text:
Peter zoole
Peter Zoole, Executive Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA
Image by Gideon Heller
I initially interviewed Chef Zach Bell at Addison Reserve in 2017 when I first began producing the second Golf Kitchen book. At the same time, Golf Kitchen was growing quite quickly, and I had many dreams of what I wanted Golf Kitchen to be as a business. Since 2017, we have introduced a magazine, events, and a culinary awards program specifically for the Private Golf and Country Club industry. Fast forward to 2020, after many delays, Peter Zoole has taken the helm at Addison Reserve. I have enjoyed the journey and getting to know Peter as much as I enjoyed getting to know Zach. ~ Diana DeLucia
GK: When did your interest in cooking arise?
I was born and raised in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina, and I wasn't interested in cooking at all. We had a structured family dinner, but it was meat and potatoes, and I didn't give it much thought.
GK: How were you introduced the the culinary world?
I got into the food business in high school at a place in Spartanburg called Heavenly Ham, and I was washing dishes, nothing exciting. When I went off to college at Francis Marion University (FMU) I returned to Heavenly Ham on my summer break. One of my coworkers, Laurel Phillips was opening a restaurant and said that if I wanted a summer job the following year to please come and see her. The following summer break, I worked for her in the front of the house bussing, answering phones, waiting tables, a bit of everything. I fell in love with the whole thing, the pace of service, and the excitement of entertaining guests and everything that comes with it. I was intrigued by what the chefs and the cooks were doing in the kitchen. I was 19 or 20 at the time and had realized my passion.
I didn't want to go back to college; I was not a good student and my grades were poor. I wanted to pursue a career in the culinary field, I needed to tell my parents. My father has a law degree, and my mother has an MBA, I felt that was expected of me. When I told my father I wanted to pursue a culinary career, he was surprisingly supportive, and it was a significant relief.
GK: Which culinary school did you attend?
I intended to enroll in Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina, and moved there shortly after making my decision. I needed a job to support myself and got a job at a restaurant called The Library at Vendue, once again washing dishes. I was so fast at washing dishes that the sous chef Chef Brian Kleinbub took me under his wing.
I worked my way up the ranks, and the Executive Chef Paul Tinsley, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), told me that I didn't need to go into debt. I could learn more working for him than from textbooks, and not have a massive liability at the end of it. I was able to work as a waiter several days a week and in the kitchen on other days. I knew both the front and back of the house, which was very advantageous.
In 1995, Chef Paul Tinsley had the opportunity to open a new restaurant at Kiawah Island called the Sweet Grass Cafe, and he asked me to work for him there. It was being built from the ground up. I was learning from the consulting chef's operations, such as purchasing equipment and menu creation. I stayed there for the season and then I had to find work in the offseason. I was on unemployment as I wanted to return to Kiawah the following season, but I was offered a job as a line cook at a restaurant at Folly Beach called Cafe Suzanne, which was owned by Lee and Susan Chewning.
It was a casual place and a lot of fun; however, I wasn't learning much and had much desire to advance. The chef ended up leaving and that is when I got a big break, Lee and Susan offered me the Executive Chef position!
GK: That was fast. Tell us about that.
I didn't know what I was doing, but I took the job regardless. I figured the first thing I would do is organize the kitchen and make sure it was nice and clean. I started buying cookbooks and searching for recipes and inspiration. I had a good run at the cafe. I stayed for almost three years and left with a fair amount of knowledge.
A friend of mine, Boyd Rose, was working at the Penninsula Grill, which was one of the founding father restaurants in downtown Charleston and one of the best. Boyd and I used to hang out often and talk about anything and everything to do with cooking and kitchens. One day he called me as said, "A position has opened at Penninsula Grill, I am leaving." He offered to introduce me to the Bob Carter, the Executive Chef. I got the job, and it was big-time for me, it was fancy and expensive.
I started out making salads and I began to learn about chefs, chef de cuisine, and sous chefs positions. I worked with Sean Brock, who is a very successful Chef today. We were good friends, and he's a couple of years younger than me, and he started at Penninsula after me, and I trained him at the salad station. Jacques Larson and Tyler Brown also worked that line, we were all in our mid-twenties, and we challenged each other a lot.
Many celebrities and famous football players would dine there - George Clooney, Robert Redford, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Buffet, Dan Marino, John Elway, and Chief Justice Clarence Thomas. It was the hot spot to be, and it was always exciting.
My now-wife Jennifer was attending Johnson and Wales and working at Penninsula in the pastry section. We got along really well and began dating. It was about five years since I had made the decision not to go to culinary school. I had learned a lot, but I started thinking that I needed to have that piece of paper to validate my career and keep moving up the culinary ladder. I started looking at different schools like the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Johnson and Wales, and then Le Cordon Bleu in Paris caught my attention. It was a year-long course, very reasonably priced and the best thing it was in Paris. I applied and was accepted. My parents scraped together the money, and I moved to Paris with my wife and my Labrador retriever Jed. We didn't know what we were expecting, the apartment was tiny, just 10 square meters.
