See the editor's note at the bottom of this story.
When the Republican-controlled Congress approved a landmark program in 2003 to help seniors buy prescription drugs, it slapped on an unusual restriction: The federal government was barred from negotiating cheaper prices for those medicines. Instead, the job of holding down costs was outsourced to the insurance companies delivering the subsidized new coverage, known as Medicare Part D.
The ban on government price bargaining, justified by supporters on free market grounds, has been derided by critics as a giant gift to the drug industry. Democratic lawmakers began introducing bills to free the government to use its vast purchasing power to negotiate better deals even before former President George W. Bush signed the Part D law, known as the Medicare Modernization Act.
All of those measures over the last 13 years have failed, almost always without ever even getting a hearing, much less being brought up for a vote. That's happened even though surveys have shown broad public support for the idea. For example, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found last year that 93 percent of Democrats, and 74 percent of Republicans, favor letting the government negotiate Part D prescription drug prices.
It seems an anomaly in a democracy that an idea that is immensely popular — and calculated to save money for seniors, people with disabilities and taxpayers — gets no traction. But critics say it's no mystery, given the enormous financial influence of the drug industry, which rivals the insurance industry as the top-spending lobbying machine in Washington. It has funneled $1.96 billion into lobbying in the nation's capital since the beginning of 2003 and, in just 2015 and the first half of 2016, it has spent $468,108 per member of Congress. The industry also is a major contributor to House and Senate campaigns.
Wendell Potter, co-author of a book about the influence of money in politics, "Nation on the Take," likened the drug industry's defiance of public opinion to the gun lobby's success in fending off tougher federal firearms controls and the big banks' ability to escape stronger regulation despite their role in the Great Recession.
While Part D is only one of the issues the drug industry pushes in Washington, it is a blockbuster program. According to a report from the trustees of the Medicare system, this year Part D is expected to spend $103 billion to serve an estimated 43 million Americans.
A paper released in August by Harvard Medical School researchers cited the size of the program, and its lack of government negotiating clout, as among the reasons why Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. A co-author of that paper, Ameet Sarpatwari, estimates that Part D accounts for nearly 30 percent of the nation's spending on prescription drugs.
What's more, Part D often pays far more for drugs than do Medicaid or the Veterans Health Administration – which, unlike Part D, mandate government measures to hold down prices. One report found that Part D pays 80 percent more for medicines than the VHA and 73 percent more than Medicaid. While researchers aren't unanimous in their views, an array of experts have concluded that federal negotiating power – if backed up by other cost controls – would bring Part D drug costs more in line.
The drug industry and its allies acknowledge that, at least in the short term, federal intervention in the marketplace could bring lower drug prices. Yet the industry says such a step also would kill incentives to develop new medicines.
In addition, industry officials and many analysts say substantial cost reductions will come only if the Part D program refuses to pay for drugs that it considers overpriced, possibly reducing seniors' access to some medicines. They point to the way the VHA strengthens its negotiating leverage by rejecting some expensive medicines. Instead, the veterans' health care system limits its purchases to a list of approved drugs known as a formulary.
"If you want to have lower prices, you're going to have fewer medicines," said Kirsten Axelsen, a vice president at Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant that leads all drug companies in spending on lobbying and political campaigns at the federal level.
It took intense maneuvering by the Bush White House and GOP leaders to get Part D through Congress in November 2003, when the House and the Senate were under Republican control. The measure came up for a vote in the House at 3 a.m. on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, as lawmakers were trying to finish business before the holiday. But when the bill appeared headed to a narrow defeat after the normal 15 minutes allowed for voting, Republican leaders kept the vote open for an extraordinary stretch of nearly three hours, described in a 2004 scholarly paper as by far the longest known roll-call vote in the history of the House.
With the help of pre-dawn phone calls from Bush and a custom-defying visit to the House floor by Tommy Thompson, then secretary of Health and Human Services, enough members were coaxed to switch their votes to pass the bill, 220-215, shortly before 6 a.m.
Part D was conceived at a time when rapidly rising U.S. drug costs were alarming seniors, prompting some to head to Canada and Mexico to buy medicines at dramatically lower prices. With the 2004 presidential election campaign coming up, Republican leaders saw "an opportunity to steal a longstanding issue from the Democrats," said Thomas R. Oliver, a health policy expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the lead author of the 2004 paper about the adoption of Part D.
A key aim of Part D proponents, Oliver said, was to cover seniors "in a Republican, pro-market kind of way." That meant including "as much private sector involvement as possible," which led to insurance companies managing the program. At the same time, it excluded federal price controls, which were anathema to the drug industry.
—There are far more lobbyists in Washington working for drug manufacturers and wholesalers than there are members of Congress. Last year the industry retained 894 lobbyists, to influence the 535 members of Congress, along with staffers and regulators. From 2007 through 2009, there were more than two drug industry lobbyists for every member of Congress.
—For each of the last 13 years, more than 60 percent of the industry's drug lobbyists have been "revolvers" – that is, lobbyists who previously served in Congress or who worked as Congressional aides or in other government jobs. That raises suspicions that lawmakers and regulators will go easy on the industry to avoid jeopardizing their chances of landing lucrative lobbying work after they leave office.
Probably the most notorious example was the Louisiana Republican Billy Tauzin. He helped shape the Part D legislation while chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In January 2005, just days after he retired from the House, he became the drug industry's top lobbyist as president of the powerful trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. He remained in that job – which reportedly paid him $2 million a year — until 2010.
"It was pretty blatant but an accurate reflection of the way pharma plays the game, through campaign contributions and, in Billy's case, way more than that," said U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat who has been a leading proponent of government price negotiations.
—Since January 2003, drug manufacturers and wholesalers have given $147.5 million in federal political contributions to presidential and Congressional candidates, party committees, leadership PACs and other political advocacy groups. Of the total, 62 percent has gone to Republican or conservative causes.
Over the period, four Republican lawmakers from the 2015-2016 Congress received more than $1 million in contributions from drug companies. (One of them, former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, resigned last October.) In all, 518 members of the current Congress — every member of the Senate and more than 95 percent of the House – have received drug industry money since 2003.
—The big money goes to top Congressional leaders as well as chairs and other members of key committees and subcommittees.
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, repeatedly a graveyard for Part D price negotiation bills, underscores the pattern. The 16 Republican members received an average of $340,219 since the beginning of 2003.
The drug industry "knows that you really only need, in many cases, just a small number of influential members to do their bidding. That's why you see contributions flowing to committee chairs, regardless of who is in power. They flow to Democrats as well as Republicans," Potter said.
Proponents of negotiations say some economic and political currents may turn the tide in their favor. The main factor: After years of relatively modest price rises for prescription drugs, cost increases have begun to escalate. That's partly due to expensive new treatments for illnesses such as hepatitis C.
According to Medicare officials, Part D payments are expected to rise 6 percent annually over the coming decade per enrollee, up from only 2.5 percent annually over the last nine years. Already, cost increases are "putting wicked pressure on our hospitals, on our seniors and on our state governments," Welch said.
At the same time, both major presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have called for Medicare drug price negotiation. So have doctor groups such as the American College of Physicians and an alliance of more than 100 oncologists, many nationally known, who last year garnered headlines with their plea for Medicare negotiations and other measures to fight skyrocketing costs for cancer drugs.
PhRMA, the trade group, wouldn't comment for this story on lobbying or campaign spending.
Funk also pointed to skeptical assessments by the Congressional Budget Office about the potential additional savings from federal negotiations. Repeatedly – including letters in 2004 and 2007 – the CBO has said government officials likely could extract only modest savings, at best. The office's reasoning is that costs already would be held down by bargaining pressure from insurance firms and by drug manufacturers' fear of bad publicity if they are viewed as jacking up prices too high.
But many analysts, particularly amid recent controversies over skyrocketing costs for essential drugs and EpiPen injection devices, scoff at those CBO conclusions. They fault the CBO for not taking into account other price controls, such as those used by Medicaid and the VHA, that likely would be coupled with price negotiation.
The potential to reduce prices is underscored by a 2015 paper by Carleton University of Ottawa, Canada, and the U.S. advocacy group Public Citizen. It found that Medicare Part D on average pays 73 percent more than Medicaid, and 80 percent more than the VHA, for the same brand-name drugs. The VHA's success in holding down costs helped inspire a measure on California's November ballot, Proposition 61, that would restrict most state-run health programs from paying any more for prescription drugs than the veterans agency does.
Two studies by the inspector general of Health and Human Services that compared drug expenditures under the Part D and Medicaid programs also concluded that Part D pays far more for the same medicines. The more recent inspector general study, released in April 2015, examined spending and rebates on 200 brand-name drugs. It found that, after taking rebates into account, Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income families with children, paid less than half of what Part D did for 110 of the drugs. Part D, on the other hand, paid less than Medicaid for only five of 200 drugs.
Those findings provide evidence that "the current reliance on private insurers that negotiate drug prices isn't working that well," said Edwin Park, vice president for health policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank.
Five Democrats who are leading opponents of the status quo – U.S. Representatives Welch, Schakowsky and Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, along with Senators Durbin and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — each have introduced price negotiation bills (H.R. 3061, H.R. 3261, H.R. 3513, S.31 and S.1884) during the current, 114th Congress. All of the measures have stalled in committee.
Take, for example, the bill that Welch introduced in the House on July 14, 2015. Within a week, it was referred to two health subcommittees, where it has sat ever since.
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
The closest Welch ever came to success was in 2007. He was among 198 co-sponsors – all but one, Democrats – of a bill introduced by then-U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell of Michigan. It was approved by the House but then blocked by Republicans from being taken up in the Senate.
Lawmakers on committees where Part D bills ordinarily go – Finance in the Senate, and Energy and Commerce as well as Ways and Means in the House – tend to be well-funded by the drug industry.
Burr also is the Senate leader so far in the 2015-2016 political cycle, collecting $229,710 from the drug industry. In the House in the current cycle, John Shimkus, R-Ill., a member of the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, has snagged $189,000, trailing only Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy ($292,550) and House Speaker Paul Ryan ($273,195).
A Burr spokeswoman declined to comment. Hatch and Shimkus failed to respond to repeated requests for comment.
Amid the EpiPen controversy and growing concerns about prescription drug prices, Park sees signs that more lawmakers are willing to buck industry opposition to government price negotiation.
Deborah Schoch, a freelance health and science writer, and Douglas H. Weber, a senior researcher for the Center for Responsive Politics, contributed to this story.
Editor's note: A reader suggested that we provide campaign donation totals from the drug industry for each member of Congress. For those figures, click on this link. Separately, the numbers are explained here.
It would be helpful to list all members of Congress/Senate and the amounts they received from Pharma or provide a link to a list online.
seems there was an agenda before the article was written. Why were the discounts given to Medicare D not given in the story? what evidence is there the government could do better than the insurance companies? the government is already the biggest influence in our healthcare. moving med D in addition to medicaid and VA to government would essentially form a single payer government run healthcare system. Why was that not mentioned? why was the difference between med D and medicaid/VA not discussed. The government severely restricts choice of providers and medications in medicaid/VA plans. in fact data show most veterans don't even utilize their VA benefits but choose to instead get their medications off other insurance because the only medicine available is generics. Why isn't it mentioned the number of people who work for pharmaceutical companies and their partners and how they are american voters and deserve to be represented as much as anyone else.
why don't you write a story with intention of giving the other side of the story.
there are reasons why the government has not voted to become more involved in Med D.
they aren't stupid. in fact, they know a WHOLE lot more than the average american.
and its not the PAC money. its because there is more to the story than just we can get something for lower cost.
lets discuss what the prescription programs for medicaid/VA look like and whether their beneficiaries are happy. they are not.
lets also give ALL the info about drug price increases. most of the increases have come from a small group of drugs. some drugs have gone down in price due to discounts.
Wow, Stuart, what a mega job! I am now 65 and a Part D guy, and I have had the opportunity to compare my drug costs from private insurance to Medicare. Clearly, this is one of the big problem topics of modern government, right up there with Immigration, Security, Tax Reform. I like a lot the detail on how President Bush got this Part D program through despite opposition, getting the final votes by 6 a.m. in the morning before Thanksgiving, the longest roll call in history. I didn't realize a Republican had done such good stuff for medical care and it was good to know that. Its good for Republicans to know that also.
I see where you write that Part D accounts for $103B and serves 43m people, accounting for 30% of the total drug spending. It is also noted that there is VA spending and Medicaid spending. Big Pharma claims that if the government meddles in pricing, they won't be able to afford investment in new medicines. What I would like to see are some total numbers so we can all analyze that Big Pharma threat. How much total money does the federal government spend on drugs, including Part D, Veterans, Military, Medicaid, you name it. Plus, how much do state governments pay? Finally, how much is paid privately by patients, as either co-pays on a prescription or directly? Do all these numbers add up to the presumed total drug spending (if $103b is 30% of the total, that means it would be $340 billion, right?). I think these big numbers would be useful in helping the public realize what is at stake here, and also in putting into perspective any Big Pharma claim that they won't compete if some portion of that huge number becomes federal negotiated.
Finally, to round out the picture here I would like description about the rest of the world. Is there no drug development in Europe or Asia? Are they just sitting on their hands over there waiting on the USA Big Pharma? Well, okay, and if that is true, that adds then to the overall drug market for Big Pharma, the market that they are researching and creating drugs to compete in. We aren't just talking USA drug spending, but world drug spending. That raises the stakes, and the reasons why we can call the Big Pharma bluff refusing government Part D negotiation. Or, if Europe and Asia are developing drugs, do those drugs make into the USA, influence the USA, how does that work? Because, if we are getting drugs from those sources, again, this dampens the threat of Big Pharma — they either compete globally in part to protect their market locally, or fall behind, regardless of federal negotiation over price. World wide car makers surpassed USA car makers, for example, and world wide electronics manufacturing also competes to surpass USA. So, maybe, the real picture here isn't just USA market, its larger, but that dilutes the Big Pharma threat.
It seems medical costs are approaching the defense budget, and does this allow further analogy for those who wish to make it? Do we, or do we not, negotiate defense contracts?
Anyway, good big job, and thank you. Clearly, this topic will continue to build steam and pressure and it needs efforts like this to get it before a wider readership.
My wife and I are 74 and 75 yrs. and participated in" Medicare Part D" since it's inception. We are both presently enrolled in United Healthcare Rx Preferred. Plan year 2016 premium increased 25% with an increase in co-pays and a shift upward in tier class. This plan will increase it's premium 25% in plan year 2017. My wife and I enrolled for coverage when premiums and co-pays seemed reasonably priced and although we did not use any high priced drugs our thinking was based on future needs and penalties imposed by Part D if not enrolled at the time we were eligible. It is now decision time once again and I can find no other better plans.
Thank You for your article it explains much!


