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Lead, Don't Manage
Random musings on leadership and technology
My takeaway from Dreamforce 2011: Convergence
September 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Like years past (this was my 4th Dreamforce), I was eagerly awaiting of Marc Benioff's keynote, not just because of the entertainment value, but because I was expecting to hear the about the 'next Cloud' as in the last couple of years. While the theme of the event was the Social Enterprise, I left thinking one word: Convergence. Unlike the previous years, I saw a vision that attempted to bring together many pieces of the enterprise puzzle together. I will not attempt to go in any depth in any of the individual components, and if you are looking for this, I recommend visiting the Enterprise Irregulars who have once more provided strong coverage of the event.
Here are the pieces of the puzzle as I perceived them coming together:
Social Media: This was of course the theme and dominated much of the opening keynote. New product announcements, included new Chatter offerings (Chatter groups for both internal and external collaboration, Chatter Connect API for integration with other collaboration platforms like Microsoft's SharePoint, Chatter Now- a new Instant Messaging platform, and Chatter Approvals for workflow integration), but also the integration of Radian6, the social listening and monitoring platform Salesforce acquired last spring. Most notable was the announcement of the capability to allow companies to build true social profiles for their customers and prospects integrated into data.com.
Cloud: I am very surprised how little coverage this received, but Marc did announce a hybrid cloud offering with the new Data Residency Option (DRO) on database.com. According to the hasted announcement during his keynote, he declared that customers will be able to integrate data that resides behind their firewalls. I found this particularly interesting, especially because of his almost-religious views of the cloud in years past.
Mobile: While Salesforce had some emerging capabilities previously, these were predominantly mobile-ported versions of its existing offerings. The two most notable announcements last week were native HTML5 support, and the complete revamp of the user experience leveraging the touch capabilities of today's tablets and smartphones (both Android and iOS) under touch.salesforce.com.
Content: While Salesforce entered this space with the acquisition of Jigsaw last year (which has since has morphed into data.com), I noticed a continued commitment to make this offering more enterprise-grade (beyond the mostly crowd-sourced data that currently powers data.com) with a partnership announcement with Dun and Bradstreet's new D&B360 offering.
Internet of things: Beyond a failed attempt to demo Toyota Friend during the keynote, there were mentions of humans interacting with Enterasys network switches and Coke vending machines. Given that according to IDC, there are more than 25B smart/embedded devices out there today, this I believe is a very smart move.
Analytics / Business Intelligence: This area has traditionally been one of Salesforce's Achilles' heels. While there were no major product announcements, I saw more dashboards and drill-down capabilities embedded into workflows.
This is by no means a small vision, and unlike previous years, it focused less on the technology (after all, as disruptive as the cloud is, it still is a consumption/deployment model) and more on the potential business value it can provide. Only time will tell if Marc and Salesforce will be able to pull it off, and I am still puzzled by the narrower positioning of the event. As for me, I had hoped to build a Storify story to support this post, but the Twitter API crashed before even the keynote started.
As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome. I am particularly interested in the views of enterprise incumbents and disruptors alike….
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Compounding Parenteral Nutrition: Options and Updates
Caitlin Curtis*
Nutrition Support Pharmacist, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
Caitlin Curtis
PharmD, BCNSP
Nutrition Support Pharmacist
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
600 Highland Avenue, Madison
WI 53792, USA
Received date: April 02, 2016; Accepted date: May 30, 2016; Published date: June 06, 2016
Citation: Curtis C. Compounding Parenteral Nutrition: Options and Updates. J Pharm Microbiol. 2017, 3:1.
Visit for more related articles at Journal of Pharmaceutical Microbiology
The compounding of "sterile" products has made headlines in the news in the United States over the last several years, due the lack of sterile conditions in a compounding pharmacy causing an outbreak of fungal meningitis. Although USP Chapter <797> was released in 2008 and outlines in detail procedures needed to keep pharmacies sterile, these lapses in sterility still occurred. However, the state governments were primary responsible for enforcing these procedures until recently. In 2013, the Unites States Congress broadened laws by passing the Drug Quality and Security Act of 2013, which gave the federal government the power to enforce USP Chapter <797> for compounding pharmacies. In addition, USP Chapter <797> is undergoing updates, and all practitioners in the field should be aware of the changes that are coming in the future. The field of parenteral nutrition has changed over the last few years as well, giving options such as premixed bags with multiple chambers.
Drug quality; Parenteral nutrition; Microbial contamination; Sterile products
A recent outbreak of fungal meningitis in the United States left many health care professionals questioning the standards and enforcement currently in place regarding the safety of compounding pharmacies [1]. Although USP Chapter <797> was published in 2008, the laws surrounding the way it was enforced were arguably ambiguous. Regardless, the intent of the chapter was to standardize conditions for compounding sterile products. This article will examine the chapter's current enforceability, specific procedures associated with parenteral nutrition, and updates that are coming to the Chapter in the near future.
Standards and Oversight
USP Chapter <797> was published on January 1, 2008, and was the first enforceable document outlining safe conditions regarding the compounding of sterile products [4]. There seems to be some controversy regarding the "enforceability" of this document, which takes place over a period of several decades. In 1938, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD & C Act) recognized the USP/NF as the official compendia of drug standards. This means the FDA is responsible for enforcing the standards outlined in the USP/NF. However, regarding the practice of pharmacy, the FDA defers to the states to dictate and enforce law. Sadly, many states did not even refer to USP Chapter<797> as a standard to be enforced [1]. In order to give the FDA more latitude, Congress passed the Compliance Policy Guide of 1992 and then the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act (FDAMA) of 1997. Unfortunately, the FDAMA contained a clause in section 503A regarding the "advertising" of drugs that was later deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, thus invalidating the entire section regarding drug compounding. Finally, in 2013, Congress passed the Drug Quality and Security Act [5]. Although this legislation continues to give state Boards of Pharmacy the responsibility for enforcing standards over compounding pharmacies, it gives the pharmacies the option to register with the FDA. If so registered, the FDA would be responsible for monitoring these pharmacies and enforcing USP/NF standards. Also, the pharmacies would be able to legally compound and distribute bulk substances, if the substances are on the approved FDA list.
Compounding Procedures: Risks Specific to Parenteral Nutrition
Per the definition of USP Chapter <797>, parenteral nutrition (PN) falls under the category of a "compounded sterile preparation [2]." As such, as a finished product, it must adhere to the standards outlined in the chapter to "prevent harm, including death, to patients that could result from (1) microbial contamination (nonsterility), (2) excessive bacterial endotoxins, (3) variability in the intended strength of correct ingredients that exceeds either monograph limits for official articles ... (4) unintended chemical and physical contaminants and 5) ingredients of inappropriate quality in compounded sterile preparations." These standards require maintenance of air quality, surface disinfection, personnel garbing and gloving, personnel training and competency, compounding procedures, and equipment maintenance.
Institutions now have many options for parenteral nutrition, including two-chamber premixed PN, three-chamber premixed PN, two-in-one compounded PN, and three-in-one compounded PN [6]. Smaller institutions using a few bags of PN per month may opt for premixed PN. Two-chamber PN is prepared by the manufacturer, with or without electrolytes, having amino acids in one chamber and dextrose (plus or minus electrolytes) solution in the other chamber. The chamber seal is broken prior to administration, which allows for mixing of the two chambers. Patients receiving two-chamber PN bags will also require a separate infusion of intravenous fat emulsion (IVFE). Threechamber premixed PN bags follow the same concept as the twochamber bags, except that the third chamber contains IVFE.
Larger institutions with high acuity may use automated compounding devices (ACDs) to compound PN. These devices are used to customize a PN prescription for each patient. Some institutions use ACDs to compound two-in-one PN bags that contain amino acids, dextrose and other additives in one bag, or three-in-one PN bags that contain amino acids, dextrose, additives, and fat all in one bag. Some institutions compound both types, and will infuse IVFE as a separate infusion with two-inone PNs. This strategy is often used for pediatric patients. Many institutions with pediatric patients will consider repackaging fat emulsion into smaller doses. Although this is not the "mixing of ingredients," it still falls under the category of "compounding," by USP Chapter <797> because it is the "packaging" of a drug based on a prescription [2]. The most recent guidelines published by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition recommend against the repackaging of fat emulsion [6].Reiter examined repackaging of fat into syringes in two separate studies and found 3.3% and 2.7% contamination rates in his 2002 and 2004 studies, respectively [7,8]. Crill in 2010 studied fat emulsions repackaged into syringes and also found a contamination rate of 3.3% [9]. Ybarra used an ACD to repackage fat emulsion and found an even higher rate of contamination at 7.9% [10]. Indeed, the only methods that did not show contamination were those tested by Crill which were either hanging the fat emulsion from the manufacturer at the bedside or using a "draw-down" technique [9]. The draw-down technique consists of puncturing the fat emulsion bag from the manufacturer, drawing out the excess volume and discarding it. The fat emulsion bag from the manufacturer can then be hung at the bedside in its original container with the correct volume for the patient.
Updates to the Chapter
A proposed draft of updates to USP Chapter <797> was posted on the website [3] for commentary. This draft updates nearly the entirety of the chapter, from competencies for gloving and garbing to "how-to" guides for standard operating procedures. This article will outline the updates, although describing each update in detail is beyond the scope of this article.
