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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids have acquired a 2014 conditional draft pick from the Houston Dynamo, trading forward Macoumba Kandji to the Eastern Conference club in exchange.
"Everyone at the Rapids will always remember Mac's role in helping the club win the 2010 MLS Cup," said Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo. "We all want to thank him for what he gave Colorado, and wish him the best going forward."
Kandji originally joined the Rapids late in 2010, and in MLS Cup that season made the play that led to the game-winning overtime goal. He tore the ACL in his left knee in the process, and made his return to competitive action midway through the 2011 season. In two seasons with Colorado, Kandji played 16 regular season games (starting five) with three assists, and also appeared as a substitute in six playoff matches.


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Probe into what teachers' group knew about paedophile and damning email.
What a teachers' union knew about paedophile James Parker in 1999 is being investigated, as is an email that is critical of the woman who raised the issue.
Parker, formerly deputy principal of Pamapuria School in Kaitaia, is facing 23 new charges of sexual offending against boys, in addition to the 49 charges he pleaded guilty to earlier this year.
Last week, Fiona Lovatt Davis, a former principal at Oturu School, which is also in the Far North, told Radio New Zealand she went to police in 1999 with concerns which arose when Parker's then-girlfriend told her Parker would leave their bed to sleep with pupils staying at their home.
Both Parker and his girlfriend worked at the school.
Ms Lovatt Davis claimed police did not follow up at the time and told the Herald that a meeting took place between her, Parker and a union representative - who she described as a "field officer" from teachers' union the New Zealand Educational Institute, but who also was on staff at Pamapuria.
That meeting was not about the girlfriend's allegation because Ms Lovatt Davis said she'd only told the police and a board member about it. The meeting discussed Parker's registration, specifically that he wasn't meeting the standards to become a fully registered teacher. Parker brought up the fact that she had called police, Ms Lovatt Davis said.
"The NZEI field officer received all her news from Jamie and from Jamie supporters," Ms Lovatt Davis said.
"The report from his girlfriend was not an allegation of sexual abuse. It was a story she told that seemed to need an investigation and a reminder to Jamie to guard his professionalism. I believe he used our discipline meeting [with the NZEI field officer] to accuse me of taking an embittered girlfriend's vicious story too seriously. Once they had reunited, she saw no need to pursue the story.
"I would suggest that NZEI field officers are not drawn directly from the wider community. The field officer should be an impartial person, free from the town gossip. In Kaitaia the gossip ran against me and pro Jamie. She bought it all and dressed me down in that meeting. Both of them did. It was very unpleasant."
Yesterday a spokeswoman for the NZEI said an investigation was under way. Asked whether it would look at what the union knew about the allegation surrounding Parker in 1999, she said: "NZEI is conducting an internal investigation into the comments made by Ms Lovatt Davis."
It is also conducting a separate investigation after the union's legal services director, John Robson, accidentally emailed the Herald about who Ms Lovatt Davis might have dealt with.
"Field officers don't have schools so it may be that Ms L-D was in fact not referring to an NZEI staffer, and maybe a principal with some kind of profile as an NZEI activist. I'll keep you posted." Regarding Ms Lovatt Davis, he also said: "She was the bane of [lawyer] david [sic] Martin's life and in our joint view, one or two sandwiches short of the proverbial."
In response Ms Lovatt Davis said: "If their chat is about me you can see how easy it is for a paedophile to present himself as having the full complement of sandwiches for the proverbial. They can enjoy the knowledge that together they chose not to believe a creative teacher and to favour a child molester. So even now NZEI fails."

subset: commoncrawl


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Dhwanit Rele, Mumbai-based skating coach, has been training young skaters into making them world-class athletes.
Inspiration can come from various places, for some it's injustice or simply the need to prove others wrong; for Cyrus Khan, a Parkour enthusiast, it is inactivity. "I hate sitting, I detest sitting. Sitting is the bane of my existence," he says.
Meet Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, the man behind the preservation of India's film heritage through his organisation Film Heritage Foundation.
Have you ever made a paper boat, fan or plane? A tipi-tipi tap? Knowingly or unknowingly, we've all done origami sometime in our lives. Derived from the Japanese words, Oru and Kami, which literally mean paper folding, origami's premise is pretty simple: you start with a square or rectangular sheet of paper and transform it, through folding techniques, into a sculpture. It could be a swan, crane, violin, headphones, a fictional character… anything! It is, essentially, a craft that has been developed into an art, says Himanshu Agarwal, a Mumbai-based origami artist. The idea of origami is not restricted to a certain kind of paper, size or technique. Though the use of glue and cuts is often used to make larger and more intricate designs, it is discouraged in modern origami. Agarwal feels that it is more of a test than discouragement. He says, "It's like a challenge, can you make it (origami) from a single sheet of paper."
The pehelwans practice Kushti in these akharas twice a day, while juggling day jobs
24-year-old Gladson Peter from Mumbai has learnt to play over 45 instruments, and his kit weights around 25 kgs
Mumbai and Navi Mumbai were built on land 'reclaimed' from the sea — and wetlands and mangroves were the collateral damage
In the maddening bustle of Mumbai's Girgaum locality, a quaint little street leads to the 200-year-old heritage precinct of Khotachiwadi.
Roksolana Chubenko, popularly known as Roxy, shot to fame when she was recently asked by Jacqueline Fernandez to train her in pole dancing for a Bollywood movie. Born and brought up in Ukraine, this pole dancer started training to dance at an early age and took up pole dancing as a hobby during her college days.
The couple has been in the news in the past few weeks for a letter they have addressed to the President of India with an appeal for 'active euthanasia'. The Lavates are registered as organ donors, and reason that it's better they die while their organs are still functioning perfectly, instead of later, from an ailment or disease. The couple's utilitarian view of life includes leaving behind their bodies for medical research and their property to the government. They also believe it's unfair that they be made to live up to a point where they contract a disease or infection, and are forced to spend money on treatment, before finally dying.


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Search Results
There are 11 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Higley Schools".
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 11
- 1. AZ Central's Mark Olalde's $10,000 Plus OOOPS!
by Rebecca Jarman
Candidate for Higley School Board
AZ Central's reporter Mark Olalde's article, seen here, creates the exact "political spin" which I speak of in my November 10 Rebecca Jarman for Higley Facebook post.
Olalde's failure to mention the Keeping Higley Strong PAC's campaign finance report, with its $10,000 plus in donations/expenditures for support of Whitener and Wojtovich, Superintendent Birdwell's publically declared favorites, has duped the community into the false belief that similar amounts were spent on all four of the candidate's campaigns for the two open positions on the HUSD Governing Board.Click here to read more
- 2. Please Stand Up for Michelle Anderson!
Ms. Michelle Anderson ran an excellent campaign for Higley School board. She lost by only 93 votes. With the recent resignation of board member Denise Standage, one would think that Ms. Anderson would be the most likely person to fill the position. However, Higley's Superintendent Dr. Birdwell and Board President Venessa Whitener ignored her and submitted three other names to the Maricopa County School Superintendent Don Covey for consideration.
Please read Ms. Anderson's statement below, and then send an email to Dr. Covey and copy Maricopa County Supervisor Denny Barney, asking that Ms. Anderson be chosen. Here are their email addresses: email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com.
Superintendent Covey is not required to select one of the three names submitted. The next step as far as the County is concerned is to hold a Nominee Seminar as a kind of combination training and job interview. Superintendent Covey has to choose the new Board member within a week after the Nominating Seminar.
Superintendent Covey will be inclined to pick from Dr. Birdwell's list. The only way it will turn out differently is if voters let their voices be heard!
Here is a statement from Ms. Anderson:Click here to read more
- 10. Higley Unified School District Town Hall Meeting 1/16/2014
by Greg Hansen
Resident in LD12 and HUSD and Gilbert Taxpayer
The Higley Unified School District (HUSD) Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2014 addressed two topics:
#1 what information do parents currently receive from the district, school, and classroom?
#2 what information do parents want to receive from the district, school, and classroom?
There were about 20-25 parents who sat in small groups around tables. A proctor used a PowerPoint presentation to lead parents through discussion sessions regarding communication at the district, school, and classroom level. After each prompt, groups were allowed to discuss, write notes on a presentation-board, and give results to the overall group. This was not necessarily a time to ask the proctor questions; rather, this was a time to list what communication parents currently receive and what parents want to additionally receive.
The overarching consensus of the Town Hall Meeting was that parents wanted more—more flyers, more information, more updates, and more notices. At the same time, it was obvious that parents were not reading the majority of information already available to them. Many parents were candid that the large volume of information already available and a lack of interest in following school policy and politics contributed to their lack of zeal.Click here to read more
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 11


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Terre - Proctor compaction: Proctor moulds and rammers, ASTM/AASHTO
Used for determining the relationship between the moisture content and density of compacted soil. The mould includes collar, mould body and base plate. The rammer construction includes a guide sleeve with vent holes. Different versions are available that conform to the various commonly used...continua


