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Sarkar Raj – movie review
Sarkar Raj isn't as good as the original Sarkar, but to give it credit, it's watchable. For some reason the director Ram Gopal Varma has denied that it is a sequel although it is. It is about the same people and it happens some years after the previous film Sarkar ends.
The story (no spoilers)
This film, like the previous one, is about the Nagare family – a father (Subhash Nagare, played by Amitabh Bachchan) and his son (Shankar Nagare played by Abhishek Bachchan). The character of Subhash Nagare is said to be loosely based on Balasaheb Thackeray, and In the film a character describes Subhash Nagare as a neta ke bhes me goonda which means a goon in the guise of a political leader. But it is a nasty character who says this…and in the movie Subhash Nagare is a heroic figure. A man who will do bad things only for the good of the people.
But if the central character in the first Sarkar was Subhash Nagare, in Sarkar Raj, it's his son Shankar. The son has taken over the father's fiefdom and his father has full trust in him. This was a bit of a surprise, but well Shankar seems to be managing well despite that gleam of idealism in his eyes. He doesn't even seem a people's person or a practical man like his father. But well, if he didn't have a dream, we wouldn't have had this movie!
Shankar not only loves Maharashtra, he wants to see it develop and he sees this happening if a power plant comes up in the state. For this to happen, 40,000 people would have to be moved from their homes and separated from their land.
Aishwarya Rai plays Anita Rajan, the CEO of Sheppard power plant which wants to set up shop in Mahaharashtra. She and Shankar (whom she approaches for help to get the project through) hit it off instantly…maybe because they share a bond as both are scions of empires…not that this is explained. One just wonders what it is that the two like about each other…as Shankar is happily married. Aish doesn't have much of a role but she is portrayed as a strong person who is willing to go against her father's wishes if need be.
Larger issues tackled
The mention of the power plant brought with it memories of Enron and the squabbling over prices and terms of the deal that sung the death knell of the plant. The resistance to the power plant at Thakurwadi (in the movie) reminded one of Nandigram where the West Bengal government's plans to use 10,000 acres of land for a Special Economic Zone (to be developed by the Indonesian-based Salim Group) led to wide-spread protests. It also reminded one of POSCO project (south Korean company) in Orissa where 20,000 people from 15 villages are still protesting and the state government dithering.
That's what I liked about this film. The fact that it has tackled larger issues which are important to India today…about development and the clash that can ensue because of differing ideologies, the selfish agenda of elected rulers, the dirty politics that people play to get into the limelight, and the ease with which petty leaders can rouse the masses to commit murder and mayhem. At some point I even felt that the director was sending a message…that development can seem to destroy people's lives but something needs to give if one has to look at long-term benefits. This line was repeated several times in the movie…the sacrifice of short term happiness for long term good…not just of the self but of the nation…a line which came back to haunt the Nagares…
The problems with the movie
I am not saying the director actually did a great job of showing this large canvas…in fact there seemed to be something missing in the film. Certain aspects were hurried through…and on the other hand too much time was spend on the father-son relationship. For example, when a family crises was underway, too much time was wasted in talk and tears…and the film actually dragged at this point. Maybe in a three hour film this drama would have been okay…but not in a two hour film. If a film is just two hours long and it is a serious film like this one, each minute of the film should be spent on the plot…explaining to the viewer how exactly it unfolds. It should also be spent on explaining the motivations of the various characters.
A lot of things happen behind the scenes and much of it we come to know from hearsay…that too from someone who has told Subhash Nagare…and we don't even see him explaining it to Nagare! It would have been best to see it happening right in front of our eyes. But because it doesn't and the viewer is simply told the why and the how of it third hand (at the end of the movie) it leaves us dissatisfied. The end seems manipulated, as if the director took a short-cut.
There are other things which jarred. The camera angles are weird. Close-ups are fine, but somehow one doesn't feel comfortable with the way they are done here…I think they are overdone. It is as if the camera is trying to be clever when not required…a camera which intrudes. The best camera work is when one is not even conscious of the camera…when it is used as a tool to show us the events.
There was no song in the movie…and well I didn't actually miss that (although I enjoy musicals). There has been criticism in various reviews about the background score of the film, that it was too loud and well, I agree with that. It seemed artificial.
Where acting is concerned, well, Amitabh Bachchan has played it earlier and succeeded. Abhishek's acting was average…he simply doesn't look mean enough. After all he is after a man who can kill without blinking an eye but he looks soft. Aishwarya was okay and I thought she did the crying scenes pretty well although I wondered whether why she needed to cry that much.
Whether one likes this film or not depends a lot on whether one is a fan of all those actors…and whether one wants to know what happens to the Nagare family. That was the reason I saw it…I wanted to know what happens and I like Abhishek and Aishwarya. I had also liked Sarkar a lot. I don't know whether this film will be successful or not…the way it ends may not go down well with the audience. I didn't like the end either…and there is this news that the film didn't open well at the box-office last week-end.
(Photos from the movie site)
Related Reading: More movie reviews
wishtobeanon permalinkJune 10, 2008 7:26 pm
I like your movie reviews! 🙂
June 11, 2008 9:10 am
Neither have i scene nor intend to see Sarkar Raj……I dont like such movies which seem to be dark or depressing
June 11, 2008 9:40 am
I really liked Sarkar cause it has the shades of godfather and I felt like watching indian version of mario puzo's novel. Especially those dark contrasting colors, quick reflexes of jimmy zip cameras was awesome Thanks to RGV for creating for making a movie with good screenplay. I havent watched his latest release hope that it wont lemme regret. I didnt like the color in the promos cause its unrealistic. I hope it doesnt reflect in the film.
June 11, 2008 9:46 am
Thanks for the review. I m glad that this movie doesnt have songs and I dont have to take too many intervals 🙂
Im really surprised to see you complain on the length of the film cause I know, by default a hindi movie runs for over 3.2 hours. How come you didnt like it. I can not spend more than 2.2 hrs in movie theatre. Thats why I only watch english movies 🙂
June 11, 2008 1:24 pm
I am all for appreciation of good and artistic movies and really appreciate movies like "Black" or "Americal Beauty" from the bottom of heart……..but if someone asks me to watch them again…then i would say "you go inside the theatre.. i would appriciate from outside 🙂
June 11, 2008 2:23 pm
Im not gonna see this movie cause nikhil has already said that this movie carries really poor camera work. I appreciate movies with good back ground score complimented by beautiful visuals. From the review I can figure this isnt as good as Sarkar. Im not gonna waste my time. Thank you all for your honest reviews.
Black is plagiarized though 🙂 Aint deserve credit…LOL
Niki permalinkJune 13, 2008 5:01 am
It is a complete torture. It is simply a waste of time to see only the faces of all and no dialogue dilivery in the movie. Ramu has focust more on the facial expression of Abi and Amitabh rather than the story. There is no emotion on Abi's face even after the death of his wife rather he seemed more happy and there is no link in the story. After every other minute Aish is shown with lots of make up and no expressions, it seems like she was giving oral exams in this movie which she must have forgotten to give in her schoool time. Please do not watch it, its completely injurious to brain. I would rate it 1 out of 5
June 13, 2008 9:21 am
i believe Abhishek has taken being a movie star for granted….being the son of a legend…and he was helped by various film makers who were determined to make him a star
Bidisha permalinkJune 15, 2008 10:49 am
I saw the movie on bootleg tonight. (I don't think it's out in theaters in NYC.) Anyway, the camera angles didn't seem out of sorts to me, but then I am not a cinematographer either.
