text:
Cyber threat: Plans afoot to protect vital networks
A NCIIPC is in the process of being set up to create a fool-proof firewall around these networks
Written by Express News Service | New Delhi |
June 13, 2013 2:34:21 am
A steep rise in the number of cyber attacks on Indian computer networks in the last three years has forced the government to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to secure its strategic data-centres,and deal with emergency situations.
From just about 10 incidents in January 2005,the number of cyber attacks went up to over 20,000 last year. Incidents of defacement of websites hosted on Indian servers increased from about 4,700 in 2005 to over 23,000 last year. Similarly,virus-related attacks increased from less than 100 in 2005 to over 3000 last year.
A sudden spike in these incidents was noticed in 2009,around the same time that 3G services were introduced in India and the number of Internet users expanded exponentially,mainly through the use of smart-phones. India now is the second most-spammed country in the world.
The government has identified a list of critical computer infrastructure which need special protection against cyber attacks. Included in this list are networks related to national security,defence,banks,stock markets,power grids,railways and airlines,weather and many others. A National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is in the process of being set up to create a fool-proof firewall around these networks.
The creation of NCIIPC is just one of the many ideas being implemented as part of the Framework for Cyber Security that was recently approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security. A multi-agency National Cyber Coordination Centre to make assessment of cyber threats and share information with stakeholders is also being set up. A Centre of Excellence in Cryptology,the science of encrypting data,is being established at the Indian Institute of Statistics in Kolkata.
The effort is to prevent and mitigate the threats to computer networks from hackers targeting India. Attacks on Indian networks have come mainly from computers based in 20 countries including the US,UK,Germany,France,Brazil,Poland and the Netherlands. One such attempt tried to jeopardise the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010. Hackers had tried to get into the computer systems to tamper with the timers and scoring machines.
Last year,the government had come up with a 'roadmap on cyber security',that had stressed on collaboration between the government and private sector in this area. As a follow-up to that,the government has set up three cyber-forensic laboratories in Banglalore,Pune and Kolkata in association with software industry group NASSCOM. Nine more such laboratories are planned in partnership with state governments.
A cyber crisis management plan has already been put in place,with state governments as an integral part. CERT-In,or Computer Emergency Response Team (India),the nodal agency to deal with such crisis is being replicated on a smaller scale for specific sectors. The defence establishment has already set up a sectoral CERT for itself. Railways and the power sector are also planning to have a CERT of their own.
For all the latest News Archive News, download Indian Express App.
Coronavirus Omicron India Live: Delhi, Mumbai see dip in Covid cases1 hour ago
Election 2022 Live Updates: BJP names 85 more candidates for UP polls1 hour ago
Chennai Live News: Covid-19 cases rise to 7,038, TN logs 29,870 infections3 hours ago
Hardworking local coaches behind Manipur being hotbed of women's football
SportsMatch fixing does not amount to cheating: Karnataka HC


text:
Improved transport network to boost connectivity in Brunei Darussalam
Brunei DarussalamTransport
A transportation overhaul is under way in Brunei Darussalam, with the government planning initiatives ranging from bus rapid transit (BRT) to road tolls to encourage the use of public transport and improve overall connectivity.
However, further action on fuel subsidies and motor vehicle regulations may be needed to ensure the Sultanate's plan reaches its full potential.
As outlined in Brunei's Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP), launched last December, the government aims to tackle car dependency in the coming years, improving traffic and tightening transport regulations with an emphasis on reducing injuries and fatalities.
Underscoring the growing importance of road safety, in late September government officials announced that the number of road fatalities year-to-date had already reached the 2014 total, with 11 of the 24 deaths recorded in a single month.
The Sultanate's dependency on cars stems in part from a lack of viable transport alternatives, as well as low import taxes and petrol prices, with unleaded fuel costing just BN$0.53 ($0.38) per litre due to state subsidies. Relatively easy access to credit for car loans also puts car ownership within reach of a large number of Bruneians.
As a result, Brunei continues to have one of the highest rates of car ownership in the world, at 2.65 people per vehicle, with the number of newly registered vehicles increasing by nearly 20% in the two years to 2013, according to the Department of Economic Planning and Development.
Rapid transit in the works
To create viable public transport alternatives, the LTMP plans to create a BN$3.24bn ($2.3bn) BRT system. The line aims to offer affordable fares to promote ridership, with low-income workers, students, the unemployed and senior citizens to be charged BN$0.50 ($0.36) instead of the regular fare of BN$1 ($0.72), according to local media.
The new system will run four lines across the Brunei-Muara District, which is home to more than half the country's population, with 48 km of bus lanes to be completed by 2035 and the first line to open in 2020. Once fully operational, the line's 126 BRT buses are expected to run every four minutes, with 29,000 trips during peak hours and a total of 228,000 trips per day.
The BRT will also include three public transport interchanges and three "park-and-ride" facilities, where commuters can park their cars and travel by bus.
Additionally, over the next 20 years the LTMP aims to replace and expand the country's conventional bus fleet, doubling the number of school buses in service and increasing the number of licensed taxis to 400, compared to less than 50 at present.
Other incentives
Other policies could also help incentivise Bruneians to use public transport, according to Pehin Dato Abdullah Bakar, minister of communications.
"If we observe and understand public transportation issues in Brunei and compare them with [other countries], we will see the need to have policies that could pull the public to use public transportation, and push them to [continue] using them," he said in March, speaking to the Legislative Council.
Among the policy tools being considered by lawmakers are the introduction of road tolls, increasing the cost of parking in urban areas, instituting road taxes and regulating the price of fuel.
The Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies, a local think-tank that helped develop the LTMP, has previously suggested that the removal of fuel subsidies in Brunei could increase public transport ridership by as much as 20%.
Perhaps most crucial to the realisation of the LTMP's goals is the planned creation of a Land Transport Authority in the Sultanate, which officials hope will provide the necessary oversight and regulation of the land transport sector.
Regional brainstorming
Examples from neighbouring countries could also offer policy ideas for Bruneian officials. For example, Singapore saw some 3.75m passenger trips on public buses each day last year, compared to a population of 5.47m, according to the country's Land Transport Authority.
This high uptake is thanks in large part to a decades-old area licensing system, which imposes stiff fees for cars entering downtown Singapore during business hours. The Sultanate could also consider a system similar to Singapore's "Certificate of Entitlement" programme, which limits car ownership by distributing just 30,000 permissions each year.
Oxford Business Group is now on Instagram. Follow us here for news and stunning imagery from the more than 30 markets we cover.
Register for free Economic News Updates on Brunei Darussalam
The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
Read our Brunei Darussalam 2016 Economic Report and Investment Analysis online or purchase from our online store
Featured Sectors in Brunei Darussalam:
Brunei Darussalam Financial Services
Brunei Darussalam Energy
Brunei Darussalam Economy
Brunei Darussalam Industry
Brunei Darussalam ICT
Featured Countries in Transport:
Indonesia Transport
Oman Transport
Nigeria Transport
Mongolia Transport
South Africa Transport
Premium Content: Brunei Darussalam and Transport
Chapter | Transport from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
Overview | Pulling its weight: Falling oil prices drive sector development from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
Interview | On the map: OBG talks to Dermot Mannion, Former Deputy Chairman, Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
Analysis | Change in the air: The flag carrier looks forward after a major overhaul from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
Analysis | Avoiding gridlock: The government is looking for ways to reduce car dependency from The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2016
In Brunei Darussalam
In Transport
How T&T is leveraging its location to support maritime growth
In the face of more stringent environmental rules on shipping fuel, Trinidad and Tobago is moving to position itself as a regional centre for liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


May 22, 2005 When it comes to doing things on a grand scale, a strategic alliance between George Lucas and Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz always threatened to be a bit over the top. And so it came to pass. Lucas and Mateschitz partnered for a week of global promotional hype on the Cote d'Azur with stunning success. The tie-up between Red Bull Racing and the latest Star Wars movie finally reached its conclusion on Saturday night in Monaco when the last (and first) film in the series, "Revenge of the Sith" was screened for the benefit of guests from the world of Formula 1. The screening, which took place in the Grimaldi Forum was followed by a party, attended by several stars of the film and its director, George Lucas. There were plenty of sore heads in the Monaco paddock this morning, after a crowd of around five hundred F1 movers and shakers attended the biggest bash of the weekend in the Grimaldi Forum last night. Then the Red Bull pit crew did its stuff decked out as Star wars characters and around 500 million people around the world were reminded about the film's premier.
It was a match made in promotional heaven for the heavyweight Motorsport enthusiasts to come together. Mateschitz sells a billion cans a year of his Red Bull energy drink in America but has spent a large proportion of his promotional budget on Formula 1 racing recently. Formula 1 is the most watched sporting event on the planet and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix the highlight of the 19 race series.
Reciprocally, Lucas' Star Wars series is a film phenomenon the likes of which has never been seen before. The sixth film in the series exploded on to cinema screens across America last Thursday annihilating all box office records as it went. In its first four days it set a new record US$158.5 million domestic gross, surpassing the previous best four-day tally of the film "The Matrix Reloaded" of US$134.3 million.
So the Red Bull Energy Station and pits at Monte Carlo took on the look of a Star wars set, and the Red Bull cars were decked out in Star wars livery and the pit crews dressed up and … everyone had a good time.
Once the film was over, the Red Bull crew showed that when it comes to organising parties they are to entertainment what film director George Lucas is to blockbuster sci-fi films.
Team boss Christian Horner rubbed shoulders with Chewbacca, or he would have done if the film character had got down on his knees, while technical director Gunther Steiner was on hand to check that the storm troopers weapons complied with the technical regulations.
Stars of the film who still managed to party the night away, despite having just survived a week at the Cannes Film festival included Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiarmid, as well as George Lucas himself, while F1 drivers Tonio Liuzzi and Christian Klien upheld F1 honour.
Monaco resident and former 007, Roger Moore also put in an appearance. Music was provided by the aptly named DJ Yoda and DJ Roundeye and it was pumped out LOUD, at a volume level that would have shamed the F1 engines. There was plenty of glamour and eye candy, with top marks naturally going to the Red Bull Formula Una girls.
The party finally came to a close around the time the hardworking mechanics and engineers were arriving at the race track to prepare for today's race.
As far as Red Bull Racing is concerned, maybe the latest sci-fi epic should have been called Revenge of the Sixth rather than the Sith. The sixth round of the championship here in Monaco brings to an end Red Bull Racing's unbroken run of points scoring finishes so far this season.
But looking on the bright side, the team was in good shape over the weekend and with the European GP taking place just seven days from now, there won't be too long a wait to get on with the job of trying to pick up more points.
No sooner had the champagne been sprayed on the podium than the F1 Circus began pulling down its Big Top, ready to rush off to the Nurburgring in Germany.
Hayden Christiansen (USA) is interviewed at the Red Bull Racing Star Wars Party.
To take the prize of the most outrageous and lavish party of THIS weekend is quite a feat!
Former 007 Roger Moore and his wife arrive at the party. Moore is resident in Monaco these days.
Former Formula 1 ace Heinz Harold Frentzen arrives at the party.
F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone with his daughters Petra and Tamara and wife Slavica.
The Star Wars Gala in Monaco was followed by a lavish party in the Grimaldi Forum, where guests danced the night away.


