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Those who lost their homes during Hurricane Sandy are salvaging what they can from the wreckage, and trying to stay afloat financially as they cope with the aftermath of the storm. NBC's Ann Curry reports.
Updated at 11:24 p.m. ET: BREEZY POINT, N.Y. -- After waking up to several inches of snow and more than 200,000 new power outages, residents in areas battered by Superstorm Sandy on Thursday got back to the long-term work of rebuilding.
Miranda Leitsinger
Snow dusted debris outside homes Thursday in Breezy Point, a community in the Rockaways section of New York City.
"Patience is the name of the game here," said Joseph Murray in Breezy Point, where snow from the nor'easter dusted the New York City community destroyed last week by flooding and a fire.
Families here on Thursday continued efforts to save their waterlogged homes from mold, with some piling items on the layer of snow in 40-degree weather.
New York City and Long Island will begin rationing gas to relieve frustration and long lines at the pump, NBCNewYork.com reported. The rationing does not apply to emergency vehicles, taxis or individual gas cans.
Murray, 27, was at his family's home after sanitation workers cleared out their pile of garbage, leaving three salvageable nightstands and a lamp standing outside.
"Be patient with Mother Nature because she doesn't care about any of us," was how Murray rationalized the bizarre bouts of weather. "Let her do her thing and then when she's ready to let you do your thing, she will."
Cleanup crews already overextended from Hurricane Sandy are working around the clock to clear snow that recently fell across the region, causing more people to lose power. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.
Murray did have an eye on Friday's weather forecast, noting that "it's going to be 60 degrees, this is all going to melt."
By late Thursday, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island had their power fully restored. New York and New Jersey saw a drop in the number of customers affected by the nor'easter. Now about 60,000 customers are without power between the two states because of the storm; more than half a million remain without power total in the two states, including outages caused by Sandy.
West Virginia, however, has struggled to bring power customers back online.
The overnight nor'easter boasted wind gusts of more than 50 mph and dropped heavy snow on already-weakened tree limbs, leading to new power outages.
In New Jersey alone, 167,000 homes and businesses lost power overnight, Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday. "This sets us back about a day" in terms of getting all power restored, he added.
"We're right back to the same situation," Kirk Walker of Hackensack, N.J., told NBCNewYork.com after power went out for the third time at his home since Sandy struck.
"They said it was gonna be a rough winter," Walker added. "Sign of things to come, I guess."
Officials there on Thursday said they had convinced the local utility to scrap its policy requiring that each home without power be inspected before power is restored, Newsday.com reported.
With the new outages, some 700,000 customers were without power across the Northeast around midday. That number was reduced to some 600,000 by early evening.
Are you left in the lurch after Sandy?
Record snowfall totals were recorded across the area:
- New York's Central Park received 4.4 inches of snow on Wednesday -- a record for a Nov. 7 and the earliest 4-inch total in the park's history, NBCNewYork.com reported. By Thursday morning the total had reached 4.7 inches.
- Newark, N.J., got 6 inches by Thursday -- more snow in 24 hours than during any previous November on record.
- Bridgeport, Conn., received 3.5 inches of snow, beating the Nov. 7 record of 2 inches set in 1953.
Some areas inland got 12 to 13 inches of snow.
"This is a classic nor'easter," NBC meteorologist Al Roker said on TODAY, "just very early."
PhotoBlog: Hot meals on Staten Island
Conditions were still miserable Thursday morning. In New York City, winds were around 25 mph and it was 36 degrees with showers forecast before sunny skies on Friday.
In New Jersey, parts of which saw 9 inches of snow, police said ice and snow contributed to the deaths of two people in a car whose driver was speeding, NBCPhiladelphia reported.
Two people also died in Connecticut in traffic accidents attributed to snow, The Associated Press reported.
Full NBC coverage of Sandy's aftermath
Hundreds were evacuated ahead of the nor'easter, some because of flooding fears and others due to post-Sandy logistics.
John Makely / NBC News
Medeleine Dobriner was moved by the Red Cross to the Manresa Jesuit Center shelter on Staten Island so that her earlier shelter, a school, could reopen.
Medeleine Dobriner of New Dorp on Staten Island was among the latter -- having to move because her shelter was in a school that was reopening.
"This is my third shelter and usually change is good," Dobriner, 66, told NBC News, "but not in this case."
Throughout the region, people wore coats indoors as they endured yet another night without heat.
"I thought I was lucky when power was restored last Thursday, but last night it went out again," said Michael Platt, an electrician from Toms River, N.J., who estimated a foot of snow fell in his area. "The kids have been home for nearly two weeks and I'm not working, and when I'm not working I'm not making any money. This hasn't been easy."
"Can you believe this? Enough is enough," added Cindy Casey, whose Belle Harbor home one block from the beach in the Rockaways was swamped by Sandy, as she looked out at the snow blanketing the neighborhood devastated by flooding and fire.
Some of those who had weathered Sandy told NBCNewYork.com they felt like a cruel joke was being played on them.
"Kind of laughing about it at this point," said Danny Arnedos, of Oyster Bay, Long Island. "To go from a hurricane to a nor'easter and driving in the snow in 10 days is pretty unbelievable."
"I am waiting for the locusts and pestilence next," New Jersey Gov. Christie said Wednesday.
Coastal flooding proved minimal, but commuter bus and train services were disrupted by the storm, with the Long Island Rail Road briefly shutting down all operations to the city's eastern suburbs on Wednesday night.
Gasoline remained in short supply in the New York City area, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday announced rationing based on odd and even number license plates.
Official: NY disaster chief fired over tree removal
Airports saw 1,600 canceled flights on Wednesday due to the storm. Some 600 more flights were scratched Thursday, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. The majority of those are in the New York area.
The losses from Superstorm Sandy are still rough, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he had seen a report estimating $50 billion in damage and economic losses across the region, with $33 billion in New York state.
"That's a staggering number," he said.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
A snowstorm hits the Northeast as residents are still struggling to pick up the pieces after Superstorm Sandy.
NBC's John Makely as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- 1 in 31 no more: Gay rights movement ends dismal record
- Governor to potheads: 'Don't break out the Cheetos'
- Report: Dad says he put poison on dead son's pizza
- Zoo officials: Toddler's death in Pittsburgh shows no zoo is 100 percent safe
- Nor'easter threatens 'flying debris,' up to foot of snow in Sandy's wake
- Post Superstorm Sandy, travelers prepare for a busy Thanksgiving
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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Fergie Wants to 'Feel Alive' On New Track With Pitbull
We weren't expecting new music from Fergie in 2012 after she announced she wanted to take time off to hang out with husband Josh Duhamel and maybe have a baby. But she has returned as a solo artist with 'Feel Alive,' a dance track featuring rapper Pitbull.
The Black Eyed Peas singer's main contribution to the song is the frequently-repeated hook, "Wake me up in the morning / Slow me down in the evening / Give me whatever you want to make me feel alive." After her first appearance, electro whirls appear alongside a pulsing dance beat.
Pitbull's cameo provides a lyrical nod to the Black Eyed Peas' 'Boom Boom Pow': "I'm so 3000 and crazy / They so 2000 and hate / They want me to fall and fail / H-H-Hurry up and wait." Sounding like will.i.am, DJ Poet also offers a verse, while Fergie sings, "I feel alive in this club."
The new track is exciting, but it's not necessarily a sign that the 'Fergalicious' singer is ready to release another solo album. 'Feel Alive' is taken from the soundtrack to the 3D film 'Step Up Revolution,' which also features music from M.I.A. and Jennifer Lopez.
Fergie hasn't released a solo record since 2006′s 'The Dutchess,' which scored five Top 5 hits, including No. 1s 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' 'London Bridge' and 'Glamorous.'
Listen to Fergie's 'Feel Alive' Feat. Pitbull