The premise of the story was definitely impressive. Positive themes like this need to be explored so they can contribute to India's growth on a whole. It was most probably an accurate depiction of what goes on behind the scenes.
As far as the acting, Amitabh was excellent as expected, too bad his son can't follow in dad's footsteps.
I thought in the end, when the last character says, ( don't want to give away the ending to those checking reviews) bring the tea, it was potrayed as if this character will now take Sarkar's place?? Cheeku sounds really young to become the next Sarkar, no?
All in all, I liked this movie but the original was better. This one however, is quite engaging and offers entertaining twists and turns.
This is my first time checking out your review. I agree and will come back to check out more…Thanks!
Junmuni, thanks. I agree that the theme of the movie is great and the reason I enjoyed the movie too, well most of it anyway. Welcome and do visit again! 🙂 – Nita.
nitendra permalinkJune 16, 2008 12:11 pm
i saw this film on sat i felt like that its really good film then sarkar, the story line is to stong, but people did not like that, before watcing the film o gone trough the reviw on net , really so bad, after watching film i felt I liked it even though others didn't.
nitin permalinkJune 16, 2008 12:13 pm
its very doog then raskar if u understand it properly, dont belive on other saying its bad some thing like that, its very doog movie


text:
Machado flashes leather in Midsummer Classic debut
Orioles third baseman backhands one-hopper, robs D-backs' Goldschmidt of hit
NEW YORK -- In the first of what will likely be many All-Star appearances for the Orioles' Manny Machado, the young third baseman displayed the glove work that helped bring him to New York for the 84th Midsummer Classic.
In the seventh inning, with the American League leading, 2-0, Machado robbed the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt of a base hit with a sparkling backhanded grab on a sharply hit one-hopper down the third-base line. Machado then turned and threw across his body to nail Goldschmidt at first.
"It was a regular, routine play, I just made it look a little tougher," Machado said after the AL's 3-0 victory over the National League. "It caught a little hop at the end and I had to drop-step a little at the end."
Following the play, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis gave Machado the customary heat veterans give rookies.
"I wasn't impressed," Davis joked. "I've seen that play several times already. He didn't hit the guy in the chest and I told him that."
Davis, though, is used to seeing Machado flash the glove.
"He's been doing that all year, whether it's diving, going to his left or his right," he said. "The guy makes plays."
In his lone at-bat, Machado faced Braves closer Craig Kimbrel and struck out on an 87-mph slider.
Machado was excited to be playing professionally for the first time in front of his longtime hitting coach Frank Valdez, whom he met at Team Renteria Batting Cages in Pembroke Pines, Fla., when he was just 13. No doubt, Valdez will be discussing that slider with his former pupil.
"That's all I was thinking about afterward, that he's going to crack down on me for swinging on that pitch," Machado said. "He watches all my games on TV and tells me the good, the bad and the ugly. When I do something wrong, he figures it out in the moment and says, 'Hey, you didn't do this today, and that's why you missed that pitch.' So we're going to talk, for sure."
Machado, one of the league's top young players, turned 21 earlier this month. He hit 38 doubles before July 1, the second-most in the Majors since 1921, and had a career-high 14-game hitting streak earlier this season. He ranks second in the AL with 128 hits and 11th with a .310 batting average.
But despite those numbers, Machado knows the importance of his glove.
"Defense is huge, because defense wins games," he says. "I think my defense got me here."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Comfortable, relaxed, upscale, delicious… Those words barely describe this brand new eatery in Midtown Manhattan. Tiberias (45 East 34th Street; NY, NY 10016; Tel: 212.481.4222). is under OK supervision, its fare is cholov Yisroel dairy. SYR and I went there yesterday at mid afternoon, less than a week after it opened. It may be brand new but, the two Steinhart brothers have been working in and managing restaurants for the last five years, in spite of their very young ages. This is the realization of their dream, a dream of having a unique restaurant with something different than the standard offerings. If this is how they started, it will not just be a dream!
SYR started the meal with the Stuffed Mushrooms, stuffed with fresh vegetables topped with mozzarella and doused in cream sauce.
She found it very flavorful, each ingredient combined for a delicious, perfect, appetizer.
I had the Gravalax. Homemade smoked salmon with potato crustini and cucumber salad with dill and mustard, subtly flavored and very good to the palate.
We then shared the Special of the Day, Pasta del Sol. It consisted of penne with cream sauce and cherry tomato culis, topped with a nicely sized grilled Atlantic salmon.
Considering it was a hot, humid day SYR accompanied the meal with a Lime & Srawberry Smoothie, made from freshly squeezed lime juice, a bit of lemon zest, fresh strawberries and crushed ice. It looked great and tasted even better. I had the Coffee Slim Shake (it's sugar free, but you wouldn't believe it from that great taste!), it came with ice cream, skim milk and was topped with cocoa powder. On the table next to us, a young lady was feasting on an interesting looking Affogato de Gelato, her expression told us it must have tasted heavenly. She explained to us that she's enjoyed it here before, it consists of a large scoop of sugar free vanilla ice cream, in a boiling shot of espresso served in a martini glass…
We ended the meal with their Jack Daniels Cheese Cake, this is a Mozart type cheese cake with 2% percent of Jack Daniels whiskey. It tasted superb and looked great, served with three ice cream scoops, some whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
SYR had a Torino Hot Chocolate, gourmet hot chocolate with a partially submerged milk chocolate bar… buonissimo, ottimo!!! I had their Cappuccino, an espresso with steamed milk topped with foam, made from Italy's famed Danesi Gold Beans…. subtly sweet with a pinch of brown sugar, artistically presented.
A great experience in a brand new eatery with a nice ambiance; as SYR puts it, NO-GUILT DELISH! This definitely calls for an encore…


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I am the founding Sysop of OrthodoxWiki. You can contact me by leaving a message on my discussion page, or clicking the E-mail this user link in the "toolbox" on the sidebar. I can also be reached directly by email at info at this domain name.
We have a great team of moderators on OrthodoxWiki. However, if you have serious concerns about an article and need a quick response, I'd encourage you to let me know directly. I'm not omniscient.
About Me
I am a priest in the Orthodox Church in America.
See also my Wikipedia User page: Wikipedia:User:Jschroe.
My contributions to OrthodoxWiki can largely be described as "metapedian" - that is, I spend most of my time here worrying about the structure and community of OrthodoxWiki rather than writing articles. That's the way it is for now, maybe that will change someday!
Ryokan #1031
|Sumizome no
waga koromode no
|If these sleeves
of my black robe
From Ryokan: Zen Monk Poet of Japan, trans. Burton Watson, p. 50
A Few Quotes
- "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Common proverb
- "Be kind to everyone you meet, because everyone is engaged in a mortal battle." The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
- "Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair." - The Ladder 5:1
- "Orthodoxy is summoned to witness. Now more than ever the Christian West stands before divergent prospects, a living question addressed also to the Orthodox world… The 'old polemical theology' has long ago lost its inner connection with any reality. Such theology was an academic discipline, and was always elaborated according to the same western 'textbooks.' A historiosophical exegesis of the western religious tragedy must become the new 'polemical theology.' But this tragedy must be reendured and relived, precisely as one's own, and its potential catharsis must be demonstrated in the fullness of the experience of the Church and patristic tradition. In this newly sought Orthodox synthesis, the centuries-old experience of the Catholic West must be studied and diagnosed by Orthodox theology with greater care and sympathy than has been the case up to now… The Orthodox theologian must also offer his own testimony to this world — a testimony arising from the inner memory of the Church — and resolve the question with his historical findings." - Georges Florovsky, Ways of Russian Theology II, pp. 302-304
- Come, O faithful, let us work zealously for the Master,
For He distributes wealth to His servants.