text:
Fla. judge cancels Rod Stewart's trial, sets October date for plea deal hearing
Updated: Sep. 12, 2021, 1:46 p.m. | Published: Sep. 12, 2021, 1:46 p.m.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida judge has canceled the trial for rock icon Rod Stewart and his adult son and scheduled a hearing next month to discuss a plea deal to resolve charges stemming from a New Year's Eve altercation with a hotel security guard nearly two years ago.
Court records show the hearing with Judge August Bonavita is set for Oct. 22 regarding a plea agreement to close the case without them needing to appear in court. The trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday but was canceled on Thursday.
If convicted, the Stewarts were facing a year in jail, or probation and a $1,000 fine. The terms of the agreement are not clear yet, and attorney Guy Fronstin did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment.
The Stewarts' battery charges have taken long to resolve because of the pandemic and settlement negotiations.
The London-born singer of 70s hits such as "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Maggie May" is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.
Stewart and his son are accused of pushing and shoving security guard Jessie Dixon at the upscale The Breakers Hotel on Dec. 31, 2019, because he wouldn't let them into a New Year's Eve party.
Dixon told Palm Beach police officers the Stewart's group was at the check-in table for a private party they weren't authorized to attend, a police report said.
Dixon said the group became loud and began causing a scene. Dixon, then 33, told investigators he put his hand on the younger Stewart's chest and told him to back up and make space.
That's when Sean Stewart, the rock star's son, got "nose to nose" with Dixon.
Sean Stewart, now 41, then shoved Dixon backwards. Rod Stewart, now 76, punched Dixon in his "left rib cage area" with a closed fist, prosecutors allege.
Sean Stewart told investigators he became agitated when they were not able to attend the event "due to Dixon's interaction with him and his family."
Two Breakers employees who were working the private event told police they saw Sean Stewart push Dixon and Rod Stewart punch the guard.
The arresting officer said he viewed security footage at the hotel and determined that the Stewarts were the "primary aggressors."
'Death is imminent' for woman who opposed COVID-19 vaccination and regretted it, Michigan doc says
Knoebels, Dutch Wonderland, Hersheypark among list of world's best amusement parks this year


text:
Posts Tagged: Syria
By Eliot Higgins
Douma
What to Watch Out For in the Upcoming OPCW FFM Report on the Douma Chemical Attack
In the coming weeks it is expected the OPCW Fact Finding Mission (FFM) will release its report on the April 7 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Damascus. The purpose of the OPCW FFM is to establish whether or not chemical agents were used, not to assign blame. Prior to Russia vetoing its renewal at the…
Saraqib
What the OPCW-FFM Report on the Saraqib Chlorine Attack Tells Us About the Douma Chemical Attack
Today's OPCW-FFM report on the February 4 2018 chemical attack in Saraqib, Idlib, reveals not only information about the Saraqib attack, but also the broader use of chemical weapons in Syria, and additional evidence to support the theory Syrian government forces were behind the April 7 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Damascus. Consistent with Bellingcat's…
By Jakub Janovský
Seven Years of War — Documenting Syrian Rebel Use of Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
Written in cooperation with @SCW_Nuggie. Over the course of seven years of war, Syrian rebels have been fighting an army which once had the 6th largest number of tanks in the world. This article will detail the collection of footage of Syrian rebel anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) use and their impact on events during Syrian…
By Keith B. Ward
The Lethality of Chlorine Gas – A Possible Explanation for High Casualties and Deaths Following the April 7, 2018 Attacks in Douma, Syria
A previous report by Eliot Higgins summarized the evidence for at least two yellow gas cylinders being associated with the April 7, 2018 attacks in Douma, Syria. That report discusses the similarities to previous attacks in Syria known to have involved chlorine gas and mentions fatality counts reported from Douma ranging from 43 – 85+….
All the Pieces Matter – Syria's Chlorine Bombs and the Douma Chemical Attack
Following the Douma chemical attack on April 7th 2018, much attention has been paid to two impact sites where the remains of yellow gas cylinders were discovered. While much has been made of the position of these gas cylinders, less attention has been paid to the historical use of chlorine as a chemical weapon in…
By Syrian Archive
Methodology: How we Tracked the Illegal Shipment of Sarin Precursor from Belgium to Syria
On 18 April 2018 Syrian Archive and Knack revealed information that Belgium violated EU sanctions against Syria according to the summons of an upcoming lawsuit. The Belgian customs found that without having requested the appropriate export licenses three Flemish companies have exported 96 tonnes of isopropanol in a concentration of 95% or higher to Syria…
Belgium Illegally Shipped 96 Tonnes of Sarin Precursor to Syria
Jeff Deutch from Syrian Archive, additional reporting by Kristof Clerix from Knack Knack and Syrian Archive reveal today that Belgian companies have violated EU sanctions against Syria, according to the summons of an upcoming lawsuit. Based on information found through the UN Comtrade database, freedom of information requests, and confirmed by the Belgian Customs, we…
By Adam Rawnsley
Anatomy of a Russian Chemical Weapons Lab Lie
If Moscow wants its Syrian allies to skirt the blame for chemical attacks, they're going to have to come up with some better evidence than a few beakers and boilers in a dingy basement. Russia and Syria say the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria was all a rebel-staged fake— and promise that they've…
The Douma Chemical Attack – Fake News about Fake News on Russia's Fake News
With any war crime in Syria receiving significant media coverage, there has been a concerted effort by pro-Kremlin and pro-Assad individuals and media outlets to spread claims attacking the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets), a major source of information and footage on war crimes in the conflict. These attacks generally fall into two categories: claiming…
By Wim Zwijnenburg
Nefarious Negligence: Post-Conflict Oil Pollution in Eastern Syria
Since the so-called Islamic State lost most of its control over oil resources in northeast Syria, various groups have replaced them to take control over the oil infrastructure–or, at least, what is left of it. In the recent Bellingcat article, Hazardous Legacies, an overview was provided of the damaged oil industrial sites and clusters of…
JIT Indictments and Reactions: Analyzing New Evidence Linking Separatists and Russian Officials to MH17
Bellingcat Podcast: MH17, Episode 1 Guide: The People Who Fell From the Sky
Ukrainian Far-Right Extremists Receive State Funds to Teach "Patriotism"
New Bellingcat Workshops Announced for Amsterdam and Copenhagen
How To Tell Stories: A Beginner's Guide For Open Source Researchers
Tracey Thakore on Analysis Of The Park Patriot "Sarin Lab" In The Moscow Region
Mr.Bushkin on JIT Indictments and Reactions: Analyzing New Evidence Linking Separatists and Russian Officials to MH17
em on Ukrainian Far-Right Extremists Receive State Funds to Teach "Patriotism"
Weg van Huis on JIT Indictments and Reactions: Analyzing New Evidence Linking Separatists and Russian Officials to MH17
Craig on Ignore The Poway Synagogue Shooter's Manifesto: Pay Attention To 8chan's /pol/ Board


text:
Credit RSS
UPDATE 1-Venezuela opposition hires veteran lawyer Buchheit to help restructure debt
CARACAS, May 20 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition has hired veteran debt lawyer Lee Buchheit to help restructure the country's more than $150 billion debt burden, suggesting it could take a tough approach to dealing with investors holding defaulted bonds.
Buchheit, a former Cleary Gottlieb attorney who has represented several governments in debt talks with bond investors, published an academic article last year suggesting ways for a future Venezuela government to minimize debt repayments.
The move comes nearly four months into a power struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who in January invoked the country's constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
Guaido has been recognized as Venezuela's rightful leader by dozens of countries, including the United States, which has allowed his lawyers to represent the country in court battles with creditors. One court has granted a stay in suits against state-run oil company PDVSA for unpaid debts due to Venezuela's political crisis.
The most immediate task for a potential restructuring is protecting Citgo, a U.S. refiner owned by PDVSA. The opposition last week made a $71 million interest payment on bonds backed by shares in Citgo, but other creditors could still try to seize the company to collect on unpaid debt.
In late October, Buchheit co-authored the paper arguing that Venezuela would be a candidate to benefit from a potential U.S. executive order protecting its assets from seizure by creditors. That could facilitate an "orderly resolution" that would to the negotiating table even debtholders reluctant to accept losses on their holdings, he wrote.
Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
At the time, Buchheit had been working for Cleary, which represents a group of Venezuelan bondholders. He retired as a partner at the firm effective Feb. 19, Cleary said in a statement in response to an inquiry from Reuters at the time.
Buchheit had said he planned to retire from Cleary at the end of 2018 but his time at the firm was extended. He declined to further discuss the circumstances of his departure when consulted about it in February.
"Lee has great respect in the sovereign debt community and among commercial creditors, government lenders and public officials," said Ricardo Hausmann, the opposition's representative at the Inter-American Development Bank.
Buchheit will be representing Venezuela on a pro-bono basis, according to Jose Ignacio Hernandez, who Guaido has tapped as a special prosecutor representing the country's interests abroad. (Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Daniel Flynn Editing by Luc Cohen, Andrea Ricci and Susan Thomas)


Apparently there are now packing peanuts that are made from either wheat or corn starch as opposed to polystyrene. This means that they can biodegrade, and apparently even simply dissolve in water. This is a huge contrast to polystyrene packaging, which biodegrades… well, never.


