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Deborah Court books
debcourt
Punctuation, Past and Present
Today we will look at – be still, my beating heart – the history of punctuation. Yes, punctuation has a history, and yes, it is more interesting than watching paint dry.
We have talked in this blog about the death of the apostrophe (unless you consider 's to be a proper plural for a noun – the apostrophe is finding new life in this twisted, ugly role), and have mentioned punctuation in passing when we discussed how grammar changes. I have told you of my fondness for the semi-colon, which, when used sparingly, is an elegant addition to the more plebian punctuation marks; the semi-colon is, however, fading from use (see what I did there?).
We all learned the rules of punctuation in school. End a sentence with a period; don't string sentences together with endless commas (ooh, another semi-colon). Don't overuse the exclamation mark! Etcetera. Poets who play with punctuation do so because they know the rules, and can therefore have fun bending them. e e cummings is the most famous example of this. He used punctuation as a poetic device, as he did capitalization:
dying is fine)but Death ?o baby i wouldn't like Death if Death were good:for when(instead of stopping to think)you begin to feel of it, dying 's miraculous why? be cause dying is perfectly natural; perfectly putting it mildly lively(but Death is strictly scientific & artificial & evil & legal)
Emily Dickinson, as well as capitalizing for emphasis, frequently used dashes in her poems, rather than employing commas or periods:
Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves— And Immortality.
We slowly drove—He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility—
We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess—in the Ring— We passed the fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun—
Or rather—He passed Us— The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown— My Tippet—only Tulle—
We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground— The Roof was scarcely visible— The Cornice—in the Ground—
Since then—'tis Centuries—and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity—
It is not clear why Dickinson did this, but one possible explanation is that she meant for the dashes to mimic pauses that a speaker would employ when reading a poem aloud.
As Emily Dickinson intuited, punctuation helps writing to mimic speech. Punctuation researchers ("Mummy, when I grow up I want to be a punctuation researcher") have traced the intimate connection between punctuation and writing back to Aristophanes, around 200 BCE, and identified its purpose at that time to be assisting a reader to recreate an original oral rendition of a text. While human speech began to develop sometime between 50,000 and 2,000,000 years ago, writing stretches back only about 5,000 years. Only about 2,000 years ago did a system of small marks or points emerge in writing, small marks that slowly developed into modern punctuation. The word itself derives from the Latin 'punctus,' meaning point. Until the 18th century the subject was known in English as 'pointing.' The word punctuation was first recorded in the 16th century, and was reserved for the insertion of vowel markings in Hebrew text. The two words, pointing and punctuation, became one around the beginning of the 18th century.
Modern punctuation serves two purposes: to help writing make grammatical sense, and to mimic speech. The rules exist but they are not written in stone, which perhaps is why punctuation can be confusing. Punctuation has been called an art as well as a science.
While punctuation marks are an integral part of written language, they are, as Roi Tartakovsky writes in his article, "Punctuation as Poetic Device," semantically fuzzy. Unlike words, they have no content, and are thus "amenable to appropriation, exploitation and projection." Gertrude Stein renounced almost all punctuation in her writing. A question is clearly a question, she said, so who needs a question mark? Stein considered commas to be "servile," and colons and semi-colons to be pretentious.
There are generally considered to be fourteen English punctuation marks: period, comma, colon, semi-colon, question mark, exclamation mark, quotation marks, the dash and the hyphen, brackets [ ] braces { } and parentheses ( ), the apostrophe, and the ellipsis… Check out your computer keyboard. They're all there.
Finally, considering that this blog aims to be both informative and fun – could there be a sentence containing all fourteen punctuation marks? No, because three of them mark the end of a sentence. But I did find this creative example from someone who tried:
While he [Mr. Smith] was writing his book, Magic: the little known world! he stated, "I always… wanted to ask a magician, 'How do you do it?'"; he luckily got the chance while he was living above a math-based magic shop (where he lived from 1993 — 1997) called 2{1+[23-3]}=x.
Till next time; till we meet again!
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.43.2.215
https://lithub.com/on-our-love-hate-relationship-with-punctuation
https://www.britannica.com/topic/punctuation
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-English-Sentence-which-contains-all-14-punctuation-marks
Our Living Language (BBC 3)
Fun With Angst
Literature, the human condition and the time machine
©2020 by Deborah Court books. Proudly created with Wix.com


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Совет МО ГО «Сыктывкар» — представительный орган муниципального образования городского округа «Сыктывкар», состоящий из 30 депутатов, избираемых сроком на 5 лет.

Структура

Руководство
Руководителем Совета города, как представительного органа местного самоуправления, так и юридического лица, является председатель Совета муниципального образования городского округа «Сыктывкар».

Комиссии
По отдельным направлениям деятельности в Совете городского округа из состава депутатов сформированы постоянные комиссии. Количество, названия, функции и полномочия постоянных комиссий, а также организация их работы определяются Регламентом работы Совета городского округа и Положениями о постоянных комиссиях, принимаемыми Советом городского округа.

В действующем созыве созданы и действуют три постоянные комиссии Совета: по социальным вопросам; по бюджету, налогам и экономическому развитию, а также по городскому хозяйству.

История

V созыв (2015—2020)

VI созыв (2020—настоящее время)

Примечания

Сыктывкар
Городские думы России

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Does Your Small Business Have a System?
Document the process: The very first step to take in building systems around your business is to document the process in a clear step by step procedure.... What management systems are necessary to operate to build and maintain the key capabilities? The trick is to have five answers that are consistent with one another and actually reinforce one another.
As you build your systems and procedures, look back over the company description, strategy, and action-plan sections of your business plan. Jot down all the systems and procedures you think you need to get the job done.
There are several reasons why you'd want to build systems and processes in your business. The main ones are: 1. Precision and consistency. By having set processes for how tasks should be completed, you will get consistent quality results.