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New triggers for weight gain: Researchers focus on air pollution, sleep deprivation
As obesity rates soar worldwide, the antidote may seem obvious: Eat less! Move more! But the common-sense approach hasn't been terribly effective, prompting some scientists to question the simplicity of the formula.
Although personal decisions and self-control certainly play a large role in weight gain, a burgeoning area of research suggests that other factors, from air pollution to sleep deprivation, might be subtly helping humans pack on the pounds.
Obesity, it turns out, is a complex condition that involves multiple genes and pathways. Scientists are finding that certain exposures or conditions can change the body's metabolism, disrupt the trillions of microbes working in the gut and alter hormonal levels in ways that affect a person's weight.
Studies have identified nearly a dozen factors besides overeating and inactivity that can help make people fat, including chemicals in the environment. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children and teens with higher levels of the chemical bisphenol A in their urine were more likely to be overweight or obese than others. It's next to impossible to avoid BPA, which is used to make shatterproof plastics and resins and is found in some food packaging, toys, cash register receipts and thousands of other products.
"It's an epidemic of 1,000 paper cuts," said Andrew Rundle, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, whose research explores environmental triggers of obesity. "For some people, appeals to personal responsibility will work. For others, we have to think about all the systemic things going on. I don't discount personal choice and responsibility. It's just way more complicated than that."
Current public health initiatives on obesity tend to aim at just two targets: Americans' lack of physical activity and the marketing practices of the food industry. That "somewhat obsessive" focus has come at a cost, said David Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Though the "big two" play a role, taking a myopic view "has led to the neglect of other plausible mechanisms and (to) well-intentioned but ill-founded proposals for reducing obesity rates," Allison wrote in a 2006 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, one of the first to offer creative explanations for weight gain.
Lauren Brush, of Chicago, is one of many who have tried following the conventional advice with little success. Though she says she sticks to a strict 1,200-calorie diet and exercises regularly with a heart-rate monitor, the 24-year-old is still heavier than she'd like to be.
"I always thought of weight loss as a simple format - calories in and calories out," said Brush, who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 160 pounds. "I've found that's not the case whatsoever."
Brush has been fighting to lose weight since childhood. In college, she worked with nutritionists on portion size and making smart food choices. She has been tested for food allergies and tried gluten- and dairy-free diets. She has counted calories and, when that didn't work, ignored them. Doctors have ruled out thyroid issues and problems with her metabolism, she said.
"I'm somewhat convinced at this point that it might have something to do with an insulin resistance, because diabetes is prevalent in my family," she said. "But it's very frustrating to work your butt off and not get results, like wanting something you can't have."
Here's a closer look at three factors researchers say contribute to weight gain:
The air a pregnant woman breathes could predispose her child to obesity, according to an emerging field of research that looks at prenatal exposure to diesel exhaust.
In one of the first human studies, researchers found that pregnant women in New York City exposed to higher concentrations polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, were more than twice as likely than other women to have children who were obese by age 7.
"Not only was their body mass higher, but it was higher due to body fat rather than bone or lean muscle mass," said Robin Whyatt, study co-author and deputy director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health.
PAHs, a group of more than 100 chemicals, are byproducts of burning coal, oil, gas, tobacco and garbage. Most people are exposed through vehicle exhaust, smoke, soot and foods that are grilled, barbecued or smoked. Common indoor sources include cigarette smoke, candles and incense and home heating fuels.
The findings, published in April in the American Journal of Epidemiology, fit with evidence gleaned from previous research on animals and cell cultures. In pregnant mice, exposure to PAHs causes weight gain in their babies. Rundle and Whyatt's work found PAHs may affect the functioning of fat cells.
"Fat cells are like a storage container for lipids," Rundle said. "As they swell, they get heavier because more is being stored. When you start to exercise or diet, the fat cells are supposed to release lipids; that's how you lose weight. There's some data showing PAHs interfere with that process."
Like many pollutants, PAHs can mimic the effects of estrogen, meaning they can influence the body's hormonal signaling system. "Estrogen is ... extremely important during fetal development and in the reproductive system," Whyatt said.
More research is needed to strengthen the link between air pollution and obesity. But for people with poor diets and sedentary lives, prenatal exposure to air pollution may make them even more susceptible, Rundle said.
The human digestive tract is a lush ecosystem containing microorganisms that play a crucial role in digestion. But research shows that changing the delicate mix of bacteria may lead to weight gain.
Antibiotics, which wipe out both harmful and helpful bacteria, are one of the most common ways to upset the balance.
Studies suggest that microbes in the intestines affect the way the body metabolizes food. Early exposure to antibiotics may kill off healthy bacteria that influence the absorption of nutrients and help keep people lean, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor in pediatrics, environmental medicine and health policy at the New York University School of Medicine.
Trasande's team recently looked at more than 10,000 children and found that infants who had received antibiotics in their first six months were more likely to be overweight or obese as toddlers than other babies. The timing mattered; children given antibiotics between 6 months and 14 months of age didn't show a similar effect, according to the research, published last month in the International Journal of Obesity.
Another study, published last month in Nature, found that mice treated with antibiotics packed on up to 15 percent more body fat than those who weren't. The antibiotics seemed to shift the balance of certain gut microbes and affected hormones related to metabolism, the researchers found.
The microbes found in mice that ate antibiotics produced more short-chain fatty acids, a type of fat that cells use for energy, said lead author Ilseung Cho, assistant professor of medicine at the NYU's School of Medicine. "Ultimately, we were able to affect body composition and development in young mice by changing their gut microbiome through (antibiotic) exposure," he said.
The fattening effect parallels what is already seen with livestock. Farmers commonly use small doses of antibiotics to plump up cattle, pigs and chickens without increasing calories.
But antibiotics might not be the only thing changing the body's microbiome. Overconsumption of fructose and artificial sweeteners can affect microbes in the gastrointestinal tract and may contribute to metabolic disorders and obesity, according to a study published last month in Obesity Reviews.
Fructose, found in honey, fruits, table sugar, corn syrup, root vegetables and other sources, is easily absorbed by the body. But researchers found that when too much fructose is consumed, it reduces the diversity of the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
Sleeping less than six hours a night doesn't just make people irritable. It can mess up the systems in the brain that regulate metabolism, said the University of Chicago's Kristen Knutson, an assistant professor of medicine who recently reviewed published research on the topic in the American Journal of Human Biology.
Sleep deprivation can alter the circulating levels of the hormones that control hunger. "For example, after a short sleep, ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is higher, and leptin, which signals satiety or fullness, is lower," Knutson said.
Sleep-restricted people also report greater levels of hunger, particularly for calorie-dense foods, Knutson said.
A lack of sleep may also decrease resting metabolic rates, or the number of calories burned while doing nothing, said sleep loss expert Dr. Orfeu Buxton, a neuroscientist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and assistant professor in the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Buxton's latest research, published in April in the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed that getting less sleep - five or six hours a night - and having disrupted circadian rhythms also increased the glucose concentration in the blood after meals. High blood sugar increases a person's risk of Type 2 diabetes, a condition closely correlated with obesity.
During the nine days that volunteers received recovery sleep and had their body clocks realigned, their metabolism normalized.
Sleep loss could also lead to weight gain in simpler ways: It gives people more time to eat, and it can make people tired and lethargic, reducing physical activity.
"Diet, sleep and exercise are the three pillars of health," Buxton said. "Start with diet to maintain or lose weight. Sleep supports a healthy diet - if you're rested, a salad will appeal more than the stale doughnut with the pink frosting in the break room. Once that's stable, then you can increase physical activity."
In addition to air pollution, gastrointestinal bacteria and sleep deprivation, a number of other overlooked factors that may affect weight have been identified by researchers:
Maternal age, weight:
Women are waiting longer to have children, and children of older women are more likely to become obese. Overweight pregnant women, meanwhile, can unwittingly pre-program their offspring for obesity, research shows.
More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere:
According to one hypothesis, outlined in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, inhaling increased amounts of carbon dioxide makes the blood more acidic (or decreases its pH level). In the brain, a lower pH level may cause appetite-related neurons to fire more frequently, leading to increased appetite and decreased activity.
Indoor heat:
Colder temperatures can activate brown adipose tissue, which burns rather than stores calories. According to a study published last year in the journal Obesity Reviews, room temperatures have increased in both the U.S. and Britain since the 1960s. In mildly cold conditions (such as a chilly room), people generate extra heat without shivering. This may trigger brown fat to consume calories to keep the body warm. Studies suggest that increased time spent in warm conditions may lead to a loss of brown fat and a reduced capacity to burn energy.
Air conditioning:
When it's hot, people eat less. Air conditioning could also keep people indoors, reducing outdoor exercise.
Endocrine disrupters:
Chemical compounds that mimic or block the body's hormonal actions, including bisphenol A and phthalates, have been linked to obesity in young children. Research suggests prenatal exposure to some chemicals may affect weight later in life.
Adenoviruses cause respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. One called adenovirus 36 has been linked to weight gain; a study found it may infect fat cells, making them grow more quickly and multiply in greater numbers than normal. Further research is needed.
Pharmaceutical drugs:
Weight gain is associated with several commonly used medicines, including drugs for depression, diabetes, allergies, hypertension, contraception and mental illness.
Decreased smoking:
In the short term, nicotine increases energy expenditure and may reduce appetite. This could explain why light smokers tend to have lower body weight than do nonsmokers and why people often gain weight after quitting.
SOURCES: American Journal of Epidemiology, BMC Gastroenterol Journal, Obesity Reviews
Explore further
(c)2012 Chicago Tribune
Distributed by MCT Information Services


