According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, smokers who fail to quit could potentially be kicked out of the Medicaid program if legislation being proposed by State Senator Joe Negron (R-Stuart) is enacted.
According to the article: "Sen. Joe Negron wants fat Floridians and smokers to get healthy or else. Included in Negron's revamp of the state-federal Medicaid program – which Negron will release tomorrow – is a component aimed at what senators are calling "personal responsibility." Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who helped craft Negron's bill, said Medicaid patients have to take control of their health care just as he had to do when his doctor told him to lose weight. "We're saying that an individual who's been diagnosed as morbidly obese needs to be on a medically-directed program of weight loss to manage that health care problem that could turn into an increased taxpayer liability. The same thing with smokers," Gaetz said."
"The bill would require smokers and alcoholics and drug addicts to get treatment, Gaetz said. Negron said his bill would include incentives for Medicaid patients to lose weight, quit smoking and stop drinking but did not give details about what they would be. If they don't get thinner and put down the smokes, Negron said their coverage could be cut off."
The introduction of this legislation in Florida, on the heels of a similar bill that has been proposed in Maine, suggests that we are seeing what soon may become a new trend: discriminating against smokers in health insurance coverage in order to save health care costs.
Of course, the premise behind the legislation is flawed in the first place because not even smokers can be denied medical treatment if they show up in an emergency room with a heart attack or stroke. The state is going to have to pay for it anyway because the individual lacks health insurance. The issue is simply whether the funding comes out of the free care pool or the Medicaid pool.
But with that aside, this legislation violates the very premise of medical care: that physicians and hospitals treat everyone, regardless of the reasons why they became ill. Even prisoners of war are provided with medical treatment. So are prisoners who have committed felonies. Are Senators Negron and Gaetz saying that smokers deserve fewer rights than prisoners?
Once we begin to make health insurance coverage dependent upon lifestyle decisions - even unhealthy ones - we have entered the ugly territory of bigotry in medical treatment. Do we really want lifestyle to be a criterion for determining eligibility for public health insurance? And why just pick on smokers? What about people who do not wear seat belts? Those who forget to put on sunscreen? People who eat out at Burger King five days a week?
The Victoria chapter of the Australian Medical Association (AMA Victoria) has publicly claimed that electronic cigarettes can cause coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries supplying blood to the heart), heart attacks, and strokes, according to an article in the Victoria Herald Sun.
According to the article, the president of AMA Victoria stated: "If you're addicted to e-cigarettes, you go to a milk bar and they don't have them, but they do have normal ones. These e-cigarettes mightn't give you lung cancer, but they can lead to stroke, heart attacks and coronary heart disease."
I challenge AMA Victoria to provide the evidence that supports its contention that electronic cigarettes can cause strokes, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease among users. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such evidence.
Moreover, if it is true that electronic cigarettes can cause heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, then so can nicotine replacement products like the nicotine patch and nicotine gum, which deliver as much or more nicotine than electronic cigarettes. Why is AMA Victoria not also warning the public about the risks of nicotine replacement therapy?
If I am correct and there is no evidence that electronic cigarette use increases the risk for heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke, then why is AMA Victoria making this up?
The answer, I believe, is ideology. Groups like AMA Victoria and other anti-smoking organizations simply cannot tolerate the idea that something which looks like smoking could possibly have health value. Ironically, they feel this way even if that health value is ridding oneself of the serious health risks associated with cigarette smoking.
The rest of the story is that it appears that AMA Victoria is simply making up the claim that electronic cigarettes can cause heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes in order to prevent people from thinking that using a product which looks like a cigarette could possibly have health advantages. Unfortunately, the impact of this unsupported claim is likely to do immense damage to the public's health, by convincing many smokers not to quit smoking using electronic cigarettes and by causing some ex-smokers to return to smoking because of fear over possible health damage from the e-cigarettes they are using successfully to stay off tobacco cigarettes.
Given that physicians, and physician organizations, are supposed to first, do no harm, it is disappointing to see AMA Victoria causing this kind of harm, especially when it is based on a completely non-scientific claim.
Today, the Rest of the Story is issuing a challenge to hospitals which have adopted smoker-free hiring policies: extend your policy to include physicians and then we will take note of your setting a positive example for your patients. Otherwise, get off your high horse and stop boasting about how you are modeling healthy behavior for the population.
It is easy for hospitals to tell nurses, cafeteria staff, custodial staff, and administrative staff that they will not be hired if they smoke. But the physicians and surgeons are the ones who are actually treating the patients. If they are smokers, then the hospital's claim about setting a good example and modeling healthy behavior goes down the tubes.
Most physicians are not covered by existing hospital smoker-free hiring policies because the physicians are not hired directly by the hospitals. This means that current smoker-free hiring policies are pure window dressing.
I think it's time to find out whether these hospitals really are willing to stand up for what they claim to be a principled stand. So today, I challenge these hospitals to extend their smoker-free policies to include treating physicians in their hospitals. Test all physicians for cotinine and revoke treating privileges for those who test positive, otherwise cease and desist from boasting about how you are standing up to promote a healthy workforce and a healthy community.
Allowing physician and surgeon smokers to work in a hospital but not nurses or other staff who smoke is an example of classist bigotry. Surely these hospitals do not want to continue to make such a distinction. This challenge is a great opportunity for these health care institutions to eliminate this classist bigotry and to make it clear that they really do stand for the principle of setting a good example for their patients and promoting a healthy workforce and a healthy community.
Today's front-page article in the New York Times highlights the recent trend of employers refusing to hire anyone who uses tobacco products. This is especially common among hospitals and health care systems. It is very nice to see the American Legacy Foundation speaking out against this form of employment discrimination.
According to an article on the web site of the Des Moines NBC television affiliate (WHO), University of Iowa researchers are claiming that the statewide smoking ban has had a dramatic effect on the incidence of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
According to the article: "The University of Iowa says in the two years Iowa has been smoke free, Iowans reduced their risk of heart disease by staggering numbers. 'Hospital admissions related to heart disease is much less, including stroke after the Smoke Free Air Act,' says Dr. Enrico Martin of the Iowa Heart Center. Admissions have gone down 24%, according to the University of Iowa. In just months, heart attack cases are down 8%. Strokes are down 5%. It's all thanks to the simple action of moving smokers outside."
Before even evaluating the actual data, there are two notes of caution that are important.
First, there does not appear to be any actual study. This appears to be yet another example of "science by press release." This is dangerous because if the conclusions turn out to be invalidated, it is too late to change the news. It is already out there. In fact, this story has been reported widely in the media. There is little opportunity for scrutiny of the study's findings because so far as I can tell, the methods are not publicly available.
Second, there does not appear to be any control group. The statistics being cited are simply declines in cardiovascular disease rates. Since these rates were already declining prior to the smoking ban, these statistics do not actually provide evidence that the smoking ban had any effect on cardiovascular disease rates. In fact, heart attack declines of 8% and stroke declines of 5% since the smoking ban do not appear to be much different from what one would expect in the absence of a smoking ban, given secular trends in these diseases.
Fortunately, we can objectively evaluate the researchers' claims by examining the actual data. Data on cardiovascular disease death rates in Iowa are available from the Iowa Department of Public Health web site.
The statewide smoking ban in Iowa went into effect on July 1, 2008.
Here are the trends in heart attack death rates and stroke death rates in Iowa from 1999 through 2009. The smoking ban implementation is shown in each figure. If the smoking ban had a significant effect on heart attacks or strokes, one would expect to see a substantial decline in these rates during the years 2008 and 2009.
These data demonstrate that the smoking ban clearly had no substantial effect on death rates for either heart attacks or stroke.
Figure 1 shows that if anything, the smoking ban was associated with an increase in the expected rates of heart attack death in Iowa. There was a slight increase in the heart attack death rate during the first year of the smoking ban's implementation, despite a trend of declining heart attacks prior to that.
Figure 2 shows that if anything, the existing rate of decline in stroke deaths in Iowa slowed after implementation of the smoking ban. In the eight years prior to the smoking ban, the stroke death rate in Iowa declined by an average of 3.8% per year. Since the smoking ban, the stroke death rate has declined by an average of only 3.2% per year.
Clearly, I am not arguing that the smoking ban has resulted in an increase in the expected number of heart attack and stroke deaths in Iowa. What I am arguing is that the conclusions of these Iowa researchers are invalid, as they are simply not supported by the data. As is the case with most of the smoking ban - heart attack studies, these researchers are engaging in wishful thinking in the absence of rigorous scientific analysis. Once again, it appears that they are using data to try to support a pre-determined conclusion, rather than objectively examining the data.
Will these researchers, and will anti-smoking groups, acknowledge that based on these data for trends in heart attack and stroke deaths in Iowa, the smoking ban has had no effect on either? I doubt it. Because the anti-smoking groups are not interested in the truth. They are interested in disseminating pieces of data that support their pre-determined conclusions.
A new study being published online ahead of print today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates that are better than those for traditional nicotine replacement products (NRT). In a six-month follow-up survey of 222 first-time purchasers of electronic cigarettes, researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health found that 31.0% of respondents reported having quit smoking. This compares favorably to an average six-month abstinence rate of between 12% and 18% for NRT products. The authors conclude that electronic cigarettes are a promising method for smoking cessation. The study was led by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.
31.0% of the respondents reported having quit smoking at six-month follow-up.
Of those who had quit smoking, 34.3% had discontinued the use of electronic cigarettes as well.
66.8% of respondents reported having reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked after using electronic cigarettes.
48.8% of respondents reported having quit smoking for a period of time after using electronic cigarettes.
Among respondents using electronic cigarettes frequently (more than 20 times per day), the six-month smoking abstinence rate was 70.0%.