subset: commoncrawl


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- Home
- Why WFG
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At World Financial Group (WFG), your goals and dreams matter to us. We understand that financial challenges can make it harder to achieve your goals, but we can provide the assistance you need to reach them. We believe your financial success, no matter your current situation or economic status, is achievable. We will walk alongside you in your journey to financial success, helping you assess your situation, understand how money works, and find the products and services that can best fit your needs.
World Financial Group (WFG) is a Transamerica company. Transamerica is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, investments and more to 19 million customers.* Transamerica companies offer a wide array of life and health insurance products that can help create better tomorrows by protecting families and their dreams. With more than a century of experience, Transamerica has built a solid reputation due to its sound management and decision-making as well as consumer confidence.
To learn more about Transamerica, click here.
At WFG, we do not believe one size fits all. We know that choice equals power, which is why you aren't limited to one product or provider. Instead, we offer a broad array of solutions from many well-known insurance and financial services companies and work together with you to determine the best strategy based on your needs.
As a WFG associate you are in business for yourself but not by yourself.Read More
WFG offers support and services to help you and your business prosper.Read More
WFG offers a unique way to build a financial services business.Read More
You can start your exciting career with WFG today.Read More
*Based on total number of policies and accounts for the Transamerica companies and their insurance, financial and/or retirement affiliates in 2013.
World Financial Group, Inc. (WFG) is a financial services marketing company whose affiliates offer a broad array of financial products and services. Insurance products offered through World Financial Group Insurance Agency, Inc., World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Hawaii, Inc., World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, Inc., World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Wyoming, Inc., World Financial Insurance Agency, Inc. and/or WFG Insurance Agency of Puerto Rico, Inc (collectively WFGIA). WFG and WFGIA are affiliated companies. Headquarters: 11315 Johns Creek Parkway, Johns Creek, GA 30097-1517. Phone: 770.453.9300. WorldFinancialGroup.com.
World Financial Group Canada Inc. (WFG) is a financial services marketing company whose affiliates offer a broad array of financial products and services. World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Canada Inc. (WFGIA) offers life insurance and segregated funds. WFG and WFGIA are affiliated companies Headquarters: 5000 Yonge Street, Suite 800,Toronto, ON M2N 7E9. Phone: 416.225.2121. For use in Canada only, except in Quebec.©2014 World Financial Group Canada Inc.
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SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel as the first independent inspector general of the California Military Department to investigate claims of wrongdoing at an agency beset by fraud in recent years.
The governor this week named Lt. Col. David Kauffman, of Placerville, to the first four-year term of the newly independent position.
The position was created as part of SB921, which Brown signed into law in September. Its intent is partly to restore confidence in the chain of command at the California National Guard following a series of bruising revelations about misspending and financial fraud.
The law also gives more protections to Guard members who blow the whistle on misconduct, and it says the inspector general can be removed only for good cause.
"This sends a signal that both Gov. Brown and the Guard are committed to reforming the past abuses of prior administrations," Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, said Friday. He authored the legislation that created the new position.
Kauffman, 41, has served with the California Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve for nearly 20 years, and has done tours of duty in Afghanistan, Kosovo and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to the governor"s office.
He has been with the California Military Department since 2005 and has served as inspector general since January, although he was deployed during part of the year and returned to the job in September.
Before the law took effect, the inspector general was selected by the head of the California National Guard and could be removed from the position at will.
After Brown named Maj. Gen. David Baldwin to lead the Guard last year, Baldwin acted swiftly to remove a general from active duty following an investigation by The Sacramento Bee. The Bee"s report found that Maj. General William Wade collected $155,000 in improper "double-dip" earnings as adjutant general from 2005 to 2010, at times receiving two days of pay for a single day of work.
The Bee also reported routine violations of safety and security rules by pilots, found that the Guard"s largest training site, Camp Roberts, has not been maintained, and that payments intended as recruiting incentives were fraudulently spent for other purposes. Separately, federal auditors raised questions about double-dipping by pilots.
Lieu said Brown has made strides to address systemic problems in the Guard since he took office in 2010, and an independent inspector general will be an important change.
"Until today, the person was selected by the Guard itself, and that led many Guard members and employees to not fully trust the inspector general," said Lieu, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. "Now they know this is an independent person. The person cannot be removed by the National Guard and people should have faith that the Guard will investigate their claim fairly and honestly."
Kauffman"s nomination must be confirmed by the state Senate. The position pays $141,619 a year.


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- 2019-05-08
Accor hotel group layout lifestyle brand development of new customers
- 2019-05-07
The hotel parking charges 300 yuan an hour reasonable pricing or a no-trade clause?
- 2019-05-05
200 million tenants may be concern: contract should commission due?
- 2019-04-30
Sichuan determine tourism revenue more than $2 trillion a new target for five years
- 2019-04-28
Finally here?The day of the home stay facility to the hotel sleep
- 2019-04-28
New York terminal center into hotel can watch planes in the endless pool
- 2019-04-08
High-end custom growth more than three digits ctrip launch services aimed at 'rich'
- 2019-03-26
What kind of hotel is the real 'resort'?
- 2019-03-25
Selection and green hotel trend: the millennial generation health services
- 2019-03-22
'Art hotel' cloud up a new way of doing things


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A Miami man who was involved in a car accident with NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor last year has filed a civil lawsuit claiming he has endured severe emotional and physical pain and suffering from his run in with the greatest linebacker of all time.
The lawsuit seeks upwards of $15,000 in damages.
The timing couldn't be any worse for Taylor, who is facing more serious legal matters. The Pembroke Pines resident is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl while in New York earlier this month. If found guilty, he could face four years in prison.
U.S. & World
On Nov. 8, Taylor was arrested by Miami cops after he allegedly rammed his Cadillac Escalade into the van of Manuel Villari Castillo on the Palmetto Expressway. Taylor kept on going and told police that he thought he had hit a guard rail, not a car.
He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and released on $500 bond.
Castillo, an air conditioning repair man, didn't appear to be injured in the accident, but the lawsuit claims he has suffered "disability, physical impairment, disfigurement" and "loss of ability to lead and enjoy a normal life."
Police said the van itself suffered around $10,000 in damage, but the arrest report cited no injuries to Castillo.
Perhaps the lawsuit is piling on to an already beaten down man. Now Taylor knows how NFL quarterbacks felt during his relentless pursuits on the football field.


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Geocaching in the News – A Story Worth Telling
Geocachers grab headlines around the world as Ambassadors of Adventure, Everyday Explorers or just those people doing that new outdoor tech thing. While geocaching is not new to us, more and more people are seeing geocaching in the news and in TV shows.
You're part of an emerging hobby that gets people outside and into adventure. Geocachers are a global band of tech-guided explorers some five million strong. Sometimes the geocaching adventure is just around the corner, other times the hunt delivers geocachers to the top of a mountain. But people always love to hear about the geocaching journey, especially in the media.
In the past weeks and months, geocaching has appeared in publications around the globe. Geocaching was featured as a tool to see and experience the world in a new way in the USAToday video, "Want a modern day treasure hunt? Go geocaching." Geocaching Co-Founder Bryan Roth helped Swiss readers of the magazine The Gentleman's Guide (p.33) learn more about the addictive hobby. A police officer, who's also a geocacher, used the Geocaching app to help find a lost hiker. The story made national news in the United States. Even airline passengers are reading about geocaching in the Alaska Airlines Magazine.
Geocaching delivers something most technologies cannot – and it's worth writing about. Geocaching takes people outside to connect with each other. Every time you sign a log book or replace a geocache where you just found it, you're adding to the story of that location. You connect to a community with each geocache you find. You also care for the environment along the way. It's a newspaper article or television story that never gets old.
You can continue reading too. You can always find geocaching in the news through this link.


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The Artists The Music
Rock and Roll / Rhythm and Blues from 1948 to 1953 was
the greatest
music of all time, though few people know much about it today. The swing
era was dead and the jump blues of WWII was in the decline when, in 1948,
the new beat was born. It was a rocking beat, a hard-driving rhythm like
nothing before it. The year 1948 saw the birth of real rock and roll music.
Where did rock and roll come from? Answer
To hear the music and read about it, go to the top of this page and click.
In order to make it onto the Hoy Hoy website, a record
must be a hard rocker. There's plenty of room in other places for jumping jive, Chicago
swing bands, sweet doo wop vocal groups, slow blues, or jump blues shuffle boogies. The record must be a ROCKER, from 1953 or earlier.
HoyHoy.com was created by Morgan Wright.
The recordings on this web site are licensed through BMI
Here is a link to a very good blues web site
This web site has won the following awards:
This site has been on the web since May 23, 1998, and has been one of the premier pre-Elvis rock web sites ever since. Many other roots-of-rock web sites, printed articles, and books, have copied and pasted from this web site. However, we owe much to those who came before us, mainly Nick Tosches and his book "Unsung Heroes of Rock and Roll," and to Jonas Bernholm and his Route 66 and Mr. R&B; record labels, which he ran from his home in Sweden. Bernholm is the man who did more than anybody to bring out the truth about the originators of rock and roll, and to bring their music to the public ear. Not only did he rediscover many of the unsung heroes who originated rock and roll, but he interviewed them, photographed them, documented them and their lives, honored them, and paid them more royalties than they had ever seen before. His record labels were some of the only ones in history whose primary goal was not to profiteer from these original rockers, but to honor them and give them credit, and to document the historical value of their work so others could hear it and learn to honor these artists as well. But even before Bernholm were books like "Honkers and Shouters" by Arnold Shaw. Basically, this information has been out there for a long long time. You should be ashamed of yourself if you don't already know it, and even more ashamed if you still believe that Elvis Presley invented rock and roll during an unrehearsed jam at Sun records in 1954.
Morgan Wright, 2007


