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AYN RAND NATION: The Hidden Struggle for America's Soul
America's Most Powerful Ideology
My latest book is something of a departure for me. It's not about scams or crooks or finance. It's about the struggle for America's soul.
That's the subtitle of AYN RAND NATION, which was published by St. Martin's Press on February 28, 2012.
AYN RAND NATION explores the pervasive influence of the Russian-born author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She has long been dismissed by the intelligentsia as a fringe character. Don't you believe it.
Her ideology, Objectivism, has been adopted in large measure by a wide swath of America's opinion leaders, and to a large extent by virtually all of the Republican presidential candidates.
Rand provides the ideological underpinnings for the effort to cut or destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and to drastically shrink the role of government.
She wrote the recipe for deregulation.
Love her or despise her, Rand is a pervasive influence in the national dialogue. To understand the ideological basis for that dialogue, and to comprehend the mindset that led to the 2008 financial crisis, it's essential to understand Ayn Rand.
That is the purpose of AYN RAND NATION.
Through the stories of people influenced by Rand, from the Tea Party to members of her inner circle to Alan Greenspan, this book explores how Ayn Rand became a pervasive influence on the American right.
AYN RAND NATION explores why Rand matters — and why her ideology needs to be engaged, not ignored.
Read the first chapter
The Introduction to AYN RAND NATION can be read at my Macmillan author page.
Advance Praise for AYN RAND NATION
"A scrupulous and sobering investigation, vital for our times." -- Kirkus Reviews
A "riveting and disturbing inquiry into Ayn Rand's widespread influence on American economics and politics." -- Publishers Weekly
"Think Ayn Rand is marginal? Think again! Gary Weiss's powerful new history inscribes the libertarian firebrand at the very center of the American story of the past three decades. " --David Frum, NY Times bestselling author of The Right Man and Comeback
"Ayn Rand Nation is a fascinating exploration of one of the fastest growing and most powerful coalitions in the modern conservative movement. With an unerring eye for detail, Gary Weiss embarks on a journey of discovery that examines the emerging influence of the Tea Party and other political groups that proclaim themselves to be the intellectual progeny of Rand, a crotchety, stubborn and proud purveyor of a philosophy of selfishness. Weiss explores this emerging cultural phenomenon with the even-handed and objective techniques of a sociologist, revealing that these activists are no unified bloc of believers, but are divided between absolutists dedicated to scholarly study of Rand, and fly-by-night devotees who pick-and-choose portions of Rand's beliefs to create a false philosophical underpinning for their own political convictions. If you want to understand the men and women whose vehement voices are reshaping American government, you must read this book." --Kurt Eichenwald, New York Times bestselling author of The Informant and Conspiracy of Fools
"The timing of this book couldn't be better for Americans who are trying to understand where in the hell the far-out right's anti-worker, anti-egalitarian extremism is coming from. AYN RAND NATION introduces us to the Godmother of such tea party craziness as destroying Social Security and elimination Wall Street regulation. Weiss writes with perception and wit."--Jim Hightower, best selling author, newspaper and radio commentator and editor of the Hightower Lowdown
"Gary Weiss brings his skeptical bent and sharp writing to a character who has inspired both fanatical belief and deep derision for decades: Ayn Rand. The book is a compelling journey of discovery about a woman who continues to exert a powerful hold over our society. Weiss shows how Rand is ultimately quite a bit more complicated than either her fans or her detractors would have it."--Bethany McLean, best-selling author of The Smartest Guys in the Room and All the Devils are Here.
Order your copy of AYN RAND NATION today
Click here to order the book from Amazon.com, and here to order it from Barnes & Noble.
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Jean-Paul Espaignet
Musée d'Art ModerneAbout this photograph
Jean-Paul Espaignet studies the aesthetic of repetition in art. His work is built around the idea of series and assemblage. Repetition in art creates an illusion of a multitude or preponderance, intensifying the expressive strength of the artist?s intention. From an aesthetical point of view, this process also highlights the graphic aspect of a work of art. Jean-Paul Espaignet uses repetition in his photographs for its aesthetical as well as expressionist qualities.Read more Read less
The photographs are carefully packaged in order to ensure their optimal protection during transport.
After thirty years in the world of photography, Jean Paul Espaignet is testing a new artistic method based on analysis. He collects images and exploits this 'raw material' by eliminating anything superfluous. He aims to extract the very essence of what forms a shot. This approach forms refined creations where the emphasis of a subject or action takes priority.


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My kids can pretty much forget about inheriting any material wealth. Ryan and I both have MFAs in creative writing. In fact, they'll be lucky if they don't inherit any student loan debt. It'll be an exciting race to the grave to pay those off. My talented friend Anthony has a funny and honest blog called My Gay Mom. He posted a couple of days ago about he and his wife's decision not to have children because he doesn't want to pass his bipolar II disorder onto them. This hit pretty close to home. Our first kid, Ben, had many developmental delays. At 20 months old, he could recognize and say every letter in the alphabet, but he couldn't say "Mom." He had obsessive tendencies, like lining up Tupperware containers for several hours at a time. He also had sensory processing issues. He had to sleep with paper towels pressed against his cheeks, and would crumble them into tiny balls every night. He couldn't stand amusement parks or crowds. He didn't truly begin talking until after he was 3 years old. A lot of that has fallen away, but he still gets some speech help, and it is clear that like Ryan and me, he has obsessive compulsive disorder. It is very difficult to watch your child suffer what you have suffered. You give him tools to try and help him manage it. You read books. You seek the help of professionals. But nothing takes it away.
We were certain things would be less difficult with our second child. The day he was born, it was clear we were naive. In fact, the very next day, Benjamin came down with the stomach flu. Elliott had severe jaundice and needed to be hospitalized. Then he had severe digestive problems, severe ear infections, severe sensory processing problems. A severe speech delay. He was ultimately diagnosed with autism. There was a period of three years that were almost unbearable.
Ryan and I have a genetic predisposition to have children who struggle with the things that many kids and parents never have to worry about. I'm not complaining. What I am saying is that sometimes it is difficult to know that we are the ones who gave these struggles to these people whom we love more than any other people in the world. And it is difficult to help them navigate through situations that we still have trouble navigating through. Of course, we have gotten better at understanding and managing our disorders as we've grown older, but put me in a crowd of people on a busy day at Disneyland, and watch me disintegrate. Still.
And now we've given a combination of our strange brains to our children. That is their inheritance.
Having children isn't really a practical decision. One day, my uterus demanded babies, and we simply did as it commanded. We painted a room, and put a crib and lots of other baby-sized things in it, and I felt a tiny human grow and press against the inside of my body. It's a terrifying and incredible process. We read some books and made some plans, and almost none of that prepared us for the actual experience. Now we have these extraordinary boys, and, like every parent, we watch as the combination of our strengths and flaws takes shape in them. I hope that we have given them more good than bad. I hope that we can teach them to, even on the very worst days, look up from whatever they struggle with and see that there is so much more.
Photo credit: http://www.monsterbashnews.com/pics/brainfromplanetarous.jpg


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Up Front - The Publisher's Column
Luring business to Florida
As a member of the board of Enterprise Florida, the public-private partnership charged with job development in the state, I have witnessed firsthand the tremendous energy and talent that Gov. Rick Scott has brought to the effort.
No area of government is more important to the governor than job creation. Three years ago, he stole a consummate professional in Gray Swoope from Mississippi, naming Swoope president of Enterprise Florida and jointly as Secretary of Commerce.
The two, along with a cadre of teammates, have been tireless in touting Florida. I have personally witnessed them energize a moribund system. They have traveled the nation and the world extolling the benefits of locating businesses in Florida.
Some critics do not understand that business is competition. Any company relocating to Florida — or one staying here instead of moving — makes its decision based on what's best for its own business, not to be nice to the governor.
These companies have cornerstone requirements. They are interested in tax rates. An available workforce. Transportation. Education. Utility costs. Incentives. And lifestyle. Each company considers a grid of factors unique to that organization. To win that competition, Florida must have more "A" grades on the grid than any other state.
Attracting business is also about sales and marketing, but many critics do not understand this key element. To even be considered, Florida has to be in the game. Not only do we need advantages to tout, we must travel widely and advertise those advantages. We must establish personal relationships with site selectors and corporate bigwigs. Shyness doesn't help.
Some critics do not understand the lag time in economic development. Sure, Hertz made a big announcement last May about moving its headquarters to Fort Myers. But it started investigating locations a year earlier. Then it had to purchase the land. Recently, it broke ground for its building. The whole process could take three years from start to finish. And that's fast.
Some critics do not understand the role of perception in economic development. To be simplistic, everyone understands that Florida is "tourist friendly" with beaches, resorts, sports, shopping, museums, great food and warm weather.
But is Florida "business friendly?" What does that even mean? It means that Florida has a welcoming policy that helps business locate, grow and prosper. It means we have top officials who want to help business succeed.
Does Florida bat 1,000%? Not a chance. Every "at bat" doesn't result in a corporate relocation. Every new company doesn't grow just the way it planned. That's simply the reality of the free enterprise system, where ambitious executives try . . . and sometimes fail.
So I would simply ask the critics to step back and understand that Florida is in the hunt for new business as never before. It won't be a straight line. Some people in other states may be a tad upset. But Floridians will end up with more job prospects thanks to this strong effort.
In keeping with the times, Florida Trend now offers the full magazine in digital format. Current print subscribers can access the digital version — for iPad, Android devices or desktops — for an extra $10 per year. Or at no additional cost, you can switch from print to digital. Or readers can buy a digital-only version at the introductory rate of $15 per year. FloridaTrend.com/digital
Fitness update: Back to the agonizing weight-loss plan — no French fries, no bread, no desserts for 60 days. We'll see.
— Andy Corty