First, the chapter changes the previous three categories of compounds (low-, medium-, and high-risk compounds) to only two categories: Category 1 and Category 2 compounds. Category 1 compounds are "assigned a beyond-use date of 12 hours or less at controlled room temperature or 24 hours or less refrigerated." Category 2 compounds are "assigned a beyond-use date of greater than 12 hours at controlled room temperature or greater than 24 hours refrigerated that is compounded...with all applicable standards for Category 2 compounded sterile products (CSPs)...". The chapter continues to describe the standards that apply to Category 2 CSPs, including facility requirements, garbing requirements, and sterility testing requirements (if applicable). Next, the chapter describes competencies required by all personnel staffed in compounding areas, including new "core" competencies including the following: hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, measuring and mixing, proper cleanroom behavior, methods of sterilization and de-pyrogenation, use of equipment, understanding the direction of the HEPA-filtered unidirectional airflow within ISO Class 5, documentation of the compounding process, proper use of PECs, and impact of moving materials in and out of the compounding area. Initial and quarterly re-evaluation of the following skills is required: visual observation, glove-tip sampling, media fill testing, as well as cleaning and disinfecting. Annual core competencies are required of all personnel.
A section titled "Facility Design and Environmental Controls" describes the compounding area and areas needed for garbing and gloving, etc. Updates include requirements for not only particle control, but also temperature and humidity control. Other updates include suggestions regarding airlocks and interlocking doors, as well as requirements for maintaining pressure differentials. Certification and recertification of facilities are required, including airflow testing, HEPA filter integrity, particle count testing, and smoke studies. There are also updates describing requirements for facilities that compound hazardous drugs.
A nice addition to the chapter which pertains to PN includes a section on ACDs that describes suggestions for maintenance. A section that follows this is titled, "Component Selection," and is particularly relevant, given the recent and ongoing shortages of drugs in the United States. This section urges facilities to use qualified vendors and USP- or NF-validated ingredients. If these ingredients are not available, the chapter outlines procedures to ensure the acquisition of chemically pure, safely prepared ingredients.
The chapter continues to urge facilities to create Standard Operating Procedures, including procedures for master formulation records, compounding records, release testing, sterility testing, bacterial endotoxin testing, and labeling. A new section describes the difference between "beyond-use date" and "in-use time." "Beyond-use date" is the same definition as in the previous USP Chapter <797>, "the time after which a CSP cannot be used and must be discarded. "In-use time" is the "time before which a conventionally manufactured product or CSP must be used after it has been opened or needle punctured (e.g., after a container closure of a vial has been penetrated)." Other updated sections include: Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Handling of Hazardous Drugs, Adverse Event Documentation, and Documentation.
An entire section dedicated to radiopharmaceuticals is new. Although this section is short, it describes the equipment needed to compound radiopharmaceuticals, as well as the conditions under which they must be compounded. It also describes the personal protective equipment required for staff. This section is helpful for any facility involved with compounding these products.
Regulations concerning sterile compounding have evolved over the last few decades. Each new set of regulations strives to protect the public and make sterile compounding as safe as possible. Compounding parenteral nutrition can still be a complex process, depending on which type of parenteral nutrition is chosen. The updates to USP Chapter <797> are many. The proposed chapter is very detailed and this makes it easy to read and easy to use. The updates will no doubt help to improve the future of sterile compounding.
Teshome BF, Reveles KR, Lee GC, Ryan L, Frei CR (2014) How gaps in regulation of compounding pharmacy set the stage for a multistate fungal meningitis outbreak. J Am Pharm Assoc54:441-445.
Pharmaceutical compounding-sterile preparations (2015) In: 2015 USP Compounding Compendium. Rockville, MD: The United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Chapter <797>43-87.
Pharmaceutical Compounding-Sterile Preparations: Proposed Revision (2016), Chapter 797.
The ASHP Discussion Guide on USP Chapter <797> for Compounding Sterile Preparations: Summary of Revisions to USP Chapter <797>, developed by the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists in collaboration with Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Bethesda, MD: ASHP, Inc.
Drug Quality and Security Act, 2016.
Boullata JI, Gilbert K, Sacks G, Labossiere RJ, Crill C, et al. (2014) A.S.P.E.N. Clinical Guidelines: Parenteral nutrition ordering, order review, compounding, labeling, and dispensing. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr38:334-377.
Reiter PD (2002) Sterility of intravenous fat emulsion in plastic syringes. Am J Health Syst Pharm 59:1857-1859.
Reiter PD, Robles J, Dowell EB (2004) Effect of 24-hour intravenous tubing set change on the sterility of repackaged fat emulsion in neonates. Ann Pharmacother38:1603-1607.
Crill CM, Hak EB, Robinson LA, Helms RA (2010) Evaluation of microbial contamination associated with different preparation methods for neonatal intravenous fat emulsion infusion. Am J Health Syst Pharm 67:914-918.
Ybarra JV, Rose WE, Curtis CS, Sacks GS (2011) Sterility of pediatric lipid emulsions repackaged by an automated compounding device. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr35:391-394.
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Cameron Broome
University staff vote 'yes' to strike action
By Cameron Broome
Students have told The Mancunion that the university is "totally disregarding the livelihoods of their employees"
Lecturers at the University of Manchester have voiced their outrage at 140 potential staff redundancies through a vote in favour industrial action later this month.
Members of University College and Union (UCU) held the vote on Wednesday the 4th of October. There was a turnout of 57.7 percent, and a total of 1049 votes were cast.
86.7 per cent of members who voted suggested they were "prepared to take industrial action consisting of a strike", while 93.1 per cent were "prepared to take industrial action short of a strike."
On the day of the vote, UCU members gathered in the Old Quadrangle off Oxford Road at 1.30pm to lobby the Board of Governors. Strike action has been planned for Monday the 23rd of October and Tuesday the 24th of October, and staff will then begin working to rule from Thursday the 25th of October.
UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: "Today's decisive ballot result reflects the strength of feeling amongst our members who have been incensed at every aspect of these proposals to slash jobs.
"The University of Manchester has been plunged into crisis because of a management strategy that bypassed the professionals who work in the affected areas. These redundancy proposals lack a convincing rationale and staff are not confident that the process will be fairly and consistently implemented.
"Striking is always a last resort and there is still the opportunity to avoid it. The University of Manchester must take compulsory redundancies off the table."
The proposed redundancies are in the University's School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (35 posts), the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (65 posts) and Alliance Manchester Business School (40 posts).
As previously reported in The Mancunion, an email was sent on Wednesday the 10th of October 2016 to thousands of University staff detailing a Board of Governors' decision about job cuts.
In a statement given at the time, a University spokesman said: "We have detailed plans for significant growth in funds from a range of activities, but we will also need to make cost savings. On the 3rd of May the Board of Governors approved proposals from the senior staff of the University to commence consultation with the Trade Unions in relation to reductions of up to 171 posts.
"The University proposes to open a voluntary severance scheme for staff at risk, to avoid the need for compulsory redundancy if at all possible."
However, in a recent survey of staff conducted by union members, 88 per cent of respondents suggested they did not believe they have been provided with a convincing rationale for the job losses.
The union also claim staff were not given any opportunity to have any say on the proposals which were drawn up by senior managers, and suggest that 87 per cent of staff surveyed reported that management had not adequately responded to concerns raised through internal university structures.
The union has also rejected the university's claim that it needs to create "financial headroom", instead arguing that the University "is in a strong financial position having recorded a £36m surplus last year (2015/16) and its financial statement for the same year revealed it is sitting on £1.5bn of reserves. The 140 redundancies would be followed by the creation of 100 plus new early career academic appointments so the money saved would be comparatively small in relation to the university's total budget."
Emma Atkins, Students' Union Education Officer, echoed these thoughts and added: "UCU delivered an incredibly successful ballot ….It sends a powerful message to the University's leadership that staff are extremely angry with the job cuts and the way it has been handled. Additionally, the SU Senate passed a motion to support staff that are at risk of redundancy and UCU, demonstrating students also feel very strongly about job cuts."
Save Our Staff MCR, the University-based campaign to stop the job cuts, told The Mancunion: "With this call for strike action, the University Hierarchy will need to think again before totally disregarding the livelihoods of their employees. As the student wing of this strike, we will stand in solidarity with our staff in protest until they are assured that no job cuts will take place in the name of blind greed and profit."
In response to the vote, a University of Manchester spokesperson said: "The University is naturally disappointed that members of the UCU have voted that they are prepared to take industrial action consisting of a strike and/or industrial action short of a strike, particularly because these staffing changes have been considered carefully through an extensive consultation process with all three of our recognised Trade Unions, including the UCU. This includes 16 collective consultation meetings that have taken place since May, plus two meetings facilitated by ACAS, which have resulted in a number of amendments to the proposals as a consequence of consultation.
"The University is committed to mitigating the need for redundancy, and in line with the Security of Employment Policy has taken a number of steps including sourcing redeployment opportunities for 'at risk' staff, tight vacancy management control and offering a generous Voluntary Severance Scheme.
"Whilst we hope that staff will decide to continue to work normally, every effort will be made to ensure that there will be no significant disruption to operations at the University and particularly to our students should there be any industrial action. We also remain committed to continue our dialogue with the Trade Unions and staff on these plans as they are implemented."
emma atkins
Save our staff
ucu
The independent investigation into anti-Semitism within the NUS has been released
New data provides further evidence for liquid water on Mars. Maybe we aren't alone in the Solar System after all?
Councillor Bev Craig joins us for an interview after delivering a speech at Reclaim the Night, where she talks about the changes that the council is attempting to make.
A Mayor's DJ battle between Greater Manchester and Liverpool raises £20,000 for Manchester's charity 'A Bed Every Night'


