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Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes. Johansson, Kunis and Aguilera were hacked by a Florida man, Christopher Chaney, who used publicly available information to hack into the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. She said: Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribingWe have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email This week, naked photos of celebrities, stolen from their iCloud accounts, were released by a 4Chan user. In , she appeared in Walter Salles' film adaptation of On the Road and the independent comedy Bachelorette How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. Some have chosen to stay silent over the invasion of their privacy, but 12 of the celebrities affected have responded, either to condemn those sharing the photos or to argue that the photos of them were fake. She received her first film credit in The Bonfire of the Vanities Dunst, in a sarcastic Twitter post, wrote: She stated that she would not be worried if her phone was hacked into as 'it would just be photos of food and other people's dogs anyway. She went on to land roles in such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , the romantic comedy Wimbledon , and in Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown
The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead also confirmed that nude photos of her were posted online. We're testing a new site: Her career began at the age of 3 when she started modeling and appearing in commercials. She said on Twitter: Over the next few years, she made a string of hit movies including Little Women , Jumanji and Small Soldiers AP update about the investigation: Getty Images Anna Kendrick also had something to say on the matter. She made her feature film debut with an uncredited role at age 6 in the 'Oedipus Wrecks' segment of Woody Allen's film New York Stories Kirsten Dunst, the actress, slammed Apple after lewd images of her allegedly surfaced online. In , she received rave reviews for her role as "Lux Lisbon" in Sofia Coppola's independent film, The Virgin Suicides and proved her status as a leading actress in the comedy hit, Bring It On Those cases resulted in convictions. She added: We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. The lewd images are posted on the imageboard website 4chan. Victoria Justice- denied that the photographs were real Had her own Nickelodeon TV show Another teen icon Victoria Justice, who rose to fame on a hit Nickelodeon show, denied that the nude photos were of her on Twitter.
Those cases resulted in convictions. Some have chosen to stay silent over the invasion of their privacy, but 12 of the celebrities affected have responded, either to condemn those sharing the photos or to argue that the photos of them were fake. She also played the title character in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. Winstead also confirmed the photos are of her. She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes. She added: The lewd images are posted on the imageboard website 4chan. How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. She said: Rose to fame on children's TV show Her representatives said that the "photos are completely fake". Other celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence have admitted that the photos are real. In , she made her breakthrough performance in Interview with the Vampire: Victoria Justice- denied that the photographs were real Had her own Nickelodeon TV show Another teen icon Victoria Justice, who rose to fame on a hit Nickelodeon show, denied that the nude photos were of her on Twitter.
Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. Photos purportedly of her in nude, suggestive poses were leaked by the 4chan user. This content is coming soon Mary Elizabeth Winstead condemns those who look at the photos Actress, Scott Pilgrim vs the World Winstead condemned those who posted and spread the photos. She added: Emma Watson and others unaffected by the leak spoke out Female celebrities have been sticking up for those affected by the leak, including Harry Potter's Emma Watson. She also has several films in production, including The Two Faces of January The FBI has investigated previous leaks of nude celebrity images, including leaks involving Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and footage of television sports reporter Erin Andrews in a Tennessee hotel room. Winstead also confirmed the photos are of her. Getty Images Anna Kendrick also had something to say on the matter. Her career began at the age of 3 when she started modeling and appearing in commercials. The lewd images are posted on the imageboard website 4chan. Some cybersecurity experts speculated that hackers may have obtained a cache of private celebrity images by exploiting weaknesses in an online image-storing platform. How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. We're testing a new site: She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. The source of the leak was unclear. Rose to fame on children's TV show Her representatives said that the "photos are completely fake". Her father is German, from Hamburg, and her mother, who is American, is of German and Swedish descent.
In , she made her breakthrough performance in Interview with the Vampire: How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. The source of the leak was unclear. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead also confirmed that nude photos of her were posted online. She received her first film credit in The Bonfire of the Vanities Kate Upton- "an outrageous violation of privacy" Model, Sports Illustrated Photographs of the star were among those leaked by the 4chan hacker. She also has several films in production, including The Two Faces of January Over the next few years, she made a string of hit movies including Little Women , Jumanji and Small Soldiers In , she appeared in Walter Salles' film adaptation of On the Road and the independent comedy Bachelorette She said: The FBI has investigated previous leaks of nude celebrity images, including leaks involving Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and footage of television sports reporter Erin Andrews in a Tennessee hotel room. This content is coming soon Mary Elizabeth Winstead condemns those who look at the photos Actress, Scott Pilgrim vs the World Winstead condemned those who posted and spread the photos. Emma Watson and others unaffected by the leak spoke out Female celebrities have been sticking up for those affected by the leak, including Harry Potter's Emma Watson. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. She stated that she would not be worried if her phone was hacked into as 'it would just be photos of food and other people's dogs anyway. She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 She also played the title character in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette She went on to land roles in such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , the romantic comedy Wimbledon , and in Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. Some cybersecurity experts speculated that hackers may have obtained a cache of private celebrity images by exploiting weaknesses in an online image-storing platform. Last year, a site posted credit reports, Social Security numbers and other financial info on celebrities, including Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher and many others. Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes. Spiderman star Kirsten Dunst, an american actress, singer and model who had nude photos leaked by the 4chan user, condemned Apple on Twitter, using emojis to indicate that iCloud was a 'pizza poo'. She made her feature film debut with an uncredited role at age 6 in the 'Oedipus Wrecks' segment of Woody Allen's film New York Stories Winstead also confirmed the photos are of her. Share this article. In , she received rave reviews for her role as "Lux Lisbon" in Sofia Coppola's independent film, The Virgin Suicides and proved her status as a leading actress in the comedy hit, Bring It On
Over the next few years, she made a string of hit movies including Little Women , Jumanji and Small Soldiers She also played the title character in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette She also has several films in production, including The Two Faces of January How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. Those cases resulted in convictions. Spiderman star Kirsten Dunst, an american actress, singer and model who had nude photos leaked by the 4chan user, condemned Apple on Twitter, using emojis to indicate that iCloud was a 'pizza poo'. Rose to fame on children's TV show Her representatives said that the "photos are completely fake". Share this article. Her charity work includes designing a necklace to raise funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as well as supporting various cancer charities. The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. Johansson, Kunis and Aguilera were hacked by a Florida man, Christopher Chaney, who used publicly available information to hack into the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry. She made her feature film debut with an uncredited role at age 6 in the 'Oedipus Wrecks' segment of Woody Allen's film New York Stories The source of the leak was unclear. She received her first film credit in The Bonfire of the Vanities She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 Her father is German, from Hamburg, and her mother, who is American, is of German and Swedish descent. In , she made her breakthrough performance in Interview with the Vampire:
She added: Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribingWe have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email This week, naked photos of celebrities, stolen from their iCloud accounts, were released by a 4Chan user. We're testing a new site: In , she appeared in Walter Salles' film adaptation of On the Road and the independent comedy Bachelorette Emma Watson and others unaffected by the leak spoke out Female celebrities have been sticking up for those affected by the leak, including Harry Potter's Emma Watson. Winstead also confirmed the photos are of her. Photos purportedly of her in nude, suggestive poses were leaked by the 4chan user. She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 Her father is German, from Hamburg, and her mother, who is American, is of German and Swedish descent. She stated that she would not be worried if her phone was hacked into as 'it would just be photos of food and other people's dogs anyway. Spiderman star Kirsten Dunst, an american actress, singer and model who had nude photos leaked by the 4chan user, condemned Apple on Twitter, using emojis to indicate that iCloud was a 'pizza poo'. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead also confirmed that nude photos of her were posted online. She made her feature film debut with an uncredited role at age 6 in the 'Oedipus Wrecks' segment of Woody Allen's film New York Stories Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes. How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. This content is coming soon Mary Elizabeth Winstead condemns those who look at the photos Actress, Scott Pilgrim vs the World Winstead condemned those who posted and spread the photos. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. Those cases resulted in convictions. The FBI has investigated previous leaks of nude celebrity images, including leaks involving Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and footage of television sports reporter Erin Andrews in a Tennessee hotel room. Last year, a site posted credit reports, Social Security numbers and other financial info on celebrities, including Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher and many others. Other celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence have admitted that the photos are real. Victoria Justice- denied that the photographs were real Had her own Nickelodeon TV show Another teen icon Victoria Justice, who rose to fame on a hit Nickelodeon show, denied that the nude photos were of her on Twitter. In , she received rave reviews for her role as "Lux Lisbon" in Sofia Coppola's independent film, The Virgin Suicides and proved her status as a leading actress in the comedy hit, Bring It On Some cybersecurity experts speculated that hackers may have obtained a cache of private celebrity images by exploiting weaknesses in an online image-storing platform. She has a younger brother named Christian Dunst, born in
Some cybersecurity experts speculated that hackers may have obtained a cache of private celebrity images by exploiting weaknesses in an online image-storing platform. She said on Twitter: AP update about the investigation: Johansson, Kunis and Aguilera were hacked by a Florida man, Christopher Chaney, who used publicly available information to hack into the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry. We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible. Other celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence have admitted that the photos are real. Her father is German, from Hamburg, and her mother, who is American, is of German and Swedish descent. Over the next few years, she made a string of hit movies including Little Women , Jumanji and Small Soldiers The source of the leak was unclear. Some have chosen to stay silent over the invasion of their privacy, but 12 of the celebrities affected have responded, either to condemn those sharing the photos or to argue that the photos of them were fake. She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3
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Whose Economy Will It Be in 2016?
