text:
Alarm bells sound over 'outings' in Japan's LGBT community
By Takumi Toguchi
© KYODO
It's nobody's damn business what the sexual preferences are of another!
20 ( +29 / -9 )
Gays in Japan are doing all right, and it will only get better. Young folk just don't give a fig.
thepersoniamnow
Hey, at least it doesn't seem to be as contentious as issue as say, immigration is over here.
Theres bound to be problems, and this is just immature sensitivity and could be troublesome in the workplace for sure.
LGBT are even beginning to turn on each other.
Transpeople worldwide are advocating "get the L out" because Lesbians sexually discriminate against transwomen by refusing to consider people with penises as potential sexual partners.
-12 ( +10 / -22 )
u_s__reamer
When confronted by difference, too many folks here start to bleat. They just can't help it, but like the Beatles sing, "...it's getting better all the time". I just wish that instead of the suicide option people would just say "Baa to you, too!"
FizzBit
Indeed, experts point out this is a perfect demonstration of the damage being done to members of the LGBT community.
According to the center, there were 31 calls by people wanting to talk about being outed in fiscal 2012, 42 in fiscal 2015, 19 in fiscal 2016 and 18 in fiscal 2017.
What a laugh.
I wonder how many of those outed men expressed affection to someone who was not gay?
So by your information here transgendered people worldwide are discriminating against lesbians alone?
Why choose to only point them out? Or don't gay men sexually discriminate against trans-men by refusing to consider people with vaginas as potential sexual partners?
It's ONLY an issue HERE, if you get my meaning! No where in the mainstream media in Japan will you find anything referring to this issue.
Howaitosan
Japan needs to grow up with regard to this issue; most of the developed world accepted homosexuality as normal decades ago.
0 ( +13 / -13 )
BeerDeliveryGuy
Homosexuality was considered normal in Japan until the introduction of western culture. Look up "danshoku"
I have no idea how Fizzbit is as a person, but this idea of men being offended by having attraction expressed to them by someone they aren't interested in, is something women have been dealing with basically since the dawn of civilization.
M3M3M3
Sure, but is it really that simple? What is your opinion on the actual story in the article?
Should an LGBT person have a special right to unilaterally bind someone to secrecy after a failed romantic advance? Should that other person's freedom of speech be limited without their consent? Even heterosexual men know that if they ask a girl out on date at their school or workplace they risk humiliation and exposure since they have no right to stop her from sharing that information with others. Why should the standard be different for anyone else? It seems quite opressive to bind people to hold secrets which they have not voluntarily agreed to keep confidential.
BertieWooster
Number one rule in life, don't do anything that you wouldn't want to be found out. Take 100% responsibility for what you do. Live an open life and nothing can come back to hit you and nobody can use your secrets to control you.
Bugle Boy of Company B
the Tokyo District Court dismissed the parents' claim against the university in February.
This was the correct decision. As M3M3M3 pointed out, nobody is sworn to secrecy after a failed romantic advance. Being queer does not give you the right to double standards - yet this is exactly the kind of thing they want - special rights.
zurcronium
Why should the standard be different for anyone else? It seems quite opressive to bind people to hold secrets which they have not voluntarily agreed to keep confidential.
Wrong comparison, confiding in sexual orientation is not as simple as asking out a person of the opposite sex as the article clearly points out. Given the Japanese society homophobia it is more like confiding in someone about an illegal activity, like stealing for example. It is a matter of trust and understanding the consequences of breaking trust.
And for the homophobic posters no worries about being hit on by another guy. Gays can tell if you are gay or not, it is a survival instinct. If they do hit on you maybe you might want to look into that closet you may be living in.
Hercolobus
Like Beer DeliveryMan says, before Japan was invaded,(psychologically), and forced to change to Western values and economy of war, the Samurai practiced homosexualism with their young aporenctice or Wakashu. This was known as the art of Wakashudo.
I've been hit on a lot by gay guys over the years. A lot.
I always take it as a compliment, even though I have no interest in men. Same as I take it as a compliment when women I'm not attracted to hit on me.
garypen
It sucks that the prevailing attitude in the country made the poor guy feel as if he could no longer study and work with the same circle or even in that profession.
It's especially ironic considering how popular gay and transgender entertainers are on TV in Japan. It's kinda shameful that those silly TV shows show more maturity to and acceptance of sexual minorities than Japan at large does.
madmanmunt
Yuichi Kamiya, secretary general of Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, warns "it is still the tip of the iceberg,"
With advocacy groups, "tip of the iceberg" usually means "we are going to shove a lot more of our doctrine down the public's throat in the coming future. Our bone-to-pick issue is far from over."
Gay marriage is a right, obviously. But if someone from a highly marginalized community that has very little to no connection to my own life is outed, do I really need to care? The answer is no. So go be gay. But never, ever become an external activist.
bfarm
How is this article news? It's an advocacy piece. I don't wish any harm on anyone and hope we can all learn to live peacefully and all, but there is nothing in this article regarding recent events. If, for example, this piece had come out in February after the court case alluded to in the beginning of the article, I could understand that.
It's good to see the Japanese media addressing homosexual issues in more frequency these days. When it's not talked about, that leads to ignorance, and leaves no opportunity to stop treating people in a discriminatory manner. The more people talk about it, and the more Japanese people come out as being gay, and show that there is nothing wrong with it, the more accepting Japanese society will become towards homosexuals. Same as we are seeing in many countries around the world.
It's good that we are starting to treat our brothers and sisters as brothers and sisters, instead of ostracizing them for having unauthorized feelings of attraction for those who dare to share the same genitalia.
@M3, fair point. I think it depends on the cultural/social context. Knowingly/intentionally putting someone in danger by outing them is/should be reprehensible.
Tragically, he later fell to his death from a building at the university in an apparent suicide.
Wonder how the outer feels about that. Any remorse?
Kangaesugi
Not even close to the truth. That slogan is being pushed by trans-exclusionary reactionary feminists advocating lesbian separatism because they are against transgender rights - particularly those of trans women. The number of trans women who get angry over rejection on the grounds of genital incompatibility are vanishingly few - I'd say most just feel relieved that a simple rejection was all they experienced.
The vast, vast majority of both lesbians and trans women are in strong support of mutual solidarity.
Jonathan Prin
So telling the truth is unlawful in a casual conversation is unlawful ?
Man 1: Did he ask you for date ?
Man 2: I can't reply to that question. I risk criminal charge and could hurt the feeling of a human being.
That is against basic human rights, don't you fell. It is a attempt to create rights to LGBT against thr majority.
I will fight against those activists LGBTish.
A gay or whatever is any normal person who should be respected as any other. Conversely, one from the heterosexual majority shall never be blamed for finding gay behaviour out of standards as a principle since not practicing it and even having the right to find it disgusting because that is the real feeling some have. Any feeling to be respectef but not forced to others.
Kenji Fujimori
Victim card doesn't work in Japan
obladi
Hmm... this seems like kind of a deceptive article. Can we really generalize from this very specific case? Is outing a systemic problem in Japan? I thought Japan was moving into he modern age rather smoothly, compared with, say, the US.
gokai_wo_maneku
For the first time since the war, publishers of "Pillow Books" (春画), which are books from the middle ages that contain explicit wood block prints teaching how to have sex, have started including the last chapter about same sex, which they would typically include. That must reflect some change in attitude. But I've been out since 16, back in the mid-90s. I could be a class leader. Things weren't so regressive as they are now. Well, I live and work in Shinjuku, where anything goes, so you don't feel it much here. Too bad about this Western influence.
Number one rule in life, don't do anything that you wouldn't want to be found out.
And just why should LGBT people have to "hide"? Your so-called advice here is BS.
This is my problem with the LGBT group. Do I walk around stating I am heterosexual? Do I feel bad if someone calls me a hetero? Do I walk around in a T-shirt stating "I am not gay!"? I cannot count the amount of times I have met a gay or transgender person and the first thing the say to me is, "I'm gay!" or "I used to be a man/woman!" I really don't care what your sexual preferences are, just stop wearing it like some kind of badge of honor or entitlement. You are judged by your actions, not by your sexual orientation. If your actions are to complain because people call you gay, it is something you have to deal with. It's no different to people calling me short or old.
Why should the "outer" feel any remorse?
Chip Star
This is my problem with the LGBT group. Do I walk around stating I am heterosexual? Do I feel bad if someone calls me a hetero? Do I walk around in a T-shirt stating "I am not gay!"?
Do heterosexuals have a history of being persecuted and/or being discriminated against for being heterosexual?
I would hope they would have a smidgen of decency.
Much of the "developed world" made homosexuality a crime until relatively recently. Britain offered male homosexuals the choice of jail or chemical castration.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-castration-of-alan-turing-britains-code-breaking-wwii-hero
Homosexual relations were illegal in Japan only for a brief period in the 19th century and then only to show Western countries that Japan was civilised.
How is this article news? It's an advocacy piece.
@Dissillusioned If I don't mention I'm gay, everyone will assume I'm straight. Ladies at the office may start showing interest in me (I'm not saying I'm handsome or anything), and that is uncomfortable for me and embarrassing for them when they find out I'm gay. Also, it is important for especially young gays to know that "you are not alone". There is someone you can talk to. That was important for me when I was a teenager.
Who cares? I do not have a history of persecuting or discriminating against gays so that sort of question would have no bearing on me, or anyone else who does not. Don't lump everyone into the same group. Don't blame people for things they have no responsibility for.
@garypen
Name ONE popular gay celebrity who isn't an okama/drag queen, but just a regular guy?
I would like to reference this article https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/its-fine-to-be-gay-on-japanese-tv--if-youre-outlandish-and-outrageous/2015/03/24/b3c3ac00-ce77-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html
'' There is a boom in "onee" stars, Mitz Mangrove said, using the Japanese word that refers to men who speak like women and are often gay or transgender, and they are treated like weirdos or eccentrics.
"We fit in a category of being obviously atypical or unusual," he said as he was having his make-up fixed after the "It's Noon" lunchtime variety show. They are encouraged to be outlandish or outspoken to spice up TV shows, and that's why there are no openly gay people in more mainstream roles on television, he said.
"We are not treated as human beings. We are okay as long as we say things that are not mainstream or that are sharp or vulgar," Mangrove said.
For that reason, it wasn't necessarily a good thing for "ordinary gay people" to be associated with cross-dressing celebrities like them.
"They might be treated as abnormal as that's the common idea about us in the TV world," Mitz Mangrove said. "There are many gay people who are boring, not social or don't drink alcohol in this world but our society doesn't accept that fact and I find that very uncomfortable."
Japanese society is "confused" with what to make of these television personalities, said Aya Kamikawa, a representative on the Setagaya council and Japan's first transgender assembly member.
"I don't oppose the idea that they are selling their sexuality as their appeal," she said of the TV hosts. "But in reality, sexual minorities are everywhere, they can be your colleagues, friends and relatives. Right now, they're seen as people to be laughed at or be consumed. It's grossly lopsided." ''
While I can't deny that entertainers like Matsuko Deluxe and IKKO are respected in their field and that they have their own positive influence on pushing for LGBT representation and acceptance, overall these flaming sassy queens, no matter how entertaining, do paint an extremely stereotypical, and even potentially damaging view of LGBT people, that they are loud, vulgar queens. LGBT people are completely disposable to the entertainment scene if they don't play into all the awkward, even offensive stereotypes people have of specifically LGBT entertainers.
With that said, it's not all bad. While variety shows might not have the best representation of LGBT people, gay characters have become less unusual in dramas, and are treated with respect most of the time. Although it can get a bit preachy and '' LET'S TEACH THE WORLD ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE! '' sometimes, it might just be necessary for the time being. Even the western world has only recently started to drift away from that.
Social media has also become a platform in which LGBT people can exist as themselves and become popular as content creators, without needing the approval or guiding hand of some TV world big shot, or some talent agency boss.
Ordinary gay J-celeb? Comedian Kazu-Laser, Ken Hirai, Ken Matsudaira to name a few.
I cannot count the amount of times I have met a gay or transgender person and the first thing the say to me is, "I'm gay!" or "I used to be a man/woman!" I really don't care what your sexual preferences are, just stop wearing it like some kind of badge of honor or entitlement.
Perhaps they thought you were also gay/trans and were just hitting on you ;)
@BeerDeliveryGuy
are these just your guesses on who is gay, even though they've never come out or made it public?
Who cares? Homosexuals. I'm not blaming people for things for which they have no responsibility; I was offering a reason as to why homosexuals feel uncomfortable being outed.
@Rot10
No, they have all stated they are gay.
The problem in the case of the Hitotsubashi University law school student is that he revealed his homosexuality to a person who was not receptive to his intimate advances. The gay man did not respect his fellow students sexuality. The victim did not lash out physically but felt he needed to speak out to tell his story of the unwanted behavior. It isn't his responsibility to protect an aggressor from his responsibility to refrain from unwanted sexually harassing behavior.
this idea of men being offended by having attraction expressed to them by someone they aren't interested in, is something women have been dealing with basically since the dawn of civilization.
Actually this is a false statement. Since there have always been homosexuals, men have always been subjected to unwanted homosexual interest for every bit as long as women have. The difference for men is that there are relatively few gay men and men have been more likely to be capable of defending themselves whereas women have not. Unfortunately men are much more likely to be imprisoned than women and homosexual assaults are a problem of epidemic proportions.
Most men have experienced unwanted gay male attention whether it be by older male relatives, by adults in private organizations such as church, in prisons, college, etc. They should not be afraid to call out those homosexuals who do not respect their sexuality.
Yubaru: And just why should LGBT people have to "hide"? Your so-called advice here is BS.
You are responding to what you think was said based on emotion as opposed to the actual statement - as follows...
The law student outed himself by telling his critically important secret to someone who was unable to keep his secret. Furthermore the gay man expressed unwanted romantic intentions towards the heterosexual man. A straight man should have the same rights as a woman to not be subjected to unwanted sexual advances.
Seems that there was some misunderstanding about what I wrote. Let me put it more clearly. If you're gay, be gay. Don't try to hide it. Then there is no fear from being outed. Live an open life and nothing can come back to hit you and nobody can use your secrets to control you because you don't have any secrets for anyone to control you with. Be gay if you want to be gay. Be hetero if that's what you're comfortable with. And don't worry what people think of you.
@Rot10:
Telling someone '' I like you, would you go out with me '' is not UNWANTED SEXUALLY HARASSING BEHAVIOR. How can you even think it is?
When a gay man tells a heterosexual man that he wants an intimate relationship that is by definition unwanted and can rightly be considered offensive. In the case of the Hitotsubashi University law student that was apparently the case. The gay man made a mistake. It's not up to you to decide for someone else if they are offended.
You are attempting to make an excuse for inappropriate behavior.
so gay people should never hit on people? How are gay people supposed to know who is gay and who is not? To be offended by someone who you are not interested in wanting to potentially date is just low, jesus christ. Is this only reserved to when gay people hit on straight men, hmh?
starpunk
"It's impossible anymore for me to hide the fact that you're gay," the classmate wrote to the group, ending the life-changing message with a simple, "Sorry."
The classmate should've kept his yap shut and let the gay man 'come out' on his own free will.
About 10 years ago on the Jenny Jones trash TV show there was a televised case like this and it later led to murder - the straight man killed the gay. There's no justifying that. I've had gay men mistake me for one in the past but I never wanted to 'out' anyone for that. I've just told them that I'm not what they're looking for. I could never fall in love with a man but I don't hate people who are gay and I don't go blabbing to others about it.
And this suicide DIDN'T have to happen. The student didn't have to die,
"Outing someone destroys human relationships,"
Let the GLBT people 'out' themselves when they feel 'ready to'. And if straight people around them can't accept that, that's their problem.
BertieWoosterToday 12:18 am JSTSeems that there was some misunderstanding about what I wrote. Let me put it more clearly. If you're gay, be gay. Don't try to hide it. Then there is no fear from being outed. Live an open life and nothing can come back to hit you and nobody can use your secrets to control you because you don't have any secrets for anyone to control you with. Be gay if you want to be gay. Be hetero if that's what you're comfortable with. And don't worry what people think of you.
I've seen quite a number of lesbian couples holding hands openly in public. If that's what they are then I know they're off-limits, to me. At a few rock concerts I've seen some gay male couples do the same, and they're often more afraid of getting 'gay-bashed' but that too is changing. When I go to some events like that I don't go to see who's with what or whom. I just want to have a good time.
I don't care if anyone is gay or straight. If someone accepts me, I accept that person as long as (s)he doesn't get his/her kicks from hurting others. Sela.
When a gay man tells a heterosexual man that he wants an intimate relationship that is by definition unwanted and can rightly be considered offensive.
I agree, but I also think it doesn't matter if someone is offended. That's your own interpretation of how you see things. I don't care if someone is offended by something. I care about people wanting to control what others say. The the gay guy hits on the straight guy. Straight guy is offended. So what? But the straight guy tells his friends that the gay guy is gay. Again, so what? But when the gay guy says, "You can't tell people I'm gay!!!!" you have crossed a line. You don't get to tell others what they can or cannot say. Especially in a situation like this. There is nothing wrong with telling someone about this encounter. It's not like he got one of those vans with the megaphones and went around blaring the news.
overall these flaming sassy queens, no matter how entertaining, do paint an extremely stereotypical, and even potentially damaging view of LGBT people, that they are loud, vulgar queens. LGBT people are completely disposable to the entertainment scene if they don't play into all the awkward, even offensive stereotypes people have of specifically LGBT entertainers.
Too much entertainment in America does portray gays with stupid stereotypes. the show 'Queer Eye For the Straight Guy' for instances portrays the dumb 'gay hairdresser' or 'gay fashionista' stereotype. The show 'Will and Grace' had a 'token gay' and he was a stereotype. I don't like that crap because most stereotypes aren't real.
This is NOT a joke but the Village People are a great representative of GLBT people -- every race (members are white, black, red), and there's the occupations (gays are in the police, military, construction jobs, cowboys, and there are gay bikers too). The whole spectrum.
'' LET'S TEACH THE WORLD ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE! ''
They're in every race, color and ethnic group. And they are in every profession. I knew some when I was in the service before President Obama made it legal, and I've known them in college and jobs.
You can never really tell. I was really surprised when Rob Halford of Judas Priest came out. That guy is BAAA-AAA-AAADDD and macho. I still love and listen to JP just the same as I did growing up. And I would've never guessed George Takei was gay in a million years. I met him at a Trekkie convention in 1992 and he is very polite, talented, pleasant and fan-friendly. If I were to relive that afternoon knowing what I know now I wouldn't change anything. I like him. He already was a pioneer in shattering the Oriental stereotypes in Hollywood, now he's an advocate for GLBT too. And he certainly is no stereotype.
People like that already are, just by being what they are.
Japan faces decision over contaminated Fukushima nuclear plant water
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Jan. 21	04:04 pm JST	 Jan. 21 | 04:05 pm JST
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I recently attended Startup Phenomenon Women, a single day, single track conference in Boulder. The event was organized by Startup Phenomenon, a conference series that works to act as a catalyst for startups from a wide range of industries. It was the first time that they held this particular event. The goal was to encourage and celebrate the role of women in startup communities.
The conference featured about 40 different speakers in a variety of formats including hour-long presentations, shorter insights on the same topic from 2-3 different people, and panels. The talks ranged from informative to inspirational. The majority of speakers were women but a small number of men presented as well. About 500 people attended the conference.
My two favorite talks from the day covered negotiation and funding.
Women often think of negotiations as being adversarial. The image of going into battle feels overwhelming and pushes us away from negotiating. We should redefine negotiations as collaborative problem solving. There are countless opportunities throughout the day when we can make gains for ourselves and our teams by thinking of our conversations as negotiations.
Women often don't prepare for negotiations which is critical to success. In order to be successful, we must have an understanding of our alternatives in case the deal fails (safety net), our reservation price (bottom line), and our aspiration (optimistic assessment of what is possible).
Women often shy away from negotiating because they don't want to be seen as disagreeable or difficult. The cost of not negotiating, however, is extremely high. Women perform better at representational negotiations where they feel like they're fighting for someone else. By creating a representational mindset (I am negotiating for my family, I am negotiating on behalf of my gender, etc), we can help overcome the hesitancies around negotiating.
If you're interested in more in-depth information from Professor Neale, I recommend reading this article or watching this video.
In the United States, women are starting companies at 2x the rate of men but they are raising just 1/27th of the capital. In tech industries, that number is 1/15th. In many cases, this is due to women not fully leveraging their connections and not being as comfortable asking for capital. Additionally, they may not ask or connect with the right individuals or organizations.
As an entrepreneur, you need to know what you bring to the table but more importantly, you need to know what others can help you bring to the table and then go find those people. Hire people who are smarter than yourself. Investors want to see a solid team that works well together. They are most comfortable investing in companies with at least 2 or 3 founders.
Find the accelerator that will provide the best connections for your individual business. The most valuable aspect of these programs are the connections that you make. Select a program that provides the best connections long-term for your goals.
Pick an investor that fits with your business. Don't choose an investor based on who provides the largest sum of money. It's important to have a true partner that understands your business and will provide beneficial guidance instead of someone that may bring more funding but could ultimately steer your business in the wrong direction.
In my opinion, the talks on negotiation and funding were the most informative but the conference featured many other beneficial sessions as well. Spending the day hearing from so many women with different backgrounds, roles, and responsibilities was really inspiring. I'll leave you with a little piece of that inspiration that Tiffany Dufu of Levo League shared.
If you want something that you've never had before, you're going to have to do something that you've never done before in order to get it.
So get out there and embrace the challenge of doing something new!