GK: Tell us about Le Cordon Bleu?
The classes at Le Cordon Bleu were a very different experience from what they have here in America. There were no textbooks or computers, it was all chef demonstrations that were a couple of hours long, they would show us various techniques, and then we would have to attend small kitchen classes with maybe 10-15 students.
We all had a stove and oven workstation, and we would make the dishes that were assigned, and the chef would critique them at the end. It was hands-on learning, they were older teachers, but they were terrific, the techniques that they demonstrated I had never seen before.
GK: Did you enjoy Paris?
We were relatively poor during that time, but Jennifer and I would go on marathon walks and try to get lost in Paris, we explored every inch of the city on foot and the metro.
Halfway through my course, Jennifer was getting homesick, she wasn't working, and we decided for her to live with her grandmother in California. I would stay in Paris with the dog to finish the year. After I graduated, I moved to California to be with my wife.
When I returned, we decided that we wanted to live in San Francisco. Everything we owned was in South Carolina, so we flew back, booked a truck, and drove it to San Francisco. Once we were settled, I hit the bricks looking for a new position. I went to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Gary Danko's, and a few others. I walked past Aqua Restaurant, and I had heard all about it, so I stopped in to drop off my resume. The receptionist told me that they were not hiring, and I begged her if she could give my resume to one of the chefs. Before I even got home, I had a message asking me to return for an interview as soon as possible.
I was super excited to be starting the next phase of my career at Aqua, one of the most excellent restaurants in San Francisco! They asked me what my goals were, and I said, "I didn't drive a truck 3000 miles to make salads all day. I want to learn." They put me with sous chef Ben Jenkins that was on loan from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He was one of the most talented sous chefs I had worked with. I will never forget when I had to make a scallop dish, he grabbed the pan out of my hand and said, "Where the heck did you learn how to cook? Don't touch anything, just watch, OK?" I was instantly humbled.
The Chef / Partner at the time was Michael Mina, who had several restaurants, and the chef and sous chefs would tell me in advance if he was going to be in the kitchen. They warned me not to screw up when he was there. I was terrified as my station was right near where Michael Mina stood, it was so humbling, but I didn't quit and kept moving up the ladder, each day thinking I was going to be toast, but I figured it out and did very well, and within a year I became the sous chef, I was 29.
The restaurant group that owned Aqua had a falling out and parted ways. Some staff followed Michael Mina, and some stayed. I stayed, and a well known French chef Laurent Manrique took over. I was doing very well at Aqua, and during that time, we were awarded two Michelin Stars. The owners wanted to take over a steakhouse that was not far away, the chef who was well known was leaving, and I got offered the job. They called the restaurant C & L Steakhouse. This was a massive deal for my career, Michelin even mentioned C & L in the guide, although we didn't have the stars there.
After a few years I returned to Aqua, I was burnt out and longed for the East Coast. I asked my wife what she thought. She was all for it, and we moved back to Charleston, and I took a job with Mike Lata, who was a James Beard Award Winner.
During that time, I had a sidekick job as a restaurant consultant in the Bahamas. That fizzled out, but it was fun flying to the Bahamas in a private jet with designers and engineers! I stayed with Lata for about a year and then began working for the Lowery Group in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with Chef Eric Sayers at the restaurant CQ's.
Eric and I got along great, and we did all kinds of experimentation. It was when sous-vide was becoming popular. We didn't have a circulator. We didn't have a fancy cryovac machine or a vacuum sealer, so we made our version out of cheap goods from Target! I called it the hillbilly circulator on the stovetop. We challenged ourselves, and it was a great experience all around. I was working seasonally at CQ's and would switch to one of the other restaurants in the group in the offseason. I was settling down and needed security, and this is what brought my attention to private clubs.
I had always believed that club chefs were making powdered mash potatoes, but was soon to learn differently. I interviewed at Colleton River Club in Bluffton. It was hard to leave the Lowery Group, but we wanted to start a family, and the clubs had many of the health insurance and perks that restaurants didn't have.
I was the interim chef, and I had the opportunity to hire my boss, Chef Robert Wysong. We had the best time in the kitchen there; we got along very well. I desired to become the Executive Chef at a Club, and I knew Robert wasn't leaving anytime soon, so I hired a chef agency to find me an Executive Chef position. They contacted me and said, "This isn't an executive chef role, but it's an executive sous chef job. The club is Addison Reserve Country Club down in Florida, and it's the best there is. This is better than having an executive chef job right out of the box. I asked the General Manager at Colleton, and he said, "Addison is one of the best clubs there is, I know the GM Michael McCarthy very well."