The next election might hinge on whether voters can start to believe the good news.
By ZACHARY KARABELL
Continue to article content
Zachary Karabell is head of global strategy at Envestnet and author of The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World. He is a contributing editor at Politico Magazine.
The ugly midterm campaign season provided one area of common ground: Americans and their candidates were almost universal in their disdain for the country's economic performance over the past six years. In exit polls on Election Day, 78 percent of voters said they were worried about the economy, and clearly the Democrats took most of the blame. They learned the hard way that if you have to give speeches to convince people that things are going well—as President Obama tried to do—then things aren't going well.
The funny thing, though, is that nearly all the data—including Friday's robust jobs report— shows that the economy is, in fact, doing well, even if the Democrats aren't. And as the dust clears from Tuesday's battering, trend lines are emerging that could very easily turn this into the Democrats' economy—and perhaps Hillary Clinton's—by 2016.
This year's campaign proved the degree to which our big picture economic indicators simply fail to capture the multifaceted realities of a country with 320 million souls and nearly as many individual distinct experiences. Our economic indicators may be going up, but the mood of voters is decidedly down. As much as we rely on those indicators to frame our discussion, one-size-fits-all economic numbers simply cannot capture the disparity of experiences that see rural America struggling and a metropolis such as Detroit imploding (and perhaps reinventing itself) while other communities ranging from Silicon Valley to Nebraska are enjoying multi-year boom times.
Still, how that "big picture" economic sentiment develops over the next two years will, in ways big and small, shape the narrative of the 2016 presidential race and leaves a big question looming: Will the Democratic nominee, whether it's Hillary Clinton or someone else, be boosted or punished by what is widely perceived as Barack Obama's economy?
Even as President Obama made an effort this fall to defend the economic record of his administration, few seem persuaded. Gallup's weekly poll of economic conditions continues to show that more than half of those surveyed reject the notion that economic trends are improving. In fact, according to Rasmussen, 44% of Americans still think that we are in a recession. In state after state, race after race, candidates ran on a promise that they would do everything possible to reverse the decline of the American middle class, address the problem of stagnant wages, and above all, depart from economic policies that enjoy bipartisan scorn for failing the middle class. And in state after state, Republicans who made that argument and blamed Obama reaped electoral victory.
Yet there is an almost inverse relationship between the political narrative and the actual numbers. Almost every single piece of data that we collectively use to gauge "the economy" has pointed consistently and steadily up, not just recently, but steadily over recent years. Unemployment is at its lowest level—statistically—in many years. GDP growth may be unexciting, but it has been steady and consistent at about 2.5% annually. Inflation is—statistically speaking—non-existent. Housing prices have recovered much of their 2008-2009 collapse.
None of this has dented public anger, and the primary explanation is that wage growth has been unimpressive. The ancillary explanation is that the story of unimpressive wage growth has been loudly and consistently told, along with an emphasis on underemployment, long-term unemployment and millions of workers unable to find meaningful jobs.
The question for the next two years heading into the presidential election is how long will public sentiment remain grimly negative about all things economy?
Chart designed by David Foster
If a majority of Americans continue to view the economic landscape through dark-tinted glasses, it hardly bodes well for a Hillary Clinton or anyone associated with what so many deem "failed" policies. The Republican narrative is that big government policies epitomized by Obamacare have crippled the middle class, to which Democrats respond somewhat defensively that things are improving under their watch and that better policies are needed to allow those gains to be more widely shared.
They have a tough sell. No one who is anxious about the morphing employment trends or changing wage landscape is likely to be swayed by a good GDP report, or by a politician or pundit telling them that "the economy" is doing better. If a plurality of voters are still convinced two years from now that "the economy" is getting worse, an entire smorgasbord of economic indicators aren't going to convince them otherwise. After all, if you're staring down looming bills and fears about your retirement savings, how comforting is it to know that the nation's "total seasonally-adjusted nonfarm payroll employment" has risen steadily over the past 52 months?
This yawning gap between what our numbers say and what most people feel is both extreme and increasingly unprecedented. For much of the 20 th century, when the lattice of economic numbers painted a positive picture, that was reflected in how most people viewed their present and future—not because the numbers shaped their experience but rather because the numbers represented it.
The crisis of 2008-2009 was sufficiently jarring that it's understandable that it will take a long time before a majority of the populace feels secure about their economic future. While many people still believe the economy is headed south, fewer people believe it than did last year or the year before or the year before. The gap may still yawn wide between economic perception and statistical reality but it is slowly narrowing.
But will the lines cross before 2016? Will more people at the end of next year think that the American system is thriving? And what will that do to the election narrative? How does that affect the primaries in the first half of the year, and the general election in November? What happens if those lines cross sometime between when people vote for the nominees and when they vote in the general election?
By about this time next year, the various contenders for the presidency will begin to develop a story about the economy. Yes, other issues will matter, as they do now. But unless Ebola becomes a domestic contagion, or ISIL overruns Iraq, or there is some dramatic domestic terrorism incident, national security is likely to be trumped by the economy. Social issues also appear to loom less large on the national stage, simmering tensions over race, reproductive rights and the definition of marriage notwithstanding. That leaves the economy.
It wasn't always so. Bill Clinton may famously have won on the slogan, "It's the economy, stupid!" but that was remarkable in part because it departed from the elections since World War II, few of which hinged in any material way on "the economy." Even Jimmy Carter's defeat in 1980 to Ronald Reagan, when the U.S. was mired in stagflation and malaise, rested as much on the feeling that America was slipping in the Cold War and was being humiliated by a hostage-taking, embassy-seizing Iran.
The problem for today's political cycles is that for all the sophistication of vote-getting and message-targeting, campaign narratives are not as fluid, flexible and dynamic as the world itself. In 1991, George H.W. Bush and his team approached the 1992 election with a sense of confidence born of high poll numbers for the victory in the first Gulf War, only to be felled by a rapidly deteriorating economy. What appeared to be a very close race hinging on character and foreign policy in 2008 turned into a fairly easy Obama victory in the face of a crumbling financial system.
Given the tenor of the midterms, it's likely that most candidates will start gaming out 2016 with the presumption that current economic trends of decent albeit sluggish GDP growth and lousy wage growth will continue, which will mean little abatement of today's anger and discontent. That is certainly possible, especially given that large companies can produce output that helps boost GDP without needing to hire many workers or invest much capital. Such is the nature of the efficiency revolution driven by technology, and the wage revolution driven by globalization. If so, then the Republicans could have a starting advantage hammering the message that the Obama administration—even with an oppositional or inert Congress after 2010—has failed the middle class and added layers of government bureaucracy that have kept us back.
Resting on that argument, however, is probably a mistake. Economic systems can and do shift rapidly. To whit: there are signs in the past few months that wages are indeed growing. Consumer confidence, not really a good gauge of how people behave but a decent snapshot of how they feel, has been climbing to highs not seen since before the financial crisis. While the decline of manufacturing jobs in America has been a multi-decade phenomenon, with only about 12 million manufacturing jobs left, the power of that story is waning. Bluntly, we have already lost most of those jobs, and while that base may continue to slowly erode, it will be challenging to use that decline as political fuel. At some point in the 20 th century, you could no longer whip up electoral passions by pointing to the plight of farmers—there were simply too few left, and agribusiness was producing more than enough food.