EWB works with community partners in Australia and Asia to facilitate meaningful and lasting change.
The overarching vision for EWB's International Program is for everyone to have access to the services they need to lead a life of opportunity, free from poverty.
The EWB Engineering on Country Program aims to improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to appropriate engineering services and employment opportunities.
Connects community organisations with pro bono engineering, design and construction services in Australia.


Which Influencers Should My Business Be Targeting?
Thinking about working with an influencer to help promote your campaign? You're not alone. Many companies are considering influencer marketing campaigns to promote their products/services and according to Shane Barker, "30% of consumers are more likely to buy a product recommended by a non-celebrity blogger". Influencer marketing campaigns offer a wide range of creativity and spontaneity which is helpful for companies looking for brand awareness but making sure the influencer is the right fit for your business is essential. Below are five quick tips to help you identify the right influencers for your company.
Consider their audience size and their levels of engagement. Do they have a decent following? Is their follower demographic similar to your brand's target audience? The beauty of influencer marketing is there are multiple influencers for each market type. With a little bit of research, you can find one that will hit the audience your brand is trying to target right on the nose.
What do their previous brand did they represent? How will did they portray the products? If an influencer has back to back or constant ad content, yours could easily get lost in their stream. Influencers who have a holistic balance of sponsored and non-sponsored posts will typically have good experience with business partnerships and will also give you the most bang for your buck as their following will have a higher chance of seeing your campaign on their stream.
When entering a new partnership, it's always good practice to include a written agreement. Written contracts will help with miscommunication or misunderstandings. The agreement will make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to compensation, performance, and expectations of the campaign.
Performance-based payments will ensure that your business is getting precisely the kind of engagement you wanted. It also acts as an incentive for the influencer to get creative and get your product or brand out there.
You always want to start with a small number of influencers to ensure success. Starting small will give you more room for control and ensure that your business will reach its goal.
Social media is always moving, measure the earned media and see which influencers lift your brand the most. Always check up on your influencers and see which ones are giving you better engagement and which influencers audiences are responding to your brand more positively.
All in all, Influencers can do wonders for your brand, but the critical step is to find influencers you can trust to create creative, and appropriate content, rather than controlling everything they post.


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Anti-Doping Committee
Anti-Doping Rules
HKADC Testing Pools
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List of Athletes
Testing Statistics
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Results Management
Initial Phase of Results Management
Possible Responses to the Assertion
Preparation for the Hearing
Anti-Doping Talk
Secondary School Anti-Doping Talk
Athletes and Support
Personnel Zone
Roles & Responsibilities of Athlete
Roles & Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel
Roles and Responsibilities of Other Persons
Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Consequences of Doping
Sample Collection Procedures
Athletes' Rights and Responsibilities during Doping Control
Whereabouts Submission
Inadvertent Doping
Strict Liability Principle
Possible Causes
Risks of Supplements
Considerations for Use
Recommendations for Athletes
Athlete Retirement
Criteria for Granting a TUE
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TUE Application Procedures
Documents Required for TUE Application
Health Risk of Prohibited Substances
Commonly-Abused Performance Enhancing Drugs
Other Common Prohibited Substances/Prohibited Methods
DruginSport
GlobalDro
HKADC Office
Four Bodybuilders Sanctioned for Doping Violations
The Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee (HKADC) announced today (10 September 2014) that four athletes in the sport of Bodybuilding, Mr. CHENG Man Ho, Mr. CHOI Chi Kuen, Mr. QUIMPO, Philip Casiano and Mr. WONG Ho Ming have each received sanctions of 2-year of ineligibility and the latter three athletes a fine of HK$20,000 for anti-doping rule violations. The violation occurred during an in-competition doping control on 29 June 2014 where the four athletes' urine was tested positive for various prohibited substances.
Mr. CHENG Man Ho was tested positive for Furosemide.
Mr. CHOI Chi Kuen was tested positive for Furosemide and Stanozolol.
Mr. QUIMPO, Philip Casiano was tested positive for Furosemide and Stanozolol.
Mr. WONG Ho Ming was tested positive for Furosemide, Clenbuterol, Stanozolol and 19-Norandrosterone.
In response to HKADC's notification of adverse analytical finding, all four athletes waived their rights to order the further analysis of their B samples. Mr. CHENG and Mr. QUIMPO exercised their right to attend and testify at the hearing on 25 August 2014 while Mr. CHOI and Mr. WONG chose not to attend the hearing. The Disciplinary Panel had carefully considered the cases and all four athletes were found guilty of having violated the Anti-Doping Rules of HKADC. Mr. CHENG's period of ineligibility started from 29 June 2014 to 28 June 2016 while Mr. CHOI, Mr. QUIMPO and Mr. WONG's period of ineligibility started from 25 August 2014 to 24 August 2016.
All four athletes are ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport affiliated to the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) or organizations regulated by the World Anti-Doping Code during the period of ineligibility. As a result of the anti-doping rule violation, all competitive results achieved by these four athletes on and after 29 June 2014 have been automatically removed.
HKADC, under the auspices of the SF&OC, is an independent committee responsible for the anti-doping programme in Hong Kong. HKADC is committed to preserve a doping-free environment for fair play in sport in Hong Kong.
Copyright © 2018 Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee. All rights reserved.


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Scientists Want To Create A Synthetic Human Genome : Shots - Health News A synthetic version of the human genetic blueprint might used for a wide range of medical research, scientists say. But it's far from reality, and comes with big ethical and safety questions.
Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Lab
Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Lab 3:36
< Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Lab
June 2, 20164:51 PM ET
Now that scientists have mapped the human genetic code, some say it's time to create one from scratch. These scientists want to make a synthetic version in the lab. They say it could lead eventually to medical breakthroughs. As NPR health correspondent Rob Stein reports, not everyone agrees.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Sixteen years ago, then-President Bill Clinton stepped to a podium at the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.
STEIN: He announced that scientists had produced the first rough draft of the human genetic blueprint.
BILL CLINTON: Today we are learning the language in which God created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity, the beauty, the wonder of God's most divine and sacred gift.
STEIN: Now a group of scientists and biotech entrepreneurs wants to take what they say is the next natural step - create a synthetic version of the human genetic code, what scientists call the human genome.
GEORGE CHURCH: We just had a revolution in ability to read genomes. The same thing is happening now with writing genomes.
STEIN: George Church is a geneticist at Harvard. He says scientists have figured out how to write genomes by combining the chemical building blocks of DNA.
CHURCH: We have the ability to synthesize bacterial genomes, and we can synthesize parts of human genomes. We would like to be able to scale that up so we can make larger and larger collections of genomes - not just one genome but many variations on it to find those are most effective for research and medicine.
STEIN: Scientists want to create human cells with synthetic DNA that could be used for all sorts of things.
CHURCH: So that we can make virus-resistant cell lines that could be used in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals like antibodies, vaccines and so we can engineer - humanize animals so that they can be organ donors for human transplantation and we can make safer stem cell therapies.
STEIN: But the idea being able to manufacture human genomes in the lab is raising lots of concerns. Marcy Darnovsky heads the Center for Genetics and Society. She worries scientists could try to use this synthetic DNA to create designer babies or even some kind of genetic super race.
MARCY DARNOVSKY: The worry is that we're going to be synthesizing entire optimized human genomes, you know, manufacturing chromosomes that could be used, ultimately, to produce synthetic human beings that they see as improved models. And that's a goal that many, many people think is something we should not do and, in fact, that it should be a no-go zone.
STEIN: Church and his colleagues deny that's anything they want to do and agreed this technology raises ethical concerns that need to be addressed. But they say the technology also has lots of promise. Others agree. Francis Collins led the original project that deciphered the human genetic code. He now heads the National Institutes of Health.
FRANCIS COLLINS: The ability to synthesize long stretches of DNA would clearly provide us with an experimental tool that would be quite valuable for understanding how life works and how disease occurs.
STEIN: But, Collins says, scientists are nowhere near being able to create an entire human genome in the laboratory, and he agrees that any attempt to try to engineer the human race would be unethical. And for now, the NIH has no plans to fund any big projects like the one being proposed. Rob Stein, NPR News.