text:
32nd Occasional Doo Dah Parade attracts crowds
PUBLISHED: January 18, 2009 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 29, 2017 at 1:22 am
PASADENA – For the hundreds of parade enthusiasts who lined up along Colorado Boulevard Sunday, the 32nd Occasional Doo Dah Parade was filled with the usual suspects: men in drag, plenty of cuddly four-legged friends, and of course, the tortilla throwers.
Affectionately known as the evil twin of the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Doo Dah Parade kicked off its nearly two-hour celebration of all things ridiculous in Old Pasadena, under blue skies and plentiful sunshine.
Among the entries this year were the Men of Leisure and their Synchronized Napping Team, which featured a group of men fluffing their pillows in unison while being followed by a man being rolled around on a mobile La-Z-Boy recliner.
Nearby, the Back to Disco Drill Team moved and grooved to the sounds of "YMCA."
"It's just good to other people with a sense of humor," said Mike Gastaldo, who drives every year from Santa Monica to see the parade.
His only companion is his camera, "to show as evidence to people that this parade exists," Gastaldo said.
The 32nd Occasional Doo Dah Parade
Doo Dah Grand Marshal Charles Phoenix rode in a fire engine and wore a dapper hot pink suit, paired with a neon green shirt. He greeted the crowd, wildly waving two American flags.
Queen Skittles, this year's Doo Dah Queen, looked regal in her soft pink strapless lace gown. She rode on a horse and was surrounded by members of her royal court.
This year's Thorny Rose Award winner – bestowed to the the city's biggest civic pain-in-the-neck – was Ann Lau. She was the leading critic of the China float entry in the 2008 Rose Parade.
On Sunday, Lau rode in a vintage car, followed by a group of demonstrators protesting human rights violations in China.
Other entries included an anti-Scientology group, the American Laughter Club who carried signs reading "Laughter is Ha Ha Healthy," and the BBQ & Hibachi Marching Grill Team, who handed out hot dogs along the parade route.
Richard Carmona, Travis Glib and Sidney Overson traveled from Claremont to see the festivities. Their strategy was to have lunch outdoors so they could see the parade.
But their plan quickly backfired as the sidewalks filled up with lawn chairs and pedestrians.
"I'm going to have to stand on my chair to take pictures," Overson said, "but this is a great time."
Still, Carmona said he was enjoying himself.
"We may not see anything but there is still plenty of stuff to hear," he said.
"I'm going to have to stand on my chair to take pictures," Overson said, "but this is a great time." said.
caroline.an@sgvn.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package www.springBoot.example.Chapter7.dao;

import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
import www.springBoot.example.Chapter7.Application;
import www.springBoot.example.Chapter7.domain.City;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * @author liuji
 */
@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@SpringBootTest(classes = Application.class)
public class CityDao1Test {

    @Autowired
    private CityDao1 cityDao1;
    @Test
    public void findAll() throws Exception {
        List<City> cityList = cityDao1.findAll();
        System.out.println(cityList.size());
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The lush tropical haven that is Pavillon D' Orient is just the icing on the cake. The sponge cake that holds this hotel confection together are the freebies, the service, and the attention to detail that you get upon checking in. For US$ 100 a night, they managed to pull-out all the essential stuff you need for a hassle-free Cambodian getaway, plus a couple of small niceties thrown in for free.
And, it comes with that bed canopy drape that's just very princess-y!
We also had a tea corner, where they put our daily supply of huge water bottles every day.
Every morning, we had a fresh basket of sweet tropical fruits.
And, at night, we had a bedtime story -- of Cambodian legends -- laid out on the bed.
Never mind the grammar though. Its the thought that counts!
On top of this, we still had free buffet breakfast everyday where we get to stuff ourselves with fresh fruits, assorted breads, delish Cambodian mixed fried rice OR Cambodian congee, AND a Continental-style breakfast of eggs and breakfast meats (bacon, ham, sausage).
And, free tuktuk rides from sun-up to sun-down going to the Angkor Wat complex...and wherever else in Siem Reap we want! The piece-de-resistance though is the ice chest waiting for us with bottled waters and cold towels. Genius!
Before we left, they gave us scarves and mini Angkor Wat wooden pins as souvenirs!