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I-Team Source: Witnesses Saw MBTA Bus Driver On Phone Before Mass Pike Overpass Crash
Filed Under:CBS Boston, Cell Phone, Driver, I-Team, MBTA, Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Newton Bus Crash, Shanna Shaw, Video, WBZ
BOSTON (CBS) — The MBTA driver that crashed into a guardrail over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Newton, has been charged with obstruction of justice.
The driver, identified as Shanna Shaw, is expected to be arraigned in Newton District Court on May 27. MBTA Transit Police have also cited Shaw for driving to endanger, speeding and impeded operation.
Shaw, 43, crashed around 7:30 a.m. Sunday on Washington Street. The bus went through a guardrail and fence and ended up dangling over the westbound side of the Pike.
Eight people were hurt.
A source told the I-Team Monday that witnesses said they saw the bus driver using her phone and rummaging through her pocketbook before the crash.
Sources say, video from the bus shows the driver also ran back on the bus to get her cell phone as the bus dangled over the highway, according to the source.
The case remains sealed and there have been no citations issued yet in the investigation.
According to Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Shaw's driving record includes a license suspension for failing to promptly pay a citation from 1997 and 1998. Violations that occurred between 1994 and 2008 that she was found responsible for include: 2 surchargeable accidents, failure to have her vehicle inspected, two violations for failure to use safety, failure to stop, improper equipment, improper passing, two seat belt violations, and one speeding violation.
MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON
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Randy Newman Explains Every Song on His New Album, Dark Matter
The legendary—and legendarily misunderstood—songwriter talks about the cursed bluesmen, famous presidents, and despondent fathers that populate his latest batch of tunes.
Photo by Pamela Springsteen
Song by Song
Randy Newman has been confusing people with his songs for half a century. And it's still happening. The hunched 73-year-old recently turned up in a segment on TMZ's TV show, of all places, reporting on "Putin," a track from his latest LP, Dark Matter. The song is a biting faux-anthem for the Russian president, with lines like, "When he takes his shirt off/Makes me wanna be a lady!" It's a goof, but TMZ was stumped. "Is he puckering up—or poking fun?" asked the clip's cartoonish narrator, after Newman affably tried to explain the song to a paparazzi cameraman in an airport. Then the gossip site's newsroom launched into an argument about the song's true meaning—as evidence, one diminutive TMZ staffer even attested to the bigotry of Newman's 1977 hit "Short People," a song that was written to expose the ills of baseless bigotry.
When I bring up this TMZ appearance to Newman, he sounds genuinely amused. "Yeah, there I was!" he drawls. "Actually, I'm probably the only person who likes that cameraman—it's just that he's got his camera with him." That Newman is able to find some humanity in a guy who hounds celebrities and is generally considered a pariah is no surprise. He's had a lot of practice.
Though he's likely best known as the composer behind the music in the Toy Story movies, Newman's most rewarding work lies in the 11 solo albums he's released since 1968. In the past, he's written songs from the perspective of slave traders, Alabama racists, California douchebags, and creepy stalkers—not exactly Pixar material—and on Dark Matter opener "The Great Debate," he plays a slick-talking faith healer type bent on disproving scientists of all stripes. But the record also features less sinister Newman tropes: sentimental ballads that steer clear of easy emotions, sly historical gambits, paranoid dixieland vamps. In an effort to minimize the misunderstandings this time around, the songwriter delved into the backstories and inspirations behind each song from the new album.
1. "The Great Debate"
Pitchfork: This song is an eight-minute mini-musical that pits science against religion to determine, once and for all, who is right when it comes to humanity and existence. Though you are an atheist, in the song, the religious side comes out on top, largely thanks to the power of gospel music.
Randy Newman: Faith wins because it's got Dorothy Love Coates, the Golden Gate Quartet, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, everybody. I don't know whether I am a music lover, strictly—it's hard to say how I feel about it—but I love good gospel music. No doubt. My side, the agnostic, atheist side, has got nothing like that. There's no great song that's like, "Let's all not believe and play our agnostic hymnals!" They got everything: the high ceilings, the confessions—man what a hit idea.
When you're listening to gospel, do you try to put the more analytical part of your brain on mute?
Oh yeah. When I listen to Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis," I don't think about it. There's a Bach mass that is sort of anti-Semitic—it's not so nice. But it's Bach. So it's pretty good.
2. "Brothers"
Here, you present an imagined conversation in the White House between John F. Kennedy and his younger brother Bobby in 1961, where JFK decides to go ahead with the Bay of Pigs Invasion in order to rescue Cuban singer Celia Cruz. When I first heard it, I wondered...
… what the hell is this?!
Maybe. But also, what gave you the idea to write about the Kennedys in that time period?
What interested me about the song is that they're brothers, irrespective of who they are. I like the dynamic of an older brother poking fun at the enthusiasms of the younger brother. I didn't know I was interested in the period itself, but when I think of it now, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a time when you were looking up every time a plane went by—for a few days there, it was scary like it hasn't been since. So there is something there. And I liked how the trivial the reasons were to support the Bay of Pigs, and that the guy wants to save Celia Cruz. Because the U.S. has done some invading of small countries for not much more than that.
Your dad had six brothers, you have one, and now you have four sons of your own, along with a daughter. As the years go by, it is funny to see the consistencies that pop up through generations?
Yeah. My wife just had appendicitis surgery yesterday, and when one of my boys found out she was in the hospital, he said, "Who's feeding and watering Dad?" I wouldn't have come up with something like that, but that's sort of like how my father was, and like I am to an extent. It's very funny.
All in all, the whole process of being part of a family is fantastically interesting to me. I'm very interested in behavior—how people speak and how what they say indicates what they think. That's what I write about.
3. "Putin"
When did you start writing this quasi-theme song for Vladimir Putin?
It could have been as much as three years ago. It was when all those pictures were appearing of him with his shirt off, and I couldn't understand why. What did he want? I think it was just personal vanity of some kind, like he wanted to be Tom Cruise. It wasn't enough to be the richest and most powerful. He wanted to be the most handsome and a superhero, throwing young people around and wrestling. It's a strange thing.
I read that you wrote a song about Trump but decided not to put it out. In a way, though, if you changed a couple of lyrics to this song, it could be about him too.
Yup. Though this one is way less critical of Putin than I thought I would have been. As I'm doing it, I'm saying to myself, I'm not criticizing him enough. He's a bad guy. But I was conscious of it being too easy. It's like writing an anti-war song that goes, "War is bad." Well yeah, of course it is!
4. "Lost Without You"
This song details a tough scene where a husband gets his kids together to see their dying mother for the last time. To me, it reads as a sort of sequel to "Living Without You," from your 1968 debut.
There is a real similarity between the two, though I didn't do anything purposeful to do it. When you see people in your immediate family die, it's usually not just sudden. It's a longer process, and people behave in radically different ways, and some of that behavior has to be forgiven later.
My dad was a doctor and he took care of the practical care for his brothers when they were dying. Not easy. Anytime one of them died, he would fall out with somebody, or somebody would complain that he should have given them more rutabaga or something. So I saw that and I thought about how if my wife was gone, it would feel like this guy feels: lost.
When my mother was dying, my father was sort of taking care of her. But he was was taking too much of this medicine, so he was falling around a little bit. He didn't seem like he was taking care of her right. So my brother and I went to her and said, "Jeez, we're sorry that Dad's not doing the job for you." And she said, "Don't you say anything bad about him. From the very beginning of this, he couldn't have been better." And it really shocked my brother and I, because we never saw her express her love for him ever.
5. "Sonny Boy"
This one is based on the remarkable true story of Sonny Boy Williamson, a blues singer-songwriter who was killed in 1948—but then revived when a different blues singer stole his identity (and songbook) and went onto record a number of hits, also as Sonny Boy Williamson. It sounds like a tribute to a musician you really loved.
Yeah it is! Though I didn't really know who I loved. In retrospect, I fell for the stuff I heard [by Sonny Boy II] on the R&B station here in the late '50s, when I was 13—a couple of songs called "So Sad to Be Lonesome" and "The Goat." And one day not too long ago I went to look for a record of "The Goat," and there was the other guy! And his stuff was good too, like "Good Morning School Girl" and "Jackson Blues." I root for Sonny Boy I, of course, but the second guy was just as good, or better. I just think it's shitty that that guy would do that.
6. "It's a Jungle Out There (V2)"
The narrator of this song seems to be a paranoid conspiratorial type, and the final verse touches on police brutality. You sing: "It's a jungle out there/Even the cops are scared today/So if you see a uniform/Do exactly what they say/Or make a run for it." But after that line, you add, "I'm only kidding with you," which seems like a responsible thing to say—though you've never seemed too concerned about being overly responsible in your songwriting in the past.
I never liked saying "I'm only kidding with ya" in my songs, and when I play this song live now, I have been trying to leave that line out. But I think [the narrator] has to say it, actually. It's a matter of getting the person in the song right. I'm a little confused myself about who the narrator of that one is. Personally, I don't think it's a jungle out there. I wouldn't say that. Because that phrase has been used wrong. There's something vaguely offensive about it, depending on whose saying it.
Talking about these songs, it seems like my stuff is so complicated, like, Why do I do it? But it shouldn't sound complicated. It's got to sound easy and be as easy to understand as I can make it. Because it's not easy to pick up what I do. I listen to the radio sometimes and I don't listen to the lyrics at all, I don't know what they're saying—I just sounded like my father there. But my own stuff can't sound too cerebral. I try and make it sound as if it were simple.
7. "She Chose Me"
You wrote this song around 1990 for "NYPD Blue" creator Steven Bochco's ill-fated show "Cop Rock," which was like a mashup of a police procedural and a musical. Why did you bring it back for this album?
I got a letter from a fan saying, "This is a really good song." I hadn't thought of it in 30 years, but when I heard my demo of it, I thought it was doable to do it, so I did.
So we owe it all to that fan.
He's waiting for the money to roll in.
Based on some cursory research, "Cop Rock" is supposed to be one of the worst TV shows of all-time.
It's not that, but it's misbegotten. As if people who watch cop shows were going to sit still for a cop singing. Bochco is a great guy, and very convincing. I turned it down the first time I talked to him, and when I left I said, [sings] "Good-bye!" But he got me back there, and I ended up trying to do it. I wanted to see if it was possible. And in some scenes it was possible.
The scene where the guy in the show sings "She Chose Me" is actually on YouTube.
I haven't seen it in a long time, but that clip would be this supposedly ugly guy with an absolutely beautiful wife, and he was wondering how he could be so blessed to have this wonderful person loving him. And that's not a bad idea. It's kind of a big idea. It's certainly worth a song or two.
This song is relatively sentimental compared to most of your other work.
I mean, if I can write a song like "She Chose Me" or "Feels Like Home," I do it. It's less interesting to me. Well, this one isn't less interesting because it's got some kind of an edge to it. "Feels Like Home" is going to end up as the most popular song I ever wrote possibly, outside of "You've Got a Friend in Me," and to me it's of less interest than "The World Isn't Fair," or "Shame," or "Korean Parents." But I am not a typical listener.
Especially now, when music is generally thought of as something that's played the background, your songs still require more attention than most.
Yeah, it's like I'm poorly constituted for the medium. If you do write a straight love song, people know what to expect. They don't have to listen. And when people listen to my music, I'd like them to relax. But I just can't make myself do anything that you could just put on while eating a Baby Ruth and drinking a Coke. I can't. I don't want to write background music like that. I don't mind it in a picture, because there is an orchestra and there's something going on. But I don't want to write a lyric, for the most part, that is worth anything. It's a real problem.
Do you keep up with what's happening in the pop world, and are there any younger songwriters that you see yourself in?
I hear that what's-his-name—Uncle John Misty, or whatever it is—writes things in character occasionally. I have heard a couple of his songs. I couldn't hear me there, but he's good. I heard the kid Lorde's song about class, "Royals," and it was remarkable. Lady Gaga had that one song, "Born This Way," that's a real good idea. And Katy Perry's stuff is impressive—that ain't easy, and she's a hell of an actress, doing whatever part she's playing there. My son told me about Vince Staples recently, but I haven't heard him yet. Overall, though, I can't even pretend to know what's going on.
8. "On the Beach"
The main character you're singing about here is an eternal beach bum named Willie. Did you know people like that growing up in L.A.?
Yeah, this one is more experiential. I went to the beach every day for three or four years as a kid. And then I stopped. But there was a group of people that didn't stop. They made it a way of life. One guy ended up there for good—but it's not a happy thing when you're 50 years old and you don't have a roof.
9. "Wandering Boy"
The album ends with this ballad about a father pining for his estranged son. It sounds like something that could have been written a century ago.
I listened to this pianist give a talk about Charles Ives' "Concord" Sonata, and he said it's based on a tune from the early 1900s, "Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?" He played it, and it's fantastic—I liked it better than the "Concord" Sonata. So I just took the title and wrote this song.
As a family, we went to this Labor Day party in the neighborhood for years. I was there when I was 10 years old and when I was 50 years old. You would see a little kid at 5, and then you'd see him again 20 years later, for one day. There was one bright-eyed 11-year-old kid there, and my dad said, "He's gonna be president some day." But he had a tough time with heroin and a lot of other things; he was not president. It was about having that kind of promise—jumping off the high board, yelling, and being real happy—and then falling off the grid for some reason, into the big hole. There's no net in this country. In Sweden, you can't get down there to the gutter. But you can here.
So I tried to imagine what it would be like if one of those homeless guys that I see on the street a little ways away from here were one of my sons. And then I wrote the song. And it came hard. I was choking up when I was writing the thing. I would play it for someone, and I'd get to, "Where's my wandering boy…"—anything that makes you cry must be something to do with yourself.
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If you have tried calling your girlfriend on her cellular phone loads of occasions, and also you discover that she keeps on rejecting your calls, then this might be an indication that she is with another person. Try asking her about it, and if she gives you weird answers, then beware, she is perhaps spending some time with different guys during that time that you simply called her. And if you happen to feel that your instincts are right, then it is time that you simply watch her each transfer so you possibly can collect sufficient evidences to show that she actually is a cheater.