Stealth Gear introduces a new line of high quality filters. The filters are made of high quality organic glas. This system allows you to make special effect pictures. Also it fits in the Cokin P-system.
Filter circular polarisant Stealth Gear introduces a new line of high quality filters. The filters are made of high quality organic glas. This system allows you to make special effect pictures. Also it fits in the Cokin P-system.


Welp… September was pretty tragic. I got quite a bit done but a lot of other stuff… nah fam.
So I am just going to run through the check list and explain when I feel like it! All the goals I achieved will be in bold!
Bruhhhhh! I blogged 5 times/week like a BOSS! Read about it here!
I sorta forgot and was mostly too busy to do this but I have something planned for October!
Definitely didn't happen but I got new equipment and learned more!
We are up to 2500 now!
I didn't do this because I really focused on my work! I did make sure to be off almost every night by 8 which is a big WIN!
September definitely didn't go as planned but it's all good because I rested more and honored myself more. Now I'm catching up because I am a bit behind but I am getting back to bulk creation to make my life easier!


INSCRIBED NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. No. 1 VOLCANIC LEVER ACTION POCKET PISTOL. | Poulin's Antiques and Auctions, Inc.
INSCRIBED NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. No. 1 VOLCANIC LEVER ACTION POCKET PISTOL.
Sights: Post brass front sight, fixed U notch rear sight.
Engraving: Left side plate of brass frame has script engraving "N. Y. S. V" (New York State Volunteers). Right side plate has script engraving w/ scroll highlights "Leut / C. W. Courtright / Co J 87th Regt".


The normative foundations required by the EU have been cast variously in the literature in terms of an economic, social, constitutional or cultural bond. This essay proposes a shift in focus to what may be called the political bond, understood as people's sense of sharing in each other's predicaments and fate. Although rarely discussing it explicitly, existing approaches generally imply that this bond is uniform across issue-areas. Some of the basic insights of political psychology suggest that this may be an unsustainable assumption, and research will be needed to investigate whether populations perceive the political bond more widely in some issue domains than others, a finding which would have implications for institutional design.


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Salih Bolat
(Turkey, 1956)
The first thing that must be said about Salih Bolat's poetry is it is not feather-light. It leaves a lasting impression in pure, fine poems which construct an edifice. While simple and lucid things may be the key to Bolat's poetics, he manages to do this in a most intense manner. Yet, as one of our wisest poets, he knows that grandiose poems are never the truly impressive ones.
Bolat's aesthetics are built on the conflict of the ordinary with poetic reality. The primary source of his poetry is the life he absorbs through extrospection and allows to mature in the oak barrels of his own experience. The poet then ferments this reality with something just beyond language and finally distills what we might term a brand new life. Introspection follows on from extrospection. The new life is not surreal. It is simply just beyond reality.
Bolat knows very well that the borders of reality are the borders of language. By poetic means, he advances the borders of reality in order to reach the new reality standing right next to him, which he feels but cannot bestow meaning on, because giving meaning is an act of language. In this way he demonstrates that the only way to write realistic poetry without being restricted by given reality is to extend the borders of language.
He calls this "underlining the void".
The author of books of essays, poetry and criticism, Salih Bolat (1956, Adana) graduated from the Department of Social Politics at the University of Gazi (1980). He completed his doctorate at Hacettepe University. He has lectured at several universities in İstanbul and Ankara, on scriptwriting, creative writing and literature, and has served as a member of the editorial boards of the journals Koza, Petek, Yapıt and Yarın. His first literary work was a short story entitled "Çöpçü" [Garbage Man], which was published in the newspaper Yeni Adana (1975). He has also been published in journals such as Yeni Olgu, Türkiye Yazıları and Düşler. His poetry books include Yaşanan ("What Is Lived", 1983), Bir Afişin Önünde ("In Front of a Poster", 1986), Sınır ve Sonsuz ("Limit and Infinity", 1988), Karşılaşma ("Encounter", 1993), Uzak ve Eski ("Distant and Old", 1995), Gece Tanıklığı, ("Witness to the Night", 1999), Açılmış Kanat ("Spread Wings", 2004), Yol Ayrımı ("Crossroad", 2006) Kanıt ("Evidence", 2006) and Atların Uykusu ("Sleeping of The Horses", 2014)
© Gökçenur Ç.
FESLEĞEN ZAN KRİSTAL SENİ BEKLİYORUM GELECEĞİZ
Poems of Salih Bolat
THIS DOUBT
WE\'LL COME


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Arreaza backs Russian claim that Washington's war against Maduro failed
Latin AmericaEurasiaHeadline News
By Paul Antonopoulos Last updated Nov 28, 2019
CARACAS – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza backed Russia's statements, stating that the US attack plans against President Nicolás Maduro failed.
"We agreed with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we have been saying it for months: The Washington coup in Venezuela failed. The Monroe Doctrine will never be imposed on the free peoples of Our America," he wrote on his account of the Twitter social network.
Coincidimos con el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Rusia y lo venimos diciendo desde hace meses: el Golpe de Estado de Washington en Venezuela, FRACASÓ. La Doctrina Monroe jamás se impondrá en los pueblos libres de Nuestra América. #NoMasTrump https://t.co/LYYaHlveYA
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) November 28, 2019
Arreaza referred to the statements of the director of the Latin American Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexánder Schetinn, in the framework of the annual Valdái Debate Club forum.
Schetinn stressed that "the policy of drowning with sanctions was unsuccessful, the 'Blitzkrieg' (lightning war) against the Maduro Government in Venezuela was unsuccessful.
The United States Government since 2017 has applied sanctions against Maduro, government officials and its main industries in order to cause the head of state to leave.
These actions increased this year, after the White House ignored Maduro's new mandate for the period 2019-2025, claiming that he was elected in fraudulent elections, instead endorsed the head of the National Assembly (unicameral parliament of opposition majority ), Juan Guaidó, who proclaimed himself as interim head of state.
After its support for Guaido, the United States announced more sanctions against Venezuela, among them, one that prevents the use of its financial system in transactions with Caracas.
Maduro also said his country will not give up in the face of "imperial" aggressions and that in the face of difficulties they will achieve prosperity in that South American nation.
"We are a people who have fought for more than two centuries against colonialism, slavery, racism and all forms of imperial aggression, we will never bow to aggression, we will overcome all difficulties and achieve prosperity. Our destiny is to triumph!" the president wrote on Twitter.
Paul Antonopoulos 4815 posts 0 comments
Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies. He has an MA in International Relations and is interested in Great Power Rivalry as well as the International Relations and Political Economy of the Middle East and Latin America.
A new state may soon emerge in Oceania: Will Bougainville become the newest country in the world?


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The Miss USA Pageant Is Looking For a 52nd Contestant — And It Could Be You
ByBrianna Provenzano
The Miss USA pageant is conducting an unconventional search for a 52nd contestant that gives a wider pool of women than ever before a shot at the nation's top crown.
The competition will cull through social media entries to find "Miss 52 USA," who will join the existing 51 contestants onstage during the June 5 contest.
In a Facebook video featuring Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan, the search is said to be open to all "eligible women from across the U.S." interested in applying.
"Miss USA is not afraid to push the envelope. She is strong, she is determined, she is confident," Jordan says. "No matter your size, shape or background, this is your chance to show the world what makes you beautiful."
According to the official rules, eligible entrants are over 18 and under 27 as of January, have never been married or had a marriage annulled, are not the legal guardian of any adult or minor and are "recognized medically and legally as a female in the United States."
Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, said the competition is striving to be more inclusive.
This year's pageant will mark the first since the organization was acquired by IMG/WME. In the wake of comments made by Donald Trump suggesting that Mexicans were rapists, Univision cut ties with the franchise — which it had previously jointly owned with Trump — in protest.
"Our competitions celebrate women from all backgrounds and with finding Miss 52, we hope to inspire more women to step out of their comfort zones and experience the amazing opportunities our organization offers," Shugart said.
For those interested in applying, more information on the contest is available here.