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Q: Intermittent failure using Excel VBA for chart series data in external workbook There are two workbooks, MakePlots.xlsm and ext_data.xlsm.  MakePlot contains an instruction sheet named PlotMe, a reference data set, and a number of reference plot sheets named Page 1, Page 2, etc.  ext_data contains sheets of run data, e.g. run 1, run 2, ...   The plot sheets contain a number of charts (i.e. 14 charts) that are arranged to print on one page to a pdf file.  There is a macro in MakePlots.xlsm, that reads initialization data off of sheet PlotMe, and then the macro copies the reference sheets, and updates the series in each chart with the reference to [ext_data.xlsm]run xxx!...., correcting the source and the number of rows.  In each series, the reference to Data is replaced with [ext_data.xlsm]run xxx and the number of rows is corrected.  The reference sheets identify the columns to plot in each chart, along with the number of series on each chart, and x/y labels, legend labels, etc.  Unfortunately, the macro occasionally doesn't work, illustrated below with pseudo code and output.  Previously, the macro also copied the sheet from ext_data into MakePlots, and then the reference source was changed from Data to "Run XXX".  That previously ran without error.  However, I thought it would be better to reference the external worksheet instead of copying the data sheets.  But now the macro doesn't always work.
Pseudo code
Loop mySrs In oChart.Chart.SeriesCollection
debug.print "Original formula: " & mySrs.Formula
... code to extract formula parts
debug.print "Reconstruct fmla: " & reconstructFmla
... code to modify series data source
debug.print "Proposed formula: " & updatedFmla
mySrs.Formula = updatedFmla   <- ERROR OCCURS ON THIS LINE
debug.print "Updated  formula: " & mySrs.Formula
end loop