Co-authors of the study were Kerry L. Tanwar and Kathleen S. Wood, also of the Boston University School of Public Health.
The press release about the study issued by the Boston University School of Public Health can be found here.
I think there are several important findings from the study that should be emphasized.
First, although the response rate was low, there is no particular reason to believe that smokers who quit were more likely to respond. The respondents were not told that this survey was about electronic cigarettes. They were told only that it was a survey about smoking experiences. Although it is possible that smokers who quit were more likely to respond, we do not have any particular reason to believe that was the case. Nevertheless, the results should be viewed as preliminary and further examination of this research question using more rigorous research designs is clearly warranted.
Second, regardless of the ultimate quit rates, the study suggests that electronic cigarettes are effective in helping smokers reduce the amount they smoke and at least temporarily quit smoking. This is critical because even reducing the amount smoked has a profound effect on health risk (despite the propaganda of the Surgeon General's office).
Third, the study suggests that electronic cigarettes may actually be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapy. I believe the reason for this is that these products address both the pharmacologic and behavioral aspects of smoking addiction. The fact that vaping looks like smoking is precisely the fact which drives the anti-smoking groups crazy, but it is also the fact which makes electronic cigarettes so promising as a smoking cessation tool.
Fourth, the study suggests that people who use electronic cigarettes more frequently are more successful in quitting smoking. This is important because it means that if public education campaigns were to instruct people on the proper use of the product, it could be even more effective than it already is. In other words, if anti-smoking groups and the FDA embraced electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation method rather than working to ban the product, it could become an even more effective smoking cessation tool.
Finally, while there is widespread speculation that people who use electronic cigarettes are only substituting one addiction for another, our study found that one-third of customers who quit smoking using electronic cigarettes were actually nicotine-free at six months after first purchase of the product.
Nevertheless, it is important to point out that even if people who quit smoking using e-cigarettes continue to use these devices, they are still ex-smokers. They have quit smoking successfully and will reap enormous health benefits.
According to the thinking of anti-smoking advocates in Washington state, it is unacceptable for tobacco companies to sell a menthol-flavored cigarillo because such a product might lead youth to a lifetime of addiction; however, it is perfectly acceptable for tobacco companies to sell menthol-flavored cigarettes.
Washington legislators have introduced, and anti-smoking groups are supporting, legislation which would ban the sale of menthol cigarillos in Washington but continue to allow the sale of menthol cigarettes.
The reason for the legislation? According to an article in the Seattle Times, flavored cigarillos must be banned because they are a "gateway to long-term tobacco use."
According to the article: "Public-health officials maintained that the brightly colored, flavored products start teens down a dark road to lifetime nicotine addiction. ... Dr. David Fleming, director of Public Health — Seattle & King County, said the products — such as Swisher Sweets cigarillos in peach, white grape and strawberry flavors — are essentially a 'gateway to long-term tobacco use.'"
The bill - House Bill 1246 - would ban all flavored tobacco products, including cigars, cigarillos, and smokeless tobacco, but with the exception of cigarettes.
In the ultimate example of the hypocrisy of anti-smoking advocates who are supporting this legislation, the bill first bans all flavored tobacco products. Then, in small print at the end of the bill, it defines tobacco products as all tobacco-containing products with the exception of cigarettes.
The fact that this bill needs to go to the ridiculous extreme of defining a cigarette as not being a tobacco product tells you everything you need to know about how hypocritical the bill's supporters are.
Somehow, it is unacceptable to sell flavored cigarillos - despite the very low prevalence of their use among youth - because they may lead to lifetime addiction to tobacco products, but it is entirely acceptable to sell flavored (menthol) cigarettes which are introducing literally thousands of Washington youth to a lifetime of addiction to cigarettes.
This is the first time I have ever seen cigarettes defined as not being tobacco products. It defies common sense. But that defiance of common sense shows the extremes necessary to make this bill sound like a coherent approach to tobacco control.
The rest of the story is that the supporters of this legislation are looking for an easy political victory that will make them feel and look good, but without having to actually stand up to the tobacco industry and without having to actually craft a tobacco control strategy that will lead to substantial reductions in tobacco use and addiction.
It is a great example of hypocrisy in the anti-smoking movement. It is also a great example of political cowardice.
I hope not only that the bill goes to defeat, but that the legislation is publicly exposed for its political, rather than purely public health objectives. Hopefully this column will start that process.
The Canadian Cancer Society has called for all provinces to ban smoking in cars carrying children ages 17 and younger.
According to an article in the Calgary Herald, Ashley Jensen, the cancer society's regional community engagement co-ordinator stated: "It's unfortunate to see Alberta falling behind on tobacco when even our neighbours, B.C. and Saskatchewan, have moved forward with legislation. This is about protecting kids from preventable death, disease and disability."
According to the article: "Alberta is lagging when it comes to discouraging cigarette smoking in vehicles carrying children, says the Canadian Cancer Society. All provinces have laws prohibiting smoking in public places. However, only six provinces and the Yukon territory have legislation banning smoking in vehicles with children. Alberta is among four provinces and two territories that haven't made it illegal for drivers to smoke in vehicles carrying children under the age of 18. ... The Canadian Cancer Society says children exposed to tobacco smoke face an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infection, middle ear disease and an increased severity of asthma. ... Two Alberta communities have bylaws against smoking in vehicles with kids. Okotoks passed its legislation in 2008, and Leduc's bylaw takes effect in July. Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke said the cancer society sparked the regulation change during a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference last year in Toronto."
If the Canadian Cancer Society means what it is saying and believes that as a principle, the government must intervene to protect children from exposure to secondhand smoke caused by their own parents, then why is it promoting a ban on smoking in cars, but not in homes where the overwhelming majority of infant and childhood secondhand smoke exposure occurs?
If banning parents from smoking in their own cars is necessary to protect infants and children from dying due to SIDS or from developing asthma and lower respiratory tract infections, then what possible justification is there for allowing these same infants and children to be exposed to secondhand smoke in the home?
It seems to me that this is a hypocritical stand by the Canadian Cancer Society. It is fine, their position infers, for parents to smoke around their kids in the home. It is only in cars that secondhand smoke is a problem. By what law of nature does secondhand smoke in cars affect the health of children, but secondhand smoke in the home present no health risks?
The position of the Canadian Cancer Society is not only unsupported by science, but it is also an example of the political cowardice that afflicts the modern-day tobacco control movement. The Cancer Society is allowing politics to influence its position on issues of science and health, in contrast to its public statements which imply that health is the only legitimate concern here.
In other words, the Canadian Cancer Society is full of hypocrisy. They are criticizing others for putting politics above health and science, yet they are doing precisely the same thing in not calling for a ban on smoking in homes with children.
As I've made clear before, my own position is that while secondhand smoke is a significant health risk for infants and children and it is quite unfortunate that many children are exposed, it is simply not justified for the government to interfere with parental autonomy by banning smoking in private homes and cars to protect kids from their parents' behavioral decisions. I fully support interventions to reduce childhood exposure to secondhand smoke, but these should rely on education and health communication campaigns, not state coercion.
But regardless of one's position on the issue, the point of this commentary is simply that the Canadian Cancer Society, like its counterpart in the U.S., is full of hypocrisy. They are criticizing others for considering concerns other than health and science, yet they are doing precisely the same thing.
At this point, I'd settle for a principled stand on either side of the issue. Either opine that the government has a legitimate justification to interfere with parental autonomy and privacy to protect kids from health risks and support a ban on all smoking in the presence of children or declare that the government is not justified in such a usurpation of parental autonomy. But don't pretend to be standing up for a principle when in fact, you are violating the very principle for which you claim to be standing up.
Anti-Smoking Groups Want Electronic Cigarettes Off the Market Because They Have Not Been Proven Safe; What About Chantix?
The major national anti-smoking groups, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Action on Smoking and Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Legacy Foundation, have called for an immediate ban on electronic cigarettes because they claim we are not sure whether these products are safe for use as smoking cessation devices.
In the mean time, new evidence published in January demonstrates that Chantix is most definitely not a safe drug. However, none of these same anti-smoking groups is calling for Chantix to be pulled off the market until it is proven to be safe for use as a smoking cessation drug.
A new study published last month in PLoS One reports that Chantix is the worst drug offender in terms of being associated with suicidal behavior and violence towards others. According to the research, Chantix has been associated with more than 400 cases of violence and more than 11,000 serious adverse effects. Chantix was associated with 18 times the number of violence cases as one would have expected by chance.
The study controlled for the possible increased tendency towards aggression among the population being treated with Chantix and the relationship between varenicline use and violence was still enormous. Thus, these effects seem to be a real side effect of Chantix use.
The article concludes: "Acts of violence towards others are a genuine and serious adverse drug event associated with a relatively small group of drugs. Varenicline, which increases the availability of dopamine, and antidepressants with serotonergic effects were the most strongly and consistently implicated drugs."
This research has led some to conclude that: "the message is clear that while Chantix can prove to be an effective weapon for chronic quitters (smokers who try various magic bullets to kick the habit, only to fail…), the costs to some in terms of Chantix aggression and other Chantix side effects can be potentially devastating."
If, as the anti-smoking groups argue, drugs should be proven to be safe before being allowed on the market for use in smoking cessation, then why aren't these groups demanding that Chantix be immediately removed from the market?
While electronic cigarettes are not known to have any serious adverse side effects, Chantix has been demonstrated to have the most serious possible adverse side effect: death.
If electronic cigarettes need to be removed from the market just on the off-chance that they may have serious side effects, then shouldn't Chantix absolutely be withdrawn from the market since we know that it is currently causing thousands of serious adverse effects?
Perhaps the reason has something to do with the fact that all of these anti-smoking groups receives or has received funding from pharmaceutical companies that manufacture smoking cessation drugs (like Chantix) and which may be threatened by the continued sale of electronic cigarettes, which appear to be more effective for smoking cessation than these traditional products.