Choosing the right size and shape of breast implants is a highly personal decision. Every woman has an idea of how they want their body to look. Dr. Ali has helped thousands of women select the perfect breast implants, for a look and feel they love. He will take the time to consult with you and discuss your body type, your frame, your lifestyle and your appearance goal – so you that achieve the look that you love.
In addition to considering "cup size" or "cc's" when thinking of breast implants – the shape of the breast implant must also be chosen properly to achieve the results you desire. In this article we discuss some factors you related to choosing the right shape for your breast implants.
There are two generally categories of breast implant: round and contoured or "teardrop". Within the teardrop category there are several additional variations in shape. Keep in mind that no one type of breast shape is better than the other. Both shapes can look natural and beautiful. The key to achieving the most beautiful results is finding the shape of breast implant that fits your body.
In this article we give you some generally information about the different shapes of breast implants. However, top Birmingham breast implant surgeon Dr. Ali will spend time with you during your consultation discussing your options. He will help you choose the best breast implant shape for you body type and appearance goals.
Round breast implants are the same size in every direction, because they are, indeed, round.
Round breast implants generally produce more fullness in the upper breast. This is called "upper pole" fullness. Very high-profile round breast implants can create a very noticeable change, and may be too large – or "enhanced looking" – for some women.
Generally speaking, round breast implants aren't considered as "anatomic" as teardrop implants. However, there are some women, for whom round breast implants may create a more natural look. If a round breast implant is well-proportioned for your body and your existing breast tissue, it can be a good choice. Round breast implants may also be a better "fit" for women with a larger "envelope" or "pocket" in which to insert the breast implant.
Round breast implants are typically softer than the teardrop implants. Another advantage to round breast implants is that they have the same shape all over, so there is no concern about them rotating out of place or changing in symmetry in the future.
However, keep in mind, that gravity will eventually affect even round breast implants – and they may become slightly teardrop appearance over the years.
Teardrop breast implants are considered more "anatomic" because a teardrop shape is similar to natural breasts –and are fuller at the bottom. Teardrop breast implants also feel slightly firmer than round implants.
Teardrop implants are made with highly cohesive silicone – and generally are considered more durable and less likely to rupture than round breast implants. They also generally maintain the breast shape longer compared to round silicone implants.
Typically teardrop breast implants will be a better fit for women with a tighter "envelope" or pocket in which to insert the implant. Teardrop implants are often an excellent choice when existing breast tissue coverage is on the thinner side.
Teardrop implants due have a very slight risk of rotating over time, which can result in asymmetrical appearance. This is not common, though, and can be repaired with additional minor surgery.
Dr. Ali will be happy to offer you a consultation to answer all of your questions, and help you select the breast implant shape that is perfect for you. He has helped hundreds of women in Birmingham, Southfield, Troy, Detroit, West Bloomfield, and across Oakland County get the look they love.


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Ethiopia has been a Christian kingdom from the first half of the 4th century. There are over 15, 000 State churches in the country. The state religion is Coptic, an Ancient form of Christianity. The church has great influence with the people and also in governmental affairs.
Public events such as this celebration on the Anniversary of Haile Selassie's return from exile, are usually of a religious nature. People come from distant villages to take part in the activities and to see and hear the Emperor.
The army has always played a dominant role in Ethiopian Life. Just as many young men are attracted into the priesthood of the Coptic church, many others look forward to serving in the army.
This Ancient Kingdom was (is) an unconquered nation. Although Haile Selassie shares his authority with a council of ministers, in reality the 20 million people of Ethiopia are still ruled by their benevolent Emperor.
Haile Selassie is a proud and gentle father, interested in his children and grandchildren, most of his leisure time is spent with them.
The Emperor not only has a great love for people, but also a deep concern for all living things. His pets and the animals in his private zoo give him much pleasure.
One of the prime concerns in government is the education of the people. An extensive school development program is now underway. Whenever possible, the Emperor attends public school events such as this sports competition.
He takes a great interest in the younger generation, knowing as their education and training as Ethiopia's future leaders is essential.
Haile Selassie established The Ethiopian Airways as one answer to the country's transportation problems. However, well engineered highways and bridges must be constructed in order to connect remote villages and towns.
This new bridge spanning the Blue Nile is being opened with much ceremony. The Empress usually attends all large ceremonies with her husband.
Under the guidance of Haile Selassie, The 225 ruler of this ancient kingdom, Ethiopia is gradually emerging from it's isolated and mysterious past into the modern world.


Singapore: Capillary Concrete, the world leader in solving bunker drainage problems, has joined the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).
The team at Capillary Concrete consists of several experienced turf professionals including Stig Persson, former Chairman of the Swedish Greenkeepers Association, FEGGA (Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations), Ted Fist, former Head Course Manager from Chicago, Illinois, Sternberg and strong administrative teams in offices in Orlando, Florida and Gothenburg, Sweden.
The acclaimed product was invented and developed by Sternberg as a means of resolving all bunker problems in even the most severe golf course locations.
"Capillary Concrete bunkers were first installed in 2010 in Scandinavia in a very tough climate with severe winter ground freezing conditions. Today, thousands of bunkers have been built or renovated with Capillary Concrete all across the world, from Australia to Japan and Africa and Europe to the United States," said Sternberg, a 25-year Certified Golf Course Superintendent with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the first European superintendent to reach this status in 1992.
"Capillary Concrete is available throughout the world, in every major golf market. We are pleased to be joining the AGIF as an Associate Business Member. Working with our distributors, it is our intention to participate in the various golf course superintendent seminars and field days," added Sternberg, during a recent Asian swing that was highlighted by installation demonstrations.
As well as distributors in Japan and Korea, Capillary Concrete has appointed Centaur Asia Pacific as its distributor in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Centaur is a Full Business Member of the AGIF.
Al Maaden, Marrakech rénove ses bunkers avec du béton !
Il y aura bien du sable dans les bunkers d'Al Maaden, mais la base a été effectuée en béton poreux, appelé Capillarty Concrete.
Al Maaden sera ainsi le premier parcours du Maroc à être équipé de cette technologie, installée récemment au Golf National en prévision de la Ryder Cup, et nous avons pu apprécié son efficacité lors du dernier Open de France !
Matériau poreux, Capillary Concrete assure le drainage naturel de l'eau contenue dans chaque centimètre carré du bunker. Ainsi, les épisodes pluvieux sont rapidement absorbés par à un rythme de plusieurs centaines de centimètres par heure.
Après évacuation de l'excès d'eau, le sable reste humide par capillarité. L'innovation consiste alors à conserver ce taux d'humidité en surface aussi longtemps que possible, grâce à l'action de Capillary Concrete, qui restitue l'humidité au sable par ses micropores uniques et par capillarité. Ainsi, le système breveté contribue à stocker l'eau et à restituer l'humidité en surface, au fur et à mesure de son évaporation par temps sec.
What can Capillary Concrete do ?
An 18-month renovation project at The Queen's course at Gleneagles has now been completed. The famous James Braid-designed course has undergone a series of subtle changes with the aim of enhancing playing conditions. 89 bunkers throughout the Queen's Course have been lined with the Capillary Concrete system, helping to maintain playing conditions and drainage. The visibility of sand lines has also been enhanced.
"Our work over the last 18 months on The Queen's Course has taken it back to how it would have been in Braid's day," said Scott Fenwick, Golf Courses and Estate Manager at Gleneagles.
Archive photos and Braid's original design plans were used as part of the project, which has seen fairway lines taken back to their original location – increasing the fairways size by around 40 per cent.
As part of the project, the bowl-shaped green on the sixteenth hole has seen the installation of Energy-Passive Ground Water Recharge Pump technology. This helps ensure equal moisture distribution throughout the depth of the bore hole, capitalising on the soils natural contraction and expansion.
The restoration and renovation work on the Queen's Course follows on from similar projects on the club's King's and PGA Centenary courses – all of which have focused on restoring James Braid's original designs.
From Golf Course Architecture web.