And while it's true that numbers such as the unemployment rate fail to account for the millions on disability payments and the millions more who have simply dropped of the workforce, the numbers also don't quite capture potent trends such as self-employment and entrepreneurial activity. It's easy enough to dismiss those trends as marginal, but something is fueling this stealth recovery and it isn't just retailers hiring part-timers or fast-food restaurants opening more franchises.
If, then, the economic picture a year from now continues to brighten statistically, it is likely that attitudes will also start to shift, not towards bushy-tailed optimism but away at least from muttering pessimism and simmering rage. There will be plenty of that, no doubt, but not enough to carry a campaign.
It's also possible, of course, that matters economic unravel, that China really does implode and brings the world economy down with it, or that the structural weaknesses of the global financial system are unable to adjust to a new Euro crisis, or a debt bubble somewhere. But that too would upset whatever narrative the contesting campaigns set in place and set the stage for a similar scenario to 2008 when the year began with the assumption that the election would be referendum on the national security legacy of George W. Bush and instead became an election about who could best save the middle class from a global financial implosion.
What's most important here is a version of " Stein's law." Named (perhaps erroneously) after economist Herbert Stein, it goes something like this: "If something cannot go one forever, it will stop." Republicans may be confident that two years from now a substantial portion of the electorate will be just as angry, just as struggling and just as willing to affix blame on the Democrats. Many Democrats may believe that the surest path to victory in 2016 lies in channeling that anger and anxiety toward Republicans.
But already, there are signs that this common and accepted narrative about the economy is fracturing. It is fracturing because there is no one single truth here. Unemployment is high; wages are not what people expect; but multiple regions are flourishing, as are large numbers of people. These midterms saw a high percentage of older voters and white voters, who may be encountering particularly large economic headwinds. But in presidential election years, others will vote whose experiences and perspectives are less fraught and less dire. Though, of course, many Millennials—which has proven the core of the Democratic vote in 2008 and 2012—are struggling as well and despairing of the future, so the narrative of discontent may prove disturbingly resilient.
Nevertheless, looking ahead to 2016, it may not be a winning formula to run as if everything is still a mess.
That's because absent a crisis (always possible and never truly predictable), everything won't be. No, we won't be revisiting the giddy (and unreasonable) optimism of the 1990s anytime soon, even if the stock market remains on a startlingly upward path. Yet the crisis atmosphere of this election cycle cannot be endlessly fed by rhetoric without enough real-world resonance.
Most likely heading into 2016 we face an overall economic picture that is just good enough to counter the collapse and crisis message, but not nearly good enough to lead to an era of good feelings. Maybe, and just maybe, that will offer an opening to someone willing finally to talk not just of two Americas, but of many Americas, some struggling mightily, some succeeding admirably, and multitudes in between. That would be a powerful message, because it would be real and true. Of that we have had precious little of late, but it may prove a winning formula for 2016.
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The Trickiest Part of a Penis Transplant? Finding a Donor
The doctors who announced the first successful procedure last week had a particularly difficult time finding willing organ donors
Rachel Nuwer
Members of the Xhosa tribe, like the young initiates seen here in Khayelitsha, are among the South African groups that practice ritual circumcision. The affiliation of the young man who received a transplant is not known.
Three years ago, an 18-year-old man checked himself into a South African hospital under grim circumstances. He had recently undergone a ritual circumcision, but the procedure had not gone well. His penis had been too tightly wrapped, causing it to undergo necrosis. Life-threatening gangrene soon set in. To save himself, the young man had come to the hospital that day to have his penis amputated.
His story has a happier ending than you might expect. Last week, doctors at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital announced that the young man had become the recipient of the world's first successful penis transplant. The procedure was performed in December, and the man now appears to have made a complete recovery and enjoys a fully functional penis. "This guy is now confident, he's really back to being a man," says operation leader Andre van der Merwe, head of the university's division of urology. "The effect the transplant has had on this man proved to me that the project is really worthwhile."
No one knows how many penis amputations occur each year in South Africa, but Western-style hospitals annually receive some 250 patients whose botched circumcisions ultimately lead to the loss of their organ. The true number, however, "must be in the thousands," van der Merwe says, based on the cultural traditions behind the condition. "We are confident that this is only the tip of the iceberg, because initiates are not supposed to come to Western doctors."
Ritual male circumcision, practiced by certain ethnic groups in South Africa, acts as a sort of rite of passage for young men. Traditionally, male teenagers attend circumcision schools where they are instructed in sex education and family values. At the end of that process, they are circumcised. "It is a positive thing, in its intended form," van der Merwe says.
Problems started in recent years, however, as formerly close-knit communities began to degrade and old traditions fell away. Today, the people who perform the circumcisions often have little if any training. They charge exorbitant prices for the dangerous operation, which entails wrapping the penis at its base to stem the flow of blood before removing the foreskin. When the penis is wrapped too tightly, things go awry.
Sometimes, gangrenous penises fall off on their own. Each year, stories also hit the news of men who died from their infection after refusing to visit a Western hospital for fear of being ostracized. Some who do seek help are turned away by nurses who come from the same culture. Still others, unable to cope with the shame, commit suicide after losing their penis. Those who survive losing an infected penis oftentimes do not tell their relatives or even parents. Living with that secret means they must always be wary about using the bathroom or undressing in front of others, and it prevents them from pursuing romantic relationships. "These are guys who are 18 or 19 and who are now seen as failures in their own traditions," van der Merwe says. "They are stigmatized in the heaviest way possible."
Donors Wanted
Van der Merwe became interested in this problem back in 2010 and slowly built up a team of plastic surgeons, transplant coordinators, immunologists, anesthetists, theater nurses, ethicists and psychologists who also believed that penis transplants were worth investigating. They began by working with cadavers in the lab, making sure they understood all the ins and outs of this new type of transplant. All of the tests and ethical reviews went well, and they soon gained approval to begin a clinical trial with humans.
That's when they hit a major roadblock: They simply could not find a donor. "I think there's a lot of emotional gravity that goes with the organ," van der Merwe says. "The psychology stretches deeper than we care to admit in everyday life."
In South Africa, even if a man signs himself up as an organ donor, his family must give final written approval of that request following his death. Time and again, families flat-out refused to consider giving up the penis of a deceased father, brother, husband or son. "I cannot even count how many no's we got. It was very frustrating," van der Merwe says. "People just don't want their relatives going to the grave without a penis."
Then, an idea struck. Van der Merwe offered to fashion a faux penis out of a donor's skin instead—a way to preserve the deceased's dignity while also allowing him to do one final good deed. "People all of a sudden were thinking about the request, rather than just bluntly saying 'no,'" van der Merwe says. On the fourth or fifth try—a year and a half after they began the search for a donor—one family finally said yes to a full penis donation.
As far as van der Merwe and his colleagues are aware, no one has previously performed a penis transplant that was successful in the long run. One report published in China several years ago detailed such an operation, but the penis apparently developed necrosis, possibly because the Chinese doctors warmed it with an infrared lamp immediately after the operation and increased its metabolic needs too quickly. Ultimately, that organ had to be removed. Other researchers have attempted transplants in rats, but never in a live human.
The young man in South Africa who received the transplant was not the first on the waiting list, but his blood group and immunology tests proved to be the closest match to the donor's, meaning his risk of rejecting the organ was the lowest. The operation, which lasted nine hours and involved five surgeons, was straightforward but not without its close calls.
To perform the transplant, the surgeons opened up the man's existing penile stump and surgically excised it to reveal the erectile bodies and the urethra within. It turned out that the patient's own blood vessels had been completely destroyed by the severe infection following his circumcision, rendering them unusable for connecting the donor organ. But the surgeons improvised, drawing one of his abdominal arteries down to the penis and recruiting another that was nearby, and connecting them instead. Adding to the complications, in the first hours of the operation a blood clot developed in one of the arteries, but the surgeons caught and removed it before it could cause any damage.