Since Dom and Brian's Rio heist toppled a kingpin's empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete.
Meanwhile, Hobbs has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty. The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language.
Box office gross: $238.7 million. View box office history.


Funeral Service will be Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at 10 Am at St. John United Church of Christ in Trenton with Rev. Thomas Perl officiating. Interment in St. Mary Cemetery in Trenton.
Visitation will be Tuesday, April 15, 2003 from 4 to 9 PM and again on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 from 8 to 9:45 AM at the Moss Funeral Home in Trenton.


A New Jersey jury has awarded $3.35 million to 47-year-old Linda Gross, who filed a vaginal mesh lawsuit alleging that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, did not warn her doctor of the potential dangers of the mesh implant and misrepresented the product in marketing brochures.
A Feb. 25 Reuters news article states that this verdict, the first among 1,800 pending vaginal mesh lawsuits, could have a significant impact on thousands of lawsuits filed against other makers of similar products.
Gross's lawsuit, which was filed in state Superior Court in Atlantic City, alleged that the Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh implant was not safe. The article states that Gross filed her lawsuit after having surgery in 2006 to install the implant and treat her pelvic organ prolapse.
She alleged in her suit that instead of alleviating her problems, the mesh implant caused severe complications including mesh erosion, scar tissue, inflammation, infection and nerve damage.
Gross not only had to seek medical treatment, but also had to undergo 18 surgeries to repair the damage caused by the mesh, the article states. The nine-member jury arrived at the verdict after a six-week trial and the judge has ruled that she will allow arguments on punitive damages, Reuters reports.
"With this verdict, the panel of six women and three men has delivered a strong and timely statement to Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon and several other manufacturers of vaginal mesh implants. A large verdict such as this tells us that the jury and the court deeply understood the pain and suffering of Ms. Gross. To endure 18 surgeries to correct one surgery is unthinkable.
These corporations cannot put profits before consumer safety. Thousands of plaintiffs who continue to suffer excruciating pain and severe complications as a result of defective products are looking to our civil justice system for relief."
Bisnar said the verdict in this case gives hope to thousands of other such victims who are said to be suffering in silence and waiting in line to have their case heard.
"These lawsuits as they unfold will hopefully create public awareness about vaginal mesh implants. Had these women and their doctors received accurate information regarding the potential dangers of these mesh implants, they could have made a better and informed decision about the course of their treatment."
For more information, please call 949-203-3814 for a free consultation. We are located at 1301 Dove Street #120, Newport Beach, CA 92660.


text:
Data engineering + BI
Social responsibility and workplace culture
Philanthropic businesses drive socially conscious employees. Profusion email developer and work experience champion Ebenezer Apeagyei is one of these. He shares his career journey and inspiration with content editor Louise Scott.
What's your own career path been like so far?
Email marketing was nowhere near my radar when I was at school. In my career, however, I've always been in the email marketing industry – the path I took was just slightly unconventional. At university I switched from computer engineering to computing. There was a wide range of modules, which exposed me to all kinds of avenues.
Later I did an internship and then landed a role as an email marketing assistant at a media publishing company. Here, there were loads of magazine brands and I was doing content writing, reports and analysis. I really enjoyed it and it went from there. I joined a recruitment agency and that's where Adobe Campaign entered my path and I started doing email campaigns for big clients.
How did you come to be in the job you're in now?
I discovered Profusion a couple of years ago through a recruiter and straight away I felt a good vibe. From the beginning, the people were really friendly and the company's focus on data attracted me a lot. I was curious because there's an in-house data science team here. That's something a bit different. It's not about just sending emails blindly – they're personalised.
What's the best thing about it?
The work-life balance. This was something I'd never got quite right anywhere else. Now I can work hard, then switch off. Another thing that really helps is the flexible hours. Basically, the attitude here is that if you're getting your job done it's understandable to come in early and leave early for a social activity, as it helps with your wellbeing.
I really like the culture here as well.
How would you describe the workplace culture?
There's a family feel about it. Everyone looks out for each other and speaks their minds. We're encouraged to do that, and to try out new things. Although my job title is 'email developer', I can explore data science or sales. I've really gained and learned a lot through taking that opportunity.
On top of that, the company really allows for growth and discovering who you are. In my life I've always liked mentoring and helping others, so when Profusion Cares (Profusion's philanthropic foundation) came into being, I joined the steering group as a volunteer. Through Profusion I also got the chance to go on a MOE coaching course. That was really life changing. They put me on a course to learn 'Purposeful Coaching', too. Pretty quickly I realised I could use what I learned to help young people.
Not long after these experiences, I found myself applying my coaching skills in and out of work. People have always naturally come to me for advice, but before I had coach training I would get emotionally involved and make it about me. I was hijacking. Through coaching I've learned to 'guide' in a much more effective way.
What's your role in work experience placements for young people at Profusion? How did that come about?
I lead it as a volunteer with Profusion Cares. Basically I look for students in schools, who are seeking work experience placements and are interested in digital marketing and data science.
It all started from my Purposeful Coaching course. Among the sessions, we did an activity where any of us could volunteer to be coached in front of the whole group, so I got up. I found myself sharing an idea I'd had for a while, about setting up a website to help young people with their career development. It was during this coaching session that I realised it's something I really want to do. For me, a key thing was being asked when I would do it. That question is great as it gets you to commit.
Through Profusion Cares I'm getting experience that will help me to achieve my dream. Any opportunity I get to help young people, I will.
Aside from commitment, what does it take to follow a career goal?
Inspiration, motivation, direction and guidance!
What difference has all of this made to you?
I'm happier. My wellbeing is the best it could ever be. I wake up with a purpose. For me, it's not just about coming to work to get paid, pay my bills and build emails for clients. I am getting the opportunity to help others, and it's helping me towards answering the questions of: "What's my impact? What's my legacy when I'm gone?"
What really excites me is the opportunity to influence a young person's career and help them become what they want to be.
Interested in how businesses can support disadvantaged young people? Find out about Profusion's partnership with the Care Leaver Covenant.
Louise Scott
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text:
DB Systel deploys...
DB Systel deploys German optical backbone network
DB Systel has recruited ECI to build and deploy a flexible optical backbone network in Germany.
DB Systel is the digital partner to Deutsche Bahn AG, a global mobility and logistics company. It is implementing the network as part of Deutsche Bahn AG's 'broaDBand project.' The new dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)-based network is designed to allow DB Systel to offer transmission capacities to carriers, service providers and other companies while executing its own bandwidth initiatives. It will fulfill the company's digitisation and bandwidth needs while offering maximum availability, flexibility and scalability.
DB Systel rolled out a 100G DWDM network spanning around 100 locations across Germany, based on ECI's (now part of Ribbon Communications') Apollo range of transport and switching products. The range was chosen for its ability to combine high-capacity, low-latency transport and switching with software-configurable, colorless, directionless, and gridless optical routing. Combined with Ribbon's software and management functions, complex daily operations can be simplified, and the availability and reliability of the network assured.
Jens Liebel, head of network services at DB Systel said: 'We are very proud that we were able to quickly build a complete optical backbone network. With Ribbon, we have a highly competent partner who knows how to best implement the diverse requirements of a railway company, and we can now meet all the requirements of advanced digital networking within Deutsche Bahn and with our partners to the external market.'
Fernando Valdivielso, Ribbon's EVP of EMEA and APAC Sales added: 'We are delighted to be working with DB Systel in multiple areas and to be contributing to this large national infrastructure project, which will benefit many both within the company and likely throughout Germany.'
DB Systel
ECI Telecom
ECI Telecom Ltd.
Optical transport DWDM market to surpass $17bn by 2026, says Dell'Oro
Market Research, optical transport, DWDM


The Fennimore Doll & Toy Museum, located 1135 6th Street, Fennimore WI, showcases classic and collectible dolls and toys from around the world. Established in 1991, the museum features heirlooms owned by or on loan to the museum. Under the management of the Friends of the Doll and Toy Museum, the museum continues to add new collections, offer unique and exciting displays, and welcome visitors from near and far.
See the Featured Exhibits page for slideshows, descriptions and more information.
Continuing displays in the museum include exhibits of classic, antique and collectible dolls and toys range from the 1800's through 2000's. The displays include porcelain, china, paper maché, metal, composition, vinyls, and plastic dolls as well as dolls made of many other materials. Coupled with period accessories, the displays tell their stories. Be sure to see our specially constructed display with 740 Barbies® and accessories.
The toys range from an exceptional cast iron collection from the 1890s - 1920s, old farm machinery of the 1920s - 1940s, tin toys of the 1930s - 1950s, to classic Fisher Price® pull toys. Along with these are tops, Ninja Turtles®, Masters of the Universe®, Star Wars®, Disney® characters, super heroes and many more. Our greatly enhanced 1950s Western collection is a welcome addition.
Groups are welcome and tours of both the Doll & Toy Museum and the Fennimore Railroad Museum can be coordinated with one phone call. At the Doll Museum, educational programs are adjusted for the age of the students. Learn how toys and dolls have evolved and compare toys from the past with those of today.
At the Railroad and Historical Museum, climb aboard an old train engine, ride the narrow-gauge train and view the antique farm equipment and household items. On-site bus parking and loading. Both buildings are handicap accessible and air conditioned. Call 608-822-4100 or email dolltoy@fennimore.com to schedule your group tour.
Operated by the Friends of the Fennimore Doll & Toy Museum, the museum operates as a non-profit organization and runs completely on volunteer help, donations, and a modest entrance fee. The museum has many wonderful volunteers but it needs the support of new volunteers to work at the museum and welcomes all financial contributions.
Located at 1135 6th Street, Fennimore, WI, the museum is directly behind Subway and across the street from the Fennimore Railroad Museum. See the City of Fennimore WI website for local amenities and events.
Please call for updates or information 608-822-4100 or email dolltoy@fennimore.com.
Let your heritage not be lost, but bequeath it as a memory, a treasure, and a blessing, and preserve it for your children.