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Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books
Winner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award
Praise for Penguin Drop Caps:
"[Penguin Drop Caps] convey a sense of nostalgia for the tactility and aesthetic power of a physical book and for a centuries-old tradition of beautiful lettering."
—Fast Company
"Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections."
—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
"The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they're beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische's fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story. Jane Austen's A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte's B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf."
—Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times
"Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying."
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text
Moby Dick
The Carpet Bag
The Spouter-Inn
The Counterpane
The Street
The Chapel
The Pulpit
The Sermon
A Bosom Friend
The Ship
The Ramadan
His Mark
The Prophet
All Astir
Going Aboard
Merry Christmas
The Lee Shore
The Advocate
Knights and Squires
Knights and Squires
Enter Ahab; to him, Stubb
The Pipe
Queen Mab
The Specksynder
The Cabin Table
The Mast-Head
The Quarter-Deck • Ahab and all
First Night-Watch
Moby Dick
The Whiteness of the Whale
The Chart
The Affidavit
The Mat-Maker
The First Lowering
The Hyena
Ahab's Boat and Crew—Fedallah
The Spirit-Spout
The Pequod meets the Albatross
The Gam
The Town Ho's Story
Monstrous Pictures of Whales
Less Erroneous Pictures of Whales
Of Whales in Paint, in Teeth, &c.
The Line
Stubb kills a Whale
The Dart
The Crotch
Stubb's Supper
The Whale as a Dish
The Shark Massacre
Cutting In
The Blanket
The Funeral
The Sphynx
The Pequod meets the Jeroboam • Her Story
The Monkey-rope
Stubb & Flask kill a Right Whale
The Sperm Whale's Head
The Right Whale's Head
The Battering-Ram
The Great Heidelburgh Tun
Cistern and Buckets
The Prairie
The Nut
The Pequod meets the Virgin
The Honor and Glory of Whaling
Jonah Historically Regarded
The Fountain
The Tail
The Grand Armada
Schools & Schoolmasters
Fast Fish and Loose Fish
Heads or Tails
The Pequod meets the Rose Bud
The Castaway
A Squeeze of the Hand
The Cassock
The Try-Works
The Lamp
Stowing Down & Clearing Up
The Doubloon
The Pequod meets the Samuel Enderby of London
The Decanter
A Bower in the Arsacides
Measurement of the Whale's Skeleton
The Fossil Whale
Does the Whale Diminish?
Ahab's Leg
The Carpenter
The Deck • Ahab and the Carpenter
The Cabin • Ahab and Starbuck
Queequeg in his Coffin
The Pacific
The Blacksmith
The Forge
The Gilder
The Pequod meets the Bachelor
The Dying Whale
The Whale-Watch
The Quadrant
The Candles
The Deck
Midnight, on the Forecastle
Midnight, Aloft
The Musket
The Needle
The Log and Line
The Life-Buoy
Ahab and the Carpenter
The Pequod meets the Rachel
The Cabin •Ahab and Pip
The Hat
The Pequod meets the Delight
The Symphony
The Chase • First Day
The Chase • Second Day
The Chase • Third Day
List of Textual Emendations
Explanatory Notes
Glossary of Nautical Terms
Maps and Illustrations


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The tone of media coverage of President Obama and Mitt Romney changed dramatically after the first presidential debate, a new study by Pew Research Center has documented.
Before the Denver debate, which voters overwhelmingly believed that Romney won, 22 percent of all stories about Obama had a positive tone, while the ones about Romney were positive only half as often.
Then things changed.
As Romney gained in the polls in the aftermath of the debate, he got substantially more favorable media coverage: 20 percent positive, 50 percent mixed and 30 percent negative. Obama's coverage suddenly became more negative. Nearly three times as many Obama-related stories had a negative tone than a positive one: 13 percent positive, 51 percent mixed and 36 percent negative.
Overall, however, Obama still has received slightly more favorable coverage this year. The reason, Pew discovered, is that much of the TV coverage of the campaign involved polling and the daily "horse race." Since Obama led for much of the year, much of the positive coverage reflected his advantage in the polls.
Excluding such horse-race stories, the tone of media coverage was very similar for both candidates, Pew found.
When looking at the different media types, more distinctions become clear. The so-called mainstream media maintained a pretty balanced tone in their coverage, Pew reported. But the tone tended to get more negative with blogs and social media. Facebook and Twitter posts and conversations were particularly negative — with Romney at a big disadvantage there.
Network news viewers received a different narrative about the candidates depending on when they watched. The morning shows on CBS, ABC and NBC set up a tone that favored Romney more. On the evening news shows, though, Obama was better off.
Cable coverage on Fox News was far more negative toward the president than its positive stories. Still, Pew found that MSNBC was even more one-sided: against Romney.


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This is an edited repost of a year-old article from my blog Genetic Inference. It explains how the state-of-the-art Second Generation sequencing works, and how it is being used to sequence thousands of genomes per day. I also try to explain some of the distinctions between First, Second and Third Generation sequencing.
This post follows on from an even older post that explained First Generation sequencing; the tech that was used in the Human Genome Project.
Recap: What are we trying to do?
In a previous post, we saw how DNA is made up of little strings of nucleotides, and we used different shapes to represent different base pairs (A = triangle, C = diamond, G = circle, T = pentagon). For instance, is GCAT.
We looked at how the DNA polymerase enzyme can be used to amplify up DNA, using the Polymerase Chain Reaction, and how we can determine the sequence of DNA using ddNTPs; nucleotides that, when incorporated into DNA, stop the polymerase working.
In First Generation (Sanger) sequencing, we run a PCR reaction in the presence of a bunch of ddNTPs, with each different base pair dyed a different colour. We then measure the length and colour of the resulting fragments of DNA, and use that to work out the sequence; a bit of DNA 35 base pairs long ending in a blue ddNTP tells us that the sequence has a "C" at the 35th position.
The problem with this method is that it requires a lot of space; you need a place to run the reaction, and then you need a capillary tube or a gel to determine the length of the DNA. As a result, you could only run perhaps a hundred of these reactions at any one time. There are 3 billion base pairs of DNA in the human genome, meaning about 6 million 500-base pair fragments of DNA; it would take a very long time to sequence all of these if you had to do them one hundred at a time.
Second Generation sequencing techniques overcome this restriction by finding ways to sequence the DNA without having to move it around. You stick the bit of DNA you want to sequence in a little dot, called a cluster, and you do the sequencing there; as a result, you can pack many millions of clusters into one machine. Sequencing a strand of DNA while keeping it held in place is tricky, and requires a lot of cleverness. I'll explain how Illumina's Second Generation technology achieves this, as it is the most similar to Sanger sequencing.
Reversible Terminator Sequencing
Just like Sanger sequencing relies on the ddNTP to stop the PCR reaction, Illumina's reversible terminator sequencing all rests on the reversible terminator bases (RT-bases). Just like ddNTP, these bases stop PCR reactions when they are incorporated; they have additional molecules, including a base-specific dye, attached to the standard base which stops the PCR enzyme adding more bases (A bases have red dye, C bases have blue dues, G yellow and T green):
However, they have an additional, very useful property: there exists a cleavage enzyme that chops all the extra molecules off, and turns the RT-base into a normally functioning nucleotide. This is hugely useful, and gives us a method of sequencing that doesn't require moving the DNA.
We multiply up the template stand, i.e. the bit of DNA that we are sequencing, and stick on a few bases of 'adaptor sequence'; this sequence sticks on to complementary bits of DNA stuck to a surface, which holds the DNA in place while we sequence it:
We then flood the DNA with RT-bases:
We also add a polymerase enzyme, which incorporates the RT-base into the new strand that is complementary to the template strand:
We then wash away all the RT-bases, leaving just those that were incorporated into the new strand; we can read off what base this is by looking at the colour of the dye:
In this case the dye is green, meaning that the base at the first position is a T.
Finally, we send in the cleavage enzyme, which cuts off the terminator region and the dye, leaving a normal base pair. We can then start again to sequence the next base pair.
In a single Illumina machine we have hundreds of millions of these clusters; cameras look at all of these dots and record how they change colour over time, allowing you to determine the sequence of bases of millions of bits of DNA at once. This animation illustrates how the process works over time; the main image shows the base pairs being incorporated into the DNA, and the little box shows what the camera sees; each dot is a reaction, with our reaction circled.
This system is exactly what we were looking for. Note that the sequencing method is pretty inefficient; for each base you read, you have to flood the DNA with RT-bases, wash them off again, and use a cleavage enzyme. This is very slow, and in fact it takes about an hour to read each base. However, this doesn't really matter; each individual bit of DNA may be slow to sequence, but you can sequence millions of DNA fragments at once. In fact, the way we do sequencing these days is to cut up an entire genome, and sequence all the fragments. The real state-of-the-art machines can produce a pretty high quality human genome in around a week.
Other Technologies
Illumina sequencing is not the only second generation tech, and it has many disadvantages. Firstly, because it takes so long to produce a single base pair, and because the different molecules in the cluster can get out of sync, it is impossible to sequence long bits of DNA. Mostly, the read length is under 100bp, much less than the 500-1000bp that you can get from Sanger sequencing. 454 sequencing is another second generation sequencing method that gets around this: instead of using dyes they use nucleotides that flash when the polymerase adds them to the DNA; they can get read lengths of greater than 500bp, getting close to Sanger sequencing. However, while 454 has a) longer read lengths b) a cooler name and c) a cooler sequencing method, it cannot rival Illumina for sheer amount of DNA sequenced per unit time.
Secondly, because it is very easy for the polymerase enzyme to add in the wrong RT-base, Illumina sequencing has a relatively high error rate (1-2% per base). ABI's SOLiD sequencing adds bases in pairs, rather than singely, and thus sequences pairs of bases rather than single bases. E.g. while Illumina will read "GACT" as "G", then "A", then "C", then "T", SOLiD reads it as "GA", "AC", "CT" etc. Because you sequence each base twice, the error rates are much lower (0.1-0.2% per base)*.
Next Next Gen Sequencing
The First Generation sequencing technology, automated capillary sequencing machines, changed the way we thought about DNA; it went from something that we could glimpse to something we could sequence on mass. Second Generation sequencing has changed it again, from something we sequence once, to something we sequence again and again. Second gen sequencing has allowed us to re-sequence many human individuals; the 1000 Genomes Project is using 454, SOLiD and Illumina machines to sequence hundreds of individuals. This sort of thing has allowed us to get an idea, not just of what a single genome looks like, but how the genome changes from person to person; we can look at how much variation there is in the genome, how different populations differ in their genome structure, and even what makes a cancer genome different from a healthy genome.
However, second gen sequencing is not without its flaws. While it has got cheap ($10-20k to sequence a human genome these days), it still requires a lot of reagents, a lot of work and a lot of cost (the RT-bases aren't cheap, and neither are the enzymes used). The low read lengths are still a problem, as they make knowing precisely where you got the bit of DNA from hard to discover, and it takes a long time to run the machines to completion. New tech is on the horizon that intends to overcome some of these constraints, including the Second Generation Ion Torrent, and the so-called Third Generation sequencers, Pacific Biosciences, Oxford Nanopore and Life Sciences Qdot technology, all of which sequence single molecules of DNA in real-time. Watch this space for more information as this tech develops.