text:
A simple cell in the primary visual cortex is a cell that responds primarily to oriented edges and gratings (bars of particular orientations).  These cells were discovered by Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel in the late 1950s.

Such cells are tuned to different frequencies and orientations, even with different phase relationships, possibly for extracting disparity (depth) information and to attribute depth to detected lines and edges. This may result in a 3D 'wire-frame' representation as used in computer graphics. The fact that input from the left and right eyes is very close in the so-called cortical hypercolumns is an indication that depth processing occurs at a very early stage, aiding recognition of 3D objects.

Later, many other cells with specific functions have been discovered: (a) end-stopped cells which are thought to detect singularities like line and edge crossings, vertices and line endings; (b) bar and grating cells. The latter are not linear operators because a bar cell does not respond when seeing a bar which is part of a periodic grating, and a grating cell does not respond when seeing an isolated bar.

Using the mathematical Gabor model with sine and cosine components (phases), complex cells are then modeled by computing the modulus of complex Gabor responses. Both simple and complex cells are linear operators and are seen as filters because they respond selectively to a large number of patterns.

However, it has been claimed that the Gabor model does not conform to the anatomical structure of the visual system as it short-cuts the LGN and uses the 2D image as it is projected on the retina. Azzopardi and Petkov have proposed a computational model of a simple cell, which combines the responses of model LGN cells with center-surround receptive fields (RFs). They call it Combination of RFs (CORF) model. Besides orientation selectivity, it exhibits cross orientation suppression, contrast invariant orientation tuning and response saturation. These properties are observed in real simple cells but are not possessed by the Gabor model. Using simulated reverse correlation they also demonstrate that the RF map of the CORF model can be divided into elongated excitatory and inhibitory regions typical of simple cells.

Lindeberg  has derived axiomatically determined models of simple cells in terms of directional derivatives of affine Gaussian kernels over the spatial domain in combination with temporal derivatives of either non-causal or time-causal scale-space kernels over the temporal domain and shown that this theory both leads to predictions about receptive fields with good qualitative agreement with the biological receptive field measurements performed by DeAngelis et al. and guarantees good theoretical properties of the mathematical receptive field model, including covariance and invariance properties under natural image transformations.

History
These cells were discovered by Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel in the late 1950s.

Hubel and Wiesel named these cells "simple," as opposed to "complex cell", because they shared the following properties:

 They have distinct excitatory and inhibitory regions.
 These regions follow the summation property.
 These regions have mutual antagonism - excitatory and inhibitory regions balance themselves out in diffuse lighting.
 It is possible to predict responses of moving stimuli given the map of excitatory and inhibitory regions.

Some other researchers such as Peter Bishop and Peter Schiller used different definitions for simple and complex cells.