This money is apparently very well spent. These anti-smoking groups are not biting the hand that feeds them. Despite the fact that it violates the very principles these groups have set out, they are not calling for the removal from the market of Pfizer's drug, even though it is clearly not a safe treatment for smoking cessation and even though they have called for the removal of a potential competitor - electronic cigarettes - from the market in the absence of any demonstration of harm from these devices.
To be clear, I am not arguing that Chantix should be removed from the market. I am only pointing out that the actions of the anti-smoking groups are inconsistent and hypocritical and that the obvious source of this hypocrisy is money: money from Pfizer.
Now you know why corporations are so anxious to donate money to health groups. It buys their silence at important times like this. The savings in corporate profits is well worth the donation.
According to an article in Discovery News, yet another electronic cigarette opponent is unsure whether smoking cigarettes is any more dangerous than using electronic cigarettes, even though the latter does not contain any tobacco, nor is there any smoke or combustion of any tobacco.
According to the article: "As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration struggles to gain regulatory control, and as safety studies remain works in progress, the debate continues. 'There really are a lot of unknowns with respect to health,' said Prue Talbot, a toxicologist at the University California, Riverside. 'I don't know of any studies in the literature which are peer-reviewed. Almost all of the studies have been paid for by the e-cigarette companies. E-cigarettes are often sold as safe, which is probably not true,' Talbot added. 'They may not be as dangerous as real cigarettes, but on the other hand, they could be. We just don't know.'"
While I agree that electronic cigarettes are not "safe" in absolute terms, there is little question that they are much safer than smoking tobacco cigarettes. The contention that nicotine plus tens of thousands of other chemicals including 60 known carcinogens is more dangerous than nicotine vaporized from a propylene glycol/glycerin solution does not require rocket science.
Only a tobacco company would claim that it is uncertain whether smoking is any more dangerous than inhaling nicotine from a relatively clean solution of propylene glycol and glycerin. Check that. A tobacco company would not say that. Only electronic cigarette opponents are making that claim.
The evidence simply does not support the claim. While cigarette smoke contains more than 60 carcinogens at relatively high levels, there have been only two carcinogens found in electronic cigarettes and they are present only at trace levels. In fact, the levels of these two carcinogens (which are present because the nicotine is extracted from tobacco) is more than 1,000 times lower than that of the same carcinogens in tobacco cigarettes. Moreover, there are 16 laboratory studies of the constituents of electronic cigarettes and none have identified any chemicals at levels which would warrant serious concern.
How can researchers like this go out publicly and state that there is no evidence that electronic cigarettes are any safer than what we already know is the most dangerous and toxic consumer product on the market, which we know kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year?
Why are these researchers ignoring the available data which clearly show that the levels of carcinogens in electronic cigarettes are orders of magnitude lower than in regular cigarettes?
Unfortunately, there appears to be a very strong bias operating which does not allow anti-smoking researchers to objectively view the scientific evidence on electronic cigarettes. I believe that the very fact that these devices are similar to cigarettes blinds many anti-smoking researchers to the actual scientific evidence that is readily available. It is apparently not the documented hazards of vaping which are troubling the anti-smoking movement, but the fact that it looks like smoking.
How can anything which looks like smoking be a good thing, even if there is strong evidence that these products are bringing immense and immediate health benefits to thousands of users? There simply is no room for this in the anti-smoking movement's mentality.
A group of 37 Missouri hospitals had their first day in court yesterday in a lawsuit against the tobacco companies (City of St. Louis v. American Tobacco). The suit seeks $477 million in compensation for the treatment of smoking-related illnesses among patients who did not have medical insurance. The claims date back to 1993.
"Diane Sullivan, a lawyer for Philip Morris, argued that 95 percent of all patients paid their hospital bills and that only one of every five others smoked. "The truth is, hospitals make money from our bad habits," she said. Sullivan predicted that the plaintiffs would do their best to get jurors angry at tobacco companies. But she said that hospitals have mounted advertising campaigns to get smokers to use their hospitals, have allowed smoking on their campuses, and have sold cigarettes in vending machines and gift shops."
Although I agree that cigarette companies produce a deadly and addictive product, that they have historically lied about the health effects of the product, that they knew the product was addictive and harmful yet covered that information up, and that they continue to manufacture and market this deadly product, I do not believe that the Missouri hospitals are entitled to compensation from the tobacco companies for treatment of smoking-related illnesses.
compensation from pharmaceutical companies for treatment of illnesses related to side effects of medications.
I think you get the idea. Allowing hospitals to be compensated for treatment of smoking-related illnesses would open the flood gates for similar lawsuits to be brought against all sorts of manufacturers of products which cause human illness. Although I am obviously sympathetic to the desire to hold tobacco companies accountable for their actions, I do not believe that this case has any legal merit.
What disturbs me about the case, however, is the fact that it seems to undermine the mission of hospitals. It seems to me that hospitals are charged with treating all patients, regardless of the causes of their injuries and that it is not the hospital's prerogative to determine the causes of the illness and force the companies responsible to pay for the treatment.
These hospitals are themselves responsible for numerous deaths among their patients. The significant rates of hospital-acquired infections and other medical treatment-caused morbidity and mortality in Missouri hospitals has been documented. However, I don't see these hospitals arguing that they themselves should be held financially accountable for the treatment of those illnesses. I don't see these same Missouri hospitals offering to return the money paid to them for treatment of illnesses that were caused by these hospitals.
Philip Morris also points out that some of these same hospitals have profited from the sale of cigarettes at their facilities. Yet they are not holding themselves financially responsible for their own contributions to these patients' illnesses.
The day these hospitals admit that they have contributed to the illnesses and deaths of some of their patients and they agree to reimburse those patients for the costs of those mistakes is the day they can talk to me about seeking compensation from the tobacco companies. Until then, this is both a lawsuit without legal merit and an undermining of the mission of our hospitals.


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PLAYMOBIL announces latest entertainment partnership
PLAYMOBIL to team up with children's favourite, Nick Jr. for advertising campaign
Beloved toymaker and entertainment brand, PLAYMOBIL, is continuing to support its retail distribution network via its latest advertising partnership with the number one entertainment brand for children, Nick Jr. The strategic campaign will run until the end of October 2019, with PLAYMOBIL creating bespoke idents for the coveted evening slot, 5-7pm.
PLAYMOBIL's advertising placements will appear on Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too, as part of its sponsorship of Playful Evenings on Nick Jr. The partnership is the latest in a number of UK broadcast campaigns for the brand, including a summer-long partnership with The Club with Bex, which runs 4-7pm on Fun Kids Radio. These hand-picked partnerships form an integral part of PLAYMOBIL's commitment to retailers, as well as its expansion into the entertainment space.
Where every day's an adventure, Nick Jr. is a top-performing commercial pre-school entertainment brand in cable and satellite homes. It was launched in 1999 as the world's first channel dedicated to pre-school children.
Commenting on this latest advertising partnership, Jamie Dickinson, Marketing and Display Manager for PLAYMOBIL UK, said: "Our intention is to provide retailers with support via a comprehensive and targeted advertising programme, that also reaffirms our position as a much loved and well-respected entertainment brand. We have really enjoyed working alongside Nick Jr. and we look forward to seeing how the idents are received by the channel's viewers across the UK."
Virginia Monaghan, VP Marketing, Commercial and Events, Nickelodeon UK and Northern and Eastern Europe, said: "Our partnership with PLAYMOBIL is a perfect fit for the Nick Jr. brand – they embody our fun-loving and adventurous values and we look forward to launching the sponsorship across the channel."
This latest partnership from PLAYMOBIL's UK coincides with a period of significant growth for the brand. PLAYMOBIL's recent new product launches include Tiny Paws Pet Hotel, Summer Villa and the Space Mission to Mars range. Fans are also gearing up for the launch of the much-anticipated PLAYMOBIL: The Movie, which will introduce PLAYMOBIL to a new generation of families.
For more information, please contact your sales representative or the main office on 01268 548111.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Palouse Capital Management Inc. cuts its stock holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
By Larry R. Howell Last updated Jul 10, 2022
Palouse Capital Management Inc. reduced its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get a rating) by 1.5% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The company held 24,988 shares of the company after selling 372 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 1.9% of Palouse Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th-highest position. Palouse Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $4,429,000 when it last filed with the SEC.
A number of other major investors have also recently changed their holdings in JNJ. Edge Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Edge Wealth Management LLC now owns 86,628 shares of the company valued at $14,819,000 after acquiring an additional 584 shares last quarter. Hoese & Co LLP increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Hoese & Co LLP now owns 2,404 shares of the company valued at $412,000 after acquiring 108 additional shares last quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 32,627 shares of the company valued at $5,581,000 after acquiring 317 additional shares last quarter. United Capital Management of KS Inc. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. United Capital Management of KS Inc. now owns 23,940 shares of the company valued at $4,095,000 after acquiring 957 additional shares last quarter. Finally, Miracle Mile Advisors LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 48,199 shares of the company valued at $8,245,000 after acquiring 2,249 additional shares last quarter. 68.78% of the shares are held by institutional investors.
Shares of JNJ opened at $178.28 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $469.13 billion, a price-earnings ratio of 24.03, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.39. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $155.72 and a fifty-two week high of $186.69. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $176.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.10.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get a rating) last released its quarterly results on Tuesday, April 19. The company reported EPS of $2.67 for the quarter, beating consensus analyst estimates of $2.60 by $0.07. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 20.90% and a return on equity of 36.59%. The company posted revenue of $23.43 billion in the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.62 billion. During the same period a year earlier, the company posted EPS of $2.59. The company's revenues increased by 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equity research analysts expect Johnson & Johnson to post earnings per share of 10.23 for the current year.