I'm receiving errors illustrated with the following debug printing
  Original formula: =SERIES(,'Data'!$B$2:$B$204,'Data'!$C$2:$C$204,1)
  Reconstruct fmla: =SERIES(,'Data'!$B$2:$B$204,'Data'!$C$2:$C$204,1)
  Proposed formula: =SERIES(,'[ext_data.xlsm]Run XXX'!$B$2:$B$13,'[ext_data.xlsm]Run XXX'!$C$2:$C$13,1)
  NEXT LINE SHOWS THE ERROR, THE FORMULA WAS NOT COPIED INTO THE SERIES
  Updated  formula: =SERIES(,PlotMe!$B$2:$B$13,PlotMe!$C$2:$C$13,1)

If I go to the chart being updated, and scroll till the series formula
  =SERIES(,'Data'!$B$2:$B$204,'Data'!$C$2:$C$204,1)

appears in the formula bar, and then replace with the proposed formula, the chart updates correctly.  This doesn't seem to happen often, but it happens on the same chart and run.  There are 14 different charts and a large number of runs.  It only occurs on one of the 14 chart, and only on some of the runs.  If I stop the code right when the error is going to occur, and update the chart by copying the proposed formula into the formula bar, then the code continues running without error.  I'm unclear how to debug this further. How to determine why the formula string can not be updated with a formula that works in the formula bar?
Previously, the vba code was running when the external data was copied into the workbook with the charts, prior to updating the source links.  But it seems redundant, and potentially error prone, to generate copies of the data for the charts.
Temporary work around.  If proposed formula != update formula, then write proposed formula to a text file so that it can be copied in later, and put a text message on the plot indicating the data is incorrect.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
We are delighted to be able to provide you with some information about our new Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) that we feel will bring real benefits to the children and young people in our schools. Multi-Academy Trusts are now becoming a standard part of the educational landscape and the government has made it clear that it wants all schools to be part of some kind of strong partnership in the years to come.
The Red Kite Learning Trust builds on existing strong partnerships between schools and is a response to profound changes in the school system that reinforce the need for schools in a locality to work together for the benefit of all. Experience, both nationally and internationally, tells us that partnerships now need to be deeper and more sustainable and have a clear focus on improving the quality of provision for our young people from age three to nineteen.
We hope you will take the time to read the information we have provided for you and it is useful either to just help understand what we are doing or even perhaps inspire you to consider putting your school forward to join the Red Kite Learning Trust. If you do, our one request would be that you really consider whether you can commit to our values. If you want to work in partnership to create world-class provision for all our young people where 'excellence for all' is a reality, please get in touch.
Red Kite Learning Trust publishes the required statutory documentation for all its schools on the Red Kite Learning Trust website. Please refer to www.rklt.co.uk for the Trust's Financial Statements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Funding Agreement. Details of Members, Trustees and Governors of the Trust schools and their relevant interests and attendance are published on the Trust website and in accordance with GDPR guidelines the Trust's Privacy Notice is also published.
For details of the Scheme of Delegation, please click here.
For further information, please download our Red Kite Learning Trust brochure below;
Red Kite Teacher Training Letter
Red Kite Learning Trust Brochure

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Johannes Kritzinger
University of South Africa
Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, Professor Emeritus
Home > Vol 50, No 1 (2022) > Kritzinger
The search for Ikhaya:Can we build a Home together?
The search for a new social contract in South Africa is explored in this paper by examining the terms ikhaya and oikos, and the notion of covenanting together to build a home across the fault lines that divide society. It uses a seven-point praxis matrix to reflect on the way in which a group of theologians could covenant together to overcome the fault line of racism to build a 'deracial' home. The paper explores the role that each of the seven dimensions of praxis (agency, spirituality, interpreting the tradition, discernment for action, contextual understanding, and ecclesial scrutiny) should play in such a journey.


The dissolution of the WRCC and replacing it with the new governance model (Waterway Advisory Committee) that directly is controlled by the city is troubling. Since the announcement that the bypass in 1966 would leave the waterway in the city's future, public participation has historically been involved. Recently, the process used to change the governance of the WRCC and later, its dissolution did not follow in these footsteps. Here are some of those actions that involved the public since 1980.
1. During the early 1980's the Welland Canal Parkway Development Board developed plans using the McLaren Report to bring tourist dollars to the community. Public meetings were held seeking our input before this plan was cancelled by the federal election in 1984.
2.The decision by the Conservative government to sell off the canal lands to private developers was opposed by local citizens. Opposition to this activity was reflected in a petition of some 350 names and recorded in Hansard at the House of Commons by our federal member of Parliament, Gib Parent in 1989.
3. As a result of a fatality on the recreational waterway and the hazardous operation of motorized watercraft, Councillor Joe Spadafora launched a public inquiry into the need for developing some standards to control waterway activity. A list of recommendations were developed for public and federal government officials in 1990.
4. Issues leading up to the municipal election in 2004 involved the lack of tourism developments on the waterway. A major meeting chaired by Arlene Whyte from the Ministry of Tourism was held at the Best Western where a brainstorming session developing a variety of suggestions on what needed to be done occurred.
5. As a result of the creation of the incorporated WRCC in 2002 and efforts by Mayor Damian Goulbourne to set the board free of city control, the citizens selected to serve on the board were responsible for setting up the waterway for an international flatwater course.
6. During the operation of the WRCC, the board members saw a need to revisit its direction. A Master Plan of 2014 involving input of hundreds of local citizens resulted in a document that outlined these changes.
7. A challenge to the Go Quiet Policy last year resulted in four public meetings plus numerous e-mails and letters that supported this policy be maintained.
When members of the WRCC resigned in protest over disagreements with city council on how it was conducting business in 2017, the city looked at three formats to reform the WRCC. Two public meetings were held in June when people's minds were on summer vacations. Some forty-five people attended the first meeting while the June 30th meeting had significantly fewer.
What proved to be interesting is that most of these people did not understand what changes the city wanted to make. Unable to reach a governance model that satisfied the city, a decision to totally abandon the WRCC and adopt a multilevel model under the control of city council was developed.
The dangers of this new direction needs to be discussed in a public consultation. For example, what impact will this have on the accessibility to the canal fund? Hopefully, this discourse could happen with involvement of both the new council and the public.