After the operation, the team gave the patient medication to increase the blood supply to his new penis, which for some time after the operation was connected to a catheter and prevented from becoming erect. After a month in the hospital, the doctors sent the man home, and the team simply had to wait to see if his body would take to the new penis. At one point, the patient developed a hematoma—a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel—that the doctors had to evacuate. Some of the skin at the base of the penis also became infected and had to be removed. But overall, things went surprisingly well. "At this stage, the penis is incredibly well-tolerated," van der Merwe says. The man can urinate, become erect and ejaculate normally.
That clinical evaluation applies psychologically, as well. "What's so incredible about this particular guy is that he's really just closed the door behind him and is looking forward," van der Merwe continues. "He's completely accepted this as his penis—he's not even thinking that it belonged to someone else." Van der Merwe adds that the young man's girlfriend also appears to have accepted it. She is likely the only one who can celebrate the success, however; Van der Merwe does not think his parents ever even found out that he even had a problem with the original circumcision.
With this first success, van der Merwe hopes that the process of recruiting donors will become somewhat easier, and that more operations can soon be performed for the other men on the waiting list. He also believes that it will only be a matter of time before hospitals around the world try the procedure themselves. It could also potentially be used for female-to-male reassignment surgeries, but that would depend on figuring out how to properly attach the penis. Van der Merwe also wonders whether the clitoral stump would be able to generate sufficient blood flow to attain a full erection, though it could be possible to draw down extra arteries, as his team did for the young man.
For now, the procedure is most promising for men who have lost their penises to cancer, battle injuries or accidents. Indeed, since news broke about the operation, van der Merwe has received numerous messages from hopeful men. "One man from the U.S. emailed me and said his life is intolerable, he has a stump not much longer than those from [botched] ritual circumcision," van der Merwe says. "I feel for people like him and think transplants should be done, should they accept the risk and be good candidates."
Rachel Nuwer | | READ MORE
Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.
Gender Medicine Rituals and Traditions Sex South Africa Trending Today


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NBC Sports' Mark Rolfing Set to Return to Broadcast Team at PGA TOUR's Hyundai Tournament of Champions
December 15, 2015 Posted in News, Tournaments
NBC Sports' Mark Rolfing Set to Return to Broadcast Team at PGA TOUR's Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 7-10, Following Treatment of Salivary Gland Cancer
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 15, 2015 – Longtime Golf Channel / NBC Sports golf analyst Mark Rolfing is set to return to the broadcast team at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 7-10. In August, Rolfing was diagnosed with a rare form of salivary gland cancer and took a leave of absence following the PGA Championship for surgery and treatment.
Rolfing, who lives in Maui, will serve as a tower analyst for the first two PGA TOUR events in 2016 – the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (comprised of PGA TOUR tournament winners in the 2014-15 PGA TOUR season) and the Sony Open in Hawaii, the first full-field event in 2016 (Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 14-17). He also will work the kickoff event for 2016 PGA TOUR Champions season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 21-24), and will contribute to Morning Drive and Golf Central throughout the three-week stretch.
Rolfing underwent surgery on Aug. 13 to remove a malignant growth from his left cheek area, confirming the original diagnosis. Dr. Alexander Langerman at the University of Chicago performed the surgery, and Dr. Tom Buchholz and Dr. Steven Frank at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas oversaw Rolfing's proton therapy radiation treatment and recovery.
"Debi and I would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support during these past several months, including our Golf Channel and NBC Sports family, friends in the media, players and fans," said Rolfing. "The medical staffs at the University of Chicago and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have been amazing. I'm excited to rejoin my colleagues in January in welcoming the PGA TOUR back to Hawaii."
"Mark has been an incredible asset to Golf Channel and NBC's broadcast teams for many years, and we are grateful to the tremendous work he and his team of doctors have put forth over the past six months during his treatment and recovery," said Molly Solomon, Golf Channel executive producer. "We are all excited to see him in January doing what he does best – calling golf and giving viewers an inside look into his beloved state of Hawaii."
Coming off the historic year in 2015 with young stars Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, and Jason Day dominating the storylines, Golf Channel and NBC will capitalize on the tremendous momentum on the PGA TOUR in 2016 with Golf Channel adding its first men's major championship coverage and The Open returning to broadcast television on NBC; golf's return to the Olympics with live coverage of both the men and women on Golf Channel and NBC from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and domestic coverage of the 2016 Ryder Cup from Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, Minn.
adidas Releases the TOUR360 BOOST Golf Shoe →
← GolfBuddy Launches Pocket-Sized Micro Golf GPS


Carroll Community College freshmen, from left, Andrea Moore, Stephen Baker and Shaun Wilson help themselves to a free lunch during a picnic welcoming college students back to school in Westminster Wednesday, August 30, 2017.
With just a few days of classes completed, Carroll Community College students gathered with book bags, burgers and Bob Marley on Wednesday afternoon at the school's celebratory Welcome Back Picnic.
Students had the chance to say goodbye to their summer vacations and look forward to a new semester of classes with free food, constant reggae music and a chance to catch up with friends at the picnic, held a few days after the fall semester's start on Monday. Much like the new solar panels next to the patio area hosting the picnic, students soaked up some sun during their brief lunch breaks before heading back to hit the books.
Sarah Solomon, a Westminster student focusing on pharmaceutical studies, said she's already looking forward to next year's summer vacation, but the picnic — and free food — took the sting out of having to return to classes.
The gathering spot on campus provided an opportunity for friends to meet up after a summer apart, as many hugged next to the grills and caught up on the vacation adventures.
Jacob Soyland, a returning student from Mount Airy, said he's glad to be back and ready to start up another semester of learning. This year, Soyland said he's trying to expand his schedule to try his hand at some new topics and discover his passion.
Images from Carroll Community College's 24th Commencement in Westminster Monday, May 22, 2017.
His friend Solenn Orozco, of Mount Airy, said that kind of exploration is exactly why she first decided to attend Carroll Community. Though studying engineering now, Orozco said her first year, she wasn't sure where she wanted to end up.
The picnic didn't signal a change of the seasons for all of the students though, as Brenda Covell, of Hampstead, and Mackenzie Smith, of Manchester, returned this week after only a weekend break from their summer semester of classes.
Covell said the thing she's looking forward to the most this year, is spending time in the classroom with Smith.
Graduation candidate Dylan Vasbinder hugs Shanelle Hopkins, an Assistant Professor of Accounting, as he makes his way into the Gill Gymnasium for Carroll Community College's 24th commencement ceremony at McDaniel College in Westminster Monday, May, 22, 2017.
Olivia Ellen Hare gives the student response during Carroll Community College's 24th commencement ceremony at McDaniel College in Westminster Monday, May, 22, 2017.


We here at Artist Rising and Sistino see a lot of great art, so we thought we'd share some of our personal favorites. The Staff Picks Galleries rolled out this week on Sistino, and most all of us, from Brad, our VP to Alice in Artist Services curated online galleries to show you some of the artworks that caught our eyes. There's lots to see — artworks in different styles and mediums from artists from all over the U.S. as well as international painters and photographers.
In my Staff Picks Gallery, a lot of my choices remind me of favorite places: Hawaii, Japan and Joshua Tree National Park. But I also picked a few artworks that appealed to my interest in graphic design, illustration and digital animation. One artist's work that I thought was especially interesting is Charles (Chuck) Cirino's flying saucer series — definitely not your average landscape painting!
Entry filed under: Art, Art Galleries, Blogroll, Image Galleries, Sistino.


I've been a Crocs™ owner for many years; they've been my go to post race footwear of choice. There is just something about the ample toe room and massaging, beaded, foot bed that is just so relaxing. While some disparage the looks of the clog, writing them off as gardening shoes, I for one actually like the relatively simple design. I'll admit that while I loved wearing my Crocs leisurely after a race or around the house I never once thought seriously about hiking or running in them.
The first I'd ever heard about somebody actually running regularly in Crocs™ was from an ultrarunning friend of mine. She knew of a fellow ultrarunner who, as a last resort, tried running in Crocs™ because she suffered from a non-functioning Achilles tendon in her left leg. Long story short when she runs her heel slams down very hard and no shoe was capable of getting her past 10 miles. With Crocs™ she's now returned to the sport she loves and has amassed quite a respectable running resume over the past four years.