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 7. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 24 received a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a positive change from Johnson & Johnson's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a dividend of $4.52 on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 23. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is currently 60.92%.
In other Johnson & Johnson news, CAO Robert J. Decker sold 8,462 shares of the company in a trade Thursday, May 26. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $1,523,160.00. Following completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 15,473 shares of the company, valued at approximately $2,785,140. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, accessible via the SEC website. Also, insider William Haiti sold 29,699 shares of the company in a trade on Thursday, April 21. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.58, for a total transaction of $5,452,142.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 80,236 shares of the company, valued at $14,729,724.88. Disclosure of this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 78,161 shares of the company valued at $13,895,302 during the last quarter. 0.35% of the shares are currently held by insiders of the company.
A number of research companies have commented on JNJ. StockNews.com moved Johnson & Johnson shares from a "buy" rating to a "strong buy" rating in a Tuesday, May 17 research note. Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson shares from $173.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday. Raymond James raised his price target on Johnson & Johnson shares from $195.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a Wednesday, April 20 research note. Goldman Sachs Group raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson shares from $163.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a Tuesday, April 12 research note. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets began covering Johnson & Johnson shares in a Wednesday June 22 research note. They gave the company an "outperform" rating. Four analysts gave the stock a hold rating, six gave the company a buy rating and one gave the company's stock a strong buy rating. Based on MarketBeat data, Johnson & Johnson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $190.67.
Johnson & Johnson profile (Get a rating)
Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches and develops, manufactures and sells various healthcare products worldwide. The Company's Consumer Health segment offers baby care products under the JOHNSON'S and AVEENO Baby brands; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; skin health/beauty products under the brands AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DR.
Want to see what other hedge funds own JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com for the latest 13F filings and insider trading for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get a rating).
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Conference realignment: Phil Knight resorts to cold calling for Oregon as Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC look for lifelines
Nearwater Capital announces the appointment of Gary Barnett and John Willian to the board of directors of Nearwater Capital Markets, Limited.


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The Cactus Trip Diaries
Copiapoa.info
Archive for the 'Cuba 2010' Category
Thursday, 30 December, 2010 – Taltal: the Guanillos Valley circuit
Just as was the case for yestreday's 'Paposo' circuit, the last few months had established a 'Guanillos Valley' circuit. We decided to take Ruta 5 to the turn off to Pan de Azucar / Esmeralda but it seems that the Park wardens had not only closed access to the north of the Park from within it, but it seemed that the usual signs had been removed and replaced with signs to Cifuncho / Minas Las Luces, so that I ended up on the track that takes you to the centre of Pan de Azucar.
No choice but to turn back and try again on the 'next' track east that I had rejected nearly one hour earlier. We arrived a little later than planned at Ritter's Type Locality for Copiapoa cinerea ssp columna-alba. (S2188) Every time that we get here, the light is a little different and the area presents new photo opportunities.
This time I focussed on the Eulychnia (iquiquensis I assume, but there were no buds, flowers or fruits to confirm the ID). It appears in Ritter's image in KiSA, with a man and a woman standing next to it, to give us an idea of its height. This time it was John who offered to be 'the Bowdery'. It seems that the plant is now 3/4 of a Carr in height – not much growth considering the c. 45 years that have past since the original photo was taken! And not surprisingly there were no signs of recent growth, although the plant looks to be alive. Compared to the Copiapoa that grow around it, this individual seems to have almost stood still! John and Juan managed to find a few Eriosyce (Thelocephala) esmeraldana between them – the easy ones, with fruits sticking above the surface to draw attention to their pressence.
S2189 was an ad-hoc stop near Secret Valley, but on the opposite side of the track where Juan (who has never been to Secret Valley) saw C. columna-alba and C. longistaminea growing together. It made a nice picture, especially when these two were joined by Thelocephala esmeraldana growing at the feet of the columna-alba. Also nice views from the top of the hill of the cactus covered hills, although many of the plants were ash-mounds, having died probably many years ago. Things seem to be getting dryer here in general.
S2190 was another visit to Alan Craig's memorial. It looked as though the stones and shells had been tidied up since our November visit. Juan found T. esmeraldana here too.
S2191 was just after our Puma Bay camping spot, again for the magnificent (although suffering) C. longistaminea and C. grandiflora below the hills of Las Lomitas.
And finally S2192 was the regular spot for C. laui, where this time we pointed John in the right direction with instructions to find the miniatures (he did!) and C. angustiflora (still C. grandiflora ssp esmeraldana in my book). I climbed one of the hills in the other direction and took some nice wide angled shots of the track.
Around 4:30 it was time to head home and we decided to take the track that eventually takes you to Minas Las Luces. This had become rougher than I remembered it in November, but clearly maintenance has been reduced now that they seem to discourage visitors to Las Lomitas from the north. While driving my mind wandered what this track would be like on a future visit and thought ourselves lucky that we had not had any punctures since we started this trip on 1 ecember, via Patagonia. Always a bad thing to do. Five minutes later, Juan reported that the wheel under his backside had a puncture. Not a disaster in itself, as we were well rehearsed in the changing of tires. But with a dodgy spare going on to replace the puncture and some 40 km of rough track until we would reach a Vulcan. in Taltal, we needed a certain amount of luck with the remainder of today's journey.
We celebrated our luck with ice creams while the vulcanisation man gave us the bad news. Either this time, or on a previous occasion (the tire had been repaired before we reted the car) it had been driven for a while when flat. As a result the inside walls of the tyre had worn badly. He could patch it and recommended that we'd keep it on the back and keep speeds down, especially around bends. 100 km p hr max!
We have to look at the options and have some rescheduling to do.
Post scripts: S1691, 7 February 2010: Las Tunas, Cuba
Regular readers may remember the images of an Anole lizard sp. feeding on the nectar of a Euphorbia sp. that we saw widespread throughout Cuba, often used as fencing. During my visit to California in March, Petra Crist of the 'Rare Succulents' nursery in Rainbow, told me that this was Euphorbia graniticola, and further searching under this name on Google reveals that it is a native of Mozambique.
How did it get to Cuba? It certainly likes the conditions here and the Cubans seem to have turned this to good advantage by using it to produce self-maintaining fences.
Thank you, Petra, for the information.
Thursday, 4 March, 2010 – Gatwick to home
I boarded the plane wearing a green safari shirt – plane but practical. As morning approached, I beat the queue for the facilities and did a quick change into the loudest Caribbean shirt that I could find during our travels. Mike told me that I would never dare to wear it. The chap next to me had the shock of his life when he woke up with the sun rise on his left and me on his right. Three airhostesses came to tell me individually that they loved my shirt! It may become part of the 2010 talks, so bring sunglasses.
Mike, who sat at the front of the plane and had a train to catch was gone by the time that Cliff and I had collected our bags. You'll regret not getting a similar shirt, Mike!
Just a week and I'm off on my next cactus trip from 11 March, arriving back on 15 April. Watch this space for reports of what we see in various parts of the USA and Mexico.
Wednesday, 3 March, 2010 – Havana to home
Fortunately and usually there is not much to report on these days of travel.
We had to be out of our room by noon. By that time I had completed the 15 minute section of the What I Saw Last Winter talk for 2010 presentations. A quick thirty minutes in the Internet room, checking last minute messages and making sure that Angie had the right details for picking me up at the airport. She beat me to it with a message reminding me of the detail.
Lunch – Pizza Havana (for me) and Spaghetti with prawns for Cliff (can't remember what Mike had) made the time pass by. Good to see that Cliff has got over his fear of prawns after a possible food poisoning incident many years ago.
15:30 and time to get a taxi to take us to the airport where we were supposed to take off at 19:10. Add at least an hour to that, without any explanation announcement. If there had been one, the P.A. system was still the type that they used to have at UK railway stations in the sixties. Inaudible.
Eventually – nearly eight hours in flight – boring!
Tuesday, 2 March, 2010 – Matazan to Havana
It should have been so easy. We had carefully noted landmarks on the way back to our Hotel, last night. We carefully retraced our tracks this morning and without difficulty found ourselves standing at the sign of 'Casa de Pancho Flora y Fauna' at just after 10 a.m. We walked through the gate, along a few hundred meters of track when we were caught up by a horse and cart. The driver jumped down and greeted us in English. But his language skills did not go far beyond the greeting. I showed him the Melocacti book and asked if we were at the right spot. No. We learned that the Estacion Biologica de Cuabal was still the correct name of the project and was about 3 km farther along the road. Ah well.
The turning to the project was about 1 km beyond the point where yesterday we had decided that enough was enough. But the sign was far from informative: 'Area Protegida, Tres Ceiba de Clavellina – 2 km'
Two kilometres along, we arrived at another sign near a gate: 'Entrada Estacion Biologica de Cuabal R.F.M. Tres Ceiba de Clavellina A. Protectida' (S1735). We had arrived!
Or had we?
Two gentleman and a young lady were waiting with a tractor and trailer, like a welcoming committee just for us.
After the previous experience, and once again brandished the Melocacti in Cuba book (I receive no reward for advertising this excellent book!) I asked the person who appeared to me the leader of the three, if we were at the place mentioned in the book. 'Yes' he said hesitatingly, as if he knew what was coming next. 'Could we be granted permission to see and photograph the plants?' I asked politely. 'Do you have a letter of authority from Fauna & Flora?' he asked in return. 'From the farm 3 km back?' I asked, confused. 'No, from the Flora y Fauna office in Matazan' he advised.
Our faces dropped. Cliff & I had been here before, in Grão Mogol, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 'But where in Matazan?' I asked in despair. There is no information available about such matters, especially not to organisations that represent the cactus hobby in various countries. Our friend was obviously embarrassed by the situation, as indeed several people in Grão Mogol had been.