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Home/Entertainment News/Vijaya Mulay film historian, educationist passes away
Vijaya Mulay film historian, educationist passes away
Vijaya Mulay passed away on Sunday. Born on May 16, 1921, Mulay founded the Delhi Film Society in 1959, and later on became a joint secretary of the Federation of Film Societies. Vijaya Mulay was not only a film historian but a respected educationist and an influential writer. In 1975, Mulay was asked to head the Center for Educational technology in order to prepare educational films which were to be broadcast in four languages across 2400 villages.
#BornOnThisDay in 1921 One of the pioneers of Indian Documentary and film society movement as well as renowned film historian: VIJAYA MULAY A filmmaker, animator, film historian and educationist, Vijaya Mulay is known as a strong activist within the movement in independent and documentary films. She has won several awards for her documentaries and educational communication. On this day, we have for you an excerpt from one of her most iconic animation videos. #nfai #documentary #filmmaker #historian #instavideo #vijayamulay #india #pune
A post shared by National Film Archive Of India (@nfaiofficial) on May 16, 2017 at 4:39am PDT
Vijaya Mulay's daughter, actor Suhasini Mulay said, "It was just about old age. She was 98. She had no illnesses of an ageing person. Her blood pressure was fine. Her heartbeat was fine. She didn't have diabetes or anything like that. But as she grew older, she became weaker and was eating less. She called me on the morning of May 10 and told me that she was not feeling well at all. We took her to Escorts hospital, where she was admitted for four days.
She had made it very clear that she did not want anything invasive done to her. She said that she lived a full and happy life and did not want to be kept alive by a ventilator or anything. Then we brought her home on May 14, and she was with us till May 19. At 4.45 pm, she passed away. She was not in pain, and it was an easy passage.
1921 Born on May 16 broadcast in four languages Delhi Film Society in 1959 Educational technology educationist Escorts hospital Federation of Film Societies film historian passes away Suhasini Mulay Vijaya Mulay
Jiiva starring Gypsy trailer released
Scarlett Johansson gets engaged with Colin Jost
Shilpa Shetty, Paresh Rawal starrer Hungama 2 headed for an OTT release
Kadaram Kondan trailer released
Deepika Padukone resigns as the chairperson of MAMI
Hrithik Roshan poses with his body double on the sets of Vikram Vedha


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Home > Journals > Chirurgia > Past Issues > Chirurgia 2022 June;35(3) > Chirurgia 2022 June;35(3):138-42
Chirurgia 2022 June;35(3):138-42
DOI: 10.23736/S0394-9508.21.05295-5
Non-operative management of acute appendicitis in children: single center, cohort study
Olga KASTRITSI 1, Xenophon SINOPIDIS 2, Sofia BARBAGADAKIS 1, Stelios SAKELLARIS 1, Georgios MATZAKANIS 2, Eleni D. KASTRITSI 1, George SAKELLARIS 1 ✉
1 Department of Pediatric Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece; 2 Department of Pediatric Surgery, University General Hospital of Patras, Patras, Greece
HTML PDF
BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is a common cause of abdominal pain in children and appendectomy is regarded as the first-line treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of non-operative treatment in complicated and uncomplicated cases of acute appendicitis in children.
METHODS: In this study, children who were hospitalized in the Pediatric Surgery Clinic of the University General Hospital in Heraklion Crete from 2017 till 2019. Out of 145 patients, 31 were treated non-operatively and 13 out of 31 relapsed and underwent an appendectomy (41.9%).
RESULTS: In total, 5 patients out of the aforementioned 31 had complicated appendicitis and 3 of them required surgical treatment. Two patients treated conservatively were referred to our hospital with symptoms indicative of acute appendicitis, however surgical intervention was not required. Out of the patients who underwent an appendectomy, one was admitted again due to Intestinal adhesions with obstruction, one was referred to the hospital because of post-surgical bowel disorders, and one because of trauma purulence.
CONCLUSIONS: It can be inferred that a protocol of conservative management of acute appendicitis should be implemented, according to which patients with uncomplicated appendicitis are treated non-operatively and in case they relapse, undergo surgical treatment.
KEY WORDS: Appendicitis; Conservative treatment; appendicitis; Pediatrics
Issue published online: September 5, 2022
Manuscript accepted: April 12, 2021
Manuscript received: March 24, 2021
Kastritsi O, Sinopidis X, Barbagadakis S, Sakellaris S, Matzakanis G, Kastritsi ED, et al. Non-operative management of acute appendicitis in children: single center, cohort study. Chirurgia 2022;35:138-42. DOI: 10.23736/S0394-9508.21.05295-5
georgesakellaris97@gmail.com


Oh yes. It's hot outside.
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Just a sample of 24 of 100 artists.
Ten percent off everything. Every Monday.
With the work of more than 90 Minnesota Artists, the Art Shoppe at Midtown Global Market is well-stocked with original and unique art. Come to Midtown Global Market, decide which among the many terrific food vendors for your lunch, and show for art at The Art Shoppe.
Art Shoppe Earring Artists continue to astonish with their creativity and ingenuity. Each creates one-of-a-kind pieces by enthusiastically exploring their tools and materials.
Above: Terry Day (Earwings/ "Friendly Plastic"); Megan Funk (Starry Night/watchparts, gemstones); Stacy Mielke (SOL Jewelry Design/beads, gemstones).
Above: Tom Cornish (Fused Glass); Mary Holland (Marbled Leather); Melinda Wolff (Reclaimed and Recycled Wood).
Above: Margie Weaver (Copper Mojo Copper Jewelry); Lee Schultz (Amorini/Wire); Kim Buell (Polymer Clay); Carla Brown (Manipulated Metal, beads and gemstones).
Above: Brenna Klassen-Glanzer (Sterling); Katherine is Wired (Bev Golberg, beads, gemstones, wire); Bambi Johnson (Leather and fabric); Allie Hafez (Tourmalinated quartz, stick pearls, Bali Silver, Sterling Silver).
See something you like? Most Art Shoppe Artists accept commissions. Inquire through the Shoppe.
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More new work at the Art Shoppe!
When more than 90 artists in the Art Shoppe sharing space at the Midtown Global Market, it should surprise no one that new work comes in all the time.
Stop for the food, knowing that if you leave hungry it's your fault, and then come to the Art Shoppe!
Tracie Thompson: Prints, Cards (The Big Meowski); Susan Gainen (Mosaic States and Neighborhoods); Pamela Kirton: Prints Cards of Digital Pieced Patchwork; Keegan Xavi Prints Cards.
LuAnn Kinzer: Textiles; Lee Schultz: Prints; Kim Buell: Ceramics; Carla Brown Zip Pulls & Key Chains.
10% off every Monday. 1-1/2 hours free parking in the ramp with a merchant stamp.
While Minnesotans are enjoying the last days at the lake and seeking the best new foods from the Minnesota State Fair, Art Shoppe Artists are bringing exciting work to the Shoppe here at Midtown Global Market.
Here are a few of our artists and some of their unique — one of a kind — art pieces. Note, please that most of our artists accept commissions. Inquire at the Shoppe.
Counter Clockwise. Kathryn Rosebear (ceramics); Kim Buell (polymer clay jewelry and photography); Megan Funk, aka Starry Night Beadworks (Jewelry made from original watch parts).
Counter Clockwise. Bryce Brown (talking and walking sticks); Greg Pususta (Carved wooden bird feathers); Margie Weaver (Home grown Sweetgrass and copper jewelry).
Counter Clockwise. Carla Brown (Gemstone and Bead Jewelry); Mary Holland (marbling: paper, wood, ceramics, leather and paper); Melinda Wolff (jewelry from reclaimed wood and clovers).
10% off everything every Monday. 1-1/2 hours free parking in the ramp with a Merchant stamp.


Maintaining a motorcycle can be expensive and customers habitually go to salvage to obtain used Motorcycle parts. In the state of Pennsylvania you can visit several centers focused on actual, classic or custom motorcycle pieces. Feel free to browse through our listings in order to find the best deals !
The list under these lines contains the most known cities with junk yards specialized in Motorcycle parts in Pennsylvania. If you are looking for second-hand motocycle spares in one of the counties of this state, you can first look at these cities or look a little further down for the full list of counties.
This listing delivers the counties of Pennsylvania where you can find junk yards for Motorcycle parts. The info we offer is public domain and frequently reviewed by many centers to achieve maximum accuracy. If you locate any inaccuracy or incorrectness, we would appreciate your help.
Please click below on a category to find additional second hand motorbike parts in Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that we have no relationship with these businesses, we only provide you the contact info you can need to visit them.
To buy with confidence it's important to look for providers that show a good reputation in the industry in the sale of second-hand motorcycle parts. A salvage yard with a good reputation must know in depth the diverse makers of accessories and third-party spares. Of course, they will also be well informed about the recent developments in the motorbike market. If you locate a quality provider where you can purchase your pieces, you will sure repeat them more often.
Acquiring second hand motorbike pieces online can assist you save many bucks. It is also generally easier to locate a specific spare that is not found elsewhere. The biggest advantage of purchasing second-hand parts for your motorbike on the internet is the saving of time, effort and money on trips. It is common for online stores to offer special deals compared to the prices usually offered in the traditional market. Look for an online catalogue that offers free shipping to your home.
As essential as finding a pares seller with a good reputation is asking the correct questions. It is essential to know deeply the specs of the used piece you want to buy to make sure if they are 100% compatible with the make and model of your motorcycle. Of course, do not hesitate to ask for some kind of warranty on the purchased product, whenever possible. The questions you ask will never be excesive for you, they can avoid you some displeasure.
If you buy a second hand part for your motorbike, it is best to understand what additional components you should replace. Note that sometimes these accessories come in kits with more parts that you may not need. The best idea is to buy only the components that you will need, so you will avoid spending extra money. You can also purchase the full kit if you believe you will need the rest of the components in the future.
All motorcycles in the United States are sold with a guarantee period according to the current regulation. However, keep in mind that it is possible to void the warranty when installing a second-hand part, so it is a better idea to read this document carefully. In any case, the better to install second hand parts only after the warranty period has ended. If you are protected by the purchase guarantee, we advise you go to an authorized dealer to avoid eventual troubles.


