEP-NET patients. Furthermore, these results from the first large-scale, multinational, prospective study on somatostatin analogue therapy in patients with several types of neuroendocrine tumours offer new and compelling evidence for the antiproliferative effect of lanreotide.
The authors disclosed study sponsorship from Ipsen.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Heritage Montage
A vibrant celestial photo album of some of NASA Hubble Space Telescope's most stunning views of the universe is being unveiled today on the Internet. Called the Hubble Heritage Program, this technicolor gallery is being assembled by a team of astronomers at Hubble's science operations center, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. The four images released today are (top row, left to right) spiral galaxy NGC 7742, Saturn, and (bottom row, left to right) the Sagittarius Star Cloud and the Bubble Nebula.
The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)


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Tween Reads
September 2016
"Make your yearbook picture memorable because, as my science teacher says, 'Your grandkids have to laugh at something.'"
~ from Maya Van Wagenen's
Recent Releases
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill
Fantasy. The Proctectorate claims that babies have to be sacrificed every year to satisfy the evil forest witch. The villagers obey, never realizing that the witch, Xan, is actually a kind soul who rescues the abandoned infants. After Xan accidentally "enmagicks" one of the babies by feeding her moonlight, she decides raise the child (now named Luna) herself, with some help from a sage swamp monster and a tiny, talkative dragon. As Luna's 13th birthday approaches and her magic grows, you'll begin to see that her story is just one of many threads in this imaginative and carefully crafted page-turner.
Sticks & Stones
Abby Cooper
Fiction. For 6th-grader Elyse, it's not just difficult to ignore what other people say about her, it's
. She's got cognadjivisibilitis, which means that anything said about her literally appears on her skin. Whether it's soothing praise or itchy insults, Elyse can't hide from others' opinions -- and those opinions have gotten a lot meaner since her best friend and kinda-boyfriend both ditched her. Feeling alone and embarrassed, Elyse is surprised when she starts receiving mysterious notes offering to help her. Could enough encouragement change her on the outside as well on the inside? Find out in this offbeat, hopeful, and (mostly) realistic story.
The Imagination Box
Martyn Ford
Science Fiction/Fantasy. An astonishing invention turns summer vacation into a dangerous quest for bored, lonely Tim. Professor Eisenstone's new nano-assembler can create anything you can imagine, and with nothing else to do, Tim has developed a powerful imagination. He helps the professor get the machine working by imagining all sorts of magical things (including Phil, a witty and well-mannered "finger monkey"). But the device can also turn fears into reality, and when it goes missing along with Eisenstone, Tim has to find both before his nightmares start coming true. Whether you love mystery, fantasy, adventure, or all three, you should definitely check out
The Imagination Box
The Thing About Leftovers
C.C. Payne
Fiction. Twelve-year-old Fizzy aims for perfection, both in her cooking and her life. Her cooking skills are pretty impressive, but her life is still messier than she'd like: since her parents' divorce, she's had to deal with a new town, a new school, new stepparents, and now a new half-sibling on the way. Tired of holding back her feelings about being overlooked, Fizzy decides to earn her parents' attention by entering (and hopefully winning) the
Southern Living
Cook-Off. Foodies who relish this honest and amusing book about a recipe-loving Southern girl may also appreciate Kat Yeh's
The Truth About Twinkie Pie.
Focus on: Memoirs
The Dumbest Idea Ever!
Jimmy Gownley
Graphic Memoir. How do you go from being a regular middle schooler to a published graphic novelist? For Jimmy Gownley (creator of the Amelia Rules! series), it began with a bout of chicken pox. Smart, popular, and athletic, Jimmy suddenly found himself sidelined by illness. However, as his grades and social life took a nose dive, his creativity flourished, and by the age of 15, Jimmy had self-published his first comic book. Without shying away from the bumps in the road, this cartoon-illustrated memoir manages to be both funny and inspiring -- a perfect fit for fans of Raina Telgemeier.
Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx
Sonia Manzano
Memoir. If you grew up watching
Sesame Street
, you already know Sonia Manzano, who played the character of Maria for decades. In this "lyrical and unflinching" (
Kirkus Reviews
) memoir, you get a glimpse of the person behind the character: her turbulent childhood of poverty and abuse, her cramped yet lively neighborhood in the Bronx, and her dedication to following her dreams of becoming an actress. Older readers who enjoy this gritty
yet heartfelt
read -- and those looking for another story about a Puerto Rican teen in 1960s NYC -- should also be sure to pick up Manzano's award-winning novel,
The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano
Popular: A Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek
Maya Van Wagenen
Memoir. In 2012, when she first discovered a 1951 book called
Betty Cornell's Teen-Age Popularity Guide
, eighth grader Maya Van Wagenen had nothing to lose. Already in the "Social Outcast" group at her Texas middle school, Maya committed herself to following the book's advice, no matter how weird or old-fashioned it seemed. The results were mixed -- the tips for talking to everyone in the cafeteria worked lot better than the girdle did -- but simply by trying something different, Maya found a confidence she didn't know she had. Optimistic middle school misfits will find both humor and understanding in this funny, matter-of-fact memoir.
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
Memoir. When the gunman boarded the bus, he had only one question: "Who is Malala?" Targeted by the Taliban for her outspoken support of education for girls in her native Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai survived her injuries from the shooting that day. In
I Am Malala
, she invites you to share her experiences, both ordinary (she gets mad at her brothers and loves her best friend) and extraordinary (in 2014, she became the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize). Aspiring activists, as well as anyone looking for an inspiring true story, won't want to miss this powerful memoir.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
1515 Young St.
Dallas, Texas 75201


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Media family's legacy: a paper, philanthropy
In 1928, a retired colonel with champagne tastes and old ties to Teddy Roosevelt headed west for San Diego.
Ira Clifton Copley, a budding newspaper baron from Illinois, was the proud new owner of The San Diego Union and The Evening Tribune. His purchase of the papers marked the birth of one of the most powerful family-owned businesses in county history.
Now the Copley era is over.
Copley Press Inc. sold The San Diego Union-Tribune Monday to Platinum Equity, a Beverly Hills investment firm. The full price was not disclosed.
The Copley family dominated the city so thoroughly that its imprint is on the skyline itself. Copley Symphony Hall. Copley Plaza in Balboa Park. Copley Family YMCA in City Heights. These are among the fruits of the family's philanthropy.
The family's journalistic legacy is more complex.
To longtime critics, the Copley newspapers – especially the flagship Union – were too powerful, too provincial and too conservative for an increasingly diverse city such as San Diego.
But many would say today that the Union-Tribune reflects a broader range of views and focuses on its watchdog role.
During their 81 years as media magnates, the Copleys – from Ira to James to Helen to David – knew their fortunes hinged on the region's success.
"That idea runs quite deep in American journalism," said sociologist Michael Schudson, a communications professor at the University of California San Diego. "Newspapers do see their prospects, I think rightly, as very much tied to the prospects of the community."
This is the story of a media dynasty that helped shape a city. At its heart are four figures: the old colonel who headed west; the son who was handed a golden gift; the widow who ushered in a new era; and the globe-trotting arts connoisseur who decided it was time to step away. Ira Copley was bored with retirement. So, at 64, the former Illinois congressman and power-company executive plunked down $2.7 million for the Union and the Tribune. He fancied San Diego, a rough-and-tumble town of 148,000, full of shipbuilders, ranchers and industrialists. It seemed like a good place to be a newspaperman.
"They are going to deliver the goods," Copley said of his papers. He promised they wouldn't be "personal organs for myself or anyone else."
Most newspapers today hold themselves up as paragons of objectivity, but for much of the nation's history they reflected the owner's political or business leanings. This was particularly true in frontier towns like San Diego.
"Newspapers were, in a way, the chief real estate agents of their time, promoting the economic fortunes of the community," Schudson said.
Ira Copley fit right in. Setting a standard that other Copleys would follow, he was bent on putting San Diego on the path to greatness – or at least what he saw as the path to greatness.
He and his first wife, Edith, had two adopted sons. Copley decided early on that his oldest, James, would some day run the family business.
In a 1964 book commissioned by the Copleys, "The Thin Gold Watch," writer Walter Swanson explains how the hand-over was sealed. On Nov. 1, 1947, 83-year-old Ira Copley lay on his death bed, a prized gold watch in hand.
The colonel gave the Elgin timepiece to 34-year-old James.
Ira Copley died the next day. James Copley was a Yale man and a Navy veteran. Now he owned 15 newspapers in California and the Midwest.
His old friends and business associates remember James Copley as deeply conservative and fiercely patriotic. Critics saw him as part of an establishment cabal that ran the city.
One thing is for sure – like his father, James didn't approach the community with journalistic detachment.
He joined dozens of clubs, boards and other organizations. He created a foundation that has donated millions of dollars over the decades to schools, hospitals and other institutions. Among the scores of organizations that have received major contributions from the still-active Helen K. & James S. Copley Foundation: La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rescue Mission and the YWCA.
During Copley's tenure, his papers lobbied for the creation of UCSD, development of Mission Valley, construction of what is now Qualcomm Stadium and other projects. The stadium ended up housing two teams the papers helped bring to town – the Chargers and the Padres – and was even named for many years after Union sports editor and columnist Jack Murphy.