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Beginning with clear skies (represented by blue), the storm gathers in size and intensity. This animation represents atmospheric data from the Mars Global Surveyor's Thermal Emission Spectrograph. As the dust clouds grow thicker, they absorb more warmth from the sun and raising the temperature of the atmosphere.
Philip Christensen (Arizona State University) and the TES Team
Publication: October 11, 2001


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Caprimulgiform, (order Caprimulgiformes), also called nightjars, any of about 120 species of soft-plumaged birds, the major groups of which are called nightjars, nighthawks, potoos, frogmouths, and owlet-frogmouths. The order also includes the aberrant oilbird of South America. Most are twilight- or night-flying birds. Many produce sounds that are startling, strange, or weirdly beautiful. The calls of caprimulgiforms are surrounded by an aura of mystery richly endowed to elicit interest and sometimes fear from humans. The name of the type genus Caprimulgus, goatsucker, derives from an ancient belief that the birds seen flitting about the goats at dusk were taking milk from the goats' udders, a misconception no doubt fortified by the birds' uncommonly large mouths. In actuality, caprimulgiforms prey on the insects disturbed or attracted by the goats. There is now a tendency to replace the name goatsucker with the more appropriate term nightjar, derived from the birds' voices.
The caprimulgiform birds are sparrow- to raven-sized birds (14–55 cm [about 5.5–22 inches]) with enormous gapes. They are cryptically coloured and have a patterned plumage, short legs, and (for the most part) long wings.
All caprimulgiform birds are rather similar in general appearance, but each family has certain peculiar characteristics both in form and in habits. Caprimulgiforms resemble owls in many ways; however, there are numerous differences, mostly internal, between the two groups. Externally, caprimulgiforms possess bills and feet that are not raptorial, a flatter head with eyes placed laterally rather than in a frontal facial disk, relatively shorter tarsi, and longer tails. A closer inspection of caprimulgiforms and owls reveals a dissimilarity in the number of primary feathers in the wing and, usually, of secondaries and tail feathers.
Although the true nightjars (Caprimulgidae) are amply distributed throughout the world, the other families are more restricted. The order is absent from New Zealand and some oceanic islands.
Natural history
The caprimulgiform birds are primarily crepuscular, their activity being largely limited to the periods of dawn and dusk, although they are also nocturnal when there is sufficient illumination, especially by moonlight. Some species may become active on dark, cloudy days, and a few are somewhat diurnal. Oilbirds possess a system of echolocation that permits them to fly freely in total darkness, an adaptation related to their roosting and nesting in caves, and are thus implicitly well equipped for nocturnal life. They leave their caves at dusk and return at dawn and are highly gregarious in their foraging behaviour as well as in roosting and nesting. The other members of the order are more or less solitary. Some nightjars that are migratory behave gregariously during migration and to some extent while in their wintering regions.
Although aerial feeders, most of the true nightjars roost on the ground, rocks, or fallen trunks, but some prefer horizontal branches of trees, in which case they usually perch lengthwise along the branch. Some ground roosters, however, will seek higher perches as singing or foraging posts; these are often slender branches or vines and the birds sit on them crosswise. Some species may even roost so perched. Unlike the nightjars, the frogmouths, potoos, and owlet-frogmouths are arboreal (tree-dwelling). The last normally sit crosswise on a branch and fairly upright, both when active and at rest, resembling small, long-tailed owls. Potoos and frogmouths frequently sit crosswise and upright when actively foraging and also appear very owl-like, although at rest they may perch quite differently. The potoos are noted for a peculiar stance, perching usually at the top of a stump, broken branch, or at a knob on an upwardly inclined limb. When alarmed in daylight they slowly flatten their plumage and stretch their bills upward in a stiff posture with the eyes nearly closed and the bill slightly open. Frogmouths adopt a similar broken-branch alarm posture.
During the day the oilbird perches horizontally on ledges inside caves, usually on its nest. Ledges are limited and mostly occupied by nests. On its forays outside the oilbird has been observed to perch on the bare parts of tree branches. Its mien is rather hawklike, but its crouching stance, unique in some ways, is more like that of a nightjar.
The caprimulgiform birds exploit ample food sources that are almost uniquely theirs. There are no other primarily frugivorous nocturnal birds to compete with the oilbird, its distribution being limited by the availability of suitable caves in regions providing the proper fruit for food.
The nightjars, by far the largest and most successful group, have no effective avian competitors for the great numbers of night-flying insects except among themselves. Different nightjars have come to occupy almost all habitats, from semidesert to very humid regions and from sea level to 4,000 metres (about 13,100 feet) in altitude. They have a further advantage by preferring the more open areas: savannas, grasslands, and forest clearings. When nightjars are woodland dwellers, they live in the more open forests or brushwood growths; many use the woodlands only for diurnal concealment or nesting, doing most of their feeding at the edge or in clearings.
Competition between the nightjars and potoos is reduced because the latter hunt mostly from higher perches in open country or exploit the space above the great forests, a vast niche occupied by practically no other nocturnal bird.
Frogmouths and owlet-frogmouths inhabit forested savannas, forest edge, second growth, and the more open forests. Thus, their chief competitors are the insectivorous owls. As with the nightjars, differences in food preferences and methods of hunting minimize this competition. The hole-nesting owlet-frogmouths, however, have to contend not only with owls but also many diurnal species for suitable nesting sites, and this may explain why they are apparently the least successful family in the order, as suggested by their limited distribution and paucity of numbers.
Food habits
Except for the oilbird, caprimulgiform birds are insectivorous, with some of the larger species occasionally carnivorous. Many of the nightjars and nighthawks feed in continuous hawking flight, which may be rather erratic as they pursue their prey. Others of the order make short sallies from arboreal or terrestrial perches in the manner of flycatchers, frequently taking advantage of the increased visibility afforded by roads. Many nightjars take crawling insects by swooping from arboreal perches or by running along the ground, being far more agile on their feet than is generally believed. Almost all insects are taken, but beetles predominate in the food of many species. Also important are moths, the winged forms of termites and ants, and mosquitos; even small birds are taken. There seems to be little difference between the general kinds of food items taken by the New World and Old World nightjars (subfamily Caprimulginae), but the Old World species rely more on foraging in continuous flight than do most in the New World, where aerial foraging is largely limited to the nighthawks (Chordeilinae).
Potoos sally from exposed arboreal perches, sometimes fairly close to the ground, to feed on essentially the same types of insects as the nightjars. The prey of frogmouths is mostly terrestrial. In short sallies from elevated perches, frogmouths capture large, crawling arthropods on the ground or on branches. Snails, frogs, mice, small birds, and occasionally fruit also are taken. Owlet-frogmouths feed mostly on terrestrial prey, much in the manner of the frogmouths, but also sally from a perch to take flying insects.
Aberrant in so many ways, oilbirds are the only nocturnal, exclusively frugivorous birds. The fruits eaten are primarily of various trees of the palm, laurel, and bursera families and have large hard seeds. The firm, fleshy pericarp of the fruit is exceedingly rich in protein and oily fats. The fruits are swallowed whole and the seeds later regurgitated. Oilbirds possess an efficient olfactory sense; they employ scent in locating certain of the fruit-bearing trees. The fruits of palms, however, are not aromatic and are no doubt located by sight. The actual collection of the fruit seems to depend on sight. In feeding, the birds reach out with their bills and pluck the individual fruits while hovering. When feeding on large compact bunches of fruit, they sometimes cling briefly with their feet.
Males of most if not all nightjars have patches of white feathers that serve as signals in mating. These patches are concealed when the bird is at rest but flashed in courtship displays. Males of several species in Africa and South America develop elongated wing or tail feathers that function in courtship and are lost following the breeding season.
The primary signals for mating and territorial purposes in most caprimulgiforms, however, are vocal and mechanical sounds. The voice is usually well developed, often having such distinctive patterns that the birds are named onomatopoeically (whippoorwill, chuck-will's-widow, etc.). The almost human lament of the common potoo (Nyctibius griseus) in South America has in some places earned this species the name "poor-me-one," and both it and the grotesque bawl of the great potoo (N. grandis) have been the source of many superstitious beliefs and legends. Frogmouths sing with various nasal booming, hooting, or croaking sounds, and the little-known owlet-frogmouths are reported to give owl-like whistles, churring calls, and a loud hissing note. Among the true nightjars, some species produce slowly or rapidly repeated churring sounds, in some cases rather toadlike, while others produce a warbled or whistled song, not at all disagreeable. Whistled phrases may be repeated hundreds of times without a break. Many different types of calls are used in different contexts, but the primary song, different for each species, appears to be the most important mechanism for species recognition. Besides vocal sounds, many species produce mechanical sounds in displays, such as claps and whirrs of the wings. In some species the vocalizations are given primarily in flight, in others primarily when perched; still others have different calls or songs when flying than when perched.
Oilbirds produce a variety of sounds, from clucking calls, apparently used to maintain contact, to harsh snarls and screams, when excited. They seem to have no primary song, which may be superfluous to their gregarious and specialized mode of life. Of greatest interest are the rapidly pulsated clicks that are emitted in shorter or longer bursts and that are used by the oilbird for navigation in total darkness on the principle of echolocation. These clicks are in the range of 7,000 cycles per second and thus audible to humans, in contrast to the ultrasonic pulsations used by bats in their system of echolocation. So far as is known, the only other birds to employ echolocation are some of the cave swiftlets (Collocalia). To what extent oilbirds use echolocation outside the caves is not known. Like their relatives in the order, they have large, sensitive eyes and probably navigate visually outside their caves.
Nesting habits are diverse among caprimulgiform families. Nightjars make no nest, depositing their eggs directly on the ground or on the leaf-covered floor of woodland. Occasionally they use a slight natural depression or scratch out a place among the debris. Populations of a few species (notably the North American nighthawks) have adapted to urban life and nest on flat gravel-covered rooftops. The one or two slightly glossy eggs may be cryptically coloured (profusely marbled with pink, buff, brown, or gray) or contrast markedly with their surroundings (white to buff, usually with slight lines or blotches of colour). Incubation lasts about 19 days and may be by both adults or by only the female; there is considerable variation in this behaviour even within some species.
In contrast to the simplified nesting of nightjars, frogmouths construct nests on the horizontal forks of trees. In the genus Podargus the nest is of twigs and other plant matter and the two or three eggs are white. In Batrachostomus the nest is a pad of the birds' own down, bound and camouflaged externally with cobwebs and lichens, one white egg being laid. Both sexes are believed to incubate, the period being about 30 days. Owlet-frogmouths nest mostly in hollow trees but also in tunnels in banks. They lay three or four white eggs, usually on a mat of leaves or fur. The incubation period is as yet unknown. The potoos are the most highly restricted nesters, for they must find a branch or stub with a suitable depression or crevice of just the right size to accommodate the single egg they lay. The egg is white, marked with brown and gray, and is incubated by both parents for 30 to 35 days.
On ledges in the caves they inhabit, the oilbirds build up a shallow nest rim of viscous, regurgitated fruit matter, which sets to a firm structure. As the accumulation of seeds raises the level inside the nest, the rim is constantly added to, so as to maintain a slight depression. The nests are used year after year and gradually grow to low mounds. Inevitably, some seeds and the feces of very young nestlings contribute to the fabric of the rim. Two to four eggs are laid (white, subelliptical, slightly rough surface); both sexes incubate, the period being about 33 days.