I've found that with romance stories, the guy consistently has the same pattern when it comes to their traits. Infuse these traits into your personality and women will want to pursue you!
Take Mr Darcy for example, his big awful characteristic was pride, at the beginning of the book he was full of it, he wouldn't dance with any of the girls, he looked down his nose at individuals in a lesser scenario than his, and he was rude to everyone.
However Mr Darcy manages to turn himself around in the second half of the novel, due to circumstances that forced him to reveal his better side, so to speak. In the last half, you learn that Mr Darcy is practical, selfless, loyal, smart and actually, fairly friendly. It totally redeems his character and his pride stops being an issue.
This happens over and over again in romance stories, and it happens over and over again in life too, if you consider it. How often have you met an individual and disliked them straight away, then as you have to know them because they seemed unfriendly or selfish, you have comprehended that they're all that good.


text:
News Release Details
Pardes Biosciences Announces Commencement of Phase 2 Trial Evaluating PBI-0451 for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infections
Phase 2 trial expected to enroll 210 patients at approximately 75 sites to evaluate antiviral activity, safety, and efficacy of PBI-0451 versus placebo
Interim data from Phase 2 anticipated in Q1 2023
CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pardes Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRDS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing PBI-0451 as a potential stand-alone, novel direct-acting, oral antiviral drug candidate for the treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections and associated diseases (i.e., COVID-19), today reported commencement of a Phase 2 double-blind, randomized study to evaluate the antiviral activity, safety, and efficacy of orally administered PBI-0451 compared with placebo in non-hospitalized symptomatic adults with COVID-19 who are not at increased risk of progressing to severe illness.
Pardes Biosciences expects to enroll 210 patients in the Phase 2 clinical trial at approximately 75 sites within the United States. Study eligibility will include symptoms of COVID-19 for 5 or less days and a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Use of concomitant medications for underlying health conditions will not be restricted in the clinical trial. Participants will be administered PBI-0451 orally with food, twice daily, at a 700 mg (2x 350 mg tablets) dose or placebo over five days. The primary objective will be to determine the proportion of patients below the limit of detection in nasal swab samples for infectious SARS-CoV-2 on day three. Secondary objectives will include assessments of safety and tolerability, time to sustained clinical recovery through day 28 defined as key COVID-19 symptoms, and hospitalizations and deaths.
"Initiation of our PBI-0451 Phase 2 study marks a significant step towards our goal of bringing a self-administered, oral, well-tolerated and easy-to-use COVID-19 treatment option to a broad patient population due to a unique, favorable drug-drug interaction profile," said Tom Wiggans, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of Pardes Biosciences. "PBI-0451 has the potential to be a stand-alone SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor that can be easily prescribed and administered to alleviate the burden of COVID-19 to patients and healthcare systems. We look forward to evaluating PBI-0451 in this broad patient population and sharing preliminary results in the first quarter of 2023."
In a Phase 1 clinical trial, PBI-0451 at single and multiple doses demonstrated favorable tolerability without any study drug discontinuations and there were no treatment emergent drug-related adverse events assessed as greater than mild in severity. Additionally, no direct drug-related adverse findings were observed in 14-day or 28-day toxicology studies conducted across multiple preclinical species. PBI-0451 does not require ritonavir boosting and has the potential to be used broadly due to a favorable drug-drug interaction profile.
About Pardes Biosciences, Inc.
Pardes Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company created to help solve pandemic-sized problems, starting with COVID-19. We are dedicated to discovering and developing potent and easy-to-prescribe oral antiviral drug candidates so that patients everywhere can get well sooner. For more information, please visit www.pardesbio.com.
About PBI-0451
PBI-0451 is a potential stand-alone, novel, direct-acting oral antiviral drug candidate for the treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Phase 2 clinical development. PBI-0451 was developed to inhibit the main cysteine protease (Mpro) of all known coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Inhibiting Mpro prevents the liberation and assembly of the viral replication complex, blocking replication before it begins. The potent antiviral activity observed across SARS-CoV-2 variants in preclinical in vitro studies as well as the favorable safety and tolerability data from Pardes Biosciences' first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial (Study PBI-0451-0001, NCT 05011812) support continued clinical development of PBI-0451, which it believes has the potential to be a safe, effective and easy-to-prescribe oral antiviral for preventing and treating SARS-CoV-2 infections, including patients unable or unwilling to take currently authorized or approved therapies.
Availability of Other Information about Pardes Biosciences
Pardes Biosciences intends to use the Investors page of its website (https://ir.pardesbio.com) as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor Pardes Biosciences' Investors website, in addition to following Pardes Biosciences' press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains statements that relate to future events and expectations and, as such, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When or if used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "possible," "predict," "should," "will," and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to Pardes Biosciences (Pardes), may identify forward-looking statements. All statements that reflect Pardes' expectations, assumptions or projections about the future, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding Pardes' future financial or business performance, conditions, plans, prospects, trends or strategies and other financial and business matters, including statements regarding PBI-0451's potential as a safe, well-tolerated, easy to use and easy to prescribe SARs-CoV-2 oral antiviral treatment for all patients; the planned conduct of the Phase 2 clinical trial for PBI-0451; and the expected timing of reporting preliminary data from the Phase 2 clinical trial for PBI-0451. Forward-looking statements reflect Pardes' current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of its business, its future plans and strategies, its development plans, its preclinical and clinical results, future conditions and other factors Pardes believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Although Pardes believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, Pardes can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, which could cause Pardes' actual activities and results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) risks and uncertainties related to Pardes' ability to advance, obtain regulatory approval of and ultimately commercialize its product candidates; (ii) the timing and results of clinical trials; (iii) Pardes' ability to maintain financial resources necessary to continue its clinical trials, fund development goals and fund business operations; (iv) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pardes' business, clinical trials, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations; (v) Pardes' ability to protect its intellectual property; and (vi) other risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Pardes' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and other SEC filings. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by Pardes on its website or otherwise. Pardes disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Investor Contacts:
pobrien@pardesbio.com
Stephen Jasper
Gilmartin Group
stephen@gilmartinir.com


Brilliant at the Basics of Business (v2) 100, 52: Systems.
Behind the best businesses there are always reliable systems. Systems which prompt and manage activities as varied and essential as managing expenses to ensuring the planning round and innovative thinking. Which are yours? Who's managing them?


text:
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Hours before sunrise, migrants...
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mass shootings have...
Sports Minute: MLB '20 schedule: Yanks-Nats, Giants-Dodgers open on July 23
2 years 6 months 3 weeks ago Monday, July 06 2020 Jul 6, 2020 July 06, 2020 5:58 PM July 06, 2020 in Sports - AP - Texas
NEW YORK (AP) — Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole and a pair of high-profile matchups are set for opening day as Major League Baseball begins its shortened 60-game season on July 23 in ballparks without fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
MLB released the schedule Monday, and it starts with two games. Cole and the New York Yankees visit the World Series champion Washington Nationals at 7:08 p.m. EDT, then Betts and his new Los Angeles Dodgers teammates host the San Francisco Giants at 10:08 p.m.
There are 14 games on July 24, including the first matchup at new Globe Life Field in Texas when the Rangers take on Colorado. The same day, Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels visit Oakland and the Cincinnati Reds host Detroit.
"Seeing the schedule makes it a little more real," Reds manager David Bell said. "We can all start to plan a little better, have an idea what our life is going to be like and where we're going to be the next several months.
"It will make it more realistic: Hey, this is about to happen in just over two weeks now."
The season ends on Sept. 27, with all 30 teams starting their games at 3 p.m. EDT to possibly make for a final-day playoff scramble. Most games this season, however, are at night.
Teams will play 40 games against their division opponents. The other 20 will be interleague games, including six against a natural opponent, taking on clubs in their corresponding geographic region — East vs. East, for example.
Games planned for London, Mexico City and Puerto Rico already have been canceled.
Among the schedule highlights:
— The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago White Sox next to the "Field of Dreams" cornfield outside Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13.
— Jackie Robinson Day, usually celebrated on April 15, will be held Aug. 28 — that's the date the Rev. Martin Luther King led the March on Washington in 1963, and also the date Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey talked to Robinson in 1945 about a future in the majors.
— Roberto Clemente Day will be held Sept. 9.
— The 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues will be celebrated on Aug. 16.
— Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers will get his first look at his former Houston teammates on Aug. 7 at the empty Coliseum. Fiers blew the whistle on the Astros' sign-stealing scam, which dominated baseball talk throughout the winter before the virus shut down the sport.
NFL appeals 6-game suspension for Browns' Deshaun...
NFL appeals 6-game suspension for Browns' Deshaun Watson
Texans hire veteran coach Smith as new...
Texans hire veteran coach Smith as new head coach
Cowboys decline Vander Esch option, creating intrigue...
Cowboys decline Vander Esch option, creating intrigue at LB
Houston police says it's investigating Texans QB...
Houston police says it's investigating Texans QB Watson
Cowboys, QB Prescott finally agree on $160...
Cowboys, QB Prescott finally agree on $160 million contract
Sports Minute: STAT WATCH: Accuracy of Mertz,...
Sports Minute: STAT WATCH: Accuracy of Mertz, Fields in openers tops FBS
Three mobile homes destroyed in Mercedes fire
Harlingen woman who survived crash now advocates for truck safety


text:
module GitHub.Issues.Events where
import GitHub.Internal

--| GET /repos/:owner/:repo/issues/:issue_number/events
listIssueEvents ::
	OwnerName ->
	RepoName ->
	Int ->
	GitHub IssueEventsData