The papers were more than civic cheerleaders. The ardently Republican Union didn't hesitate, particularly from the 1950s to the 1970s, to blur the line between news and opinion.
"Are you saying the news was slightly colored on the conservative side?" former company executive Victor Krulak said in an interview shortly before his death last year. "I think that was almost a certainty."
Just before the 1960 election, Democratic presidential nominee John Kennedy staged a huge rally in downtown San Diego. A story landed on the Union front page. But another story dominated the page: a piece about Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee and a Copley ally, securing the full endorsement of then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Nixon story included a New York City dateline and a four-column photo.
The paper was known for being particularly protective of the Navy, an important cog in the local economy, and establishment figures such as C. Arnholt Smith, a multimillionaire bank president.
In 1969, when The Wall Street Journal published a story detailing Smith's shady business practices, the Copley papers ignored it. Four years later, the federal government declared Smith's bank insolvent due to gross mismanagement.
Copley was proud of his papers' coverage of international issues and he created an overseas wire service. The Copley News Service maintained bureaus in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and other Central and South American cities. Published reports later surfaced that Copley News Service was a CIA front. Copley associates still insist that wasn't true.
When James Copley died of cancer at age 57 in 1973, his life and contributions were lauded by Nixon, preacher Billy Graham and even Pope Paul VI.
The day Copley died, the Union and the Tribune were completing a long-planned move from downtown to a new building and printing plant in Mission Valley.
An obituary ran the next day, the lead story in the first edition of the Union to roll off the new presses. Copley's widow, Helen Kinney Copley, was in charge now.
More than a few San Diegans wondered if she was up to the job. The idea of a woman running a large corporation didn't come easily to many in 1973. The fact that she had worked as a secretary to James Copley – long before they married – made her even easier to dismiss, recalled Herb Klein, editor in chief of the Copley papers from 1980 to 2003.
He said those doubts didn't last.
Helen Copley later hired Gerald Warren to be editor of the company flagship Union, and would promote longtime San Diego journalist Neil Morgan to oversee the afternoon paper, the Tribune.
Warren and Klein had formerly worked in the press office of the Nixon White House, fueling the perception that the San Diego papers continued to act as mouthpieces for the Republican Party.
Under Warren, the Union ramped up coverage of Tijuana, brought in a large crop of reporters to track San Diego's suburbs and met with groups of African-Americans, Latinos and others to discuss ways to broaden community coverage.
Most of the moves came as the Copley papers prepped for an old-fashioned newspaper war with the Los Angeles Times, which set out to conquer the area by creating a daily San Diego edition. The paper brought in a team of crack reporters in 1978 and cut them loose in a region that had grown to 1.8 million people.
"I look at that era as the golden age of newspapers in this town," said Neal Matthews, a veteran San Diego journalist.
The Times' San Diego edition folded in 1992, a casualty of a lackluster economy, limited circulation and the emergence of a more nimble Copley organization.
Helen Copley said she didn't want her papers to play favorites in their news coverage. Far-right causes were no longer given automatic support on the editorial pages.
"I don't know about any sacred cows, and if there are any, they're ex-sacred cows," Copley told her staff.
A 1985 investigative story by Union reporter Jon Standefer put her pledge to a painful test. It included a series of disclosures about the Catholic diocese in San Diego – cases of favoritism, financial shenanigans and pedophilia involving priests.
Anger over the story ran so deep within the diocese that a council of priests considered asking the Vatican to excommunicate the devout Copley. The San Diego bishop, the Most Rev. Leo T. Maher, questioned her faith.
Rather than back off, Copley resigned from the University of San Diego board of directors although the Copley family had been a leading donor to the Catholic-led institution.
Despite stories such as these, there remained a widespread belief that Copley's papers treated some public figures with kid gloves, including big-name developers and San Diego Mayors Pete Wilson and Maureen O'Connor.
One glaring exception: Roger Hedgecock, the one-time politician who is now a talk-radio personality. In the 1980s, the Union and Hedgecock – then San Diego mayor – clashed repeatedly at a time when his personal and campaign finances were under intense scrutiny.
The conflict flared when the Union ran stories suggesting Hedgecock was engaged in financial wrongdoing. The reports were based on information provided by "sources close to the (county) grand jury."
Problem was, critical parts of the stories were wrong. Embarrassed editors had to run two front-page retractions. The incident gave Hedgecock further ammunition to rail against the newspaper.
Hedgecock later was sued by the state Fair Political Practices Commission in connection with contributions to his 1983 mayoral campaign. He was fined and pleaded guilty to one felony count, which was reduced to a misdemeanor, and then later expunged from his record.
The Union also racked up journalistic successes. It uncovered abuses within a local child welfare agency and reported on a sexual harassment scandal tied to the Navy, once the most sacred of sacred cows.
Meanwhile, the Tribune was gaining national recognition. In 1979, it won a Pulitzer Prize for its deadline coverage of a Pacific Southwest Airlines plane collision and crash in central San Diego that killed 144 people. In 1987, Tribune editorial writer Jonathan Freedman was awarded a Pulitzer for editorials backing immigration reform.
The paper positioned itself as a scrappier alternative to the often staid, downtown-centric Union. The Tribune was published in the afternoon, however, and by the 1980s afternoon papers across the country were dying.
Helen Copley decided in 1991 to merge her two biggest papers. The San Diego Union-Tribune debuted in February 1992, and its creation is perhaps her most tangible legacy.
A quiet, shy figure, Copley had a large, wood-paneled office on the top floor of the Union-Tribune building in Mission Valley. There she sat behind a neatly kept desk, surrounded by mementos – a model wooden ship, an old cigarette box inscribed "JSC," an 1832 painting depicting the Duke of Wellington reading a newspaper.
Helen Copley died in 2004. She was 81. Three years before his mother's death, David Copley, then 49, had been named publisher of the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. and chairman of Copley Press Inc. Like his mother, he didn't relish the public spotlight.
Such reticence, along with David Copley's passions for travel and the arts, led many outsiders to question his enthusiasm for the family business. But his friends say Copley, who declined to be interviewed for this story, was keenly interested in the paper and on leaving his own stamp.
The paper's editorial page remained the voice of the local business establishment but began to stray from its conservative roots. In 2006, it endorsed liberal icon Jerry Brown for state attorney general. Last fall, it opposed Proposition 8, the state ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriage.
Like others in his family, David Copley is an unflagging supporter of the arts. Some of the region's finest arts institutions include the family name – Copley Symphony Hall, Copley Building at the downtown site of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and others.
David Copley has bankrolled Broadway musicals and Christo art installations. Last year, he donated $6 million to UCLA to develop a center for costume design.
During Copley's tenure as publisher, the business model that sustained the Union-Tribune and other newspapers for decades began to unravel. Circulation and advertising slipped as readers and classified advertisers migrated to the Internet. Like other media Web sites, the Union-Tribune site does not yet generate nearly enough revenue to support a large newsroom operation.
The paper began to cut costs through employee layoffs, buyouts, benefits reductions and other measures. Nearly 200 employees were laid off last week, days after the sale was finalized.
Even as the newsroom shrank, Editor Karin Winner stepped up emphasis on watchdog journalism, partly in response to criticism that the paper had not been aggressive enough in covering a pension crisis at San Diego City Hall.
The company maintained a Copley News Service bureau in Washington, D.C., where reporter Marcus Stern uncovered the Randy "Duke" Cunningham bribery scandal. Cunningham, the Republican congressman from the San Diego area, quit his office in disgrace and now sits in federal prison, serving time for corruption. His wrongdoing was revealed in a series of articles by Stern and other Copley and Union-Tribune reporters.
In a different decade, Cunningham could have been the sort of establishment figure whose transgressions were ignored by the Copley media empire.
On the April day in 2006 when the Cunningham coverage won a Pulitzer Prize, David Copley made a rare visit to the paper's Mission Valley newsroom. Winner toasted the staff, champagne in hand.
She later described the moment as a highlight of her career, calling it "a validation of our commitment to objective journalism." Another milestone came last fall when the California Newspaper Publishers Association awarded the Union-Tribune first place for general excellence among California's largest newspapers.
For Winner, the Pulitzer award was also bittersweet.
At the same time the newsroom was hitting a professional peak, the traditional business model for newspapers faced serious threats.
Last year, Copley News Service in Washington, D.C., was closed, a casualty of cutbacks sweeping the industry. By that time, the other Copley newspapers across the country had been sold.
In July, Copley said he wanted to sell the Union-Tribune. Some of his closest friends and business associates expressed puzzlement, even a measure of surprise, but said they didn't press him with questions.
"I would only guess this was a very painful decision for him because I know he is very proud of the role his family played in American journalism," said Hugh Davies, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Last month, Copley was meeting with the newspaper editorial board when word came that editorial cartoonist Steve Breen had won a Pulitzer Prize.
The family business was in its final days, and it seemed David Copley was full of plans. Friends said he is remodeling Foxhill, the family estate in La Jolla. They said he plans to step up his involvement with the Museum of Contemporary Art.