The chicks of nightjars are semi-precocial: they are down-covered (buff to brownish, plain or mottled, highly cryptic), fed by both parents, capable of opening their eyes on the first day (though normally keeping them closed for several days), capable of walking on the first day, and able to hop or run very well by the third or fourth day. They usually run with wings raised, resembling young ducklings in gait. From the beginning, chicks may solicit feeding by walking to the front of the adult, reaching up, and pecking at its bill. During the first days they are fed a regurgitated whitish viscous substance but later only partially digested insects. As early as the second day, although sometimes not until a week later, the chicks are led to different resting sites, at first only a metre or so at a time but gradually much greater distances. Some of this moving may result from the chicks' own wanderings, for they are often restless and leave the covering adult.
In many cases both parents brood the chicks, in others only the female does so, and rarely the male assumes the primary role. By about two weeks the young are well feathered and too large for successful brooding; they rest at first near a parent but later quite alone.
Undisturbed young birds fly voluntarily at 22 to 28 days of age; disturbed young may fly much earlier. By the time they are able to fly, they begin a certain amount of feeding on their own but are still largely dependent on their parents up to 40 to 50 days. When two young hatch, one of them frequently develops more slowly. If it survives, however, it may require up to 40 days to reach the state of voluntary flight.
The nestlings of frogmouths, potoos, and owlet-frogmouths are semi-dependent, are covered with whitish down, are fed by both parents, and remain in the nest until fledged. One observer noted that a young common potoo began wandering over the boughs of the nest tree at about four weeks. This same nestling first made trial flights at 47 days and finally left the nest tree when 50 days old. Other reports indicate the nestling period of potoos to be of 40–45 days, that of frogmouths about 30 days. The young are brooded only during the first half of this period, by which time young potoos have attained the juvenile plumage (whitish mottled with brownish) and are already accomplished in assuming the "broken-branch" posture of adults.
On the whole, the caprimulgiform birds, like most birds, breed solely or mostly at the time of maximum abundance of food supply. Oilbirds may nest to some extent throughout the year, but the maximum nesting takes place during that time of year when the greatest number of appropriate trees are fruiting. Baby oilbirds are helpless (altricial), hatched blind and virtually naked, with only a little sparse down. They have an exceedingly slow rate of development. A thicker coat of down replaces the initial one after three weeks, and the adult plumage begins to appear at five weeks, there being no special juvenile plumage. The nestlings are apparently fed semidigested fruit pulp during the first days. At about two weeks there is a gradual change to whole fruits, regurgitated by the adults into the mouths of the young. As a result of the oil-rich fruit diet, young oilbirds build up extraordinary deposits of fat, which led to economic exploitation. The fat can be boiled down to a high-quality, durable oil, suitable for cooking and lighting. For this reason, oilbirds were once subject to heavy predation by their human neighbours. Today this practice occurs on a much-reduced scale because of a general trend toward conservation. The fat buildup in an oilbird reaches its maximum at about 70 days, at which time a young oilbird may weigh half again as much as an adult. By this time the plumage is well developed but not fully grown. The weight decreases as the feathers grow until the age of 100–120 days, when the young leave the nest. At this time they fly well and look like adults. Both parents participate in feeding and brooding, the latter ceasing after about four weeks.
A number of tropical caprimulgiforms are sedentary, but the widespread and cosmopolitan nightjars exhibit all degrees of migration. These migrations may be short, even local, or quite long. Some populations of the common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) of North America and the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) migrate south to Argentina and South Africa, respectively. Actually, transequatorial migrations in both directions occur, as birds take advantage of the general alternation of seasons, and hence of food supply, on opposite sides of the Equator.
Some nightjars are able to cope with temporary food shortages by entering into periods of torpidity, a faculty they share with some swifts, hummingbirds, and a few others. The only known instances of apparently regular, prolonged annual hibernation in these birds, however, are reported for the poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, a nightjar. A banded individual was observed hibernating in the same small hollow in a rock during several successive winters. The bird was inert, with respiration and heart rates reduced to almost immeasurable levels and body temperature about 22 °C (40 °F) below normal. Subsequent laboratory experiments have shown that several species of nightjar have the ability to relax into a torpid state under abnormal conditions. Such an efficient means of conserving energy may be more generally possessed than is presently realized throughout a family whose habits largely limit the birds to two brief periods of feeding a day, causing them to be especially vulnerable to involuntary fasting if inclement weather should prevent feeding during those periods.
Form and function
Members of the order Caprimulgiformes are easily recognized by their extremely wide mouths, large eyes, short legs and small, weak feet, and, except in the oilbird, soft plumage, in which browns and grays predominate.
The size of the gape is astonishing. When the bird opens its mouth, the opening seems to span the entire head, which is nearly the case. The beak, always somewhat hooked, is large and horny in the oilbird and frogmouths but reduced to a small projection in the remaining families. In body proportions, caprimulgiforms often appear chunky on account of the fluffiness of their plumage, but their actual bodies are proportionately no stouter than most songbirds. The tail is of medium length, except in males of those species with ornamental tail features. The wings are medium to long and are rounded in most species, pointed in a few, especially the nighthawks.
The plumage of all forms presents unexcelled examples of natural camouflage. Coloured in rufescent to ochreous browns, grays, white, and black, the species are variously patterned in greatest accord with their normal surroundings during daytime rest. Those nightjars that roost inside woodlands are streaked and spotted in a way resembling fallen leaves and other detritus on the forest floor. Those that dwell on gravelly terrain are speckled or otherwise patterned. The latter often contrast rather than blend with the soil, appearing like one of the many stones scattered about. The owlet-frogmouths appear as clusters of dead leaves. Potoos and frogmouths are streaked and mottled like bark, so that in the daytime-alarm posture they appear most effectively as dead stubs.
Caprimulgiform species are frequently dichromatic, having grayish and reddish phases. These colour patterns appear to be randomly distributed in some cases and sex-linked in others, there being several species of nightjars in which males are more grayish, females more reddish.
The eye's iris colour is brown in nearly all members of the order. Yellow occurs in the irises of some potoos, and yellow, orange, and ruby occur in frogmouths. Contrary to some reports, oilbirds do not have blue irises, nor are any nightjars known to have yellow eyes.
Evolution and paleontology
The nightjars and related families date back as a group to the Eocene Epoch (about 56–34 million years ago) and are not as old as many other orders of birds. Their closest living relatives are now known to be the owls and the swifts. The owlet-frogmouths (Aegithalidae) are the oldest surviving lineage of the early Caprimulgiformes. DNA studies link owlet-frogmouths to the tree swifts (Hemiprocnidae). Fossils of owlet-frogmouths, frogmouths, and potoos from Europe suggest much wider global distributions than their present limited distributions in Australasia and South America. Oilbirds have been allied to owls (and many other groups of birds) in the past, but that relationship requires modern resolution.
Distinguishing taxonomic characters
The most important characters used to define the caprimulgiform birds are the type of plumage, structure of the feet and legs, form and structure of the bill, palatal structure, arrangement of the pelvic muscles and flexor tendons, shape of dorsal vertebrae, meristic characters such as the number of primary and secondary feathers and rectrices, presence or absence of intestinal ceca and of an oil gland, location of syrinx, presence and type of rictal bristles, powder down patches, carotid artery relationships, and a few other anatomical details. Variations in some of these same features characterize the different subgroups.
Annotated classification
- Order Caprimulgiformes
- Soft plumaged (except Steatornithes), cryptically patterned birds with relatively weak anisodactyle feet and very short tarsi; deeply cleft gape (except Steatornithes); pelvic muscle formula AXY (XY in Steatornithes); flexor tendons fused (synpelmous); 10 primaries; 11–13 secondaries; 10 rectrices; aftershaft small but present; 2 carotid arteries and oil gland present (except in Podargus and Nyctibius).
- Suborder Steatornithes
- Dorsal vertebrae opisthocoelous (concave behind); gape not exceptionally deeply cleft; rostrum movably articulated with skull; plumage firm.
- Family Steatornithidae (oilbirds)
- Locally distributed in Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad. Desmognathous palate (maxillopalatine bones fused), palatines narrow and not expanded posteriorly; large, strong bill with hard rhamphoteca (horny covering) and subterminal tooth, surrounded by long vibrissae; bronchial syrinx; 15 cervical vertebrae. 1 species, length 40 cm (about 16 inches).
- Suborder Caprimulgi
- Dorsal vertebrae heterocoelous (saddle-shaped); deeply cleft gape; rostrum fixed; plumage soft.
- Family Podargidae (frogmouths)
- Confined to Australasian (except New Zealand) and southern Oriental regions (including extreme southern India). Desmognathous palate; palatines broad throughout, slightly expanded posteriorly; wide, strong bill with hard rhamphotheca; bronchial syrinx; 13 cervical vertebrae; well-developed powder down tufts on either side of rump; oil gland absent in Podargus, very small in Batrachostomus; 1 carotid artery (left). 3 genera, 15 species, length 20–40 cm (about 8–16 inches).
- Family Aegothelidae (owlet- frogmouths)
- Australasian region (except New Zealand). Desmognathous palate; bill similar to Podargidae but shorter, weaker, and largely hidden by forehead feathering; bronchial syrinx; unique in the order in lacking ceca. 1 genus, about 8 species; length 16–25 cm (about 6–10 inches).
- Family Nyctibiidae (potoos)
- Neotropical. Schizognathous palate (small vomers and separate maxillopalatines); palatines narrow anteriorly, greatly expanded posteriorly; small, weak bill but with prominent horny angular projection on maxillary tomium midway between tip and rictus, and tomium very broad, horny, and strongly convex from that point to rictus; extremely short tarsi; toes unusually wide basally, forming a broad flattened sole; tracheobronchial syrinx; 14 cervical vertebrae; large powder down patches on sides and breast; no oil gland; 1 carotid artery (left). One genus, 7 species, length 20–55 cm (about 8–22 inches).
- Family Caprimulgidae (nighthawks, nightjars)
- Worldwide in tropical and temperate zones; absent from northernmost Eurasia and America, southernmost South America, New Zealand, and some oceanic islands; subfamily Chordeilinae (nighthawks) restricted to New World. Schizognathous palate (except Chordeiles and perhaps other Chordeilinae); palatines narrow anteriorly, greatly expanded posteriorly; small, weak bill; well-developed rictal bristles (except Eurostopodus and Chordeilinae); small, weak feet; lateral toes much shorter than middle toe, 4th toe with only 4 phalanges (segments; 5 is normal for this order), middle claw with inner edge pectinated; hallux very short and directed inward; tracheobronchial syrinx; 14 cervical vertebrae. 15 genera, 90 species; 14–40 cm (about 5.5–16 inches) long without ornamental feathers.
Critical appraisal
The major divisions of the order Caprimulgiformes are clearly defined. Their composition is remarkably homogeneous, so that there are no apparent taxonomic problems above the level of genus. The rather aberrant oilbird has traits similar to owls, but evidence places it in this order. Within the order the main taxonomic problems relate to reevaluation at the generic level and clarification of species limits. These problems are likely to be settled only with the aid of field studies utilizing bioacoustical methods along with other disciplines.Paul A. Schwartz
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Bird, (class Aves), any of the more than 10,400 living species unique in having feathers, the major characteristic that distinguishes them from all other animals. A more-elaborate definition would note that they are warm-blooded vertebrates more related to reptiles than to mammals and that they have a four-chambered heart (as…
Nightjar, any of about 60 to 70 species of birds that make up the subfamily Caprimulginae of the family Caprimulgidae and sometimes extended to include the nighthawks, subfamily Chordeilinae ( seenighthawk). The name nightjar is sometimes applied to the entire order Caprimulgiformes. ( Seecaprimulgiform.) True nightjars…
Nighthawk, any of several species of birds comprising the subfamily Chordeilinae of the family Caprimulgidae ( seecaprimulgiform). Unrelated to true hawks, they are classified with the nightjars, frogmouths, and allies in the order Caprimulgiformes. They are buffy, rufous (reddish), or grayish brown, usually with light spots or patches, and range…
Potoo, (genus Nyctibius), any of seven species of solitary, nocturnal birds of the American tropics. Its name imitates the wailing cry, "po-TOO," made by some species. The potoos' complex patterns of gray, black, and brown plumage resemble tree bark. During the day, the birds sleep, vertically…
More About Caprimulgiform1 reference found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- avian taxonomy