I told the chef agency that I was interested in the position. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but after doing some research on Google about Zach Bell, the executive chef and Michael McCarthy, and the club, I got fired up.
Angela Rodriguez is the head of human resources at Addison Reserve and she called me up, and she said, "I have to tell you that I got your resume from Charlie at the agency, and then five minutes later, my boss, the CEO of the club comes in with your resume in his hand. So I had to call you right away." One thing led to another, and I did several phone interviews and Skype interviews with Zach. I came down for a weekend and toured the property and cooked for everybody and got hired!
Zach and I discovered that our backgrounds were pretty similar. We were the same age and kind of came up through the ranks the same way. He worked for Daniel Boulud and, I was in San Francisco working for Michael Mina and Laurent Manrique.
I moved the family down here in September of 2014, and it was right before the season started. I had towards the end of September to get settled, and then it started to get busy into October, I had just a few weeks to get acclimated. Before you know it, it hits hard! We got a lot of interns from overseas to work for the season. There were over 20 cooks that dropped in one day, and I had to figure out what their skill levels are and what positions they can fill.
The first season for me was a blur. There was so much going on, the volume, with the banquets, the regular dining, everything, it went by quickly. Zach was great to build and grow with. He is one of the most, if not the most incredibly talented chefs I've ever worked with and has a wealth of knowledge. Whatever project he works on, he excels. If he is buying a refrigerator, he becomes an expert in that fridge. He learns how to pull it apart and put it back together. He is that detailed.
He pushes himself, and he's incredibly driven. He pushed the rest of our sous chefs and me; he sets the bar high for everybody. He questioned and challenged us to create and come up with new and crazy ideas. Although he was tough on us, it was for our progress. I respect Zach immensely.
When Zach left Addison in 2019, I got promoted to Executive Chef; I was nervous. Zach's gone, and nothing's ever going to be the same and it's been quite the opposite. I'm very grateful and very vocal about about his achievements but we were excited for the change, eager for something different at the same time. The members asked, "You're still going to do The Vault, right?" Of course, we wouldn't be changing the Vault anytime soon, but I wanted to put my mark on things and my ideas about menus, food, and cooking.
When Zach left, it was not widely known that he was resigning, they sent a newsletter out to the members announcing Zach has left, but Peter is here, and Peter Zoole will be the new Executive Chef, and everything is going to be great!
GK: What plans do you want to execute on the culinary side that's coming from your heart and soul and your palette?
I typed this long email to all my chefs. It started with accolades to Zach, and I explained that we all agree he was our hurricane force and how great he made us through all of his hard work. I wanted to reach out to the team and explain what his original mission was, as you tend to forget over the years. I wanted to reset that.
The next phase of the operation for me was to slowly start to roll out some new menu ideas that were my own. I would run them as specials to start and see what feedback I would receive. At the time, we were also developing menus for our brand new restaurant that was still under construction. Using the membership for a sounding board was how we were going to see the future, mainly working on the menus, and the expectations were extremely high for the new restaurant.
GK: How have you grown as a Chef since your became the Executive Chef?
In my first season as Executive Chef at Addison Reserve, we had a close brush with Hurricane Dorian, and we opened a brand new restaurant where the expectations were very high. The project was super delayed due to construction issues, opening the week before Thanksgiving was the height of our high season! The restaurant has been wildly successful, exceeding my wildest dreams!
We bulled through the rest of our 2019 Season and into 2020. Throughout the season, I kept telling myself that I couldn't wait until this time next year-there were so many things that I learned on the go. I saw an opportunity for improvements the whole way and I made copious notes, and planned a major overhaul of events, all of which could be structured over the Summer.
GK: And then Covid-19 hit. What now?
In the beginning of March, we started seeing the first effects of COVID-19. In just a few short weeks we were forced to dramatically overhaul the entire way that we do business here at the club. No department has been unaffected. We quickly shifted our operations to a touchless food delivery within our gates. In addition to a la carte delivery, we offer so much more: from groceries to Trivia night, and live music events via Zoom.
As we slowly open our dining rooms to our members, we have learned that our delivery service is here for good. We have been tirelessly working on all new programming that includes exciting and fun events that our members can enjoy while staying safe and practicing proper social distancing. Not only that, but we have also rewritten the book on keeping our staff safe and healthy.
Our upcoming season here will be different than anything we have done before. I am fortunate to be surrounded by positive and intelligent leadership that contribute daily to our progress in this new landscape that we all find ourselves.
The lifestyle complex pool at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA


At this years Ventura Lambrate in Milan (April 12th-17th) you'll find 26 Norwegian designers and crafts artists represented at the exhibition Structure—Norwegian contemporary crafts and design. Falke Svatun is one of them.
His contribution to the Structure exhibition is Tumble, a stoneware vessel designed to challenge the conventional perception of a vase in shape, function and appearance. The cutout at the base allows it to sit on the edge of a shelf or sill, while still permitting the vase to balance on flat surfaces.
Since Falke's studies in industrial design at the University of Technology in Sydney, his main focus has been on furniture, lighting and accessories with a minimalistic approach, often with historical references. His work has earlier been exhibited in Oslo, Stockholm, Milan, Paris and Copenhagen.


text:
Petyke (, 1900-ig Novo Selo) falu Horvátországban Vukovár-Szerém megyében. Közigazgatásilag Csótnémetihez tartozik.

Fekvése
Vukovártól légvonalban 23, közúton 29 km-re délre, községközpontjától 3 km-re nyugatra, a Nyugat-Szerémségben fekszik.

Története

A település már a középkorban is létezett. Neve "Pethke" alakban nemesi név részeként 1435-ben a pécsváradi konventnek Pálóci György esztergomi érsek részére küldött jelentésében bukkan fel először. Ezután ugyancsak nemesi nevekben találjuk "Pethke", illetve "Peghke" változatokban többször is a 15. század folyamán. Utoljára 1507-ben Perényi Imre nádor oklevelében találjuk. Környéke is sűrűn lakott volt a középkorban, de ezek a települések részben a török uralom idején, részben a felszabadító harcok során elnéptelenedtek. A török 1526-ban, Valkóvár eleste után szállta meg és 1691-ig volt török uralom alatt.

A mai település a 18. század elején keletkezett Boszniából érkezett katolikus sokácok betelepülésével. Kamarai birtok volt, majd a vukovári uradalom része lett. A katonai határőrvidék megszervezésekor Mária Terézia rendelete alapján 1745-ben elhatárolták a katonai közigazgatás alá vont területeket. A falu a Bródi határőrezred katonai igazgatása alá került. Lakói a katonai igazgatás teljes megszüntetéséig határőrök voltak, akik 16 és 60 életévük között kötelezve voltak a császári hadseregben a katonai szolgálatra. Részt vettek a Habsburg Birodalom szinte valamennyi háborújában. A katonai közigazgatást 1873-ban megszüntették, majd terültét 1881-ben Szerém vármegyéhez csatolták.

Az első katonai felmérés térképén "Novo Szello" néven található. Lipszky János 1808-ban Budán kiadott repertóriumában "Novoszello" néven szerepel. Nagy Lajos 1829-ben kiadott művében "Novoszello" néven 80 házzal, 407 katolikus vallású lakossal találjuk.