Central to the Crest is the IHS, the traditional escutcheon of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit – the IHS signifies the Holy Name of Jesus, with the three nails of the Passion underneath and surrounded by rays symbolising the Resurrection.
The colours of the Crest are red and gold, the colours of the House of Loyola.
The green tassels and hat are the traditional symbol and colour for a bishop's crest. The two books are the symbols for the teaching profession, so much part of the background of the new bishop, and they are inscribed with the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, symbolising the Beginning and the End, as is said in the blessing of the Paschal Candle, "Christ yesterday and today, the Beginning and the End".
The bottom left quadrant contains a stylised tower, redolent of the tower in the O'Kelly family crest, but also of the castle homes of Ignatius and Xavier, and the Jesuit Church at Sevenhill, so significant for the early Church in South Australia.
The upper quadrant contains the Southern Cross, representing the Great South Land of Australia, contained within the ambit of the chequered crescent, which is taken from the Arms of the family of St Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Australia. The crescent is also a traditional symbol for Mary.
Surmounting the Crest is the Celtic Cross, including symbols of the five wounds of Our Lord. The motto translates as "to love and to serve" from the phrase of St Ignatius Loyola that we are to love and to serve in all things.


text:
Q: when Accounts.createUser get error 403 In website admin side ,i login as root when i create a user i get errors blow:

errorClass {error: 403, reason: "Signups forbidden", details: undefined, message: "Signups forbidden [403]", errorType: "Meteor.Error"}details: undefinederror: 403errorType: "Meteor.Error"message: "Signups forbidden [403]"reason: "Signups forbidden"stack: (...)get stack: stack()set stack: stack()__proto__: Error undefined

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you're an Xbox Live Gold member, The Darkness II's demo is available to you right now. PC, PS3 and non-gold Xbox players can grab the demo on January 24th. If you can stomach the above gore-reel, then give it a whirl.


Three men wearing balaclavas stole cash and car keys from a house in St Helens.
Police are investigating after a man at a house on Warrington Road was alerted by a security alarm at 7.25pm on Friday, October 14.
He went downstairs and saw three men dressed in black clothing and balaclavas in his lounge.
It is believed the men may have been armed with a knife.
One man demanded money and stole cash, a television and keys to a Vauxhall Astra.
The occupant of the house was not injured but was left shaken by the incident.
Merseyside Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward to help with their enquiries.
Two of the men were described as being approximately 5ft 10ins tall and of medium build. The third man was stocky and spoke with a Liverpool accent.
Anyone with information about the aggravated burglary is asked to contact Merseyside Police on 0151 777 6802 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


Thanks, I don't mind. I'll get a new version up soon and then you can move the thread back.
I've almost got the requirements working and able to install if they are missing.
Yea, I tried it on a new computer, couldn't get much to work without it. CBox I know for sure needs it.
Nevermind about me not having it, I read it wrong.
I updated the first post, I've got it fixed now.
This is awesome, great work!!!
Note: All who have downloaded and installed the Fable TLC Application Suite should now re-download and re-install, because I just updated. The start menu shortcuts were set up incorrectly and would cause weird bugs when running Fable Explorer (or any variant of it). I've fixed it since then.
Okay, that was a false alarm. It wasn't fixed, but this time it really is fixed. I've tested it. If something is wrong let me know, but I doubt anything is wrong with the installer. The only thing that might not work is the directX check, which I am not positive worked correctly.
So again, if you have used the installer, you should uninstall, re-download it, and install just one more time.
Thx for the package! I'm trying this RIGHT NOW!
Let's go and see star hores!
No man! It's Star Wars!
The Hesperus trainers use a hook that is picked up by any anti-virus as a trojan. This is a false positive. It's been around for years and years and no one has ever had a legitimate problem with the Hesperus trainers.
Surprised my path changer is still around.


text:
Home Opinion Will SL survive the harsh tides rolling in from the 'Great West'
Will SL survive the harsh tides rolling in from the 'Great West'
13 March 2014 04:35 am - 0 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka is taking a robust stance against allegations of human rights violations levelled against it at the on-going sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and the man who has the unenviable task of leading that effort is External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris.
In the two preceeding years, the Lankan delegation to the UNHRC was led by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. In those two years, Sri Lanka had resolutions against it endorsed by the Council after the outcome hung in the balance for many weeks. This year the same outcome is a foregone conclusion.
The United States and the United Kingdom have spared no effort to ensure that the resolution against Sri Lanka has a safe passage through the UNHRC. Instead Sri Lanka is now in 'damage control' mode, desperately trying to stall calls for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes during the Eelam war.
Minister Peiris has already made a statement before the Council. He defended the country's human rights record, outlining the progress achieved on related issues since the conclusion of the war in May 2009. He has also hit out at the Council, especially its High Commissioner, the much maligned Navanethem Pillay.
"Sri Lanka rejects the resolution in its entirety" Peiris said, as it is "fundamentally flawed" and accused Pillay of persisting "in an attitude which is clearly disproportionate to the circumstances" and trying "to inflict harm on the reconciliation process by bringing about a polarisation of Sri Lankan society". Peiris, Professor of Law turned politician, is handling a difficult brief. Former Sri Lankan envoy Dayan Jayatilleke was scathing in his criticism of Peiris' statement, calling it a "depressing disaster", noting that he spoke from a prepared text, a practice the Minister had not resorted to for twenty five years.
"GL's truculent address, demonstrating rejectionism and political immobility, slammed the door. It won't bring Sri Lanka any votes and probably… increased the margin of our defeat and the magnitude of our dangerous international isolation" Jayatilleke observed.
Gamini Lakshman Peiris would take such criticism in his stride. He has been a much vilified character since he entered Parliament twenty years ago, hustled from the halls of academia into the hurly burly of politics by Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1994 along with another legal eagle, Lakshman Kadirgamar.
He defended the country's human rights record, outlining the progress achieved on related issues since the conclusion of the war in May 2009. He has also hit out at the Council, especially its High Commissioner, the much maligned Navanethem Pillay
At the time, Peiris was at the pinnacle of his academic career. An old Thomian, an alumnus of the Oxford University and a Rhodes scholar, Peiris had been Professor of Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo. He had also authored many books related to Sri Lankan Law. Being a distinguished academic, Peiris was accommodated on the National List and appointed Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Deputy Minister of Finance by President Kumaratunga. Later the portfolio of Ethnic Affairs and National Integration was added on.
Peiris won accolades for his work as Minister of Justice where he was instrumental in initiating a series of reforms that ensured that the country's legal system was in keeping with the times. The Bill for the Permanent Commission for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption was his brainchild.
Despite his many responsibilities, Peiris was not entirely happy with his lot and also had differences of opinion with President Chandrika Kumaratunga. In 2001, he was among those who defected from the ruling People's Alliance (PA), joining the opposition United National Party (UNP).
This triggered a collapse of the Kumaratunga government necessitating general elections in 2001 which the UNP won. Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Prime Minister in an uneasy period of co-habitation with Kumaratunga still the President.
Peiris was then appointed Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion but his more prominent role was as chief negotiator with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during peace talks with the Tigers which led to the ceasefire agreement (CFA). The Wickremesinghe government's CFA with the LTTE, negotiated mostly by Peiris, cost them dearly when the Tigers began to violate the agreement with impunity. By the time it had helped to bring President Mahinda Rajapaksa into power in 2005, Peiris was supporting President Rajapaksa.
In President Rajapaksa's first government, Peiris was Minister of Export Development and International Trade but was offered the coveted External Affairs portfolio during the President's second term. His predecessors were Rohitha Bogollagama and Mangala Samaraweera.
With his loquacious style of public speaking and his frequent change of party loyalties Peiris has seen his standing as a politician plummet and he is not among the more popular ministers in the current Cabinet. His rivalry with Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe is an open secret.
Many blame Peiris for mismanaging Sri Lanka's foreign policy, leading to its present predicament where it finds most of the western world arraigned against it. Peiris has also not protested about the increasing number of political appointees to the diplomatic corps, a factor hindering its status in foreign capitals.
Peiris was also known to have incurred the displeasure of the President over the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. Bandaranayake, an academic at the Colombo University, was handpicked by Peiris and elevated to the Supreme Court and later recommended as Chief Justice.
It is also ironical that Peiris is tasked with defending Sri Lanka's actions in the final war with the LTTE when it was he who was instrumental in negotiating a peace deal with the Tigers. However, it is the final conflict with the LTTE that has now come under intense scrutiny.
Last year, when the resolution against Sri Lanka was approved at the UNHRC, Peiris attempted to save face by saying that the total number of nations who abstained or voted against the resolution was more than those who voted for it. This year, he will argue that its content was 'diluted' and claim victory. In the chequered career of External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, the ongoing sessions of the UNHRC in Geneva will be yet another critical event. However, Peiris will carry on instead of carrying the can - until next March when he will be called upon to play the same role again.