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Telescope Peak Climber's Log
Steve Larson - Jan 15, 2006 10:32 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Flat trail Date Climbed: January 15, 2006
Temps in the teens and wind 20-30 mph most of the day. Incredible views all around from the top.
jefflach - Dec 6, 2005 6:07 pmRoute Climbed: Trail from Mahogany Flat Date Climbed: December 4th, 2005
Beautiful hike. I reached the summit just as the sun was setting.
blmcclain - Nov 25, 2005 11:22 pmRoute Climbed: Trail from Mahogany Flat Date Climbed: November 23rd, 2005
YES! Finally took this bad boy down. Had the mountain all to myself this day. Attempted Telescope last Thanksgiving but was turned back 1/4 mi. below the summit because of high snow conditions. This time there was absolutely no snow. Made the summit in 2h45m with a RT time of 5h30m for the 12 mi. trail. As usual, views were stunning and the wind at the top was strong and cold.
graham - Nov 25, 2005 5:40 pmRoute Climbed: Normal trail Date Climbed: Oct-23-2005
Hiked up the normal trail after abandoning an attempt to do the hike from Badwater due to rain and the closure of the Westside road.
Also, dayhiked up from Shorty's Well with Tony and ET (Oct-07). We exited via Mahogany Flats and we're lucky to get a ride back to Badwater with some tourists.
asmrz - Nov 15, 2005 9:41 pmRoute Climbed: Trail from Mahogany Flat Date Climbed: November 13th, 2005
Penelope May and I hiked the Mahogany trail to the Telescope Peak summit on November 13th, 2005. This was the second summit trip for Ms. May and the first tiime for me. The views from the summit are really special. I don't remember when I ever saw better view in all directions. Penelope thought she even recognised Mt. Baldy and San Jacinto way down on Southern California skyline. The view of High Sierra, Langley, Whitney, Russell, El Segundo Buttress of Whitney Portal and Charleston Peak to the East, were splendid.
HeyItsBen - Oct 25, 2005 10:01 pmRoute Climbed: Main trail Date Climbed: October 13 2005
Perfect time of year, amazing views!
Bob Sihler - Sep 27, 2005 8:21 pmRoute Climbed: standard Date Climbed: March 24, 1997
reached summit with brothers Chris and Mike; Matthew didn't make it. Great hike with spectacular views, cool to find snow in Death Valley N.P., best view from saddle about 2 miles into hike-- covers breadth of Death Valley to the east and gives first glimpse of the snow-capped High Sierra to the west-- incredible to behold for first time.
Dennis Poulin - Aug 25, 2005 6:41 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Campground Trail Date Climbed: 19 August 2005
Beautiful day for a great hike. Not too hot if you start early.
easleygone - Jul 31, 2005 10:40 amRoute Climbed: Trail Date Climbed: July 1996
Pretty much a long walk, and much cooler than the
Death Valley scene below you. Lots of interesting
sites including some ancient kilns from long ago.
DeeDee - Jul 26, 2005 10:38 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Flats Trail Date Climbed: November 29, 2002
Summited in a snow storm.
Matthew Holliman - Jul 17, 2005 10:58 pmRoute Climbed: From Charcoal Kilns Date Climbed: June 6, 2005
After a longer-than-expected day on Mt. Whitney on Sunday (and a couple of other harder-than-expected days around Kennedy Meadows and Whitney Portal on Friday and Saturday), I changed plans from Irvine/McAdie today to find something with less snow... a DPS peak fit the bill. Telescope Peak was the only such peak for which I had a map with me, so I headed out here from Lone Pine.
Started from Charcoal Kilns via the road/trail, and returned along the ridge tagging Bennett and Rodgers before heading XC back down to the road. Nice, easy outing.
ajc7 - Jun 4, 2005 8:34 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Flats Trail Date Climbed: June 2, 2005
Expected more snow, but we only had to cross a few small patches. We had to cut a few switchbacks near the top to avoid snow, but leaving the crampons in the car turned out to be a good decision. It was a nice day hike. We left Mahogany Flats at 9:15am, summitted at 12:30, and returned to Mahogany Flats at 3:30 after a long, relaxing lunch at the peak.
Rick Kent - May 31, 2005 8:58 pmRoute Climbed: Shortys Well to the summit and back Date Climbed: May 29, 2005
I think this qualifies as an "epic" day. 31 miles round trip. 11500+ ft gain. Starting point below sea level. Quite a bit of cross country. Some sections with a lot of loose scree. Starting temperature 92 degrees at 4:00am. Definitely would have been easier to take the trail down to Mahagony Flat. But as usual I opted for the hard way (all the way back down to the bottom). Snow still on top slowed me down a bit but once I got to that point absolutely nothing was going to turn me back. As I expected, this was an agonizingly long hike: the most distance, most gain, and longest time for any dayhike I have done.
Rick Kent - May 31, 2005 8:52 pmRoute Climbed: Started from the Kilns Date Climbed: Jan 30, 2005
Had to start at the Charcoal Kilns due to snow. My friend Brian brought skiis. Due to the snow we didn't stick to the regular trail route but attacked Rogers Peak more directly and then followed the ridge. It was a tough day. Lots of snow, extreme wind, etc. But it was rewarding.
ExploreABitMore - Mar 4, 2005 10:26 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Flats Trailhead Date Climbed: 04/25/04
Beautiful day .. met some nice ppl on top. Also did Rodgers and Bennet on the return. Views were great for the whole hike.
agorokhov - Dec 6, 2004 1:20 pmRoute Climbed: Mahogany Flat Trail Date Climbed: December, 4 2004
Climbed with M.Forjan.
Summited Bennett Peak (9980') on the way.
one6180339 - Aug 21, 2004 2:41 pm Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2003Route Climbed: trail from Mahogany Flats Date Climbed: July 20, 02003
Camped at the Flats the night after flying to Vegas. Great early morning jaunt up to the summit.
fugla - Jun 29, 2004 3:58 pmDate Climbed: April 29, 2004
A relief to get away from the heat of the valley. Nice view of Whitney, although hazy.
birdhead - Jun 22, 2004 12:15 pmRoute Climbed: Standard Route Date Climbed: March 2003
It took us two hours to nurse Damon's '86 Forunner up to Mahogany Flats. The hike made for a long day. I forgot my food and then split my knee open when I fell on the descent. Climbed with Damon and Chuck through deep snow most of the way. Headed straight up the ridge to the summit. Great views of the Sierra.


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It wasn't a good year for great films, but it was a pretty good year for good films, making this year's Oscar race a little more wide open than usual.
Many Las Vegas sports books post odds on the Oscar races but it's all good speculative fun as U.S. casinos prohibit wagering on entertainment events that have known outcomes. If you really want to put some money down search out some international online sites where laws aren't quite as prohibitive. Kevin Bradley, sports book manager for Bovada, a sports betting site licensed in Canada told the Los Angeles Times that Oscar business is up 20% from last year.
Bradley, who has been tracking the race since the award season began, said the biggest movement has been in the best picture race. "Four score and seven weeks ago, everybody was betting 'Lincoln,'" quipped Avello. "Now, nobody. It's all 'Argo.'" The Ben Affleck-directed thriller has become a 1-2 favorite to win.
U.S. & World
Far less scientific was late night host Jimmy Fallon. He used puppies to predict which film would take the top honor. For the record, the pups also went with "Argo."
For those handicapping the race from the comfort of their couch, predicting the winners is a lot like taking the SATs: if you can eliminate one or two wrong answers, you significantly increase your chances of success.
It is with that in mind that we tackle the six most prestigious prizes at the 85th annual Academy Awards.
Best Picture
Weirdly, despite director/star Ben Affleck being snubbed in the Best Director category, the Iran Hostage Crisis drama has been gaining steam, picking up awards across the country, including at the Golden Globes. Many of the other nominees have glaring "weaknesses" that will likely prevent them from offering much competition: "Amour" is in French; "Beasts of the Southern Wild" made only $12 million; "Django Unchained" and "Zero Dark 30" are too controversial… "Argo" is the only nominee that made a ton of money, and was both serious and fun.
Oscars 2013: Full Coverage
Best Director
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
With Affleck (and "Zero Dark 30"'s Kathryn Bigelow) out of the picture, this comes down to a couple of previous winners, Lee ("Brokeback Mountain" in 2005) and Spielberg ("Saving Private Ryan" in 1998, "Schindler's List" in 1993). Spielberg's "Lincoln" stars our greatest living actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, playing the guy who freed the slaves, while Lee's "Life of Pi" is visually breathtaking, but otherwise unsatisfying.
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
We'll say it one more time: "Lincoln" stars our greatest living actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, playing the guy who freed the slaves.
Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva spoke French in "Amour", while Quevenzhané Wallis ("Beasts Of The Southern Wild") and Naomi Watts ("The Impossible") starred in films that grossed a combined $30 million. None of this is to take away from any of their performances, but the race is down to Lawrence and Chastain, two of Hollywood's most talented and beautiful young actresses, who gave turns that couldn't be much more different--Lawrence was brilliant and funny as an emotionally troubled young woman in the feel-good hit "Silver Linings Playbook," and Chastain brought a smoldering intensity to the hunt for Bin Laden in "Zero Dark Thrity." We're leaning toward Lawrence in part because of the controversy surrounding "ZD30."
Oscars Bet on Fresh Host, Big Performances
Best Supporting Actor
Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"
In most other films, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master") or Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained") would be the leads, but these guys found themselves, fairly or not, relegated to second-banana status for their nominated roles. Arkin was his usual awesome self, but no more, and his character was too far removed from the center of the film. This will come down to the grizzled veterans, Tommy Lee Jones ("Lincoln") and Robert De Niro ("Silver Linings Playbook"), each of whom already has one of these trophies on their mantle. De Niro could have the edge simply because the Academy is so thrilled to see him doing good work again.
Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
With all due respect to Amy Adams ("The Master"), Sally Field ("Lincoln"), Helen Hunt ("The Sessions") and Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook"), this race was won when Hathaway sang the final note of "I Dreamed a Dream." In fact, Hathaway probably also gave the second-best supporting turn of any actress in 2012, with her work as Catwoman in "The Dark Knight Rises.


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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on Monday said that it had fined Ameriprise Financial Services and its affiliated clearing firm, American Enterprise Investment Services (AEIS), $750,000 for failing to have reasonable supervisory systems in place to monitor wire transfer requests and the transmittal of customer funds to third-party accounts.
In February 2011, FINRA says, it barred former Ameriprise registered rep Jennifer Guelinas for converting approximately $790,000 from two customers over a four-year period by forging their signatures on wire transfer requests and disbursing the funds to bank accounts she controlled. Following the investigation, Ameriprise said, it paid full restitution to the two customers.
Brad Bennett, executive vice president and chief of enforcement, said in a statement that "Ameriprise and its affiliated clearing firm missed numerous supervisory red flags, including the fact that two of the wire transfers went to accounts in Guelinas' name. Firms must have robust supervisory systems to monitor and protect the movement of customer funds."
An Ameriprise spokesman on Monday said, "We are pleased to have resolved this matter from several years ago and have enhanced our related policies, procedures and technology," adding that Guelinas' employment with Ameriprise was terminated in 2010.
FINRA found that Ameriprise and AEIS "failed to establish, maintain and enforce supervisory systems designed to review and monitor the transmittal of funds from customer accounts to third-party accounts." The firms, FINRA says, "did not have policies or procedures to detect or prevent multiple transmittals of funds going to third-party accounts, instead relying on a manual review of wire requests without the benefit of exception reports that could have helped to discern suspicious patterns." Ameriprise and AEIS also failed to adequately track or further investigate wire transfer requests that had been rejected.
Ameriprise and AEIS neither admitted nor denied the charges, but consented to the entry of FINRA's findings.
FINRA goes on to say that Ameriprise failed to detect Guelinas' scheme despite multiple red flags. For instance, Guelinas submitted three requests to wire funds from a customer's account to a bank account that appeared to be under Guelinas' control. Ameriprise processed these forged wire transfer requests and disbursed the funds without any inquiries. In addition, there were at least three other occasions when Ameriprise initially rejected Guelinas' forged wire transfer requests, including one for an apparent signature discrepancy, then Guelinas simply resubmitted these requests on either the same day or the next day.
Guelinas also forged and submitted a wire transfer request after Ameriprise had begun to investigate her misconduct, FINRA says. "In all of these instances, Ameriprise disbursed the customer funds as Guelinas directed. Even after Ameriprise had terminated Guelinas, she submitted another forged wire transfer request. Ameriprise again disbursed the customer's funds to a bank account Guelinas controlled; however, the firm realized its mistake in time to prevent Guelinas from accessing those funds."