A few days ago, just before the sale to Platinum Equity was sealed, the publisher's Mission Valley office was stripped of family belongings, including the cigarette box inscribed with James Copley's initials and a photo of Helen Copley in a red evening gown.
David Copley keeps them at the family's historical library in La Jolla, along with the gold watch passed down by Ira Copley.


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News Release
Prudential Securities, Inc. Ordered to Pay Regulators $600 Million to Resolve Fraud, Other Charges Relating to Improper Market Timing
Washington, D.C. — NASD, federal and state securities regulators and the Department of Justice today announced parallel settlements and a total of $600 million in monetary sanctions against Prudential Securities, Inc. (PSI) - now known as Prudential Equity Group - for misconduct relating to improper market timing. NASD's settlement with PSI resolves charges of fraudulent activities and supervisory deficiencies relating to mutual fund market timing and for recordkeeping violations.
PSI also entered into separate settlements with the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the New York Attorney General's Office, New York Stock Exchange Regulation, the New Jersey Bureau of Securities and the Massachusetts Securities Division to resolve charges relating to this misconduct.
PSI has been ordered to pay $270 million into a distribution fund administered by the SEC, which will be used to compensate the affected mutual funds and shareholders for losses sustained as a result of the improper market timing activity. The Department of Justice imposed an additional fine of $325 million, and the Massachusetts Securities Division imposed a separate $5 million civil penalty.
In its investigation, NASD found that from at least Jan.1, 2001, to July 1, 2003, certain of PSI's registered representatives engaged in deceptive activities in order to make improper market timing transactions in mutual funds on behalf of their clients. As a result, at least 1,600 customer accounts were collectively able to purchase and sell mutual fund shares worth more than $116 billion, earning those clients more than $162 million in net profits. Those market timing transactions also earned PSI nearly $50 million in gross commissions.
"The scale of the fraudulent market timing activity that was allowed to occur through this firm and that went unchecked by the firm's supervisory systems is unprecedented," said NASD Senior Executive Vice President Stephen Luparello. "The firm was aware that this activity was occurring and yet failed to take action to halt the conduct - except in its own proprietary mutual funds."
NASD found that the PSI brokers defrauded mutual funds and their shareholders by misrepresenting their own identities and the identities of their brokerage clients to engage in market timing after the mutual funds had placed blocks attempting to prohibit such trading. The brokers used multiple customer account numbers and representative numbers (also referred to as "FA numbers" at the firm) to evade the trading restrictions ("blocks") that certain mutual funds imposed on market timing transactions. For example, following the imposition of a block, the brokers placed the market timing trades in another account or, if an FA number had been restricted, the brokers placed trades using another FA number. PSI failed to prevent this activity.
NASD found that PSI received in excess of 1,000 letters and e-mails from more than 50 different mutual fund companies relating to the market timing activities of just five brokers in its Boston branch office. In numerous cases, PSI did not prevent subsequent trading that circumvented these blocks. In January 2003, based on the number of block letters it had received, PSI announced a market timing policy, two years after it had already stopped market timing in its proprietary mutual funds. The policy required PSI's brokers to adhere to the restrictions on the frequency of trading set forth in each mutual fund's disclosure documents. PSI, however, did not enforce that policy and the improper market timing continued.
In addition, NASD found that even though the firm had been aware since at least 1998 that several of its offices had brokers that primarily engaged in market timing transactions, PSI failed to have an adequate supervisory system and written supervisory procedures relating to market timing activities, mutual fund exchanges and detecting and preventing any late trading of mutual fund shares.
Late trading is the unlawful practice of placing mutual fund orders after the fund has calculated its daily net asset value (NAV) - typically at 4 p.m. EST - but receiving the price based upon that earlier, 4 p.m. calculation. Firms accepting mutual fund orders after the 4 p.m. NAV calculation are supposed to execute them at the following day's NAV. Firms executing mutual fund orders must establish and maintain supervisory systems and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent the occurrence of late trading.
NASD found that PSI, like other firms, processed mutual fund orders after the market close. PSI, however, lacked a reasonably designed supervisory system to ensure that only orders submitted by the customers before the market close received that day's NAV. Moreover, the volume of market timing business in the Boston branch office created significant risk of late trading. Nevertheless, certain PSI brokers , routinely failed to document the time the customer order was received. Therefore, PSI would not have been able to detect and prevent any unlawful late trading in mutual fund shares.
Finally, NASD found that PSI failed to maintain accurate books and records relating to mutual fund transactions.
In concluding this settlement, PSI neither admitted nor denied NASD's charges, but consented to the entry of NASD's findings.
Investors can obtain more information about, and the disciplinary record of, any NASD-registered broker or brokerage firm by using NASD's BrokerCheck. NASD makes BrokerCheck available at no charge to the public. In 2005, members of the public used this service to conduct more than 4.3 million searches for existing brokers or firms and requested more than 194,000 reports in cases where disclosable information existed on a broker or firm. Investors can link directly to BrokerCheck at www.nasdbrokercheck.com. Investors can also access this service by calling (800) 289-9999.
NASD is the leading private-sector provider of financial regulatory services, dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through effective and efficient regulation and complementary compliance and technology-based services. NASD touches virtually every aspect of the securities business - from registering and educating all industry participants, to examining securities firms, enforcing both NASD rules and the federal securities laws, and administering the largest dispute resolution forum for investors and registered firms. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.nasd.com.


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Organic food production cannot feed the world.
OPINIONS ABOUT the potential for organic food production vary widely. But Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug made it clear that organic food cannot not feed the world.
Ten years ago, Reason magazine asked Borlaug, "What do you think of organic farming? A lot of people claim it's better for human health and the environment."
Borlaug's response: "That's ridiculous. This shouldn't even be a debate. Even if you could use all the organic material that you have — the animal manures, the human waste, the plant residues — and get them back on the soil, you couldn't feed more than 4 billion people. In addition, if all agriculture were organic, you would have to increase cropland area dramatically, spreading out into marginal areas and cutting down millions of acres of forest."
(Source: Reason, April 2000 print edition; www.reason.com/news/show/27665)
The Corn Belt does not receive enough rain to support 300-bu. corn averages.
IF YOU want to raise 300-bu. corn, the crop will need about 33 in. of water for the growing season, available when the plants need it. Although average precipitation in many areas of the Midwest is at or above 33 in. a year, some of that water can't be used by the plant. It either moves below the root zone, into tile lines, or over the soil as runoff. And how much effective rainfall remains depends on many variables, including the soil, precipitation patterns and topography.
"Corn is relatively efficient in its use of water to produce dry matter, and it is not clear that breeding will be able to improve on this," says Emerson Nafziger, extension agronomist at the University of Illinois. "It takes about an inch of water to produce 9 bu. of grain. While we may be able to improve on that ratio slightly, the basic fact is that when you bring carbon dioxide into the leaf you lose water, and there's no way to get around that." — Mark Moore
Biotech traits have lowered pesticide use on corn and soybeans.
ADOPTION OF biotech crops in the U.S. has reduced the amount of pesticides sprayed by 357 million pounds from 1996 to 2007, relative to what might reasonably be expected if crops were all planted to conventional varieties, says Graham Brookes, agricultural economist with PG Economics. Studies indicate that average insecticide active ingredient use on corn fell between 87 and 89% during the period 1996 to 2008.
"Many of the farmers using biotech traits have experienced improvements in pest and weed control from using this technology relative to the conventional control methods previously used," Graham says. "If these farmers were to switch back to conventional control techniques, based on pesticides, it is likely that most would want to maintain the levels of pest/weed control delivered with use of the biotech traits, and therefore some would use higher levels of pesticides than they did in the pre-biotech days." — Mark Moore
Tractor engine power will reach a ceiling at 700 hp.
THE HIGHEST-HORSEPOWER, commercially available 4-wd tractor in the world is the Challenger MT900C, with gross engine horsepower ratings of up to 585 hp (630 peak hp) on the model MT975C.
So just how much bigger can tractors get?
Four-wheel-drive tractors are at or near the physical limits for both weight and size for trucking, according to Roger Hoy, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab, University of Nebraska. If tractors were to get larger, they might need to be shipped in pieces to be assembled on site or could warrant the need for escort vehicles, greatly increasing shipping costs. As a result, Hoy says, power growth will more likely come from more efficient engines and other components in comparable-size tractors.
Jason Hoult, AGCO, agrees and predicts 700 peak hp will be a ceiling on horsepower for tractors. "Beyond that we get into road and bridge limitations," he says. — Jodie Wehrspann
Tractor exhaust
will be cleaner than air by 2014.
THE EPA is requiring yet another drastic cut of harmful emissions from diesel engine exhaust. Current requirements, called Tier 4, call for a 90% reduction in particulate matter and a 45% reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 2011. A further 80% reduction in NOx over those levels is required by 2014 for 175- to 750-hp tractors.
"Engines will be putting out cleaner air than what they will be bringing in," says Steve Meinzen, John Deere. — Jodie Wehrspann
Raising corn is more of a gamble than playing blackjack.
AVERAGE BLACKJACK players should expect to lose about 20% of what they wager when they sit down to play at a casino table, according to online blogs. But corn growers face an even greater gamble with the weather. Weather alone accounts for a 70-plus-bu. variation in yield on Illinois cornfields, according to Fred Below, University of Illinois. Those odds would make most gamblers walk away from Vegas. — Karen McMahon
The Amazon rainforest is not being cut down for soybean production.