In the future, I hope to do Fan Art Friday. But for the time being, I'll post some of the great art that my amazingly talented sisters, Kelly and Kami, have created for Flicker (in nice, big sizes so you can see all the details). Enjoy!
Nasser Rew, as drawn by Kami Thornbrugh.
Filo Shine, as drawn by Kelly Thornbrugh. Isn't he gorgeous?


Shortly after the U.S. President Donald Trump said a military option is not being ruled out for Venezuela, the White House issued a statement saying it had rejected a request from his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro to have a telephone conversation with him.
It is not clear if Maduro asked for the call before or after Trump's remarks.
He added, "We have many options ..this is our neighbour. We are all over the world and we have troops all over the world in places that are very, very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering. They're dying. We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option, if necessary." A reporter then asked if Trump was proposing a U.S. military-led operation.
While the nation's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the US president's threat "an act of madness" and "supreme extremism." "There is an extremist elite that rules the United States," Padrino Lopez told state television channel Venezolana de Televisión.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it had not received any orders regarding Venezuela and referred the media back to the White House.
Trump's comments come a day after the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reiterated his offer of talks with his U.S. counterpart.
Maduro invited the United States to agree to "mutually respectful" dialogue, adding that he will be in New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly. Maduro also offered an invitation to regional leaders to take part in a meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, in an effort to improve relations.
Mexico's former President Vicente Fox tweeted that only an "imbecile would wage war" on his neighbour and added that violence is not the answer.
.@realDonaldTrump in Latinamerica we don't your war, only an imbecile would wage war on his neighbor land. Violence it's not the answer.
The former Argentine Ambassador to the U.K. and Caracas Alicia Castro criticized anyone who threatens the peace and security of the continent.
And there's speculation that Trump is using his threats to both Venezuela and North Korea to deflect attention from the mounting difficulties and splits within his own administration.
The Mexican journalist Jorge Ramos has tweeted that his warnings can be seen as an attempt to boost his domestic ratings, "Trump, as a child with a new toy, has just discovered that by threatening Venezuela and North Korea he can try to improve his image in the US".


There's no denying it: 2016 was a great year for video games – especially the latter half. The amount of money we've spent in the last six months on new games is a little ridiculous and our bank accounts are weaping for it.
But we'll be the first people to admit that it was totally worth it. From Uncharted 4 to Pokemon GO to Battlefield 1, there are some really amazing video games available this year. We got some truly amazing online experiences and some pretty great single player campaigns as well.
It really was a good year to be a gamer.
Now, we're going to be honest with you guys. We are primarily console gamers here at Nerdophiles and we're admittedly slaves to the AAA titles for the most part. But at least this year was a good year for them!
Check out our list and let us know what you thought were the best games of 2016!
Shortly after the Xbox One first launched Respawn Entertainment released Titanfall – their ambitious, new IP featuring giant mechs reminiscent of your favorite, old school anime series. The original game was met with generally high praise but there was a lot of room for improvement moving into the future.
The sequel, Titanfall 2, was released this year and managed to fix many of the mistakes of the first game, especially when it came to the campaign. Whereas the first game was entirely online, Titanfall 2 once again embraces the single-player campaign mode and offers a satisfying narrative on top of the much improved online experience.
One of the best multiplayer games of the year, Titanfall 2 more than earns it's place on this list. And while it's unfortunate that Microsoft lost the title as a console exclusive, the cross-platform launch has allowed PS4 players to enjoy the game as well!
Playing Gears of War 2 in co-op mode with a friend back in college was the first experience that really made me love video games. I have always enjoyed them but it wasn't until I came across this franchise that I realized how much I could love them. After playing through the original trilogy, I had eagerly awaited some sort of sequel on the Xbox One.
Gears of War 4 doesn't disappoint. It introduces a new, deadly enemy and a new cast of characters while still holding on to the original characters and storylines that we first fell in love with. It feels like playing one of the original games but with everything just a little bit newer and improved. Between the campaign and the online options (particularly the Horde mode), Gears of War 4 has become one of my favorite overall experiences on the Xbox One so far – if not my all together favorite!
All right, so, spoiler alert: there are two (technically three) Pokemon games on this list. Pokemon Sun/Moon earned it's spot on this list (or it's spots?) by being the first game in the main series to drastically deviate from the established gameplay and narrative.
While games in the Pokemon Dungeon and Pokemon Ranger franchises have offered up unique stories that are vastly different from the color, element, and otherwise themed titles from the main series, those games were relatively similar.
The other Pokemon game on our list, Pokemon GO absolutely changed the way people play mobile games. Based largely in part off of Niantic's earlier but less ubiquitous game, Ingress, this game encouraged people to hit the streets in search of Pokemon on a real-life quest to catch them all.
While out visiting Pokestops in person, players were able to meet each other and make new friends. They were able to share an experience in-person with people they never would have met before. Players explored their own towns and every place they visited, seeing all kinds of monuments and art installments.
While the excitement of the game has died off since it was launched and Niantic has failed to really follow up on the game's promise, it's influence cannot be denied. And while a lot of people may have stepped away from the game there are still plenty of folks out there still playing for fun, catching Pokemon in the real world and battling for gyms for Valor, Mystic, and Instinct!
If there's any franchise that should sell you on the Playstation line of consoles it's going to be Uncharted. One of the best video game series around, Uncharted 4 serves as an epic finale to Nathan Drake's adventures. The story managed to offer both insight on to Nate and Elena's present and future while delving further into Nate's often enigmatic past. It brought back new characters, like Nate's brother Sam, as well as old favorites in what ultimately felt like a well-rounded send off.
When Battlefield 1 was first announced it felt like something special. A video game set during World War I was just unique enough to catch our interest. But with each trailer we admittedly got caught up in the hype so we're pretty happy to say it fully met our expectations.
The introductory mission – as short as it is – absolutely blew me away and obliterated any last minute skepticism I may have had. In just minutes Battlefield 1 manages to offer up one of the most profound experience I've had in a war game. "You are not expected to survive," is still ingrained in my memory even months later.
While there were a ton of great, new online multiplayer experiences this year, Overwatch is easily one of the best. I've honestly never been the biggest fan of six-versus-six team games but I took a chance on this one and Overwatch quickly won me over.
I just love the bright, colorful look and feel the game has. While I'm admittedly pretty bad at it, it's a really enjoyable game to just pick up now and again with friends. Overwatch includes a quirky cast of very unique characters with all kinds of varied abilities and skills. You can spend hours playing the game just learning the ins-and-outs of each one.
The gameplay is face-paced and the maps are incredibly well designed. The game modes are entertaining no matter how many times you play through them. Blizzard has done a really great job with this one and they've done a lot to support the game so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do with the game in the coming years.
The Far Cry franchise is well known for its rich vast open world environments and when Ubisoft announced that Far Cry Primal would be set in the Stone Age, I was immediately hooked. Primal is unique in almost every aspect and unlike its predecessors, it gives you control over ancient weapons, primitive animals, unique abilities and more.
My favorite aspect of the game is the new beast taming ability, which allows you to tame saber-toothed cats, bears, wolves, lions, mammoths and more to become your companion in the game and in battle. Set in 10,000 BC you play as a tribesman named Takkar who must rebuild his tribe and defeat warring enemy tribes.
While I know this game actually came out last year, the bulk of our play time with Rainbow Six: Siege has been in 2016 so I say it still counts. And in fact if there's one game those of us here at Nerdophiles have logged the most time on it'll be this one.
We love it. We love everything from the cooperative gameplay modes to the multiplayer to the free DLC Ubisoft has been rolling out periodically. The game gets better and better with time – and with the second season of DLC already announced for 2017 it can only get better.
At a time when so many games are bleeding gamers dry with paid DLC, it's nice to have a game that you can pick up and play with friends or strangers online on the fly knowing that you'll get all the new maps and operators regardless. We can't wait to keep playing this game far into the next year!


I'm a 60-year-0ld bike and gym junkie working as an editor in non-for-profit company, Legacy.
Their magazine is my baby. I love what I do but there's not much writing involved, mainly editing, so I started this blog to keep up my skills.
In April 2012 I went bike riding to Bright and Beechworth for a weekend with my sister-in-law Pat. She got bitten by a snake and that's a whole story by itself.
It was good practice for my biking and hiking holiday in the Dordogne and Pyrenees, France in July 2012! Had a fantastic time and all my researching paid off. It went like clockwork.
This blog is to record anything I do of interest: biking, hiking, travelling.