--| GET /repos/:owner/:repo/issues/events
listRepositoryIssueEvents ::
	OwnerName ->
	RepoName ->
	GitHub IssuesEventsData

--| GET /repos/:owner/:repo/issues/events/:id
getIssueEvent ::
	OwnerName ->
	RepoName ->
	Int ->
	GitHub IssueEventData


As can be discerned, the words east and west are used in the plural sense in the above verses. For instance, the word "mashariq," used in the first verse for "east," and the word "magharib" used for "west," are in plural form, indicating that there are two of each. The words "mashriqayn" and "maghribayn" in the last verse are used for two easts and two wests. "Mashariq" and "magharib" also mean the place where the Sun rises and sets. The above verses are therefore referring to different sites of the dawning and closing of the day. It is also worthy of note that the vow is taken by the Lord of "the easts and wests" in the first verse.
The axis around which the earth revolves itself is at an angle of 23° 27'. Due to that angle, and the spherical shape of the Earth, the light rays from the Sun do not always strike it at the same angle. This means that since the Sun's rays fall on that area at different angles, someone far away from the equator will observe the Sun rising at different points in the east and setting at different points in the west. The further away from the equator that person is the more different points he will identify for the dawning and closing of the day.


text:
require 'forwardable'
require 'logger'
require 'ostruct'
require 'set'
require 'singleton'
require 'term/ansicolor'
require 'diffy'
require 'pp'
require 'hashie'

require 'aws-sdk-v1'

require 'piculet/ext/ec2-owner-id-ext'
require 'piculet/ext/security-group'
require 'piculet/ext/ip-permission-collection-ext'
require 'piculet/ext/string-ext'

require 'piculet/logger'
require 'piculet/template-helper'
require 'piculet/utils'
require 'piculet/client'
require 'piculet/dsl'
require 'piculet/dsl/converter'
require 'piculet/dsl/ec2'
require 'piculet/dsl/permission'
require 'piculet/dsl/permissions'
require 'piculet/dsl/security-group'
require 'piculet/exporter'
require 'piculet/version'
require 'piculet/wrapper/ec2-wrapper'
require 'piculet/wrapper/permission'
require 'piculet/wrapper/permission-collection'
require 'piculet/wrapper/security-group'
require 'piculet/wrapper/security-group-collection'


Rebecca Taylor's Poppy Print was used on several items in her collection last year. Shown below are a top and two dresses, but she also did a skirt.
Target has a dress that varies in style but the pattern is pretty much identical! This dress retails for $24.99 and is a fantastic inspired by option. Click on the photo below to purchase.
cute!! I loved that print last year.


text:
Craigie Aitchison: Paintings, etchings and tapestries
10:30 on 5 July 2014 to 17:30 on 27 September 2014
http://timothytaylorgallery.com/
View all Exhibitions
This summer we are working with Timothy Taylor Gallery, London to present a selected showcase of oil paintings and etchings from the estate of Craigie Aitchsion CBE RSA RA (1926-2009) alongside tapestries created by Dovecot Studios in collaboration with the artist.
This Aitchison selection highlights the recurring themes of the artist's work including the Crucifixion and Bedlington terriers. Aitchison depicted the Crucifixion in his artwork from the 1950s, when his tutor at The Slade suggested that the subject was "too serious" for him, thus prompting him to tackle it regularly. Although not pious, Aitchsion was drawn to the spirit and glamour of Catholicism. One of the tapestry miniatures featured in this show, is a detail recreated in weave from a large commissioned painting of the same subject. Resolving the design with Dovecot's weavers, Aitchison felt that the detail chosen particularly suited the medium of tapestry. This was one of a number of tapestries made with Aitchison and is the only tapestry design which Aitchison made using this central theme in his work. It is an open edition and he bought one for his own collection.
Aitchison used a distinctive Mediterranean palette. His expressive 'cut-out' iconographic figures and objects set against a bright coloured background are redolent of the simple clarity of the Trecento and Quattrocento which he often referred to. Born in Edinburgh in 1926, Aitchison enrolled at the Slade School of Art in 1952. His work was soon recognised with a solo show at Beaux Arts Gallery in 1956. His reputation grew and this was followed by a solo show at Marlborough Fine Art in 1968, a retrospective at the Serpentine in 1981, a retrospective at GoMA in Glasgow in 1996 and a solo show at the Royal Academy in 2003. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1988, was awarded the inaugural Jerwood Prize in 1994 and in 1999 was awarded a CBE for his contribution to British Art. Aitchison died in London in December 2009. Timothy Taylor Gallery is the representative of his estate.
Balcony Opening Times:
Outside August: Mon-Fri 12-3pm Sat 10.30am-5.30pm
During August: Daily 10.30am-6.30pm


text:
Hockey Dad
This isn't about hockey dads. It's about my dad….. and hockey. My father passed away 4 years ago today. I write a blog about him on this day every year. They started off really sad. Now it's just random memories that I don't want to forget. I know my last post was about my dad too, on what would have been his 80th birthday. Apologies to anyone who reads this blog, but I just haven't been writing lately. I'm sleepy a lot. I like to doze off on the couch more than I like to write. Sad but true lately. Anyways, this isn't about hockey dads. It's about my dad….. and hockey. Oh I said that.
I went to the home opener of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night with my sister. The 100th season of the Toronto Maple Leafs, therefore the 100th home opener. It was a lot of fun. They paid tribute to a lot of the former Leaf greats. Players who had been honoured by the team in the past, but never got their numbers retired actually got their numbers retired, so no Maple Leaf player will ever wear those numbers again. Some great names…. Tim Horton (who coffee enthusiasts will know of), Bill Barilko (who Tragically Hip enthusiasts will know of), Ace Bailey (who I believe is my grandmother's cousin, or something like that…. I should ask my mom to log onto ancestry.com to verify), Johnny Bower (who became a player scout when he was older, and my dad saw him in a half empty arena once, and sent me up to him to ask for his autograph even though I had no idea who he was at the time), Red Kelly (who served as a member of parliament while playing for the Leafs…Whaaaaa???? Did you know that? I just found out yesterday), Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming (who at the very moment I was old enough to start watching and understanding hockey, were basically the only 2 reasons to bother watching Leaf hockey, and more contemporary heroes like Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark and Mats Sundin, among others. Such a fun presentation. Was totally worth missing a Toronto Blue Jays playoff game for.
But did I in fact miss a Toronto Blue Jays playoff game??? NO I DIDN'T, thanks to technology. What I'm about to say will not surprise anyone that is even the least bit astute when it comes to cell phones and technology, but I watched the game ON MY PHONE!!!! I never gave a shit about tech, but I just got my first iPhone, and stuff that was blowing you guys away 10 years ago is blowing me away right now. I was walking towards the arena with a crystal clear image of the Jays game ON MY PHONE. Like George fucking Jetson, I have arrived in the future!!!!!
Those seats we sat in were my dad's seats. He was a season ticket holder for like everything. Leafs, Jays, Argos, The Royal Alexandra Theatre for crying out loud. The man loved his season ticket subscriptions. He didn't go to all the games, but he knew enough people who would share the games with him, so he'd just go to a few, but he got all the season ticket holder perks. Once he was even the 'season ticket holder of the game' which is a nice honour for long time seat holders. They toured him around the building, introduced him to the crowd, and gave him a Leafs jersey with his name on the back. My sister was wearing it yesterday.
In the 80's when times were good, my dad would get 11 pairs of tickets per season for himself. Always fair and equitable, that meant he would rotate who he took to the game. Between my mom, sister and I, it would be a 4-4-3 split. The person who only got the 3 games would get first choice, and would choose a premium opponent. The dream was to see a young Wayne Gretzky with the Edmonton Oilers, or maybe a game against the Montreal Canadians who were great non-division rivals. I always took 4 tickets. I didn't care who they played. I was there to see the Leafs. A horrible fucking team for most of the 80's but I (like my father before me) was a optomist, and always believed that they would win, even though their skill level was at a clear disadvantage pretty much every time they laced up their skates. Sometimes my mom would get lazy and just give me one of her games because she didn't feel like going downtown, so if I played it right, I might have gone to 5 games a year. In 2016, if you want to know how much those particular seats cost for 11 games….. well you'd be well on your way to paying some kid's college tuition I would think.
I loved EVERY weird part of that experience. From the minute we left the house. Even down to the car we drove. My dad used to work as a Fleet Administrator for a pharmaceutical company, and got a company car as part of the deal. It wasn't always the same one though. If a different make or model came into the fleet, I suppose it was important for him to 'test them out', so you never knew what kind of car he was going to be driving. I loved sitting on the Gardiner in traffic, talking about the Leafs, and getting excited about the game. Parking like a kilometre away from Maple Leaf Gardens to save a couple of bucks, but it allowed for a nice walk in the city, which I otherwise never saw at that age. Walking through Maple Leaf Gardens, and looking at all the black and white photos of all the old Leaf players, and if we had time, stopping to look at each one. He would buy me a program every time, giving me yet another resource to fuel endless amounts of useless hockey information into my brain. We'd go out to our seats, and you could see the haze of cigarette smoke in the upper parts of the facility (I know it sounds disgusting, but I miss that smell). A few times if we got there really early, we might go down to the Gold section and watch the players shoot around. If you were standing in the right spot as they came off and asked the right guy for a hockey puck, you might get one. Now that I think of it, I have no idea how we pulled that off, but my dad was a really likeable guy, and he wasn't afraid to ask for things. 5 minutes of chatting up an usher could always come in handy. I don't think that's why he did it. He just liked talking to people. I think the saying "The world is your oyster" is kind of dumb, but the world absolutely was my dad's oyster, always. We'd go back up to the Green section to sit in our aisle seats right at center ice. We'd watch the game until the first intermission, and my dad would chat up another usher, always remembering their names and what they had talked about last time. Then if he saw I was getting too bored, he'd try to work me into the conversation. Then we'd watch the 2nd period, and after that was over, we'd go to the concession stand and buy Fruitella candy. So delicious, and I feel like it's the only place I ever saw it. It might be in every store, but I only ever ate it at a hockey game. By the third period, somehow, the Leafs would always still be in the game. As horrible as this team was, they always played great when we were there. I remember it would drive my dad nuts when people would leave 3 or 4 minutes before the game was over just to beat the rush. We would always stay until the end, and then wait for the 3 stars of the game, and he'd take the heat from my mom if it was a school night. Then the long walk back to the car. At that age it felt cool to be walking around downtown late at night, like I was somewhere I shouldn't have been. Then the drive home where we'd re-hash the night, or I'd nod off in the car.
It was all fucking perfect somehow. I miss my hockey dad.
1 Comment	| tags: Dad, Father, Hockey, Humor, Humour, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto Maple Leafs	| posted in Humor, Stories, Uncategorized