A településnek 1857-ben 424, 1910-ben 848 lakosa volt. Szerém vármegye Vinkovcei járásához tartozott. Az 1910-es népszámlálás adatai szerint lakosságának 97,4%-a horvát, 2%-a szerb anyanyelvű volt. A település az első világháború után az új szerb-horvát-szlovén állam, majd később (1929-ben) Jugoszlávia része lett. 1941 és 1945 a Független Horvát Államhoz tartozott, majd a szocialista Jugoszlávia fennhatósága alá került. 1991-től a független Horvátország része. 1991-ben lakosságának 99,7%-a horvát nemzetiségű volt. A horvát függetlenségi háború idején a falut megszálló szerbek mindent leromboltak. A lakosság legnagyobb része elmenekült. A lakosság csak 1997-ben térhetett vissza a száműzetésből és kezdhetett hozzá a teljes újjáépítéshez. A falunak 2011-ben 498 lakosa volt.

Népessége

Gazdaság
A helyi gazdaság alapja hagyományosan a mezőgazdaság és az állattartás. Fő termények a gabonafélék, a napraforgó, a cukorrépa és a takarmánynövények.

Kultúra
A KUD "Spačva" kulturális és művészeti egyesületet 1989-ben alapították a helyi hagyományok megőrzésére. Tevékenységüket különösen a lassan feledésbe merülő régi népdalok összegyűjtésének szentelték.

Oktatás
A településen a csótnémeti általános iskola négyosztályos, alsó tagozatos területi iskolája működik. Az épület nem nagy, két osztályterem, konyha, kazánház és mellékhelyiségek találhatók benne. Körülötte nagy udvar található. A horvátországi háború utáni időben még 40 gyermek tanult itt, azóta a tanulói létszám folyamatosan csökkent.

Sport
Az NK Polet Donje Novo Selo labdarúgóklubot 1947-ben alapították. A csapat a megyei 3. ligában szerepel.

ŠRD "Ikra" Donje Novo Selo sporthorgászklub

Egyesületek
LD "Gradina" Donje Novo Selo vadásztársaság

Jegyzetek

Források
A község hivatalos oldala
A község turisztikai irodájának honlapja
Az általános iskola honlapja

További információk
A megye turisztikai irodájának honlapja

Vukovár-Szerém megye települései

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: VSTO for Outlook 2010 returning nothing instead of contact? I'm trying to create a right-click menu on the Outlook 2010 contacts view which returns all phone numbers for a contact
I have put in the following XML:
<contextMenu idMso="ContextMenuContactItem">
  <button id="MyContextMenuContactItem"
      imageMso="AutoDial"
      label="Click to dial"
      onAction="OnMyButtonClick"/>
</contextMenu>

And this correctly displays the right click item on the contacts list when I right click. I have so far added the following code to the onAction:
Public Sub OnMyButtonClick(ByVal control As Office.IRibbonControl)
    Dim card As Office.IMsoContactCard = TryCast(control.Context, Office.IMsoContactCard)
    If card Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox("Nothing")
    Else
        MsgBox("We have a card")
    End If
End Sub

The problem is here - and I always get nothing. I need to get 'Business Phone' for example ideally.

A: Here's some C# code that accesses the ContactItem object you've selected in the Contacts Folder.  I realize yours is VB, but since they'll both have access to the same object model, it should be just a matter of changing the syntax.
public void OnMyButtonClick(Office.IRibbonControl control)
{
    if (control.Context is Outlook.Selection)
    {
        Outlook.Selection selected = control.Context as Outlook.Selection;