In addition I've personally witnessed firsthand over the last two years a marathon runner, Alexander Pachev, race the Rocket City Marathon in my home town in a pair of Crocs™. Alexander not only raced in Crocs™ he raced very fast! A brief inspection of his running log shows that he's run several marathons in the 2:35-2:45 range in Crocs™!
I became even more curious so I just did some general Google searches about people running in Crocs™. From what I learned, turns out that there are many people who do so with mixed results. So I thought what the heck? I'm in the middle of my brief ultrarunning off season so why not give running in Crocs™ a try for myself?
What follows is a report on my own experiences—Read on!
Weight: ~150 g (~5.29 oz) for Men's 8.
So as can be seen, these Crocs are extremely lightweight but does have significant heel-to-toe drop yet the stack heights are well within the realm of shoes reviewed on this site that are considered minimalist or in the broader category of reduced or transitional shoes. The Classic version of Crocs™ is significantly thinner so it would be noticeably lighter though I'd expect the net drop to be roughly the same.
I knew from past use that my pair of Crocs™ would be difficult to run with as they were since there is so much volume in the clog and I typically wore the adjustable heel strap very loose. So, as I usually run in a pair of arch support insoles in my running shoes I placed a pair of Montrail Enduro-Soles in my Crocs™ to help fill up some of the volume. I next donned a pair of socks, slipped the clogs on and adjusted the Velcro heel-strap until I felt like my feet were fairly secure in the clogs. By fairly secure I don't mean jammed tight with my toes smashed into the ends of the clog; I've run enough miles in a pair of huaraches so I know the importance of not going too tight with the fit. Interestingly I found online some other creative ways to deal with the Crocs™ that don't have adjustable heel straps.
What follows is a summary of my experiences after about 14 miles of running in my Crocs™ on pavement, cement and wet and dry trails.
So what was it like? I'd describe overall "feel" of running in Crocs™ to be like a mix between a Hoka One One and a Luna huarache sandal both of which I have experience running many miles in. Yes a battle of extremes!
They felt Hoka-like because the foam is extremely soft and cushy while at the same time being very stable because of the wide footprint. Like the Hoka, ground feel was greatly reduced and I could barely feel any of the smaller rocks and trail debris I was stepping on. But for those interested in a plush ride Crocs™ certainly don't disappoint!
Simultaneously they felt huarache-like because of the huge amount of toe room and the heel strap allows your foot to move more naturally within the clog but still keeps you in contact with the shoe throughout the ground phase of my stride. The clogs were fairly flexible; however, like huaraches they were not quite as good on off-camber terrain as I did have some foot rolling and movement inside the clog in some situations.
However, as most of my running routes were reasonably level with lots of straights I often forgot that I was running in a clog that was not specifically designed to be run in! In my experience the sign of a comfortable shoe is one that you don't constantly notice!
While my overall experience of running in Crocs™ was favorable there were some things I didn't like about running in them. The biggest issue that would potentially cause issues down the road is that while in most cases I didn't experience much foot movement inside the clog, I'd on occasion feel my toes impacting the end or inside top of the toe box; especially on downhills.
After a couple runs I could definitely feel some of my toes took a bit of a beating; unchecked I think this abuse could lead to blisters or loss of toe nails! Ouch! In my case my toes next to my big toes are significantly longer so I'm more sensitive to toe box issues. I think the main culprit here is that this clog has nearly 8mm of heel-to-toe drop! With a lower drop clog I'd imagine my toe impact issues would be significantly less. In addition, being used to zero or low heel-to-toe drop shoes I found it somewhat of a challenge to easily run with a solid, full foot strike in these clogs. Another thing I didn't like about running in Crocs™ was that the metatarsal flex point felt a bit strange. I think this has something to do with the fact that I was using a full length arch support in the clog and that the entire clog is one solid piece of foam and so everything seems to flex and stretch as it bends. Hard to describe what's going on but the faster I tried to run the more this bend-flex-stretch effect was pronounced; when I just slowed down and shuffled along the phenomenon wasn't as noticeable.
As a relatively inexpensive way to experiment with reduced shoe running Crocs have a lot going for them: lightweight, huge amount of toe room and relatively low stack heights compared to traditional running shoes. The downsides include: difficulty in establishing a secure fit, 8mm of heel-to-toe drop makes it a challenge to maintain a full foot running form and the metatarsal flexing behavior is a bit odd.
In conclusion while I've had a lot of fun running in these clogs and will continue to do so I think I'll restrict my Crocs™ running to single digit mileage on easy or recovery training days. Your mileage may vary.
I came across the site www.eazirun.com a while back and found the concept of running in Crocs really interesting. I have yet to try it myself, but it seems like the front ankle strap would aleviate the problem of your foot slipping forward. The site provides quite a bit of good information on running in Crocs.
You mentioned that your Crocs have an 8mm drop. Is that standard for Crocs? I have never come across a heel/toe drop measurement for Crocs before and assumed them to have a smaller drop.
have their place and serve a distinct purpose very well. Yes, they are kind of ugly, but so are Five Fingers and most other minimalist shoes. If you can appreciate how a shoe fits and functions, it is easy to get past how it looks.
I totally get your reaction to this article. Crocs as minimalist shoes? What a crock of @#%!! For the record, Rob didn't ever call these shoes "minimalist." The only comparison he notes is that the stack height is within similar parameters to some shoes that are considered minimalist (but that in and of itself doesn't make Crocs minimalist).
Ultimately, a post like this is, to me, very interesting and challenging, which is why I was excited when Rob brought the idea up.
It's challenging because if you can run in Crocs without it destroying your body or your form, that raises questions around the dogma that you have to run barefoot or run minimalist to run right.
It strikes at the idea that there's a one-size-fits-all approach to running, too.
Could I run in Crocs? Not likely. My form degrades rapidly when I don't have really good ground feedback (ideally barefoot). My biomechanics would likely take a beating, too. But that's just me.
I'd go on to say that a lot of people who have found running in minimalist shoes to dramatically improve their form over traditional, cushy shoes might be similar to me.
A huge number of readers here reap the benefits of minimalist shoes; however, that's not the only way — armed with a trained running form, you could probably run in just about anything.
So that's part of what's interesting about this post. It's a reminder that the shoe doesn't necessarily make the runner.
The other part is that Crocs are, like it or not, pretty interesting shoes as a case study in what makes healthy footwear.
Even though Crocs aren't minimalist, they have traits that are minimalist/barefoot-minded. They have a huge toe box (you can wear Correct Toes in them!). They're super lightweight. Those two traits go a long way to keeping feet healthy and happy — even if they give a softer ride to the foot due to the EVA foam used in the shoes. It's for these reasons, I'd guess, that so many people (and kids!) love wearing Crocs. They're comfortable on foot.
Of course, Crocs aren't without problems. A thicker sole and the overall structure of EVA make for weird shoe dynamics. The heel-to-toe drop is going to muck with natural biomechanics (as well as the walking style due to the clog-design).
For me, I'd like to see a zero-dropped, maybe 10mm stack height Croc — could be interesting. Could actually be minimalist.
So anyway, I think it's worth discussing. What do you think?
Although I've been wearing Crocs for 13 years, I began running in Crocs in early 2008, mostly because I didn't want to spend the money on VFFs, and I already owned Crocs and had read about Lorraine running in Crocs. I do also run in lower drop running shoes and minimalist running shoes (my running is mostly trails and ultra distance). Although they pick up a bit of grit, especially on trails, I still like them in my rotation. The numbers you have for heel drop might not fully represent where the heel actually sits within the shoe. Because the heel sits down low inside the heel cup area, the drop would actually be less than the measured amount. Crocs can be deceiving because they look thick soled, but the foot actually sits low inside the shoe. But I love the simple cushioning, wide toe area, and general loose fit. Thanks for your report. Happy running in Crocs.
@barefootin: I totally agree that Crocs are not "minimalist" with respect to ground feel and heel-to-toe drop however, as Justin explained, they are extremely light-weight (lighter than a lot of the VFFs ) and have more toe room than ANY shoe I've come across; even the Altras. My larger point is, and it's something Justin touched on, is that with proper foot/gait mechanics it really doesn't matter what you put on your feet and run in! :) Sort of a counter argument to the current feeling that "thou must wear the most minimalist foot wear (or go barefoot) in order to run *correctly* and avoid injury, improve form, etc..." I too would like to see a zero dropped Croc with reduced stack height as well; preferably with a more secure upper to hold your foot in place much better.