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Special Issue "Neuroactive Compounds"
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2010).
Special Issue Editor
Guest Editor
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Research in Neuroscience has never been so active, taking benefits from recent developments in functional imaging, molecular biology and transgenesis, or improvements in animals' cognitive behavioral analyses. Paradoxically, validation of new therapeutic strategies and marketing of really innovative medicine against pathologies with major social issues like Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic insults, depression, or schizophrenia mark time and do not find way out in a near future. Drug development pipelines of pharmaceutical companies remain alarmingly empty.
This combined Special Issue of Molecules and Pharmaceuticals, on Neuroactive Compounds, will offer an unique forum to present the chemistry, pharmacology and therapeutic opportunities offered by new and innovative molecular series in all areas of neuropharmacology and neuroscience. I strongly encourage authors to submit papers for this special issue, within the scope of Molecules and Pharmaceuticals, and I hope that the fields covered will allow to rise our hopes in seeing soon the validation of breakthrough treatments in central pathologies of major concern.
Dr. Tangui Maurice
Guest Editor
- psychoactive drugs
- neuroprotective agents
- antidepressant
- anxiolytics
- anti-stress drugs
- brain imaging tools
- brain penetration
- blood-brain barrier agents
Related Special Issue
- Neuroactive Compounds in Pharmaceuticals (2 articles)


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Conference Tools for 2017 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
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About this Symposium
2017 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution
TMS Materials Processing and Manufacturing Division
TMS: Phase Transformations Committee
Rajarshi Banerjee
, University of North Texas
Sudarsanam S. Babu
, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Deep Choudhuri
, University of North Texas
Raju V. Ramanujan
, Nanyang Technological University
Monica Kapoor
, National Energy Technology Lab
Phase transformation is still one of the most effective and efficient means to produce desired microstructures in materials for various applications. This symposium is the third in a series of annual TMS symposia focusing on phase transformations and microstructural evolution in materials during processing and in service. It intends to bring together theoretical, experimental and computational experts to assess the current status of theories of phase transformations and microstructure evolution in solid states. In addition to fundamental understanding of the mechanisms underlying phase transformations and microstructure evolution, attention will also be given to the utilization of unique transformation pathways to develop novel microstructures for advanced structural and functional materials.
Topics of choice for this year include, but are not limited to:
*Phase stability and transformations in High Entropy/Complex Concentrated Alloys
*Phase Transformations in Magnetic Materials
*Phase transformations during Additive Manufacturing of Metals and Alloys
*Phase transformations involved in Shape Memory Alloys
Abstracts Due
Proceedings Plan
Planned: Supplemental Proceedings volume
A Combinatorial Assessment of Al
A Direct Evidence of Solute Interactions with a Moving Ferrite/Austenite Interface in a Model Fe-C-Mn Alloy
A Preliminary In-situ TEM Study of Migration Properties of Interfaces between Austenite and Ferrite in a Duplex Stainless Steel
An Experimental Assessment of the α + α' Miscibility Gap in Fe-Cr
Assessing Chemical and Microstructural Evolution at Interfaces of γ' - Strengthened Superalloys at High Temperatures by In Situ TEM Heating Experiments
Characterization of Microstructural Evolution in a High Entropy Alloy with a Complex Nanoscale Microstructure
Characterizing Ni-Ti-Ga Shape Memory Alloys
Crystallization Pathway in Al-Sm Alloys Prepared by Melt Spinning and Magnetron Sputtering
Deformation Modes in High-pressure ω-phase of Zr: A First-principles Study
Development of Various Scale Alpha Microstructures in Titanium Alloys
Diffusion Behavior of Alloy Elements in Martensite-austenite Constituent Formed in the Heat-affected Zone of a Low Alloy Carbon Steel
Direct Observation of the Movement of the Austenite-ferrite Interface in Fe-C-Mn Steels
F-65: Effects of Microstructural Features on CTOD in Coarse-grained and Inter-critically-heated HAZs of Mn- and Ni-added HSLA Steels
F-66: Relationship between Reverse Ferrite Transformation and Recrystallization in Low-carbon Al-containing Steels
F-67: Solidification Microstructures in Ag
Sn Pseudo-Binary Alloys
F-68: Morphology of Order-disorder Structures in Rapidly Solidified L1
F-69: Phase Transformation Kinetics of Fe16N2 Based Rare-earth-free Permanent Magnets
F-70: The Role of Grain Size Distribution in Nanocrystalline Shape Memory Alloys
F-71: W, Nb, and Cr Effects on High-temperature Tensile Properties in Heat-resistant Austenitic Cast Steels
F-72: Controlling of Mechanical Properties on SUS310S Substrate Used at Superconducting Wire
F-73: Study on the High Temperature Phase Equilibrium Relationship in CaO-SiO2-10%La2O3-Nb2O5 System
F-74: Improved Electrochemical Discharge Kinetics of V-based BCC Metal Hydrides via Microstructure Reduction
F-75: Structure-Property Relations in Doped Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler Alloys for Magnetocaloric Applications
F-76: In-situ High Energy XRD Study of Optimal Annealing for a Novel Nb/NiTi Nanocomposite
F-77: Relationship of Microstructural Evolution to Magnetic Properties of Alnico Magnets
F-78: Microstructure Evolution in Martensitic NiTi Using High Energy Diffraction Microscopy
F-79: Phase Equilibria in the Al-Co-Ni Alloy System
F-81: Effect of Composition and Thermal Processing on Transformation Characteristics and Equilibrium Phase Stability in NiTiHf High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys
F-82: Application of ASTAR/PED Orientation Microscopy Technique in Grain Boundary Character Distribution of Nano-size Pure Zirconium
Harnessing the Kirkendall Effect for the Fabrication of Metallic Microtubes and Hollow Scaffolds
Hydrostatic Compression Behavior and High-pressure Stabilized b-phase in g-based Titanium Aluminide Intermetallics
In Situ X-ray Diffraction Investigation of Thermally Induced Martensitic Transformations in High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys
Influences of Pre-existing Defects on the Morphology and Variant Selection of Precipitates in Alpha/Beta Ti-alloys
Interfacial Energy Evaluation in Binary Systems Using Diffusion-Multiples and Simulations
Investigation of Alpha/Beta Interface Structure in a Titanium Alloy Using Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
Investigation of Nano-scale Instabilities in Titanium Alloys
Kinetics of Low-temperature Spinodal Decomposition in a Fe-Ni-C Martensite: A Discrete Mean-field Model
Martensitic Transformation near Grain Boundaries and PhaseBboundaries in Dual-phase Shape Memory Alloys
Mg-Sc-based Alloy and Its Functionality
Microstructural and Texture Transitions Observed Using Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) of Melt Spun AZ91E Precursors
Microstructural Effects on Stress-Induced Martensite in NCAXB Alloys
Microstructure Evolution and Recrystallization in Linear Friction Welded Titanium Alloys
Modeling the Superelastic Behavior in Small-scale ThCr
-type Crystals
Neutron Diffraction Study on Atomic Structures and Phase Transition of Magnesium-lithium Alloy
Orientational Dependence of Shock Induced Phase Transition of Single Crystal Copper
Origin of the {332}<113> Twinning System in β Titanium Shape Memory Alloys
Phase-field Simulation of Solidification of High and Medium Manganese Steels: Incorporating the Effects of Convection and of Transformation Strains
Phase Field Modeling of Functional Fatigue in Shape Memory Alloys
Phase Formation in Cu - Zn Powder Mixtures Subjected to Ultrasonic Powder Consolidation
Phase Transformation Kinetics of Pressure-vessel Steel Welds Phase Transformation Kinetics of Pressure-vessel Steel Welds
Phase Transformations in NiTi Alloys under Biaxial Stress
Phase Transformation, Microstructural Evolution and Property Modification in Rapidly Solidified Grey Cast Iron
Primary Alpha Plate Growth in Ti6246
Revealing Transformation and Deformation Mechanisms in Niti-based High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys through Microstructural Investigations
Role of Granular Constraint and Surface Effects on the Phase Transformation Mechanics in Shape Memory Alloys
Solute Segregation in Aluminum Alloys
Strengthening Model to Optimize Coarsening Resistant Q and θ'-Phase Precipitates in Al-Si-Mg-Cu Cast Alloys
Structure, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior in a Powder-processed Icosahedral-phase-strengthened Aluminum Matrix Nano-composite
Study on Phase Stability, Correlated Deformation Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in a Metastable β-type Ti-Nb-Zr-Ta-O Alloy
Synchrotron High-energy X-rays for In-situ Study of Phase Transformation of Advanced Materials
Tailoring the Microstructure of Intermetallic Films by Seed Layer Mediated Crystallization from an Amorphous Phase
The Effect of Aluminum Content on Recrystallization and Grain-growth of Magnesium Alloys
The Effect of Aluminum Content on Recrystallization and Grain Growth in Binary Alpha Titanium Alloys
The Effect of the Heat Treatment Temperature on the Thermodynamic Properties of the 55.89wt%Ni-Ti Shape Memory Alloy
The Microstructure Evolution of HAVAR Co-Base Alloy during Cold Rolling
Thermal Stabilization of Bainite
Unraveling the Growth Process of an Irregular Eutectic
Questions about ProgramMaster? Contact


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Marshall fans and Tech fans seem to be the most opposed, while USM welcomes it with open arms.
Tech fans without a doubt see no value in adding the Cajuns. It is only when asked who would you pick between UL (ULL) & ULM that Tech fans choose the Cajuns.
I relish the opportunity to be in the same conference as Tech. I want every available opportunity to knock them on their ___. Plus it's fun and sells tickets! I don't get it.