A BRAZILIAN representative speaking at the 2008 Agrievolution, an international conference on farm equipment held in Rome, Italy, wanted to clear the record. The Amazon rainforest is not being cut down to grow crops such as soybeans and sugarcane. Carlos Correa Carvalho, vice president of the Brazilian Association of Agrobusiness, stated that the lands supporting these and other crops are located in the southern part of Brazil, far away from the Amazon region, which is in northern Brazil. — Karen McMahon
Nearly all Midwest farmers have access to high-accuracy guidance networks.
VIRTUALLY ALL farmers in the Midwest now have access to networks that can be tapped for high-accuracy guidance on machinery. The universal access comes from real-time kinematic (RTK) correction networks operated by state departments of transportation (DOTs), as well as Trimble and Leica.
Until the advent of these multipurpose systems — generally referred to by the acronym CORS, which stands for Continuously Operating Reference Station — access to RTK correction signals depended on whether a farming operation fell within the boundaries of a dedicated ag RTK network. These radio-based networks often are operated by farm machinery dealerships and typically serve guidance systems from specific brands, including AutoFarm, John Deere and Trimble. Setting up your own RTK base station system was a pricier alternative.
"The reality is that CORS RTK makes RTK accessible to an exponentially larger group of farmers than radio-based delivery across the Midwest," says Matt Darr, Iowa State University. "These networks provide access as never seen before in U.S. agriculture."
Dedicated ag RTK networks will coexist with CORS networks, Darr predicts. The radio-based ag networks will have an advantage in areas with poor cellular coverage, because the CORS networks deliver correction signals via the Internet using cellular networks, he explains.
Statewide DOT CORS networks currently are available in Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri. In Wisconsin, a CORS system will blanket the state by 2011. Privately owned networks cover eastern Nebraska (co-owned by Leica) and southern Illinois and east-central Iowa (operated by Trimble under its VRS Now brand). — David Hest
For more details on CORS and dealer-based RTK networks, visit farmindustrynews.com/farm-equipment/precision-farming/farming_walltowall_corn_belt/index.html. — David Hest
More GPS brownouts are ahead.
GPS BROWNOUTS could become more frequent in the decade ahead. Why? Delays in developing replacements for the 30 or so aging GPS satellites currently in orbit are cited as the reason, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued in April last year.
Currently, brownouts occur for an hour or two at a time many times a year, depending on the location. Most farmers don't notice them, because they occur outside the peak GPS usage window, notes Matt Darr, Iowa State University.
By some estimates, almost half of current GPS satellites are at or approaching the point where the failure of a single critical system could take it out of commission.
If the number of GPS satellites drops below 24, guidance from lightbars and autosteering systems will be affected. This is particularly the case when farming in areas with trees or other obstructions that limit satellite visibility.
"You have to have a minimum of four satellites to generate a GPS position for use with any precision ag product," Darr says.
This problem is minimized with the latest dual-frequency navigation systems, which can access the Russian GLONASS satellite system in addition to GPS, Darr says. — David Hest
Corn borer populations are rapidly shrinking in the Midwest.
CORN BORER populations in the Midwest are very low, according to Michael Gray, extension entomologist, University of Illinois. He credits this to the high use of Bt corn hybrids. However, he doesn't expect the corn pests to become extinct.
"The European corn borer has a wide range of hosts on which to feed," Gray says. "The corn rootworm has a narrower range of hosts, but those hosts include other grasses such as foxtail. So I expect these pests to remain in the landscape, only at lower levels. But they won't become extinct." — Mark Moore
Integrated pest management (IPM) isn't dead but evolving.
THE OLD IPM mantra was treat only what needs to be treated with chemicals and/or seed. But today's IPM practices have changed because seed now contains most of the ingredients to manage pest problems.
University of Illinois entomologist Michael Gray agrees that IPM is shifting to a new paradigm. "Increasingly we are integrating an assortment of genes into corn plants. Some of these genes express insecticidal proteins, and that may be the trademark of IPM in commercial corn in the future," he says.
Pest management has also shifted into an insurance policy of sorts. "Producers can plant seed with broad protection against a variety of pests. They can spray glyphosate or glufosinate to control weeds, walk away and spend far less time scouting fields and using economic thresholds," Gray says. "It certainly lessens the worry if pest thresholds reach a level in which they cause economic damage."
Although some producers may consider shifting to non-Bt hybrids, they must account for the added time needs. "If you don't want to use Bt hybrids, you must invest more time, energy and effort to ensure you don't get a flare-up and pests reach an economic threshold," Gray says. — Mark Moore
Glyphosate is applied too late.
THE BEST time to apply glyphosate to control early season weeds is when weeds are only 4 in. tall. Unfortunately, many producers wait too long to spray and end up losing important crop yield.
"If any weed population is present, it is critical to remove them when they reach 4 in. of height. For corn, that syncs well with the V4 growth stage," says Jeff Gunsolus, extension weed science specialist at the University of Minnesota.
After that time, weeds can grow rapidly — as much as 1 in./day. "So in the course of a week, weeds can be up to 12 in. tall, and they are already starting to use quite a bit of nitrogen. In that time period, weeds can use 30 to 60 lbs. of nitrogen per acre that is not available to the corn plant," Gunsolus adds.
Studies indicate that, after weeds reach 4 in. and are not controlled, corn yield drops about 3 bu./acre/day. "There is some potential to bring those nitrogen levels back up through sidedressing, but it is often not cost-effective," Gunsolus says. "It's best to protect the nitrogen that is out there by controlling the weeds." He recommends using a preemergent weed-control program with glyphosate. — Mark Moore
Adding autoswath control to a sprayer saves 5 to 17% in applied product.
RESEARCH AT Iowa State University shows that precise spraying of crop protection products through autoguidance on a sprayer saves product by eliminating overlap.
How much is saved is "dependent on field size and shape as well as the original configuration of the machinery," explains Matt Darr, a precision ag specialist at Iowa State University.
Autoswath plus autosteer on sprayers is justified if you spray 1,800 acres/year assuming a five-year equipment life, Darr says. "This typically relates to 900 farmed acres per year since most acres are sprayed twice," he adds. — Jodie Wehrspann
Assisted steering systems are no-brainers for return on investment.
THE LOWER end of assisted steering, the lightbar, pays back its cost with use on just 300 acres/year for five years, according to research by Matt Darr, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University.
The payback comes quickly from reduced time and operating expense of the equipment as well as reduced overlap of chemicals. "The payback period is based on a high-end, $3,000 lightbar, so the 300 acres is a very conservative number," Darr says.
Universal autoguidance has a payback of 400 to 500 acres/year for five years, and integrated autosteering requires 900 acres. — Jodie Wehrspann
It takes less fossil energy to produce ethanol than it takes to produce gasoline.
THE AMOUNT of fossil energy needed to produce a gallon of ethanol is lower than the fossil energy needed to produce gasoline. But the total amount of energy, including solar, needed to produce a gallon of ethanol is greater than that needed to produce a gallon of gasoline.
A portion of total energy in the ethanol cycle is solar energy that ends up in corn, according to the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model developed by Michael Wang, Argonne National Laboratory. Because this energy is free, renewable and environmentally benign, it should not be taken into account when calculating energy balance, states the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The fossil energy input (which is not free) per unit of ethanol is .78 million Btu of fossil energy consumed for each 1 million Btu of ethanol delivered. Meanwhile, it takes 1.23 million Btu of fossil energy to produce 1 million Btu of gasoline delivered. — Lynn Grooms
Ethanol does not take food away from people in developing countries.
WHEN CORN prices soared in the summer of 2008, a lot of people blamed ethanol. They also said it was taking away food from people in developing countries. But a Texas A & M study on food, fuel and feed reported that the chief culprit was $100-plus-per-barrel oil, as diesel and gasoline prices climbed to record highs. This resulted in increased transportation costs. High petroleum prices also added to the cost of food processing, marketing and retailing.
As far as food for developing countries is concerned, it's helpful to consider the basics of a kernel of corn. Only a corn kernel's protein and fat are used to produce feed products. The ethanol production process removes only the starch from corn. A large portion of corn's digestible energy is preserved in distillers grain, which is used in livestock and poultry feed. — Lynn Grooms
Ethanol is not a water hog.
"THERE'S TOO much attention on water usage by ethanol plants," says Sangwon Suh, Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota.
As production technology has advanced and ethanol plants have improved water recycling efforts, it takes an average of less than 4 gal. of water to produce 1 gal. of ethanol. This is down from about 10 gal. of water/1 gal. of ethanol produced a decade ago. Depending on where conventional oil is sourced and the type of recovery method used, it can take from 3 to 5 gal. of water to produce 1 gal. of gasoline. Each gallon of gasoline recovered from oil sands can consume up to 8 gal. of water. — Lynn Grooms
The water issue takes on greater significance in areas where crops are irrigated. Suh calculates that when both ethanol process water and irrigation are taken into account, it takes 142 gal. of water to produce 1 gal. of ethanol. A study conducted by Suh and colleagues at the University of Minnesota highlights the need to promote ethanol development in states with lower irrigation rates. The study, "Water Embodied in Bioethanol in the United States," was published in the March 10 issue of Environmental Science & Technology (pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es8031067).