Let each of us according to his ability increase his talent of grace:
Let one be adorned in wisdom through good works; let another celebrate a service in splendor.
The one distributes his wealth to the poor; the other communicates the word to those untaught.
Thus we shall increase what has been entrusted to us, and, as faithful stewards of grace,
We shall be accounted worthy of the Master's joy.
Make us worthy of this, O Christ our God, in Thy love for mankind.
- Aposticha from Bridegroom Matins of Great and Holy Tuesday
- "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
— Mother Teresa
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text: Sub section navigation links Latest version Latest Fiscal Note Bill Details Bill Actions Senate Amendments None available. House Amendments None available. Senate Roll Calls None available. House Roll Calls None available. Bill Versions 1. Introduced Senate Bill (S) Fiscal Notes Fiscal Note #1 Senate Bill 80 Share on Facebook Post to Linkedin Tweet this page Email link Permanent Page URL Print Introduced Senate Bill (S) Authors DIGEST Vehicle Bill. None Vehicle Bill. None 1 Actions for Senate Bill 80 Share on Facebook Post to Linkedin Tweet this page Email link Permanent Page URL Print Reverse All Actions House Actions Senate Actions Download the PDF document. To view this document, please install a suitable PDF viewer. The document is not available in the context of this page. It might be accessible at the following URL: URL × Internet Explorer Support Some features of the document viewer are not currently functional in Internet Explorer. You may experience difficulty with text selection and copy/paste. To resolve this issue, you can download this document by selecting Download PDF from the More menu. We are currently working on a resolution to these issues.


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Liqui Moly Chain & Brake Cleaner - 500ml
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By greenbenchramblings
A retired primary school head teacher, I now spend much of my time gardening in our quarter acre plot in rural Shropshire south of Shrewsbury. I share my garden with Jude my wife a newly retired teacher , eight assorted chickens and a plethora of wildlife. Jude does all the heavy work as I have a damaged spine and right leg. We also garden on an allotment nearby. We are interested in all things related to gardens, green issues and wildlife.View Archive →
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Dunu DK3001 original MMCX cable coupon
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See TVGuide.com's Complete Grammys Coverage, Including WitStream and Our Live Fashion Cam
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Exciting New Book from Tamara Piety!
Posted by Adam Benforado on April 16, 2012
Situationist friend and Tulsa law professor Tamara Piety's new book, Brandishing the First Amendment: Commercial Expression in America, has just hit book stores!
It looks to be an engaging read for all of us interested in how commercial entities have shaped and wielded First Amendment jurisprudence to increase profits and secure power. And it is hard to think of a more important topic as we continue into this election year.
Here is a description:
Over the past two decades, corporations and other commercial entities have used strategic litigation to win more expansive First Amendment protections for commercial speech—from the regulation of advertising to the role corporate interests play in the political process, most recently debated in the Supreme Court case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Tamara R. Piety, a nationally known critic of commercial and corporate speech, argues that such an expansion of First Amendment speech rights imperils public health, safety, and welfare; the reliability of commercial and consumer information; the stability of financial markets; and the global environment.
Beginning with an evaluation of commonly evoked philosophical justifications for freedom of expression, Piety determines that, while these are appropriate for the protection of an individual's rights, they should not be applied too literally to commercial expression because the corporate person is not the moral equivalent of the human person. She then gathers evidence from public relations and marketing, behavioral economics, psychology, and cognitive studies to show how overly permissive extensions of First Amendment protections to commercial expression limit governmental power to address some of the major social, economic, and environmental challenges of our time.
To purchase a copy, click here.
Congrats, Tamara!
Related Situationist posts:
- Our Stake in Corporate Behavior
- Taking the Situation of Consumers Seriously
- Against Freedom of Commercial Expression – Abstract
- Tamara Piety on Market Manipulation
- Merchants of Discontent – Abstract
- The Changing Face of Marketing?
- Reclaiming Corporate Law in a New Gilded Age – Abstract
- Hey Dove! Talk to YOUR parent!
- The Changing Face of Marketing?
- The Illusion of Wall Street Reform
- Deep Capture – Part VI
- Deep Capture – Part VII
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Dowry. (ps.
Dowry is my newest feature collection of 24 quilting cottons. (And only quilting cottons actually for this line.) Here is my collection description: So often beauty comes to us in the form of tangible gifts, passed on by loved ones who have come before us. Even more lovely is when these goods were actually intended for and handmade with us in mind. This to me is the very heart of the handmade world, and I wanted to honor it with a collection that is very personal and built from the handiwork from my own family. Dowry is a compilation of literal translations of some of my own family heirlooms, some imagery is only from memory, and some prints are simply imagined companions that reference the handmade, hand stitched, and the well-loved. Dowry is at once nostalgic and energetic… a new love with a past life.
Each of the colorways is named for a piece of jewelry I've been given.
Rubies & Pearls (a ring from my great, great aunt)
Charm Bracelet (from my parents for my high school graduation)
Brass Locket (from my grandmother Anna Ruth, holding pictures of my grandfather, mom, and aunt)
Being very literal about the translations of artwork from heirloom to fabric was incredibly satisfying. The process inspired me beyond the actual recreated artworks, but also completely reinvigorated my "mark" making. How I stroked the surface for each print. They are all a little different, and in the end sort of reference and pay tribute to several styles of print processes over centuries of making textiles. For instance, the Twill Bouquet was born out of my first needlepoint project as a child, but the texture inspired a twill motif rather than a needlepoint one. Those twill lines running through the bouquet saw fit to take a few turns in the negative space for some contemporary interest (not unlike my juvenile stitches that went in all directions). (Mom and I made that pillow together several years ago with my Bohemian fabrics after recovering the needlepoint from missing.)
And the Lineage print. This dear deer of Yiayia's. Dear deer of mine (the story is here). It was important to me to invoke the print with the horizontal runnings of a loom, so all the art is created in line and purposefully a little imperfect in it's printing, slightly thinner here, overprinted there. It feels so special to me that way. Already belonging wherever it is. I love it. I cannot tire of it.
Every print and title in this collection is special to me. Close to me and very personal. I could not have anticipated just how personal when I designed it, barely and secretly pregnant exactly a year ago, and still the daughter of a visible mother. I could not have. Yes, it's only fabric. Only things. But so are all of pieces and gifts that inspired the work. When Pierrette and I were shooting the above photo, the mannequin needed just a little something. I was able to pull out one of my mom's crocheted shawls still tucked in a box full of things I had just retrieved from her closet a few days earlier. Perfect. Only a shawl.
But so very good to hold it, and see it. Like everything we give and receive out of love.
While we do sell it, and it is my living, I also offer this with love. I hope you enjoy it!
yours, Anna Maria


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Since its introduction a bit over a year ago, Chrome for Android has done some good things for Android devices. It's standards-compliant, it supports the same handy tab and bookmark syncing features as its desktop counterparts, and it's continuously updated to stay fresh.