References

See also
 Visual system
 Spatiotemporal receptive field
 Complex cell

Brodmann areas
Visual cortex
Visual system


The world's first fiber-optic IAB catheter.
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Participation in a Research Registry for Immune Disorders
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) )
- People with primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDD) have weak immune systems. This makes it hard for their bodies to fight infection. The Immune Deficiency Foundation has a network to collect data about people with PIDD. It is called the United States Immunodeficiency Network. It will help doctors and scientists better understand these disorders. The goal is to get medical data for everyone with these disorders in the U.S. and Canada. Data will be stored in a registry. Researchers can use it to study if these disorders are increasing. They can also learn how the disorders are diagnosed and treated.
- To collect data on people with primary immune deficiency disorders.
- People who have a PIDD.
Data can be added with no record of personal identity.
Data can be added with identity kept separate. This data will be linked to the registry by a code number.
Data for the registry includes:
Disease characteristics
Primary Immunodeficiencies APECED CGD (Chronic Granulomatous Disease) Wiskott- Aldrich Syndrome SCID
The purpose of this protocol is to provide a resource for clinical and laboratory research through enrollment of known immunodeficiency patients into a national registry, the US Immunodeficiency Network (USIDNET). The registry data will expand NIH s and the nation s knowledge base about immune deficiency disorders and genetic mutations that lead to these disorders. Additional registrants from NIH protocols will not only increase the understanding of the molecular basis of these disorders, but also will serve to document and track the incidence and progression of complications.
Objectives and specific aims
The purpose of this proposal is to create a mechanism for depositing NIH data into USIDNET. The patient Registry is designed to obtain longitudinal data on a large number of patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases, and genetic carriers of these defects in order to:
Learn more about the phenotypic variations seen in a large number of individual patients with the same rare molecular diagnosis.
Determine the natural history of these genetic disorders of immunity and establish genotype-phenotype correlations.
Learn effects of various treatment protocols used in these patients over time, including unexpected side effects that may be unique to a particular diagnostic group.
To evaluate quality of life using standard tools and correlate these with genotype and treatment history.
To promote collaborative research amongst interested investigators by identifying a larger pool of potential research subjects than would be available at their own institutions
To identify patients with a specific diagnosis for potential participation in multi-institutional clinical trials designed for diagnosis or therapy or their specific disease.
Estimated Enrollment : 1000 participants
Time Perspective: Other
Official Title: NIH Participation to USIDNET Registry
Actual Study Start Date : September 30, 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date : May 1, 2020
Estimated Study Completion Date : May 1, 2020
Genetics Home Reference related topics: MDA5 deficiency Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and neoplasia Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy Chronic granulomatous disease
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center resources: Chronic Granulomatous Disease Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome Type 1 Hyper IgE Syndrome Autosomal Dominant Hyper IgE Syndrome
Individual of all ages, gender, and races with an immunodeficiency disorder from NIH studies, will be accepted for registration.
Prevalence [ Time Frame: Ongoing ]
The Registry will provide a minimum estimate of the prevalance of each disorder in US, a comprehensive clinical picture of each disorder, and a resource for clinical and laboratory research.
Ages Eligible for Study: up to 150 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
Individuals of all ages, gender, and races with an immunodeficiency disorder from NIH studies, will be accepted for registration.@@@
Individuals of all ages, gender, and races with an immunodeficiency disorder from NIH studies will be accepted for registration. No healthy volunteers will be enrolled.
Individuals with immunodeficiency associated with HIV infection, chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapies will not be accepted for registration unless there is clear evidence that these individuals also have a genetically determined immunodeficiency disease as well. Adult individuals who do not give informed consent will also be excluded.
Contact: Elizabeth K Garabedian, R.N. (301) 435-2443 garabede@mail.nih.gov
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike Recruiting
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Contact: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Office of Patient Recruitment (OPR) 800-411-1222 ext TTY8664111010 prpl@cc.nih.gov
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth K Garabedian, R.N. National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page
Ruffner MA; USIDNET Body Weight Group, Sullivan KE. Complications Associated with Underweight Primary Immunodeficiency Patients: Prevalence and Associations Within the USIDNET Registry. J Clin Immunol. 2018 Apr;38(3):283-293. doi: 10.1007/s10875-018-0492-0. Epub 2018 Apr 4.
Responsible Party: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
13-HG-0199
Last Verified: February 5, 2019
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) ):
Job Syndrome/HIES
GATA2
Primary Immunodeficiencies
DOCK8
Granulomatous Disease, Chronic
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
Phagocyte Bactericidal Dysfunction
Leukocyte Disorders
Blood Coagulation Disorders, Inherited
Blood Coagulation Disorders
Hemorrhagic Disorders
Lymphopenia
Leukopenia


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text:
Money, Medications & COVID
By Donna Laframboise | Big Picture News | November 9, 2020
A 2003 analysis lists three ways in which doctors earn money from drug companies. Some are hired to conduct research. Some get paid for referring patients to clinical trials. Others are incentivized to write more prescriptions.
These incentives can take the form of annual consultant's fees. Or speaker's fees at drug company events. Or expense-paid conferences in exotic locales (travel), dinners at fancy restaurants, tickets to sporting events, and tickets to music concerts.
Research suggests even small gifts and small amounts of money affect physician behaviour to a surprising degree, and that most physicians believe their colleagues are influenced by drug company promotions.
Which brings us to COVID-19. A very public conflict has arisen between those who favour treating patients with inexpensive, off-patent drugs such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and those who favour the use of expensive, proprietary drugs such as remdesivir/veklury, which is manufactured by Gilead Sciences.
A recent paper examines what 98 French professors/physicians who specialize in infectious diseases have said publicly about HCQ. Titled Influence of conflicts of interest on public positions in the COVID-19 era, the case of Gilead Sciences, it reports that 54 of these academics have taken no public position on HCQ. 14 others have remained carefully neutral.
Which leaves 30 more. 14 have said favourable or very favourable things about HCQ. 16 have said unfavourable or very unfavourable things.
In France, drug companies are required to report, via a government website, how much financial support they provide to doctors. This paper reveals a startling difference between pro- and anti-HCQ academics. Generally speaking, doctors who are more favourable toward HCQ take less money from Gilead Sciences. And vice versa.
The paper treats the 14 pro-HCQ academics as two sub-groups (favourable and very favourable), rather than as identifiable individuals. Some of these people had no financial links to Gilead Sciences over the past seven years (2013-2019). The most any individual benefited was to the tune of €4,773.
All 16 of the (likewise unidentified) anti-HCQ academics were financially linked to Gilead during the same time frame. Those who've made unfavourable public comments received, on average, €11,085 (with individual cases ranging from €234 to €31,731). Those who've made very unfavourable comments received, on average, €24,048 (with individual cases ranging from €122 to €52,812).
In France, the less financially connected to Gilead Sciences experts happen to be, the more likely they are to support the use of HCQ. The greater the financial connection to Gilead, the greater the hostility toward HCQ.
The 'Results' section of this paper further reports that, of the 98 academics studied, only 13 had no financial links whatsoever to Gilead. Four of those 13 have taken no public position on HCQ. One has remained neutral. The majority (62%) are pro-HCQ – with one being favourable, and seven being very favourable.
This study tells us nothing, of course, about the circumstances in which HCQ might be an effective COVID treatment. But it reminds us that governments rely on the judgment of fallible human beings. Even in the midst of a pandemic, when everyone should be trying hardest to think clearly, infectious disease experts are prone to multiple kinds of bias.
November 9, 2020 Posted by aletho | Corruption, Science and Pseudo-Science, Timeless or most popular	| Covid-19, Gilead Sciences, HCQ, remdesivir | Leave a comment
Do you have hep C? Pharma hopes so
The sicker you get, the richer they become.
By Martha Rosenberg | Intrepid Report | October 13, 2017
The campaigns are everywhere. On ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, Animal Planet, the Game Show Network and Syfy. In People, Popular Mechanics and Better Homes and Gardens magazines. On the radio and along subway lines. If you were born between 1945 and 1965, you could have hep C, screams Gilead Sciences, which makes the hep C drug Harvoni.
The campaign seeks to sound like a message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention addressing public health. But the Hepatitis C "facts" resulting from an Internet search are paid searches from Pharma, not from public health agencies.
Is there new information that shows baby boomers are newly prone to Hep C? Why have we not heard from the "CDC" about this pressing public health threat until now? There is new information—sales information that Gilead Hep C drugs are "plummeting" and new markets are needed.
"Gilead's hep C blockbusters are in freefall, and its pool of eligible patients has shrunk dramatically thanks to the success of its meds," says FiercePharma. "If all baby boomers got tested for the virus, though? That could help stem the tide—and it's exactly the move the company is recommending with its latest awareness push." Just trying to help.
David Johnson, Gilead VP, U.S. sales and marketing for liver diseases, admits the shameless disease mongering.
"This has been a planned evolution of our disease awareness efforts, to reach a much broader audience once the pool of already diagnosed patients who often had advanced disease and were in need of curative therapy, had been treated," he says. "This staged approach was also important to ensure healthcare providers were equipped to support patients asking to be tested, as even for primary care providers, this disease was not something that was high on their radar due to the lack of scientific advances in the past to treat the disease."
Only a handful of drug classes have been advertised more aggressively than hep C drugs, reports Stat News—drugs for erectile dysfunction and psoriasis "that afflict far more patients in the United States" than hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C drugs weigh in at $1,000 a pill—$84,000 for a course of treatment—and have been sacking the taxpayer-funded budgets of state Medicaid programs. States have considered suing over the heisting of their dollars and a Senate committee has looked at the price gouging. "If Gilead's approach is the future of how blockbuster drugs are launched in America, it's going to cost billions and billions of dollars to treat just a fraction of patients in America," said Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon.
Congress is aware of the profiteering. The Senate's Special Committee on Aging released a 130-page report revealing how "four pharmaceutical companies have taken advantage of our health care system to enrich themselves and their executives, harming patients and taxpayers," according to the New York Times' Gretchen Morgenson.
The chairwoman of the committee, Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, and Claire McCaskill, a ranking member, Democrat from Missouri, say they have only begun to scratch the surface. They seek to "stop bad actors who are acquiring drugs that have been off-patent for decades and driving up their prices solely because they can," they say.
Seeking to sell obscenely priced drugs paid for by the public's dime to patients with no symptoms is bad enough. But the hep C meds are not even the wonder drugs they were billed as in the beginning. They were rolled out so fast to please Wall Street that Pharma did not know or care that patients with pre-existing, dormant hepatitis B infections could experience reactivation of the infections on the drugs and even die.
A year ago, the FDA found that 24 patients with pre-existing, dormant hepatitis B infections experienced reactivation of the infections while taking the hep C drugs. Two patients died and one required a liver transplant. The FDA promptly added boxed warnings on the hep C drug labels about the possible reactivation of hep B infections.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices reported unintended liver effects with the aggressively marketed drugs. In one year, between June 2015 and June 2016, 165 people who took Sovaldi (an earlier drug) and Harvoni worldwide died, 524 had liver failure and 1,058 had severe liver injury. Could states have their money back?
Gilead's unethical ads are halfway right. A terrible thing does happen if baby boomers don't take its $1,000 a pill: Gilead makes no money.
Martha Rosenberg is a freelance journalist and the author of the highly acclaimed "Born With A Junk Food Deficiency: How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp The Public Health," published by Prometheus Books.
October 15, 2017 Posted by aletho | Corruption, Deception	| Gilead Sciences, Harvoni, United States | Leave a comment
The 4th Annual Fake News Awards!
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Is This Fraud Ever Going to End?
By Dr Vernon Coleman
I sometimes envy the zombies who believe that the only problem is an infection which causes a disease called covid-19.
They get up in the morning, check in the mirror to make sure they haven't died in the night, munch their chocolate flavoured bran flakes, choose a mask that goes best with their chosen outfit for the day and venture out into the world a little nervous but confident that their government is doing its best to protect them in these tricky times.
As they go about their business they disinfect their hands at every possible opportunity, carefully obey the social distancing rules and wait impatiently for the vaccine.
In a way I occasionally envy them their ignorance. They are like not very bright goldfish swimming round and round in one of those glass bowls. … continue
Aletho News Original Content
Three Mile Island, Global Warming and the CIA
By Aletho News | January 9, 2012
There appears to be something about launching bombs or missiles from afar onto cities and people that appeals to American military and political leaders. In part it has to do with a conscious desire to not risk American lives in ground combat. And in part, perhaps not entirely conscious, it has to do with not wishing to look upon the gory remains of the victims, allowing American GIs and TV viewers at home to cling to their warm fuzzy feelings about themselves, their government, and their marvelous "family values". Washington officials are careful to distinguish between the explosives the US drops from the sky and "weapons of mass destruction" (WMD), which only the officially-designated enemies (ODE) are depraved enough to use. The US government speaks sternly of WMD, defining them as nuclear, chemical and biological in nature, and "indiscriminate" (meaning their use can't be limited to military objectives), as opposed to the likes of American "precision" cruise missiles. This is indeed a shaky semantic leg to stand on, given the well-known extremely extensive damage to non-military targets, including numerous residences, schools and hospitals, even from American "smart" bombs, in almost all of the bombings listed below.
Moreover, Washington does not apply the term "weapons of mass destruction" to other weapons the US has regularly used, such as depleted uranium and cluster bombs, which can be, and often are, highly indiscriminate. … continue
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It was and okay read, it had a couple of witty puns that made me crack a smile.
Well, I'd say the other Guardians Drax was with come across as kinda jerky.
I normally love anything with Cullen Bunn, but this one felt like it was aimed for a younger audience [not saying I'm old, but at my mid-twenties, this one didn't speak to me].