'Do we need to pay admission fees to get this letter?' I asked, politely, trying to get to the root of the problem. 'Yes …., but also a letter' 'We can pay you the money' I suggested 'and then you can pay it to the people in Matazan.' 'No, that is not possible.'
He offered to show me some plants that were grown in the garden around the project office. Cliff & Mike declined. I explained that we had travelled widely around the world to take pictures of plants in habitat. In my home country of Holland, they grow Melocactus matanzanus in their millions – it is very popular because it is the Melocactus that forms a cephalium at the youngest age / smallest size. I had it in my own collection. But this plant is only known now from the area of Matazan and I was keen therefore to take a picture of it in habitat. He offered again to show me pictures of the plants grown in his garden.
While I went along with him, he explained that the reason that they had appeared as our welcoming committee was that they were expecting an inspection visit from his boss. Bureaucracy had once again prevented us from seeing a cactus in habitat.
Bottom line: we can be pleased that Melocactus matanzanus is well protected, while at the same time we can be sad that ordinary cactophiles are prevented from seeing these plants in habitat.
We needed to take our car back to Havana and book into our hotel for our last night in Cuba.
Monday, 1 March, 2010 – west of Matazan
Our credibility as cactus explorer did not rise in the ratings today. In fact, we would have achieved as much if we had stayed at the hotel and drank free cocktails and beers.
However, out of habit we set off to the west of Matazan, taking the coast road and looking for a turning to take us back on a south-eastern heading.
We had on the one hand too much information: the Cacti of Cuba book and a reasonably detailed map of the island, but at the same time, not enough information. Let me explain.
The book was quite clear that Melocactus matanzanus was recorded as recently as 2006 at Estacion Biologica de Cuabal, near Chirino, with the habitat of 385 hectares providing a home for five colonies or populations. But Chirino was not on the map provided in the book, nor on the detailed Cuba map. In fact, few of the towns shown on the map in the book were on the detailed map and vice versa. And names of villages and hamlets appearing on any signage did not appear on either map. Arghhhh!
We followed our instincts that seemed to be confirmed by what we saw on the maps, stopped on three occasions in places that looked similar in soil (serpentine rock) and vegetation to information provided in the book. No Melos were found, but were added as 'no cacti seen' stops (S1732, S1733 and S1734).
By two p.m. we were back in Matazan, not really sure where we had been, other than that I have GPS data on some of my pictures that I can plot onto Google Earth once we get back to home and the Internet.
As it was still early, we decided to have another go: back on the coast road, as the more promising track west out of the centre of town could not be found. Plan B consisted of no longer trusting our instincts and asking local folk often, starting as a snack bar along the side of the road.
The lady knew exactly where we wanted to go, pointed to the hills to the south-south-west, but told us that we had to drive back east, to Matazan and then drew us a map of traffic lights and turns before wishing us good luck.
It was a slow process, but eventually we discovered that the hamlet with the official name sign of Mena was in fact also called Chirino! And why not?!? We asked several people who confirmed that we had arrived.
It also turned out that the Estacion Biologica de Cuabal, was now known as 'Casa de Pancho Flora y Fauna'. We had seen such a sign about a km back, but it was know past 4 p.m. and light was past its best for photography. We'll have a go tomorrow, on our way to Havana.
Sunday, 28 February, 2010 – Playa Girón to Varadero
Again, we rose in good time, after another restrained round of cocktails – only six each this time as they had run out of crème de menthe.
And so we headed north, to cross the island once again, heading to Matanzas.
I should have mentioned that our previous two nights were at the south side of the island, in the Zapata Peninsula Swamp area, at another historic site: El Bahia de Cochinos, a.k.a. The Bay of Pigs, where mercenaries, believed to have been backed by the CIA, staged an ill-fated invasion in April 1961. 156 Cuban combatants and five civilians died and were elevated to martyr status in Cuba's battle against imperialist forces.
Right outside our lodgings was the Museo Girón, with a British Sea Fury that took part in the battle on the Cuban side, as its main attraction, alongside two replica Russian built tanks.
As we drove along the Bay of Pigs towards La Boca, we kept passing monuments, marking a spot where one of the martyrs had died.
At La Boca, the mood changed as this was a park / zoo dedicated to the endangered Cuban Crocodile, a nice change from the lizards that I normally encounter during cactus trips and that find their way into talks. The purpose of the project is to raise crocodiles to be released back into the wild to compensate for their fall in numbers due to hunting and loss of natural habitat. According to my guide book, 80-90% of the animals raised here fall prey to ….. human consumption, starting in their own restaurant: 'Make me a Crocodile Sandwich and make it snappy!'
We all dully posed with one of these creatures; a small one, with it's jaws tightly wound by a rope, much thicker than it needed to be. I had mixed feelings about the appropriateness of the exercise, but it is easy to get carried away by the event. We declined the offer of the Crocodile Lunch.
Our drive across the island was uneventful, again. Sugarcane dominated the scenery.
At Matanzas, we got lost, as expected, in the town, lacking in sign posts as usual, but at least we had learned the lesson to look over our shoulders, as the most useful sign posts are the ones that benefit drivers going in the opposite direction. It seemed that the neighbouring town of Varadero is where the hotels were to be found. Most were in the $$$$$ price class, way outside of our budget. Things were getting a bit tense financially. More and more hotels and petrol stations were claiming that their credit card lines were not working and so we had eaten into our cash reserves more than we had wanted to. We all had some Euros and Pound Sterling left in reserve, but did not want to change more than was strictly needed as any unspent CUCs would be useless outside of Cuba.
We stopped at the first hotel outside of Varadero. Did not look too bad and the price was roughly what we had been paying throughout our trip, but this time it was ALL INCLUSIVE! So while that meant that the buffet meals were unimaginative food to fill the stomach, the drinks, again, were for free! Excellent!! Cheers!!!
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Spiniflores (Juan Acosta & Florencia Senoret) Blog, including 2010 Cactus trips Spanish language Cactus Trip Diaries, with pictures.
Sunday, 24 November 2019 – in the air and home
Saturday, 23 November 2019 Pichidangui to Aeropuerto Santiago
Friday 22 November 2019 around Pichidangui
Thursday 21 November 2019 Vicuna to Pichidangui
Wednesday 20 November 2019 – Vicuna to Paso de Agua Negra and back
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Brazil – Minas Gerais 2009
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USA – Arizona
USA – California 2010
Teddy Bear Cholla


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Fic: "Him"
Title: "Him"
Characters: Ellie, OC
Pairings: Joel/Ellie [past], Ellie/OC
Summary: Several years after Joel's death, Ellie still can't let go, but that doesn't stop a new guy from falling for her. Inspired by an old country song I recently re-discovered: "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley. [Note: I labeled this Joel/Ellie because Ellie's in love with Joel, but Joel does not appear in the fic at all]
~crossposted to FFN and AO3~
I've been told I look like him.
By his brother, his brother's wife, other members of the community… but not by Ellie. According to Ellie, I'm too tall, too thin, have the wrong eye color, a more pointed jaw, smaller nose -- she made it sound like I don't resemble the man in the slightest. I wanted to believe her. And I did… until I finally saw a picture of him.
Ellie's not wrong, exactly… it's just that the differences in our features are not nearly as pronounced as she led me to believe. We could be father and son.
However, as folks are quick to point out, I don't sound anything like him. Which is fine when Ellie and I are out and about, going hunting or eating dinner… things one might do with a friend (that's how we started out, after all -- as friends). Yet when we're snuggling through a movie… when I'm holding her, kissing her, making love to her… these are the times she seems happiest -- as long as I'm silent. Not that I can't love her exactly the same way he did, but my performance must be passable; admittedly, I'm pretty much clay in her hands, and she's molded me into the best possible replica. My voice is the only thing that automatically jolts her right out of her fantasy, back into a painful reality she wants no part of.
It took me a little while to catch on to this. In the beginning, she would apologize and say she wasn't ready, might never be ready… "You should run the other way. Seriously." Too late for that! How could I run when I was already head over heels? I would tell her I understood. I'd been there myself; Ellie was the first woman I'd been serious about since my girlfriend had passed, more than three years ago now -- two years before I came to Jackson County. Oddly enough, Joel had died just over three years ago as well… under completely different circumstances. Hannah's death was sudden, violent… Joel's, dragged out for months by terminal illness.
Hannah and I never talked about what we would do, should the other one die, whereas Joel and Ellie had a long time to say goodbye to each other. They had many discussions about the future -- Ellie's future. From what I've gathered, Joel had wanted what anyone who truly loves their partner should want: for her to go on and lead a full, happy life. To have a family of her own. And Ellie... was not receptive to the idea, to say the least.
I've heard none of this from her; she won't 'share' him with me, which I don't mind, of course. Why would I mind when it helps me delude myself into believing she actually wants me? She cares about me, sure. She cares about plenty of people in this town. Many of whom have seen fit to give me their opinion: "You're wasting your time, sonny" "Joel was the love of her life, you know" "Some things are so broken they can never be fixed." Or, from the other camp: "You are exactly what she needs right now" "Joel was so worried that she'd never dare to love again -- he would be happy to see this" "She might need a little time, but she'll come around."
Since Tommy and Maria are in the latter group, and they're closer to Ellie than anyone else, I tend to use their encouraging words to delude myself as well. It's really just wishful thinking, on their part as well as mine.
It may sound like I'm her 'rebound' guy, but she got that relationship out of the way already -- with a woman. It didn't last very long... I suspect because she was too different from Joel. Some people might welcome the change… not Ellie. She wants whiskery kisses… a hard body, stronger and bigger than her own… things that remind her of him. She doesn't want to forget. In fact, I would say she's terrified of forgetting (and it might be the only thing in this world that truly scares her). I haven't gone so far as to attempt the accent. I think it would piss her off. It's too… blatant.