Because irrigation may be used on crops destined for feed grain or other products, it is impossible to assign the precise amount of water consumed only to ethanol. Improved irrigation water management is critical in areas where water is scarce. — Lynn Grooms
Livestock farmers are losing control of their animals.
THIS MAY be the century of legislated animal care for U.S. livestock producers. Several states have passed ballot initiatives over the last eight years specifically targeting animal housing. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed HB 5127 into law in 2009 giving certain farm animals more flexibility in housing and thus helping to avoid a threatened ballot initiative by the Humane Society of the United States. This was considered a victory of sorts for livestock producers because they thought a ballot initiative would result in potentially more damaging regulation to the livestock industry.
In effect, the Michigan law phases out veal crates for calves within three years, and battery cages for laying hens and certain uses of gestation crates for breeding sows within 10 years of the law's passage. California voters passed Proposition 2 by a 63 to 37% margin in 2008 requiring that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant sows be confined only in ways that allow the animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely for the majority of the day. Similar measures have been passed in Florida, Arizona, Oregon and Colorado.
Once animal agriculture starts down the path of legislated animal welfare regulations, the animal activist agenda will gather speed because the groups have money and momentum. If this trend continues, voters and consumers who probably have never been in the barn may be telling farmers more about what they can and cannot do with their own animals. — Lora Berg
Beef packs more nutrients into one 3-oz. serving than chicken does.
BEEF IS a compact package of nutrients that many dieters forget about in their zeal to consume chicken. But the fact is that a chicken breast contains only 1 less gram of saturated fat than a lean cut of beef. Plus, the beef has more zinc, iron and protein contained in a 3-oz. serving than the chicken. The government has identified 29 leans cuts of beef, all with less than 10 grams of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat. — Karen McMahon
Small farms are not necessarily the most environmentally friendly option.
ROGER CADY, Elanco Animal Health, points out that the most sustainable system is not always the smallest. It is necessary to maintain the right perspective when evaluating which type of livestock production system can feed a hungry world with the least impact on the environment.
Speaking recently at the University of Minnesota, Cady asked the audience which vehicle would be the most environmentally friendly: a Toyota Prius, or a city bus. While the majority of audience members raised their hands to vote for the Prius, Cady proceeded to demonstrate that the Prius can haul only a small number of people to their destination, while a bus carries so many more people that it actually saves more fuel. Small is not necessarily more efficient when the focus is on moving the most people for the least amount of fuel.
He then transferred the concept to agriculture. "It is essential to assess the impact, or carbon footprint, per unit of output rather than per unit of the production process," he explains. "We've got to feed the people." — Lora Berg


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8" (203mm) Temperature & Humidity Chart Recorder
This product has been replaced by the TH8P5
The TH805 has the features to direct your attention to out-of-range condition with both audio/visual alarms, a large digital display of current or min/max conditions, remote probe and relay contacts. This is our most versatile, high resolution temperature and humidity chart recorder.
- Remote Probe
- Digital Display
- Audio/Visual Alarms
- Relay Contacts
- 8" Chart (203mm)
- User selectable recording times and temperature ranges
Download Images: Print Quality | Hi-Res
Important Information
Charts are sold separately.
Support Information
Dickson Expert Services
Our Dickson Data Division has specially trained representatives to address the needs of customers with large installations or unique demands. Please call 888-452-4626.
- Alarm Type Audio/Visual on High/Low Limits
- Ambient Operating RH Conditions 0-95% RH non-condensing
- Ambient Operating Temperature Conditions 32.0 to 120.0F (0.0 to 50.0C)
- Approvals CE
- Battery Backup Four AA Batteries. Powers unit for up to 3 Days.
- Battery Life (Avg) 76 Hours (Back-up Only)
- Calibration Options N100, N300, N400
- Channels CH1: Temperature, CH2: Humidity
- Chart Rotation Speed 24 Hour, 7 Day or 31 Day
- Dew Point Accuracy +/-3.6F from 30.0 to 95.0% RH (Calculated) (+/-2.0C from 30.0 to 95.0% RH (Calculated))
- Dew Point Range 32.0 to 122.0F (0.0 to 50.0C)
- Dimensions 3.1 x 9.2 x 9.2in
- Display Dimensions Height 1.375
- Display Dimensions Width 2.0
- Display Resolution 0.1
- Display Type LCD
- Enclosure Rugged Black ABS Case, Polycarbonate Door, Aluminum Dial
- Humidity Accuracy +/-2.0% RH from 0.0 to 60.0%; +/-3.0% RH from 60.0 to 95.0%
- Humidity Range 0-95% RH non-condensing
- IP Rating 20
- Included Accessories AC Adapter, Red and Blue Pen, Four AA Batteries, Quick Start Guide and Probe. *Charts sold separately.
- Keypad Functions Power On/Off, Pen Home, Alarm
- Mounting Options Free Standing or Wall Mount (With Keyhole)
- Note on Relay Type Relay does not function while unit is running on only battery power.
- Power Cord 6 ft
- Power Source 120 to 240 VAC, 12 VDC (INTL fittings available); AC Adapter
- Power Status Indicator LED Indicator
- Relay Connection Spade Lugs, Male 0.25. One Relay per Channel.
- Relay Type SPST, 24 VDC, 0.5 A, N/O
- Remote Probe Dimensions Houses thermistor and RH sensor in polycarbonate plastic; 1.5" x 0.5" (1.25cm x 4.5cm)
- Remote Sensor Length 10 ft
- Remote Sensor Type Digital Temperature Sensor
- Response Time 5 Minutes to 63% of Full Scale
- Temperature Accuracy +/-1.8F from 32.0 to 120.0F (+/-1.0C from 0.0 to 50.0C)
- Temperature Range -20.0 to 120.0F (-20.0 to 50.0C); 0.0 to 185.0F; 40.0 to 110.0F (5.0 to 40.0C)
- Temperature Sensor Remote Probe
- Unit Weight 9 lbs
- Units/Pkg 1
- Warranty 12-Month Limited
Why should I calibrate?
All instruments lose accuracy over time due to normal usage and the environmental conditions to which they are exposed.
How often should I calibrate?
For most applications, the recommended calibration interval is every twelve months.
What is NIST Calibration?
NIST stands for the National Institute for Standards and Technology. This organization is responsible for maintaining the master for different measurements, such as the standard "foot", standard, "second", or standard "pound". NIST also maintains the standard for temperature, humidity and pressure.
NIST Traceable means that the measuring standard can be traced directly back to the master standard maintained by the NIST organization.
NIST-Traceable does not tell you the measurement accuracy of a metrologty service in any detail. Only metrology services that can document their ISO 17025 standard provided data on their best measurement uncertainty.
Probe Dust Filter - prolong the life of your instrument.
AC Adapter
Set of Three International Power Plugs for AC Adapter
Remote Monitoring Unit - calls 4 numbers
|8" (203mm) Chart 24-Hour, -20 to 120 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 7-Day, -20 to 120 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 7-Day, 0 to 200 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 24-Hour, 0 to 200 or 0 to 185 PSI/F
|8" (203mm) Chart 24-Hour, -20 to 50 C
|8" (203mm) Chart 7-Day, -20 to 50 C
|8" (203mm) Chart 24-Hour, 40 to 110 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 7-Day, 40 to 110 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 24-Hour, 5 to 40 C
|8" (203mm) Chart 7-Day, 5 to 40 C
|8" (203mm) Chart 31-Day, -20 to 120 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 31-Day, 40 to 110 F
|8" (203mm) Chart 31-Day, -20 to 50 C
|8" (203mm) Chart 31-Day, 5 to 40 C
|3 Red, 3 Blue Pens
Frequently Asked Questions
- Hysteresis is a naturally occurring mechanical discrepancy up to 2% of range
- Check to see that the proper chart is installed
- Probe should be dried out under normal ambient conditions – time required varies on temperature, RH and air flow
- Alarm sounds audibly if out of range conditions occur, then indicator will flash until alarm key is pressed and alarm is reset (press alarm button)
- Check the the AC adapter
- If your chart does not have an Rh line it uses the same scale as the temperature.
Pen adjust may be needed if the pen(s) and display do not match. Before proceeding check your calibration date, the unit may be due for a recalibration, if so contact Dickson.
While the unit is on, press and hold both the Pen Home button and the On/Off button (making sure to press the Pen Home button first so the unit will not turn off). The led will blink rapidly between amber and green for about five seconds, the LED will then turn green, release the Pen Home and On/Off buttons. The led will flash amber and green for one second and the led will turn off.
One pen model: The red pen will move to the outer edge of the chart and is ready to be adjusted. Use the Adjust-Up and Adjust-Down buttons to move the pen to the maximum temperature line on the chart. Once the pen is set, the Pen Home button will move the pen to reaffirm the new pen position. Press the On/Off button to exit pen home adjust.