As you can see, the newest Chrome release not only closes the gap between Chrome and the stock browser, but it actually allows Chrome to surpass it in the heavier Octane and Kraken tests. The improvements in benchmarks other than Octane aren't always 25 percent, but they're not too far off. In any case, the new version is consistently speedier than the old one on the same hardware.
Next, we ran the same tests on the Nexus 7 and its 1.2GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 SoC. The tablet is running Android 4.2.2, the most recent version. Since the Nexus devices don't include the stock Android browser, we just ran our benchmarks in the old and new versions of Chrome.
The new Chrome for Android update also brought a few other performance-enhancing changes, including improved scrolling smoothness and pinch-to-zoom responsiveness. Additionally, audio playing in Chrome can now continue to play when the browser is running in the background, and the browser features "expanded support for HTML5 features."
Chrome for iOS has also received an update today, although by necessity it is less wide-ranging. Google search terms are now displayed in Chrome's Omnibox rather than below it (see above); pressing and holding the Back button will now display a list of all pages that have been open in that tab; and tapping the Share option in the browser's menu can now send links to the Messages app.


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"I think we have started an adult conversation" about the federal deficit, mused Deficit Commission co-chairman Erskine Bowles last year. Well then. Let's have it.
By now, the commission's more regressive recommendations have been sufficiently excoriated that we can safely sense where the battle lines have been drawn on domestic issues. Paul Krugman memorably referred to the proposed package as "a major transfer of income upward," while Nancy Pelosi called its cuts to Social Security and Medicare "simply unacceptable."
But a comparatively less mentioned aspect of the panel's recommendations, the proposed $100 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget, has proven surprisingly resilient under such public scrutiny. While few congressional Republicans have spoken publicly in favor of such defense cuts, the new Congress' Majority Leader, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), has allowed that such cuts are at least "on the table." Even the hawkish Senator John McCain conceded that the bloated defense budget should hardly be considered "sacrosanct" while popular social programs find themselves under the ax. Meanwhile, mainstream progressive groups have concocted their own alternatives to the Bowles-Simpson panel's recommendations, virtually all of which seek even deeper defense cuts than the ones already proposed.
Earlier this month, President Obama surprised even the Pentagon by ordering $78 billion in cuts to its budget over the next five years. This comes in addition to $100 billion in "savings" that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has set aside to "reallocate to combat-related projects." While some Republican lawmakers have made clear their strenuous objections to cutting the military budget in an era of unnecessary wars, they can take some solace in noting that even with the cuts, the Pentagon's budget will continue to increase over that same five years.
So this is where we come in. Long the lonely purview of frustrated civil society activists, defense cuts are now finally part of that "adult conversation" our Washington elders are holding on the deficit. But it would be a regrettable mistake for us to surrender this policy conversation on the very cusp of its mainstream debut. Now is the time to make clear that trimming the Pentagon budget must not precipitate a scramble to find faster, sleeker, or cheaper ways to fight our wars. Rather, we should correlate a reevaluation of our budget priorities to a similar reevaluation of our global priorities.
In early April of this year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) will release its calculations of global military spending for 2010. We estimate that this figure could reach $1.6 trillion. Already we've tried to show what this means in terms of what we're not investing in public health, education, and the environment:
Even humbly illustrated by our cut paper flags, the disparity is astounding.
So on April 12, 2011, the Institute for Policy Studies and the International Peace Bureau will host a Global Day of Action on Military Spending. Peace groups, budget priority activists, arms control advocates, and concerned citizens the world over will hold public demonstrations calling attention to the disparity between bountiful global investments in war-making and the worldwide neglect of social priorities. When newspapers cover the SIPRI numbers, perhaps they will illustrate their coverage with photographs of their own readers demonstrating against everything those numbers entail – rather than reaching for a stock photo of a desert tank.
Budget deficits may have given us an audience, but decades of failed militarist policies have given us a cause. We need public pressure to ensure that these cuts actually happen and that our money is reinvested in the public interest.
Scores of event organizers from some two-dozen countries have already joined us. Don't let Erskine Bowles or Alan Simpson be the strongest voice you have. If you have ever suspected that your government's relentless pursuit of military technology has negatively impacted your planet or your community, we hope you will visit us at demilitarize.org and get involved.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Bonnie Franklin, the pert, redheaded actress whom millions came to identify with for her role as divorced mom Ann Romano on the long-running sitcom "One Day at a Time," has died.
She died Friday at her home due to complications from pancreatic cancer, family members said in a statement. She was 69. Her family had announced she was diagnosed with cancer in September.
Franklin was a veteran stage and television performer before "One Day At a Time" made her a star.
Developed by Norman Lear and co-created by Whitney Blake — herself a former sitcom star and single mother raising future actress Meredith Baxter — the series was groundbreaking for its focus on a young divorced mother seeking independence from a suffocating marriage.
It premiered on CBS in December 1975, just five years after the network had balked at having Mary Tyler Moore play a divorcee on her own comedy series, insisting that newly single Mary Richards be portrayed as having ended her engagement instead.
On her own in Indianapolis, Ann Romano was raising two teenage girls (played by Mackenzie Phillips, already famous for the film "American Graffiti," and a previously unknown Valerie Bertinelli). "One Day At a Time" ran on CBS until 1984, by which time both daughters had grown and married, while Romano had remarried and become a grandmother. During the first seven of its nine seasons on the air, the show was a Top 20 hit.
Like other Lear productions such as "All in the Family" and "Good Times," ''One Day at a Time" dealt with contemporary issues once absent from TV comedies such as premarital sex, birth control, suicide and sexual harassment — issues that had previously been overlooked by TV comedies whose households were usually headed by a husband and wife or, rarely, a widowed parent.
Meanwhile, the series weathered its own crises as Phillips was twice written out of the series to deal with her drug abuse and other personal problems.
Writing in her 2009 memoir "High On Arrival," Phillips remembered Franklin as hardworking and professional, even a perfectionist.
"Bonnie felt a responsibility to the character and always gave a million notes on the scripts," Phillips wrote. "Above all, she didn't want it to be sitcom fluff — she wanted it to deal honestly with the struggles and truths of raising two teenagers as a single mother."
In her 2008 memoir "Losing It," Bertinelli noted that Franklin, just 31 when the show began, wasn't old enough to be her real mother.
Even so, wrote Bertinelli, "within a few days I recognized her immense talent and felt privileged to work with her. ... She was like a hip, younger complement to my real mom."
The truth of "One Day at a Time" was brought home to Franklin when in 2005 she got together with both TV daughters for a "One Day at a Time" reunion special. She told both actresses, "You are living, in a sense, Ann Romano's life — you are single parents raising teenage kids. That is shocking and terrifying to me."
Franklin herself was married for 29 years. Her husband, TV producer Marvin Minoff, died in 2009.
Born Bonnie Gail Franklin in Santa Monica, Calif., she entered show business at an early age. She was a child tap dancer and actress, and a protege of Donald O'Connor, with whom she performed in the 1950s on NBC's "Colgate Comedy Hour."
A decade later, she was appearing on such episodic programs as "Mr. Novak," ''Gidget" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
On stage, Franklin was in the original Broadway production of "Applause," for which she received a 1970 Tony Award nomination, and other plays including "Dames at Sea" and "A Thousand Clowns."