Been lurking here for about 6 months. Great site.
I have transitioned from "normal" running shoes, then running one year in Teva sandals, and now 5 months in Vivobarefoot EVO's.
And I used to wear Crocs a lot.
Now, I find my Crocs uncomfortable to wear for too long around the house. Never mind running in them. I think it's because of the squishy footbed - my feet get "tired" fast. Too soft.
I sometimes consider going back to Tevas for a "cushy" ride. Mostly when I don't keep up with my calf stretches and my Achilles complain :-) That never happened running in Tevas.
I wouldn't run in Crocs.
@Kim (and others): The method I used to estimate the stack height measurements was to use a steel rod of fixed length. First I placed the rod flush against a wall and made a mark at the top of the rod on the wall. This was the baseline measurement. Then I placed the Croc against the wall and placed the rod in the the middle of the heel cup area and made another mark on the wall. Repeated the technique with the rod plunged through the top into the metatarsal area (low spot) and made another mark. So with these three marks on the all I could easily determine the heel stack height, metatarsal stack height and thus the over all heel-to-toe drop which I estimated to be 8mm. Try it for yourself. Again this was with the Off Road Croc and I suspect the Classic would be a bit less as the Off Road was purposely made thicker for off road use.
Count me in as another one who was rather surprised to see this review when I opened up BirthdayShoes today. I had to make sure I did not do a Rip Van Winkle and wake up on April 1. And it is not just because I despise Crocs.
It is really pushing it to say that Crocs could sort of be minimalist because they "fit some minimalist requirements" in my opinion. I know there is no set standard for what is minimalist, but certainly it seems to be pushing it to say that a shoe with a "soft and cushy footbed" and a 20mm heel stack height/8mm heel to toe drop is anywhere near minimalist. 10mm is already really stretching it for me and the only footwear I have that approaches that is my Phoenix Boots. I certainly would not pick 10mm for anything other than a winterboot where the snow and cold ground is unforgiving. It takes more than lots of toe room to make a minimalist shoe. Just as it takes more than a thin sole or zero drop to make a minimalist shoe. It's not about the individual parts, but rather the sum of those parts.
I am a little lost on the point of this review. We all know people can run in other things. They run in cushy running shoes, combat boots, flip flops, and so on. But this is, or at least I believed it to be, a barefoot/minimalist oriented site that is intended to buck against that. It is not a site for a review of all the unique kinds of footwear one can run in. I don't come to this site for a review on the non-minimalist footwear I can run in and it seems bizarre to me to have this as a review on the actual blog. If as a regular member I was somewhat confused by this, I can only imagine what a new body stumbling into the site might think.
I recognize that I am a bit of a purist in that I am barefoot/minimalist ALL the time with the exception of very specialty footwear (like for cycling, skiing or snowshoeing where there is no foot flex wanted or desired). The comfiest footwear for me to put on AFTER a run in my VFFs is either more VFFs or my Ramblers or something. I know not everybody is near-or-at 100% minimalism or desires to be, but I am sure even those people don't come to BirthdayShoes for their "non-minimalist footwear" reviews.
I don't think anyone is saying Crocs are even "sort of minimalist." They do have uncommon traits in common with minimalist shoes: namely they are lightweight and have a roomy toe box. That's interesting and it differentiates them from most non-minimalist shoes.
That doesn't make them minimalist -- not even sort of minimalist.
If a reader is confused, I guess I'm ok with that. Confusion leads to questions and seeking answers to questions leads to acquiring a deeper understanding (hopefully).
I think a common vein in the minimalist/barefoot community is that you must run in minimalist footwear or barefoot in order to run without injury.
I don't personally agree that this is true but neither statement has been proven, so we really just don't know.
And not knowing is okay.
Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback and understood that this post would stir up some controversy. Glad folks are paying attention!
And finally, you shouldn't expect to see non-minimalist footwear being reviewed on this site with any regularity. Hope that at least allays some concerns.
"I think a common vein in the minimalist/barefoot community is that you must run in minimalist footwear or barefoot in order to run without injury."
I just wanted to comment on that phrase by saying that it is not because it does not create an obvious injury that it is good for the feet. There is a large spectrum between injury and allowing your feet to develop into their best selves through maximum stimulation and minimum restriction. So anytime I can I will choose the most minimalist option available for any given task they have to accomplish.
Ans Aaron R., how we think they look is very subjective: I do think the Crocs are ugly, but not Fivefingers, which I always found really cute. And to someone else it might be the opposite.
All good points and I understand. I'm a purist in the sense that it works for me. I'm too dense to run in any footware. Heck, KSO's allow me to cheat and anything with cushion is just painful due to genetic issues. The minimalist way has helped my quality of life. Is it better than conventional footware? That's not for me to say. Is it for me? Yes. Should everyone embrace it, quite frankly, no. Should everyone at least try it, why not... Either you will love it or you won't. I support the cause and those who believe in it like me. If one chooses to be shod or if someone wants to run next to me in tight laced, cushioned, narrow boxed, large drop sneaks, I'm fine with that if it works for them. I know guys that keep perfect form in such obominations :-)... If I was wearing them, they would be carrying me home.
I would have just giggled if I saw this on one of the running sites I visit. I was just totaly thrown off by seeing a pair of Crocks in my place of solace.... To some, that's what your site is. It doesn't preach which way is right or wrong, but it provides those with the common interest a place to interact and get reviews of what's out there for us. I would have had a similar reaction to other foot coverings as well, but even Ronald McDonalds original shoes would have been better ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/3dwannabe/5454432983/sizes/l/in/photostream/ ). Now THAT is a toe box!!
Keep the articles and reviews comming as I appreciate what you do.
A bit of history and then an observation from a long time "non-minimalist" runner (ahem, myself). I've been frequenting BirthdayShoes.com almost from the beginning, before I myself knew about the new definition of "minimalism". To me, having been a runner for over two decades, we considered ANY shoe that was less substantive than your common, clunky, beefy trainer to be "minimal". We'd already long figured out that you can get away with running in racing flats (know known and rebranded as "minimalist" shoes) just about everywhere if you had good form and mechanics. Thanks to "that book" there are many more folks figuring this same thing out.
Ok, a bit of a tangent, but my observation has been, from the forums on this site and others is that the folks who are relatively new to the minimalist movement tend to be fanatical and hard line; they go ALL IN. However, after a time, either after sustaining injuries from that approach or once they start to desire to train or race longer distances they start to accept the fact that they NEED a bit more protection underfoot than their minimalist shoe can offer. It's for these folks that my reviews of the thicker shoes like the Skechers, Altras and yes, even the Croc Off Road are intended. Ok, the Croc review was sort of a joke because I honestly thought there is no way I'd enjoy running in them. But I did and I admit that there are many short comings in the product that would deter a would be runner. Namely the large stack heights and heel-to-toe drop and lack of secure fit. I honestly believe, as Justin mentioned, that if a Croc were made (or modified) to reduce the stack height and heel-to-toe drop (should be pretty easy to do manually actually) that the Croc would make just a viable "minimalist" alternative shoe and many of the products reviewed on this site.
So, I finally got around to reading this article, and at first I was slightly confused about the topic of Crocs as a running shoe on the birthdayshoes website. The one thing that tipped me off that the author is not a minimalist runner was from the Setup section when he said "as I usually run in a pair of arch support insoles". That should tip you off that he doesn't consider these or any other shoe he uses to be a minimalist shoe.
I think I echo Justin's comment above: "It's a reminder that the shoe doesn't necessarily make the runner." Read the author's bio at the end and see if you think he has the ability to judge whether a shoe is worthy to be run in.
Ironically, I'm wearing Crocs at the office today, because my Softstar moccasins don't work in this awful wet weather we're having this week.
Justin, what do you wear on soggy Atlanta days like today?
Generally I end up wearing some sort of shoe like Vivo Oaks or Minimus.
For those who like the concept of Croc's, you might want to check out the Vivobarefoot Ultra's. They are made with similar eva foam, but they have a much more natural foot position, as well as a very short stack height that Vivobarefoot is known for. Check em out.
Thought I'd add my voice to the conversation.
Year and a half ago, I started running. Went to a running store and they gave me a 'special' shoe because of my gait after we did some tests.