text:
The Three Princes: A Tale from the Middle East
Holiday House, 1994 - Juvenile Fiction - 32 pages
In a richly illustrated tale with a Middle East setting, a beautiful and wise princess tests her three suitors by sending them into the world to bring back to her the rarest thing that they find.
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LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - hart0521 - LibraryThing
This story is about a middle eastern princess that must pick a prince to marry. She decides on one but her father is not pleased with her choice. So the princes seek out gifts for her. In the end of ... Read full review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - TBegum1 - LibraryThing
I really enjoyed this book and it had great illustrations! I loved the whole theme and it told such a good story. I would definitely read this book to my students no matter what age because it tells the importance of good friendship. Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
answered argued arrive asked Award back the rarest beautiful Book bring back chief minister chil choose cloak courtiers cousins agreed cried crystal ball cure desert doctors dying equal Fahad and Prince flashing eyes melted flying carpet gave give greatest wonder handsome happened healing orange heart Holiday House illustrated by Leonard Kimmel illustrated king Leonard Everett Fisher live magic marry the prince Middle East retold miracle morning Muhammed and Prince night ordinary orange pass peer inside piece possess Prince Fahad Prince Mohsen Prince Muhammed replied Prince Muhammed turned prince who returns PRINCES A Tale princesses to marry protested rare rarest thing reach restore retold by Eric rode saved sought her hand stories takes to tell thing you find three princes told took the path travels True turned to Prince University wazir wealth and renown wife wise wonderful thing written York


text:
"…because that's where the wisdom is."
Caroline Myss was interviewed in Chicago by Lilou Mace for Lilou's Juicy Living Tour on August 3, 2011. The conversation is truly amazing, very insightful.
From the description: Caroline Myss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition.
Freedom of humbleness, Finding your light, Mystical path and Grace
She was interviewed by Mary Phelan for Telepathic TV on March 11, 2007. They discussed her book, Entering the Castle.
Caroline Myss recorded the wonderfully intense, in-depth video, The Energetics of Healing, in 1997.
From the description: Explore the unseen dimension of your body's energy anatomy. Beyond the threshold of your physical anatomy lies another type of anatomy – invisible to the eye, yet critical to your health. Composed of pure energy, this vast network not only determines how your body functions and heals, but also serves as a connection to divine power and all life.
The Energetics of Healing (2 parts)


text:
This summer Cristina didn't have the chance to travel abroad but that doesn't mean she didn't have a great time. Figueira is her 2nd home and the city brings me nice memories too.
Paulo Renato da Silva
Facing what the town claims to be Europe's widest beach, Figueira da Foz, is the largest and most bustling seaside resort on this coast, its fabulous beach attracting a vibrant holiday crowd throughout the summer. It's not immediately attractive – ugly high-rises line up along the seafront – though the tight grid of central old town streets around the casino brim with shops and pavement cafés that give this working port its own distinct identity.
Most summer visitors, however, are here for the enormous sandy town beach which is 2km long and very wide – it takes a good ten minutes to reach the sea across the sands: waves here can be pretty huge, making it a popular spot for surfers, who also frequent the nearby Praia do Cabadelo, on the other side of the Rio Mondego. At the southern end of the beach are the remains of an old sea fort, Forte de Santa Catarina, and the Mercado Municipal, good for fresh products as well as beachwear, lace, embroidery and other crafts. - in: http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/portugal/coimbra-beira-litoral/figueira-da-foz/


text:
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Hi Kathy! Welcome to the club and feel free to check out my blog: Swanky Baby - swankybaby.net. I'm looking forward to checking yours out too!
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Welcome to MBC! We are glad to have you here. We look forward connecting more with you here. I'm a Super Mama who has a family friendly blog. I also have a weekday blog hop called Exposure 99%.Come find out for yourself. This weekday blog hop helps you get more dedicated readers and blog followers. Hope you link up weekly. If you have any questions about how to link up do not hesitate to let me know.
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text:
Major Section: REAL
(Standard-numberp x) is true if and only if
x is a ``standard''
number. This notion of ``standard'' comes from non-standard analysis
and is discussed in Ruben Gamboa's dissertation. In brief, all the
familiar real numbers are standard, but non-zero infinitesimals are
not standard, nor are numbers that exceed every integer that you can
express in the usual way (1, 2, 3, and so on). The set of standard
numbers is closed under the usual arithmetic operations, hence the
sum of a standard number and a non-zero infinitesimal is not
standard, though it is what is called ``limited''
(see i-limited).
This predicate is only defined in ACL2(r) (see real).