Increasing evidence suggests pharmacological treatments may impact on overall survival in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. Individual clinical trials are rarely powered to detect mortality differences between treatments and may not include all treatment options relevant to healthcare decision makers.
A systematic review was conducted to identify RCTs of COPD treatments reporting mortality; evidence was synthesised using network meta-analysis (NMA). The analysis included 40 RCTs; a quantitative indirect comparison between 14 treatments using data from 55,220 patients was conducted.
The analysis reported two treatments reducing all-cause mortality; salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination (SFC) was associated with a reduction in mortality versus placebo in the fixed effects (HR 0.79; 95 % Crl 0.67, 0.94) but not the random effects model (0.79; 0.56, 1.09). Indacaterol was associated with a reduction in mortality versus placebo in fixed (0.28; 0.08 to 0.85) and random effects (0.29; 0.08, 0.89) models. Mean estimates and credible intervals for hazard ratios for indacaterol versus placebo are based on a small number of events; estimates may change when the results of future studies are included. These results were maintained across a variety of assumptions and provide evidence that SFC and indacaterol may lead to improved survival in COPD patients.
Results of an NMA of COPD treatments suggest that SFC and indacaterol may reduce mortality. Further research is warranted to strengthen this conclusion.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of morbidity across the world, and the third leading cause of death globally [1, 2]. Primary prevention by a combination of reducing tobacco exposure, decreasing contact with biomass fuels and noxious gases together with improved child health are the most effective ways of decreasing this burden in the longer term, although it takes time for the benefits of interventions on mortality to become apparent [3, 4]. In patients with symptomatic COPD the impact of specific medications on decreasing the risk of dying is an important consideration and merits scientific consideration. The evidence on mortality reduction from individual clinical trials in COPD is inconclusive with relatively few studies of duration and sample size sufficient to demonstrate an impact .
Network meta-analysis (NMA) provides a statistical approach to combining direct and indirect trial evidence to generate relative treatment effects between different drugs on outcomes of interest. In the absence of head-to-head trials including all comparators, NMA has been recommended by reimbursement agencies in the UK and Germany [6, 7] and endorsed by influential bodies such as ISPOR . NMA has been applied to COPD mortality data on two previous occasions [9, 10].
We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) designed to assess whether pharmacotherapy affects mortality reported in COPD clinical trials. NMA was then used to allow all treatment options to be compared in a single analysis [11–13]. The analysis combines survival data reported in two different forms: total number of deaths (r) from (n) subjects subsequently referred to as the 'binary endpoint', and hazard ratios which describe the impact of treatment on time to death and account for censoring. Although hazard ratios are more informative they are not reported in all studies and the inclusion of binary data enables the maximum number of trials to be included. Sensitivity analyses permitted us to analyse the robustness of the results to various assumptions supporting the base case analysis.
Primarily, our objective was to estimate the impact of specific COPD treatments on patient mortality using NMA. Secondly, we explored the strengths and limitations of undertaking and interpreting NMA in this context.
A systematic review was conducted to identify randomised, blinded trials of COPD patients treated with tiotropium, beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone propionate, triamcinolone, bambuterol, formoterol, salmeterol, salbutamol, indacaterol, theophylline, roflumilast, indacaterol maleate, ipratropium bromide, vilanterol trifenatate, fluticasone furoate or placebo. Dosing and administration method were not specified in the inclusion criteria. Combinations of the listed interventions were allowed; dose comparison studies were not included unless another listed intervention was also incorporated in the study. Studies were required to report all-cause mortality in binary or hazard ratio form for at least 24 weeks of follow-up; mortality could be reported as a study outcome or as a serious adverse event. Only English language full publications were included.
EMBASE (1988), MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Progress (1946) and CENTRAL (1898) were searched from database inception to October 2012. Searches combined controlled-vocabulary and free-text terms for COPD and the treatments of interest; RCT filters were used in EMBASE and MEDLINE. Full publications were reviewed for inclusion by two analysts (JT and JC). Data was extracted from eligible trials by one analyst with validation conducted by the second analyst. Dosages of the same therapy were combined for the purposes of the analysis (indacaterol (150 μg od, 300 μg od, 600 μg od), budesonide (200 μg bid, 400 μg bid, 1200 μg od for 6 months followed by 800 μg od for 30 months), fluticasone propionate (250 μg bid, 500 μg bid), salmeterol (50 μg bid, 100 μg bid), formoterol (6 μg bid, 12 μg bid, 24 μg bid) and salmeterol fluticasone propionate combination (SFC) (50/ 250 μg bid, 50/ 500 μg bid)). The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess methods of randomisation, allocation concealment, blinding, patient follow-up and incomplete reporting .
Binary mortality data: total number of deaths (r) from (n) subjects, and hazard ratios with reported confidence intervals from published studies meeting our inclusion criteria were used as inputs to the analysis. We preferred hazard ratios over binary data where reported. Hazard ratios were taken from the Cox proportional-hazards models as these were consistently reported, in particular the Cox model for TORCH was preferred over that calculated directly from the Kaplan Meier in accordance with the other studies which reported HRs. Hazard ratio data and binary data were combined using the methodology established in Woods  which also appropriately incorporates multi-arm trials. Estimated treatment effects were synthesised using network meta-analysis (NMA) in a Bayesian multilevel framework. This method allows simultaneous comparison of outcomes of multiple treatments from trials comparing different sets of treatment options (providing a connected network of treatments can be formed) whilst retaining within-trial randomisation. A study protocol was written and reviewed prior to initiating the systematic review and analysis. Full details of the statistical method and the model code are provided in the Additional file 1.
The base case analysis included all RCTs meeting our inclusion criteria using the intention to treat (ITT) results from these studies, combining different licensed doses of the same medicines as single comparators. Results are presented for active treatments relative to placebo (reference).
Including on-treatment (OT) mortality (excluding deaths that occurred to patients who ceased to receive the allocated study treatment) results in preference to ITT results where available.
Separating patients treated with tiotropium by type of inhaler used (SoftMist or HandiHaler). Safety concerns (increased mortality risk) had at the time of the present analysis been raised around the SoftMist inhaler . We also incorporated the results of TIOSPIR , a RCT of over 17,000 subjects designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of the two different inhalers, in this sensitivity analysis. TIOSPIR was not published until the final writing up of the present study.
Statistical models were fitted using WinBUGS . As the present study is a Bayesian analysis we refer to credible intervals (the probability that the true value is contained within the interval) rather than confidence intervals; instead of statistically significant differences, we refer to important differences (95 % credible interval for hazard ratio does not cross 1.0).
Both fixed and random effect models were fitted. Fixed effect assumes there is one true effect of each treatment and that variation around this is attributed to chance whilst random effects assume a distribution of effects and that variance between studies is attributed to heterogeneity. Larger studies are thus attached relatively less weight in random effects model . The Deviance Information Criteria (DIC) was calculated for each model and used to assess whether any model should be preferred . Each model was run for a burn-in period of 40,000 simulations, which were then discarded, with parameter nodes monitored for a further 200,000 simulations. Caterpillar and Brooks - Gelman - Rubin (BGR) plots were used to compare results obtained using different initial values, thus ensuring that the models had converged .
The systematic review identified 42 studies reporting all-cause mortality in COPD patients (Fig. 1; reasons for excluding full publications: Additional file 2: Table S1). Demographic characteristics of subjects (age, gender) are reported in Table 1; the impact of differences in baseline FEV1 % predicted is assessed in sensitivity analyses B and C. The proportion of current smokers was similar across trials, but three trials (all with patients with less impairment of lung function) reported levels in excess of 75 % [22–24].
Assessment of study quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool found that the quality of study reporting was generally high (Additional file 2: Table S2). Although all trials were randomised, 17 did not adequately describe the method of randomisation; [22, 24–39] and two studies did not adequately describe methods for allocation concealment [37, 39]. With the exception of FICOPD II where the theophylline arm (not included in analysis) was open-label , all studies were double-blind. Reporting of loss to follow-up was unclear in 17 studies; [22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 32, 34, 37, 40–47] imbalanced dropouts between the treatment groups in two studies was considered to result in a high risk of bias for the reported outcome data [39, 48]. In nine studies two or more components of the assessment were found to be potentially associated with an unclear or high risk of bias [22, 24, 27, 29, 30, 32, 34, 37, 39]. This was thought to reflect incomplete reporting rather than underlying methodological weakness in many cases.
Two studies were excluded from the statistical analysis. Campbell , was excluded since the treatment arms in this trial (formoterol + formoterol as needed, formoterol + terbutaline as needed, placebo + terbutaline as needed) were not included in any of the other trials analysed, and therefore did not link to the evidence network. Similarly, Kerstjens , comparing terbutaline with ipratropium bromide + terbutaline and beclomethasone + terbutaline, did not connect to the main evidence network. Two treatments were excluded from the statistical analysis. Theophylline was included in a single trial, FICOPD II (Rossi ), which reported no deaths, and so it was not possible for a hazard ratio to be estimated for this treatment. Similarly, the only trial including tiotropium + formoterol combination (Vogelmeier ) did not report any deaths for this arm, which was therefore also excluded from the analysis. The other treatment arms of these studies were included in the analysis.
The statistical analysis was based on 40 RCTs including 55,220 randomised subjects and 88,261 person years of experience, allowing the comparison of 14 treatments. Figure 2 shows the base case evidence network weighted by the number of person-years of follow up for each within-trial comparison. Reported binary mortality outcomes are presented in Table 1 and hazard ratios in Table 2. In the base case analysis hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were available for three studies and binary data were available for the remaining 37 studies.
Results from the fixed and random effects base case analysis are presented in Fig. 3. Hazard ratios for each treatment are compared to placebo; a hazard ratio below 1.0 indicates that the treatment is associated with reduced mortality compared to placebo. There was no evidence to suggest that the random effects model was a better fit than the fixed effects model; a difference in DIC of 2–3 is required to be indicative of improved model fit . However, if we believe there is true heterogeneity between the trials, the random effects model would be more appropriate.
Two interventions produced a hazard ratio relative to placebo that did not cross 1.0 using the fixed effects model. SFC was associated with a reduction in mortality of 21 % (HR 0.79; 95 % CrI 0.67, 0.94) and indacaterol with a mortality reduction of 72 % (HR 0.28; 95 % Crl 0.08, 0.85). Using a random effects model SFC failed to show evidence of effect (HR 0.79; 95 % CrI 0.56, 1.09). For indacaterol the result using the random effects model (HR 0.29; 95 % CrI 0.08, 0.89) was comparable to that using the fixed effects model. No evidence of effect on all-cause mortality (versus placebo) was found for other treatments. Although the results for most comparators have wide credible intervals suggesting inconclusive results, the HRs for tiotropium + salmeterol, tiotropium + SFC and beclomethasone + formoterol have particularly wide credible intervals; in each case the results are generated by single, relatively small study arms therefore the uncertainty around the estimates is high.
Results of the sensitivity analyses did not in general differ markedly from the base case (Additional file 2: Table S3). For SFC vs placebo the relative treatment effect improved in the fixed effects analysis when unlicensed doses were excluded, but results from the random effects model showed no evidence of effect and were similar to the base case. Similarly, the relative treatment effect for indacaterol vs placebo strengthened slightly (HR 0.17, 95 % CrI 0.03, 0.78) when studies with a shorter duration were excluded.
In this NMA, data from 40 trials were used to inform comparisons of mortality associated with 14 different pharmacological treatments for COPD. The method allows comparisons of treatments not compared directly within individual RCTs, and provides additional information on the relative efficacy of treatments for which direct trial comparisons are available. The results show that only indacaterol and the combination of the long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol and the inhaled corticosteroid fluticasone propionate (SFC) are associated with an important reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality in COPD in fixed effect models. Although the fixed effects model was presented as the base case there was no clear difference between the fixed and random effects models (both of which are presented). The results were consistent across a number of sensitivity analyses including controlling for disease severity.
Results for SFC are based on 233 deaths occurring in 7427 subject years. The results for indacaterol are based on four deaths occurring over 1446 subject years and have wide credible intervals. These results are sensitive to the number of deaths (a small change will have a large impact on the resulting HR) and may change with further research.
The results for many of the treatments are inconclusive, as demonstrated by the wide credible intervals exhibited around a number of the HRs. Whilst tighter credible intervals are observed around the results for tiotropium, salmeterol and fluticasone, our analysis is still inconclusive as to whether the treatments provide a greater benefit or harm to patients.
Two published NMAs have evaluated the relationship between pharmacological agents and mortality in COPD patients [9, 10]. Dong  considered all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death as outcomes: 42 trials published up to July 2011 were included, treatments were grouped by class (long-acting β2 agonists, inhaled corticosteroids etc.) and tiotropium was separated by inhaler type. The authors sourced trial mortality results from secondary sources. The study reported a reduction in mortality for LABAs combined with ICS compared with placebo (HR 0.80; 95 % CrI 0.67, 0.94) based on a fixed effects model. Baker  included 28 trials reporting the mortality published up to October 2007: treatments were grouped by class. A mortality reduction reported for LABAs in combination with ICS vs placebo (HR 0.71; 95 % CrI 0.49, 0.96) in the fixed effect model.
The present analysis included an additional 14 months of reported evidence and a wider range of treatments (roflumilast, indacaterol and triamcinolone) compared with Dong . Furthermore, results were not aggregated by class. An assumption of class effects presupposes that the effect of each intervention within a class is identical. Even if the assumption holds for efficacy data it may not translate to safety data as interventions could have physiological effect other than the mechanism of action, therefore we chose estimate effects for each intervention independently .
Binary and hazard ratio data were combined in the same analysis, permitting the maximum number of studies to be included and using the best available data from each. We minimised the risk of errors by using data only from citable sources. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to examine the robustness of the results to the underlying assumptions.
There are a number of limitations of this study. NMA methods depend on the assumptions that effect measures are additive on the selected scale and that relative treatment effects are comparable;  heterogeneity between trials may invalidate this assumption. Potential observed or unobserved differences between trials may impact on heterogeneity and thereby relative treatment effects.
The majority of the studies included were not specifically designed to capture mortality as a primary or secondary endpoint. The feasibility of conducting RCTs powered to detect differences in mortality in COPD patients is limited by the need for large sample sizes with sufficient follow-up, as well as the potential for introducing bias associated with differential dropout rates across study arms. Although this is a limitation of the current analysis, where there is an absence of head-to-head trials including all comparators, NMA is a useful tool for healthcare decision makers. In the present analysis we only included studies which reported mortality in the primary study publication. Inclusion of other studies where mortality is available in secondary publications may influence the results however the relatively small number of deaths in these trials makes this unlikely .
A potentially beneficial impact on mortality could be masked if a large number of studies with low or ineffectual dosages are included. Whilst there is some evidence that dose responsiveness may not be a significant factor in COPD [17, 51], this could be explored further by extending the network to incorporate dose finding studies and by implementing a three-level hierarchical NMA model with an additional level for each drug class .
Whilst we controlled for disease severity (recorded by baseline lung function) we did not control for other potential differences between trials which may impact on relative treatment effects (e.g. background therapy, history of exacerbations) as reporting was less consistent for these indicators.
Further work could examine baseline risk or the response in the placebo arms between studies. For example, similar rates of death per 1000 patient years (PY) were observed in the indacaterol (9.9/1000 PY), budesonide (10.0/1000 PY) and triamcinolone (11.4/1000 PY) placebo arms. Much higher rates were observed in the tiotropium (37.2/1000 PY), fluticasone propionate (43.3/1000 PY), salmeterol (47.0/1000 PY) and SFC (48.7/1000 PY) placebo arms (strongly influenced by the size and number of deaths in TORCH and UPLIFT) (Additional file 2: Table S4).
We conclude that currently available data from clinical trials in COPD suggest that some pharmacological treatments may have a significant impact on mortality, compared with placebo. In particular indacaterol and the combination of salmeterol and fluticasone propionate have shown evidence of reduction in all-cause mortality. The result for indacaterol is however based on a small number of deaths occuring to subjects receiving this therapy. Further research is warranted to strengthen our conclusions.
We would like to thank Neil Barnes, Richard Tomiak, Henrik Svedsater and Gilbert Nadeau for input on drafting the manuscript.
Mike Chambers is a GSK employees and owns GSK stock. Funding was provided by GSK.
DAS and JT contributed to the conception and design, acquisition of data and data analysis and interpretation. BW, NH, MC, PC and BC contributed to the conception and design and the data analysis and interpretation. JC contributed to the conception and design and acquisition of data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
World Health Organization. The top 10 causes of death: Fact Sheet No. 310. 2014; http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/.
Higgins J, Green S. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions v.5.1.0. The Cochrane Collaboration. 2011. www.cochrane-handbook.org.