Natalie Pinkham had her 5 minutes of glory when British tabloid The Sun published a picture of her and Prince Harry on a night out in a club. It wasn't a very serious relationship, but they used to date for a while. In the end it didn't really work out, because Natalie was a television presenter and already had her share of media attention, adding a relationship with a royal wasn't exactly a great idea.


This summer, when it comes to box office, Hollywood is hoping that the third time really is a charm.
A bevy of threequels hits the cineplex, all bucking for blockbuster dollars. From now through the end of summer, several big-name franchises return to make it a trilogy, including "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "Ocean's 13," "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Rush Hour 3."
The plain old sequel is no slouch, either. Twice is nice for "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "28 Weeks Later," "Evan Almighty" and "Hostel: Part II."
And then the show-offs of the bunch, like "Live Free or Die Hard" (No. 4) and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"(No. 5), also are banking on their past successes.
Bug — Hasn't anyone in the movies learned to stay out of motels? Ashley Judd stars as a women who lets things in a seedy motel get under her skin, literally and figuratively, in this psychological thriller.
Knocked Up — The latest from "40-Year-Old Virgin" writer/director Judd Apatow already is being hailed as the potential sleeper hit of the summer. This slacker comedy takes on unexpected pregnancy with "Grey's Anatomy" doc Katherine Heigl.
Mr. Brooks — Kevin Costner is a serial killer. Wow, that's even scarier than being forced to watch a "Waterworld"/"The Postman" double feature. It also stars Demi Moore and William Hurt.
Ocean's 13 — The boys are back in town, this time with Ellen Barkin in tow, to pull of their third big heist. Rooting for the bad guys has never been more fun.
Hostel: Part II — While in Rome, three young American women are lured away to a Slovakian hostel. You know this can't end well.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer — Surf's up as our four superheroes face off with the enigmatic Silver Surfer.
Nancy Drew — The girl detective goes from page to screen as Julia Roberts' niece Emma Roberts takes on the role of the teenage sleuth.
I Could Never Be Your Woman — Michelle Pfeiffer returns to the big screen after a five-year absence in this May-December romance by "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" director Amy Heckerling. Pfeiffer's husband, David E. Kelley, heartily endorses the movie title.
Evan Almighty — God (Morgan Freeman) returns to get Congressman Evan Baxter (Steve Carrell) to build an ark in anticipation of a great flood.
A Mighty Heart — Angelina Jolie stars in this real-life tragedy based on Mariane Pearl's frantic effort to save her journalist husband, Daniel. The Wall Street Journal reporter was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002.
Live Free or Die Hard — The fourth "Die Hard" installment features Modesto native Timothy Olyphant as the baddie squaring off with Bruce Willis' hard-boiled cop, Detective John McClane. Expect fireworks and then some this Fourth of July.
Ratatouille — The Pixar animated feature follows a rat who dreams of becoming a world-class French chef. Don't tell the health inspector.
Transformers — Expect more than meets the eye in this big-screen, live-action adaptation of the popular children's cartoon and toys from bombastic director Michael Bays.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — The boy wizard must battle bad dreams, bureaucratic Dolores Umbridge and raging hormones in this fifth adaptation of the wildly popular children's series.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry — Straight Philadelphia firefighters (Adam Sandler and Kevin James) pretend to be a gay couple to get domestic-partner benefits. Those expecting high-brow high jinks should probably leave now.
Hairspray — What happens when a cult film becomes a hit Broadway musical that then gets turned into a big-screen musical? John Travolta in drag, that's what happens. Also stars Michelle Pfeiffer.
The Simpsons Movie — D'oh! TV's first family of animation gets the big-screen treatment. Mmmm, beer, I mean popcorn.
No Reservations — The delightful German import "Mostly Martha" gets a Hollywood makeover with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and "Little Miss Sunshine" herself, Abigail Breslin.
Stardust — When it rains Michelle Pfeiffer movies, it pours. The screen siren is back with her third film of the summer, this time a fairy-tale adaptation of a Neil Gaiman novel that also stars Robert De Niro, Claire Danes and Sienna Miller.
The Bourne Ultimatum — Forgetful superspy Jason Bourne finds himself in the sights of a superkiller. Seriously, how long does amnesia last, anyway?
Becoming Jane — Anne Hathaway stars as the young Jane Austen before she blossomed into the famous novelist everyone remembers from high school English class.
Rush Hour 3 — High-flying Jackie Chan and fast-talking Chris Tucker team up again to fight Chinese gangsters in Paris. I'm all tingly with anticipation, aren't you?


This Prada Convertible Open Tote Quilted Embroidered Velvet Mini, crafted in black quilted embroidered velvet, features dual rolled handles, and gold-tone hardware. It opens to a black satin interior with side zip and slip pockets. **Note: Shoe photographed is used as a sizing reference, and does not come with the bag. These are professional pictures of the actual bag offered by Rebag.
Condition: Great. Wear on exterior edges and handles, scratches on hardware.
Measurements: Handle Drop 4", Height 6", Width 9", Depth 5", Strap Drop 20"


Don't miss this piece of paradise on 18 1/2 acres. The property features a pond, fruit trees, and sits along the woodrum lake wildlife management area. The double-wide sits on a poured foundation and has an added room with loft area. The pool and hot tub do remain.