Franklin's recent credits include appearances on "The Young and the Restless" and the TV Land comedy "Hot in Cleveland," which again reunited her with Bertinelli, one of that show's regulars.
A private memorial will be held next week, her family said.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/television/article/Bonnie-Franklin-One-Day-At-a-Time-star-dies-4320678.php#ixzz2MJYThPmD


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Our guest on Blogtalkradio.com, this coming Wenesday at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) will be Nutritionist Bonnie R. Giller. What are her credentials? Bonnie R. Giller, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, has published two cookbooks: Recipes to Remember – Heart Healthy Can Be Delicious and Passover the Healthy Way: Light, Tasty and Easy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Enjoy. She is now hard at work on a third cookbook which will contain over 300 recipes for healthy living.
She has been in private practice since 1987. Her main message to people who are trying to lose weight is that Diets Don't Work. Bonnie would like to introduce the concept of Intuitive Eating which is eating mindfully and not mindlessly.
In her practice she also provides Medical Nutrition Therapy, which is treatment of various disease states through nutrition, as for example with diabetes. Bonnie Giller is a certified diabetes educator and work extensively with people who have diabetes and pre-diabetes. She provide nutrition services for those with gastrointestinal issues as well.
On these days when we hear so much about healthy eating habits, when the traditional Eastern European Jewish cuisine – while delicious – can actually be harmful, Mrs. Giller delivers the message that healthy eating need be neither boring nor unimaginative. As her books attest, you can eat healthy and still enjoy the wholesome flavor of myriads of dishes. The secret lies in the ingredients and the preparation.
Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to our conversation with Ladino's owner/Chef Alexandre Petard?
Don't forget to tune us in this coming Wednesday at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), for a very interesting, informative, entertaining talk with Bonnie R. Giller.


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Burning Man Fest Gets Green-Light to Grow
Federal land managers have issued Burning Man organizers a four-year special recreation permit that allows a peak population of 68,000 on the northern Nevada desert this year.
The largest outdoor arts festival in North America is about to become bigger.
Federal land managers have issued Burning Man organizers a four-year special recreation permit that allows a peak population of 68,000 on the northern Nevada desert this year.
Last year, attendance at the offbeat art and music festival on the Black Rock Desert peaked at 56,000 — below the previous maximum allowable population of 60,900.
The festival will be held Aug. 26-Sept. 2.
Gene Seidlitz, manager of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Winnemucca District, said the agency is requiring organizers to comply with more than 60 conditions related to issues such as security, public safety, resource management and cleanup.
He said he's confident that sufficient requirements are in place to protect the starkly beautiful desert's environment and to ensure public safety.
"Our priorities in managing this permit continue to be the protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources, as well as the safety for all participants and staffs," Seidlitz said. "I feel confident the permit addresses these priorities."
Burning Man spokeswoman Megan Miller hailed the BLM's issuance of the multi-year permit, saying organizers are establishing the first shuttle bus service to the event and making other improvements to Black Rock City's infrastructure to prepare for larger crowds.
During the annual weeklong event leading up to Labor Day, the temporary city on the desert about 100 miles north of Reno is one of Nevada's largest.
"We have always been confident in our ability to grow the event safely and sustainably and have been asking the BLM for this increase for several years," Miller said by email. "We have always had a safe and engaging event and look forward to another great event on the playa this year."
The gathering, which draws people from around the world, is the largest permitted event on federal land in the United States.
After it moved from San Francisco's Baker Beach, the inaugural Burning Man in Nevada drew some 80 people in 1990. The first 1,000-plus crowd was in 1993, and attendance doubled each of the next three years before reaching 23,000 in 1999. The crowd was capped at 50,000 under a five-year permit that expired in 2010. The new multi-year permit allows a maximum crowd of 70,000, but organizers applied for a cap of 68,000 this year.
The BLM issued a notice of non-compliance to organizers for exceeding the attendance cap of 50,000 at the 2011 festival, which drew crowds of more than 53,000 on two different days. It was the first time Burning Man had been placed on probation since moving to Nevada. The BLM had warned that if organizers were placed on probation two straight years, the agency might suspend or cancel their permit.
"It's important to note that we may not reach the maximum allowable population (this year)," Miller said. "We don't want to exceed the maximum so we are planning accordingly."
Seidlitz praised organizers' overall efforts in meeting terms and conditions of past permits.
Organizers have always met stringent cleanup standards, he said, adding that the gathering pumps millions into Nevada's economy.


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Why S.H.I.E.L.D. Is This Season's Biggest Disappointment
I'm going to get right to the point: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is not good.
Five episodes in, and I'm ready to quit -- and I don't quit anything. I'm still watching Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway and yes, even the boys vs. girls season of America's Next Top Model, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is pushing my limits.
Last week's episode was a small step in the right direction, finally introducing the show's Big Bad, Centipede. But I'm finding it hard to muster up anything beyond apathy towards this evil. Why should I care whether or not Coulson's team can save the world from Centipede when they haven't given me a single reason to care about the people doing the saving? Here are seven ways that S.H.I.E.L.D. went wrong:
Fall TV Popularity Contest: Which new shows won you over? Vote now!
1. Stock characters Each of the heroes of S.H.I.E.L.D. are recycled archetypes from yesteryear. And while Joss Whedon made a name for himself subverting clichés, S.H.I.E.L.D. just re-creates them. Skye (Chloe Bennet) is an obnoxious simulacrum of a "quirky" techgirl, and Ward (Brett Dalton) is so generic he's better fit for a CBS procedural. Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), who was poised to be my favorite, is sadly only a caricature of what TV often confuses for a Strong Female Character (read: kicks ass but lacks other dimension). And I still haven't worked up the motivation to decipher which one is Fitz and which is Simmons. All I know is that both have my pining for the nerdy charm and ease of Whedon's previous winning nerd characters Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hanigan) and Topher Brink (Fran Kranz).
2. A leader not-so-shrouded in mystery Then, of course, there's Coulson (Clark Gregg) who - thanks to some over obvious "hints" - we know is some sort of Life Model Decoy, clone, etc. The ham-handed way the Coulson mystery has been handled by S.H.I.E.L.D. shows how little faith the series has in its audience, repeatedly saying something is wrong instead of giving actual evidence, as though viewers would be unable to connect the dots. By doing this, S.H.I.E.L.D. diluted a potential key aspect of the show's mythology and instead created an empty mystery, a static protagonist and undermined any reason I might have to keep watching, since the eventual reveal is almost guaranteed to be anticlimactic.
3. Scooby who? Then there's the question of why these individuals? Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) posed the same question to Coulson in the pilot and, much like her, we're still waiting for an answer. But maybe there isn't one. It wouldn't be out of step with the series to have created its own motley crew based on nothing more than recognizing the success of Buffy's Scooby gang and the crewmembers of Firefly's Serenity, since S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to so much enjoy re-creating tropes without adding any of its own inspired twists.
Which new shows are in danger of being canceled?
4. Only semi-super For a world filled with superheroes, S.H.I.E.L.D. is largely devoid of the larger-than-life flash and fun of the Marvel Universe. While I understand there are restrictions based on Marvel's future film and franchise plans, along with the show's budget, I really doubt S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't do better than a guy who makes fire from his hands (named Scorch, of all things).