text:
I've added some new pages to this blog. Firstly, I've moved my old page on my books to a new page on this blog, so that each book now has its own page for publication information, errata, etc., as well as its own comments section for feedback (including the inevitable reports of future errata).
I also added a new page to my advice page on writing and submitting papers, on "taking advantage of the English language".
Finally, I added some links on the sidebar of this blog to some of the more popular of my older posts and articles, and reorganised the categories slightly. In particular, my expository articles were moved out of the "short story" category (they didn't fit particularly well with the other wordpress articles in this category) and into the "expository" category. (Now that there are a number of wordpress blogs in research mathematics, it might eventually be worth trying to establish some standards for use of mathematical tags, but this is hardly an urgent concern.)
[Update, July 18: Added the arXiv math categories, as well as a parent Mathematics category.]


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Topic: PUBLISHED: XTRO (1983) (Read 6499 times)
Bad Movie Lover
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Only my head is tiny...
July 17, 2007, 07:39:02 PM »
Published here:
Rated: R
3 slimes
New Line Cinema, 1983
Submitted by D-Man
Sam - Devoted husband and father, who is suddenly abducted by aliens, and returns 3 years later a changed man...literally. Ends up converting his son, and taking him back to his new home after showing his true colors.
Rachel - Sam's wife and Tony's mum, who is torn between the returning Sam, and the new man in her life. Becomes the unwilling recipient of a phallic alien larva.
Tony - Sam and Rachael's young son, who witnessed the abduction firsthand, but can't get anyone to believe him. He bonds with his returning father in a whole new way, and does all kinds of weird stuff, before leaving for his new home.
Joe - Rachael's second man, and a somewhat accomplished photographer who just can't seem to get Tony to accept him as a father figure. Dies from one hell of a nasty migraine, courtesy of alien Sam.
Annalise - Bond Girl Maryam D'abo, in her first role! The obligatory French help in the British household, who also enjoys cavorting naked with her boyfriend when no one's around. Gets turned into a yucky egg-making machine.
Woman in Cottage - Exists for the sole purpose of being the victim of the infamous birth scene, still among the nastiest moments in B-movie history.
Snake eggs are an integral part of the alien diet.
Aliens look a lot like guys in rubber who can spider-walk backwards.
Children with magic powers will employ midget clowns to do their bidding.
Converting a human to an alien is pretty much the same as making a new vampire.
Alien larvae look a lot like extra large versions of E.Ts penis.
3 mins Apparently, these creatures have the power to turn daytime into nighttime instantly
5 mins OK, we hear Joe talking, but we dont actually see his face for what seems like forever what the hell is up with that?
6 mins Gah! OK, now I see why.
8 mins Who needs CG, when you have a rubbery costume, and a halfway decent contortionist to slap it on?
14 mins I never knew oral sex could be done with one partner passed out. Hats off to ya, freaky alien.
19 mins Dear god I think Tom Arnolds mom went through the same thing.
25 mins Gratuitous sex scenes gotta love em!
36 mins Why would you do that to your poor kids pet, Sam? You damn glutton.
39 mins This must be where Michael Jackson learned some of his moves
43 mins RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST A SNAKE!
48 mins Ok everything from here on gets extremely effed up. It would require a longer list than Id like to fill out the rest of this films bizarre moments.
Tony: (When asked where the blood found on him came from) Dont know just felt something sticky.
Joe: Look British, think yiddish.
Tony: Why did they take you?
Sam: I was lucky they could have taken anyone.
Joe: (After having a bottle thrown at him) You crazy lunatic youre outta your f**kING MIND!!!
I have never in my life seen anything quite like XTRO. Some may know it as the film with the scene where a woman gives birth to a full-grown man, and indeed that is this nasty little works defining moment. However, there are other things to be said about this weird movie, which was one of the first outings by New Line Cinema by the way.
The plot is very basic, yet extremely confusing at the same time. Little Tony and his Dad are out playing fetch with the dog one day in their pretty English countryside home, until suddenly a bright light comes over the home and everything goes dark. It seems that aliens have come for Tonys dad, without giving any kind of an explanation as to why theyre taking him.
Fast-forward 3 years later, and Tony is still having nightmares about the incident. His mother, however, seems to think that his dad just up and left them both (Funny you think if he simply vanished without a trace, shed at least would have filed a missing person report after a while.) The two now live with an American, Jewish-y photographer named Joe, and a French Au-pair named Annalise (Maryam Dabo, who would later go on to star in The Living Daylights)
Everyones trying to go about their lives the best way they can, until one night when a glowing spacecraft suddenly crashes in the countryside the weird random creature that comes out of it takes some time to kill a motorist who has the nerve to bump it, before heading to a cottage where a young woman lives.
Things immediately start getting nasty when the creature invades the womans home, corners her, and makes her pass out somehow as he attaches a phallic looking limb to her mouth, pumping in god, I dont even want to know.
At the same time, Tonys mom goes to check on her boy, only to find hes covered in blood. A doctor is immediately called over, but he cant seem to find a cause he can only decipher that the blood was not Tonys, and according to the boy Daddy sent it. How he knows this, I havent the slightest clue.
Anyway, the poor young woman wakes up hours later to find that the creature has died and dissolved, its remains being eaten by the dog. She stumbles along to make sense of the whole thing, before her belly suddenly starts getting very, very big. What follows is the stuff of B-movie legend, as Tonys dear daddy pops out of the ladys no-no zone, bloody and fully grown, the victim dying from the ordeal, of course.
Before you have time to wonder what the hell the point of the first monster was, Sam washes himself off, steals some clothes, and heads to the city to find his son. I guess the two now share some kind of telepathic link that nobody bothers to tell us about, because he locates him by the afternoon. Tonys mum discovers them both, and shes none too pleased about him returning as suddenly as he vanished. She asks where hes been, and he says he cant remember.
You know if I had been abducted by aliens, and changed into one of them Im sure by now Id have developed a higher intellect that would have allowed me to come up with a better explanation of where Id been for the past three years, instead of simply faking amnesia. But lets move on
The film gets fairly dull at this point, as were treated to endless conversations between Sam, Rachael, and Joe about finding work and how to co-exist, while miss Annalise tries to keep our interest with sex scenes every so often.
Long story short, Tony discovers his Dads new self after he finds him snacking on his pet snakes eggs. Sam makes an attempt to comfort his son, explaining about how he was changed, before giving him a weird little love nip on the shoulder, apparently converting him to alien-kind as well.
Later on, as Sam and Joe bicker about who should stay and who should go, Tony discovers he now has powers, such as being able to bring inanimate objects to life. Its an ability laden with all sorts of delicious possibilities, and he uses it to bring life to a clown a midget clown, no less. (I think this boy needs a little help in the imagination department).
He uses this power again to exact revenge on the old hag of a neighbor who killed his pet snake, this time bringing a G.I Joe-like action figure to life, and making him human sized. Its an improvement over the clown, but not by much.
But the biggest WTF moment of XTRO, by far, is when Annalises boyfriend is attacked from out of nowhere by a black panther! I have no clue where this thing came from, or what it has to do with anything, but it does its job, leaving Tony and the midget clown to knock Annalise down. They carry her off, and turn her into some kind of freaky cocoon that lays squishy eggs in the bathtub.
Where are the alien brats parents now? Well, they go off together to the countryside in order to take part in some for-old-times-sake screwing. At the same time, Joe gets wise to Sams involvement in the deaths of two innocent bystanders, and tries to run out to warn Rachel, with Tony in tow.
But its too late, as Sam slowly begins to reveal his true self to his wife, his skin melting off to reveal a skeletal alien creature underneath. Joe arrives and attempts to fend him off, but alien Sam simply emits an ear-piercing shriek, strong enough to make Joe bleed from the ears until he dies. (Eat your heart out, Roger Daltrey.)
Rachel can only stand and watch, as alien Sam takes the hand of her son, who is also now slowly changing, and vanishes into the night sky forever. She then returns to her apartment, to find it now completely aglow in white, with a turned over fridge filled with goopy eggs. Instead of running away like a sane person would, she actually picks up one of the eggs and looks at it. Her fate is then well deserved, as an alien phallus, similar to the one that led to Sams rebirth, pops out of the egg and latches onto her mouth. THE END.
The director of XTRO makes no bones about what he was doing in making this film, according to an interview from the DVD. He mainly set out to do the most disgusting things that we could get away with. And if Id had it my way, they would have been more disgusting. He also called the film an extraordinary mess and rubbish.
Yes, XTRO has a lot of dull moments, and its clearly an exploitation film but darn it, theres just something about it that makes it worth watching at least a couple of times. Its weird, its random, and its just yucky all around but you just couldnt make a film like this one today, and thats probably whats so oddly appealing about it.
Last Edit: December 07, 2007, 05:00:29 PM by Andrew
Archeologist, Theologian, Elder Scrolls Addict, and a
B-Movie Kraken
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A good bad movie is like popcorn for the soul!
Re: XTRO (1983)
Reply #1 on:
July 17, 2007, 08:59:09 PM »
They played that movie on my ship several times when I was in the Navy . . .
the French maid was REALLY popular with the sailors!
"I'm always up for a little anarchy, as long as it's well-planned and carefully organized!"
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
Karma: 123
Posts: 2900
Re: XTRO (1983)
Reply #2 on:
October 13, 2007, 04:29:31 PM »
I've always wanted to see this one, if only for Maryam D'abo. Is it a decent film or should I fast forward to the naughty bits?
Due to the horrifying nature of this film, no one will be admitted to the theatre.
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
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Posts: 8448
I know where my towel is.
Re: XTRO (1983)
Reply #3 on:
October 13, 2007, 05:04:12 PM »
Quote from: Neville on October 13, 2007, 04:29:31 PM
I've always wanted to see this one, if only for Maryam D'abo. Is it a decent film or should I fast forward to the naughty bits?
I'd say it is worth viewing. The film has an undercurrent of apprehension of the mother being worried that her husband is going to take their son away from her, making the son more like the father, rather than the mother. Quite a bit of the stuff with the living toys is acceptable, but I thought the weird alien biology angle was more interesting.
Andrew Borntreger
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
Karma: 123
Posts: 2900
Re: XTRO (1983)
Reply #4 on:
October 13, 2007, 05:08:14 PM »