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Taking a Break for Vacation
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Best Brands for High Quality Wardrobe Essentials
'Russian Doll' Is a Thought-Provoking Examination of Mental Illness and Drug Addiction
After Marvel Cancellations, Netflix Missing Out on Prime Crossover Opportunities
'Love Death + Robots' Is a Short but Riotous Romp Through the Apocalypse
How to Wear a Cricket Sweater
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What Disney's Full Control of Hulu Means for the Consumer and the Streaming Wars
Big news today on the subscription streaming services front! Yet another battle was fought and won in the ongoing saga of the Streaming Wars. Effective immediately, Disney will assume full operational control of Hulu. It's been an interesting ride the last few months, but up until this morning, NBC Universal (the division of Comcast that includes NBC, USA, Universal Studios, and MSNBC) owned 40% of the streaming service while Disney owned the majority stake with 60%. It appears Disney wasn't happy with just 60% and wanted the full 100%. While the good news is that Hulu can now be distributed internationally, the bad news is that a lot of content will eventually go elsewhere. Though this is great for Disney's bottom line, it is bad for the consumer.
Disney is planning to release its own new streaming service later this year with Disney+, so initially one might be inclined to believe that owning a second one would be cannibalizing. However, Disney has let on that their plan is to host more family-oriented content on its own service and stream their adult-oriented content on Hulu. If a consumer could only pick one of the two, they certainly still have that option. On the other hand, the unfortunate truth for the consumer is that these developments ensure that streaming content isn't as cost-saving as it once was. For a number of years, if you wanted to cut the cord in favor of streaming, the go-to choices for subscription were Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. Just having internet and these three services gave you access to a ton of content and was cheaper than paying for an expensive cable bundle full of channels and services you would never use. Other niche services have come along and tried to cut into those Big 3 but have never been anywhere near as popular.
Today, Netflix is losing a sizable chunk, upwards of 20%, of its content while simultaneously creating an overwhelming amount of its own programming and increasing subscription prices. Disney now exclusively owns Hulu along with Disney+. No one knows what Amazon's plan is, but their UI still looks like it was built in 2011. Meanwhile, Apple is ramping up their eventual service, CBS All Access is (kinda) going strong, and today's developments almost assuredly mean that NBC Universal is planning to release their own service in the near future. And I haven't even mentioned DC Universe or WarnerMedia. While today's developments mean that we, as consumers, will have more choice and availability of content than ever before, it also means that cord-cutters will be squeezed dry so that it's not as viable of an option as it used to be.
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Posted on May 14, 2019 May 14, 2019 Categories News, TVTags FeaturedLeave a comment on What Disney's Full Control of Hulu Means for the Consumer and the Streaming Wars
There's no denying the fact that the Defenders on Netflix a failed experiment. The entire concept was grand, meant to give people a TV version of the MCU's Avengers concept. Unfortunately, since the hugely anticipated team-up miniseries was a dud, that lead to a precipitous decline in viewership for the other related Marvel series. Once the streaming giant essentially gave up on future seasons of the Defenders, the spirit behind all the solo efforts fizzled out as well. Now that all 6 series to come out of that original agreement have been cancelled, we can look back and appreciate what an immense endeavor it was from the start. However, instead of lamenting about what could have been or analyzing what went wrong (it was actually a confluence of many things), I prefer to look to the future.
Though Netflix is not a fan of releasing numbers, subscriptions likely increased in anticipation of the superhero crossover. People were initially excited for the Defenders when it was announced. Perhaps that same excitement is what led to its downfall as subscribers were less impressed with the result. But maybe there is a lesson in here for the company. Maybe they tried to go too hard, too fast into their first crossover when they should have gone small. It is a fact that audiences love crossovers and ratings spike with them, so there is no reason why they couldn't or shouldn't try it again on a smaller scale. They could draw people to the service who still watch live TV exclusively. Or they could simply cross-pollinate some of their original series to help keep subscribers entrenched in the service.
Here are just a few ideas I have for the next great Netflix crossover:
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina/Riverdale
This one is the most obvious on this list because the two series take place in the same universe and are made by CW. They even have the same showrunner! Though I haven't seen Riverdale, I have seen Sabrina, and the characters mention the rival high school a handful of times. I'm not familiar enough with the source material to guess what a crossover would look like, but even a proper cameo from Riverdale might suffice, though they kinda did that already. As recently as October, the showrunner spoke favorably about the idea, but questioned whether it would ever happen. Get on it people!
Stranger Things/Big Mouth
I know it seems silly, but stranger things have happened. (See what I did there?) Ahem. This idea was actually inspired by a GQ article I read recently about how the monster in season 3 of Stranger Things is puberty. You what show is entirely about kids going through puberty? Big Mouth! I see no reason why the cast of the former can't be animated and shoved into the plot of the latter considering the Supernatural/Scooby-Doo crossover was a thing that happened. All the teenagers' puberty monsters can battle each other or have an orgy or something.
The Crown/Downton Abbey
I know Downton Abbey as a series is over and a film is being released later this year. I also know that The Crown takes place about 40 years after the show. But hear me out on this one. The film will possibly reinvigorate an audience that will have missed the Crawleys, so why not ride that wave of enthusiasm? Characters depicted as children in the show could be fully functioning (and scheming) adults taking care of their parents in their advanced age. It would be a first for historical dramas, which I don't believe have ever crossed over. We know that not everything in The Crown is completely factual, so the Crawleys meeting the Queen wouldn't be too out of the ordinary.
Grace and Frankie/Queer Eye
This script practically writes itself! Obviously Grace or Frankie gets into a rut and needs to be saved by the Fab 5. Everyone is supportive, doing personal interviews like they do on Queer Eye, and the makeover is amazing, giving the recipient a new lease on life. Or everything goes wrong and one of the leading ladies causes a huge scene. Honestly, I could see it going either way, but the resulting episode would be must-watch TV. Even better if the effects are felt for the rest of the season.
House of Cards/Orange is the New Black
This one isn't a serious suggestion, merely bemoaning a missed opportunity for two of Netflix's first, and at one point best, original series. Orange is the New Black was created with the premise of showing how truly unjust the prison system is. Having a politician from House of Cards show up to tour Wakefield (or whatever prison) could have been a powerful statement. Sadly, both series took a nosedive after a couple seasons. Today, one has already been cancelled while the other will release its final season later this year. C'est la vie.
Santa Clarita Diet/Get Shorty
This one probably couldn't take place in Get Shorty's world because it's more grounded in realism, but it would be so easy in Santa Clarita Diet for a Hollywood film crew, led by gangster cum movie producer Miles Daly, to show up in town for filming. Miles meats Sheila and wants to cast her in the movie. Somehow her secret gets out and Miles wants to use her to complete a job that he has in town. Hilarious horror ensues.
Posted on March 27, 2019 March 27, 2019 Categories News, TVTags FeaturedLeave a comment on After Marvel Cancellations, Netflix Missing Out on Prime Crossover Opportunities
The Oscars Should Add a Streaming Film Category
As a rule, I generally don't watch awards shows. Though I love seeing all the men on the red carpet in their best eveningwear, the silliness that follows which substitutes for entertainment is usually so dumbed down and spread out that I'd rather do something constructive than tune in. The Academy Awards are the most lauded of the bunch yet are also the most egregious offenders. As if the show itself wasn't bad enough, the process by which award-winners are chosen is so ridiculous and political that it makes the purpose of the award, acknowledging artistic achievement in film, a little dubious. Of course, I realize that if not for the Oscars, the general public wouldn't know about many of the great movies released the prior year.
So the 2019 Academy Awards show is over. Whether you agree or disagree with their controversial choice for Best Picture, that boat has sailed. Every year seems to stir up new controversies, which is notable for a show that should be bringing people together to celebrate artistic achievement. This year, between having no host, being amused by Lady Gaga's affection for Bradley Cooper, and getting mad over how the Academy appealed to a racial reconciliation fantasy against its better judgment, it would have been easy to miss another underlying contention: the role of streaming media in the film industry.
In case you've been living under a rock, many great movies are being made these days exclusively for streaming platforms. The Salesman, I Am Not Your Negro, The Big Sick, Manchester by the Sea, The Handmaiden, Beasts of No Nation, The Meyerowitz Stories, Mudbound, and Private Life, not to mention 2018's multiple Oscar-winner Roma, have all been great movies and that's just skimming the surface. Many of these were first shown at film festivals, then picked up by Amazon or Netflix for distribution. Others were financed by said companies with small releases on the big screen. Either way, there's no denying the power of these two platforms for their ability to create and distribute films that even the snootiest critics love (yours truly included).
This is why Steven Speilberg's comments and movement in favor of adding more rules for Oscar consideration leave me a little irritated. Speilberg is proposing the addition of even more rules as a barrier for the award, specifically geared toward keeping streaming movies out. In his mind, the theatrical experience is sacred and can't be replaced by a television. He feels that the theater is the pinnacle of a director's career and as such that streaming movies should only be Emmy territory, akin to the made-for-TV movies of old like Parent Trap II or High School Musical. Traditionally, if you wanted to see a good movie, you went to the cinema; if you wanted to see good TV, you turned on the boob tube. But times have changed and those lines are blurred. "You kids get off my lawn!
But seriously though, there are many reasons why Speilberg is (gasp!) wrong. Foremost is the sheer state of the film industry that, like any other, is constantly changing and now doesn't have to revolve around the cinema. The fact is that many people get a superior experience from their TVs vice a movie screen–better picture, better sound, a more comfortable environment, no one checking their phone or talking in the row in front of you, available 24/7–so more people will choose to watch from home instead of go out. Sure, you lose out on some of the social aspects, which I would argue is essential for any art form to be appreciated, but most people would rather take their chances. The movies being released via streaming are also not made with commercial breaks baked in, so they really aren't made for network television.
Consumers shouldn't have to drag themselves to a specific location, which can be halfway around the world, in order to enjoy a movie the "proper" way. Moreover, whether or not a streaming movie was ever viewed via analog means does not degrade its artistic merit or messaging, which is purportedly what the Oscars reward. What we see here with the Academy mirrors what is also taking place in American politics; an organization previously run by rich, old, white men is having to reconcile with a younger, less wealthy, more diverse generation. In both situations, it seems like the old guard has a knee-jerk reaction when they think their relevancy is being threatened. Thus, they dig in their heels to prevent newcomers from completely changing the system they cherish.
Instead, they should come to terms with the change and figure out how to thrive within the shifting landscape. At this point, it's not a matter of if the Oscars will transform but rather when. With many new streaming services just on the horizon, the award show may have anarchy on its hands within a few years if it doesn't quickly and correctly adapt its rules to survive. If a large number of objectively great movies are left on the cutting room floor instead of being recognized simply because they didn't reach a high bar of entry, more and more people will turn away from the show as they realize it is nothing more than a sham for ad dollars.
This is why, in lieu of their proposed Best Popular Film category (What exactly constitutes a "popular" film anyway? And is it something that really needs to be rewarded? Like Prom King?), I propose that the Academy create a Best Streaming Film category. Instead of completely shutting out a viable form of media, the best thing to do is embrace it as an equal artform separated only by its means of distribution. This would also be better for the entire industry as legitimate studios won't be forced to show their movies unnecessarily in some random theater, film festivals excluded of course.
With the Academy having such a sordid history with diversity and inclusion, combined with ratings that continue to decline, the organization needs to lower the bar to entry, not raise it. Otherwise, people will stop giving the show the small amount of credence it currently receives and it will fade into obscurity. The Academy should go back to the premise of rewarding artistic achievement and build their rules in support of that objective with a much broader definition of the word "film".
Posted on March 5, 2019 March 5, 2019 Categories Film, News, News, TVTags FeaturedLeave a comment on The Oscars Should Add a Streaming Film Category
Why Can't a Series Be Just One Season?
Today I want to address an ever-present issue. As everyone is certainly aware, we are deep within the Golden Age of Television. While it is complex understanding how we got here (perhaps the subject of another post), there is no question that networks are continuing to churn out quality content that leads us to experience genuine emotions. The serial drama in particular has become something of a default genre for most shows worth watching. Though it was once assumed that films had all the greatest stars, times have changed as many actors who previously frequented the silver screen have switched over to the small one.
As is frequently the case with any type of medium, some of the best series to watch originated in another form, most often as books or graphic novels. I have to admit that I prefer most forms of art, including movies and TV shows, in their original forms, but with life being so short and all, who has time to read all those great books when you can get basically the same experience from watching it in a fraction of the time? It is debatable how truly "original" a work can be when it is actually an interpretation of another person's work, but my issue is that there is a growing number of shows being made where the conclusion of the original source material coincides with the derivative's first season finale.
On its face, this is not really a problem. TV shows made from books often don't translate well to the screen unless certain liberties are taken. This is left to the showrunners, directors, and producers to figure out. As we see with Game of Thrones, a series can continue to flourish after it surpasses the source material. Sure, more events are occurring at a lightning fast pace (how did they get a fleet of ships from one side of the continent to the other in one episode?), but some would say that is preferable to the leisurely pace the show had taken up to that point. One could also say that this example doesn't even really count because George RR Martin is still alive and plans to (eventually) finish the last two books. But what if he doesn't? In the end, what if these last three seasons of the show are all we have to see of Mr. Martin's vision? Will we be satisfied?
I give Game of Thrones a pass because even when I was reading the first book, I imagined that it would make a great TV series. When it was picked up by HBO, everyone assumed that the books would be finished before the end of the show, so as the situation changed, the network had to adapt. There are many other examples where there was no intent other than capitalizing on people's ignorance. Therein lies the issue. Network executives are so quick to greenlight subsequent seasons of this new type of show that they don't stop to think if they should. They think if the rest of the series can ride the coattails of the first successful season long enough, they will make more money through advertising before people wise up and realize the show is garbage. They just cross their fingers hoping that they can at least break even.
Let's look at another example. Wayward Pines was a mildly creepy science fiction mystery based on a trilogy of books. The series itself was pretty competent though it was obvious M. Night Shyamalan was adding in his signature twists. The first season deftly covers all three books by the conclusion of the finale. In fact, the show was initially intended to be just a one season mini-series. But then Fox renewed it for a second season to the bewilderment of literally everyone. Viewership was reportedly not so high that they had a potential hit on their hands, so its anyone's guess what the executives were thinking. The first season provided perfect closure, so no one watched the second season. I admit that I watched a few episodes until I felt like my time could be better spent. Pointless characters, horrible acting, no direction…it was a mess. The show was subsequently put on an 18-month "hiatus" until Fox finally made the announcement this past February that it was cancelled.
The almighty Netflix has even fallen victim to this trend. Thirteen Reasons Why was something of a hit when it was released for streaming as it was an unflinching examination of teenage suicide. Again, reviews were positive but not outstanding and the first season provided closure as it coincided with the end of the popular young adult novel. Sounding familiar? For some reason, the streaming service decided that it would renew the show for a second season. I haven't watched the season myself, but from what I've heard and read, the show went off the rails and doesn't have any reason to exist. They also end each episode with a PSA to the effect of, "If you are considering suicide, please get help," which is a reaction to the uptick in real-world teenage suicides attributed to the first season's release. It almost seems as though the second season was made as a plug for the PSAs, like Netflix was apologizing for itself.
"But Craig," you might be saying, "The Leftovers was a book and the show was amazing." Let's unpack that. I agree that the show was great. I was on the edge of my seat most episodes. I still don't totally understand everything that happened in the plot. But that's the difference: The Leftovers only used the idea of the book as a jumping off point, going in a completely different direction. They weren't looking to create a literal interpretation of the book or the world. This is exemplified in the series finale, where you don't know if what is being described actually happened or not. The show never went out of its way to explain anything; the whole plot was up to interpretation. Some of the events from the first season were taken from the book, but I'd say they actually reimagined the book in TV show form. By taking such liberties with the source and providing a strong visual narrative, the showrunners were able to create something entirely their own and the result became an iconic must-see show, thus surpassing the book.
The same might be said for The Handmaid's Tale (which ironically costars Ann Dowd who was also in The Leftovers). The first season was tremendous when it was released, and was a pretty faithful reworking of the source material from what I've heard. When the second season was announced, with the showrunners saying they'd show us more of their world, I was skeptical. I have to say that, though most people seem to be enjoying the new season now that it's out, I didn't really warm to it until the back half. Though the first season was dour, it remained hopeful. June (Offred) had a sort of rebellious charm about her, which made the show not so bleak. When the second season started, it just seemed to go nowhere and only wanted to show the audience how horrible everything is in their world. Everything just kept getting worse. Now that June's rebelliousness is back in full force, it is more interesting, but I don't agree that it is as good a show as it was when it was interpreting the source material.
We will have to wait and see what happens with Big Little Lies when its next season is released as even the first season had a few issues with interpreting the source. The second season may rectify some of those mistakes, but it seems the most critical factor contributing to the success of a show of this type is the talent and vision of the individuals at the helm. The goal of continuing beyond the bounds of the original book needs to be established in pre-production, not after the show is renewed. There are precious few examples of these kinds of series actually being worth watching past their first seasons. Something needs to change.
As we are in peak TV, there is no shortage of great shows to watch, and personally, I'm tired of the attempts to trick the audience into watching a substandard show that can't live up to the hype of its first season. These efforts to take advantage of what the executives believe is an ill-informed public result in wasted time by both the people making the series and the people watching the result of their work. My guess is that if someone doesn't like a show, they aren't going to be buying any of the products in the advertisements anyway. Perhaps the problem isn't that talented people aren't involved in making the shows but that most of these shows should simply stop at the end of their first season, when the source material concludes. Only the truly successful, high-quality shows are picked up to full series. The Brits do this. The Japanese do this. America should do it, too.
Posted on June 13, 2018 March 21, 2019 Categories News, TV1 Comment on Why Can't a Series Be Just One Season?