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Rwanda's Artful Path Toward Peace: Cultural Industries and Post-Conflict Reconciliation
In my last blog, I wrote about a medium that plays a critical role in post-conflict reconciliation: art. I argued that the cultural industries—film, music, crafts, architecture, and theater, among other art forms—provide important benefits to post-conflict societies; therefore, policies that encourage the development and growth of these industries should be a critical part of a country's comprehensive post-conflict reconstruction plan. In a further reflection on these points, this blog examines the story of Rwanda, a post-conflict society that is using film, theater, music, and other creative industries in its journey toward reconciliation and rebuilding.
- Tags:
- Rwanda
- Africa
- Social Development
- theater
- Social Impact of Art
- Rwanda Basket weaving Public Engagement in Arts
- Post-conflict Societies
- Post-conflict Reconstruction
- Post-Conflict Reconciliation
- post-conflict Countries
- music
- fragile states
- Forgiveness
- film
- Cultural Policies and Development
- Creative Industries
- Creative Economies and Development
- Art and Peace
- Art and Healing
- art


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NASA has just published this true color photograph of the United States taken from space by the Suomi satellite. It's going to be a rough Thanksgiving, folks:
A large winter system is moving across the United States and is combining with cold air moving down from Canada, bringing snow to some areas. Major travel impacts are expected along the main highways throughout the eastern U.S. This true color image of the Continental U.S. was taken on November 25, 2013 by the Suomi NPP satellite and shows the system as it moves through the South and Midwest.


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Twitter announced Friday it will shut down more than 125,000 accounts as part of an effort to crack down on extremist content.
In a news release, the company said it was committed to weeding out content that advocates for terrorism and violence. It said there is no "magic algorithm" for targeting such content, but it will continue to "engage with authorities and other relevant organizations to find solutions to this critical issue."
Since late last year, Twitter has been using "proprietary spam fighting tools" in order to identify accounts that violate their terms of service policy. It also has assigned a dedicated team to examine the accounts.
U.S. & World
The moves come as the White House has been putting more pressure on social media companies to proactively identify potentially dangerous accounts and content.
The Obama administration has sent high-level personnel including F.B.I Director James Comey to California to discuss how the tech giants and government can work together more effectively.
Twitter said the nature of its product, which it called "an open forum for expression," makes it vulnerable to becoming a communications tool for social media savvy terrorist organizations like ISIS, as NBC News reported.
Last month, a woman whose husband was killed in Jordan in a terrorist attack sued Twitter in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit claimed Twitter was partially responsible because the ISIS attack was coordinated via the social media platform.
The suit is not expected to get far, as Twitter is protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but it does raise questions about the level of responsibility that social media companies should have regarding the content on their platforms.


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Dec 7, 2009
Agents can make connections, earn CE at PIANY's MetroRAP
BROOKLYN, N.Y.– Insurance agents have the opportunity to earn education credits, check out the latest industry trends and network with colleagues at the Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc.?s annual Metropolitan Regional Awareness Program. The program will be held Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, at the New York Marriott, Brooklyn, N.Y.
?MetroRAP offers insurance professionals throughout the New York metropolitan area the opportunity to meet with colleagues and check out the latest innovations in the industry,? said Leslie Rogoff, MetroRAP committee chair. ?It is a must-attend event for professionals looking for new ideas on how to grow their business and education.?
Participants looking for continuing education credits will have the option of attending Workers? compensation–crossing state lines in the morning, hosted by Ivan Cohen, CRM, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Cohen will lead participants through an in-depth discussion covering the evolving exposure of multi-state workers? compensation, particularly in New York state and New Jersey. This class is approved for two NJ CE credits and has been submitted for NY CE credits.
In the afternoon, Cohen will instruct E&O loss prevention for insurance agents and brokers, designed to explore the principles of errors and omissions, as well as risk management strategies. This class has been submitted for NY and NJCE credits.
Other highlights of the daylong event include an expansive trade show and the New York Young Insurance Professionals? networking reception.
MetroRAP is PIANY?s first Regional Awareness Program scheduled for the year–two more are scheduled for 2010; on Long Island in April and the Hudson Valley in the fall.
For more information, please contact the PIANY?s Education and Conference Department at (800) 424-4244, e-mail email@example.com or visit www.pia.org/events/conf/metrorap/.
PIANY is a trade association representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their employees throughout the state.
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A blueprint for high-volume, high-quality lung cancer screening that is detecting cancer earlier—and helping to save lives
When Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH, joined Prescription Solutions as vice president and medical director three years ago, the company's pharmacy and therapeutics committee evaluated the price the pharmacy benefit manager would pay for drugs right along with evidence of their clinical effectiveness. However, Pezalla and chief medical officer Joseph Addiego, MD, who was also new to the PBM, decided to change that. They took direct cost data out of the information the P&T committee reviews, Pezalla says. An administrative committee today steps in to make financial decisions, working within parameters the P&T committee sets for medication choice.
"We have expanded the clinical discussions considerably as a result of being able to remove the financial considerations," Pezalla says. "The P&T committee now spends a lot more time looking at the medical evidence around who should receive a particular medicine and how medications are different from one another. The reason for separating these is to make sure that the decision making is not in any way skewed by the fact that doing the right thing clinically might actually cost more money."
Many health plans have administrative committees that negotiate contracts with pharmaceutical manufacturers and make the final placements of drugs on formularies. But while the practice isn't uncommon, it may be little known outside of the industry, says Stephen Schondelmeyer, PharmD, PhD, a professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. "I think many people, including employers and legislators, would be surprised that most P&T committees don't have net prices and they don't have the final say," he says.
Still, many insurers have stuck with or created models in which cost discussions are a part of P&T committees' debates. Health plan pharmacy executives are weighing the pros and cons of each approach to decide which makes the most sense.
Thirty years ago, P&T committees at health plans looked regularly at the financial implications of placing pharmaceuticals on a formulary. It wasn't until the 1990s that some health plans began to question the practice and drop price from P&T committee consideration, says Pete Penna, PharmD, principal and cofounder of Formulary Resources, a consulting company, and a longtime health plan pharmacy executive.
"In my experience, price has always been a part of the equation, particularly when two products being reviewed are essentially equivalent. If there's no difference in safety and in efficacy, then price and value are the potential tiebreakers. I was surprised when I began hearing about P&T committees that weren't discussing prices, though I can understand it because you want them to focus on the clinical side of the issues."
Today, the information that P&T committees consider has evolved to include pharmacoeconomics, Penna points out. When pharmaceutical manufacturers submit information to health plans using the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Format for Formulary Submissions, for example, P&T committees are given customized mathematical models that demonstrate the economic impact that placing a drug on a formulary would have.
P&T committees are also looking for information on how a drug might help members avoid costly hospital stays, Penna says.
At Prescription Solutions, the P&T committee looks at cost models that may demonstrate that people are more likely to take a certain medication because it has fewer side effects or evidence that a specific drug prevents other health care utilization, Pezalla says. These types of studies are published in the clinical literature, he adds.
Such financial models, though, are based on the published prices of drugs rather than the price a health plan or PBM would actually pay after negotiating a contract, experts say.
The Regence Group gives its P&T committee, which covers all of the company's four regional health plans, cost information in three ways: published prices; claims data that show the cost of a drug per prescription or per month, which reflects real-world usage patterns such as whether a drug is taken one time a day or three times a day; and information that compares how expensive drugs are relative to one another once rebates are factored in (though this does not include actual dollar figures), says Helen Sherman, RPh, PharmD, senior director and chief pharmacy officer.
Price is the last part of the P&T committee's discussion, after science and medical value, but it is important, she says. "Our P&T process focuses on scientific evidence and value. You cannot get value without including cost. Our formulary does look different from most plans' formularies. We have fewer high-cost brand names — where there are other choices and no proof that the expensive one has more value."
The insurer's willingness to provide its P&T committee with pricing information reflects an overall position of being as transparent as possible when it comes to pharmaceutical costs, Sherman says. Regence, for example, provides prices online for consumers. They show the total drug cost — what the health plan pays for a drug plus what the member pays, she says.
That kind of transparency — and consumer and employer groups' demands for more of it — is one issue that could affect the price information that P&T committee members at other plans have access to. Its impact, however, hasn't been felt yet, pharmacy directors say.
What advocacy groups promoting transparency are focused on, says Prescription Solutions' Pezalla, is whether rebates and discounts negotiated with pharmaceutical companies are being shared with clients.
Increased transparency over the long term could reach P&T committees, Treat says. "Transparency is really only useful if the people who do the purchasing are the ones who get the information. Having more transparency that goes to decision makers, which includes P&T committees, is definitely a useful thing.
"If a PBM negotiates for a bunch of drugs, then passes on some money back to a health plan, and the P&T committee doesn't know how that breaks down from drug to drug, then that's not going to inform their decisions very much about which drug is expensive and which one isn't," she says. "More information would be helpful to have."
Schondelmeyer, at the University of Minnesota, agrees. "There is constant talk about increased transparency of decision making for PBMs and formulary committees, and having net prices is critical to transparency."
P&T committees need pricing information to make decisions based on value, he says. "Effective at any price isn't wise therapy or resource use. So if something costs twice as much for a half-percent change in effectiveness, that's probably not a good choice, especially if the safety is slightly worse. But you can't make a cost-effectiveness decision without cost. Not having the net prices hinders the decisions a P&T committee is asked to make."
Keeping financial and clinical decision making separate, however, enables a health plan to rely on the clinical expertise of its committee members and on the financial skills of administrators, some pharmacy directors say.
"Our P&T committee does look at cost-effectiveness information, but the focus is on reviewing all of the published clinical information," says Atheer Kaddis, director of clinical program development at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
The P&T committee classifies drugs in one of four ways: must add to the formulary; must not add; pending, which means there is not enough information to make a decision; and may add, which means the drug is similar to other drugs and the finance committee may add it to the formulary if it comes at a good price.
The majority consists of "may-add" drugs, Kaddis says. "When we get into this category, it comes down to a financial decision. Because many of the new drugs coming out are similar to other drugs, our contracting area has been very busy in the last five years."
This structure works for the Blues plan, he says. "We don't view the P&T committee as being involved in the business side; it's a clinical activity."
He'd be surprised, he says, if the clinicians on his P&T committee wanted specific prices. "That would be an overwhelming amount of information, especially because contracts and pricing change frequently. Even three-year contracts might be updated every quarter. It would be hard to disseminate that level of detail."
The confidentiality of contracts with pharmaceutical companies is another issue, he explains. The Blues plan is careful to honor its obligation to keep prices confidential. While the insurer does not give the information to the P&T committee, it will share terms of a contract on a drug-by-drug basis with employer clients if a manufacturer agrees to allow it to release that information, Kaddis says.
At Health Alliance Plan in Michigan, "Transparency isn't an issue, because that's the way we already do things," says Tony Petitta, RPh, MBA, vice president for pharmacy care management at the not-for-profit insurer. Health Alliance Plan shares as much pricing information as it has at the time of a P&T committee's evaluation — including net prices if they have already been negotiated — but only after clinical decisions are made, he explains.
"The cost is given to the P&T committee after the clinical review, because we don't want to bias the clinical comparison," Petitta says. "The goal is to say which drug may be better than another, and cost really doesn't have a role in that. Sometimes when you see the cost it can create judgment in your mind going beyond the data on efficacy."
Cost becomes a bigger factor in determining what drugs make it onto a formulary when medications are found to be equally safe and effective, he adds. The P&T committee also may look more closely at a very expensive drug and ask, Is this drug really needed in every case? "If it is a lot more expensive than the alternative, the committee might develop criteria as to when that drug should be used," Petitta says.
The administrators that implement the P&T committee's decisions by negotiating contracts and placing drugs on the formulary follow the guidelines the P&T settles on. "It would be rare that their activities weren't in sync," Petitta says. "The administrative function is often just an extension of the P&T committee, because in the most common cases, when the P&T committee finds that several drugs are equivalent, it just becomes a negotiation as to which of those drugs you can get the best pricing on."
When health plans do provide pricing information, they should prepare the committee to use it, says Regence's Sherman. "Most physicians are not used to considering pricing when prescribing medications, so a P&T committee has to have some grounding on what kind of cost increase or decrease is significant for a health plan. They have to understand what a health plan's drug spend is, how that breaks down to average cost per prescription, and how that translates into premiums.
"Something may be very expensive but also very rarely used, so cost is not a significant issue. You have to tell the P&T committee that," she says. "A P&T committee also has to consider how many drugs are available in a certain area. Diabetes is one area where we have lots of room for improvement as an industry, so if a drug costs more, that may be OK because it provides another option."
Regence's P&T committee values the comprehensive pricing data, Sherman says. "It makes a real difference in the decisions they make. Our mission is to embrace drugs that add value and not embrace those that don't."
In the end, though, the amount of pricing information shared with the P&T committee has to be determined by each health plan, says Kaddis at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "Neither way is better or worse. It depends on the philosophy of the organization."
A blueprint for high-volume, high-quality lung cancer screening that is detecting cancer earlier—and helping to save lives
ZULRESSO™ (brexanolone) injection CIV
Multiple Sclerosis: New Perspectives on the Patient Journey–2019 Update
Summary of an Actuarial Analysis and Report