5. Not subversive or inventive enough However, if S.H.I.E.L.D. had fully committed to going against the superhero grain (instead of remaining frustratingly in the middle) this could have become the series' greatest asset - a refreshing look at the superhero world from the perspective of ordinary people. This notion formed the basis of the pilot (which I found highly enjoyable), focusing on the lengths a father would go to support his son in the struggling economy. The second episode continued the trend of exploring superpower inequality, positioning a Tesseract-powered weapon as the subject of an international arms race. These hints of politically savvy, culturally relevant story lines, while they gave me hope at the time, now only remind me of whatS.H.I.E.L.D. is not: a smart, subversive drama. Instead of plots inspired by modern paranoia and struggle, we get Centipede, a Big Bad so boring that even that even Scorch looks inventive.
Our favorite TV and movie witches
6. Solutions are too easy The simplicity of S.H.I.E.L.D. is out of place in this post-Sopranos worldand seems painfully dated. It's hard to inspire any real tension with an antagonist so comically evil, especially with the unlimited resources at the team's disposal. Every situation, no matter how dire it may seem, is ultimately a low-stakes caper, since we know at any moment someone can pull out a get out of jail free gadget to save the day at the last minute. What ultimately made Battlestar Galactica and Firefly so engaging was the idea of the crews being isolated from necessities on their respective ships. But for now, Coulson's team has no reason to stop drawing from S.H.I.E.L.D's arsenal of technology, weapons and supplies.
7. Lacks real-world complexity and intrigue It would be much more interesting to see a rift between Coulson's team and the larger operation ofS.H.I.E.L.D. and explore how they could continue their mission (whatever it is) with less resources.For now, Skye has seemingly dropped her suspicion ofS.H.I.E.L.D., but the series could benefit greatly from mining the moral gray zone of the government's indifference to civilian privacy, especially in the wake of the NSA and Edward Snowden. This has been vaguely touched upon through Skye and The Rising Tide, but as we've now learned Skye doesn't want to be the next Julian Assange. She's simply a poor orphan who just wants to learn the truth about her parents' identities. By giving Skye such a hackneyed motivation,S.H.I.E.L.D. is missing out on a fantastic opportunity to take a critical look at the organization's intentions and tactics. Especially since I can think of a million reasons to root against S.H.I.E.L.D., but only a few in defense of their clandestine, "all for the greater good" operations.
Overall, S.H.I.E.L.D. is not unfixable. And it's possible the show's sliding ratings will inspire a serious reevaluation moving forward. But for now, I can think of a million things I'd rather do on Tuesday nights than tune in for another parade of missed opportunities.
Are you enjoying S.H.I.E.L.D.? Vote yea or nay in our popularity contest and share in your comments below.
S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.
View original Why S.H.I.E.L.D. Is This Season's Biggest Disappointment at TVGuide.com
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Our Windows 8 device reviews so far have focused on two types of computers: laptops (like Dell's XPS 12) that attempt to convert themselves into chunky tablets, and Windows RT tablets (like the Asus VivoTab RT) that plug into some sort of keyboard accessory to become awkward laptops.
Acer's Iconia W700 is neither: it's a pure 11.6-inch tablet with no keyboard dock or flippable screen, but like Microsoft's upcoming Surface Pro it includes Intel's Ultrabook-class Ivy Bridge processors rather than the ARM or Atom processors used by other Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets.
This has implications for the tablet's size, weight, battery life, and performance—does the W700 strike the right balance, or will we have to keep on waiting to get a good high-performance tablet? Let's dig in.
Body and build quality
|Specs at a glance: Acer Iconia Tab W700
|1980×1080 at 11.6" (190 ppi)
|Windows 8 64-bit
|1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U (Turbo up to 2.6GHz)
|4GB 1600MHz DDR3 (non-upgradeable)
|Intel HD Graphics 4000 (integrated)
|128GB solid-state drive
|Dual-band 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0
|1x USB 3.0, micro HDMI, headphones
|11.6 × 7.5 × 0.5" (294.6 × 190.5 × 12.7 mm)
|2.1 lbs (0.95 kg)
|3-cell 4850mAh Li-polymer
|1 year
|Starting price
|Other perks
|5.0MP camera, webcam, volume rocker, screen orientation lock button
The W700's speedy processor means that it needs more battery and cooling than most ARM tablets, and it shows in the tablet's size and weight: it's 0.5" thick and weighs 2.1 pounds, a noticeable step up from the Microsoft Surface's 0.37" and 1.5 pounds. If you're already used to the balance of a widescreen tablet, you can take the W700 pretty much anywhere a Surface or Nexus 10 would go—it's still a much better tablet than even the best of the convertible laptops we've seen so far, and the steadily improving state of the Windows 8 app store is making it a bit easier to get things done without needing to jump to the desktop (though most Windows apps are still going to run on the desktop for the foreseeable future).
During use, the most notable difference wasn't its size, but its fans. ARM processors have gotten us used to quiet, fan-less tablets, but the W700 has a pair of vents on its top edge to help dissipate that Ivy Bridge CPU's heat. The noise isn't deafening but it's definitely audible, and once the tablet has been on for a few minutes they seldom shut off even if you're just sitting idle at the Start screen. The fans also kick up to a more audible whine when the tablet is under load. The volume is in line with the fans in most Ultrabooks, but psychologically it takes some time to get used to that sound emanating from a tablet.
Weight and thickness aside, the tablet feels good to hold—its aluminum back and sides are solid and don't flex, and the texture makes the tablet easy to grip without feeling too "grippy," like the Nexus 10. All of its ports, buttons, and switches are located on its left, right, and top edges—the orientation lock is on the top; the power and volume buttons and headphone jack are on the right; and the single full-size USB 3.0 port, micro HDMI port, and power jack are on the left. Two tinny-but-listenable stereo speakers adorn the tablet's bottom edge, but unfortunately there's not an SD card slot to be found on either the tablet itself or its included dock.
Almost all of the tablet's front face is consumed by its screen and bezel, with the exception of the narrow aluminum strip along the bottom that houses the physical Windows button. The screen itself is a mix of good and not-as-good—the 1920×1080 resolution and excellent viewing angles of the bright, colorful IPS panel are a definite high point. The touch part of the display is slightly less great—there's a fair amount of flex in the glass, and while in general the display was good at picking up touch input, we had more trouble than usual swiping in from the edges to invoke the Charms menu or switch between apps.
Compared to the 1366×768 display in the Surface, an 11.6-inch 1080p display also causes a few problems in the desktop environment depending on whether you're using the tablet with a mouse and keyboard or trying to navigate with touch. If you're using primarily touch, you'll definitely want to scale the desktop to 125 or 150 percent to make buttons and UI elements more tappable—the Start screen and apps do a pretty good job of scaling automatically to take advantage of the extra pixel density, though.
Most of the Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets we've looked at so far have been convertibles, computers that try to take advantage of the new operating system's split personality. The W700 accomplishes this not by use of a keyboard dock, but with a pair of accessories—a cradle-like dock and a brown faux-leather case—that help prop it up when it's not in tablet mode.
The dock serves as a charging cradle, three-port USB 3.0 hub, and monitor stand, but it's obviously not meant to be mobile—it's much too chunky for that. Rather, it's something that sits on your kitchen counter or desk for when you want to connect a keyboard and mouse. A Bluetooth chiclet keyboard with a decent layout and good key travel is included, but you'll have to bring your own mouse.