I graduated from the Bachelor of Modern Languages and Literatures (English, Spanish) at the University of Liège and from the Master in International and Multilingual Relations (English, Spanish, German) at the ULB with great distinction. I went 6 months in the United States, 6 months in Guatemala, 6 months in Andalusia and 4 months in Argentina. My level in each language is greater than C1.
I give adapted Spanish and English lessons at everyone's level (whether the person is a child or an adult, beginner or advanced).
I love to pass on my passion of learning new cultures through language learning.
Being a scout leader for many years, I have easy contact with children and I adapt to any situation.
I am passionate about Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic cultures. I have a strong taste for travel and I particularly enjoy teaching by introducing not only the language but the cultures and civilizations that flow from it.
Spanish, learn Spanish culture and language.
I propose a personalized and dynamic pedagogy to learn naturally. I give homework after each lesson and periodically provide progress reports. I also adapt to all levels. Indeed, thanks to my more than ten years of experience as a Spanish teacher (in public centers as individual courses) I know how to adapt to the particular needs of each student. As for my qualifications, I studied Spanish Language Teacher for Foreigners (ELE) as well as advanced courses in "Didactics of Spaniard as a Foreign Language" at the University of Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid.
Hi, my name is Yacov. I am an American from New York living in Brussels. Currently, I am teaching English at Kiddy & Junior Classes. In addition to teaching at Kiddy & Junior, I am also teaching private lessons. Classes are tailored to the student's preferences. If students want to be steered by my expertise, I can design classes around articles, oral exercises, flashcards, PowerPoints and several English language textbooks. Using these methods, I prepared students for business interviews and the IELTS exam this past year. My expertise: Beginner's lessons, conversation practice, interview preparation, business communication skills, accent training, writing skills, reading skills, grammar, and vocabulary.
Spanish introductory courses by an architecture student from Zaragoza. My goal is to advance the student without overburdening him. I give homework after each lesson and periodically provide progress reports.


text:
News Trump plays Santa for his red-hat fans by delivering a government shutdown
9:55pm, Dec 22, 2018 Updated: 8:11am, Dec 23
Trump plays Santa for his red-hat fans by delivering a government shutdown
President Trump threatened to maintain the shutdown for "a very long time". Photo: Getty
John Elder
Almost 800,000 federal employees – including 95 per cent of NASA – will have their pay cheques cancelled over the Christmas period because Donald Trump hasn't got his wall.
More than half of those employees are deemed to be essential workers – border security workers at airports, for example – and will be forced to work without pay during the third government shutdown this year. For how long?
Perhaps for as long as it suits the president's need to be at the centre of things – and serves to distract even the media from his legal nightmares.
He has in fact promised to let it drag out, tweeting as follows: "The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!"
The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
About 380,000 public servants in non-essential roles affected by the shutdown – including park rangers and public housing workers – will be sent home on unpaid leave to twiddle their thumbs.
In previous shutdowns, although there is no formal provision for back-pay, workers have eventually been compensated.
The shutdown has occurred because Congress won't approve $US5 billion ($7.1 billion) in funding for the President's signature border wall with Mexico, Democrats say it's not necessary, it won't work and is a waste of public funds.
Congress had already approved a spending package that will pay for 75 per cent of the federal government juggernaut, including defence, the postal service, social security and human services.
The Democrats now own the shutdown!
The departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, State, Interior, Agriculture, Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security and Justice, plus other agencies, were operating under what is called a continuing resolution set to expire at midnight, Washington time.
Their workers will face an uncertain Christmas, with a potential speed bump for the US economy. Research found that in previous shutdowns, furloughed workers and their families – even those with money in the back – simply stop spending.
So that's the human cost of the shutdown that Mr Trump is willing to see drag on for a long time – and blame it on the Democrats.
It's all about Donald Trump
The real story, of course, is Mr Trump himself – and what is perceived to be his final flight from political sanity.
For the President, the shutdown is just one more piece of ratbaggery in a week where he cut ties to even his greatest assets, and is seemingly ready to go to the mattresses with his red-cap base of supporters.
This was the week where he unilaterally announced that all US troops in Syria would be pulled out immediately – against all advice, and with much condemnation from his most fevered supporters, the hosts of Fox and Friends.
No matter, Mr Trump says the troops will be pulled out and a celebration should be had – not for the mysterious world-saving birth of Christ, but for a total victory over Islamic State that no one else on the planet was aware of.
A day after the announcement, the only adult left in the administration, US Defence Secretary James Mattis, resigned citing policy differences. That alone was cause for disquiet, but for Mr Trump, it means he is finally unshackled from listening to anybody but his own instincts.
This week's departure of James Mattis was a massive blow to the Trump administration. Photo: Getty
What's really going on here?
The punditry believes the chaos is Mr Trump's response to losing the House to the Democrats in the mid-term elections – and the threat they pose to his agenda – not to mention tenure.
As The New York Times proffered: "If there was a common thread in President Trump's actions this week, it was his unswerving conviction that his political survival depends on securing his conservative base."
Bringing the troops home, more broadly withdrawing the US from global concerns, and securing the wall were his core campaign pledges.
The New Yorker sort of agrees with the Times, but put more focus on Mr Trump's personal need for attention: "In geo-strategic terms, announcing just before Christmas the withdrawal of US troops from Syria was a boon for Damascus, Ankara and Moscow. Politically, it was a stunt designed to garner attention and please the base."
What's largely gone unremarked is that suddenly, for a few days, Mr Trump's mounting legals woes have hardly been mentioned.
Last week, they were full throttle.
And so, for the moment, perhaps for the weeks ahead – for what could be a long and painful standoff for those unpaid public servants – Mr Trump has given his enemies something else to talk about.
As for the legion of great-again wall enthusiasts – harbouring so many grievances as they do – Mr Trump is allowing them to wallow for a while in the crazy idea that they really do matter.
Pope gives message to predator priests