Two pen models: Both pens will move to the outer edge of the chart, and then the shorter red pen will move to the current position. Use the Adjust-Up and Adjust-Down buttons to move the pen to the maximum temperature line on the chart. Once the shorter red pen is set, the Pen Home button will move the shorter red pen to the outer edge of the chart and the longer blue pen will move to its current position. The Adjust-Up and Adjust-Down buttons will adjust the longer blue pen position. Once the pen is set, the Pen Home button will move the longer blue pen to the outer edge of the chart and the shorter red pen will move to its new position. Each time pen home is pressed the two pens will switch positions (moving the most recently adjusted position) until the On/Off button is pressed to exit pen adjust mode.
Note: Pressing the On/Off button will exit the adjustment and return the unit to normal operation. Each time the pen home or On/Off button is pressed, the adjustment currently in progress will be stored. The unit will take one minute to exit Pen Adjust Mode once the On/Off button is pressed.
1. Alarm on or off
2. Pen 1 alarm min
3. Pen 1 alarm max
(if it is a two pen unit the following states also exist)
4. Pen 2 alarm min
5. Pen 2 alarm max
To set the alarm, make sure unit is on and press and hold the Alarm button. The LED will blink red rapidly for about five seconds, and then the led will go solid green. Release the Alarm button and the led will turn red. At this point the display will show the following: ON with a delta symbol, or OFF without a delta
Pressing either the Adjust-Up or Adjust-Down buttons, located on the back of the unit next to the dip switch, will toggle the alarm on/off.
Pressing Pen Home will scroll to the next alarm option. The options are as follows:
In order to set pen alarm minimums and maximums, pressing the Adjust-Up will increase the alarm value, and pressing the Adjust-Down will decrease the alarm value. There is acceleration if the Adjust-Up button is held down. Repetitively pressing the pen home button will scroll through the five options until the alarm button is pressed to exit from alarm adjust. Each press of the Pen Home or Alarm button will store the new settings. The unit will take one minute to exit Alarm Set Mode once the Alarm button is pressed.
If the alarm is triggered, ALRN will show on the display, the led will show as solid red and the alarm will sound. Press the Alarm button to silence Audible Alarm.
- Try slower, firmer key presses.
- Maybe the unit is locked up. If the chart recorder is locked up there will be no response to button presses, however, the unit may appear to be working, but the readings won't change and the chart will not rotate. To correct this, remove ac and battery power then re-power.
- Use the "on/off" and "adjust up" buttons if the "on/off" and "adjust down" buttons don't work.


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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
BHLDN Comes to Chicago
Today Anthropologie's sophisticated, wedding-savvy sister BHLDN (pronounced Beholden) opens the doors of its second storefront here in Chicago. My Everygirl partner-in-crime, Danielle, and I attended the opening party last night. We floated around the rooms, sipping champagne, pointing out the beautiful items, and chit-chatting with friends. Just like the Anthropologie stores, no detail was overlooked in designing the space. The architecture, the furniture, the paint colors - everything flawlessly fit into the whimsical yet elegant look for which BHLDN is known.
The highlight of the evening was getting to meet one of my idols, Darcy Miller, editor of Martha Stewart Weddings. Talk about inspiring talent. After explaining to her about the launch of The Everygirl, she relayed the story of how she started her own business in college but her parents made her get a "real job" for a year before once again starting off on her own. Fast-forward however many years later, and now she's Martha's #2.
All in all, it was a great night and I cannot wait to get back to the store to try on the various baubles, dresses, and shoes I fell in love with. Although, fashion aside, the number one items on my BHLDN wishlist are the pink and jadeite cake stands. The colors and shape are just too perfect. How could any stylist not want them in their life on a more permanent basis?
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
20 comments:
Oh I am so happy about this post!! I have been looking for to the opening and hopefully popping by today after work :) And how awesome to have meet Darcy Miller!!!!!! You two look so cute. Happy Valentine's Day!ReplyDelete
Looks like an awesome night! I'm addicted to their site now that I'm wedding planning, wish I could see everything in person in the store!ReplyDelete
It looks absolutely stunning. It sounds like you guys had an awe-inspiring night!Happy Valentine's Day! xxReplyDelete
Everything looks so vintage and sparkly and gorgeous! I love how Anthro pays attention to all the little details in their spaces, as you mentioned. So perfect for V-day!ReplyDelete
Looks gorgeous! Makes me want to get married all over again...ReplyDelete
As is to be expected of Anthro, the store and all the details are beautiful, romantic, and so well thought out! Can't wait to visit a BHLDN!ReplyDelete
Someone will be your #2 before long. Mark my words! ;)ReplyDelete
Sooo pretty! I am dying for a BHLDN to come to SF. You should for sure get one of the jadeite cake stands. They could become another one of your styling hallmarks! :)ReplyDelete
oo these are so pretty!ReplyDelete
So pretty! And exciting! Happy V day!ReplyDelete
Looks gorgeous! I can't figure out if I'm bummed or glad that they weren't around when I was getting married. I think I'd want everything!ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful event. I like the lace embroidery, not my style in general, but this is lovely. And you look so naturally chic, great!Happy Valentine's Day!ReplyDelete
My friend just got engaged and I've been trying to talk her into a BHLDN dress! So beautiful!ReplyDelete
That looks like so much fun! It makes me want to get married all over again. :)ReplyDelete
Hey A!ReplyDelete
I have a link to a (cheap) place to get Jadeite cake stands that I'll snag up for you, I think it's buried in a Pinterest board.
brb. xo
I've also got a bunch pinned. Roadtrip?!
I've been seriously stalking the BHLDN site {didn't know there was a pronunciation to that!} and am so jealous that your city gets a storefront!ReplyDelete
Wow-the attention to detail is impeccable. And those fitting rooms...just breathtaking. I think you may just have to get the cake stand. Can I have that cake though?ReplyDelete
Great shots! I wish BHLDN was around when I got married...swoon.ReplyDelete
I probably saw both of you there...it was quite crowded. But I am in agreement - so exciting about the opening and meeting Darcy was amazing!!ReplyDelete


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text:
Halloween cupcakes in previous years have included witch Halloween cupcakes and scary Halloween cupcakes with googly eyes. I've even made Halloween cupcakes with garlic to scare off vampires! This year, I opted to make ghost Halloween cupcakes!
I've seen many ghost cupcakes made with fondant (and they are totally impressive), but I wanted to make ghost cupcakes with something that I love to eat – crepes! Take any cupcakes (I used my apple cobbler cupcakes with pumpkin pie frosting), drape them in mini crepes, use chocolate chips for eyes, and you've got ghost Halloween cupcakes ideal for a Halloween breakfast or a late night snack.
I love how the ghost in the front of this shot looks like he/she is about go haunting.
Here's the whole ghost family photo.
I used the crepe recipe from my pumpkin pie crepe post and I made the crepe in a 6 1/2″ skillet.
Happy Haunting!
If you're on Google Plus, I'd love it if you give this post a plus. Thanks! :)


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Halloween is a great time to have fun! Call us for your parties all year long!
Deliciously unique and fun party entertainment in Utah! Book our face painting, balloon art, airbrush, caricature art, and temporary glitter tattoos! We are Event Planning at its best....
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Thursday, October 29, 2015
Face Painting Illusions -Transformer
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BOSTON, Mass. – The MIT women's track and field team was back in action at Boston University for the second time in three weeks and the Engineers were once again up to the challenge of competing with some of the top athletes in New England, including a number of Division I competitors. Tech achieved seven different NCAA-level performances while narrowly missing a few more, in its final weekend of competition before the Division III New England Championship.
Perhaps the most impressive showing came from the 4x400 meter relay squad of Jamie Simmons, Hazel Briner, Martha Gross and Portia Jones. That group, which already holds the MIT record in the event, placed in fifth place with a time that was only slower than a couple of Division I and II teams. Finishing in 3:52.35, MIT automatically qualified for next month's NCAA Division III Championship.
Karin Fisher continued to pile up outstanding efforts in the pole vault as the senior has won the event in four of the five meets she has competed in this year. Fisher (12-5.50 feet) and teammate Briner (11-11.75) finished one-two in the event, as each reached the NCAA provisional standard in the process. Lauren Kuntz tied for fourth with a vault of 10-11.75 feet.
Jones, Simmons and Gross also took part in the 400 meters and posted times nearly as strong as their relay splits. Jones finished sixth overall and tops among Division III runners with an NCAA provisional time of 56.80 seconds, just 0.05 seconds off the automatic standard. Simmons also had a provisional qualifier with her time of 58.53 seconds, good for 22nd overall. Gross completed the two-lap race in 1:01.26 and freshman Megan Bumgarner was just behind in 1:01.45.
Other NCAA qualifying marks came from Amy Magnuson in the 60-meter hurdles (9.20 seconds) and Louise van den Heuvel, who continues to improve quickly in the mile with a personal best time at 5:03.98.
Jacqueline Brew posted a personal best and the second-fastest time in Institute history at 200 meters (26.10 seconds) while Olivia Papa also set an individual record in the 800 (2:20.37).
Other Tech athletes will compete on Saturday at MIT's second Coed Invitational. The entire team will then return to the Shobrys and Aronson track for the NCAA Division III New England Championship in one week.