text:
Federal Reserve Board The Clearing House Payments Company (inc. SVPCO)
Payments Retail banking
Political pressure grows for Fed to build real time payment system
Democratic senators in the US are pushing a bill that would require the Federal Reserve to develop a real-time payment system as an alternative to the bank-backed Clearing House network.
The Payments Modernization Act has been proposed as a means to force the Fed to take on The Clearing House's Real Time Payments Network (RTP), which is controlled by the nation's biggest banks.
Co-sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Chris van Hollen, the Bill would "require financial institutions to recognize funds in real time", providing the Fed with a mandate to deliver its own system.
Warren, who has been highly critical of the power exerted by Wall Street's big banks, says: "Our bill would create a national, real-time payments system so that families have faster access to the money they earned and don't have to pay overdraft fees or rely on a shady payday lender to make ends meet."
The Clearing House has been lobbying the Fed to designate RTP as the US' national real-time network. In April, TCH reached out to community banks and credit unions, opening up four new seats for smaller depository institutions on the RTP Business Committee.
This was accompanied by the release a new set of transparent Business Principles, which stipulate that the network is run as a "utility for the benefit of the industry" and that RTP fees shall continue to be flat for all participants regardless of size, and shall not include volume discounts or minimum volume requirements, among other principles.
[New Impact Study] Embracing the New Paradigm of Cloud Migration to Future-Proof Payments Technologies
Clearing House bids to win over smaller institutions to real-time payments network
01 April 2019 0 3 2
US banks launch real-time payments system
14 November 2017 0 18 37
The Clearing House to issue Mastercard-branded tokens
Fedwire and Chips to align with Swift gpi
The Clearing House to use IBM Power backbone for real-time payments
The Clearing House partners FIS to test real-time payments platform
VocaLink lands real-time payments deal with The Clearing House; Early Warning buys clearXchange


This entry was posted in In the Land of Pura Vida and tagged Abriendo Mentes, adventure, collaboration, digital, playa potrero, teaching, technology by debcargile. Bookmark the permalink.
Sounds like a rewarding project with the local kids – I bet the rollercoaster was a hit!