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6pp A4 (630 x 297mm) folded brochures, printed full colour double sided on premium 115gsm gloss artpaper.
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folded brochures. Please click here to view.
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Copyright © 2005-2011 CMYK Colour Online All Rights Reserved by David Kegen


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Candy Fundraising is ChangingPosted on 11/23/2010 by Howard Gottlieb
Candy fundraising is changing fast.
Even though the $1.00 candy bar has gone away for Hershey and Mars companies, there still are $1.00 candy options. The original one dollar bar is a wonderful fundraising bar and you can still sell them for $1.00. The two variety packs, the United We Stand and the Chocolatiers, are very popular and you can buy one case at time instead of 6 to 7 cases.
You can also buy them in straight packs with these great flavors, creamy caramel, roasted almond and crispy rice. If you are set on a Hershey brand fundraiser, then you can get the brand new $2.00 bar. It is available in a variety pack and contains 4 flavors to sell.
The minimum order is 6 cases. Also, if you are looking for a product to sell under $1.00, you may want to look at lollipops that sell for $.50. The candy fundraising industry is changing fast but you do still have great options for your group to sell.
Top Candy Fundraising Products
Peanut FREE $1 Chocolate Bars
Original One Dollar Bars are PEANUT FREE and the largest fundraiser candy bars. Besides being the largest candy bar the One Dollar Bars are only sold through fundraising and are not sold in discount retail stores or vending machines at discounted prices. With only a one case minimum, this chocolate fund raising product is perfect for small groups.
Hershey $2 Candy Bars
This new $2 Hershey's Fundraising Candy Variety Pack offers bigger bars, the biggest brands and the biggest profits. These candy bars are much larger than the $1 candy bars.They are easy to sell and can help you make bigger profits on every sale.
Chocolatiers Candy Bar Fundraiser
You can still make high profits with a candy bar fundraiser. Our Chocolatiers Candy Bars offer profits as high as 60%. There is a small one case minimum and shipping is always FREE. These candy bars are manufactured in a peanut free facility and guaranteed to be peanut free.
Original One Dollar Chocolate Candy Bar Fundraiser
The Original One Dollar Bars comes in two different variety packs. These are our best selling candy bar fundraisers. They offer the largest one dollar fundraising candy bar that is manufactured in a peanut free facility.
Welch's Fruit Snacks
People struggle when choosing a product for a youth fundraiser because of childhood obesity. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to chocolate bars or lollipops, consider selling our Welch's Fruit Snacks Variety Pack. The snacks are 100% Vitamin C, an excellent source of Vitamins A and E, FAT FREE, Made with real fruit and have no preservatives.
Yummy Licks Round Lollipops
Yummy Licks are our #1 lollipop. They come in an assortment of all your favorite flavors. Yummy Licks Round lollipops are packaged in cases of 640 lollipops. Inside the case are 8 packages with each package containing 80 lollipops. You will make 50% profit selling just one case. Shipping is FREE.
Color Xploder Lollipops
Color Blasters are a fun candy. These swirl lollipops look like a tie-dyed shirt. All of the different flavors are thrown together and you get a unique mixture of color and flavors. Since no two lollipops are exactly the same you get to offer new fresh products each time someone buys one of your fundraising lollipops. There is only a one case minimum.
Specialty Lollipops
Are you looking for custom lollipops? We have heart lollipops, star lollipops, lips lollipops, Valentine lollipops, Halloween lollipops, Christmas lollipops, if fact we have lollipops for just about any occasion. You can make great profits with lollipop fundraisers anytime of the year. Click here to see all our selection of wholesale lollipops and wholesale suckers!
Sports Lollipops
If you are raising money for sports teams consider these fun lollipops. Your lollipop fundraiser can be specific to your particular sport. We have Baseball lollipops and Football lollipops. If we do not have your particular sport we have a great selection of other fundraiser suckers that will work well.
Sour Mania Lollipops
Sour Mania Sour Pops are one of our top elementary school lollipop fundraisers. Both kids and adults love sour candy. These are the original sour lollipops. It is definitely one of the top choices for a school needing to raise easy money.
Hot Pops
Made with real chili, Hot Pops Lollipops are an enticing combination of sweet and spicy. Hot Pops Lollipops come in an array of colors and a variety of flavors including: Watermelon, Pineapple, Orange, Lemon, Mango, and Green Apple.
Chocolate Lollipops
Chocolate fundraising lollipops are a great way to combine the ease of selling lollipops with the popularity of selling chocolate candy. You'll find chocolate lollipops that cover the major holiday selling seasons along with sports specific lollipops. You sell the lollipops for $1.00 and make 40% profit.
Smencils scented pencils made from recycled newspapers are perfect for schools. Each scented pencil sells for $1 and are shipped in cases containing 10 buckets with 50 Smencils in each. Smencils are available in two varieties. Regular Black Lead as well as assorted fun colors. Best of all shipping is FREE!
Jack Links Beef Jerky
Jack Links Beef Sticks are a great alternative to candy fundraising. The beef sticks meet or exceed most school nutritional standards. The sticks sell for only $2 each. You can purchase as little as 1 case and shipping is absolutely free
Baseball Lollipops
Baseball lollipops are a great way for baseball teams, players or organizations to raise money all season long. Baseball lollipops are packaged in cases of 640 lollipops. Inside the case are 8 packages with each package containing 80 lollipops. You will make 50% profit selling just one case.
Christmas Lollipops
You will increase your lollipop sales during the holiday season with these great Christmas Lollipops. They are packaged in cases of 640 fundraising lollipops. Inside the case are 8 packages with each package containing 80 lollipops. You will make 50% profit selling just one case. And shipping is free
Heart Lollipops
Of course Heart shaped lollipops virtually sell themselves leading up to Valentine's Day. But they sell well any time of the year. There's a 1 case minimum, shipping is free and you will make 50% profit on each fundraising lollipop sold. Each case comes with 640 heart lollipops.
Lip Shaped Lollipops
Want a new product to increase your lollipop fundraising sales? Consider our Lip Lollipops. They sell well any time of the year but do especially well around Valentine's Day. There is only a 1 case minimum and you will make 50% profit on every lollipop you sell.
Main Street Sweet Shop the Ultimate Candy Fundraiser
The Main Street Sweet Shop has reinvigorated candy fundraising. People are excited about the fun new products, they love the 1 case minimum, they appreciate the free shipping and they really love the high profit percentages. Everyone loves gummy bears and sour gummies!
Pretzel Rods Fundraiser
You have to try our irresistibly sweet and salty chocolate covered pretzel rods! The Rods are dipped in milk chocolate and then rolled in delicious select toppings including crushed candy coated chocolates, toffee, and rainbow sprinkles. The mixture of salty pretzel, sweet chocolate, and toppings is sure to satisfy all cravings!
Cal Pack Healthy Snack Fundraiser
This is the original Pak that started it all. Still, the best selling healthy snack fundraiser in America. The Cal Pak is CA SB-12 compliant with 35-10-35 regulations in California, so it can be sold on campus during school hours. Also, CA SB-12 serves as the template for many other states which have recently added regulations. There are 66 snacks in each Cal Pak and 4 Cal Paks in each Mastercase.
Helpful Pages to Consider