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Ever been stalked by a new friend from the Padres season ticket sales office? I'm not a season ticket customer/member, but I've spoken with a number of those who are about their experience. There are quite a few interesting stories which put season ticket representatives into two general categories. Some are helpful, respectful, and willing to work with customers to bend even the Padres' own rules in order to help.
Oddly enough, the other group's behavior seems the exact opposite. People talk of a barrage of phone calls, sometimes a few calls a week for multiple weeks at a time trying to sell tickets. Emails too. Here are a few fans' reports, I've heard similar stories from others. It is important to consider our good bud selection bias could be in play, as people loudly report experiences most when they're at one extreme or the other.
I've tried wrapping my brain around what kind of organizational structure could lead to this behavior, and it wasn't until talking with someone who knows that it's starting to make sense.
Season ticket salespeople are required to make 50 phone calls to perspective customers a day. And their managers check the phone logs. So no matter how many leads a rep may be following up on at any given time, they still have to call 50 people. It makes sense then that during slow times, those fans being courted by salespeople get more of the phone calls. Maybe a lot more, depending. And it makes sense that the messages get a little weird. What would you say if you had to call some dude for the 8th time in a couple weeks?
Update: Also getting reports from people who have received handwritten notes. I recommend carrier pigeons next.
Posted in gripes | 2 Comments »


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An Open Letter to Stephen Colbert (Yes, I know he's only a comedian… Only a comedian…)
But then so was Charlie Chaplin. And the US government was scared to death of him. (They're not afraid of Colbert, though, having invited him to the White House for dinner.)
Unlike Colbert, Chaplin had a moral compass. He actually cared about people. But then, Chaplin had been homeless before his fame and fortune arrived. And, as I mentioned in my previous post, temporary poverty can build character, can build empathy and compassion in a human being. Most Americans have lost the ability to show empathy and compassion for each other because they've never experienced real poverty. Sad but true. Doesn't matter whether they're liberal or conservative. Most Americans just don't give a s*it. And will continue to not give a s*it until they become poor themselves.
Believe me, I know. I know because I was homeless. I've seen the way seemingly "good" people treat you once they realize you have no money or connections. (They give only to get paid in the form of good publicity for themselves. They give to make themselves look good–not out of kindness or compassion. Soon those two words will be removed from the American English dictionary altogether, I'm afraid. In fact, many Americans don't want to help the poor as they see us as defective in some way. I truly believe that many Americans would like us poor people to just die and get out of their way.) Gosh, I hope people from countries outside of the US begin to recognize this. I want the world to know about the true America, the true USA. It's not the Land of Opportunity at all. Not at all.
And do you know why? I'll attempt to explain it here (though I really need to get to the point, don't I?) Because Americans believe in a thing called "rugged individualism." What that means is that if you have a problem, it is your own, individual fault. It has nothing to do with the economy, the system, the social structure within which we live, or anything outside of you. It's all about you. So when I began to struggle financially, everyone around me decided it must be my fault. Something had to be wrong with me. (One acquaintance tried to convince me that I must have a drug or alcohol problem because she couldn't believe a person could become homeless otherwise! I had to argue in my defense, explaining that I don't take drugs–not even prescription drugs–and I rarely drink. Alcohol has a bad effect on me, actually. In fact, I avoid artificial chemicals in my food as well. Though I can't afford to eat everything organic, I do strive to eat as natural and unprocessed as possible. But frankly, I resent having to defend myself this way since I know plenty of people who are very well-off financially who drink alcohol/abuse drugs/eat frankenfoods everyday. But they'll never be homeless because they vote Republican.) And of course, this rugged individualist thinking prevents us Americans from coming together and protesting the true cause of our problems. We're all walking around suffering alone, blaming ourselves as individuals for choices that we did NOT make, that wealthy, privileged people made on our behalf and without our consent.
Whew! It's so hard to reduce these complex ideas into a simple sound byte. I wish I weren't an American so I wouldn't have to dumb-down my ideas, but anyhow, I'll continue the effort here.
Charlie Chaplin possessed a thing called "integrity." Have you heard of it, Mr. Colbert?
Here's the online Merriam-Webster definition of "integrity": "the quality of being honest and fair, the state of being complete or whole, firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values…" Wait, I'll stop there. A code of moral or artistic values. Hmm…
You see, Mr. Colbert, Charlie Chaplin made a film, "The Great Dictator," which was instrumental in influencing the US to fight Hitler. Most Hollywood bigwigs discouraged him from making the film. What Chaplin had to say was not popular, but Chaplin wasn't concerned with popularity or making money. He was concerned about making the world a better place. What a concept! He'd already made a lot of money, already attained great success, so now his thoughts had moved higher up, higher than his own ego and his own desire for personal gain.
At the time, the US was not against Hitler's regime. Nope, we were not the great heroes Americans want to think we were. We were perfectly okay with Hitler's persecution of other people, as long as he wasn't persecuting us. Chaplin also made films such as "Modern Times" which criticized industrialization, employees being dehumanized, treated like cogs in a wheel, by wealthy bureaucrats who only cared about their own profit margin.
For this, Chaplin was labeled a "communist" (the term used for today's "terrorists"), was spied on heavily during the McCarthy era and finally deported. Guess you think Americans voted for that too, Mr. Colbert? In fact, most Americans know nothing about this history or about their own history at all. Sad but true. Part of the reason for this is that it's hard to become a genuine teacher today. One needs to be licensed or certified and, of course, that costs oodles of money, so those of us who aren't wealthy and advocate for the rights of the poor aren't likely to become teachers and to start teaching history. We'll let the children of wealthy bureaucrats teach their version of "history." They can afford to get "licensed" to teach it.
Ignorance is bliss, I suppose. Is that why you promote ignorance, Mr. Colbert, because its blissful and makes the masses laugh at what should really make them cry, if not recoil in horror?
But here's the post I left on CNN's web site:
I used to be a huge Colbert fan. He and Jon Stewart were the only ones who could make me laugh. But I've been noticing the hypocrisy and, sadly, I can't ignore it. First, there was the interview with the woman who made a film advocating torture. Torture is an abomination–worse than slavery and isms: sexism, racism, classism, ageism, etc. Anyone who advocates torture is a sick human being and, most likely, a sociopath. Would you like to experience water-boarding, Mr. Colbert? Do you think torture is a joke? Or are you like most Americans, unconcerned about the suffering of others–as long as it's the "other" who suffers and not "me."
I, for one, am embarrassed to be an American and to know that the entire world is watching and fully aware that Americans are not only engaging in torture but our "liberal" political comedians promote it.
Yes, I also saw the interview with Stanley McChrystal, the general you seem to think is a hero, Mr. Colbert. Sorry, but I wasn't laughing. I'm not an advocate of torture or of murder. I hope never to be. Even though my values are no longer American values, and so I must remain poor because I refuse to sell out, I can't betray my own conscience.
Oh, and I admit I will watch Colbert and Stewart from time to time and possibly will laugh here and there, but not like before. I used to watch both shows frequently. Now, I view them occasionally and, yes, I can appreciate the comedic talent of both men. But I don't appreciate the hypocrisy and your selling out on the American people. I don't care how much money and power you have. I'll say it directly to your face if need be. (Again, that's why I'm poor. I haven't been bowing to money and power. But then again, if there were more people like me, we wouldn't be having the problems we're having today, and then I wouldn't be poor because my ideas would be popular. But my conscience is stronger than my ego. So be it.)
Mr. Colbert, you have a large platform and with that comes a huge responsibility. You can be brave (as was Charlie Chaplin back in the day) or you can be a greedy, foolish, coward who sells out your own people (sort of like Obama but on a smaller scale.) The choice, of course, is yours. I'm poor and struggling myself. I don't have a platform. Few people will hear what I have to say, so no matter how articulate, well-educated or well-written I may be, I can do very little to save this country. (And no, I don't believe my voting makes a difference either.) But you, Mr. Colbert, with your wealth and influence could do a lot. We live in an aristocracy. The ideas and opinions of the wealthy are praised and highly valued.
We're going down (as a country), of course. And if Thom Hartmann is correct, there'll be another economic crash around 2016.
But we don't need to become the next Soviet Union. We can return to the days of freedom where we could at least express our grievances to this corrupt government and demand change. We don't need to become a stasi-like police state where millions of people suffer but no one is brave enough to speak out. In that place, change cannot happen. Change doesn't take place when people are too afraid to rise up and speak out.
In-Print Photobook Video #42: Top Secret: Images from the Stasi Archives by Simon Menner from photo-eye on Vimeo.