A 1 bedroom house, available furnished with allocated parking space, and private enclosed garden. Close to a selection of restaurants, shops and supermarkets, under a mile away at the High Street.Well located for transport links; 2.6 miles to Oxford Parkway rail station, 1.5 miles to Oxford Airport and regular buses to Oxford city centre run frequently from a bus stop very close by. Ideal for a couple, or single person.


text:
Zoo's Tiger Cubs Now Have Names
Web Produced By: Ian Preuth
The Cincinnati Zoo's four-month-old tiger cubs finally have names.
After more than 3,000 names were submitted from across the country, judges, who included four members of the Cat House and Animal Care Staff and the Zoo's Curator of Mammals, decided on four names.
The four winning names are Tahan, Bashir, Kadar and Tanvir.
"It was a tough decision between names of different origins, meanings and uniqueness," said Mike Dulaney, Cincinnati Zoo Curator of Mammals and Species Survival Plan Subspecies Coordinator for Malayan Tigers. "It came down to what name was fitting and appropriate for each cub."
The winning names were submitted by Christina Martin, Rachel Gaines, Ian Gabby and Christine Tan. All four of them will receive a Basic Family Level Membership to the zoo.
The Malayan Tiger is one of six living subspecies of tiger. They are currently considered endangered. The Cincinnati Zoo has had Malayan tigers since 1990 and has produced 28 cubs since that time.
The zoo says visitors will be able to see Tahan, Bashir, Kadar and Tanvir with their mother everyday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Tiger Canyon.
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Zoos-Tiger-Cubs-Now-Have-Names/Dm2AJFLQt0uMtGyVpJMVdA.cspx
Ranthambhore & Sariska tiger poacher arrested
Tiny Tiger Trio


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Louis John DiMuro (April 24, 1931 – June 7, 1982) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1963 until his death.

Career
DiMuro was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he played football, and then Jersey City Junior College. He served in the Air Force in West Germany, but a broken finger in the service ended his baseball playing career and he turned to umpiring, graduating from the Al Somers School and working in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1955), Northern League (1956), Eastern League (1957) and International League (1958–62). He joined the AL staff and immediately worked a full schedule as a rookie in 1963. He was selected to work the World Series in 1969 and 1976, the All-Star Game in 1965, 1967, 1972 and 1981, and the American League Championship Series in 1971, 1975 and 1978, serving as crew chief in 1978.

1969 World Series
In Game 5 of the 1969 World Series, the New York Mets held a 3 games to 1 lead over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles, and were looking to close the series at home in front of a raucous crowd at Shea Stadium. The Orioles, behind the pitching of ace Dave McNally, led 3–0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when a pitch from McNally was low and inside to Mets leadoff hitter Cleon Jones. DiMuro, the home plate umpire, called the pitch a ball, but New York manager Gil Hodges appealed the ruling, believing the pitch hit Jones.

Hodges showed the ball to DiMuro, and pointed out a speck of black shoe polish to DiMuro. DiMuro accepted Hodges' explanation, and awarded Jones first base. Baltimore manager Earl Weaver, who had been ejected from Game 4 by umpire Shag Crawford for arguing balls and strikes, immediately came out and vehemently protested DiMuro's decision, to no avail. (Earlier in the same game, Baltimore's Frank Robinson had been hit by a pitch on his hip, but DiMuro ruled that the ball hat hit Robinson's bat and did not award him first base.)  Donn Clendenon followed Jones by launching a two-run home run into the Baltimore bullpen in left field, pulling the Mets to within 3–2.

The Mets tied the game in the seventh on a leadoff home run by light-hitting shortstop Al Weis, and scored two runs in the eighth with the help of two Baltimore errors. Jones caught a fly ball from Davey Johnson for the game's final out and a 5–3 New York victory, setting off a wild celebration. Notably, DiMuro had been behind the plate barely two months earlier on August 13, 1969, when the Orioles' Jim Palmer pitched an 8–0 no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics.

Collision with Cliff Johnson
On May 30, 1979, in the 11th inning of a game in Milwaukee, DiMuro was involved in a major collision near home plate with baserunner Cliff Johnson. The crash rendered DiMuro semiconscious and left him with an ailing hip for the remainder of his career. DiMuro missed the remainder of the season. He then slipped on dugout steps shortly after his return in 1980. Fellow crew member Larry Barnett would later remark, "He was one of the most decent human beings you'd ever meet, but he always seemed to have bad luck. If someone's bag would get lost, it would be his; if someone came down with the flu bug, it would be him."

Outside chest protector
At the time of his death, DiMuro was one of only nine umpires still using the outside chest protector which had been favored for many decades by AL umpires long after National League arbiters had switched to the inside protector, introduced by Baseball Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem in the dead-ball era. Of the other outside-protector holdovers, Bill Haller retired after working the 1982 World Series,  Marty Springstead switched to the inside protector after the season, Dale Ford switched back to the inside protector after the 1983 season (he had used the inside protector in 1981), and George Maloney and Russ Goetz retired after that season.  Terry Cooney switched in 1984.  Bill Kunkel died of cancer in May 1985 leaving Jerry Neudecker as the last one, and he retired after the 1985 season. The last active umpire who had once used the balloon protector, Joe Brinkman, switched to the inside protector in 1980.

Death
After a June 6, 1982, game between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers at Arlington Stadium, DiMuro ate dinner with Rangers coach Darrell Johnson. Walking back to his hotel at about 11 PM, he was struck by a car while attempting to cross a busy street. He died about two hours later at Arlington Memorial Hospital of massive head injuries that resulted from striking his head on the car's windshield. No charges were filed against the driver. According to Durwood Merrill, doctors said nothing could have been done to save DiMuro's life.

Merrill and crew members Larry Barnett and Mike Reilly were too upset to pack DiMuro's belongings in his hotel room afterward. That task fell to Al Clark, who was part of the incoming crew working the Ranger series against the Seattle Mariners. DiMuro was buried in East Lawn Cemetery in Tucson, Arizona, where he had lived since 1976 after previously residing in Floral Park, New York, and Westfield, New York.

Rocky Roe was named to the American League staff as DiMuro's full-time replacement, joining Barnett, Merrill and Reilly for a series in Milwaukee between the Brewers and Baltimore Orioles.

Family
DiMuro's five children included sons Mike and Ray, who also went on to umpire in the major leagues; Mike was a major league umpire from 1999 until his retirement in July 2019; and Ray worked occasionally as a substitute umpire in the AL from 1996 to 1999. Mike began wearing number 16 to honor his father in 2000; the number had previously been retired by AL umpires since Lou's death.

See also

 List of Major League Baseball umpires

References

External links
Retrosheet
BaseballLibrary

1931 births
1982 deaths
Major League Baseball umpires
Pedestrian road incident deaths
People from Brooklyn
People from Floral Park, New York
People from Westfield, New York
Road incident deaths in Texas
Sportspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Tucson, Arizona
United States Air Force airmen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


TL; DR: Fantom is basically a better Java with a very similar syntax, but with lots of little simplifications and some powerful features such as functions.
Let's say you want to implement FooBarQix.
For those not in the know, FooBarQix is a variant of FizzBuzz using "Foo" in place of "Fizz" and "Bar" in place of "Buzz." One difference is that "Qix" plays the same role as "Foo" and "Bar" for number 7. Another difference is that digits 3, 5 and 7 also cause the results to contain instances of those words. FooBarQix receives a minor celebrity status in France, in November 2011 as part of a competition related to the upcoming Devoxx conference in Paris.
I am going to guide you through a refactoring of this from Java to Fantom.
Lots of things are redundant in the Java syntax. Here is how they can be simplified in Fantom.
One of the main differences with Java is that functions are available to pass around to other methods. This will be possible in Java 8 sometime in 2013. This has been available on the JVM with Fantom since 2005.
One common way of using a function is via the each() and map() methods, available on collections, strings, and others.
We'll also take this opportunity to replace the list of values by a map. We could have done that in Java as well. However, this construct is a lot more common in a functional language (that is, one where functions are first-class). There is also a nice Map.get() that can take a default value.
A couple of things still bother me: the 3, 5, and 7 digits are repeated in two places. The other thing is that we carry around a string buffer, which is not very elegant.
To remove the string buffer, we'll get each method to return a computed partial string and concatenate the results.
As for the redundant digits, we'll use the ones already defined in the map of values… and functions will be put to good and make it really easy to transform those values into strings.
As a additional syntactic sugar, we can omit the generic part of a function signature (when passed to map()) and use "it" as a placeholder for the parameter — or even nothing when there are no ambiguities.
To be sure, it is possible to write Java code that gets close to that. This means using additional libraries such as Guava and using kludges such as inner classes in place of functions. However, this is clearly not natural in Java. Maybe that will change with Java 8.
This post has not addressed a number of features offered by Fantom, such as portability (Fantom code can be run both on the .NET CLR and on the JVM), mixins, modules ("pods"), and null-safety. However, I hope to have made clear that Fantom is an intriguing language with a pragmatic syntax. This puts the newer kids on the block such as Kotlin and Ceylon really in an interesting light.
Interesting introduction to Fantom, thx.