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In his acceptance speech on receiving the David Kato Vision and Voice Award Jamaican LGBT activist Maurice Tomlinson describes homophobia in Jamaica as a "vortex of hate"
Tomlinson claims to be living in exile because of death threats since his same-sex marriage in Canada .
In the video below, apparently prior to his same-sex marriage, Tomlinson participated in a public demonstration for LGBT rights in Emancipation Park in Kingston Jamaica.
David Kato Vision and Voice Award Acceptance Speech
David Kato Vision and Voice Award | London, England
I would like to start off with a number of humble thank yous. Thank you all for the tremendous honor bestowed on me this evening. Thank you to the International Planned Parenthood Federation for the vision in establishing and creating this Award. (Thank you Kevin for planting the seed a little over a year ago to the day!) To all on the Steering Committee (and to Frank its chairperson) and supporters who helped give a tangible shape to that vision. To all the fabulous people who worked tirelessly to organize this equally fabulous event-thanks in particular to Alastair, Daniel, Fiona, and the resource mobilization team at IPPF-you have all done David's memory proud.
I would also like to thank my organization, AIDS-Free World, for allowing me to do the job that I love; Metropolitan Community Churches, in Toronto and around the world, for innumerable expressions of concern about my safety; my dear husband Tom for his nervous caution about my well-being; all the brave lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and around the world who remain unbowed in their determination to realize their full human rights; my still divided family for at least remaining open to me; my students for being curious about tolerance; and my country Jamaica for allowing a remarkable dialogue to take place about the very sensitive issue of human rights for homosexuals.
Pioneer and pariah are just two of the epithets I am sure that have been used to describe David Kato, because of his unwavering commitment to advocating for the full human rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. However, I prefer to think David desperately fought, and ultimately gave his life, simply to make it easier for people like him, to go about our regular mundane lives contributing to the development of our families, countries, regions and the world. David sought to do this in his quiet unassuming way; focusing on documenting, educating about and responding to human rights abuses against LGBT in his beautiful country of Uganda. I try to do the same thing in my equally wonderful homeland Jamaica, which this year is celebrating its 50th year of independence. I think what motivated David was a deep and abiding faith in the goodness of all humankind, especially his fellow countrymen. I am sure he felt that if his people only knew what tremendous harm intolerance and homophobia were causing to countless of their fellow citizens-including the spread of HIV as a result of vulnerable groups being forced underground away from effective prevention, treatment, care and support interventions-then all Ugandans would, in one voice, call for an end to such acts of cruel inhumanity. That is why he vigorously opposed the draconian and despicably medieval anti-homosexuality bill which was before the Ugandan parliament. And that is quite possibly why he was so savagely murdered.
Jamaica has been described as the most homophobic place on earth; one Ugandan commented that David's murder reminded him of the type of homophobic attacks usually reported from Jamaica. One such attack was the brutal and barbaric slaying on October 18, 2011 of a 16-year-old youth, Oshane Gordon in the resort city of Montego Bay. Early in the morning, a gang of thugs barged into Oshane's home and slashed him on his foot to slow his escape as he tried to flee through a window. When they caught up with Oshane, the men finished him off with several more blows from their machetes. Oshane was killed because of "questionable relations" with another man and his mother was also severely cut up for harboring him.
Since 2009, AIDS-Free World has been engaged in an ambitious and aggressive program in partnership with the major LGBT group on the island, J-FLAG, aimed at documenting human rights abuses against homosexual Jamaicans. We were motivated to undertake this work by the vastly disproportionate level of HIV prevalence among Jamaican MSM (about 32%) as against a prevalence rate of 1.6% in the general population. This MSM HIV prevalence rate is about the highest in the world and there is evidence that the country's notorious homophobia is a major contributor. Between 2009 and 2011 there has been a near 300% increase in the number of human rights violations against LGBT reported to J-FLAG, and highlighting these abuses has resulted in very supportive statements for the human rights of LGBT by Jamaican leaders of all stripes. Most noteworthy was a declaration during the December 2011 election leadership debate by Jamaica's new Prime Minister, the Honorable Portia Simpson-Miller, that she rejected the homophobia of her predecessor, Bruce Golding, and would have no objections to appointing gays to her cabinet. She also stated that she would bring the matter of reviewing the country's nineteenth century British colonial anti-sodomy law to a conscience vote in Parliament. While she was viciously attacked for her leadership on this contentious issue during the election campaign, she bravely stood her ground and the Jamaican electorate rewarded her and her party with a 2/3 majority in Parliament.
I see Prime Minister Simpson-Miller's views as representing what I and my dear mother consider the true Jamaican "One Love" culture. As my mother tells it, during her youth, everyone knew at least one person in the village who was gay, but no one cared. People respected the privacy of others and the anti-sodomy law was rarely, if ever, invoked. There certainly were no marauding mobs seeking to eradicate gays from the society. However, all this changed during the 1980's and 90's when there was a coarsening of Jamaican society through a deliberate export of hate and intolerance to Jamaica by, ironically, American televangelists. These preachers spawned sick replicas of themselves in the form of local religious leaders who poured a steady stream of poisoning homophobia into the ears of their congregants on an almost weekly basis. Many of their parishioners and choristers consisted of young impressionable individuals who would later go on to record some of the most hateful homophobic songs on earth. These songs (over 200 of them at last count) contributed to a vortex of hate that swirled unchecked for many years and resulted in numerous assaults, mob attacks, extortion, and murder of Jamaican LGBT.
The previously unused law then became a fixture, and police-who are after all products of their society-started to extort, attack, or ignore attacks on gays who were perceived as unapprehended criminals. Despite the obvious harm caused by the existence of the anti-sodomy law, our independence constitution exempted it from judicial review. Last year, Jamaica completed a 12-year process of reviewing the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, but, sadly, the anti-sodomy law was once again "saved" from review by any domestic courts. So in August 2011, AIDS-Free World, on behalf of two gay Jamaicans, filed a petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the grounds that the anti-buggery violates numerous human rights found in the American Convention on Human Rights to which Jamaica is a party. I hope the new Jamaican PM will make this legal challenge redundant by simply calling for the conscience vote as she has promised.
A repeal of the law will not result in an immediate end to homophobia in Jamaica, in the same way homophobia still persists in the UK decades after the law was consigned to history. Sadly, evangelical Christian groups from North America are still funding and supporting a vicious fight to deny the human rights of Jamaican LGBT. However, one thing the law's repeal will do is provide gay Jamaicans leverage when they seek assistance from police in the face of attack. When I first started receiving death threats as a result of my advocacy, I made an initial report to the police. The officer who received my report went off on a homophobic tirade stating, among other things, that he hates gays and that they make him sick. As a lawyer, I sat there stunned at the level of sheer unprofessionalism displayed by this agent of law enforcement. I later reported the matter to an Assistant Commissioner of Police (who was recruited from Britain and is financially supported by the UK) and he told me that such attitudes are unfortunate but they will not change until the law changes. The fact is, the anti-buggery law makes me-at least to Jamaican police-an unapprehended criminal with few, if any, human rights.
I fled Jamaica on January 10, 2011 after my marriage to Tom was made public when the Jamaica Observer newspaper (which is owned by Butch Stewart of "Sandals" Resort fame) published an unauthorized photo of our wedding on their website. Even though I requested that the newspaper remove the picture because of the real threats it posed to my safety, they have refused. Since then I have started receiving a steady stream of death threats. I would like to return to Jamaica to continue teaching law at the University of Technology, Jamaica, as well as assist J-FLAG with their documentation and reporting of LGBT human rights violations, but I simply do not feel that the Jamaican police force would protect me. The Inter-American Commission has written to them twice on my behalf and they have failed to respond. So I may have to continue my work in exile, away from my mother, students, and my home. But I hope one day this vortex of hate will end, and I can once again return to the warmth of my amazing country, to teach my inspiring students, and be able to sit and chat with my mother after a wonderful bowl of her fabulous "Saturday soup."
Until then, Mr. Chair, I promise, in David Kato's name, that I will never abandon my role in the struggle for the full human rights of LGBT until those rights are universally achieved


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This is one of those smashing tracks that feature extremely high energy state, and can make your video look more intense and powerful. Sounds used here are various, from distorted synths, guitars, drums, to intense scrapers and screamers.
Three versions are included!!!
1. Edge Crusher (2:24)
2. Edge Crusher-Short (1:57) ... starting at 2:25
3. Edge Crusher-Shortest (1:34) ...starting at 4:22
item used in : Grunge Trend