Or when those who do bravely speak out conveniently die shortly after (or are found guilty of some serious crime then imprisoned for the rest of their lives so that no one will hear them speak again.)
Note: By the way, I had a very difficult time pasting the Chaplin footage onto this blog. When I tried to open the video, I got a response that the web site (dailymotion.com) was "unavailable" after my computer spent an incredibly long time attempting to open the site. (Yet this is a commonly used site, like youtube.) So I had to make several attempts at opening the web site. Then when I was able to access Dailymotion.com, I received a message that that Chaplin video was "unavailable" due to technical difficulties: "We are experiencing some difficulties with this video, please (sic) try again later." After many attempts I posted that video but then searched for the Great Dictator speech, and guess what? Yep, I got another "error" message once the computer was finally able to open that page. Hmm… Could it be the NSA virus striking once again? No wonder, Stephen Colbert advocates surveillance. It makes it easier for people like himself to escape scrutiny when we the people are so heavily censored and micromanaged.
Remember this, Mr. Colbert, "Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people!" Eventually, even the American people will realize this.


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When considering medical marijuana, one important keyword that should be known is Cannabinoid. Cannabinoids or THC and CBD, are chemicals that are secreted by the cannabis flowers. These cannabinoids offer relief to a variety of symptoms such as nausea, pain, anxiety and inflammation.
Cannabinoids work their magic by imitating some compounds that are already in our bodies. These are endocannabinoids. Our bodies activate these to help maintain our immune systems and our health. Sometimes there is a lack of communication between our bodies and our brains. When this happens, illnesses may occur.
Cannabinoids work to bridge the gap that our bodies have between our brain and our body when we're ill. When cannabinoids are consumed, they aid the ability of the brain and the body to communicate. The receptors work to deliver the cannabinoid to the cells that require it and focus on improving our health.
All of this happens in a quick time frame and when a patient ingests cannabis in either a CBD oil form or an edible or smokable form, they are given relief from their various symptoms. There are at least 85 different types of cannabinoids. Many have great benefits as medicinal properties.
There are many great websites that go over the various benefits of the cannabinoids for your health. They discuss the various strains and what they offer and how some strains are better suited for some conditions than others.
Cannabinoids work on nausea, vomiting, pain receptors for pain conditions such as arthritis and nerve conditions, they work on inflammation, anxiety, depression, mood disorders and more.
Many patients are tired of the side effects from other medications and they turn to cannabis as a form of medication that has fewer side effects. Many of these patients turn to cannabis on the advice of their doctors.
Always start with the smallest dose possible and gauge the effects before taking larger doses of the cannabis. Keep in mind that some forms such as edibles may take a bit longer to take effect than other forms of the product.
Since cannabinoids are available in all forms of the cannabis, many patients try a few different types to determine which one works best for their specific needs. Some patients will find that they have a preference at which type of product they're going to use.
Cannabinoids help the body to rebuild the cell structure and focus on healing and pain relief. They're used to help relieve pain and other conditions, they help to reduce the incidence of seizures and tumors and they are a medication that can be taken easily regardless of age.
The use of cannabinoids has become far more common today than it was previously and every year more information is becoming available as researchers are discovering more information about the drug.
Thanks to new laws and regulations it no longer has to be used in a dark alley or in secrecy. Cannabinoids have their place in medical science and are being used more commonly than ever before.