By now, I'm pretty well-versed in our little facade. I know that when I hear her crying quietly into her pillow at night, it's best just to leave her be, because she'll bolt out the door rather than accept comfort from me -- she feels guilty about what she's allegedly 'doing' to me, and likes to pretend I'm oblivious to it. I know that when she feels the most content, the most peaceful -- when she's practically purring in my arms -- it's only because her eyes are closed, as I'm silently allowing her to indulge in her fantasy. I tested my theory enough to know it was true long before we got around to acknowledging it. And I'm okay with it.
Or, I'm constantly trying to be.
I know she's been through hell. Tough childhood, very little love in her life until Joel came along… and she spent so many years with him that she was -- still is -- lost without him. She suffered a miscarriage. I don't know all the details, but it seems that Joel didn't want to have kids, and they weren't really trying to get pregnant… Ellie just wanted it so badly, especially after Joel got sick, that he agreed not to take any preventive measures. Again, this is just speculation, since Ellie won't talk to me about him directly, and I know better than to ask.
All I know for sure is what her family knows: that she was pregnant when he died… and then two weeks later, she wasn't.
She's only twenty-nine years old, six years younger than me. We're at a good point in our lives to consider marriage and children… except Ellie is nowhere near ready for that. I want to put those things on the table, someday -- and I don't need to be the love of her life to do it. Maybe a stronger man would walk away, discontent to settle for scraps from a haunted woman whose heart is six feet under. But then, I'd have to wonder if that man had ever heard the childlike delight in her laugh, when it busts through the grief… or glimpsed the depth of emotion in those gorgeous green eyes, when they're not clouded by sorrow. Maybe he'd never seen her masterfully take charge of a dangerous situation and restore order out of chaos. I've never met anyone so brave, so capable, so smart… so strong yet vulnerable at the same time… so amazing, to put it more succinctly. I want to kiss away all her pain, hold her close and never let anything hurt her again.
If I could bring Joel back for her, I swear I'd do it.
I said as much to her once… and nearly lost her.
"What the fuck are you talking about? You can't--"
"I said if I COULD."
"Why would you say that now? After we just…"
"Because… I know you were thinking about him. It's okay! It's okay. I know you loved him--"
"I don't want to talk about him. Not now, not ever."
"I know, babe… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Damn right you shouldn't have. What, you think that… that I'm only with you because I can't be with him?"
"Well… yes? It's true."
"So you think I'm just using you or something?"
"Yes, you do. What kind of person do you think I am?"
"I think… you're a person who carries a lot of pain around with you, and sometimes--"
"I'm not using you, okay?! God, that's…"
"Okay -- Okay, I'm sorry. Come back here… please? … … … … Ellie? Ell, come on… what is it?"
"...Fuck! I hate it, but you're right. I AM using you."
"I never said--"
"I want to get over him. It's not like I don't. I WANT to feel happy, like I used to. But… I CAN'T. You've been so good to me… so patient… you put up with all my shit, and I just… keep shitting on you."
"No--"
"Shut up -- you deserve to be with someone happy. Someone--"
"I don't WANT anyone else. I love you, Ellie."
"...and you deserve someone who can say that back to you."
"You don't have to say it back. It's okay that you're not over him."
"No it's not! Everyone tells me it just takes time… how much fucking time?! It's been two years, eleven months, and twenty-eight days. And it feels like it just happened yesterday."
"Two years and… oh shit. So that's why you don't want to go to that movie thing Saturday. Why you want to be alone. It'll be three years then. That's why you've been so--"
"I haven't been so ANYTHING -- I've always been like this. No, don't -- don't touch me."
"I just want to--"
"DON'T. I can't do this. I can't do this to you... it's not fair."
"Don't worry about me. I know what I signed up for."
"...do you? I don't think you do. If you did, you'd know that… I'm never going to…"
"...to… what, love me? I know it's possible that you won't. I'll take the risk."
"Uuuugghhh! Stop being so-- fuck. You know, you feel that way NOW. It hasn't been very long. What are you gonna think a year from now? Two years? I already know: 'well, shit, I know I told Ellie I was cool with this, but I figured it wouldn't take THIS long for the bitch to get over it…' "
"No way -- I promise I'll--"
"Don't make fucking promises you can't keep. You're going to resent me. For stealing YEARS of your life. Years you can never get back… and life is so fucking SHORT..."
"What do you want me to say… no I won't? No I'll leave before I get to that point? Is that… are you saying you want me to leave now? You don't want to be with me. Is that what you're trying to tell me here?"
"I… … … …"
"If you don't want this, just say so. I'm a big boy, I can take it."
"It's not… look, it's hard to explain…"
"You don't have to explain, baby… if you want me to go, I'll go. If you feel like you're living a lie, or just… I don't know. But if you want me to stay…"
"...do you really WANT to stay?"
"Yes! Yes I do."
"But… … … WHY? And don't say because you love me. Why is it okay that… I can't say it back? Even if I said it… I wouldn't mean it. I know I could never be with someone who… wants someone else..."
"Well… I do love you, and that DOES count as a valid reason, but okay -- you wanna know why? Because… even though things aren't exactly... ideal... they're better than they were before. For each of us. Because if there's any way that I can make you happy, no matter how you get there… whether it's me, or… if I can give you back just a teensy tiny little piece of what you lost, even for just a little while, that makes ME happy."
"... for real? Even… even knowing that…"
"Yes. Even so."
"That's… wow. Okay, um… what happens if you get tired of that? If it doesn't make you happy anymore?"
"Well… I don't think that will happen, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess?"
"So, you might leave."
"You might. I get it. Look, with… him… it took me a really long time to believe he wasn't going to leave me someday. On purpose, I mean. So… don't expect me to just… trust you so fast. Or… ever, maybe."
"Got it. That's fine."
"And I'll never… love you. Like that. I wouldn't be living a lie… because you KNOW. You would have to be okay with it. With me… USING you."
"Right. Deal."
"And… shit, will you stop being so fucking NICE to me all the time?!"
I don't look at it as being nice. I love her -- I'll do anything for her. As long as she wants me around. As long as she'd rather be with me than not, I'll happily be her piss-poor excuse of a Joel substitute.
I can pretend, too, after all. I like to pretend that one day, she'll open her heart… and open her eyes to see that I can give her just as much love as he did, that she can be truly happy with me. That one day, she will feel whole again, and she'll love me... even half as much as she loved him. My fantasies are tentatively laced with hope -- because this could happen. It's at least not outside the realm of possibility. Whereas poor Ellie… all she has is her fantasy. She can't let it go. So she uses every ounce of emotional energy she has to hold it in her keep... and I help her nurture it.
She says she wants to get over him... but she doesn't. Not really.
Yes, I can pretend... I pretend that her recently-increased interest in sex -- sex during which she's clenching and clinging, begging me to stay inside her -- means that she's starting to love me, just a little.
Tags: fic, tlou


text:
diksha shah made post
COVID-19 Fundamentals Indices Mutual Funds Personal Finance
How have been the mutual fund collections in the month of May 2021?
For the month of May 2021, equity funds saw net inflows of Rs.10,083 crore. This takes the total inflow into equity funds to Rs.22,635cr in the last 3 months of March, April and May. This enthusiasm is not surprising because in the last one year, the large cap funds delivered 54%, mid-cap funds 78% and small cap funds 104% in terms of point to point returns.
Debt funds however saw outflows of over Rs.45,000 crore with most of the selling coming in liquid funds and overnight funds as part of treasury management. The net collections from hybrid and passive funds put together was more than Rs.15,500 crore and shows a distinct shift towards passive. All equity fund categories witnessed net inflows in May 2021.
SIP flows in May were close to Rs.8,900 crore. Between Jul-20 and Feb-21, equity funds saw outflows of Rs.46,800 crore but flows have turned around to positive since then. With net inflows in equity funds supported by SIPs, the story looks a lot more sustainable now. Total AUM of mutual funds crossed Rs.33,05,000 crore during May for the first time.
How were the flows into mutual funds for the month of July 2021?
Is it true that equity fund and other mutual fund collections have fallen in the month of September? Does it mean that flows are reversing?
Is it true that mutual funds were net buyers in equities in the month of April 2021?
What are the sectors that mutual fund managers preferred in the month of July 2021?
Have equity mutual funds been seeing further redemptions in the month of February 2021?
Have the flows into equity mutual funds fallen in the month of June 2021?
How were the SIP flows into mutual funds in the month of September 2021 and what do they indicate?
What exactly were the stocks that mutual funds bought and sold in the month of March 2021?


Bara några veckor kvar i högsäsong !! Gå ut ur KOLDEN och slappna av !!
Parrita, är en en av ett slag skatt som är utanför misshandlad sökvägen den livliga turistområdena. Känn lokal erfarenhet av denna lilla arbetarklassen stad genom att möta människor i många restauranger, butiker, mataffärer, apotek etc. Parrita har allt du behöver.
Villa Las Flores är en 24/7 helt säkrad 23 hektar tropiskt paradis inbäddat 2. 5 miles inlandet mellan orörda orörda stränder och Estuary Wildlife Sanctuary. Slappna av och njut av lugnet i apor som spelar i sin egen livsmiljö. Lyssna på tropiska fågelsång och vågorna i havet kraschar från den stora privata poolen.
med alla dina planer. Från biluthyrning, zip linjer, forsränning, vilda turer, taxi, 4WD ... you name it.