text:
DJ may move back to WLB next season...(article)
Ravage!!!
I just read this on Pro Football Weekly
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...wwhi112807.htm
Bates' job appears safe, but other changes coming defensively
Sources suggest it would take the doors caving in the rest of the way for highly regarded defensive coordinator Jim Bates to lose his job after just one year in Denver, disastrous as it has been with the Broncos ranking 25th in yards allowed and 30th in points. Head coach Mike Shanahan is expected to show patience with the hand-picked Bates, who received acclaim for his previous work in Miami and Green Bay. But that doesn't mean there won't be some personnel turnover on the defensive side of the ball, perhaps plenty of it, especially in the front seven. Although money figures to be short in the offseason, the Broncos will be in the market for a space-eating defensive tackle who isn't as limited as and plays harder than Sam Adams, as well as a middle linebacker who can hold up better vs. the run and allow D.J. Williams to move to the weak side, where scouts say his athleticism and speed would be put to better use. WLB Ian Gold's play has dropped off significantly this season in Bates' new scheme, and his days in Denver would appear to be up.
sounds good to me. Bring it on Bates! That front 7 especially the LBs need some work
President Cool
mojo0730
Well I'm not shocked that Bates is going to keep his job. As much as I think he's not coaching his players to their abilities, but rather, forcing his players into his scheme, he has a proven track record with two separate teams and I think he deserves more than one season to work out the kinks (although, if Denver gives up 1-2 more games like San Diego or Detroit, things may change).
I'm also not surprised about DJ Williams moving back to the weakside either. It's been a failed experiment, and I think he was much more effective in his former position than doing what he has been this season.
Ian Gold is a bit surprising, but not because I think he's a great player or anything, because I don't. But I know Mike Shanahan has always thought highly of Gold even though his play has declined for the past couple of seasons. For me, however, I think that will be a good move.
The question becomes, who's going to be Denver's MLB and DT next season?
Welll... DJ hasn't played WLB since his rookie year, and speculation was that he was moved because he couldn't cover the pass.
I personally don't think thats true. I think Shanahan felt obligated to give Gold a new contract, because they supposedly had an agreement to make a new Contract at the end of the season Ian got hurt. But Shanahan couldn't justify giving Ian a new contract after that kind of injury. Once Gold went away and proved his knee was fine, I think Shanahan held up his part of his agreement with Ian, and signed him to the contract he would have gotten bfore the injury happened. Thus this forced DJ to the SAM position (we drafted DJ because we lost TWO starting LBs that year... Ian and Mobley).
I don't think Bates is not "teaching to his players skills." I think Bates was brought in to coach HIS system, and thats what they implemented into Denver's defense... TRYING to get the personnel to accomplish that, and trying to work through the kinks. Once they had the bye, and the additional week to make a change, they did. They got away from the wide DEs. Considering Bates has proven that he can coach defense on two other teams, I certainly am not qualified to criticize HIS coaching abilities or methods. I think thats a bit outside my knowledge base.
Plus... this article is just speculation... and not fact.
TheGlue Factory
Originally posted by Ravage!!! View Post
The only way I would put any weight on anything said in that article is if Adam Sheftler (sp?) wrote it.
hardcorebronco
Humble Water Boy
This is all very curious to me. Not that i am a big Ian supporter or anything, and sure replacing Gold with D.J. would be an upgrade... But just who will they find to come in to play MLB? Sure we would love to see Al back if he was cleared, but i think that is highly unlikely.
And if we find / acquire a big MLB that can take on blocks, what about the SLB? Webster hasn't be spectacular at all. In fact, i would take Ian at Will over Webster at Sam. Wouldn't that make us need two lb's instead of just one?
We got three corners one year...
Three defensive linemen in one year...
Now watch Shanahan go and use the first three picks in the draft on Lb's. Two new starters and one for special teams!!!
DancingHorsey
So just as DJ is getting the hang of playing Mike, they're going to move him back to Will? If that's true, this coaching staff is even more clueless than I thought.
Only fools bet against Tim Tebow.
Team Tebow #108
Yards, without points, mean nothing.
I am The Dude
i think dj is finally getting use to mlb but i am not against moving him to wlb. If he does move the broncos need to draft connar, laranitis(sp?) or wheeler in the first round. And dre moore in the second
"I'm scared if I stop all at once, the cumulative hangover will literally kill me."
Uglybass
Bench Warmer
I don't think they'll move him unless they find a really good replacement for him. He is progressing very well IMO at Mike, and if he had a better crew around him he would beast it up. I do think Jim deserves one more chance, he has done decent these last 4-5 games, but if we have some more meltdowns, they'll think twice about bringing him back.
silkamilkamonic
Sir-Nasty!
Originally posted by DancingHorsey View Post
I wouldn't say clueless, but it is a curious move.
I do think, with all the shifting, and if moving DJ back to WLB is what they choose, we will go through yet another season of a so called transtition where the defense will struggle.
Originally posted by silkamilkamonic View Post
not as much so... Dj has at least 5 years at playing WLB. He played that position through highschool and 1 year in the pros. It might take the offseason for him to get use to it again but it wont be a year long thing like it was this year since he will not be learning a new position he will be reverting back to his "natural" position.
BroncFanIN
Originally posted by hardcorebronco View Post
Whatever works, since the Broncos need help stopping the run and on Special teams.
It will be interesting to see how the off-season works out. I figure that is 4-6 weeks...the off-season is too long, me thinks!
Adopted by: Peanut
"You find ways to win and certainly you can find ways to lose...it's not just dumb luck."
-Sean Payton
Dezperado24
It's not that he couldnt cover he used to blow assignments so they would use him blitz'n and zoning area's. Thank God he has raw talent.
I don't think that we go through a transition if we move DJ back to Will.... that's his natural position,and one he wouldn't have to COMPLETELY learn. He knows taht position, and it would just be natural for him to play there again. Its like riding a bike, or slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes.
I wouldn't be surprised if it happens, and don't find it to be a curious or 'strange' move by the coaching staff if it DOES happen. They aren't going to change in the middle of this season, but that doesn't mean at the end of the year they can't look at the progression, the lack of progression, or just where he is at and determine if they need to make a change or not. I actually would expect them to do JUST that. If they gave it a shot, and it didn't work, I would expect them to re-evaluate and make the choice that puts DJ in the best place. If they determine that Ian's play has regressed enough to be replaced... it would make sense to put DJ back over to his natural spot.
As far as finding a Sam... thats the easiest position to fill on the LB positions. If we DO move DJ to Will, and sign a new Mike, then even the Sam would have an easier time. Even the helmet man himself would be better.
stnzed
" DJ may move back to WLB next season..."
YES!!!!!!!
Sssssseeee ya Ian (Wishful thinking?)......