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By Eva Gutierrez May 19, 2021 9 Mins Read
Few could have predicted the way online creatives, social media, and digital platforms would combine to create a new marketplace for ideas and content. The Creator Economy allows people from across the internet to share their passions, a passion economy if you will. The currency of this space is not NFTS (non-fungible tokens) or ad revenue, but clout driven by the connection to audiences and brands.
The Creator Economy does have its mega-stars, but it's mostly made up of people who have friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances who care about their opinion. Even the smallest streamers and independent content creators can drive connection on old and new networks alike.
As tempting as the shiny objects at the top of the Creator Economy sound for marketers, those mega-influencers are not the only creators that brands should be leveraging in their content strategy.
To understand how to leverage all creators, we have to first understand what the Creator Economy is.
What is the Creator Economy?
The Creator Economy is the term given to creatives garnering audiences on social media platforms—think YouTubers, Instagram influencers, Snapchat creators, and Twitter thought leaders. These creators are leveraging the reach of social platforms to grow an audience they can promote or sell their own products to. That's where the economy comes in.
With 50 million creators in the Creator Economy, money is being moved. Two million of those creators are making six figures per year, and major influencers have a valuation of 8 billion dollars in advertising revenue and sponsorships.
The Creator Economy was built by high-profile influencers who had hundreds of thousands to millions of followers on social media. Casey Neistat was a first-mover, one of the few YouTubers who chose to create vlogs that followed him around his days living in New York City. As the Creator Economy has matured, we're now seeing content that surpasses behind-the-scenes of people's lives—we're seeing creators making their own shows. Dixie D'Amelio recently launched her show, The Early Late Night Show, in competition with the established and TV-backed late-night shows like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
Creators are promoting products, selling their own, and turning themselves into the product. The Creator Economy shows just how much people connect to online personalities—and why brands need to be paying attention.
Everyone is a Creator Now
Being an influencer used to be reserved for people with high-followers counts who could use their social platform as a marketing channel for brands. We're seeing people still use their platforms as marketing outlets, but now influencers don't require a six-figure following. As the Creator Economy matured, people have become more comfortable sharing user-generated content of products…even if the post isn't sponsored.
More than half of consumers wish that brands would tell them what type of content to create and share. These consumers aren't the influencers you're used to seeing online. They're your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. They're the average person who is now leaning into their online voice as true fans of the brands.
While influencers sparked the Creator Economy, the average consumer is the rocket fuel behind its success. They're using their social platforms to take photos of their coffee and tagging the cafe they bought it from. They're complaining to brands that have questionable customer service. They're bringing their phones on vacation and showing what their experience is.
Platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok are the engine pushing the Creator Economy forward. This economy can't work without them, but it also requires a driver to take the wheel. Venture Capitalist Clara Lindh Bergendorff has observed that these platforms need their creators now, more than ever before.
"In the early days of social media and the Attention Economy, the creators needed the platforms' audience. As (1) the creators and their leverage increased, (2) the barriers to micro-entrepreneurship decreased, and (3) people with niche interests around the globe were able to discover like-minded people to convene against the so-called mainstream, there was a subtle but acute power shift, and the platforms now need the creators' loyal communities."
How Does The Creator Economy Work (And How Brands Can Leverage the It)?
As a marketer, you have two ways of using the Creator Economy. The first is to leverage full-time creators, like a YouTube star or Facebook digerati, who have built big audiences. This strategy involves mega-influencers who generally have four revenue streams. These revenue streams are highlighted in Colin and Samir's YouTube video about how much money YouTube pays them.
Creators make money based on the advertisements shown before, during, and after their videos. YouTube has been the prime example of this in the past, but creators can now leverage Instagram for the same revenue with their latest IGTV ad update. We should note that Adsense isn't the end-all to all monetization tools, there are others that exist on different creator platforms.
Brand Deals
One scroll through your feed and you have a high chance of seeing a brand deal. These are the classic Creator Economy deals that pay an influencer to talk about a product in a set amount of posts, stories, and videos.
Paid content comes from memberships like Steve Aoki's recently announced membership. In return for a monthly fee, his fans can get exclusive content and access to prizes, like winning a trip to Steve's house.
Merchandise gives creators a chance to make their own business, not built around other brands. With this revenue stream, creators can choose what product fits their brand and audience and quickly sell direct-to-consumer with platforms like Shopify.
Your content marketing strategy fits into some or all of these creator revenue streams. For example:
Brands can set up pre-roll ads to play in front of the videos you know your audience is watching.
You can hire influencers in brand deals to talk about your products in sponsored posts or videos.
Work with creators to add your brand to their paid content by offering to sponsor a giveaway or create an experience for the creator to document for their audience.
Collaborations of brands x merch leads to impressions and revenue from that creator's audience.
The second way marketers can leverage the Creator Economy is with nano and micro-influencers. As Harvard Business Reviews calls it, this is the middle class of the Creator Economy. In this case, we're not talking about creators trying to make a living from their social audience. We're talking about your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. These people have their own followings that can be leveraged in marketing through user-generated content.
Consumers want brands to tell them what kind of user-generated content to create from their buying experience. Brands can send UGC instructions in their emails or their shipping boxes to inspire user-generated content from their customers. With TINT, brands can find, collect, and organize user-generated content across digital channels to repurpose it strategically. Using machine learning, TINT finds social content that has your products in it and automatically organizes it so your team can hop in and redistribute it.
Canon used TINT to create a new generation of photographers (and garner 2,000+ social contest entries from entrants under 30). Canon's goal was to appeal to a younger generation of photographers through their #FreeYourStory contest.
"When developing the contest, we wanted to engage a younger generation of storytellers that mainly used their phones to share their stories on social platforms. It was an opportunity to introduce them to Canon's brand and inspire them on how they can elevate their storytelling with Canon products," said Katherine Stephens, Canon's European Marketing Planner.
The #FreeYourStory contest urged the contestants to enter into the categories of either mirror selfie or forced perspective. Each category's winner would receive a unique photography masterclass hosted by a Canon professional and a Canon equipment selection, including an EOS M200 and a Canon Zoemini S.
Canon has now shifted #FreeYourStory to an ongoing user-generated campaign on their website and social media channels, continuing to inspire and engage the next generation of photographers. 43% of participants opted in to future marketing from Canon, and the team is now providing information to the community regarding Canon products, photography tips, and more. This particular contest may be over, but the campaign lives on through the #FreeYourStory hashtag, which has grown to 10,000 Instagram posts and gains in popularity daily.
User-generated content also encompasses employee-generated content. Employee-generated content is created by the employees of a brand and can be re-shared up to 24 times more than branded content. EGC shows the people behind the brand, humanizing marketing and branding efforts. We see Instagram use EGC regularly with their announcements directly from their CEO's, Adam Mosseri, Twitter account.
Once collected, marketers can use UGC and EGC as organic and paid content. Their organic feeds can be a distribution of brand-created content and UGC/EGC and their paid ads can use their customer's stories to promote their products.
The Creator Economy has matured, digital content has quickly outpaced traditional media, but it's hardly done growing yet. We're going to continue to see changes as new social media platforms arise, new technology gets brought to the platforms we're familiar with, and the potential regulations coming social's way from governments worldwide.
The statistics are telling us that people don't need A-list celebrities to promote a product to buy into it. They want their favorite creators to put their stamp of approval on it—and that's where the real brand-to-creator relationship lies.
No matter if you're working with multi-million followings or a small audience of your users or employees, the Creator Economy is asking for user-generated content that is trustworthy and authentic.
And as a marketer, there's never been an easier time to create it.
Build your own UGC Studio using TINT to find, organize, collect, and get the rights to use customer and employee content. Schedule a demo with the TINT team to take a look inside the UGC studio here.
content creatorscreator economycreatorsinfluencersmicroinfluencersnanoinfluencersorganic social media
Author Eva Gutierrez
Social Media for Esports Marketing: Using Unique Content to Get More Fans Engaged


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What was expected to be a long battle turned out to be a walk in the park as RC Cola-Army swept F2 Logistics, 25-22, 25-12, 25-19, in the PSL Invitational at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center.
With head coach Kung Fu Reyes tending to his UAAP duties, the Lady Troopers still played in the right direction to take the leadership with a 2-0 record.
"So far naman na-apply namin yung ginawa namin nung practice kahapon. Nag-scrimmage kami kung pano namin kailangan paghandaan yung F2," said top assistant Rico de Guzman.
With the young ones doing the damage for Army so far, De Guzman admits that they are really a big help to his team.
"Masaya ako dahil ganun tinatakbo ng team namin, malaki natutulong nila. Sila yung pumapalit dun sa mga beterano namin," he said.