Ran great until I started pushing 7 miles...so I would do my runs each morning and then run 1/2 mile barefoot at the end. I started doing research and went full fledged barefoot running about 1-2 miles then 2 miles in my mocassins.
I ran in my flip-flops, mocassins, water shoes, barefeet, etc. I'd run in anything I could get my hands on to test it out just to see how I felt running.
Saw a pair of crocs for $20 bucks so I figured why not since I had read about a few people using them. I'm a size 11 shoe but bought size 10 to keep it tight enough for no sliding but enough room to give my toes the space they wanted.
2 Half marathons later, I've worn them down enough that my feet go perfect in them and I'm getting another pair to work in the rotation.
I don't know why I like running in them but they seem to work for me. I've logged about 400 miles in them but I don't really run more than 10 miles at a time.
Pretty sure someone will say I'm doing something wrong but I don't care, I've been injury free since I started running in my Crocs and for a budgeted father, $20 makes me and my family happy.
I have been running for many years.
I would like to try running in crocks.
What type of crocks should one purchase?
I found that under normal conditions Crocs do not need anything special to stay on even at sprinting speeds. I have run a 28 low 200, while my son has done 27 low, and a quarter in 55.9 - all in Crocs. Never had a blister in them when wearing socks, and neither has my son. The only time I had an issue with them was when there was a lot of snow on the ground or when it rained very hard and my feet were so cold that I partially lost the feeling which made it hard to keep them on. Once I got my feet warm and resumed running I had no problems.
Love this site. Thanks for all you do.
Crocs feel good on my feet. So, I wear them (not for running) but becuz they have room for Correct Toes and are easy to get on and off.
Have you or anyone you know hacked their Crocs to reduce the difference in height between the heel and toe? I saw somewhere that you might melt them a bit. I was thinking more along the lines of shaving the sole down with knife or saw.


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The Overnightscape 1474: Monday Arcana (3/6/18)
http://media.blubrry.com/onsug/p/www.theovernightscape.com/shows/The_Overnightscape_1474_Monday_Arcana.mp3
2:22:44– Frank in NJ and NYC, plus the Other Side. Topics include: Weird sign, cool car, office water coolers, Mary Poppins, geese, scams, new blizzard, The Oscars, Clara Bow, Jimmy Kimmel, Chun-Li, fighting games, American Idol returns, The Silk Road, Monday Arcana, Anything But Tartarus, three famous hot dogs, dining concourse seating, David Ogden Stiers (of M*A*S*H fame) dead at 75, Tower Records founder Russ Soloman dead at 92, cartoon clocks, bands that sound similar to The Alan Parsons Project, Barclay James Harvest, Rick Wakeman, Camel, Rubber Universe, Keats, Eric Woolfson, Benji, Run Joe Run, I Can't Drive 55 synchronicity, listener email (Shawn from England), Mindhunter, Fringe, and much more… plus the Other Side (at 1:42:06)… 10,000 Steps to Doom by Space God Ritual [Archive.org, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0], Charlies Point by Phantom Operators [Jamendo, CC BY-ND 3.0], Tron, The Secret of NIMH, The Devils Playground (1982) [siskelandebert.org].
License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Frank Edward Nora – more info at TheOvernightscape.com
posted by Frank at 7:27 pm filed in Frank,Mar18


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NETWORKS Match Makers Seminar
Seminar 4 February 2021
Speakers Seminar 04-02-21
Abstracts Seminar 04-02-21
Seminar October 20, 2020
Kick-off Matchmaking Event
Programme Day 1
Frank Takes
Guido Schaefer
Anna Priante
Nelly Litvak
Frank den Hollander
Bernd Heidergott
Jeroen Bruggeman
Vincent Buskens
Interrelated dynamics of social networks and infectious disease spread
Recent research shows an increasing interest in the interplay of social networks and infectious diseases. Many studies either neglect explicit changes in health behavior or consider networks to be static, despite empirical evidence that people seek to distance themselves from diseases in social networks. We propose an adaptable steppingstone model that integrates theories about social network formation, risk perception, and infectious diseases. We argue that networking behavior in the context of infectious diseases can be described as a trade-off between the benefits, efforts, and potential harm a connection creates. Agent-based simulations using a generic model implementation show that (i) high (perceived) health risks create strong social distancing, thus resulting in low epidemic sizes, (ii) large numbers of ties provide more opportunities for disease spread, thus creating larger final sizes and shorter epidemics, and small changes in health behavior can be decisive for whether the outbreak of a disease turns into an epidemic or not, (iii) high benefits for social connections create more ties per agent, providing large amounts of potential transmission routes and opportunities for the disease to travel faster, and (iv) higher costs of maintaining ties with infected others reduce final size only when benefits of indirect ties are relatively low. These findings suggest a complex interplay between social network, health behavior, and infectious disease dynamics. Furthermore, they contribute to solving the issue that neglect of explicit health behavior in models of disease spread may create mismatches between observed transmissibility and epidemic sizes of model predictions.
(this is joint work with Hendrik Nunner and Mirjam Kretzschmar)
Frank Pijpers
Network reconstruction and privacy preservation for large networks
CBS is the National Statistical Institute of the Netherlands. The primary function of National Statistical Institutes is to compile descriptive statistics (tabular material and time series) on a very broad range of social and socio-economic phenomena. The rationale behind this is that for good governance, planning, and also for taxation, it is important to have accurate and up-to-date information on a wide variety of aspects of society. In the first half of the last century, it could be said that, on the whole, the life course of people followed a fairly linear course, in a number of ways. For instance, one and the same economic activity remained their main source of income. Similarly, economic activity of companies tended to be confined to one sector. In such a linear system, descriptive statistics can be argued to be sufficient in order to enable the study of its behaviour.
In more recent decades, increased automation and digitalization of manufacturing processes has had a number of consequences. Formerly separate sectors of economic activity are increasingly intermeshed, and, in the Netherlands, all have gained strong services (financial, logistics, etc.) components. In the wake of this, the life course of people has also become much more branched out and diverse than before, both in the personal and professional spheres. It is therefore much more appropriate now, to view economic activity (the population of businesses) as well as social activities (between people) as a complex network of relationships. This has far-reaching consequences for governance and planning, which implies that CBS needs to use insights from dynamical processes on (and of) networks to redesign what it monitors. The publications of CBS need to be a set of representative indicators of the system as a whole, rather than merely of its constituent parts.
While CBS already has access to a very large amount of data on citizens and businesses in the Netherlands, such data can never completely cover all aspects of their interactions. This matters, because a complex system is less defined by the characteristics of the constituent parts (people, business) and much more by the interactions between these parts and how these interactions vary with their characteristics. A good understanding of how the system functions, e.g. whether it generates its own crises or perhaps conversely tends to some form of equilibrium, requires at least a representative if not complete view of all (types of) interactions. However, there is a tension here as well with privacy concerns. While the specific law governing the mandate of CBS certainly allows mapping out such networks for statistical and scientific purposes, in its publications CBS must safeguard against the disclosure of sensitive personal or business information.
In this talk I will describe the efforts to perform Bayesian reconstructions of incompletely known networks, as well as aspects of techniques that CBS would need to employ in order to ensure that any publication of statistical aspects of the network properties does not inadvertently reveal too much information which can be classified as sensitive


The accident occurred at about 1.10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Andrew Kumapayi, Sector Commander of the FRSC told NAN that his team arrived at the crash scene 10 minutes after the incident was reported for rescue.
Mr Kumapayi said four persons were involved, including three males.
"About 1.15 a.m. this morning, we got a report of a crash involving a petrol tanker marked YLA 170 XM with product and a Mercedes Benz bus with Reg. No: BKL 80 XA at Immigration Junction, Agu Awka.
"Four persons were involved; two died on the spot and two, including a man and a woman, have been taken to Chukwuemeka Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for medical attention,'' he said.
Mr Kumapayi called on drivers and owners of articulated vehicles plying the Anambra route to maintain their vehicles and observe traffic rules and regulations at all times.
He warned that his command would not fold its arms and watch motorists waste the lives and property of innocent citizens on the highway.


LOWELL, Mass. – Tyler Iorizzo, a Ph.D. candidate in physics at UMass Lowell, has won international recognition for his work to develop an imaging device that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of certain skin cancers.