We are the dealers and distributors of raw temple hair from India.
We R2R Export are carved a niche as one of the leading Wholesale, Manufacturers, Exporters, Vendors, Distributors and Suppliers of a wide range of following products: Indian Human Hair, Unprocessed Raw Hair, Pure Raw Hair, Natural Raw Curly Hair, Natural Deep Wavy, Indian Virgin Hair, Indian Bleached Hair, Raw Temple Hair, Machine Weft Hair, Human Hair Extensions, Raw Hair Extensions, Pure Temple Hair, Clip In Hair Extensions, Indian Hair Lace Closure, Virgin Hair Lace Frontals, Indian Raw Hair, Virgin Temple Hair, available in wholesale price list having our Human Hair Factory in Chennai, India. This product is achieving a reputed location in national and international markets. We offer Raw Indian human hair at a variety of length, colors and styles at reduced wholesale price list range. This product is available at a less expensive price. All the products listed under this category are durable and reliable. Owing to the qualities, the range is used for hair extensions, hair replacement, human hair wig and wig for men and women. We hold the expertise in manufacturing, trading and exporting Human Hair all over the world.
We have attained a reputed position in the market under the guidance of our promoter- Mr. M.K. Balaji. His knowledge and vast experience of the industry has helped us in overcoming all hassles and become the foremost choice of our clients.
All the products listed under this category are more durable and reliable. We are able to manufacture and export high quality Wholesale pure Raw Indian Human Hair Extensions.
These Pure raw Indian Hair extensions offered in Wholesale price list and raw Indian temple hair is processed in our huge infrastructure facility to ensure clean and lice free hair to our clients.
Our vendors provide us with the supreme grade hair which is obtained from the devotees of the South Indian temples. Owing of its top beautiful look and uniform length, the pure virgin Remy Indian Hair factory is highly appreciated by our customers. human hair extensions, Indian human hair single drawn, machine weft hair extensions, bulk hair in all natural colors and also in international bleached and dyed hair. Owing to the Wholesale Indian Remy hair qualities, the range is used for hair extensions, hair replacement, human hair wig and wig for men and women.
We are considered as one of the leading manufacturers, instrumental in providing Indian Remy Human Hair to our clients. The offered hair is hygienically cleaned and processed under..
We are the dealers and distributors of raw pure temple hair from India.
We are one of the biggest exporters of raw hair from India. We have contracts with many temples which helps us get the best prices in the market for raw human hair.


Iceberg Flame Jade Crystal Award is an ideal way to recognize achievers of the highest level. Show your appreciation and thanks with this high end crystal award, perfect for all your corporate award, sales award, marketing awards or just for that someone who has a dedication that needs to recognized! We take great pride in our custom awards expecting them to show your appreciation for a lifetime.


EWDC's one page ecommerce website allows your customers purchase faster and more with its amazing single page shopping functionality. It enables the users to complete the checkout process on the same product page without wasting time moving to another page for checkout! This one-page shopping cart feature allows your multi-products eStore to perform higher by selling anything, anytime & anywhere!
Comes with unlimited products, features, specifications, attributes, product images and more custom options.
One page shopping feature enables the user to buy on the same page without having to spend time for additional checkout pages.
Integrate additional payment methods including Paypal adaptive, Mangopay and other payment APIs to benefit sellers and vendors.
EWDC's microStore is a single page ecommerce website that allows faster checkout to your eStore than ever before. Build with Core PHP technology, this one page shopping website enables your customer purchase more quickly and easily using same page checkout without spending time for checkout process. It offers fast, secure and hassle-free performance and easier to maintain by yourself and it does not require any technical knowledge.
Increase your shop's conversion rates with this one page product website, which is optimized to fit-all-screen resolutions to deliver out of the box performance!
Get your store up and running with EWDC's simple yet powerful single page ecommerce websites!
What credentials should I provide you to install your readymade one page shopping cart website?
All you need to provide us is the domain, and server login credentials to set up your single page ecommerce website. You may also further contact our experts for post-installation and product management support.
Our PHP web developers will be doing all the setup required to up and run your microStore making it easy for you to launch and manage your ecommerce website.
Do you provide support after product purchase and how much does it cost?
Yes, we do offer after-purchase support to all the platforms offered by us. You may contact us either through phone, email or live chat to clear your doubts. In case of further upgrade or updates, you will have to pay an additional fee to serve your requirements.
Yes, all of our products by default support cash on delivery (COD) option that allows your customers purchase the product and make payment at the time of delivery.


Thank God that He is our source of life and growth.
Ask God to empower you to be fruitful in your walk with Him.
Ask God to help you abide in Him.
Thank God for the way that He has loved you.
Thank God that He calls all of His children, friend.
Ask God to help you bear much fruit as you seek to love one another.
Thank God that a servant is not greater than his master, and we are not greater than God.
Ask God to help you understand that as the world treats Him, they will treat His children.
Ask God to help you, whether hated or loved, to make Him known to the world.
If you could become friends with any living famous person, who would it be and why?
What are good ways to develop meaningful relationships over time?
What do you think Scripture means when it talks about producing fruit?
How would you summarize what this parable is referring to?
Why do you think Jesus talks so much about farming related stories like this one? What does it teach us about Him?
What are some ways that you specifically can produce more sweet fruit?
What does it look like to abide in Christ?
How can your life group help you to produce more fruit or abide more in Christ?