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HMM? Why does the title of this post make me think of that old Three Dog Night song? You know; One is the loneliest number. (Wonder if Tony George has ever heard that song?)
Although I'd thought of doing the Jack "BRUT" Arute double, albeit from the Lazy-Boy recliner late evening with visions of Sugar Plums, Err, Hulio "Dancin' Shoes" Castroneeves… HMM? Perhaps I should think 'bout the Princess more kindly? While hoping to be serenaded by the soothing voices of Mike King and Colour Commentator extraordinaire Davey Hamilton of the IMS Radio broadcast via le internets…
Oh, that's right, Davey's busy "Stateside" getting his seat fitting for the Hallowed Shalt be thy Name Kingdom Racing team… But back to the pain in the Keister Indy Car website… C'mon where's the FRILLIN' link??? Thinking I'd be able to listen to "live" qualifying, even if I cannot master the Japanese Time Zone Conversion + Eastern Time listings. Let's see, Japan = +16 hours, carry the 9, subtract the 6 and divide by 12.5, then add another 3? Oh never mind, what in the HELL time is it?
But as Y'all know, the TT Gods weren't smiling upon Motegi and Qualifying was rained out. Neither was the Microphone God for Jack Arute, nor were any of the broadcasters actually in Motegi…
Thus, taking a cue from My Name is IRL.. Although I'll catch BOTH… Yep, that's right TWO Open Wheel races from the cozy confines of my rich Corinthian leather couch, which won't be nearly as impressive as Messer Arute's racking up of frequent flyer miles this past weekend, (But, Hey! Somebodies gotta do it, right?) I'll leave the Motegi Twin Rings of Venus weekend's coverage to my fellow (SHHShshh…. Don't tell Jeff Olsen) Indy Car Bloggers…
(Good thing Arute wasn't flying on American Airlines or having to go to Terminal 4 in LAX, eh?)
And just what did we learn over the past weekend's dubious Open Wheel double header, which thankfully will be the last time we'll have to put up with that sort of NONSENSE! Well, I believe that the Roundy-round boyzs learned that the "Majic Rings" utilized to propel those Dallara Honda's don't seem to do very good on weeper's... As all of the drivers were wearing coats and Tony "Follow your Snauz" Kanaan told Mr. Arute how he wanted to be somewhere warm… Like California!
And while foolishly sitting thru the entire two hour race delay, it struck me as somewhat bemusing that Bobby Rahal had flown (The Coup?) all the way to Japan in order to leave the track Saturday in order to fly back to California to be the Grand Marshall of the Long Beach Grand Prix.
And if we're gonna really quit this Open Wheel divide… Then when in the HELL! Is the Dizney Shopping Networks going to start giving the "Transition" drivers equal billing? As I thought I caught Marty Reid only congratulating Buddy Rice and Edward Carpenter on their recent additions… With NO mention of Justin Wilson during the Pamper's portion of the race delay… I mean C'mon, either give us the silly poop on all of the driver's wife's having babies or don't bother us with the filler crap!
And even better yet, if you wish to win over us Champ Car diehards… Then don't put the FRILLIN' Delayed race coverage on ESPN Classic… Cause many households DON'T have access to that channel… Yet even more hilarious was the continuous plugging of the ALMS tape delayed race on ABC which my locoe affiliate has decided NOT to air in favour of Paid Programming, i.e.; Jack Luhlaine Juicers, Sally Struthers Tummy Tucker, etc. Guess I'm gonna get to listen via le internets after all, since that's the ONLY way I'll be able to catch the race live…
Thus with all of the extra time on my hands while waiting for the Really Really Really Big Champ Car swan song... I happened to notice the following tidbit courtesy of Kurt Cabin;
"Also entered is Mario Dominguez, who is due to be named to a new IndyCar Series program with Pacific Coast Motorsports later this month."
And if Jamie Little reports on it during the Long Beach race, then it must be true…
Monday, April 21, 2008
When Two equals One
2 comments:
Agree 100%. When we were getting he low-down on Wheldon's new choppers, I said to myself.. "what about the champ car guys? Haven't they had any cosmetic work done recently? Are not there skin care products and wardrobe choices of these other drivers just as important?"ReplyDelete
Hang in there my friend. Someday all drivers will be treated equal, and its very likely that Joan Rivers will somehow be involved.
Well actually I believe that Joan Rivers is busy this week... Wait a sec' Doesn't she cover the assorted royality coming down the red carpet? Perfect, we'll have Joan interview the Princess on her way into Cooking with Regis 'N Phylbin...ReplyDelete
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We aren't just ruling demographic numbers! Latinos have been a staple of U.S. pop culture for decades. Here are the 30 most iconic Latino in television over the past 60 years!
1. TV Icons: Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives
In the hands of a lesser actress, the oversexed Gabrielle could have been a throwaway, stereotypical character. Instead, Longoria, thanks to great comic timing and physical acting, managed to make her both outrageous and relatable, making Gabrielle a fan favorite and Longoria the show's breakout star.
2. TV Icons: Freddie Prinze
Freddie Prinze as Chico Rodriguez on Chico and the Man
Hiring a Puerto Rican-Hungarian from New York to portray a Chicano from East L.A. may have seemed like a stretch, but Prinze is perfect as the sweet (and sexy!) kid who wins over a crabby old white guy who won't adapt to the changing neighborhood. Prinze came to the show a rising comedian whose sharp stand-up skills and charisma had made him a late-night show staple, but it was his performance on Chico and the Man that made him a star.
3. TV Icons: America Ferrera
America Ferrera as Betty Suarez on Ugly Betty
The nation fell in love with Ferrera's portrayal of a seriously fashion-challenged chica with a heart of gold. Why? Because Betty was a refreshing character, she had integrity and didn't rely on smirks, cleavage or put-downs to gain popularity. America captured this perfectly, conveying Betty's' strength from underneath the furry eyebrows, braces and horrible ponchos and in the end, giving us a bona fide modern classic.
4. TV Icons: Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy
Literally the daddy of all iconic TV portrayals by a Latino, Arnaz's bandleader married to a crazy Americana was the first leading boob-tube role for one of us. Arnaz may have been a musician and pioneering TV producer in real life, but he's most remembered as the exasperated Ricky and his catchphrase, said in his trademark heavy accent, "Luuuuucy, I'm home!"
5. TV Icons: Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz as Rickie Vasquez in My So-Called Life
Cruz came to Hollywood refusing to hide his homosexuality — something still considered career suicide by many — and his honesty paid off. In this cult fave, he endows Rickie, a gay teen who has been physically abused and who, like Cruz himself, was kicked out of his home for his sexual orientation, with undeniable humanity and compassion.
6. TV Icons: Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes on L.A. Law
Jimmy Smits has rocked many an amazing role on TV: As Bobby Simone in NYPD Blue, Matt Santos on The West Wing and Miguel Prado on Dexter come to mind (we're still shocked he hasn't won an Emmy), but this one is closest to our hearts. That's because with Hollywood often portraying Latinos as criminals, service workers or smarmy Latin lover types, the arrival of Smits as a polished lawyer with a strong sense of social justice rebooted the way the industry looked at our actors. All that, and he was the hottest guy on the show.
7. TV Icons: Dora
Dora the Explorer on Dora the Explorer
Is it weird that one of our most positive portrayals onscreen is by an animated character? Who cares? All that matters is that a whole generation of kids has grown up with an intrepid, brown, bilingual girl as a role model.
8. TV Icons: Erik Estrada
Erik Estrada as Ponch on CHiPs
Two words: man meat. Estrada was hot and great hair and a great smile and that is why he was on this vapid but iconic show about hot cops on motorcycles. Yes, CHiPs was cheesetastic and so was Estrada's performance (hey, they can't all be Smits or Olmos), but sometimes that's all you want in a show. Tons of girls had his poster on their walls and that was enough to make him an enduring sex symbol.
9. TV Icons: Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos as William Adama on Battlestar Galactica
Yes, we loved him as the tipo serio Lt. Martin Castillo on the iconic show Miami Vice, for which he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe, but on Battlestar Galactica, Oscar-nominated Olmos did what no other onscreen Latino had done before: Command a fleet of spaceships protecting humanity from evil aliens in the future! More than a sci-fi show, Galactica was a mix of political and social drama and adventure, and it took someone with Olmos' acting gravitas to pull it together.
10. TV Icons: Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia as Hurley on Lost
Hurley was not hot, he was not suave. He did not look like a lot of people's idea of a Latino: He was a light-skinned, freckled, outsize comic-book-reading nerd with hippie hair and sideburns—and he utterly charmed audiences with his laid-back California vibe, endlessly quotable lines and general decency. On Lost, Hurley often spoke out loud what we were thinking while watching this confounding, groundbreaking show at home: mainly, "WTF just happened?" No wonder Garcia became the fan favorite and the only one on the show who has individually permeated pop culture: There are Hurley dolls and even a Weezer album cover featuring his image.
11. 10 More Icons: Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell
Mario has worn many hats in Hollywood: Sexy TV show host, sexy dance contestant, sexy beauty pageant host. No surprise that the role that started it all was as…a sexy student. In Saved by the Bell, the dimpled cutie was the sought after ladies' man with washboard abs, who took off his shirt at any provocation. A career was born.
12. 10 More Icons: Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez on That 70s Show
Dark, handsome, with an accent. That combination can come across as corny or smarmy, but Wilmer's exchange student Fez was by turns sweet, horny and gullible, helping him steal every scene he was in and become a sex symbol for a new generation.
13. 10 More Icons: Shelley Morrison
Shelley Morrison as Rosario on Will and Grace
Inez Consuelo Yolanda Salazar McFarland was one of the most memorable maids on TV ever. Far from being a meek sheet changer, she had a checkered past and used her merciless evil wit to feed her love-hate relationship with her tipsy rich boss Karen.
14. 10 More Icons: Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt as Rey Curtis in Law and Order
As the yang to partner Lenny's wisecracking ying, Rey rarely cracked a smile during Bratt's four seasons on the seminal show and he didn't need to: His sexy intensity earned him an Emmy nomination in 1999.
15. 10 More Icons: Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo as Miguel Alvarez on Oz
One of the most underrated and underused Latino actors, Kirk got his first shot at substantial screen time in the prison TV drama to end all prison TV dramas. Episode after episode, he gave an astonishing performance as third-generation criminal and mercurial gang banger Miguel Alvarez. Not sure how they survived it, but both Acevedo and his character made it through six brutal seasons, Miguel being one of the few characters who did so.
16. 10 More Icons: Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on Oz
Having won every major prize in the entertainment industry (Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy), Rita doesn't need to prove a thing. That may be what liberates her enough to play amazing characters in the latter stage of her career with both focus and ease. As the chief drug counselor and shrink at the ward, she developed sometimes uncomfortably close relationships with the inmates with a mix of doggedness and compassion –while at the same time that she's tracking down her husband's killer. Badass.
17. 10 More Icons: Christian Camargo
Christian Camargo as the Ice Truck Killer/Brian Moser on Dexter
The creepiest sociopath since Hannibal Lecter, period. Camargo beautifully handled a very hard balancing act, playing a merciless, ice-blooded killer pretending to be the perfect, loving boyfriend to Dexter's adoptive sister while secretly longing for a connection with his long-lost brother Dexter. Camargo was on the show only one season, but his performance was unforgettable.
18. 10 More Icons: Lauren Velez
Lauren Velez as Lt. Laguerta on Dexter
Another refreshingly three-dimensional, fully fleshed out Latina character on TV. Acting vet Velez gets to be a bitch boss, loyal friend, vulnerable wife and consummate professional—all depending on the episode you're watching.
19. 10 More Icons: Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano on The Sopranos
The iconic show gave us an iconic girl-next-door in Meadow. We saw her grow from a teen resentful of her dad's mafia empire to an increasingly confident young woman who tries to come to terms with her family's choices and ends up choosing a different path for herself.
20. 10 More Icons: Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes as Carla Espinoza on Scrubs
Sassiness is not an unexpected trait in Latina TV characters but sassiness NOT combined with big cleavage and short skirts is. As Nurse Carla, Reyes took care of business at work and home and suffered no fools—and created one of the most self-possessed (and funniest!) Latina characters ever. Best of all? She lives on in syndication.
21. Iconic TV Stars: George Lopez
George Lopez as himself on George Lopez
The stand-up comedian quickly became our favorite dad on the former ABC sitcom. Known for making lemonade from lemons, George was hard working, witty, and a fun loving family man. Not to mention, funny as hell.
22. Iconic TV Stars: Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family
The Colombian actress landed the role of a lifetime on the hit ABC comedy. The 40-year-old star was considered the highest paid actress on television in 2012, with a reported estimated earnings of $19 million. Forget the haters because she's laughing her way to the bank!
23. Iconic TV Stars: Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel as Rory on The Gilmore Girls
From high school to Yale, we loved watching Rory's journey of finding herself in the syndicated comedy-drama. In the last season, she moves out of Stars Hollow and prepares to enter the real world. If only a spin-off could be in the works!
24. Iconic TV Stars: Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place
Magic never looked so good! Gomez was the first Latina to headline her own sitcom on the Disney Channel, which averaged nearly 10 million viewers per live premiere. In 2009, Wizards also won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. Now that's iconic!
25. Iconic TV Stars: Ana Ortiz
Ana Ortiz as Hilda Suarez on Ugly Betty
The loveable older sister seemed like a part of our own family. Ortiz's chemistry with America Ferrera was spot on and we can't forget her fabulous fashion choices!
26. Iconic TV Stars: Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez on Glee
Honestly, who isn't a gleek? Rivera was born for the role of the famous sassy and cold-hearted cheerleader. We also love that her character advocates for the LGBT community and her singing skills are just flawless. Her duet with Ricky Martin and Gloria Estefan are just some of her knockout moments on the show.
27. Iconic TV Stars: Danny Pino
Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro on Law & Order: SVU
Let's face it, detective work never looked so sexy! Pino holds his own in a cast of veterans including Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, and Ice-T.
28. Iconic TV Stars: Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nuñez as Oscar Martinez on The Office
Playing an openly gay Latino man on primetime quickly made Oscar one of the most iconic characters on television. His know-it-all personality was an instant hit on the comedy show.
29. Iconic TV Stars: Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch as Aunt Dora in American Family
The beautiful actress may have gotten her fame from movies like, Bedazzled, but she was also the queen of variety shows in the 1970's and later when on to star on several television shows including, American Family, the first drama series with a robust Latino cast.
30. Iconic TV Stars: Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes as a VJ on MTV and Host of House of Style
She may be a fashion mogul now, but the Cuban star got her start by making history as the first Latina VJ on the music network. She sure paved the way!