Thanks, I'll see it next time it shows up on TV or something.
Due to the horrifying nature of this film, no one will be admitted to the theatre.
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London – Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown brought new and alarming charges on Tuesday to the broadening scandal enveloping Rupert Murdoch's media empire in Britain, accusing one of the most prestigious newspapers in the group of employing "known criminals" to gather personal information on Mr. Brown's bank account, legal files and tax affairs.
The claims came a day after reports that two Murdoch newspapers may have bribed police officers or used other potentially illegal methods to obtain information about Queen Elizabeth II as well as Mr. Brown.
And two former journalists for The News of the World — the newspaper at the epicenter of the scandal, which the Murdoch family closed last weekend — said on Monday that police officers had been bribed to use restricted cellphone-tracking technology to pinpoint the location of people sought by the papers in their pursuit of scoops.
Political momentum gathered on Tuesday for a sharp, if largely symbolic, rebuke to Mr. Murdoch's News Corporation, in the form of parliamentary motion opposing the company's proposed takeover the satellite broadcast giant British Sky Broadcasting. The government said that it would join the opposition Labour Party and support the motion on Wednesday, calling on Mr. Murdoch to abandon the $12 billion bid for the shares of the broadcaster that his company does not already own. Mr. Murdoch had hoped to save the deal, which still needs regulatory approval, by shuttering The News of the World.
Members of Parliament at a hearing on Tuesday questioned top police officials, including Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who was in charge of the initial hacking inquiry in 2006, and who declined to reopen it in 2009. "In hindsight, had I known what I should have known, it was a poor decision," Mr. Yates said.
A separate Parliamentary committee on Tuesday said it would summon Mr. Murdoch, his son James and Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of News Corporation's British newspaper group, known as News International, to testify before the committee next week, according to news reports.
Since flying to Britain over the weekend, Mr. Murdoch has assumed command of damage control efforts at his London headquarters amid a torrent of new revelations, including reports that newsroom malpractice extended far beyond The News of the World to two other newspapers in his British stable — The Sunday Times, an upmarket broadsheet, and The Sun, the country's highest-selling daily tabloid. Mr. Brown accused The Sunday Times — owned by News International, the British subsidiary of Mr. Murdoch's News Corporation — of employing "known criminals" to gather personal information on his bank account, legal files and "other files — documentation, tax and everything else."
"I think that what happened pretty early on in government is that the Sunday Times appear to have got access to my building society account, they got access to my legal files, there is some question mark about what happened to other files — documentation, tax and everything else," Mr. Brown, who was Britain's Labour prime minister from 2007 to 2010 after serving for a decade as chancellor of the Exchequer, told the BBC on Tuesday.
"I'm shocked, I'm genuinely shocked, to find that this happened because of their links with criminals, known criminals, who were undertaking this activity, hired by investigators working with the Sunday Times," Mr. Brown said.
Mr. Brown added: "I just can't understand this — if I, with all the protection and all the defenses and all the security that a chancellor of the Exchequer or a prime minister has, am so vulnerable to unscrupulous tactics, unlawful tactics, methods that have been used in the way we have found, what about the ordinary citizen?"
The Guardian newspaper reported earlier that Mr. Brown's bank, Abbey National, alerted him that someone acting for The Sunday Times had posed in his name — a practice commonly referred to as identity theft, or blagging — to obtain details of his account six times in 2000, when he was chancellor. The BBC said that the effort was made as part of an inquiry by the paper into allegations that Mr. Brown had bought a property in his native Scotland at below-market value, something Mr. Brown has strongly denied.
But the most damaging aspect of the affair involving Mr. Brown related to his son Fraser, now five years old, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Mr. Brown told the BBC on Tuesday that he had never publicly discussed his son's medical condition. But a person close to Mr. Brown said on Monday that he believed that The Sun gained access to his son's medical records for an article about his illness that ran in November 2006, four months after the boy's birth.
Mr. Brown said on Tuesday that he and his wife Sarah were "in tears" when they learned that details of the health issue were going to appear in the newspaper.
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The BBC, quoting its sources, said the information about the boy's condition had been obtained first by The Sunday Times, and passed to The Sun. Mr. Brown said that Ms. Brooks, then The Sun's editor, called him to tell them that the tabloid knew of the boy's condition, which they had believed was something known only to themselves and medical professionals who were caring for their son.
In a statement, News International said it noted the allegations about Mr. Brown, adding: "So that we can investigate these matters further, we ask that all information concerning these allegations is provided to us," Britain's Press Association news agency reported. The statement said The Sun was satisfied that its story about the boy's cystic fibrosis had been obtained legitimately.
But Mr. Brown said: "They will have to explain themselves. I can't think of any way that the medical condition of a child can be put into the public arena legitimately unless the doctor makes a statement or the family makes a statement."
A person close to Mr. Brown said that the former prime minister asked Scotland Yard last year whether his personal details were among the 11,000 pages of notes seized from Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator working for The News of the World who was jailed in 2007 for hacking the phones of the royal household. Scotland Yard confirmed that, the source said.
Phone hacking and other illegal or unethical methods have also been common at many British newspapers that are not Murdoch-owned. But the focus for now is on the Murdoch empire, which confronted what many have called an existential threat on Monday by revising its attempted $12 billion takeover for Britain's most lucrative satellite television company, British Sky Broadcasting, in ways that appeared to delay the bid for at least six months.
Many commentators in Britain said Mr. Murdoch appeared to be playing for time, in the hope that public and political anger over the current scandal will abate, making room for politicians and regulators to judge the takeover on its business merits, and not on the basis of retribution for the hacking scandal.
The revelations about the intrusive activities directed at the queen and Mr. Brown have seized the headlines, driving home the realization that nobody, not even the most powerful and protected people in the land, had been beyond the reach of news organizations caught up in a relentless battle for lurid headlines and mass circulation.
A wide segment of British society, from celebrities to ordinary families wrestling with personal tragedies, has been shown to be potentially vulnerable to the newspapers' use of cellphone-hacking, identity theft, tracking technology and police bribery — perhaps even clandestine property break-ins, if some reports circulating in recent days are true.
The BBC and The Guardian, in their Monday reports, cited internal e-mails from a News of the World archive in which requests were made for about $1,600 to pay a royal protection officer — one of several hundred Scotland Yard officers eligible to serve in the palace security detail — for classified information about the queen, Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family in what a Scotland Yard official described as a major security breach. The Guardian article said two officers on the royal detail were involved and that the e-mails from an archive assembled by The News of the World were exchanged by a senior executive and a reporter, neither of whom it identified.
The accounts said the money was used to obtain a copy of a contact book used by the royal protection service — a volume known as the Green Book, according to the BBC — that contained information about the queen, Prince Charles, other senior royals and their friends and contacts. A report in The Evening Standard newspaper said the information included "phone numbers, and tips about the movements and activities" of the queen and her husband, Prince Philip. The BBC said the book also gave details of friends of the royal couple, their palace staff and other regular royal contacts. A Guardian report said the police had informed the palace that the cellphones of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, may have also been hacked.
The BBC also reported that an e-mail requesting approval for the money to buy the contacts book was written by Clive Goodman, The News of the World's royal correspondent, who served a four-month jail term in 2007 for his role in an earlier hacking case. The request for funds was addressed to Andy Coulson, a former editor of The News of the World and senior aide to Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr. Coulson was questioned by police for nine hours on the hacking allegation and other alleged abuses after he was arrested last Friday. He was released on bail.
Prime Minister Cameron said on Monday that he was outraged by the diversion of the contact book, describing the alleged police involvement in the palace intrusion as "a dereliction of duty" and adding, "We need to get to the bottom of that if it is true."
Separately, an inquiry by The New York Times, which included interviews with two former journalists at The News of the World, has revealed the workings of the illicit cellphone tracking, which the former tabloid staffers said was known in the newsroom as "pinging." Under British law, the technology involved is restricted to law enforcement and security officials, requires case-by-case authorization, and is used mainly for high-profile criminal cases and terrorism investigations, according to a former senior Scotland Yard official who requested anonymity so as to be able to speak candidly.
According to Oliver Crofton, a cybersecurity specialist who works to protect high-profile clients from such invasive tactics, cellphones are constantly pinging off relay towers as they search for a network, enabling an individual's location to be located within yards by checking the strength of the signal at three different towers. But the former Scotland Yard official who discussed the matter said that any officer who agreed to use the technique to assist a newspaper would be crossing a red line.
"That would be a massive breach," he said.
A former show business reporter for The News of the World, Sean Hoare, who was fired in 2005, said that when he worked there, pinging cost the paper nearly $500 on each occasion. He first found out how the practice worked, he said, when he was scrambling to find someone and was told that one of the news desk editors, Greg Miskiw, could help. Mr. Miskiw asked for the person's cellphone number, and returned later with information showing the person's precise location in Scotland, Mr. Hoare said. Mr. Miskiw, who faces questioning by police on a separate matter, did not return calls for comment.
John F. Burns and Jo Becker reported from London and Alan Cowell from Paris. Ravi Somaiya, Don van Natta and Graham Bowley contributed reporting from London, and J. David Goodman from New York.
This story, "Gordon Brown Alleges Murdoch Paper Hired 'Known Criminals'," originally appeared in The New York Times.