Home » Topics » Ultimate Member » Gallery for Ultimate Member » missing instructions "Upload your photos"
missing instructions "Upload your photos"
Staffan Moberg 2 years, 1 month ago.
For med the text "Upload your photos" and the image a house or similiar is missing. It´s just white text on white background….
Thank you for reaching out. This is a strange issue, I will investigate this now.
I have updated the plugin. If you are still experiencing this issue, please send a email with a test user account so I can test this from your site.
Sounds great, but where is the new version so I can update the plugin on my site aswell?
I have 1.0.7.7 installed and thats the latest on your site aswell?


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House-hunting honey bees work like complex brains: study
by University of California - Riverside
On a foggy day, Kirk Visscher examines honey bees settling on the nest box they have chosen and to which the swarm has flown. The camera is recording the flight tracks of bees against the sky. Credit: T. Seeley, Cornell University
Swarms of bees and brains made up of neurons make decisions using strikingly similar mechanisms, says a new study in the Dec. 9 issue of Science.
House-hunting is full of decisions, for us and honey bees. One early decision we both face is where to live. P. Kirk Visscher at the University of California, Riverside, often in collaboration with Thomas Seeley at Cornell University, NY, has long been studying how honey bees make these decisions.
Swarms of honey bees split off from their mother colony and go house-hunting, looking for a secure cavity in a tree or elsewhere that will make a good home for the new colony. In this process, they communicate to each other what they have found by dancing: a scout bee returning from a good site moves over and over in a figure-eight pattern that indicates the direction and the distance to the site, and other scouts read these dances and inspect the site themselves.
Usually, the swarm's scouts find more than one site, in which case the swarm faces a decision that must be made quickly since the swarm is exposed and the season for honey collection is passing. The decision, however, must also be good decision, the future welfare of the colony depending on a good home site.
Visscher, Seeley and colleagues report Dec. 8 in Science Express that they have found another, overlooked, signal that plays a role in this process – a signal that is similar to those that occur between neurons in the brains of monkeys making decisions. Called the "stop signal," it is a very short buzz delivered by the sender scout while butting her head against the dancer. Its effect is to shorten and ultimately end the dance.
"It appears that the stop signals in bee swarms serve the same purpose as the inhibitory connections in the brains of monkeys deciding how to move their eyes in response to visual input," said Visscher, a professor of entomology. "In one case we have bees and in the other we have neurons that suppress the activity levels of units – dancing bees or nerve centers – that are representing different alternatives. Bee behavior can shed some light on general issues of decision making. Bees are a lot bigger than neurons for sure, and may be easier to study!"
Video shows a dancing honey bee receiving stop signals from scout bees. The stop signal is a very short buzz delivered by a scout bee while butting her head against a dancing bee. Its effect is to shorten and ultimately end the dance. Credit: Thomas Schlegel, Bristol University; and P. Kirk Visscher, UC Riverside
To study the stop signal, Seeley, Visscher, and Thomas Schlegel at Bristol University, United Kingdom, set up swarms, one at a time, on an island off the Maine coast that was devoid of natural nesting cavities. They also set out two identical nest boxes. They labeled scout bees visiting the two boxes with paint marks of two colors. They then video-recorded the scouts producing waggle dances and tracked dances produced by the marked scouts with a microphone and videotape to ascertain when they received stop signals, and from which bees.
What the international team observed was that the stop signals were primarily delivered to dancers reporting a particular site by scouts that had been marked at the other site.
"The message the sender scout is conveying to the dancer appears to be that the dancer should curb her enthusiasm, because there is another nest site worthy of consideration," Visscher said. "Such an inhibitory signal is not necessarily hostile. It's simply saying, 'Wait a minute, here's something else to consider, so let's not be hasty in recruiting every bee to a site that may not be the best one for the swarm. All the bees have a common interest in choosing the best available site."
Visscher explained that the kind of cross inhibition seen in stop-signaling by house hunting bees mirrors cross inhibition found in nervous systems. In the research paper, theoretical models by team members Patrick Hogan and James Marshall at Sheffield University, United Kingdom, demonstrate that such cross inhibition helps to insure that a decision will not become deadlocked between equal-quality alternatives.
"This is critical, because the swarm must choose a single nest site, even if two sites of equal quality are available," Visscher said. "This cross inhibition curtails the production of waggle dances for, and thus the recruitment of bees to, a competing site."
Honey bee swarms are produced when, to establish a new colony, many thousand worker bees leave a hive that has become crowded, bringing along their mother queen. The swarming bees cluster near the parental hive for a few days while several hundred scout bees, the oldest in the swarm, locate and advertize prospective nest sites and choose the best ones.
To advertize a nest site, a dancing bee runs figure eight patterns and waggles back and forth while she moves across the middle portion. The angle of her body during this waggling run represents to the other bees the angle to fly. The duration of the waggling portion informs the other bees of how far away the nest site is. It can be thought of as a miniature reenactment of the flight to the goal; the longer the flight, the longer the waggle run, and the angle of flight relative to the sun direction equals the angle of the dance from relative to straight upwards from the swarm.
To be selected as a future home, a nest site must attract a certain number of scout bees. Further, there is competition between sites for the attention of a limited number of scouts. Once a site attracts a "quorum" number of scouts, the bees detect it, and begin to change their signals on the swarm. They then produce a piping signal by vibrating their wing muscles while pressing down on another bee. This signal leads the swarm bees, most of which simply hang quietly in the swarm during the decision-making process, to warm up in preparation for takeoff.
The piping signal is also associated with a change in the stop signal behavior. After piping begins, the stop signals are no longer delivered reciprocally; instead dancers begin to receive stop signals from scouts that had visited their own nest site, as well as the alternative nest site.
"Apparently at this point, the message of the stop signal changes, and can be thought of as, 'Stop dancing, it is time to get ready for the swarm to fly,'" Visscher explained. "It is important for the scouts to be with the swarm when it takes off, because they are responsible for guiding the flight to the nest site."
Honeybee democracies offer insights, says new book
Provided by University of California - Riverside
Citation: House-hunting honey bees work like complex brains: study (2011, December 8) retrieved 21 January 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2011-12-house-hunting-honey-bees-complex-brains.html
Bee swarms follow high-speed 'streaker' bees to find a new nest
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This Video will show you how to install Anonymous Stolen Streams addon in Kodi to watch 5000+ HD quality paid TV Channels around the World for free.
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text:
{-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wall #-}

module Warn( warn
           ) where

import System.IO
import System.IO.Unsafe

warningsEnabled :: Bool
warningsEnabled = True

warn :: String -> a -> a
warn msg x
  | warningsEnabled = (unsafePerformIO $ hPutStrLn stderr msg) `seq` x
  | otherwise       = x