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The Society of Property
University of Toronto Law Journal, 2012
39 Pages Posted: 15 Aug 2011 Last revised: 16 Mar 2012
Date Written: August 14, 2011
Property rights and duties, as it is often said, are good against the world, whereas contract rights and obligations apply more narrowly against specific others. The most basic question that arises in connection with this distinction is what accounts for the general scope that property rights and duties, unlike their contractual counterparts, share? Almost all the theories that have so far sought to address this question have emphasized the extrinsic circumstances - such as transaction costs or the normative priority of protecting property over contract rights. In that, these theories might be able to explain the general scope of application characteristic of property rights and duties, on the one hand, and the particular reach of contract rights and duties, on the other.
This starting point, however, implies the conclusion that property and contract rights and duties are, at best, quantitatively different, reflecting differences of degree, not of quality. More precisely, the source of the difference (whatever it is) does not originate in either property or contract, but rather lies outside both (for instance, in the costs of making and carrying out transactions concerning external objects).
Although this approach is perfectly sound as far as it goes, it does not go far enough. In particular, it fails to consider whether the general scope of property rights and duties is, in fact, a side effect of the special structure of property (vis-à-vis contract). Indeed, this possibility can be found once it is sought in the distinctive form of social coordination that property takes. On the account I shall develop, property is a framework of coordination in which participants approach the resolution of their competing claims (such as for use of and access to an object) together. In this way, property turns coordination itself into a form of respectful recognition among persons, quite apart from the functions it serves (such as promoting efficiency or sustaining freedom). This is, I argue, because the duties that arise in connection with a system of property take a categorically social form - that is, they can engender interactions of respect and recognition between persons simply in virtue of their being persons. Duties originating in a contractual interaction, by contrast, may (at best) take a hypothetically social form - that is, they may (arguably) establish relations of respect and recognition in which being a person as such is never sufficient for these relations to get going. This formal way of distinguishing between property and contract obligations lies at the center of the characterization of the duties in question that I shall pursue in these pages. Moreover, and perhaps more dramatically, this characterization provides the necessary normative resources to elaborate on their normativity - I shall argue that property, unlike contract, expresses the categorical value of regarding others as free and equal persons (at least in the sphere of action onto which property maps).
Keywords: property, contract, rights in rem, liberal solidarity, private law theory, formalism vs. functionalism
JEL Classification: K11, K12, K13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


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Hailing from San Francisco's Mission District, the self-proclaimed burrito capital of the world, Tortilla's husband-wife team set out to inject London's street food scene with the honesty and vibrancy of authentic Mexican cooking.
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Donepezil, which is sold under the brand name Aricept, is a cholinesterase inhibitor (an enzyme blocker) used to treat mild, moderate, or severe dementia in people who have Alzheimer's disease.
It improves mental functions (including attention, memory, and the ability to interact and speak with others) by preventing the naturally occurring neurotransmitters in the brain from breaking down.
It will not cure Alzheimer's or prevent the loss of mental abilities in the future.
Donepezil was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Currently, donepezil is the world's best-selling Alzheimer's drug.
In 2006, Aricept was approved to treat severe dementia in people with Alzheimer's. The first generic formulation became available in 2010.
Donepezil has also been tested in patients with schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and mild cognitive impairment. A 2001 study shows donepezil improves the speech of autistic children.
Donepezil must be taken as prescribed, even if you feel good, to be effective. If you experience sleep problems, your doctor may switch you to a morning dose.
Before taking donepezil, consult with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are planning to have surgery, including dental surgery.
Donepezil should be used with caution by patients who also experience cardiac disease, asthma, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so consult with your doctor before using.
Always tell your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
Less serious side effects include:
More serious side effects may demand immediate emergency medical attention and include:
Drugs with anti-cholinergic properties that counteract donepezil and should be avoided include:
The following medications, which increase enzymes in the liver, may reduce the effect of donepezil:
There are other medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), that interact with donepezil. It's important to tell your doctor all of the medications you are taking.
Donepezil tablets are usually taken once a day, with or without food. They should not be cut, crushed, or chewed, but may be allowed to dissolve on the tongue. The dose may start at 5 milligrams (mg) and be increased to 10 mg in four to six weeks. After 3 months, the 23-milligram tablet should be taken.
For Aricept, the 5 mg tablets are white; 10 mg tablets are yellow; and 23 mg tablets are red.
If the victim has collapsed, call 911. Otherwise contact the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Symptoms of a donepezil overdose may include:
Do not attempt to make up for a missed dose. Simply take the next scheduled dose.
By Don Wall | Medically Reviewed by Sherry Brooks, MD
Latest Update: 2014-10-27
Copyright © 2014 Everyday Health Media, LLC


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Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is often under-recognized and underdiagnosed. About 1 in every 2,000 people in North America and Europe suffer from this syndrome, which tends to be a lifelong phenomenon. The symptoms of narcolepsy can be terrifying at first and frustrating even after someone becomes used to them, but they never produce any serious illness. People with narcolepsy are usually healthy in all other respects. They have exactly the same natural life expectancy as those without it. No physical abnormality or tissue damage has ever been linked to this condition, either as a cause or as a consequence.
Men and women are equally likely to suffer from narcolepsy. It usually first appears in the teenage years, but it can come on at almost any age. Often the symptoms appear one by one, but in people aged over 20 it's more likely that several symptoms will appear at once. Symptoms may change over time in an individual, but there's no general tendency for them to get worse or better with age.
It is thought that people with narcolepsy have low levels of a brain protein called hypocretin (also known as orexin). This protein controls wakefulness and without it, people have a hard time staying awake. It is uncertain why some people have low levels of hypocretin, but scientists think this could be a result of the following: genetic mutations of a sleep gene, a family history, infections, brain injuries, contact with toxic substances (e.g., pesticides), and autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).
In a person without narcolepsy, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep only occurs when that person has been asleep for some time. REM sleep is part of the normal sleeping cycle. In a person with narcolepsy, REM sleep can occur anytime, even while a person is awake.
The low brain level of hypocretin is likely what causes a person with narcolepsy to enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the daytime. This can be very concerning because a person's muscles in REM sleep are also paralyzed. Therefore, a person with narcolepsy could be standing up awake one moment and falling to the floor asleep the next.
There are five common symptoms of narcolepsy, but very few people have all of them.
The first and most important is sudden daytime sleepiness, so extreme that it becomes impossible to stay awake for more than a few moments no matter how hard the person tries, even if they're standing up. This is most likely to occur when the person is passive or bored – for example, in the classroom or at work. In a few cases, however, it occurs during physical exertion or stress.
It's not difficult to rouse someone from such a state, and upon waking people may feel refreshed, but the tiredness may return very soon, forcing another bout of sleep. This may happen several times a day in the most severe cases. If someone with narcolepsy is left undisturbed, the sleep may last from a few minutes to a few hours.
Despite this, people with narcolepsy do not actually tend to sleep more hours in a day than people without the condition. This naturally implies that people with this condition get less sleep at night, and indeed many complain of unrefreshing nighttime sleep that's often interrupted by nightmares.
As well as briefly falling asleep several times during the day, people with narcolepsy are prone to waking up several times a night.
The other three symptoms of narcolepsy (cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and Hypnagogic phenomena) are more rare, but most sufferers experience at least one of them from time to time. They all occur in fully conscious people and can be frightening if the person hasn't yet been diagnosed and doesn't know he or she has narcolepsy.
In cataplexy, the low muscle tone of REM sleep appears suddenly in a person who is fully awake at a time of strong emotion. Laughter, anger, fear, happiness, or, most often, a simple surprise can cause a person to go suddenly limp and drop to the ground.
Sleep paralysis occurs just before going to sleep or just after waking up. A temporary but complete paralysis prevents the person from moving for a few seconds. Sleep paralysis isn't actually that rare, especially in children, but it's only a sign of narcolepsy if one also experiences the primary symptom of suddenly falling asleep in the daytime.
Hypnagogic phenomena (hallucinations) also occur just before drifting off to sleep. Hypnopompic phenomena are hallucinations that occur just after waking, but are even rarer. Basically, they are vivid dreams that project into the waking period. Because they occur in people who aren't actually asleep, these dreams are sometimes called hallucinations.
There is one potential complication of narcolepsy, which is also a risk in other sleep disorders, and that's having an accident due to fatigue. The urge to sleep is so sudden and irresistible that it's more like passing out than going to sleep. It's been known to happen while operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery. Similarly, people who don't sleep well at night may be below par in the daytime, whether they feel an urge to sleep or not. Even minor fatigue can impair judgement, making vehicles and heavy machinery dangerous. Controlling the symptoms of narcolepsy can go a long way towards preventing accidents.
There are many other causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. The most common are probably depression, sleep apnea (breathing problems during sleep), and sleep deprivation. None of these conditions, however, brings an urge to sleep that's as strong or as sudden as the urge felt by people with narcolepsy.
If your doctor suspects that you might have narcolepsy, they will likely refer you to a sleep clinic or specialist. For most people, the standard test for narcolepsy is called a multiple-sleep latency test. The person spends the day at a sleep disorders clinic and is encouraged to take frequent small naps. Each time, they are hooked up to an electroencephalogram (EEG) and devices that measure eye movements and muscle tone. If someone tends to go into REM sleep as soon as they drop off, it's highly suggestive of narcolepsy.
A measurement of hypocretin levels in a person's cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord) may also be done. A low hypocretin level helps to confirm the diagnosis of narcolepsy.
There's no cure for narcolepsy, but symptoms can be brought under control with medications. Medications called nervous system stimulants, which include amphetamines such as dextroamphetamine* and methylphenidate, are commonly used. Modafinil, another medication that helps to keep a person awake, may also be used.
Symptoms of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic phenomena may be treated with tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., imipramine, desipramine) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline). Cataplexy may also be treated with sodium oxybate, but because of potential abuse, this medication is tightly regulated in Canada.
It's unlikely that medication treatment will completely eliminate all desire to sleep during the day. The best way to deal with this is to take 3 or 4 short, planned naps of about 20 minutes each. If treatment can't totally control symptoms, a person with narcolepsy may want to avoid work that involves long-distance driving or operating dangerous machinery for long periods.
Good sleep habits can also help with narcolepsy. Your doctor may suggest that you:
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For information on a given medication, check our Drug Information database. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2019. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Narcolepsy