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Iznajar – Natural Park
Vejer
Puerto de Santamaria
San Lucar de Barrameda
Zarauts
Definitely one of the most adored places in all Spain and particularly a favourite of Madrileños who used to retreat here to escape the intense summer heat in their own city. Much of the town was destroyed by the great fire of 1813, but as it was rebuilt it became a fashionable resort that was stimulated in the 19th century by Queen Maria Cristina who chose it for her summer residence. Since then it has developed into an international aristocratic resort and Festival venue that still preserves something of the fashionable atmosphere of all those years ago.
San Sebastian [Donostia in Basque] is on the coast by the River Urumea not far short of the French border. Perhaps it most significant physical feature is the Playa de la Concha, [shell] an almost symmetrically curved beach, protected by the Isla de la Clara at the sheltered bay's entrance and overlooked by a promenade of the same name with stylish hotels. Nearby are the administrative offices of the province of Guipuzcoa, the neo Gothic Cathedral with its 75 metre [250 feet] tower, and the shady Alameda del Boulevard that joins the fishing harbour on the Urumea with the Yacht Club that overlooks the Concha beach. Around this area is an abundance of superb Basque style Tapas Bars whose reputation has spread far and wide.
This is the centre of the Basque Country's superb Gastronomy with 15 restaurants having 3, 2 or 1 Michelin Stars in the city or close by. San Sebastian also has a number of Gastronomic Societies where the men cook for social occasions to entertain their male friends and, be sure, what they serve is of outstanding quality. With its proximity to Bilbao and Saint Jean de Luz and Biarritz just over the border, San Sebastian is a great magnet for those wishing to enjoy a pleasant holiday.


When you prepare for the budget, do not forget to be honest. A budget is just a plan of where to spend your money later. There are quite a few reasons why people choose to create a budget for themselves. A personal budget will also enable it as soon as you request an increase or seek to earn more money in your career. There are many actions to create a prosperous personal budget.
Budgets will not protect you from disasters, but they can allow you to avoid them. They only include the money you really expect to receive. They change every month. Planning a monthly budget is just one of the most essential jobs for a family. Developing a monthly budget makes it possible to meet financial goals and allows you to control your expenses to see if you are on track. Do not hesitate to download and use so that your family members can also create a thriving monthly budget.
If you are going to start using a spreadsheet, start practicing the active budget and create a system that guarantees you can keep your numbers updated and accurate. In addition to that, the spreadsheet tells you exactly how many days are left in the current month, including today. The budget worksheet can help you get a better idea of ??your personal finances and spending habits, and gives you the tools to help you reduce your debt by not spending more than your budget allocates. Budget spreadsheets are crucial to maintaining your healthy financial status as they are tools that can help you detect in which area you should reduce expenses and how much money really corresponds to your savings. The monthly budget spreadsheet is another case of a spreadsheet that will allow you to organize your financial plan for the month. The monthly budget spreadsheet will help you monitor how much money you plan to use during that month, monthly payment, monthly earnings, outsourcing outlays, and more.
When you develop a budget, it allows you to understand exactly each source that is costing you money and how much. The budget is a monthly expenditure planning method and always starts with the good intention of improving the money management. Having a running budget can help you identify precisely where you stand with your finances.
The first step in making a budget is to recognize the amount of money you enter. Also, if you are tired of using a budget, I give you a commitment of 3 months. A budget must be an interactive and normal part of your week. Putting together a budget requires a resource to help you organize your finances. Fortunately, it is not necessary that it be so and it is also possible to make a budget for your leisure and fun expenses.
Sometimes budgets should be increased. A budget will allow you to start planning your retirement and that is totally critical to achieve retirement. Instead, as with your savings account, set up extra cash you can afford without exceeding the budget and use it to pay for things a little at the same time. Maybe you are interested in developing a budget for monthly expenses of small companies or company projects.


Stocks opened sharply lower, but climbed throughout the trading session to end up in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average(DJINDICES: ^DJI) added 53 points, or 0.3% and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) gained 9 points, or 0.4%.
In economic news, sales of new homes ticked down to a 500,000 unit annual pace in January from the prior month's 544,000, according to fresh data from the government. That figure sat at 1 million on the eve of the housing market crash, but has recovered from a 270,000 unit low set in early 2011.
As for individual stocks, DreamWorks (NASDAQ: DWA) and Avis (NASDAQ: CAR) each made notable price moves today as investors digested the companies' just-announced Q4 earnings reports.
DreamWorks' year of progress DreamWorks' stock rose 22% after the animated film specialist announced surprisingly strong fourth-quarter results. Shares have now gained 19% in the last year, far ahead of rival entertainment giant Disney's (NYSE: DIS) 9% drop.
DreamWorks' revenue improved by 36% to $319 million, which trounced consensus estimates for a $274 million quarter. Profits also significantly outpaced the pros' forecasts: DreamWorks earned $0.48 per share compared to the expected $0.16 per share.
It's good news for shareholders that the company didn't strike out at the box office in 2015 -- for the first time in years. Profits from its film segment improved to $63 million from a loss of $153 million in 2014 that was powered by unprofitable theatrical runs for Penguins of Madagascar and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.
But even better news is the fact that DreamWorks' TV segment doubled in size and now accounts for roughly 33% of the business, putting the company closer to CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg's goal of creating a diversified family entertainment giant whose fortunes aren't completely tied to a few risky movie releases. Disney remains the gold standard in that regard, as its studios, consumer products, media, and theme parks divisions all contributed to record results last year. "There is still much work to be done before we cross the goal line," Katzenberg said in a press release, but DreamWorks at least made good progress in strengthening its business this year.
Avis Budget's spending plans Car rental giant Avis Budget lost a quarter of its value today after posting earnings results that included a conservative outlook for the business. Sales in Q4 ticked higher by just 1%, or 5% excluding currency impacts, while adjusted earnings per share of $0.18 was ahead of consensus estimates for $0.17. CEO Larry De Shon explained in a press release that sales growth was held back by softer-than-expected demand from Avis' commercial clients.
While the investment outlay will generate short-term profitability pain, De Shon believes it's in the company's long-term interest. "Our 2016 earnings outlook reflects incremental investments we are making in our business to enhance the customer experience we offer and expand our long-term margins," he said. Adjusted earnings will sink to about $860 million, compared to $900 million last year and $876 million in 2014.
The article DreamWorks Soars and Avis Sinks as Stocks Rebound originally appeared on Fool.com.
Demitrios Kalogeropoulos owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends DreamWorks Animation. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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В Эстонии насчитывается около 7000 рек и ручьёв, из них 423 длиной более километра, из них 10 длиной более 100 км.