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|Daisy at Burning Man
The Circle City Bicycles blog contains info on bicycles, cycling events, pro racing, bicycle touring, and just about anything else cycling related. Since our bike shop is located in Indianapolis, we focus on biking in the Midwest, but cycling fans anywhere in the world should find this blog interesting. We try to post daily Monday through Friday, but we occasionally miss a day. Each Friday we try to have an interesting bicycle related photo.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Thursday Video - Daisy the Solar Powered Tricycle
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|22 rue de Naples
After my flying the Detroit Shuttle yesterday, I decided to stop downtown to catch the movie Eat Pray Love. No I have not read the book yet. I know most people read the book and then see the movie. Well I am different. I am seeing the movie first then I will read the book.
I connected with Julia Roberts character Liz on so many levels.
My first connection was with the box. Her box of dreams, Liz collected photos and articles of all the places she wanted to visit.
I started creating my box of dreams after my sophomore year of high school. My sister and I were unable to go to Paris for spring break with Madame Susan Tartare's French class from Luther South. This was my defining moment to start collecting everything I could about Paris. I began collecting the Chicago Tribune and Suntimes Travel Section. I read travel articles about Paris. I watched the airfares and followed the currency (french franc). Each time that Madame Susan Tartare show our french class about a film about Paris or France, I visualized myself there. This created a burning desire so deep inside of me. I focused on my dream for the seven years during high school and college.
The second connection I had with Liz was her description of feeling dead, no pulse. The experience of travel definitely brings one alive. That is the reason for me being a flight attendant. I feel alive when I view the beauty of earth from above. I feel alive when I interact with people of other cultures. I feel alive when I hear the languages of other tongues. Something resonates within my soul. I come alive. I feel the emotions of the languages spiritually connecting within me.
My third connection with Liz was that she was a woman traveling solo. I left my home two days after I graduated from Mundelein College to fly to Paris. I left solo. I did not know anyone in Paris. The only thing I knew was where I would be living for the next year. I had no friends, no job, nothing but my dreams. I chose to live at L'UNCF which is similar to a YWCA.
if you dream of traveling and desire to make your dream come true then attend the Sept. 14th "Meet Plan Go" conference about making travel dreams a reality visit http://MeetPlanGo.com/ .
Please enjoy the photos from my return to Paris in October 2009.
|The street where I lived as a student in Paris.
|Naples Residence
|Christian Union of Young Women
|Shop near the residence
|Bakery where I shopped as a student.
|Mother hooding french bakery bread
|Butcher Shop near Naples Residence
|Mother and son shopping at the Butcher
|Courcelles Blvd.
|Signs pointing to the St Lazare Train Station
|Metro Sign
|Woman going into the Metro
|Villiers Metro Sign near Naples Residence
|Monceau Hotel near Naples Residence


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Our 15 chef-testants enter the "Top Chef" kitchen. Micah admits to giving everyone the "waterfall look" which he demonstrates skillfully. RuPaul would be proud. Padma enters and behind her three familiar faces skulk in. What madness is this? Past contestants already?
Josie (Season 2), CJ (Season 3) and Stefan (Season 5) are introduced. My stomach turns when I see Stefan's face. Chrissy reminds me why: "From what I remember, he has an accent, he looks like a thumb and he's an evil villain."
The three vets (none of whom won, by the way) will be judging the Quickfire Challenge. Padma asks the gang to grab colored aprons, dividing up into teams of three. Since no one really knows each other at this point they mostly just grab whoever is nearest, not concerned with the pairings. With the exception of John, who purposefully selects Kuniko's team, because she's Japanese, so she must have excellent knife skills. I'm honestly not sure if that's a compliment, a safe assumption or kinda racist.
The challenge? Twenty minutes to make a dish that highlights one of the local shellfish swimming/scurrying about in tanks, ice and/or muddy sand pits. While Padma is explaining the way the challenge will work, John Tesar begins whispering to his teammates about who will do what. Padma spies him speaking in class and barks, "Excuse me! I'm not finished. Can you listen up?" And instantly, all across America, thousands of schoolmarm fantasies are realized. In 10 seasons, I have never heard Ms. Lakshmi raise her voice like that.
In interviews, John continually refers to himself as Most Hated Chef in Dallas, which is a quote from a magazine article that was published in August 2011. He is clearly clinging to that title. He admits in his interview that he's "seen every single episode of 'Top Chef'." I think he knows that the arrogant prick usually gets kept around a long time to ensure good TV. This guy is playing the producers.
The Quickfire goes to Blue Team (John, Kuniku and Sheldon) for their geoduck sashimi with ponzu, apple and cucumber. They draw knives to see who gets immunity, and it goes to John. I am utterly positive this was not random — not to get all conspiracy theory here, but the producers surely placed the chefs in the room a certain way and brought the knives in after the fact. It just seems too perfect that the smarmiest guy is immediately rewarded like that.
Here's the shock the episode's title promised: Padma announces that the three "Top Chef" veterans will be joining the others as contestants. The three former judges all smirk delightedly. Tyler Wiard, who has established himself as a bit of a bohunk jock ("Go Broncos!") responds right on point with a resounding, "Bulls--t. No way," like he'd just seen a bad pass interference call. Joshua also mutters several bleeped out words under his breath. Only Micah seems to rise to the challenge, hissing, "I would love to whip their ass."
Stefan: "Listen, I have nothing to prove. I drive a f---ing GT3 Porsche and I have eight restaurants." Well Stefan, you certainly don't have to prove that you are a tremendous douchebag.
For the elimination challenge, the chefs will stay in their current teams, and our new/old chefs will work as a team together. Dream Team? We shall see.
Each team will have 47 minutes to create one dish for the judges and guest judge, Seattle Chef Tom Douglas. They will be cooking in the Sky City Restaurant at the Top of the Seattle Space Needle, which rotates every 47 minutes. Get it?
Team Orange has four team members: Crissy, Elizabeth, Carla and Carla's incredibly jarring and ear-splitting voice. Imagine an Italian Sofia Vergara barking out word salad like a drunken sorority girl teaching an aerobics class. It's that annoying. (Side note: she is also making Facebook Fish Face in her head shot on the Top Chef website. Blargh.)
The chefs move into their posh digs. Cigarettes are lit, wine is poured and everyone's personal life gets thrown out on the table. Jeffrey Jew explains he's engaged, and quickly corrects someone's pronoun ("What kind of ring does she wear?" "He."). Great, you're even cuter now.
Josie (Season 2) says she's back because she wants to win. She advises her co-contestants to remember that whatever they did yesterday has no bearing on what they'll do tomorrow. That's a motto for life, Josie. A motto for life.
The next day, our first two teams start their dishes in the Space Needle kitchen. Interestingly, the other teams are crammed into the corner, watching the prep. I don't recall this happening often, if ever — when the chefs next in line to cook get to watch the first ones go. As they're watching, the veterans team decides to switch their dish from fish to quail since all the other teams are preparing fish (they just happened to bring quail, too?). Having all teams present probably makes the whole place seem more cramped and brings out some more color commentary as the cooking chefs are too busy to talk. It's also good because Carla starts to go completely non compos mentis, in front of everyone.
John, Kuniku and Sheldon serve the judges a chili oil poached cod with dashi and spot prawn shabu shabu. The judges are unanimously pleased with the dish. Gayle chimes in, "The first thing I put in my mouth in Seattle? Not bad. That came out wrong."
Chrissy, Carla and Elizabeth prepare a poached salmon with seasonal vegetables and beurre blanc. I hope it's fantastic, because it looks like really bad wedding food. Luckily, the team prepared its dish flawlessly and Tom seems surprised at how much he enjoys it.
Our next two teams race to get started. On the Vets team, CJ's cherry sauce is a flop (at least he recognizes it immediately) and Josie works quickly to come up with a substitute with the four remaining cherries in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Brooke is worried Jeffrey overcooked the halibut. Foreboding musical overtones indicate she's probably right.
Bart, Brooke and Jeffrey offer up the pan-roasted halibut, mushrooms, English peas and wheat beer with herb sabayon. Padma picks at her halibut and declares it's a hockey puck.
Josie, Stefan and CJ serve a quail breast with confit spot prawn, cherries and porcini mushroom. Emeril and Tom both feel it's overcooked, Tom Douglas thinks they're being harsh and enjoyed the dish.
Finally, the last two teams are up for service. Josh, Eliza and Danyele had grabbed their fish in the kitchen not knowing what it is as it had no face on it (ask Carla, she's good at Fish Face). It's pretty impressive that they are going into this challenge not 100 percent sure what they're cooking. Once they break it down for prep they confirm it's cod. They present the judges with the cod pan-roasted with mushroom, fava beans, pickled green apple and garlic scape pistou. The judges love the apple and pistou but all wish there were more of those elements.
Micah, Tyler and Kristen work quickly and quietly. Their dish is a crispy seared salmon with local vegetables and spot prawn butter sauce. Is it just me or are all these dishes starting to sound exactly the same? I have always fantasized about being a judge on this show, but dear lord, not tonight. That's a lot of pan-seared seafood. Perhaps the vets were smart to make the game-time decision to switch to quail. The judges try the salmon dish, and Tom notes it's essentially the same dish the Orange team prepared. He deems this one superior.