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Monday, December 13, 2010
Technologically speaking, where will we be next year at this time? Part One
Predicting technology is like throwing darts blindfolded. You might hit something important once and while, but it will only be by dumb luck. If you are interested in the craft of making predictions about the future, you might want to read these two books. One of the most influential books in this regard is The Black Swan (Taleb, Nassim. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. New York: Random House, 2007). Even though the topic of The Black Swan (not the current movie of the same name) talks mostly about the stock market, Taleb's insight is almost revolutionary. The Black Swan is right up there with Gödel, Escher, Bach in its importance to current thought. (See Hofstadter, Douglas R. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. New York: Basic Books, 1979) and particularly about the difficulty of predicting technological changes.
What do these two books have to do with genealogy and technology? To find the answer, you will have to read both books. Mostly, the books give insight into how and why the world is unpredictable. If you do read the books, you will realize that you shouldn't believe everything you read, especially from those who make predictions about technology and genealogy.
Notwithstanding the lack of predictability, I will make a few observations on the most likely developments in technology impacting genealogy for 2011.
Starting with hardware.
During 2010, Apple's iPad had a extensive impact on the way people view and use portable computing devices. Right at the end of the year, Apple released a new thinner downsized MacBook Air weighing only 2.3 pounds with an 11 inch screen. This is a real, high powered computer, not some dumbed down netbook and it is only .68 inch thick. I have already seen the impact of the iPad on the way people view mobile computing, but this MacBook Air will undoubtedly push hardware in the direction of light and portable. Long gone are days of lugging around an over-sized Kaypro. Light and powerful computers will undoubtedly encourage more and more genealogists to use their own computers onsite.
More hardware.
The cost of purchasing additional digital storage is becoming a non-issue. Over the holidays, Target sold 2 Terabyte drives for $69 each. One reason this is happening goes back to the MacBook Air. Apple is replacing its internal hard drives with Flash Storage. The new computers come initially with either 64 GB or 128 GB internal Flash Drives. These internal drives are similar to the smaller flash drives we are all carrying around now with our genealogy files only larger. There is no reason other than price that the new flash drives will not continue to get larger and cheaper. Mechanical spinning hard drives will likely continue to decrease in cost, but something will have to happen because in the next level up of hard drives, to 3 Terabytes, there is a huge jump in price to over $1000. I am going to guess that rather than continue to increase the size of mechanical hard drives, the new generation of flash drives will start to erode sales. Cheap drives will encourage all of us to backup our work and share it with others by giving them a hard drive full of our research.
Digitizing devices such as scanners and digital cameras.
Improvements in the digitizing of images is limited by the improvement in the sensors. although pixel counts will continue to rise, due to sales hype pressure, the physical size of the chips which is a major factor in the resolution of the image produced. Both scanners and cameras will see some increase in speed and a little bit of resolution, but I don't see any major changes during the year to come.
Other devices.
Who, other than an Apple insider, could have predicted any of the world changing innovations of iPods, iPads and iPhones. Look for continued development with more innovative features. These devices may start replacing laptops and other computers for some uses.
OK, that's all for the first installment. What do I suggest for purchasing? Apple just came out with new hardware. It is likely that the new Apple Lion operating system will come out later in 2011, but that shouldn't stop present purchases of hardware. Windows 7 is still relatively new and Microsoft will not likely come out with a whole new operating system in 2011. Computers will continue to change over the next year, but there is nothing on the horizon at the moment that would make me wait if I needed a new computer right now. I already own an iPod, iPad, iPhone etc. so I will not likely make those purchases during the coming year. Stay tuned for an assessment of online services and software.
2 comments:
Congrats on being nominated for Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Blogs.ReplyDelete
I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg of the effect the iPad (and tablets) is going to have on laptops and desktops. I agree that the growth of mechanical hard drives will slow drastically. Flash disk storage, "cloud" storage (Dropbox, etc.) and streaming are going to make "disk size" less significant. The mouse will move closer to extinction next year. The expansion of iPhone to Verizon will add importance to iOS.ReplyDelete
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text: "Shields is a sharp-eyed, self-deprecating, at times hilarious writer." —Stephen Bates, The Wall Street Journal "Mix equal parts of anatomy and autobiography, science and self-disclosure, physiology and family history; shake, stir, add dashes of miscellany, pinches of borrowed wisdom, simmer over a low-grade fever of mortality, and a terrible beauty of a book is born." —Thomas Lynch, The Boston Globe"An edifying, wise, unclassifiable mixture of filial love and Oedipal rage." —Lev Grossman, Time"A primer on aging and death for those who take theirs without the sugar. . . . There's a comfort to be found in this sober investigation of mortality, in Shields's clear-eyed look at the ways in which we come undone." —Benjamin Alsup, Esquire"Enthralling . . . Fascinating . . . Ultimately, the humanity of Shields' interior and exterior exploration is what makes The Thing About Life—and life itself—worthwhile." —Meredith Maran, The San Francisco Chronicle "Shields undergoes his midlife crisis and comes out the other side–more accessible than ever before, more tender, 'nicer.' And yet The Thing About Life adroitly sidesteps sentimentality–very hard to do when the core of it is a son's love for his cranky, tenacious, irascible, geriatric, Jewish father. I love this book."—David Guterson"[An] informative and occasionally unsettling meditation on [Shields's] own aging body and his [97-year-old] nonagenarian father's seemingly endless vigor and strength . . . He writes with great candor about the vitality of his father. . . Also woven into the text are clever quotes on matters corporeal from the likes of Wordsworth, Wittgenstein, Woody Allen, and Martha Graham. Shields's memoir is a sobering, at times poignant, reminder that none of us gets out of this life alive."—Booklist"David Shields has accomplished something here so pure and wide in its implications that I think of it almost as a secular, unsentimental Kahlil Gibran: a textbook for the acceptance of our fate on earth." —Jonathan Lethem"It's a bold writer who dares to tackle head-on the subject of what it means to be human–something that David Shields does with an extraordinary mixture of tenderness, humor, and inexhaustible curiosity." —Jonathan Raban"The Thing About Life grabbed me from the start. It's extremely compelling, gorgeous in many places. I loved it. And I wish I had written it."—Lauren Slater


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Remember the Satanic Temple, which performed a ritual to turn Fred Phelps' dead mother gay? They are still at it, now in Oklahoma. The Satanic Temple has filed the papers to put up a memorial on statehouse grounds, next to the state's display of the 10 Commandments. They are doing this by citing Okla.'s religious displays legislation, signed into law in 2009. And they are absolutely serious about it. According to their press release:
The Satanic Temple, an established New York City-based religious organization, has offered to donate a public monument to Oklahoma's Capitol Preservation Commission for display upon Oklahoma City's capitol grounds. Described as an "homage" to Satan, the purpose of the monument is to complement and contrast the Ten Commandments monument that already resides on the North side of the building. The donation offer has been submitted and is currently awaiting the commission's reply.
The Satanic Temple Is Dead Serious About This.
When Patheos heard of this, they reached out to the temple, and had some questions answered. The statement boils down to the Satanic Temple's willingness to embrace the new Republican-led insistence of religiously backed memorials, and they plan to take full advantage of it.
Earlier reports of the temple called them the Religious Yes Men. The irony is that the tenets of the Church of Satan, founded by Anton LaVey in 1966, not only make this mix of satire and dogma plausible, they embrace it.
While none would consider Father Guido Sarducci a spokesperson for the Catholic Church, Satanists have no problem with getting its message out through any means possible. After all, the founding principles of Satanism can be found in the works of none other than Ayn Rand. If anything, Satanism is the epitome, and the end-form of Ayn Rand's Objectivism. With the popularity of Ayn Rand's philosophy among the Republicans, including one-time GOP VP hopeful Paul Ryan, the idea of them rejecting the Satanic Temple's monument is impossible to fathom. It would instead be a true affirmation to their love affair with selfishness.
Okla. brought the Satanic Temple upon itself.
Okla., thanks to its argument for religious monuments on public display, now must accept the Satanic Temple and their memorial. The law allows them to put it right next to the 10 Commandments, if they so desire. Next week, who knows, perhaps the Satanic Temple will get the opportunity to name a new public school. It's not like the state would be hypocrites who would only accept their own narrow religious views in direct violation of the US Constitution after all. Wouldn't that be something to witness?
So, what is it going to be GOP? A memorial to 666 himself, courtesy of the Satanic Temple and its members in Okla., or a return to the tenets of this nation, with a wall of separation between Church and State. Because once you open up the gates, and let the flood of religion into the public commons, you can no longer control whose messages go out to the public.


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Search for a charity of your choice to donate to in memory of Terri .
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