text:
Abstract oil paintings by Jason Anderson
Digging these abstract oil paintings by Jason Anderson:
https://www.jasonandersonartist.co.uk/abstracts
"Ternary" – https://www.jasonandersonartist.co.uk/ternary
[ via Kottke.org ]
QREATE???
QREATE? "What happened to 'Suburbia'?"
You may notice things have changed a wee bit on my website, nothing major really but I decided to switch to another domain name that I've had for quite a few years. Whilst 'suburbia.org.uk' has been my website url for about 13 years I felt it was time to mix it up a little bit.
I've been experimenting more recently with trying to post some short-form content such as interesting links, videos etc, onto my site first and foremost and having this content share out to social media channels. I've only got it automated out to Twitter and Micro.blog at the moment but I'll look into Facebook, Instagram etc as well.
Generally I'm just experimenting with sharing content here initially and trying to get back to writing and blogging a bit more. So hopefully there should be a bit more activity going on here on the site at the new url of qreate.co.uk :)
I've still got all of the same content as before so take a look around my Projects page to see some of the things I've been working on. I'm also going to add a bit more about some of the freelance work I've been doing recently, in particular working with Ryan and Lyall at Agency of None on several things for Dundee Design Festival which was particularly fun and interesting to work on.
The Verge: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg on what's next for Tumblr
The Verge have an interview with Matt Mullenweg about the future of Tumblr now that Automattic has bought them. (Both a podcast and transcript of the interview).
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/14/20804894/tumblr-acquisition-matt-mullenweg-ceo-automattic-wordpress-verizon-changes-vergecast
G B Studio
This is pretty rad, make your own Game Boy games that can run in a browser or on your Game Boy!
A free and easy to use retro adventure game creator for your favourite handheld video game system
https://www.gbstudio.dev
The Truth About Wasabi
Great little mini-documentary film about a Japanese wasabi farmer.
I knew that most wasabi that we get is actually made from horseradish, I don't think I've ever had real wasabi.
A work-around for aspect-ratio percentage padding issues on flex items in older versions of Firefox and Edge
Whilst working on a recent project I needed to enforce a fixed ratio on some elements in the layout. In this case I used the 'Aspect Ratio' method which uses a '0' height element with a percentage-based 'padding-top' value (More info about that in this CSS Tricks article).
The problem I ran into was that I was also using Flexbox for layout so each element was a Flex item, all of this was fine in Chrome and Safari and also in recent versions of Firefox and Microsoft Edge 17, 18 and in the upcoming 19.
But when testing in Edge 15 and 16 I found that the elements with the aspect ratio method applied to them were just completely invisible. Looking into it further I came across a Stackoverflow post and discovered that the issue was that in these versions of Edge they were supporting an earlier version of the Flexbox specification which meant that the percentage-based padding-top had no effect, basically rendering these elements with a '0' height so they didn't show up. It seems that the Flexbox specification was updated circa 2018 and basically brought it in line with the way Chrome and Safari have always behaved.
An alternative way of specifying the padding-top value is to use the 'vw' viewport-width units instead of percentages, whilst I found this did work to some extent it was harder to keep the ratios exactly how I wanted, but at least it was a way that would get these elements working in older version of Edge. Rather than having to completely redo my markup and CSS just to support these older browsers I wanted to see if there was a way to target only these earlier versions of Edge and use 'vw' units for Edge 15 & 16 but keep percentages for all other browsers.
As it happens I was also using "Variable Fonts" on this site which are only supported in Edge 17+, as such as I was already testing for Variable Font support by using '@supports (font-variation-settings: normal)', so combining this with another parameter '(-ms-ime-align: auto)' which allowed me to target Edge I came up with a workaround.
Here's an example of how it would be used, in this case it is a 3-up layout so each element is 1/3rd of the page width so set at 33.33333% of the width and then a padding-top set to the same percentage. The first CSS block sets the main styles and the second block adds the '@supports' check which overrides the first for matching Edge versions:
.aspect-block {
flex: 0 0 33.33333%;
padding-top: 33.33333%;
@supports (-ms-ime-align: auto) and (not (font-variation-settings: normal) ) {
.aspect-block  {
padding-top: 33.33333vw;
Painted into a Touch Bar corner?
Back in April 2017 Apple invited a few select members of the tech press to a special event to discuss the situation with the Mac Pro line of computers. At that time the Mac Pro had gone about 4 years without any updates causing a lot of speculation about Apple's commitment to its pro-level Mac users.
At the event Craig Federighi was quoted as saying:
"I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will. We designed a system with the kind of GPUs that at the time we thought we needed, and that we thought we could well serve with a two GPU architecture. That that was the thermal limit we needed, or the thermal capacity we needed. But workloads didn't materialize to fit that as broadly as we hoped."
"The Mac Pro Lives", DaringFireball.net, 4th April 2017
The 2013 Mac Pro
So whilst they didn't provide an immediate fix to the problem it was a clear admission that the limits of the Mac Pro design had been reached and that there was no way they could upgrade that design to use newer, faster components. The only way forward was to scrap that design and redesign it completely.
Recently I had a purchase decision to make about a new Mac, I really wanted a good jump in performance over the 2014 13" MacBook Pro I've been using and ultimately I opted for a 6-core Mac Mini.
After looking at all the options within the current MacBook Pro line I knew I wanted at least a quad-core CPU so it was going to have to be at least the high end 13" MacBook Pro, I also wanted 16Gb of RAM and at least a 512Gb SSD, so £2129 for this and an additional £249 to get AppleCare+ cover on top of this, plus the cost of a few dongles to connect non-USB-C devices to it and also my Thunderbolt display. All in all it was going to cost close to £2600 to get something to suit my needs.
In the end however I decided I couldn't justify purchasing that machine. The reason I decided not to go for the MacBook Pro was that despite spending that amount of money I was buying a machine that had no future upgrade path. It's not possible to upgrade the RAM or SSD storage so it means having to buy the highest configuration you can afford hoping that this is good enough for your future needs, rather than buying what you can afford now and adding upgrades later if needed.
Additionally all of the higher-end MacBook Pro laptops come with the Touch Bar whether you want it or not so this adds to the cost, given that I work most of the time using an external display and keyboard it means the Touch Bar has limited usage potential.
Having not owned a Touch Bar MacBook Pro I'm perhaps not in a position to judge how successful or beneficial the Touch Bar is, but my impression from articles etc online and friends who own one is that it's not a must-have or key selling feature for many people. I know I would certainly rather have the ability to upgrade RAM and SSD storage down the line than have the Touch Bar.
Combine the Touch Bar with the lack of upgradability and you have to pay a lot of money up front to try and future proof your purchase. Ultimately I realised this wasn't going to spark joy* and I would resent spending that amount of money to get something I wasn't completely happy with and didn't represent good value for money to me. In the end I opted for a 6-core Mac Mini purchased through Apple's refurb store, the balance of price / features was much better and additionally the current models were released last year so they're using the latest CPUs and aren't likely to be superseded anytime soon.
So the question I'm asking is: Has the hardware choices in the MacBook Pro line resulted in a similar situation to the Mac Pro, only this time Apple has painted themselves into a Touch Bar corner?
Personally, I think it's time for Apple to consider what changes they need to make in the MacBook Pro line to get out of this corner they've painted themselves into.
* Yes, this is a token Mari Kondo reference :)
Mental note: Set 'register_meta's 'single' parameter appropriately or you end up with data across multiple custom fields
This is a mental note for my own future reference after spending several hours trying to debug why some data was getting magically broken apart into multiple meta data fields.
In this case I was submitting a string of JSON data (created using JSON.stringify) via $.ajax in jQuery to create a 'user_meta' field via the WP Rest API. I could see from the response after successfully posting that the data was breaking up into multiple parts and was showing up as an array in the Ajax response, sure enough looking at the data in the WordPress 'user_meta' table I could see that there were a whole load of entries created from pieces of the single string I had sent.
After searching online for solutions and trying quite a few things I managed to narrow it down to which bit of code might be the cause, I was struggling to figure out whether it was happening during the AJAX request or on the server within WordPress.
However, I was aware that when rendering meta data using 'get_user_meta' or 'get_post_meta' that it will bring up an array as the default format as it is possible to have multiple meta fields with the same name, so when requesting a meta field you can set the '$single' parameter to 'true' and this will return only a single value.
However, I hadn't realised that you can actually specify that the fields are only to ever have a single instance when you register them using 'register_meta', after setting this parameter my submitted JSON string happily went into a single user_meta field!
You can set the meta field to use a single parameter when registering like so:
register_meta( 'user', 'my_meta_fieldname', array( 'type' => 'string', 'single' => true ) );
Hopefully this will stay in my head now and I'll remember if this happens again!
RaD: A definitive history of Skateboarding in the UK from 1978–1995
Growing up as a BMX obsessed then skateboarding crazy kid in the 1980's "RaD" (short for Read and Destroy) magazine was THE major source of everything about skateboarding.
Every month, every issue, I would read it from cover to cover. From the cover, contents page, articles, letter's page*, photos to the small ads at the back I would consume everything about it and so much of it is forever burned into my brain to be recalled at random times! In the times way before the internet, instagram, youtube and social media the printed skateboard magazine was the only window into the wider realms of skateboarding in the UK and beyond.
A small sample of my personal RaD magazine archive :)
RaD had several key photographers who contributed to the magazine: Vernon 'Jay Podesta' Adams, Tony 'Dobie' Campbell, 'Mad' Mike John, Tim Leighton-Boyce, Paul Sunman and Wig Worland. I once stayed over at Tim Leighton-Boyce's flat in London many years ago and spent hours looking through boxes of photos, some which had been in print and some that never saw the light of day.
Since the late 1990's all of Tim's and other contributor's photos and all the materials from the production of RaD – much of which predates fully digital workflows of graphic design and print production – has been in storage in various places. But in recent years massive efforts have been taken to sort through all of the remnants of the RaD magazine archives and has resulted in a Kickstarter campaign to document the history of skateboarding in the UK and the role and influence that RaD magazine had and the effect it continues to have to this day.
"Skateboarding History. RaD. The book of the magazine."
The Kickstarter project is titled: "Skateboarding History. RaD. The book of the magazine." and has the sub-title "A definitive history of Skateboarding in the UK from 1978–1995
The Read and Destroy archive book project.". The plan is for a two-volume book and is summarised on Kickstarter:
This two-volume book revisits the seminal independent magazine RaD (Read and Destroy), first published over 30 years ago – and still with a global following today. It is an inside view on skateboarding and youth culture from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, told primarily through the archives of 6 British skate photographers at the core of the magazine's original editorial team.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/322122905/rad-the-book-of-the-magazine/description
This is what the finished two-volume book should look like.
There are only about 8 days to go as I type this so if RaD magazine is something that had a similar influence on yourself as it did to me, or your keen to see this aspect of skateboarding-related social history be brought to the surface, or if you love photography or graphic design then I'd strongly encourage you to go and back the project as the resulting book is going to be something special in all those aspects. Do it, go back it now and help make it happen!
View the Kickstarter project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/322122905/rad-the-book-of-the-magazine
You can also find more about RaD on their website and social media sites at:
Read-and-destroy-archive.com
*My own letters made it to the letters page once or twice ;)


text:
Q: ¿Cómo ajustar un div a solo uno de sus contenidos? (imagen + párrafo) Tengo una imagen, un parrafo y un par de botones dentro de un div. El problema es que la imagen se hace mas grande cuando el parrafo tiene demasiados caracteres. Es decir que el div se ajusta al tamaño del parrafo y lo que a mi me gustaría hacer es que se ajuste al tamaño de la imagen original y el parrafo se divida en lineas. Adjunuto una imagen:

La primera imagen (arriba a la izquierda) es la que esta aumentada. La segunda (arriba a la derecha) tiene el tamaño original y es el que quiero consevar. Y la tercera imagen es solo para mostrar que también estoy usando imagenes horizontales (todas la imagenes originales tienen el mismo "height" y las horizontales el doble de "width" que las verticales).
Creo que es las clases que hay que modificar para que funcione como expliqué antes son la clase colunma y la clase title. El resto son clases de Bootstrap y en princípio creo que no influyen en el problema.
CÓDIGO CSS:
.colunma
{
    margin:auto;
}

@media only screen and (max-width: 768px)
{
    .title
    {
        width: 100%;
        height:auto;
    }
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 700px)
{
    .title
    {
        width: 100%;
        height:70px;

        display: inline-block;
        overflow: hidden:
        word-wrap: break-word;
    }
}

CÓDIGO HTLM:

                TITULO

    <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-secondary" onclick="">Modificar</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-secondary" onclick="">Eliminar</button>

¿Alguna idea de cómo hacerlo?