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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Ed Tittel
Business News Daily Contributing Writer
The Open Group is a global IT industry consortium that boasts more than 500 member organizations including companies of all sizes from around the world. Platinum members IBM, Capgemini, Huawei, Philips, Oracle and HPE are leading lights in this list. Other member organizations and companies hail from all sectors of the IT spectrum, including tech start-ups, universities, software/hardware developers, consultants, integrators, training providers and customers.
The Open Group has developed a comprehensive set of standards on enterprise architecture, security and risk, trusted technology and several other categories that are relevant to IT in general. The group is also responsible for the TOGAF framework (for enterprise architecture), the ArchiMate modeling language and the IT4IT Reference Architecture (for managing the business of IT). To support these initiatives, The Open Group offers a certification program, along with numerous training options.
The Open Group Certification Program Overview
The Open Group's IT certification program includes numerous vendor-neutral certifications in the areas of enterprise IT management, enterprise IT architecture, ArchiMate, TOGAF, IT reference architecture and the Open FAIR body of knowledge. The total Open Group certification program encompasses six subprograms, each of which includes one or more credentials:
The Open Certified IT Specialist (Open CITS) Program
The Open Certified Architect (Open CA) Program
The Open Group ArchiMate Certification Program
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) Certification Program
IT4IT Certification Program
Open FAIR Certification Program
Two of these subprograms are experience-based (the Certified IT Specialist and the Certified Architect), whereas the other four are knowledge-based. Let's take a look at each subprogram and its certifications in more detail.
The holder of a Certified IT Specialist (Open CITS) certification has passed a rigorous, vendor-neutral verification process based on real-world IT experience and technical knowledge. Prospective applicants achieve the Open CITS certification via written applications and interviews with the Open Group's Certification Board. No training classes or exams are required. You must, however, know your stuff. Currently, there are more than 3,000 Open CITS credential holders in more than 50 countries.
To obtain this credential, candidates must possess at least five years of IT experience in the preceding eight years, plus three years of technical experience within the past five years. Candidates should also demonstrate knowledge of current industry trends and training in technical and project management, and demonstrate proven professional contributions back to the community.
The Open CITS certification also requires applicants to demonstrate skills and knowledge in each of the following three subject areas:
Core Foundation Skills: Exhibiting acumen in all four foundation skills: people (communication, negotiation, dispute resolution, for example) business, architecture and project management
Client Focus Skills: Exhibiting acumen in at least one of the following client-focused areas: Services, Sales, Support and Training
Technical Focus Area: Exhibiting acumen in at least one technical area including: application development, business analysis, packaged application implementation, data integration, testing, infrastructure and application development, systems and hardware products, infrastructure design, software, security and IT service management.
Three Open CITS certification levels are available:
Level 1 -- Certified IT Specialist: Able to perform and contribute with supervision or assistance
Level 2 -- Master Certified IT Specialist: Able to perform independently and assume leadership roles as well as drive solution delivery
Level 3 -- Distinguished IT Specialist: Performs in a leadership capacity
The Open Group refers to IT professionals who achieve Open CITS certification as "T-shaped people" because they have a broad range of experience in IT environments and technologies, represented by the horizontal portion of the T. The vertical portion of the T represents a single technical focus area that the Open CITS applicant has mastered.
Open CITS certification exams cost $1,250. Annual renewal fees of $175 are required to maintain the credential.
The Open Group's Certified Architect (Open CA) program administers, trains and bestows certifications on applicants who have industry experience and can prove mastery of the knowledge and skills required of an enterprise or business IT architect. There are currently more than 4,000 Open CAs worldwide from more than 180 companies in over 60 countries.
The Open CA certification is based on the real-world experience and knowledge exhibited by prospective applicants via written applications and interviews with the Open Group's Certification Board. (The Open Group allows candidates at certain certification levels to interview via video conference rather than in person.) No training classes or exams are required to achieve this certification.
There are three levels to the Open CA certification:
Level 1 -- Certified: Able to perform with architecture tasks with assistance or supervision.
Level 2 -- Master: Able to independently perform architecture tasks and deliver relevant solutions as a lead architect.
Level 3 -- Distinguished: Able to lead complex projects from inception to analysis to implementation, including accommodations for business as well as technical requirements and impact. The Distinguished certification applies to applicants on one of three career paths: Chief/Lead Architect, Enterprise Architect or IT Architect Profession Leader.
The Open CA credential has two tracks -- IT Architecture (the main, and original, certification) and the newer Business Architecture. Currently, all three levels are available for the IT Architecture track, and only Levels 1 and 2 are available for candidates interested in pursuing Business Architecture. The Open Group indicates that an Enterprise Architecture track will be added to the Open CA credential, but no firm plans or dates have been announced.
ArchiMate is a business-focused modeling language that enables enterprise and business architects to accurately design, describe, analyze and document business processes that include or are impacted by IT components, services and projects. ArchiMate has been incorporated into many architecture design tools and is also supported by third-party consulting organizations.
The Open Group offers certification both to individuals and to tools vendors who can demonstrate implementation of the ArchiMate principles in their tools:
The ArchiMate 2 and ArchiMate 3 Certification for People Programs are based on the ArchiMate modeling language and ensures that certification holders are fluent in ArchiMate.
The ArchiMate 2 and ArchiMate 3 Tool Certification Programs ensures that tools meet the mandatory requirements to support the ArchiMate modeling language.
The ArchiMate 3 Certification for People Program focuses exclusively on the latest version of the ArchiMate modeling language to ensure cert-holders' fluency.
Two certification levels are available for ArchiMate 2: Foundation (Level 1) and Certified (Level 2). The Open Group also offers two certification levels for ArchiMate 3: Foundation (Level 1) and Practitioner (Level 2).
Candidates may sign up for ArchiMate 2 and 3 courses through numerous accredited training providers to help ensure that they meet ArchiMate requirements.
TOGAF 9 is a standards-based enterprise architecture framework that is used by tens of thousands of IT professionals world-wide to define, document and manage their projects. Training for the TOGAF 9 certification can be acquired via self-study, classroom or distance learning courses, and TOGAF 9 certification is achieved by passing a two-part written exam. Exams and training are based on the TOGAF 9.1 Standard.
There are two levels of certification under the TOGAF 9:
TOGAF 9 Foundation: includes basic concepts, terminology and core principles for using the TOGAF 9 framework.
TOGAF 9 Certified: includes the Foundation content plus the knowledge and comprehension required to apply the TOGAF 9 framework to enterprise architecture projects.
TOGAF 9 is a great follow-up for Open CA or Open CITS certification holders to demonstrate a desire for continuing education and expanding their expertise in enterprise architecture.
The Open Group's IT4IT certification program targets professionals working with Version 2 of the IT4IT Reference Architecture. The IT4IT Reference Architecture is a standard for an operating model that targets business IT and reference architecture.
At present, a single credential – the IT4IT Foundation certification – is available. The IT4IT Foundation credential focuses on basic skills, including core principles, terminology and basic reference architecture concepts.
The first Open Group certification that does not focus entirely on IT is the Open Group FAIR (Factor Analysis of Information Risk). FAIR is a methodology that gives structure and standard processes to the risk analysis process. This certification is specifically for risk analysts and offers two areas of specialization: the Open Risk Taxonomy Standard (O-RT) and the Open Risk Analysis Standard (O-RA).
The use of The Open Group standards is well established and pervasive. You'll find organizations implementing the standards globally throughout all industry sectors, such as finance, software development, education, automotive, health care and more. By way of example, a quick search on a popular job board turned up almost 1,200 employers seeking TOGAF-certified professionals to join their teams. Professionals certified in both TOGAF and ArchiMate were particularly popular. For example, we found:
An Omaha-based global technology company seeking a senior solution architect certified in TOGAF and ArchiMate to design and integrate SAP, Microsoft, and custom third-party applications
A major e-tailer looking to place an Enterprise Solutions Architect in NYC looking to design and deliver multi-tiered, cloud-based data and applications handling solutions to global customers
A financial services organization in Michigan seeking an enterprise architect with TOGAF and ArchiMate expertise to design banking and financial services applications from the ground up
Owing to the nature of The Open Group standards, most Open Group certified professionals will find themselves working in enterprise architecture, technology, or security and risk assessment. Open CAs frequently work as senior-level lead enterprise architects, and Open CITS professionals often find work as enterprise-level engineers. Employers also frequently seek certified individuals for non-technical roles, including business analysts, software sales representatives and program managers.
The Open Group provides a regularly updated calendar of accredited third-party training courses for TOGAF, ArchiMate, IT4IT and Open Fair, as well as supplemental training to fill in gaps for other Open Group certifications. These three- to five-day courses cost $1,200 to $2,500, where applicable exam fees are included in the course fees. Candidates may also visit the online The Open Group Store to purchase study guides, practice tests and other prep materials.
The Open Group has refined its standards creation and certification processes to the point that they also consult with other consortia on how to best implement similar programs for specialties that are outside the current purview of The Open Group.
It's one thing to be great at what you do, but The Open Group takes their expertise one step further by helping other industry organizations implement similar standards development and certification programs. That's one sure-fire way to recognize a standards organization that's doing things right: other organizations want to replicate your standards-based success.
Additional reporting by Mary Kyle.
Image Credit: Open Group
Ed is a 30-year-plus veteran of the computing industry, who has worked as a programmer, a technical manager, a classroom instructor, a network consultant and a technical evangelist for companies that include Burroughs, Schlumberger, Novell, IBM/Tivoli and NetQoS. He has written and blogged for numerous publications, including Tom's Hardware, and is the author of over 140 computing books with a special emphasis on information security, Web markup languages and development tools, and Windows operating systems.
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text:
Visit to cruise conference successful, says new Nevis Tourism Minister
Deputy Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration Hon. Mark Brantley (file photo)
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 18, 2013) — Deputy Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Mark Brantley described Nevis' recent participation at an acclaimed cruise conference in Miami as successful.
On his return to Nevis, Mr. Brantley who led a two member delegation from the Ministry of Tourism to the Sea Trade Cruise Conference told the Department of Information on March 15th, 2013 that during the Conference they were afforded the opportunity to hold some useful meetings.
"All in all, I feel that the trip was very successful. For me it was an effort to familiarise myself with the cruise industry. Nevis as we all know is not a major cruise destination and we want it to stay that way… We met with Celebrity Cruise Lines, we met with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and we met with Azamara.
"Azamara is of particular interest to us because it is a luxury brand of Royal Caribbean and so the idea behind meeting with them is because Nevis is promoting itself as a premier destination. We are seeking to attract the higher end niche of the cruise market, the small ships, the luxury brands and so Azamara took a meeting with us and we are very, very grateful for that," he said.
According to Mr. Brantley, the Azamara had already made calls to Nevis and the most recent was two weeks ago. He expressed hope that it would make Nevis an integral part of its itinerary.
Discussions were also held with officials from the Windstar, another luxury brand cruise line.
"We also took the opportunity to continue discussions with another luxury brand called Windstar. Windstar was here recently their representatives were on St. Kitts and came over to Nevis. I met with them briefly and officials here from the Ministry of Tourism took them on an island tour.
"Windstar is a brand that we are keenly interested in, they have expressed a very, very keen desire to come to Nevis because they see Nevis as affording their clientele the upscale destination that they are looking for and so we took a meeting with them which went extremely well," he said.
Mr. Brantley further noted that he had also used the opportunity to meet with renowned Tourism Consultant Dr. Auliana Poon who was currently conducting a consultancy for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
"On the sidelines I also spoke to a Dr. Poon, she is a Consultant who is currently basd here on St. Kitts primarily with looking at sustainable tourism. She was there and we took a meeting with her which I thought went really well in terms of laying out the vision for Nevis and what we as the Ministry of Tourism and I as the new Minister of Tourism am seeking to do.
"Dr. Poon will be visiting the Federation in the next few days and we hope to continue that discussion. [Our] hope would be that her mandate for St. Kitts, we can get that expanded, so she could also do some consulting work on Nevis," he said.
Mr. Brantley who was accompanied by Senior Cruise Officer in the Ministry of Tourism on Nevis Ms Tamika Lawrence attended the Conference from March 11 to 14. His meetings were held specifically on the 12th and 14th before his return to Nevis at the end of his last meeting. However, Ms. Lawrence returned to Nevis at the end of the Conference.
Two tourism related institutions praised by Nevis Tourism Minister
Modern technology assists Nevis Farmers through early dry weather spell