The kickstand on the back of the dock is solid and can be used to prop the tablet up in either landscape or portrait mode, but it's not adjustable. That one angle is good for desk use, but if you put it on your kitchen counter (or another place where you're likely to be looking down at it while standing rather than sitting) it becomes less useful. Small holes at the bottom of the dock also amplify the tablet's built-in speakers, though they don't fix the fact that you're still listening to small integrated speakers with no bass to speak of.
The worst thing about this dock is probably its bulky, plasticky construction, which stands in contrast to the solid body of the tablet itself. It would also be much more useful with an SD card slot and an adjustable stand.
The tablet's carrying case is more helpful when you're away from the desk. An included instruction sheet shows you how to fold it into two different "modes"—a "video mode" that props the tablet up at a steep angle, and a "typing mode" that props it up at a shallower one. Functionally it's similar to one of Apple's Smart Covers, but it covers the tablet completely, thus offering a bit more protection.
Both of these accessories are nice to have (as is the included micro HDMI to VGA dongle), though neither really tries to replicate the laptop experience if that's something you're looking for. Acer says that the follow-up to the W700 will have an accompanying case-and-stand accessory with an integrated Bluetooth keyboard to make the tablet a bit more plausible as a laptop replacement.


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Avoid extracurricular burnout
Participating in extracurricular activities is a great way for a high-school student to get involved, as well as a great way to challenge yourself. It also looks good on college and job applications, showing admissions officers and potential employers you're responsible as well as well-rounded.
Extracurricular activities can be team sports such as basketball, baseball, track, gymnastics or tennis. They can also include language club, debating team, student government, yearbook, choir, jazz band and computer club, just to name a few. They can range from school-offered activities to community and church groups.
Although there are plenty of extracurricular options available, how many is too many for a high school student?
Grades Are Important
According to Collegeboard.com, extracurricular activities can give you an edge if you're trying to get into college, as college admissions are getting more competitive every year. But the most important criteria to college admission boards are a student's transcript and test scores. Extracurricular activities demonstrate a student's other important qualities such as responsibility, ability to work with others and personal commitment.
Moderation Key
Extracurricular activities may be valuable to a student's getting in to college, but just remember that more isn't necessarily better. These activities should be done in moderation. Participating in too many can cut into a student's study time and potentially hurt his or her chances of being accepted at more competitive colleges.
Make The Most Of It
Colleges look for students who bring unique skills and diverse interests to their student body. Yet admission officials are more likely to consider a student who's shown commitment to one or two extracurricular activities instead of a candidate who's involved in too many activities. The student should emphasize quality, not quantity.
Your child can make the most of extracurricular activities by:
Making academics a priority
Committing to just one or two activities that really interest him or her
Pursuing a service-based activity — you can show commitment to your community and explore potential careers at the same time
How Much Is Too Much?
There is a smorgasbord of activities, and they all look appetizing. But if your eyes are bigger than your stomach, you may fill up your plate too fast with too much. Before you join any activity, review your class schedule, work schedule, and other activities, and then determine if what you want to do is realistic. You need to ask yourself if you have enough time to study. And don't forget to include eating, sleeping and relaxing. It's not worth it to be involved in an activity that adds more stress to your life.
It's OK To Say No
If you've joined an activity (or two or three) and you're feeling stressed out, overwhelmed or tired, it's time to reconsider. It's vital to find and keep a balance among schoolwork, extracurricular activities, a job, social life and your health. A lack of sleep diminishes skills needed for academic success such as attention, organization, creative thinking, efficiency, even motivation.
If you've decided to quit a particular activity, talk with the adviser or coach and explain your situation and feelings. It might not be the right match or simply too time-consuming. Sometimes saying "no" is the most responsible thing you can do.
More Information: CollegeBoard.com


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Vt. lye victim gets new face at Boston hospital
Loved ones knew it was her at the hospital when they saw her teeth.
Carmen Blandin Tarleton's face was unrecognizable after the lye attack, burned away in the frenzy of an estranged husband's rage.
Nearly six years later, the Vermont nurse is celebrating a gift that has given her a new image following a full facial transplant this month.
Doctors at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston said at a Wednesday news conference that the 44-year-old's surgery included transplanting a female donor's facial skin to Tarleton's neck, nose and lips, along with facial muscles, arteries and nerves.
"I know how truly blessed I am, and will have such a nice reflection in the mirror to remind myself what selfless really is," Tarleton wrote on her blog Wednesday.
She did not attend the news conference but watched it during a live web broadcast. The hospital said it was not releasing a current picture of her.
Tarleton's sister, Kesstan Blandin, shared a statement from Tarleton that said she felt "really good and happy."
"I want to convey to the donor's family what a great gift they have given to me," the statement said. "...I feel strong and I am confident that I have the strength to deal with whatever comes my way."
The Thetford, Vt., woman suffered burns on more than 80 percent of her body and was left blind after her attacker beat her with a baseball bat and doused her with the industrial strength chemical in June 2007.
Tarleton, who once worked as a transplant nurse, has undergone more than 50 surgeries since then. The operations included skin grafts and work that has restored vision to one eye.
The latest surgery took 15 hours and included a team of more than 30 medical professionals. The lead surgeon, Bohdan Pomahac, called her injuries among the worst he's seen in his career.
"Carmen is a fighter," the doctor said. "And fight she did."
Pomahac's team has performed five facial transplants at the hospital. He said his team's latest patient is recovering well and is in great spirits as she works to get stronger.
Before the transplant, Tarleton drooled constantly because of scar tissue in her mouth. She also couldn't turn her head from side to side or lift her chin.
Pomahac said Tarleton was pleased when she saw her new face for the first time. Her appearance will not match that of the late donor's face, he said.
"I think she looks amazing, but I'm biased," the surgeon said with a smile.
The donor's family wants to remain anonymous now, but released a statement through a regional donor bank saying that her spirit would live on through Tarleton and three other organ recipients.
In 2009, Tarleton's now ex-husband Herbert Rodgers pleaded guilty to maiming her in exchange for a prison sentence of at least 30 years.
Police previously said Rodgers believed his wife was seeing another man and went to her house to attack him. Tarleton mistook the intruder for a burglar at first and told him he could have whatever he wanted. Then Rodgers launched into a fury, fracturing one of Tarleton's eye sockets and breaking her arm with the bat.
He had brought lye with him in a squeeze bottle and he poured it on Tarleton.
When police arrived, the brunette's heart-shaped face already was distorted, her skin turning brown. She was trying to crawl into a shower to wash away the chemical.
But now, the mother of two daughters talks about forgiveness and has a newly-published book called "Overcome: Burned, Blinded and Blessed."
"Forgiveness is about helping ourselves, not the people who hurt us," read an image on a website Wednesday that promotes her book.


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Margaret, I can't imagine that there are many, but if a woman still plans to vote for Mitt Romney chances are she owns a car elevator. I am sure there are a few exceptions to that rule, and I imagine they will leave a comment here soon enough. I'll keep their head shots in a binder so we can talk about them later.
Everybody is still talking about Mitt's binder full of women. It makes for a good sound bite, I guess. But look past the sound bite and you'll really get a good glimpse of the man.
In Mitt's world, a woman trying to get ahead in her career simply needs a flexible schedule to be home for dinner and bedtime. Sadly, I think he actually believes that. He also says that every woman should have access to contraception, but he supports the Blunt Amendment and the defunding of Planned Parenthood where the vast majority of low-income or uninsured women get contraception. Just to prove how much he believes women should have access, he picked a running mate who neither believes in birth control nor a woman's right to choose abortion for any reason. When it comes to women's rights, Ryan believes the Catholic Church got it right. Rhythm method anyone?