A: Lo que puedes realizar es asignar un contenedor independiente para la imagen, por ejemplo:

<!DOCTYPE html>

    <title>
      Ejemplo
    </title>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />

        El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen
  El texto no modificara el tamaño de la imagen

Considera que el contenedor padre (tu div principal)en algunos casos donde no se especifique rígidamente su tamaño, su tamaño sera definido por sus hijos en este caso tu texto define el tamaño del padre, las imágenes a su vez responderán al tamaño del padre.

A: No conseguí hacerlo con CSS puro. Al final necesité usar JavaScript para tratar el tamaño de cada imagen.
Lo solucioné de esta forma:
Primero añadí unos IDs a estos elementos.

Y luego los redimensioné en el evento onLoad de esta forma
   $("#img_x").on("load", function(e)
   {
        var cb = $("#cb_x");

        this.width  = this.naturalWidth;

        cb.css("max-width", this.naturalWidth + "px");
        cb.css("min-height", "100px");
   });

Ahora no tengo ningún problema, todas las imagens verticales son del mismo tamaño y las verticales también. Y además todas son responsive. Ojalá le sea útil a alguien.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Posted: March 20, 2015, 4:28 a.m.
MONROE - Green County is under an outdoor burning ban. The Green County Fire Chiefs Association issued the ban Thursday "due to current weather and drought conditions," according to a news release from the Green County Sheriff's Department. The ban prohibits burning fence rows and trash in open barrels.


Improve speech and language skills with Speech Cards, a flashcards app for people of all ages. Each card shows customizable text and a picture. Tap on the text or picture to hear an audio recording. Use the microphone to practice speaking and then listen to get immediate feedback. Track the progress of your students by using the integrated scoring and reporting system. Create and share cards with your friends and colleagues.
- Increase receptive and expressive vocabulary skills.
- Practice sounds to increase articulation skills.
- Listen to your recorded voice with microphone for feedback.
- For example, "animals", "food", "things that go"
- Create your own stories with text, pictures and audio.
- Does not contain Social Network Integration or Links.
- Does not contain In-App-Purchases.
I love adding my own words!
Update: Thanks for making this universal for the iPhone / iPod crowd!
Update: the new updates are wonderful! More card decks, and it easier to add/crop photos, super!
I love this- it is easy to add photos and I love the flexibility of using my own words instead of being limited to what is provided in other fixed sets of words- this has been especially important for multisyllabic words. I surfed the net and saved images of "our" words to My Photos, then as an activity my students "helped" me add them to the app while practicing naming by function, feature etc. - I just described each one, and they had to find a matching card from their pile of flashcards. - Now we have the same words they have been using, in a digital format- this is really useful for when I am visiting my preschool students off-site- less to pack with me, and no worries about the cards getting lost. I appreciate the previous rater's suggestion to allow repositioning of pictures added to the app. Other than that, I wouldn't change anything, and at $4.99, this is a great deal compared to other similar apps.
The idea is fantastic but adding pictures can be a pain unless they are just the right size. It doesn't let you move a picture around in the box to position it. The pictures and words are also pretty small compared to the amount of room on the screen. It would also be nice if there were some clipart options. I'd like to see improvement in those areas but otherwise it's not bad for the price.
I am an Speech/Language Pathologist working with special needs preschoolers. This is a fantastic app. I already have a couple of decks set up and I have ideas for 5 more apps. Very simple to add pictures and record. Love that you can keep track of a students progress towards a deck. Looking forward to using it as a way to monitor students skill levels.
© Copyright 2012-2017, RWH Technology. All rights reserved.


text:
Medical School faculty named to National Academy of Inventors
Achilefu, Holtzman, Leuthardt honored for innovation
by Tamara Bhandari•December 12, 2017
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis professors Samuel Achilefu, PhD, David Holtzman, MD, and Eric Leuthardt, MD (left to right, above) have been elected to the National Academy of Inventors.
Noted innovators Samuel Achilefu, PhD, David Holtzman, MD, and Eric Leuthardt, MD – faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The 2017 class of NAI fellows was announced Tuesday.
They are recognized as fellows for demonstrating innovation in creating and facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.
The newest class of fellows – 155 scientists from universities and governmental and nonprofit institutions – will be honored April 5 at a ceremony in Boston.
Other NAI fellows at Washington University include Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Holden Thorp, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; and Jennifer K. Lodge, PhD, vice chancellor for research.
Samuel Achilefu
Achilefu, the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology, is being recognized for his innovative approach to integrating engineering, biology and medicine. He is known for pioneering the development of strategies for molecular imaging and treatment of human diseases using novel molecular probes and light-sensitive drugs. Also a professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and of biomedical engineering, he discovered a new molecular entity that can be used to deliver drugs to many types of tumors.
Achilefu also led a team that developed a wearable, goggle-based imaging system for guiding surgical removal of cancer in real time. Cancer cells are notoriously difficult to see, even under high-powered magnification. Achilefu's eyewear is designed to make it easier for surgeons to distinguish malignant cells from healthy cells, helping to ensure that no stray tumor cells are left behind during surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. The glasses could reduce the need for additional surgical procedures and the subsequent stress on patients, as well as time and expense.
After receiving a PhD in chemistry at the University of Nancy, France, and postdoctoral training in blood oxygen transport mechanisms, Achilefu came to St. Louis in 1993 to join the nascent Discovery Research Department at Mallinckrodt Medical Inc. In 2001, he joined Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University, where he now heads the Optical Radiology Laboratory. A Siteman Cancer Center researcher, he is also director of the university's Molecular Imaging Center and a co-director of the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious St. Louis Award, given to St. Louis-area residents whose achievements reflect positively on the community. He also has been issued more than 50 U.S. patents.
David M. Holtzman
Holtzman, the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and head of the Department of Neurology, is being honored for distinguished contributions to understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and for developing diagnostics and treatments for the disease.
His research has focused on how levels of the Alzheimer's proteins amyloid beta and tau in the brain and spinal fluid are linked to risk for and progression of the disease. He helped develop a technique known as stable isotope-linked kinetics (SILK) for monitoring production and clearance of amyloid beta in the brain and spinal fluid. The technique involves giving people a slightly altered form of one of the amino acids the body uses to make proteins. Through monitoring the presence of proteins with the altered amino acid, scientists can track how quickly the proteins are produced and cleared from the brain. The technique also can be adapted to study other diseases and biological processes.
His laboratory also developed antibodies against amyloid beta and tau that are currently in clinical trials in people with very early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Holtzman co-founded a company called C2N Diagnostics in 2007 with Randall Bateman, MD, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology, to develop biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases.
Holtzman earned his bachelor's and medical degrees from Northwestern University. He completed an internship, residency and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was an assistant professor of neurology from 1991-94 before joining the Washington University faculty.
Past honors include the MetLife Foundation award for research on Alzheimer's disease, the Potamkin Prize for Alzheimer's research from the American Academy of Neurology, the 2014 Chancellor's Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University, and election to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He also is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Eric Leuthardt
Leuthardt, a professor of neurosurgery, of neuroscience, of biomedical engineering, and of mechanical engineering and applied science, is an expert in brain mapping and in devices that link the brain with computers. He studies how the brain encodes information so researchers can develop electronic devices controlled by the mind. Such brain-computer interfaces could allow patients to use their thoughts to communicate, move artificial or paralyzed limbs, or perform other neurological functions.
As director of Washington University's Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, he gathers neurosurgeons, engineers, mathematicians, physicists and computer scientists to collaborate and develop new technologies to improve neurosurgery. He has helped develop techniques to identify the location of brain functions such as language and motor function to minimize the chance that surgery will impair crucial abilities.
With more than 500 issued patents and six startup companies for medical devices and brain-computer interface technologies, Leuthardt is a prolific inventor. He was named a Top Young Innovator by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's magazine Technology Review in 2004, and won the Academy Award of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery that same year. He also received the Innovation Award from the Academy of Science in St. Louis and was honored with the Chancellor's Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University.
A native of Cincinnati, Leuthardt earned his bachelor's degree in biology and theology at Saint Louis University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine before returning to St. Louis to do his residency in neurological surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the School of Medicine. He joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2006.
Judy Martin Finch, Director of Media Relations
martinju@wustl.edu
Tamara Bhandari, Senior Medical Science Writer
Tamara covers pathology, immunology, medical microbiology, cell biology, neurology, and radiology. She holds a bachelor's degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry and in sociology from Yale University, a master's in public health/infectious diseases from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in infectious disease immunology from the University of California, San Diego. Tamara worked in laboratories for about a decade before switching to science journalism. She joined Medical Public Affairs in 2016.
tbhandari@wustl.edu