For his research, Iorizzo received an Educational Award from Edmund Optics, one of the world's leading suppliers of high-precision optics for the optical industry.
"I'm very honored to win this international award. I'm glad to be able to help people. Imaging with the OPI is completely harmless and noninvasive. It doesn't use X-ray or high-intensity laser so it's perfectly safe for the patient and the doctor," said Iorizzo, who conducts research at UMass Lowell's Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory.
"Currently, there is no comparable tool available in the market," said Anna Yaroslavsky, UMass Lowell associate professor of physics and director and founder of the Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory.
"Surgeons basically look at the outline of a cancerous lesion visually and, based on their experience and training, decide where and how much tissue to cut. In many cases, errors can arise because they can't see the margins of the tumor very well," said Yaroslavsky, a North Andover resident.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with about 3 million to 5 million new lesions diagnosed every year, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Approximately 3,000 people die from the disease annually. Statistically, 1 in 4 fair-skinned people may develop NMSC – which includes basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma – and the cost of treatment is nearly $5 billion a year.
The most effective treatment for NMSC usually involves Mohs surgery, in which the cancerous tumor is removed by excising the tissue layer by layer, with each layer examined under a microscope to help map the diseased area. The goal is to completely remove the tumor while preserving as much of the surrounding healthy tissue as possible. While the procedure is effective, it is time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly.
"Tumor boundaries associated with NMSC are difficult to detect based on visual assessment alone. This results in inefficient removal of the cancerous tissue, which can lead to recurrence of the tumor," said Iorizzo, who lives in Lowell.
"Our optical imaging system can identify disruptions in the skin's collagen structure caused by the tumor, allowing for precise in-vivo mapping of the skin cancer before surgery," said Iorizzo, whose award consists of $7,500 worth of Edmund Optics products that will be used in the Advanced Biophotonics Lab.
Yaroslavsky, who is leading the team developing OPI, has several patents and others pending for the technology. They will be applying for industry and federal funding to continue and expand the clinical trials.
"Our goal is to commercialize the technology by licensing it to an existing medical device manufacturer and setting up our own spinoff company. We are working on a prototype right now for a commercial version that will be much smaller and more compact," Yaroslavsky said.
The Advanced Biophotonics Lab is also conducting research on breast, brain and kidney cancers in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and UMass Medical School. The researchers' work is supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and the University of Massachusetts system.


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Report: A decade later, 96% of retailers deploying RFID tags on apparel
Flickr; Elvert Barnes
Edwin Lopez @EdwinWrites
At the turn of the century, RFIDs seemed poised to be ubiquitous. But then, whether through technology cost or labor prices, momentum petered out, Alabama News Center reported Tuesday.
Since that time, however, and possibly with only industry experts watching, they've quietly ascended the retail supply chain, growing from 3 billion to 8 billion apparel RFID tags sold since 2014.
In fact, according to Auburn University's 2016 State of RFID Adoption Among U.S. Apparel Retailers, 96% of retailers had plans to deploy the tags on their apparel products.
Sometimes technology takes a while to catch on, but with 96% of surveyed retailers finally deploying the technology, the question that arises is, why now?
As with many business decisions, the cost-benefit analysis for implementing the technology must have changed, and in the case of RFID, various case studies suggest lack of affordability, industry shifts and time to implementation may have all played a part in the adoption delay.
First, the early hype of the technology led to a potentially overpriced tag. Early adopters like Wal-Mart may have bought into the benefits without full evidence, but even the retail behemoth had trouble reaching full implementation due to the high cost of compliance for suppliers.
Second, while the tags have been around for over a decade alongside other must-haves like Big Data, only recently with the rise of the cloud and fully-integrated platforms has the promise of data analytics and mass-implementation of the Internet of Things become evident across various industries. The value of storing and monitoring product data on RFID tags rises when the infrastructure is in place to understand it.
Lastly, as department stores and big box retailers struggle to retain revenues in the age of online shopping, companies are looking for new ways to drive down operational costs — and supply chain management has been put on the spotlight. RFID tags promise more efficient inventory management and replenishment, both which have increased in importance as retailers lean their stocks and engage omnichannel strategies.
The steady success of RFID technology demonstrates that technology implementations are often multi-faceted and long, but with due diligence can drive great value to early and late adopters alike.
Alabama News Center Retailers are putting all your clothes on the radio
Follow Edwin Lopez on Twitter


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University of Toronto ranked top university in Canada
[MC – June 10, 2020] Released today, the QS World University Rankings® 2021 includes 26 top Canadian universities, ranked based on a methodology that assesses each university on its academic and employer reputations, research impact and more.
Canada Rank Global Rank University
1 =25 University of Toronto
2 =31 McGill University
3 45 University of British Columbia
4 118 Université de Montréal
5 119 University of Alberta
6 144 McMaster University
7 =166 University of Waterloo
8 =203 Western University
=9 =246 Queen's University
=9 =246 University of Calgary
The top university in Canada once again this year is the University of Toronto in joint 25th worldwide. The university rose four places in this year's rankings and earns high scores across most of the indicators, particularly academic reputation, where it ranks 15th worldwide.
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto has evolved into Canada's leading institution of learning, discovery and knowledge creation. U of T is one of the world's top research-intensive universities, driven to invent and innovate.
The QS World University Rankings 2021 have just launched! ? The wait is over – discover the world's best universities now: https://t.co/JEcuTvC93A#QSWUR #topuniversities #rankings #highered #studyhere
— QS World University Rankings (@worlduniranking) June 9, 2020
In terms of global rankings, the top school in the world was found to be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by Stanford University at the second position, Harvard University ranked third, followed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Oxford.
While the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) continues its record-breaking streak at number one – the ninth year in a row it's achieved this feat – the big story this year is the impressive gains made by Asian universities. 26 institutions from the continent now feature in the global top 100, more than ever before.
This year's rankings are launched at a challenging time for the whole world, with COVID-19 impacting universities and students alike.
Featured Photo: jjphotos / Shutterstock.com
First Look: "Have you ever thought why Quaid-e-Azam's picture is placed on currency notes?"
Ontario Lifting 30-Day Supply Limit on Prescriptions
The most valuable degrees in Canada by salary earnings
U of T ranked first in Canada, in the latest Shanghai academic and research rankings
Canada announces changes to facilitate online learning for international students


Daniel R. Zuck, a retired aeronautical engineer at the Lockheed Corporation, won a patent this week for a combined helicopter and airplane. The proposed vehicle features wings on either side of the fuselage and does not use a rear stabilizing rotor. Mr. Zuck said the craft uses an overhead rotor to take off and land vertically; once it reaches the selected altitude, the overhead rotor stops turning and a rear-mounted propeller pushes the craft forward. To work properly, he added, the wings rotate into a verticle position during takeoff so they do not block air movement through the overhead rotor. During forward flight, the wings rotate back to a normal horizontal position.
Mr. Zuck received Patent 4,928,907.


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LINDA B. CARSON
Linda B. Carson, 58, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at Riverside Hospital.
Mrs. Carson was a lifelong Peninsula resident. Mrs. Carson was a paralegal for Oats & Hooks for the last year. She retired after 21 years of service as a social worker for Newport News.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Vera and Lloyd Bradley; and a sister, Carolyn Burns.
She leaves behind to cherish her memories her husband, Billy; two daughters, Tricia Worley and Amber Caporuscio; son, Jason; sister, Helen Miller; brother, Bobby Bradley; six grandchildren, Brent and Chelsea Worley, Jacob and Ashley Tucker, Tyler and Kalea Caporuscio; one great- grandchild, Makaela Worley; and two sons-in-law, Brad Worley and John Caporuscio.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to nurse Lovetta, for the loving care she provided to Linda Carson and family.
The family will receive friends from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight, at Peninsula Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at Peninsula Funeral Home with burial to follow in Peninsula Memorial Park.
Peninsula Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.


I also keep getting the same window as Macato. I have had my laptop about 2 months and up to now have not had a problem. Then just a few days ago the message that 'SyncUP has stopped working' appeared whilst I was working online. I checked online for a solution and closed the program, as prompted, but then the window popped up again whilst I was working on MS Word.
Any help/advice on how to stop this message popping up would be appreciated.