Heidi Dunlap Bauer http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1507753938&v=app_2347471856 Please let me know if this link does not work. Some have had issues. I did make sure to leave it open to the public even thought my profile is not. Thank you.
It's All About the Prostate, Folks.
I'm sure there will be much more reporting regarding the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee meeting from today, but since I did make the effort to attend, I thought I would try to report as best as I can from my experience. My plan was first to tape Dr. Judy Mikovits speaking. I was under the impression that she would be allowed to speak somehow at the last minute. I had planned on taking a camcorder, but decided against it and took a voice recorder instead. I didn't even use that though because all slides were copied onto handouts to be picked up at the door. The room was huge and filled with scientists, press and very few patient advocates, or at least very few who used the public time to speak. Kim McCleary was there, but I recognized few familiar faces aside from Wanda Jones. Even in the fourth row back from front, I was half a room away from the committee. This was far different than the CFSAC meetings I've attended with their cozy, cramped storage rooms. I was fortunate enough to see Dr. Mikovits enter and forced myself over to greet her and introduce myself. She graciously allowed me to glue myself to her for support, meaning she allowed me to sit with her during the meeting. I found out quickly that there were no accommodations made last minute for her to speak. She was sent to be a presence in the audience, and I hoped, a reminder that the good guys are still vigilant about our government finally getting this right.
The chair, Blaine Hollinger, M.D., opened with a statement I had previously read in an email. He stressed that the XMRV portion was information only and no recommendations or decisions would be made during this meeting. This seemed reasonable given that it was being videoed by the FDA along with a transcript being released eventually. My general impression afterwards is that this was simply a show for the public, a nice, safe, production meant to dispel "public panic" and focus almost solely on Prostate Cancer when XMRV was mentioned. To me, it is still reprehensible that prostate cancer (PC) receives respectful nods of approval and NIH funding when they have at best a 23% positive XMRV rate, and they only have found that in a highly specific type of PC that affects young men with a particularly aggressive form of PC. Add to that not even one replication study that backs those figures up (plus a couple negative studies) and they are in a worse situation than the Science study, which had a 67% positive rate, 95% with improved assays, and has a positive replication study pending publication. Yet, it is all about the prostate.
First up was Dr. Indira Hewlett. She presented an overview of the upcoming speakers and topics - three positive studies, including the Science paper, Silverman's work and the German study, which found XMRV in respiratory secretions. Then the several negative papers are mentioned. As scientific courtesy dictates, the possible reasons for discrepant findings were listed, including the study populations, geographic differences, and "other unknown factors". I mentally inserted, power, money, and politics as the "unknown" factors.
Dr. Silverman spoke next and disclosed his affiliations with Abbott Laboratories as both his research support and patent licensing and consulting. I'm going to move on past this one since there was nothing new presented here. I have read about that paper much too often. I'm starting to think I've read too much in general, because over 50% of the topics and slides were familiar information to me. Next, was Dr. Peter Ganz of Health Canada. Overall, they are not convinced that XMRV is the cause of ME/CFS, but they have employed what he called "Regulatory Perspectives" meaning "Lack of consensus does not require adherence to the status quo" and "What are the potential risks to blood recipients?" He called for further studies to establish XMRV as the underlying cause of human diseases in infected individuals. Hear, hear! Get the assays right, fund the studies and get on with it already. Prove the causative aspect so we can move on to answering the dozens of other questions this discovery brings about. How about - How is it transmitted exactly? How does it reach the brain? Is one person more at risk than another? What determines severity? All I could think of is what a waste of time this all is when researchers could, and SHOULD, already be in their labs, well funded, to hammer out the details. And, give the majority of the money to the WPI while I'm making my wish list. If anyone can pull a miracle out of a shoestring budget, they can. They've done it before.
Dr. Michael Hendry from the CDC study was up next. We all know the paper. We all know the Publisher's Clearing House manner of patient selection used. If my cat could speak and answer a phone in Georgia or Kansas, I'm sure he would have been chosen for the study, providing that he could also pull off being female. Sometimes I'm surprised it's the mouse and not the cat that XMRV derives from. Cats seem to naturally have the CDC version of a fatiguing illness. I was happy to see Dr. Suzanne Vernon pull the CDC paper apart quite well with a critical blow toward the CDC assuring patients this was a study designed NOT to find XMRV. No one expected anything other than that, of course. At least, no one with both eyes open. Dr. Vernon's emphatic statement also leads me to believe the tides are changing. Compared to the harsh, critical blows Dr. Vernon gave to the Science paper early on, none of which could find fault with the virology, only a harping on the need for more patient information, her attack of the CDC paper at least momentarily could lead one to believe she is aligning herself with the burgeoning group of believers that XMRV is strongly linked with ME/CFS and is likely causative.
The worst part of Dr. Hendry's presentation for me was after it was over. We are used to the lying, the manipulation and the sheer audacity to give false information as though they are facts. But, when asked by Dr. Hollinger if the PCR gag was the same as the Lombardi study, he said "Yes." A bold faced lie. It's one thing to read about these moments, but it's quite another to see the lying in person, not to mention the slight swagger of Dr. Hendry as he walked back to his seat. It was during the questioning that Dr. Mikovits rose up to answer a question that I unfortunately missed. Dr. Hendry's one slide had written on it "Developed sensitive mouse sequence specific qPCR to detect contamination with mouse DNA. XMRV positive DNA samples tested for mouse contamination." Dr. Mikovits stood up and made sure everyone knew that these were sequenced and isolated. All 20 samples sent by the WPI were confirmed positives. It was hard to judge by body language what the reaction was. I kept looking over at Coffin though, who is so easy to pick out with the beard, hoping he'd ask a question or get involved. This meeting seemed to be about keeping things stiff and calm though. I half expected the Queen of England to show up with that much composure to go around. But, the only one deserving of a royal title in my book is Dr. Mikovits and she wasn't even invited to speak. I was happy she was there as a reminder to all who the queen bee really is in the XMRV game.
Next up was the Blood XMRV Scientific Research Working Group report by Graham Simmons. This group has just about all the names we are familiar with and then some: Harvey Alter, Jerry Holmberg, Frank Ruscetti, Roger Dodd (you remember him from the May transcripts referring to the "perception" of an XMRV emergency rather than a real emergency), Suzanne Vernon, Judy Mikovits, John Coffin, Shyh-Ching Lo, Bill Switzer, etc. Presently, the main thrust of this group seems to be to find agreement on an effective assay. Graham Simmons concluded that the study was "too small to conduct meaningful statistical comparisons" and "more work on analytical panel development will need to be performed." The main labs in this group are WPI, FDA (Lo), FDA (Hewlett), NCI and BSRI.
Last up and the most interesting to me was the man with the Scottish accent, Dr. Stuart Le Grice. He said their goal is to create a group of 6 assays (Viral, DNA, RNA, Western blot serological (antibodies), serological (antibodies) and immunihistochemistry) that they are completely satisfied with and then go head to head with other assays to compare. If I'm not mistaken, he talked about a need to find XMRV directly from the sample as opposed to growing it in a cell line. I might have to wait for the transcripts to make sure of that one, but that seems like a fairly important leap in assay development.
*No false positives or negatives"
It's good to hear someone finally say they can find XMRV with this sort of accuracy. I often feel scientists are playing hide and seek for XMRV with their hands over their eyes saying, "I can't find you." In regards to a viral assay, which I believe looks for viral load, they have reduced the time on this to 3 days, and announced that there is information coming down the pipeline that it is now 1-2 days. The name of this assay is Viral DERSE (der'-see). All I could say is, "Wow!" I pictured the future where patients go to the doctor to find out if the retroviral is working and the test they got two days ago, covered by insurance (I dream big), gives an accurate picture for the doctor to consider. I'm not sure if I'm right or wrong on being impressed, but I caught Dr. Mikovits nodding quite a lot, so I must not be too far off.
And, so ended my four hour stay in Gaithersburg. After two brief public comments, one by an HIV patient and another by a CFS patient who calmly took 30 seconds to ask that the Alter paper be released, we were let go for lunch. I had no interest in their talk on Babesia. I hope it went well. At least this time the agenda didn't have it pitted against XMRV as though it has to be a choice. I'm unsure if I will return to another FDA Blood Advisory meeting, but I am happy I went this time. I appreciate the friends who wished me well and wanted to hear my report. Thank you for reading and your continued support through this journey we're all on. We strengthen each other every day just by being available. I hope we all continue to spread that support to the WPI and specifically to Judy and Annette, women we have assumed a first name basis with because of our appreciation for their sacrifice and dedication to ending our suffering. They are truly women of truth and integrity, and they deserve so much better than what they have received at the hands of the media, science and our government. They will win though. It's imminent.
Wasbeer, Thanks. Couldn't find it on her profile page. Can't see Notes.
After two brief public comments, one by an HIV patient and another by a CFS patient who calmly took 30 seconds to ask that the Alter paper be released, we were let go for lunch.
'a CFS patient who calmly took 30 seconds to ask that the Alter paper be released' - Ballsy!
Next up was the Blood XMRV Scientific Research Working Group report by Graham Simmons. ... Presently, the main thrust of this group seems to be to find agreement on an effective assay. Graham Simmons concluded that the study was "too small to conduct meaningful statistical comparisons" and "more work on analytical panel development will need to be performed." The main labs in this group are WPI, FDA (Lo), FDA (Hewlett), NCI and BSRI.
Last up and the most interesting to me was the man with the Scottish accent, Dr. Stuart Le Grice. He said their goal is to create a group of 6 assays (Viral, DNA, RNA, Western blot serological (antibodies), serological (antibodies) and immunihistochemistry) that they are completely satisfied with and then go head to head with other assays to compare.
Thank you for going to listen to the Committee speakers and thank you for such a thorough and well written description of what was said.