Список рек
 Выханду (Võhandu) — 162 км
 Пярну (Pärnu) — 144 км
 Пылтсамаа (Põltsamaa) — 135 км
 Педья (Pedja) — 122 км
 Кейла (Keila) — 115 км
 Казари (Kasari) — 113 км
 Пиуза (Piusa) — 109 км
 Пирита (Pirita) — 105 км
 Эмайыги (Emajõgi) — 100 км
 Педетси (Pedetsi)
 Харьяпеа (Härjapea) — бывшая река в центре Таллина
 Сауга (Sauga) — 77 км

15 крупнейших рек Эстонии

См. также
 Озёра Эстонии
 География Эстонии

Эстония


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Retrospect Journal
Edinburgh University's History, Classics & Archaeology Magazine
Submissions Guide
Thomas Jackson: The Stonewall of Confederate Honour
Written by Kevin Kempton.
On 21 July 1861, Union Brigadier General Irvin McDowell fought against Confederate Brigadier General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard at First Bull Run (or First Manassas). As the Confederate lines began to crumble under McDowell's heavy Union assault, a brigade arrived, providing significant reinforcements on Henry House Hill. Confederate Brigadier General Barnard Elliott Bee Jr., exhorted his own troops to re-form, realising that the men in the brigade could become crucial to Confederate victory. After the order Bee was killed almost immediately, but the Confederate army survived the Union assault, resulting in one of the first major victories during the Civil War. After his death it was reported that Bee had shouted, 'There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians!'
The man who led this 'stone wall' was Thomas Jonathan Jackson, a Virginian who would later make his name as one of the most legendary military figures of the Civil War. Now known for the nickname 'Stonewall' because of the brigade he had led at First Bull Run, Jackson was also nicknamed 'Old Jack', 'Old Blue Light' and 'Tom Fool'. Born in Clarksburg, Jackson was an ordinary Southerner who believed in Southern customs, seeing himself as a devout believer sent by God to destroy Unionist evils. After many successful military campaigns, Jackson was accidentally shot after the victory at Chancellorsville on 2 May 1863 and died from pneumonia on 10 May. Hearing of Jackson's death that evening, Confederate General Robert Edward Lee reportedly told his chef, 'William, I have lost my right arm' and 'I'm bleeding at the heart.'
What has attracted historiographical attention is how Jackson, an unusual individual, entered popular culture as a Virginian who fought to defend the Confederacy. Jackson suffered many physical ailments, but it is noteworthy that he was able to cope with his concerns and concentrate on the campaigns he wanted to win. A religious fanatic who saw himself as God's instrument, Jackson sought to fight a holy war against the Unionist invaders, while preserving his Presbyterian ideology. Jackson's command style has also influenced modern-day military ideology, with many historical researchers concentrating on his unusual tactical and leadership qualities. With this in mind, Jackson is an individual whose legacy has entered popular culture and distinguished him from other figures of the American Civil War.
Jackson's sometimes unusual command strategies and personality characteristics contribute to his legacy as one of the most remarkable generals of the American Civil War. Although martial and stern in attitude, he was profoundly religious and a deacon in the Presbyterian Church in the United States and willing to implement his fanatical ideology. One of his many nicknames was 'Old Blue Light', a term which referred to Jackson's evangelical zeal burning with the intensity of the night-time blue display light. As part of the Presbyterian ideology, Jackson disliked fighting on Sunday, the day of the Sabbath, although that did not stop him from doing so. Thus also strongly invested in family values and principles, he appeared to love his wife, Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, deeply and sent her letters. Unremarkable in appearance, Jackson was not a striking figure, often wearing old, worn-out clothes, rather than fancy, aristocratic uniform with a sword, as was common for Lee. In part because of these traits and the physical ailments from which he suffered, Jackson is an unusual individual with a command style and personality that attracts historians.
A lifelong belief held by Jackson as part of the concern that he showed about the physical ailments which he faced, was that one of his arms was longer than the other. Therefore, Jackson would usually hold what he saw as the longer arm up to equalise his blood circulation:s a practice which concerned the people he knew. He was described as a 'champion sleeper' because he would occasionally fall asleep with food in his mouth, which was another physical ailment that concerned Jackson. The Society of Clinical Psychologists believed that Jackson had Asperger syndrome, although other possible explanations, such as a herniated diaphragm, exist. He sought relief through hydrotherapy while visiting establishments at Oswego at New York in 1850 and Round Hill at Massachusetts in 1860, although with little success. He also suffered a significant hearing loss in both of his ears as a result of his prior service in the Union Army as an artillery officer, where he had experienced intensive gunfire. Noteworthy about these physical difficulties is the conflict of this preoccupation with his feeling that he had a duty to protect the future Confederacy.
Another recurring story illustrating Jackson's physical ailments relates tohis apparent love of lemons, which he allegedly gnawed whole to alleviate symptoms of indigestion. The Lieutenant General Richard Taylor wrote in his war memoirs that, 'Where Jackson got his lemons 'no fellow could find out,' but he was rarely without one.' However Doctor James I. Robertson, Jr. argues that Jackson thought of a lemon as a 'rare treat … enjoyed greatly whenever it could be obtained from the enemy's camp'. In fact Jackson was fond of many fruits, particularly peaches, 'but he enjoyed with relish lemons, oranges, watermelons, apples, grapes, berries, or whatever was available.'Jackson's religion has often been discussed, as he was a fanatic who believed that he was God's instrument sent to protect the Confederate homeland from the Unionist invaders. Jackson's biographer, Robert Lewis Dabney, agreed with this view and illustrated it, suggesting that 'It was the fear of God which made him so fearless of all else.' Jackson, an ardent believer in Presbyterian ideology as well as strict moral codes, reportedly said himself, 'My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.' With religion an important force in sustaining Confederate morale throughout the conflict, Jackson was committed to the maintenance of morality within the army. Jackson's religion was a significant factor in his military conduct.
Stephen Ward Sears, a famous historian working on the war, suggests 'Jackson was fanatical in his Presbyterian faith, and it energized his military thought and character.' However, according to Sears, this can be simplistic since 'this fanatical religiosity had drawbacks. It warped Jackson's judgment of men, leading to poor appointments.' Robertson, in direct contradiction to the argument that is conveyed by Sears, has suggested that Jackson was, 'a Christian soldier in every sense of the word.' It is clear that Jackson, according to Robertson, 'thought of the war as a religious crusade' and, 'viewed himself as an Old Testament warrior – like David or Joshua'. Although this religious fanaticism had drawbacks in the sense of creating only Presbyterian soldiers, Jackson was able to prove his military prowess on the battlefield.
Jackson had encouraged the Confederate States Army revival that occurred in 1863, although it was probably more of a grass-roots movement than a top-down revival. Strongly believing in Puritan Sabbatarianism, Jackson refused to fight on Sundays, and he would order his men, who were mostly Presbyterians, to follow their morality. Working on Jackson's belief in observing the Sabbath, Robertson notes that, 'no place existed in his Sunday schedule for labor, newspapers, or secular conversation.' Throughout the conflict, Confederate churches had convinced the Southern population that God was on their side, and not on the side of the 'heaviest battalions'. By following the example of the churches in the trust given by God, Jackson was influential in sustaining Confederate morale until the going got tough.
In command, Jackson was extremely secretive about his plans and meticulous about military discipline, illustrating his unusual and sometimes unsuccessful strategies. This secretive nature did not attract his subordinates, who were not aware of his intentions until the last minute, and who complained of being left out of key decisions. However, it is noteworthy that despite his subordinates being unaware of his decisions, Jackson was crucial to Confederate victories, including First Manassas. Except for a below-par performance during the Seven Days of 1862, Jackson displayed military prowess, especially in the Valley Campaign in spring 1862. Jackson's unusual command style, although unsuccessful in attracting his subordinates, was effective in fighting Union armies who were seen to be the 'heaviest battalions'.
One exceptional individual was Lee, who trusted Jackson with undetailed orders that conveyed the overall objectives, what modern doctrine calls the 'end state'. Jackson had a talent for understanding Lee's sometimes unstated goals, so the pair trusted each other in taking whatever actions were necessary. Few of Lee's subsequent corps commanders could repeat this pattern, which resulted in a series of missed opportunities for the Confederacy after Jackson's death. At Gettysburg it led to lost opportunities, with Jeb Stuart famously forgetting to inform Lee of Union Army movements, under Joseph Hooker and George Meade. With the Union Army trying to regroup, Lee had sent Lieutenant General Richard Stoddert Ewell orders that Cemetery and Culp's Hills had to be taken 'if practicable.' Without Jackson's intuitive grasp of Lee's battle orders or the same instinct to take advantage of sudden tactical opportunities, Ewell chose not to attempt this assault. With the exception of James Longstreet, Jackson was the only corps commander under Lee who had the command style necessary to produce major victories.
Although his religious fanaticism produced a majority of Presbyterians in his army, Jackson energised the Confederate cause, inspiring Southerners to fight to the end. Events including the revival of 1863 illustrate how Jackson was able to encourage a grass-roots dimension to the Confederate cause, producing a sense of will among Southerners. Jackson's religious fanaticism, especially in observing the Sunday Sabbath, was crucial in sustaining Confederate morale until the going got tough in 1865.
Finally, in command, Jackson's style of secrecy in planning military operations and imposing discipline helped to produce major Confederate victories including First Bull Run. Although the nature of Jackson's planning did not attract his subordinates, he was, overall, the only corps commander under Lee who could produce necessary results. Individuals including Lee realised Jackson's strategy in planning deliberately undetailed orders, which conveys the difference separating the young Southerner to others. The fact that Jackson's command style was unique in comparison to other commanders including Ewell contributes to the historiographical debate on the Civil War. Even with his death after Chancellorsville, many Southerners today still believe in Jackson's final words: 'Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.'
Image: Beau Considine
Eicher, J.H. and Eicher, D.J., Civil War High Commands (Stanford, 2001).
Farmer, A., The American Civil War 1861-65 (London, 2002).
Freeman, D.S., Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command (New York, 1946).
Henderson, G.F.R., Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (New York, 1995).
McPherson, J.M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (New York, 1988).
Pfanz, H.W., Gettysburg – The First Day (Chapel Hill, 2001).
Robertson, J.I., Jr., Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend (New York, 1997).
Sears, S.W., Gettysburg (Boston, 2003).
Taylor, R., Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War (Nashville, 2001).
Wert, J.D., General James Longstreet: The Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier: A Biography (New York, 1993).
Retrospect Journal 04/11/2016 08/03/2017 confederate, History, Kevin Kempton, stonewall, Thomas Jackson
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-- ...'The Painter Sam Francis' cannot reveal much more than the paintings do themselves, and that limit is not a dead end, but a revelation.
-- For 40 years, Jeffrey Perkins shot and collected footage of his friend in a bid to better understand him.
(...) the filmmaker's curiosity transcends chronology.
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Check out this new site !!
I haven't used it myself, but I'll bet it's pretty good if Tom is designing it !!! So check it out and let us know what you think !!
Check Keiser Report website for more: http://www.maxkeiser.com/ In this episode of the Keiser Report's annual Summer Solutions series Max and Stacy discuss the economic problems looking for solutions. In the first half they discuss how to Make America Great Again is a 'solution' to the problem of the gutting of America's wealth creation machine and how this slogan as a solution caused the meltdown of the entire Democratic party. In the second half Max talks to Chris Whalen, author of Ford Men, about whether or not it is possible to make America great again for the blue collar worker.
Someone reminded me that I never posted the recording from Thursday evening's call with John Singleton. OMG, seems like life has been really too busy here lately for me. I really need some down time. Anyway, here the link to the recording. And I'll post this on the Call Center Tab on the menu, also. Enjoy!!
Here's a link where you can get one too. Just have to pay $9.95 for the shipping. The video about it is awesome. It filters out all fluoride, chlorine, pharmaceuticals, and other gunk in our water supply. So check it out if you like!