        var x = selected.GetEnumerator();
        x.MoveNext();
        if (x.Current is Outlook.ContactItem)
        {
            Outlook.ContactItem card = x.Current as Outlook.ContactItem;
            Debug.Print(card.FirstName + "'s phone number: " + card.BusinessTelephoneNumber);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In its October theme issue Uncanny Media: the dark side of media, BLIK extensively covered the recently held Uncanny Media conference. During the conference national and international speakers from varying disciplines gave lectures on the darker side of medial interaction.
Isabella van Elferen was the conference initiator. Van Elferen is a University of Utrecht assistant professor and researcher of Music and New Media, and has published several books and academic articles on Gothic Theory, among which Nostalgia or Perversion? Gothic Rewriting from the Eighteenth Century until the Present Day (2007).
Imar de Vries aims to elucidate how our daily use and perception of mobile telephone technology can embody conflicting desires about mediation resulting in uncanny mediation experiences. Imar de Vries is an Assistant Professor within the New Media and Digital Culture programme at Utrecht University. His work focuses on the technological imaginary and the archaeology of new media.
Focusing on the representation of the living after death, Ilona van de Bildt discusses the ghostly online afterlife which emerges from the traces we leave behind on social networking sites. Ilona van de Bildt is at present finishing the Research Master Media Studies at Utrecht University, specializing in popular music and new media.
Alexander Schwinghammer explores how blurry images of still documentary photography can arouse the viewer's curiosity and suspicion, thereby exerting their own mechanisms for investigating questions of reality and authenticity. Alexander Schwinghammer is at present a joint PhD candidate at the Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College London and the Institute for Cultural Anthropology, Goethe University Frankfurt. He also teaches in art and media theory at the School for New Media, Karlsruhe.
Guy Edmonds explores the mediatic afterlife whilst focusing on early film and home movies, describing both as a cinema of remembrance, allowing the film apparatus to function as a resurrection machine and turning the film archivist into a necromancer. Guy Edmonds is a film restorer at the Nederlands Filmmuseum (Dutch film museum) and co-organiser of Home Movie Day 2008, held on Saturday October the 18th.
Renee T. Coulombe directs our attention to the (un)dead in her investigation on the ways in which we frantically try to capture tormented voices from the past; an affection best illustrated by the recent surge in television shows on paranormal research. Renee T. Coulombe is Assistant Professor in Music Theory and Composition at the University of California, Riverside. She teaches courses in composition, twentieth century music history, the history of theory, critical theory and free improvisation.
A group of scholars and I stand huddled together at the Dom Square, surrounded by most eccentric-looking people wearing accessories ranging from oxygen masks and goggles to electric wires. A column about a Gothic walk.


Member registration includes: All conference sessions, Day 1, 2 and 3 lunches, Exhibitor Reception and the Old West Cowboy Chuckwagon Dinner Event.
PLEASE NOTE: Fire Marshals Forums are for NASFM Principal Members only.
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THESE LARGE BRUSHES COME IN 6 DIFFERENT COLORS: RED, GREEN, WHITE, YELLOW, BLACK & BLUE. EACH ONE HAS A RUBBER HANDLE THAT CONFORMS TO A CHILD'S FINGERS FOR EASY HOLDING. THEY CAN PAINT AS EASILY AS HOLDING A PENCIL IN THEIR HANDS. THEY ARE SO FLEXIBLE TOO AND NOT AS RIGID AS MOST BRUSHES CAN BE. IMAGINE ALL THE PICTURES YOUR CHILD CAN PAINT AND PROUDLY DISPLAY ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR CORKBOARD! PERFECT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, THESE BRUSHES WILL ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO BECOME MORE COMPETENT IN THEIR MOTOR SKILLS AND BOOST THEIR CONFIDENCE AS YOU PRAISE THE ARTWORK THEY WILL CREATE.