Unlike generations past, Americans are now being encouraged to cover up while in the sun as prevention against skin cancer. However, some individuals choose not to take this warning seriously; ultimately, they may pay the price of a diagnosis of skin cancer.
Ironically, though, even people with skin cancer don't necessarily know the signs of skin cancer. Here, we'll show you what to look for to ensure that you remain healthy… and that your skin does, too!
One of the most common signs of skin cancer is a mole or freckle that appears to change shape. It may become darker or lighter, or suddenly become larger. Because most moles and freckles are round, an irregularly shaped one could be cause for concern, especially if it's grown recently.
Do you have a patch of skin that's shiny or pink and that seems unusual? Does it bleed easily when just scratched a little? Does it take a long time to heal? These are all signs of skin cancer and should be immediately checked out with your physician or dermatologist.
If you do discover by way of these signs of skin cancer that you have cancer, you'll be relieved to know that many cases can be 100% treated. However, without early intervention, survival rates drastically decline. So be on the lookout for signs of skin cancer… and never forget to wear a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 or higher.


On skates, skis, sleds or boards, America's athletes are the very image of Olympic dedication and desire. For the full experience please check out Meet Team USA.
For the full experience please check out Meet Team USA.


On behalf of The Law Offices of Millon & Peskin, Ltd. posted in Civil Lawsuits on Saturday, August 4, 2012.
If you've been injured at work, you likely know your best hope for winning workers' compensation benefits is to hire an attorney. Your check-list for choosing legal representation is generally clear. You want a lawyer with extensive experience with your state's laws, who has a proven track-record of success, and with whom you feel comfortable working. But for some injured workers, their needs may extend beyond just a workers' compensation attorney. Some on-the-job injuries involving a third-party may actually also fall under the heading of "personal injury". And for such workers, choosing an attorney who is experienced in practicing both areas of law is crucial to the success of their case.
On behalf of The Law Offices of Millon & Peskin, Ltd. posted in Civil Lawsuits on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.
What is defined as a successful relationship between an attorney and their client? It's clear that ultimately your goal in hiring an attorney is to win your case. So it may seem that your best bet is to seek out a "win at all costs" attorney, who promises to do anything and everything to win your case. But unfortunately, complaints are legion from clients of such lawyers, who not only often failed to achieve the results their client are promised or satisfied with, but who also made life miserable in the process. A winning conclusion to your case is vital, but it is only part of what makes it successful. So what, then, is considered a successful attorney-client relationship?
On behalf of The Law Offices of Millon & Peskin, Ltd. posted in Workplace Violence on Wednesday, April 11, 2012.
Depending on who you are, a visit to the symphony can be described in many ways. "Inspiring," if you are a classical-music lover; "boring," if you are not. Most, however, would agree a night at the symphony is a sophisticated event, with an expectation of refined etiquette from its audience. So it's easy to imagine that readers of the Chicago Tribune newspaper did a double-take upon reading its recent headline: "Fight Night At Chicago Symphony Orchestra".
On behalf of The Law Offices of Millon & Peskin, Ltd. posted in Safety on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.
From play dates to sleep-overs, through their lifetime your child will likely spend a lot of time at friends' homes. As separation anxiety fades, these visits get easier for both of you as your child ages. And yet, every new household brings a new set of risks. While it's important to encourage your child's independence, it's equally important to make certain they are entering a safe environment. Most parents know to ask basic questions about supervision, house rules, etc. before entrusting their child to another household. But too often they fail to consider those areas of risk that are often responsible for childhood accidents in a home. To ensure the safety of your child at all ages, discuss these common household hazards with any adult whose home your child will be visiting.


Maitland Chiropractic is here to help!
Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident or personal injury? We can help!
Slips, falls, we take them all!
Whether your visit to our office is the result of a slip or fall, car accident, or simply posture related, Verne Chiropractic is here for you.
Automobile accidents can cause a great amount of force and impact to your body. Our bodies are not designed to be able to deal with that much force. Whiplash is a very common neck injury in car accidents. It is caused by the motion of the accident moving your head and neck outside its normal range and straining ligaments, muscles and tendons.
The impact from a car accident can damage a disc thereby destroying its ability to cushion the bones of the spine. A damaged disc (such as herniated, bulging or ruptured) may also put pressure directly on nearby nerves, which can cause pain, numbness and weakness in any part of the body that the affected nerve travels to. It is important to treat these type of injuries as soon as possible and prevent the condition from progressing and interfering with your overall health.
Dr. Michael Verne specializes in the latest chiropractic techniques to get you back on your feet and out doing the things you love most! We accept insurance and can work with your automobile insurance provider to provide you with the best possible care.
Our practice is patient centered, your comfort is our goal. Put the pain medication down! We're here to help! Dr. Michael Verne's years of experience make him your top choice for a chiropractor in Maitland.


text:
Man sentenced on attempt to bring drugs into jail
July 12, 2019 at 11:59 am | By BENJAMIN KIBBEY The Western News
Eric Allen Forner (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Following an attempt in May to smuggle drugs into the Lincoln County Detention Center, a local man was sentenced to 13 months with the Montana Department of corrections with 10 years suspended and credit for time served in Montana 19th Judicial District Court on June 24.
The sentencing of Allen Eric Forner was for two separate cases, with charges including driving under the influence and conspiracy to transfer illegal articles.
Forner was originally also charged with failure to exhibit proof of insurance, a misdemeanor, and driving while suspended or revoked, a misdemeanor.
On June 24, Judge Matt Cuffe sentenced Forner to 13 months with five years suspended for driving under the influence, and to 5 years suspended for transfer of illegal articles related to the courtroom incident.
He reached a plea agreement with the Lincoln County Attorney's office, and on May 20 pleaded guilty to felonious conspiracy to transfer illegal articles and felonious driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
On April 16, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Deputy Luke Hauke responded as backup to a traffic stop on Libby, according to Hauke's affidavit.
After showing up to the traffic stop, Hauke reported being able to smell "the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" from six feet away from Forner.
Hauke also reported that Forner had difficulty walking, and his eyes were glossy and bloodshot.
Hauke went through a Standardized Field Sobriety Test on Forner, and reported difficulty for Forner in following the commands successfully. Forner continued to sway throughout the test.
Forner declined a preliminary breath test at the scene of the traffic stop, according to the affidavit. Forner acknowledged that, "he had several beers and some hard alcohol."
Hauke placed Forner under arrest for driving under the influence at that time.
At the Lincoln County Detention Center, Forner submitted to a breathalyzer test, and a blood alcohol level of 0.226 percent was recorded. The legal limit in Montana is 0.08 percent.
Hauke noted that while he was reading Forner the Miranda warning, Forner was shouting at law enforcement, and "he also threatened to fight law enforcement during the time he was being changed out for detention."
On May 6, Forner pleaded not guilty at his arraignment to all charges related to the April 11 incident.
However, on May 6, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Detective Duane Rhodes intercepted information indicating Forner was going to receive drugs for another detention center inmate.
According to Rhodes' affidavit, Shane Mundale, an inmate in the detention center, spoke by phone with his wife on May 6 about taping pills to the underside of the defendants bench in the courtroom. Forner was to retrieve the pills while in court for his arraignment that day.
Rhodes found a package as described adhered to the defendants bench shortly after Mundale's wife had been in the courtroom.
Rhodes left the package in place and proceeded to observe the courtroom on the court's surveillance system. When Forner was brought into the courtroom he, "entered the defendants bench and immediately start to lean forward and put his hands to the underside of the bench."
Rhodes stated that he observed Forner apparently retrieve the package and place it under the front of his shirt.
Rhodes went to the courtroom, and -- after Forner was finished with his appearance before Cuffe -- led Forner to the elevator, stating that he was returning him to detention.
On the elevator, Rhodes observed Forner -- who had his back to Rhodes -- appearing to reach under his shirt. When Rhodes turned him around, Forner was holding the package.
On later opening the package, Rhodes reported finding what he estimated to be three cans-worth of Copenhagen, a syringe, a cigarette, several matches and two white pills identified as morphine.
McCormick pleads guilty after reaching deal with prosecutors
January 14, 2020 at 11:07 am | Western News Christopher Lee McCormick, 52, pleaded guilty to a strangulation charge in Lincoln County District Court as part of a deal with prosecutors late last month. Authorities arrested McCormick on Oct. 19...
Sheriff's office incident log
January 14, 2020 at 11:00 am | Western News The law roundup is compiled from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office incident log. It is not meant to serve as an exhaustive account. Jan. 7 2:24 a.m. Public safety Authorities investigated a re...
Mental health center returns to county
January 14, 2020 at 10:59 am | Western News More than two years after state budget cuts forced the Western Montana Mental Health Center out of Libby, the organization is returning to Lincoln County. Officials hope to see a 24-hours-a-day, sev...
Officials seek to protect residents from asbestos cleanup costs
January 14, 2020 at 10:11 am | Western News The cleanup remedy ought not need a remedy. That's one premise of a plan drafted by the EPA to guide the monitoring and maintenance of two "operable units" of the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site where...


text:
THE STORY OF MOTHER'S DAY – Now a Feature Film.
In 1908, Grafton, West Virginia resident Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother Day celebration. Now, that story is part of a new feature film starring Dean Cain and starts production in Grafton, WV in early April.
THE STORY OF MOTHER'S DAY is a new faith film that celebrates the history of Mother's Day. Production of the film started last month in Kentucky and now focuses its attention here in West Virginia.
"You can't tell the story of Mother's Day without telling the story of Anna Jarvis," Jason Campbell, President of JCFilms explained.
Producers not only wanted to show how this Holiday has been woven into American tradition, but reminded us all on how it all began.
The story of the film follows several theater students from Rosewood High School. After COVID, they return back to school with only a few weeks to produce their end of the year performance. Struggling to find the right script, music, & choreography, the students find inspiration when they discover the origin and the true meaning behind Mother's Day.
Along the way, students gain a newfound appreciation of the women who are raising them, whether they are their birth mother, an aunt or even a foster mother.
The film is set to be released on Mother's Day 2021. To learn more: https://www.jcfilms.org/mothersdayabout