Vår vackra stranden villa har roliga tropiska väggmålningar målade på väggarna av en lokal konstnär. Det stora sovrummet har en stor garderob och hurts för alla dina saker. Fönster på båda sidor för underbara vindar. Kung storlek säng delas upp i två tvillingar om det behövs. Den rymliga avskärmade solrum ser på de inbjudande pool och grönskande marker som trädgårdsmästare brukar dagligen. Helt luftkonditionerade, har vår villa alla bekvämligheter i ett hem. Det ombyggda köket har mikrovågsugn, spis, kakelplattor, handgjorda teakskåp, tvättmaskin och torktumlare, alla rätter och matlagningsprodukter.
Sängkläder, handdukar, badlakan, solstolar, kylare, Boogies styrelser, cyklar, hängmatta, TV, DVD-spelare, CD-spelare, radio, väckarklocka och WI FI finns för din njutning.
Playa Palo Seco Beach är en 3-4 minuters promenad från vårt hus. Njut cykelturer, lugnande promenader, titta på fiskarna ta in fångsten av dagen. Visa sin orörda skönhet, hisnande solnedgångar. Stanna för en drink eller fullständig måltid på en av de många matställen som finns ner till stranden.
Pool och Rancho med två toaletter + utomhusdusch (bara några steg från skärmad Lanai), Gated gemenskapen (24 timmars övervakning).
Hope you will keep us in mind for another vacation.
This villa was the perfect size for two people and the property is truly a hidden gem!
The information on this property does not do it justice. The ocean is a short walk and is pristine, with it's black sand and beautiful sunsets. Although a public beach, during the week, you could walk for miles and only hear the waves crashing and see birds flying overhead. This is a place to relax and get in touch with nature.
The gated community feels safe, is clean and the surrounding nature is breathtaking. From monkeys playing in the trees to scarlet macaws flying above, there is rarely a time when a bird is not singing or a creature is not providing entertainment.
The villa is a perfect size with all the amenities, including coolers, boogie boards and beach chairs. The town of Parrita is a short drive away and has a wonderful little bakery, butcher shop and fruit/vegetable stands for all the necessities to eat in. We stayed in this beautiful location for 4 weeks and found the staff extremely helpful, efficient and friendly.
If restaurants are a preference, there are plenty to chose from within a reasonable distance. Renting a car makes this more convenient, but bus service and taxis are readily available.
There is plenty to explore if you like hiking but for those that like to stick close to home, Villa Las Flores also has a large community pool that is clean and the perfect temperature.
There truly is something for every interest. This a beautiful place, away from the mainstream tourists, making it the perfect home away from home.
Truly a hidden gem worth visiting!!!
Diane, thanks so much for your great review!
I should hve had u write the description, you really described how we feel also.
It's so important to us that our guests feel comfortable and relaxed.
Sue and Roger's place in Parrita was just perfect for the three of us. We were traveling with our daughter who attends a University in Heredia. We headed to the beach and loved our stay at Sue and Roger's place. The people in Parrita, the beach and the property at Villa Las Flores was amazing. We traveled to Manuel Antonio from Parrita for a great day trip, but mostly stayed nearby, it was too nice of a place to leave.
My husband and I stayed at this gem and were totally satisfied. The pool is clean, the grounds are immaculate and the condo is comfortable and well stocked. The Palo Seco Beach is in walking distance but we took the car because I like to take anything that I might need. There is a lot of beach and very few people. We tried out two restaurants on the beach the Mar y Sol and the Cocomar, both had great food. We went to Manuel Antonio Park. It was a bit crazy with people and tour guides but we had a great time and we were able to snorkel. The Rainmaker was also wonderful. We were alone the entire hike and saw poison dart frogs, blue morpho butterflies, waterfalls, hanging bridges, tree platforms all in the Lord's beautiful rain forest.
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for taking the time to write a review.
We always love to hear from others all the wonders they experienced while in and around our sweet home. We fell in love with it 11 years ago. Hope u keep us in mind for future trips.
What a dream come true! Enjoy life for a day or week. We were there for a week. Had a great and wonderful time. Honeymoon.
One of the best beaches I've found in the world!
I have stayed at Villa Las Floras with friends and then this 2nd recent visit was with my husband. Best beach ever! I can honestly say it was the most relaxing 2 weeks. During the "Friends" visit we went Zip lining & to dinner often. Parrita is a gem! There is a great bakery, butcher, fish, liquor store, and pharmacy's. ( I needed to deal with bug bite's don't go out at night without using spray.) There is also a great fruit and vegy truck and store front right off the main street in the middle of Parrita. All of the merchants want to help so do not be affraid to check out the local shops. But our days at Villa Las Floras will never be forgotten. We started with a long walk on the beach, it is hard to sleep past 6:30 because there is so much bird action. The first visit in September the monkey's came to the trees between the river bridge and the villa each morning at 6 - 7 am. The January visit they came between 8-9:30 am. After a beach walk we'd return to the pool shower and go for a dip. Return to the villa make breakfast and then head to the beach. We'd spend hours boogie boarding, reading books, playing in the sand, watching the surfers & fisherman. Then we'd head to Las Palmas for lunch. It is walking distance to the beach but we were always in the car because we' have boogie boards, floaties, beach mats, coolers with water and beer. So we often drove from the villa to the beach and then to lunch. Las Palmas is new and fantastic!! The fish soup is like none I've ever had. The ceveche was fabo, the grilled shrimp and chicken and rice was a daily staple, but when we were really hungry we'd order "The entire fish!" After lunch we'd head home, read around the pool, check email's, hang out in the clubhouse, english and french are spoken here. We'd play cards, shuffle board, horse shoes, darts, and swap stories of the newest and best places to eat. There is a turtle pond in the villa. Show up there anytime of day to watch the turtles interaction. Many herons live there, we saw a woodpecker and many different bird varieties. Amazing. My husband and I did a bunch of driving around for 3 days to Arienal, Manuel Antonio, Puntereas, Quepos, Jaco, Montezuma, & other towns. When we returned to Villa Las Flores we were glad we had a few more days to soak in Costa Rica!! There were 2 really cool rain storms. Besides being fully equipped at the house, there is an on-site manager who will help you with booking trips. Sue and Roger have made a very comfortable home!!
Omedelbart Intill villor (4 km söder) är en omfattande Mangrove mynning, Manuel Antonio National Park 15 mil söder om Villas Erbjuder Jungle Vandringsleder + Vackra skyddade stränder och snorkling, är Jaco Beach 25 Miles i norr ett populärt turistmål för costarikaner och är en surfarparadis, Quepos: en stad belägen 15 mil söder om Villas Las Flores erbjuder världsklass djuphavsfiske, Marriott Hotel 30 mil norr om Villas Las Flores har en vacker 18-håls golfbana, ridning är tillgängligt 1 mil söder om Villas Flera företag erbjuder Forsränning Resor på närheten Parrita floden.


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IT | EN | DE
IGT Toscana Rosso
DOC Maremma Toscana
Rugiada
Vinsanto du Chianti Classico
Occhio di Pernice
Grappa Chianti Classico
Grappa Squarcialupi
Hotel et Restaurant
Les origins
Fattoria La Castellina was founded in 1980 originating from the historical properties of the Squarcialupi family, an ancient nobile family of Florentine descent, which in 1250 had about reached the apex of its power.
The Squarcialupi descends from the founder Scorcialupo, of Longobard origins.
The Squarcialupi family had important ties with the nobility Fiorentina and Senese, allying at different times with Florence and Siena in the period when the two cities were rivals and fought in the neighboring territories of Castellina in Chianti, between 1200 and 1550.
The family during that period was distinguished for being a ferocious and brave warrior and counted among some very important people such as Antonio, a singer who lived in Florence in 1400, Marcello, a heretic in 1500 and at the same time, Ignatius, the 'Abbot of the Abbey of Montecassino, the seat of the powerful Benedictine order.
The Palazzo Squarcialupi, the historical site of Fattoria La Castellina, became an important center of the powerful family Squarcialupi after the destruction by the Florentines of their most important office in the Sienese territory, the Monternano Castle inn 1254.
Since then the family has focused its power in the territory of Castellina in Chianti, the capital of the Chianti terziere, consisting of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole.
The Palace contains within its walls, the oldest coat of arms, the wolf with 6 balls at the bottom of the emblem, the symbol of the covenant between the Squarcialupi with the Medici family of Florence.
This link is personified in the early 1400s and up to 1450 by Antonio Squarcialupi, famous organist in the service of Lorenzo the Magnificent and owner of the Squarcialupi Codex, the first collection of musical works of the Ars Nova, which was opposed to the Ars Antiqua in 1400 and it was considered profane by the Church.
Also the Squarcialupi's at the same period and with other branches of the family, were also enemies of the Medici and allied with the Pazzi family, the architects of the conspiracy that led to the death of Giuliano de 'Medici, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent in 1476.
La Castellina aujourd'hui
Fattoria La Castellina, now owned by the Bojola-Targioni family, extends around 140 hectares of land surrounding Castellina in Chianti, and is managed since the'90s by Tommaso Bojola, who along with his wife Monica Targioni have entirely renovated and enlarged the Palace.
The Palazzo Squarcialupi, the historical site of the farm, is now home to an elegant, finely restored Hotel run by Monica, and at the restaurant Taverna Squarcialupi, you can taste the wines of the farm, on the splendid terrace set within ancient medieval walls of Castellina.
On the facade of the palace there are two coats of arms, with two panthers which appear on the labels of the wines of Fattoria La Castellina such as the Chianti Classico vintage, Reserve and Great Selection of the Squarcialupi line.
The company's production criteria is inspired by tradition and the enhancement of the Sangiovese, the grape variety that reflects the Chianti territory.
Over the past 30 years, the farm has introduced the latest innovative techniques to improve the quality of its wines, respecting the characteristics that identify of the Chianti area.