The vets do their best to shake up the others in the stew rooms with admonitions about just how bad things will be. Padma enters and calls the Blue team (John, Kuniku and Sheldon) back. That shuts everyone up right quick.
Blue team wins again. Emeril announces Kuniku as winner. She is utterly adorable in her interview, "This [is] gonna make everybody like, 'Who is she? We didn't notice she even was there!'"
Dear John Tesar, either wear your glasses, get some Croakies or take them off. Don't prop them on your forehead. Is that your haute cuisine take on Guy Fieri's backwards sunglasses? Because it's just as irritating. Especially in front of the judges.
The Grey team (Bart, Brooke, Jeffrey) and — wha, wha, WHAT — the VETS get called back as the bottom two. Twist!
As the critique starts, it's clear Tom and Emeril are reveling in the chance to be extra brutal to the vets. They rip into them and Stefan, in a rare moment of vulnerability, admits the quail was overcooked and he has no excuse. He apologizes to the judges.
Jeffrey seems up for axing since he overcooked the halibut for his team. It looks like it's him or Stefan.
In the stew room, John asks Stefan if he's scared. "This is nauseous. This is like throwing up. This is like giving birth." Attention all men everywhere: Never, ever say anything is "like giving birth." Ever.
Padma apologetically asks Jeffrey to please pack his knives and go. Of course. They would never dismiss Stefan this early; he's packs too much ego and drama. Jeffrey Jew was sweet, cute and unassuming. And thus, he leaves first. Boo. JJ, we hardly knew ya. He hugs the gang and declares, "Hey, I'm number one in something." Ugh, charming even in his departure.
Coming up next week: Thanksgiving dinner (duh!), and Emeril and Tom join the gang in the kitchen.


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16.12.1981 Kopalnia "Wujek" 50 zł 1984 R.K.W. Region Slasko-Dabrowski
Description: Postage stamp printed in black on a white ground depicts two crossed hammers with a piece of an olive branch above. Below the tools is the date of the Wujek Coal Miners' Strike.
Date: 1984
Item Type: Refine your search to only Artwork


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It's one of the toughest conversations an adult child will have with a parent: helping mom or dad to understand- and accept- it's time to relinquish control of their finances.
Continue Reading Below
The discussion is often fraught with emotion: anger, embarrassment, sibling rivalry and fear, just to name a few.
Moreover, it's the kind of thing that tends to creeps up on you. Until the day it smacks you in the face. You drop by mom's place and notice mail carelessly piled on the table; much of it appears to be bills. On the kitchen counter you find a bag stuffed with receipts and there's cash scattered around. This is totally out of character for your neat-freak mom who insisted you straighten your room before you could go out and play. She taught high school algebra for 30 years. Now her apartment is a disorganized tangle of paperwork.
What's going on? Life, unfortunately. With increased longevity, comes cognitive decline. In a nutshell, just as we experience with our physical bodies, as we age, our brains don't function as efficiently as in the past. According to the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), "almost half of all Americans who are past the age of 85 will experience some form of dementia." In the words of NEFE spokesperson Paul Golden, "It's an inevitable and natural part of the aging process."
The danger is not that it might take your parent longer to finish a crossword puzzle, but that mom or dad is no longer capable of making sound decisions about everyday financial matters. And this can quickly drain any savings. When they aren't capable of staying up to date on their finances, parents risk losing their insurance coverage or have debt collectors knocking at their door. They are also much more vulnerable to being victimized by identity fraud or taken advantage of by scam artists. In her book, The M Word, financial planner Lori Sackler writes of a client who "had to take over the financial affairs of his 80-year old mother quickly when he discovered that she had lent money to a distant relative for a real estate investment without any documentation and without understanding the risks."
There are many warning signs that it might be time to step in with parents' finances: dad can't remember where he banks, or he struggles to do simple math calculations. According to the NEFE, 47% of seniors have trouble managing their bills.
But just because there are warning signs, doesn't give family members the right to jump in and take over parents' finances.
"Most people assume their family members get a free pass and have the right to [step in and take over] for them," says Merrell Bailey, an estate planning and elder care attorney in Orlando and a member of NEFE's board of directors. "No one has the right to do things on your behalf unless you give them a durable power of attorney."(1) The key is that in order for a durable power of attorney to be legally enforceable, the individual must be in full control of their mental faculties at the time they sign the document.
In other words, the plan needs to be in place before the parent becomes incapacitated.
"If it's too late, the only option is to get a guardianship," says Bailey. This involves the court deciding who will manage dad's financial affairs. "It's expensive. There are filing fees, an attorney must represent you. It's devastatingly public and emotionally difficult. Once it's set up, it lasts until the person dies." It's also time consuming for the guardian, who has to periodically appear in court to produce documents accounting for the income the elder has received and how it was spent.
Unfortunately- an understandably- this is a topic that both parents and children are in serious denial about. NEFE recently wrapped up a major survey of more than 2,000 American adults that shows 70% says there are "major barriers" preventing families from discussing this issue. Bailey says she has elderly clients who tell her, "I bring this up all the time, but my adult children won't talk about it." On the other hand, she also hears from adult children who say their parents won't discuss it. Frankly, surrendering control over something as basic as financial affairs is another sign of "getting old" or, worse, "losing it" and it can be a frightening admission for both sides in the discussion.
If you're the adult child, it can be heartbreaking to admit that the person you looked up to your entire life and who took care of you, now needs you to take over. If there are multiple children in your family, there's a good chance those old childhood competitions will reappear. Which one of you will be "The Chosen?"
As difficult as this process is, it's in everyone's best interest to reach a resolution. Doing nothing is not an option.
And as Bailey points out, the "convenience" of technology has made things even more difficult. Mom may have stopped receiving paper statements from her bank and starting paying bills online, but who knows her user name? Password? Even if you know where she banks, you have no way of accessing her account. Of course, without a durable power of attorney, you can't access her account!(2) You have no legal authority to deal with her bank- or brokerage account. Privacy laws prohibit the bank from discussing her account with you, no matter your relationship. You're going to have to go to court and get that guardianship. As mentioned, that takes time and money.
So how do you begin to approach this delicate topic?
Golden advises you make sure parents knows it is their plan. "They get to specify how and who will be in charge. [Make sure they understand] that it will be put in place if- and only if- it is needed. In the meantime, they remain in control. Stress that the sole purpose is for their own security." Depending upon your family dynamics, it might take some doing to convince siblings to set aside past rivalries for the sake of what's in the best interest of mom or dad.
You'll need to identify- and probably consolidate- assets. Where are the bank accounts? What are the numbers? Do the same thing with any investments your parent might have. Credit card accounts. What sources of income do they have, such as a pension, Social Security, retirement accounts, etc. You'll also want the names of and contact information for their doctors. Do they have health insurance in addition to Medicare? Long-term care insurance? Set up a schedule for bill-paying. What gets paid monthly? Quarterly? Annually?
Above all, don't expect to solve all this in one meeting. Communication among all family members- especially with your parent- is critical. This will take time, finesse, discretion and compassion. But in the long run, you and your parent will have greater peace of mind know that if the day comes when Mom or Dad cannot handle financial matters on their own, they have a plan in place to take over. One that they approved.
1. Do not confuse this with a plain old "power of attorney"- a document that is generally used for convenience and is temporary. For instance, you might give your brother power of attorney to pay your monthly bills while you're on a 2-month sabbatical in the Alaska wilderness. You could send your payments in yourself, but it would be a hassle. (Moose are so undependable.) When you return home, the power of attorney ceases and you take over again.
In contrast, a "durable power of attorney" means you permanently assign legal power to another person to act on your behalf when the time comes that you are no longer physically or mentally capable of acting on your own behalf.
Look at it this way: If you fell off a cliff during your sojourn in Alaska and were permanently brain-damaged, the "power of attorney" you gave your brother would cease to have any legal standing. He could only continue to pay your bills if you had given him a "durable power of attorney."
2. A durable power of attorney is used with assets that are covered in a will. If your parent has a trust, then the "successor trustee" would be the individual with legal authority to take over.


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Then came the kicker: this week Hachette raised its prices for backlist titles (it still won't sell new titles to libraries) by up to 220%.
One can't help but think of the music industry. In an effort to hold onto corporate profits, the price of the packaging kept going up and up. Eventually, there was a consumer revolt, and disruptive new business models (as in the more consumer-friendly iTunes). Now think about those changes: today, there's no shortage of music. In fact, there's more than ever. But those music publishers who used to run things don't, so much. Most interestingly, musicians now often give their music away, finding it a far surer strategy to success. In the world of abundance, the problem is getting noticed.
It turns out that what mattered to consumers wasn't music publishers. We wanted music and musicians. And music survives.
The demand for digital books is growing, and libraries have to figure out how to meet it. By jacking up the prices of ebooks to unsustainable levels, some of today's legacy publishers are repeating the mistakes of the old music industry. Yet there's no shortage of writing -- in fact, libraries are more challenged than ever to track it.
We tried to make friends with Hachette. And as President Sullivan says, "with friends like these..."
Lesson: maybe what libraries and readers want isn't publishers. They want the creative work of authors. Maybe libraries need a smarter group of friends.