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Cespedes, A's down Angels
Oakland, CA – Yoenis Cespedes went 2-for-4 with four RBI while Seth Smith added a three-run double to lead the Oakland Athletics to another win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 10-6, in the second portion of a three-games series.
The A's have won three in a row following a 1-8 stretch, including a 19-inning marathon on Monday that lasted six hours, 32 minutes.
Tuesday's meeting was two hours, 53 minutes shorter, but the outcome wound up being the same as each of five matchups between these AL West rivals this season -- all Oakland victories.
Jarrod Parker (1-4) earned his first win of the season after allowing four runs -- three earned -- on six hits over six-plus innings, while Garrett Richards (1-2) was shelled for seven runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 frames to take the loss.
"It looked like he was aggressive right away," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Parker. "Hopefully we can get on a roll here in a couple outings and get him past a little bit of a tough time."
Mike Trout powered the Angels' offense with a double, a triple and four RBI, but the club fell for the sixth time in its last seven games.
"We've got to find a way to get leads, hold leads and win games even when you're not as deep as you need to be," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I tell you one thing right now, no one is going to feel sorry for you."
Two Oakland errors in the third inning allowed J.B. Shuck to score, but the A's answered with two runs in the fourth as Cespedes doubled in Smith and scored on a wild pitch.
Trout's double down the third-base line plated Shuck and Erick Aybar in the fifth, but Oakland quickly responded again in the bottom half. John Jaso's flare bounced just inside the left-field line to knock in Derek Norris with the tying run, and, after Adam Rosales worked a walk, Cespedes tripled high off the wall in center to bring in a pair.
In the top of the sixth, Hank Conger was tagged out in a rundown after Brendan Harris grounded back to the pitcher, and a four-spot in the home half padded Oakland's lead.
Richards was pulled with two on and two out, and Nick Maronde walked Jaso to load the bases. Norris raced home on a wild pitch with Rosales at the plate, and after an intentional walk, Smith greeted Barry Enright with a bases- clearing double for a 9-3 cushion.
Trout kept the Angels in striking distance when he tripled in a run and scored on Albert Pujols' groundout in the seventh. Mark Trumbo followed with a solo homer to pull the visitors within 9-6, but that's as close as the Angels got.
Cespedes' sacrifice fly in the eighth accounted for the final score.
Game Notes
The Athletics are 5-0 against the Angels for the first time since 1990 ... Before the game, the Angels placed outfielder Peter Bourjos on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain and activated Aybar from the DL ... The A's go for the sweep Wednesday afternoon with Tommy Milone squaring off against fellow lefty C.J. Wilson.


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Signature Red
Signature Red
Ummm, because it was a Signature color ie 1000 cars.
It was a special perk for the signature series.
@ mumanoff, if they didn't shelve the color there would be a lot of pissed off Signature owners running around saying that Tesla de-valued their vehicles by offering the same "limited" color to everyone.
Available again for the first buyers in Europe and Asia.
I wouldn't mind if they revived Sig Red. It is so gorgeous that it is worth sharing.
I wonder how many Sig Reds are really out there.
I seem to recall that most Sig owners picked Pearl White or Black.
I had trouble wrapping my head around that.
Sig Red was/is too deep and dark for some, and a few even cancelled and waited for MC Red.
On my German order page it is stated that the Signatures are limited to 500 in total.
As a UK SIG Reservation holder I'll sue them to the horizon and beyond, if they introduce that colour or close to it, to non SIG's.
Yes, 500 each for Europe and Asia. Not sure if Asia includes Australia & NZ.
Thanks, Brian. Wasn't sure, if that was per country or whole of Europe, but makes sense now.
@Captain_Zap - I picked Sig Red with White interior because to me that was the essence of a Signature Series car. Love that the car is just a bit different than later production.
To each their own, but I appreciate Tesla keeping some things limited to Sig series.
I thought I understood the "reds" after visiting Menlo Park. There I saw two red color options. One seems a spot on match for "Ferrari" red. It is beautiful, and it will announce you loudly when you drive up. That is the one I think is on the homepage of teslamotors.com, and when I asked permission to go to the service area to see the car, the staff person said it was a Signature Red MS.
The other is the multi-coat red, which is closer to what I would describe as a "burgundy" than the Ferrari red, and I saw two of those cars. It is a beautiful and satisfying color, but it is not striking. As to me, I love black but I almost had buyer's remorse at viewing the Signature Red, except that it wasn't offered when I bought the car, and I don't like to draw attention to myself that strongly.
I find it hard to believe the Signature Red was cancelled because it was a failure of a color option (not enough depth), as opposed to the exclusivity for the early adopters, which seems to be the case. I've seen every color now in person, I believe, and it is an amazing option.
The Signature Red is the dark, burgundy type color, and is no longer available or generally displayed by Tesla. This is a toned down red, which is rich looking and is in fact, a chameleon - the color varies with light intensity. It's an outstanding color, that's why I got the Sig. Red Performance. To me this color is magical. It grabs your attention for the majestic look of the car.
The multicolor Red is the one on display on the Tesla Homepage. That's the one which announces your arrival, like the Ferrari :). It is a brighter color.
I ordered the Multi Coat Red, however I prefer the Signature Red by far - it is a more upscale color. However, I swore I would pick a different color than I had with my previous cars, so I had to go red! :)
The signature red is my favorite color by a land slide, I just couldn't justify the extra cost for a car that was already 2+ times more than I had ever spent on a car. Back in the fall before they had the multi coat red on display I was really hoping it would be more similar to the signature red. When it came out I knew it wasn't for me, its just too bright for my taste. I ended up choosing dolphin grey and haven't had any regrets. Lots of folks have commented that they "like the color". The car is so awesome it looks great no matter what color you end up choosing.
Car is outstanding in any color, and to each his own. As long as you are happy, that's all that matters.I think we all are fortunate to own this car, for one reason or another :).
I've got the MC Red and, though I do love it, it's too loud for me. My neighbor called it "lipstick red", and that seems fairly appropriate. But it suits the car and really shows off the lines. The contrast with the chrome and black of the panoramic sunroof really makes it look sleek.
But I really would have preferred the Sig Red. Anyone want to trade? My MC Red 40 for a Sig Red? :-)
...to each his own..I prefer (and bought) the multi-coat 'arrest me' red..and think it looks fabulous.
I have the sig red vin 213 and every comment after "what a gorgeous car!" is, "What a gorgeous color". I actually ponied up an additional $35,000 deposit to get this color once I saw the regular production range had no red to choose from. Also had the benefit of getting my car 7 months earlier and don't regret it a bit. I would be very upset if the sig red was used on any future production.
I also ponied up an additional $35K even though I had a 2009 reservation - #614 - half so I could get a Signature and be in the first 1000 and half b/c I loved that burgundy! I was told by TM that about 50-60% of the Sig owners opted for the "Sig Red" (burgundy) color. The other colors are not unique to the Sigs, but if you pass another burgundy on the road, as I did last week, you'll know that they have a no more than 3-digit VIN number.
TM had better NOT bring back the color, as it demarks my car and the other 500-600 or so as Signatures, and us as early believers. It was a great marketing idea and now they have to fulfill that by using a different (and widely appreciated) red.
It will be brought back for Sig Model X, European and Asian sales of Model S Sigs, and Sig Gen III sedans and Xovers.
As it should be, Brian.
And what about MATTRESS tags ;)
I have sig red with white interior, and grey 21" wheels, I think it is the best color combo! yeah we paid extra to have the limited edition color to be in the first 1000 buyers. Tesla did not "cancel" it, they know what it meant -Limited! I never had a red car before, but I love this one. It is more muted than the regular red, which is too red for me.
I love my Sig Red, but if it had been available or I had been willing to wait another six months to get my Model S I would have chosen the green. It's almost black until the light hits it. In my opinion the green is a much more unusual/original color than the sig red.
I understand how Tesla would want to do something special and "limited" for the first Signature owners in terms of the way the car looks. But there are many ways in which this can be accomplished without taking an entire color option (both for interior and exterior) "off the menu" after the first few cars. Especially if they already offer such an amazingly short list of color options to begin with. For the interior it's almost ridiculous - black, tan or grey and that's it? How hard is it to buy a few more colors of leather? Aftermarket parties, even small ones, offer hundreds of colors from a catalog.
Still, I guess it's better than back in the day with the Model T Ford :)
I also prefer the Sig Red to the MC Red. The MC Red is "pay attention to me" while the Sig Red is "I've arrived". Sig red is much more sophisticated and classy. I wish they offered it to everyone.
I have a sig, and chose black because my previous car was almost the same color as the sig red. I agree with others that this car looks great in any color! I love the pearl white, and the brown surprisingly looks great in person. But I'm still happy with the black.
@Epley, thanks for your comment on the brown, I ordered in that color but have never seen it in person (and as a European buyer I will have to wait a few months yet in agony before I finally get to see it) :-)
If ModS reservations ever slump, I wouldn't be surprised to see an "Anniversary", or a "Limited Edition Back to the Future" special featuring the Sig Red and/or White Interior. They were gorgeous and I think would motivate sales.
Sorry! Keep dreaming!
Pebell, you said:
I understand how Tesla would want to do something special and "limited" for the first Signature owners in terms of the way the car looks. But there are many ways in which this can be accomplished without taking an entire color option...."
Sorry, but those of us who got the Sigs, especially the Sig. red, which really stands out, want exactly the distinction Tesla promised, a "limited" color.
And our interior choices were also limited to 2 or 3.
"Sorry, but those of us who got the Sigs, especially the Sig. red, which really stands out, want exactly the distinction Tesla promised, a "limited" color."
Agree completely with rzitrin. As a sig red owner this was part of the deal when we paid the extra $10K or so for the signature vehicle last year as first adopters. We kept our side of the bargain and expect TM to do the same. It is a beautiful color.
Doubt it. The color was guaranteed exclusive. It would set off a firestorm.
We love our Sig Red, and as soon as the oportunity came to get on the Signature Queue we jumped on with the extra down payment. The car came on Dec 23 and with a huge red bow on the frunk. A bright red bow distinguishing the Deep signature red color. The Sig Red makes the Model S richly stand out in any group of cars. Many admirers recognize the Rich Signature color.
Where do the nice dressed up Teslas hang out or charge their cars in Los Angeles and Orange County California?
I don't know but I'm another SoCallian that would like to find out.