The farm is located in the South West side of the valley that from Castellina in Chianti goes down towards La Ferrozzola, center of the farm and formerly used as dwellings by the sharecroppers of the farm, today it is an Holiday Farmhouse finely restructured and equipped with high level comfort. The vineyards are about 30 hectares in Castellina and 8 hectares in Maremma, the wine cellar is located in Castellina in Chianti.
The yearly production of the farm is 120.000 bottles of Chianti Classico and 80.000 bottles of different wines as the DOC Maremma L'Aureo and Il Nero, the 100% Merlot Reale, the Tuscany white wine as Rugiada, the Rosato Toscano, the Vinsanto del Chianti Classico and the rare Vinsanto Occhio di Pernice.
The farm produce also the Extravirgin Olive Oil, coming from the ten hectares of olive groves, of very high quality.
Info & Wine Tour
J'accepte les conditions de sûreté et de privacy
Cave, wine tasting et Vente
Via Ferruccio, 26
53011 Castellina in Chianti
Sienne - Toscane - Italie
info@lacastellina.it
Cave et Vente
V.le Rimembranza 28,
» Règlement sur le respect de la vie privée
La Castellina
53011 Castellina in Chianti, Siena, Italie
Tél.: +39.0577.740459
E-mail: info@lacastellina.it
Fattoria La Castellina di Tommaso Bojola
Loc. Ferrozzola 1,
53011 Castellina In Chianti (SI), Italie
Numero TVA 00879410520
Cod. Fisc. BJLTMS58R29D6120
Vinsanto Chianti Classico
Squarcialupi
Squarcialupi Gran Selezione
Squarcialupi Riserva
Tommaso Bojola
Tommaso Bojola Riserva
Cosimo Bojola
IGT Bianco Toscano "Galaverna"
Extravierge Huile d'Olive
Agriturismo La Ferrozzola
L'Aureo di Poggio alla Buca
Il Nero di Poggio alla Buca
Hotel Palazzo Squarcialupi


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Issara Sereewatthanawut (; born October 12, 1983 in Bangkok –) is a Thai politician who served a party-list MP in the 25th House of Representatives and deputy secretary-general of the Democrat Party.

Biography and career
The eldest son among the three children of the family that operates auto parts business through joint ventures with companies in Asia and Europe. Sereewatthanawut graduated from Bangkok Christian College, secondary school from Suankularb Wittayalai School and Triam Udom Suksa School. He holds a bachelor's degree (honours) in chemical engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, master's degree in public administration from Ramkhamhaeng University, and completed a Ph.D. in engineering from Imperial College London.

He used to be a businessman and special instructor in many public and private tertiary institutions. His academic title is assistant professor.

Politically, Sereewatthanawut is a former secretary to the President of the National Assembly, Chuan Leekpai. In early May 2022, he was appointed as head of Democrat Party's committee on modern economy, replacing Prinn Panitchpakdi who resigned over his alleged sexual misconduct.

Notes

External links

1983 births
Living people
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Issara Sereewatthanawut
Alumni of Imperial College London
Issara Sereewatthanawut

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Why Write: Dystopian Fiction with S.K. Falls
Hey gang! Today we're going to talk to S. K. Falls, another of my writer-pals and a truly versatile and talented lady. I asked her to talk specifically about dystopian fiction, since that's a genre you don't see 'round these parts (meaning: my blog) all that often.
Hello, Sandhya! For those who don't know, Sandhya is one of my fellow Spellbound Scribes and another member of #teamawesome! Welcome to the blog!
Thank you, Kristin! I'm so excited to be here. 😀 Always happy to assist a fellow Scribe and #teamawesome solider…er, member.
Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
I'm the author formerly known as Adriana Ryan, so I wrote World of Shell and Bone, a science fiction dystopian. 🙂 I've also written bits of romance and urban fantasy.
What made you decide to write dystopian fiction?
The idea struck me and didn't let go. I absolutely loved the concept of a futuristic North and South America where females supposedly were given all the power. Of course, that's not quite how it works out…
What types of stories does a dystopian setting make possible?
Stories that are ultimately about hope, I think. You have this horribly dreary world with (usually) militaristic regimes, and then all it takes is one person or a small group of people to completely change that.
What audience do you think dystopian attracts? How does that alter the types of stories you tell and characters you write?
I think dystopian fiction attracts people from all walks of life. With YA titles like the Hunger Games, we've attracted youth and those young at heart (wink) and with adult titles like The Road or The Handmaid's Tale, we've attracted those who like literary fiction.
How does dystopian affect the stakes for your characters and your audience?
Characters have to be plunged into horrible situations before the audience can feel truly bad for them, I think. At least, that's true for me as a reader of dystopian fiction. I don't want to see something bad happen that could happen in my life today. I want the story to take me beyond, so that I can really sit back and say, "Wow. That sucks. I'm so glad my life isn't that bad." It also sets the stage up for the characters to do truly amazing things as the story progresses, to change the courses of their lives.
Why do you think people love to read dystopian fiction? What effect does it have on its audience?
I think, like I said above, that people like to see how bad things could really get. It helps us to peek over that fence to the other side in a safe, contained manner. We can escape to a dark place, but we know we can always come back. And when a character triumphs in such a hard situation, it helps us feel like we can triumph in all our hard situations, too.
For fun, what is your favorite genre to read? Why?
This changes all the time. Currently I'm loving memoirs and biographies because it's a great place to learn more about my favorite subject—psychology.
How can readers reach you?
Website: http://www.skfalls.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skfallssc
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorskfalls
Thanks so much, Kristin! 🙂
This entry was posted in Books, Interviews, Writing and tagged books, dystopian fiction, interviews, kristin mcfarland, s.k. falls, Writing by Kristin McFarland. Bookmark the permalink.
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text:
Review: The Whaleship Essex/Shattered Globe Theatre
September 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm by Aaron Hunt
by Aaron Hunt
September 4, 2014 June 21, 2016 Filed under:
Photo: Emily Schwartz
Which graduate of our public school system hasn't read the CliffsNotes for Melville's "Moby Dick, " along with Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" and "Beowulf?" With "The Whaleship Essex, " sailor/playwright Joe Forbrich makes his case for theatricalization of the story that inspired Melville's epic tale of man-against-whale, with its page-after-page descriptions of waves and eschewing of substantial sub-plotting, steering it into modern-day parable by examination of man's zealous quest for oil, with its attendant consequences.
Director Lou Contey takes on the formidable challenge of telling a story with fifteen actors running about the stage all at once, jostling and climbing and sputtering songs. If one of the greatest challenges to hit a directorial desk is the staging of "crowd scenes," Contey's steady hand on the rudder saves us from potential seasickness.
I question the casting of the perfectly charming Angie Shriner as cabin boy and, since there is a male actor onstage that easily reads the same age as does Ms. Shriner's boy, am left wondering if there is any connection to this device and that character's first scene, making reference to the sexual use of a cabin boy as a captain's prerogative; it could not have been for want of an age-appropriate alternative that Shriner essays the boy. Is the casting of a female-pipe meant to defuse any prospective song of "panic?" Ms. Shriner's studied attempt at maleness from the waist down drew my focus from the dialogue at regular intervals. Serving as audience conduit, Bridget Schreiber's wife is onstage for much of the action; she is attentive and reactive without stealing focus. But the use of Joseph Wiens as both her husband and as First Mate Owen Chase causes confusion. Wiens paints these two characters with such different palettes that he was completely lost to me when he morphed from passing gentleman to sailor, and I spent time wondering why Schreiber was husband-less, and then trying to pick him out among the sailors.
Do sailors really expend so much energy with macho posturing during a lengthy sea voyage? There was a consistency to this character choice that left me wanting for roundness of portrayal. The sea chanties in particular seemed to suffer at the hands of a decision that manly men do not sing, and the atonal cacophony of the musical group endeavors swept me from the ship's story. And when songs were sung during monologues, I could hear neither.
The design crew creates a very real voyage replete with the sight, sound and fury of Melville's crashing waves. But the lengthy expedition to the apex of the saga, combined with the over-long drop to resolution, proves as great a theatrical challenge as is suffered by its literary predecessor, despite bringing it current as a cry against universal greed. (Aaron Hunt)
Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 West Belmont, (773)975-8150, theaterwit.org, $30. Through October 11.
Life and Liberty: A Review of Be Here Now at Shattered Globe Theatre A poignant and pertinent exploration of the pursuit of happiness.
Touch of Toska: A Review of Five Mile Lake at Shattered Globe Theatre Small town yearning fills this Chicago premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre.
Can't Keep Up: A Review of The Realistic Joneses at Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit The latest from wordsmith Will Eno concerns the limitations of language.
History Repeating: A Review of Hannah and Martin at Shattered Globe Theatre This revival of Kate Fodor's 2003 play demonstrates the evil of banality at a time when fascism is once again on the rise.
Grow Up: A Review of For Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday at Shattered Globe Theatre Sarah Ruhl's "Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday" is a play that attempts to encompass an entire life. Which is fitting seeing as how Shattered Globe's production unfolds over the course of what feels like an actual lifetime. A meandering, indulgent and literally pointless musing on the meaning of life and death, "For Peter Pan" is the antithesis of its source material. Perhaps this…
Dearth of a Nation: A Review of The Heavens Are Hung In Black at Shattered Globe Theatre This epic follows Abraham Lincoln's daily interactions and dreams leading up to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, fluidly and superbly.
Angie Shriner
Bridget Schrieber'
Joe Forbrich
Joseph Wiens
Lou Contey
Shattered Globe
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Theater Top 5: January 2020
I'm a Musical, Duh: A Review of Mean Girls at Broadway In Chicago
Pursuit of Perfection: A Review of Dance Nation at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Adults at Play: A Review of Forts: Adult Night at Filament Theatre
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