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How green is my city!
Skyscrapers and colonial splendor, highland coffee and sloths: Panama City is laid back and sophisticated – but the jungle's right next door
Our sweat-soaked shirts cling to our skin as we stumble, muddy-shoed, over slippery roots. I reach for a palm tree to steady myself and its thorns prick my hand. And then there are the mosquitoes … "Señor, you call this a stroll in the city?" Igua Jiménez, our diminutive guide, a member of Panama's indigenous Guna people, flashes the photographer and me an indulgent smile that says: Don't make such a fuss! You are treading historical paths. And he's quite right. The Camino de Cruces in
Soberanía National Park between the Pacific and the Atlantic was a terrestrial Panama Canal on which the Spanish conquistadors carried off the Aztecs' gold. A large section of the path was flooded when the navigable canal was built in 1914, but some ten kilometers are still passable. Between moss and drooping leaves, you can still make out the slabs of sandstone hauled here by slaves in the 16th century, in which the mules loaded with New World treasures trod large hollows.
"Perezoso," Igua suddenly shouts and stops. A sloth? Oh yes, we see the lifeless-looking ball of fur. "No, no, it's not dead," our guide insists. Forceful shaking of the tree produces a slow-motion stirring: Two eyes open and stare down at us. Ina comic-book version, a speech bubble would pop up saying: "Ease off, guys!" Without Igua, whose progress through the undergrowth is as fast as it is silent, we would have completely overlooked the peculiar creature. Igua belongs to a people that won partial autonomy from Panama in a revolt in 1925, and although he wears Western trekking clothes and speaks fluent English, as a young boy he honed his instincts on hunting trips and in tests of courage in the rainforest, and they are still intact. In addition to the larger jungle animals, the parrots, toucans and coatis, he also points out tiny members of the jungle population, some army and leafcutter ants busily crossing the Camino de Cruces on their own roads – just half an hour's drive from the heavy traffic of Panama City.
The city is surrounded by national parks and nature reserves. Even visitors with little time to spare have the chance to catch a glimpse of iguanas, anteaters and sea turtles at the Natural Metropolitan Park, right on the western edge of town, on the way to Soberanía National Park. The wild expanses of Chagres National Park 30 kilometers to the northeast are ideal for a tour of more than one day. As though in defiance of nature, civilization asserts itself with an imposing skyline. Dozens of glass skyscrapers either under construction or already completed make Panama City, home to 1.5 million, the Dubai of Central America. Some towers house smart apartments, others, offices and shell corporations – the "Panama Papers" have to be kept somewhere, after all! Eight of the ten tallest towers in Latin America are here, and many are over 200 meters high. From their upper stories, you can see as far as the Puente de la Américas, the steel bridge spanning the canal that forms part of the Panamericana highway connecting North and South America.
Panama City is the Dubai of Central America
On Sundays, the Cinta Costera coastal beltway is closed to traffic and attracts throngs of cyclists and joggers. The new, seven-kilometer causeway built on rocks and earth excavated during the construction of the canal is the runway for a new, fun-loving, body-conscious middle class. Latino pop blares from giant speakers and a dance leader gets the crowd going. Further south, the ring road crosses the ocean and describes a huge loop around the old town, Casco Viejo, where the facades of derelict and renovated villas create a walk-through painting in pastel shades reminiscent of Miami 100 years ago. Where drug barons once waged their wars, the police have now reinstated order, and hoods who once collected protection money are now bar owners. So tourists and the local mix of ethnicities can all stroll carefree through the streets once more.
The colonial quarter, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, is best explored with a guide – Yelena Gonzalez, for instance. A famous presenter of parliamentary television, she knows every new bar and every new restaurant here. She left her home city for Barcelona once, but was so utterly homesick, she came straight back. What did she miss most? "La gente, the people, their smiles, their helpfulness, their parties."
Walking around the city is nearly as strenuous as tramping through the rainforest, so Yelena takes us to her favorite coffee house, Bajareque. Wilford Lamastus, the junior boss, roasts beans for us, grinds them, and brews us a coffee with only a hand filter and hot water – and absolutely no barista showmanship. The coffee tastes multilayered, like a good wine, with complex notes of forest berries and fruit salad, and a detectable, but not too obtrusive acidity. "Tastes better than Columbian coffee, doesn't it?," Lamastus asks. He doesn't expect an answer. Outside the door, Yelena tells us what we have just sampled: Elida Geisha Green Tip, which costs just under 120 dollars a pound. To many connoisseurs, it's the best coffee in the world. The beans come from the Boquete area close to the Costa Rican border. The yield on slopes of between 1700 and 2500 meters' altitude is very low, the area of volcanic soil suitable for cultivation limited and the harvest very labor-intensive – hence the price.
Yelena thinks we should be better equipped for future jungle tours – and get ourselves a real Panama hat. Is there such a thing as an unreal one? "Claro que sí!" says our guide, "the ones from Ecuador. I'll show you the difference." At El Guayacano, there's a low-priced model for 60 to 80 dollars, but that is naturally not a genuine "sombrero fino." The next model fits perfectly, but costs a cool 1000 dollars. For a couple of straws on your head? We discover that "a hat like this one, a jipijapa, is hand-woven from the fine straw of the toquilla palm tree. Humidity, warmth and pressure then give it its characteristic shape." Because fewer and fewer people master the art of straw weaving or grow their own toquillas, both the knowledge and raw material are gradually being lost.
Samy Ferrenbach, who runs the Paula Nani bistro in Casco Viejo, takes a more optimistic view of the future. "In Panama City, there's a real sense of new beginnings," he says, explaining why he moved from Cannes five years before. "France is stagnating, but it's still worth investing here." He got himself a house right by the ocean and turned it into a trendy eatery. Yelena knows lots of adventurous souls like him. "Our city is still young, it's only just awakening." Still young? "Many people only start counting from December 31, 1991, when the Americans gave us back the canal and the surrounding areas," she explains. We should not forget, she insists, that just ten years before that, U.S. President George Bush tried to forcefully topple the dictator Manuel Noriega. It's not just the graffiti on the walls of the less chic neighborhoods that recall the night of bombing, December 20, 1989: "Ni olvido, ni perdón!" – No forgetting, no forgiveness! Come to Panama today and you will barely pick up on its dark past – and definitely not in the rainforest west of the city.
The following morning, we head out into the rainforest again, this time in a kayak to take a look at the amazing species diversity that has come into being in artificial Lake Gatún, through which the Panama Canal shipping channel runs between Colón and Panama City. Because the USA held sovereignty over the waterway and the adjacent land corridor until the end of 1999, the animals were safe from all too many hunters. Today, there's a national park to protect them, and the animals have long since grown accustomed to the big ships passing by. We glide silently through the lagoons at the lake's edge, where marmosets let themselves down from the trees by their tail to drink from the water's surface, all the while keeping a eye out for crocodiles. Then suddenly, amid the myriad shades of green all around, the colossal, brightly colored container ships of the Neopanamax class come into view. They are so large, they will only fit through the canal's locks at Santa Clara on the Atlantic coast, which, completed in 2016, raise the level of Lake Gatún by 26 meters and then lower it again on the other side. Igua, like all of his people, is proud of the installation that cost almost six billion dollars, even though as an Indian, he is always keen to emphasize his people's autonomy. In other words, the canal not only connects wilderness and civilization, but occasionally all other worlds, as well.


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Heel-Pads for Shoes, Boots, Sandals and Heels
In this catalog we offer a collection of over 100 heel-pads of different styles and sizes for use in a variety footwear designs, and products of either summer or winter.
You will find these heel-pads are manufactured using the lattest materials and designs as per current footwear fashion trends.
We are sure you will find in this catalogue the ideal heel-pad for your Shoes, Boots, Sandals or Heels.
Footwear Heel-Pads Catalogue
Marketing & Sales
Aplistar SL is formed by a group of three companies covering the entire production cycle, from Marketing & Sales to Design & Manufacturing to Finishing & Electroplating, so we ensure the highest quality standards and absolute customer satisfaction.
We have a multilingual Marketing and Sales team at your service, ready to answer your queries and coordinate any type of special order or taylormade items you plan for your designs and collections.
We service every country of the European Community as well as the USA and Latinamerica.
With a tailoremade warehouse management program, we are able to control at all times the status of orders from our customers.
Ornaments and Parts for Shoes, Boots, Sandals and Heels
In this catalog we offer an extensive collection of over 2.000 decorations and accessories to fit different styles or designs of any summer or winter footwear product. You will find these accessories go with the latest trends in fashion and will add value to your footwear creations.
We are sure you will find in this catalogue the ideal ornaments and decorations for your Shoes, Boots, Sandals or Heels.


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Pitchers and Catchers
I'm going to be upfront with you. I love baseball.
I love talking about it. I love watching it. I love playing it. I love talking about watching other people play it. If I wasn't raised Jewish, I'd probably convert to baseball. In fact, I spent many childhood Saturday mornings in synagogue talking about Friday's game.
People wonder why I love baseball so much. If you're one of those people, you have either never been to a game or never been to a game with a real fan. I've taken several people to their first baseball game, and they have all asked to go to their second.
Baseball is not about guys in silly uniforms running around trying to catch a ball. Baseball is an experience. In fact, that first thing sounds a bit more like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" than baseball.
You don't go to a baseball game by yourself. Baseball is community. Going to a baseball game is not just about the game itself, because for half the game the evil team is up. Baseball is about sitting back with a close friend or family member on a nice day and talking trash to the other fans.
I have been to more games with my brother than I have with anyone else, as he is half the reason I'm a baseball fan (my father being the other half). Since most of those were Mets games and most Mets games are losing efforts, we occupied ourselves by playing Points. Before each hitter, we'd predict what they were going to do and get a point if we got it right. And we'd get two points if it was a rare prediction, like the pitcher getting a hit or Rey Ordonez getting a hit. Our scores could also change based on Name that Tune, the Cap Game, the various really easy trivia quizzes and fake computerized races, and all the times my brother somehow found a way to cheat.
We all have our personal reasons to love baseball. When I was seven and the Mets won the World Series (yes, it was that long ago), I cheered with my brother. We also bonded over baseball cards and jerseys and playing catch, which I even got kind of good at. Kids like things they're kind of good at. And I know more about baseball, historically and otherwise, than you do. I like things I know more about than you do.
But the real reason we should all appreciate baseball is that it's the sport with the most incredible stories. Baseball is a modern day duel; ten paces has just been replaced with 60 feet, 6 inches.
My favorite story involves a rookie catcher trash talking Rogers Hornsby, one of the best player of all time. He was also cool because his first name was plural.
The legend says that the catcher, trying to distract Hornsby, invited him to dinner after the game, which distracted Hornsby long enough for strike one.
The catcher continued talking about what his wife would be cooking, naming all of Hornsby's favorite foods. Strike two.
The catcher then went into more mouthwatering detail, before Rogers finally glanced back at him, practically drooling, and belted the next pitch out for a home run. And as Hornsby scored, he asked, "what time should I get there?"
There are two cool things about that story. One, it makes someone named "Rogers" look bad ass. Two, "Rogers" and "Hornsby" did not show up as incorrect in my spell check. Even Microsoft Word knows how cool that story is.
I constantly write about what is wrong with the world, like Kinkos and Fox News and my not having a butt. However (or "but" if you prefer), baseball is something right. There are a lot of problems with it. Like steroids and the designated hitter and Bud Selig. But over all, it is one of the few right things I know of.
I don't collect baseball cards anymore, I haven't worn a jersey in years, and the last time I played catch was the end of my final intramural softball season. But I still love the game. And you should, too. Even if the Mets suck.
And trust me, they do.