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Rigged System: This Might Be the End of the Democratic Party
The Democratic Party has been in crisis mode since the election, though they've done an excellent job of hiding the internal panic from the public. Broke, lacking in public enthusiasm, and utterly failing to unite behind any agenda other than "We hate Donald Trump," this is a party that can hear the tolling of the bells in the background every day of the week. For all their talk about taking back Congress next November, it's hard to imagine who they think they're actually fooling.
In fact, it's not even clear what "taking back Congress" would actually mean, since it's not quite clear what "being a Democrat" really means anymore. Half the party wants to throw away any vestiges that might remain of a pro-American, pro-capitalism, center-left agenda in favor of a wildly Communist strategy that will essentially make the term "Democrat" poisonous for a generation. The other half thinks it can succeed if it just panders a tiny bit more to minorities. And then there are one or two halfway sensible stalwarts who are begging the party to drop the extremist nonsense and actually start talking about things that make sense, like the economy and jobs. But so far, no one's much listening to them.
And then, smack down in the middle of this erupting civil war, comes Donna Brazile's stunning revelation: All those left-wing conspiracy theories last year about the Democratic primaries being rigged against Bernie Sanders? Yeah, they were all 100% true. Hillary Clinton essentially bought out the DNC in August 2015, ran through her primary challengers in a sham election, and then crowned herself the party's nominee the next summer. And we remember all of a sudden that, no matter how cartoonishly corrupt the Clintons are made out to be by their critics…they're actually worse than that in real life! If they were storybook villains, the author would be criticized for making them TOO evil to be believed.
President Trump is calling on the Justice Department to launch an inquiry into the Clinton campaign's illegal and unethical collusion with the Democratic National Committee, but it doesn't feel as though Attorney General Jeff Sessions has any interest in investigating Hillary's crimes. Perhaps he's seen this snake slither away from justice too many times to get bogged down in another round of fruitless hunting.
But regardless of whether anyone is actually held accountable to justice for this charade, the Democrats will be punished. Half of their supporters just said, "That's it. No more." It could take years for the party to build back the kind of trust they'll need to get people motivated to vote for their candidates. And if they don't make some serious changes – and now – even that distant window of opportunity could slam shut.
Michelle Obama Has Choice Words for "Entitled" American Men
Online Trolls Prove a Damning Point About Racist Social Justice Warriors


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Mom wins fight against Momentum for late son's funds
26 June 2019 - 09:16
Makhosazana Mthethwa will die a happy woman if Momentum pays her son's pension fund to rightful heirs.
Makhosazana Mthethwa, 72, of Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal has won the fight to ensure that his late son's death benefit did not lend into the wrong hands.
Fund administrator, Momentum, appointed an independent forensic investigator to look into the matter and has now allocated payments correctly to the beneficiaries of the late Cedrick Mthethwa after Consumer Line's intervention.
The trustees have decided that both the mother of the deceased and the separated partner are each to receive 25% of the death benefit payout, while the minor daughter of the deceased will be allocated the remaining 50% of the death benefit payout.
Mthethwa was concerned by the decision the Fundsatwork Umbrella Pension Fund made to pay R780,000 to his son's "spouse" whom they claim were married in customary union.
Mthethwa said her son was never married, there was no ilobolo negotiations and ilobolo was never paid. Her bone of contention was that her daughter-in-law submitted a forged lobolo letter and claimed she was married to her son.
Though she still questioned the signature of her son on the forged lobolo letter her ex-daughter-in-law presented to the investigator, she is happy that her granddaughter will now get what she deserves.
Specimen of signature Consumer Line has seen differs from those her daughter-in-law claimed they were her husband's.
Mthethwa said when her son was alive, the claimant even denied his son visitation rights when he wanted to have access to his daughter.
After his son was retrenched from SAA, he depended on her for support for a period of three years until he found another job.
Be honest and sure your insurer will pay a claim
Don't assume that if a broker helps you apply for cover, the disclosures are his or her problem.
Sboniso, the brother to the deceased, said he was also happy that her niece will receive a lion's share of the payout and access the lump sum when she turns 21 years.
The fund had previously allocated R44,319 to Mthetwa's mother and R62,047 to the daughter and R780,023 to the "spouse" when a larger portion should go to the child, Sboniso said.
Anneke Hanekom, head of the reputation management and public relations at Momentum, said the deceased did not nominate any beneficiaries of his death benefit payout, and the retirement fund received contradictory information from family members.
Hanekom said the fund invited the family to provide any additional information that can assist in resolving the matter.
In line with the Pension Funds Act, the fund also appointed an independent forensic investigator to make sure that the distribution of the benefit payout is in the best interest of all the dependants, she said.
The forensic investigation also brought to light that the deceased and the spouse were separated at the time of his death, but the deceased had supported her and their child financially, Hanekom said.
"As per the independent investigation findings, the trustees of the fund have revised its preliminary distribution of the benefit and have communicated this to the beneficiaries.
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