Exactly what decade are these guys living in? And just how far back will they take us if elected? They remind me a little of Herman and Eddie Munster. In fact, if you glance at a picture of Mitt's dad, George, you'll see a resemblance to Grandpa as well. The Munsters might have been popular when TV shows were still in black and white, but by today's standards they lack color and there's a reason we call them reruns. But I digress…
If you paid really close attention you might have also picked up on Mitt's solution to the problem with assault weapons… I mean hunting rifles. (Sorry NRA) He blamed part of the problem on single mothers. You might find that too bizarre to be true but he actually shares that opinion with others. Mitt World is a crazy place, but he doesn't live there alone. He is joined by the New York Times Biggest Footed List author, Ann Coulter. I kid you not. She too blames mass murderers with assault rifles on single mothers..
Also In Mitt World, children of illegal immigrants are simply soldiers for the wars he wants to start with Russia, Iran and now China. I mean honestly, Margaret, how much more proof do you need that this guy is a complete jackass? He plodded around that debate stage (a little like Herman Munster I might add) and then looked right into the camera and said those children are not welcome to stay here unless they are willing to take a bullet for him. After all, somebody has to protect the fortune he's leaving to his sons – all of whom seem like they were quite capable of joining the Army if you ask me. In fact, if even one of his five sons actually had served, he might fool a few more people into thinking that he really is from Mexico. But according to Mitt, his sons are serving their country "by helping their Dad get elected." Seems a bit self-serving, but what do I know? I'm just an old woman with a grandson and a nephew in Afghanistan.
But again, let's not stop at the sound bite. Let's really dig into that one. He also said that if you are smart enough to get a high-paying job you can get a green card and stay. So basically there is nothing honorable about serving in the military. It's just a consolation prize for being poor… and stupid, I guess.
The Mitt who showed up to the debate this week is the same one who has been showing up in politics for years – the one who will say anything to get elected. Well. I'm done. I've seen and heard quite enough and I am voting for President Obama. Anyone in a swing state want to trade votes with me?
The Republicans say that Obama can't run on his record. Really? You want to talk about records? Mitt Romney was born wealthy, married wealthy and will most likely die wealthy. Bully for him. The other guy is black man born in America in 1961 to a single white woman. He went on to become President of the United States. I'd say there's no contest. Thanks to Republicans, Obama inherited the biggest mess since the great depression and in his first year in office prevented a total economic meltdown.
As for Mitt's record – he was a bully in high school and got pretty upset when his father wasn't elected President. At the age of 46 he was bored with making more money so he decided to become a Republican simply to challenge Ted Kennedy for the Senate. By the way, he claimed that he was more Pro-Choice than Teddy. He lost. Then he spent millions of his own fortune to get himself elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Four years later he left with an approval rating so low he ranked 48 out of the 50 Governors. Most of the middle class in Massachusetts got frustrated with his taxes which Mitt called fees – license fees, gun fees, gas fees, college fees… He left with a 38% approval rating. And for the record, Massachusetts' reputation for having great public schools was in place long before Mitt became Governor. Of course, what he won't tell you is that record is largely due to academic achievements of the predominantly white, affluent population in the state. If you are a minority, your kids might fare better in say… Maryland. And if you pay attention to high school graduation rates, seven other states rank above Mass. Candy Crowley tried, but she could only fact-check so much while being yelled at.
I know no one wants to drag up George Bush's name because what's done is done. Lord knows I would like to forget him. But I take issue when Mitt and the Republicans try to blame all of Bush's problems on the black guy who moved into the neighborhood. I say bullshit. Mitt Romney is George Bush all over again – same song, second verse. I mean it. Really.
Good lord. I remember when Mitt's father ran for President. Could we maybe find someone whose father is just a simple man who hopes his daughter might one day grow up to be President?
If you would like to support Margaret and Helen's website, click here.


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CDC: 4 out of 5 Americans prescribed antibiotics each year
NEW YORK Skyrocking rates of antibiotic prescriptions now suggest that as many as four out of five Americans may be getting antibiotics annually, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It's is concerning officials, especially because overuse is one reason antibiotics are losing their punch and making infections harder to treat.
"It sounds high," said Keith Rodvold, a professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The report released Wednesday gives the first detailed look at usage of these medicines in every state and finds it highest in the South and Appalachia. West Virginia had the highest rates at 1.237 prescriptions per person, followed by Kentucky at 1.232 and Tennessee at 1.199. The lowest rates were found in California (0.6 per person), Oregon (0.595) and Alaska (0.529).
"Why is West Virginia more than double compared to Alaska? I imagine there are provider factors, patient factors and cultural factors that are all shaping the impact," study author Lauri Hicks, medical director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said to HealthDay.
There is no scientific consensus on an appropriate level of antibiotic prescribing. But some experts said the new study's results are disturbing, and that rates are probably excessive even in the states with the lowest antibiotic prescription levels.
Antibiotics have been commonly available since the 1940s, and have done wonders at saving patients with infections ranging from pneumonia to sexually spread diseases. But bacteria have increasingly gained the power to shrug off antibiotics.
Experts say chances of resistance increase when antibiotics are not used long enough or are taken for the wrong reasons, allowing bacteria to survive and adapt. The Centers for Disease control and Prevention is tracking at least 20 strains of resistant bacteria.
"There are infections out there that have become almost impossible to treat," Hicks said to HealthDay. "We really are on the verge of going down a path where there may be nothing that works. Now we're seeing young, healthy people getting these highly resistant infections requiring hospitalization where in the past a simple oral antibiotic would have taken care of it."
- Antibiotics for ear infections: Pediatricians release new guidelines
- Less than half of Americans recognize antibiotic overuse as a problem
- Are antibiotics in meat bad for humans?
CDC researchers conducted the new study, analyzing a national prescription drug database for 2010. The findings are being published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
Other studies have focused on antibiotic prescriptions for specific groups like Medicare patients. This is the first to look at it for all Americans.
Doctors and other health care providers prescribed 258 million courses of antibiotics in 2010, for a population just shy of 309 million, the researchers found. That translates to 833 antibiotic prescriptions for every 1,000 people, on average. Prescriptions were most frequently written for children under 10 and adults 6 and older.
Rates in the South -- 936 prescriptions per 1,000 people -- were much higher than in the West -- 639 prescriptions per 1,000 people.
One reason for the difference in rates throughout the country may be Southerners suffer more infections than people in other parts of the country.
Southern states have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes, and diabetics tend to have more infections than other people, noted the CDC's Dr. Lauri Hicks, one of the study's authors.
"So some of that prescribing may be warranted," she said.
During the swine flu pandemic of 2009 and 2010, the South saw more reports of illness than other parts of the country. Experts at the time said patients with flu-related pneumonia should be treated with both antiviral medicines and antibiotics to prevent all forms of deadly complications, Rodvold noted.
The South also has higher rates of certain other respiratory infections, including bronchitis, according to a study last year by University of Pittsburgh researchers.
And the CDC study found the most frequently prescribed antibiotic was azithromycin, which is commonly used for bronchitis symptoms. But that's a problem. Bronchitis is usually caused by a virus, and antibiotics like azithromycin don't work against viruses.
"Some of the prescribing may not be warranted," Hicks said.
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