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Despite her background as a psychologist, Harley Quinn doesn't seem to be dealing with loss very well. The teaser for the upcoming "Harley Quinn's Revenge" add-on for Batman: Arkham City sees the murderous moll grow even darker, even managing to gun down the Dark Knight.
It's already been leaked that you'll spend part of the time playing as Robin in the story-based downloadable content, and apparently you'll be trying to rescue Batman from Harley's clutches. Harley Quinn's Revenge drops onto Xbox 360 and PS3—via download or on-disc as part of the Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition—and in two weeks.


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liaison necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 74 diseños de 22 diseñadores freelance.
We're looking for a nice, classic logo that communicates upscale window coverings and home decor accessories (99% drapes/curtains/window coverings).
See provided specs document
It has to be retail style and super professional. It's an existing company with an existing logo, but we need to bring it up to date. While we have a color panel and font you'll work with, the rest is up to you. You can to the obvious logo with drapes included or something classic with a scroll. This is a boutique-style shop with really rich looking fabrics and style.
- We monitor contests closely
- We VALUE your TIME and TALENT
- We provide 100% feedback on ALL entries
- We decide at contest end and PAY FAST (Paypal only)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We will present 5 top entries to the decision team. We will rate which concepts are currently the top 5 with 5 star ratings.Concepts will remain in the top 5 unless a better concept comes along and knocks them out.Everyone will know where they stand. No entries will be ignored,feedback for ALL. Be sure to get your entries in by Sunday night 12/7/08. We will present to the team on Monday 12/8 and use the remaining contest days for revisions. We value your time and appreciated all efforts!
* 5 Stars = In the Top 5
* 4 Stars = Will be in the Top 5 if requested edits done
* 3 Stars = Potential to be in Top Five - try again
* 2 Stars = Good concept, but it's just not for us
* 1 Star = It's not for us, try reading the brief once more
- Clean Vector Artwork Only
- Use provided color panel only
- Use provided font only
- Maybe try flourishes/scrolls/fleur de lis, etc. The stuff you see on the drapery hardware/rod ends
- Logos presented on white background (you can present an additional on color background with bells/whistles if you like, but we must have one on a white background to see how the logo stands alone)
- Stretch your creative muscles and come up with something that's dynamic and communicates class & quality
- Something so complicated, it does not print well on signage
- Web 2.0 styling/shading
- Non-vector artwork
- Concepts not using the provided color panel
- Concepts not using the provided font
- Download COLORS PANEL here
- Download FONTS here
- View Sample Drapes to Get Idea of the Image/Quality we need
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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3 die when small plane crashes in coastal SC
S.C. (AP) — A private twin-engine aircraft has crashed near a
subdivision in coastal South Carolina, killing all three people onboard.
Horry (OHR'-ee) County Coroner Robert Edge identified the victims Saturday night as 39-year-old James Major of Conway, 42-year-old Kenneth Piuma of Myrtle Beach and 16-year-old Donald Dale Becker of Conway.
Edge said Major was piloting the plane when it apparently struck a power line while attempting to return to Conway-Horry County Airport Saturday afternoon.
Edge said, "When they hit the power line, it set them nose down first."
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the Beechcraft BE55 Baron was destroyed.
Kirk Lovell with the Horry County Department of Airports says the aircraft clipped some electrical wires when it went down, cutting power to the area.
The crash in Conway happened just 15 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.
Source: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/3-die-when-small-plane-crashes-in-coastal-SC-4705080.php?t=5b8fddb61a


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Health care in Ohrid, Europe
Ohrid is the 8th largest city of Macedonia; it is referred to as the Balkan Jerusalem with the hundreds of churches, attracting tourists with the well preserved 18th century architecture; as well as amazing views from the hills and the lake.
Besides the natural and historical heritage sites of Unesco; Ohrid has to a lot to offer when it comes to health care. The city has four clinics; which provide health care for the population of the entire region and the guests of Ohrid. The Ohrid medical association is working with international organization and local authorities; with the goal of meeting international standards of health care. The authorities in Ohrid have taken special measures to ensure all foreign citizens get the highest quality heath care services. Along with hiring translators to help the patients.
In first place we have to mention the Ohrid general health care hospital
However, it has some of the best equipment; as well as well trained specialists in Macedonia; in 2013 the hospital had sent many of its physycians for additional training in Istanbul and Beograd. Two surgeons were sent to Beograd in Serbia for training in laparoscopic surgery; the surgery department has six new surgical suites. Breast cancer reconstructive surgery; among other things.
Another department of the hospital; which recently received new equipment. It's working in cooperation with specialists in Beograd to train specialists is the Ophthalmology department. A new laser will be providing maximum protection of vision in patients with diabetes; this laser burns blood vessels in the back of the eye. Thus, protection from retinopathy leading to blindness. The hospital also has specialized departments of Geriatrics, Pediatric care, Neuropsychiatric diseases, Infectious diseases, Gynecology; as well as Radiology.
The Tomograph; which the hospital now has allows the most accurate diagnosis and currently is used to for over 300 cases a month; patients no longer have to travel to Skopje for diagnostics. However, there are no waiting lists anymore. However, radiotherapy for lung cancer would still require travel to Skopje.
One of the issues the Ohrid General hospital is experiencing is the lack of specialists
Nonetheless, the surgery department is handling more patients than its capable; since it is taking care of emergency cases of people from the entire Republic of Macedonia; as well as tourists from abroad. The solution for now is the temporary appointment of specialists from other hospitals in the region; for the periods with more visitors in the town.
The other hospital of Ohrid; which we should mention is St. Erazmo hospital of Orthopedic surgery and Traumatology. St, Erazmo is the macedonian transliteration of St. Erasmus. Therefore, this is the only specialized hospital of traumatology; as well as orthopedics in Macedonia. Healthcare in Macedonia started developing rapidly after the beginning of Socialism; new hospitals were founded all over the People's Republic of Macedonia; (part of Yugoslavia back then); and this was one of them.
Being the first а Hospital for treatment of bone-joint tuberculosis
St. Erazmo hospital is located at the coast of Ohrid lake. But as Macedonia started developing economically; throughout the years at St. Erazmo Hospital, new specialties were adopted for the complete surgical treatment. Along with rehabilitation of almost all diseases of the locomotory system. Be that as it may, the hospital nowadays is treating thousands of patients from entire Macedonia; and helping them recover.