text:
Newly refined test from the Whittemore Peterson Institute
Thread starter Abraxas
Not sure if this has been posted anywhere here yet, but the Whittemore Peterson Institute have issued a press release today regarding availability of an updated XMRV test.
From their Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/notes/whitt...om-whittemore-peterson-institute/249958073025
Press Release from Whittemore Peterson Institute Today at 10:15am
Frankie Vigil
R&R Partners for
Whittemore Peterson Institute 775-336-4555
frankie.vigil@rrpartners.com
Whittemore Peterson Institute Announces Availability of Updated XMRV Testing Reno, Nev. -
In October 2009, together with the Cleveland Clinic and National Cancer Institute, the Whittemore Peterson Institute published findings in Science regarding the discovery ofXMRV in the blood of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients.
The testing method, validated in multiple other labs using positive control samples, uses a unique process that was extensively peer reviewed before publication and provides the most accurate results available.
This virus culture test is the same method used in the Science publication, and the only scientifically validated methodology to find XMRV. Some labs, including the recent study published in the U.K., have used non-validated PCR and whole blood PCR assays. At this time no single PCR or whole blood assay alone has been validated as accurately detecting XMRV, and is therefore not an appropriate way to study or diagnose the presence of the virus.
WPI has licensed the latest version of the test to Viral Immune Pathways Diagnostic Laboratories (VIP Dx) in Reno, Nev. The non-exclusive license allows patients and their doctors access to a reliable diagnostic tool. The newly refined test uses a virus culture methodology that yields more reliable results in one test at a lower cost to patients.
Our mission at WPI is to discover bio markers of disease and translate those discoveries into accurate diagnostics and effective treatments for patients, said WPI Founder and President Annette Whittemore. We continue to talk to other clinical laboratory companies, both nationally and internationally, in order to make the test available to a wider audience.
WPI Research Scientist and co-author of the Science paper, Dr. Vincent Lombardi, is providing technical assistance and oversight of the VIP Dx testing. In exchange for the non-exclusive license, VIP Dx will pay a royalty to WPI for each test it conducts.
We structured the licensing contract to be sure that any and all profits that might emerge at VIPDx from XMRV testing come directly back to WPI to benefit the research program said Whittemore. Dr. Lombardi is an employee of WPI, and has no personal financial interest in VIP Dx. Likewise, the Whittemore family put their interest in VIP Dx into a trust to benefit WPI.
The availability of these tests has a dramatic impact to the CFS/ME community. These tests allow licensed laboratories to begin answering important questions about XMRVs incidence in disease and prevalence in the world. WPI hopes that this will generate further research related to XMRV. "The institutes driving goal continues to be the translation of research to meaningful results for patients, explained Whittemore.
It is still unknown exactly how XMRV impacts humans. Scientists who understand the potential ramifications of human infection with retroviruses take the study of XMRV seriously. WPI researchers along with many other scientists around the world are actively engaged in advancing research in this field.
The Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease exists to bring discovery, knowledge, and effective treatments to patients with illnesses that are caused by acquired dysregulation of the immune system and the nervous system, often resulting in lifelong disease and disability.
The WPI is the first institute in the world dedicated to X associated neuro-immune disease (XAND), and other X associated diseases, integrating patient treatment, basic and clinical research and medical education.
This also explains why the VIP Dx site is being updated
anne_likes_red
Abraxas said:
Has VIPdx held onto blood samples so previously tested people can get an "upgraded" result?
Or do they need to provide samples again?
Good point, but I have no idea sorry. Perhaps someone else might know more?
I would imagine not.
Still, it gives some hope for those who tested negative I guess.
Hysterical Woman
Thanks for posting, Abraxas!
Thanks for posting that.
Here are some observations. Note that I am not pro or con WPI, and am trying to be an objective observer of the science (not the politics) of XMRV.
1. This means that WPI has packaged their culture test which includes an MuLV antibody test. They continue to call this an XMRV test which is not completely accurate. Culturing will grow whatever is there, and MuLV is known to cross-react with HERVs which are known to be activated in PWC. Still, a positive finding on this test does illustrate that a person has some history of an MuLV type antigen in their blood, which certainly IS a real finding, assuming it is not a testing artifact (false positive).
2. The statement that no outside PCR test has been validated is unfounded, as WPI is not any kind of standards agency. Also, validation and replication are two separate issues. Replication has been accomplished for the WPI test based on the Cleveland Clinic and NCI confirmation studies. That means that other labs running the WPI PCR test precisely as WPI did (which is probably an NCI test originally, used in prostate cancer studies) will get the same result. Unfortunately this is not validation for the XMRV hypothesis. To validate a finding like this the DNA for XMRV must be found several different ways. That would prove that the positive WPI finding is not a false positive, some type of testing artifact. Culture and antibody studies are supportive, but not confirmation as positives can result from cross-reactions.
This statement may be an attempt to distance WPI from negative PCR findings in validation/confirmation studies that have and are soon to be reported. I can understand that, but they are not mentioning that the standard process for proving something like XMRV is pathogenic in CFS usually includes finding the virus different ways, and that has NOT happened yet. They are acting like their test is a gold standard, and that is highly premature, even if they are correct.
Also, WPI is insinuating here that outside PCR tests are not capable of getting positive hits on XMRV. That may be true for some cases, but is unlikely for all replication/validation study efforts. If a PCR test can get a hit on a known positive at a comparable dilution to the WPI test, then it is capable of getting positive XMRV findings. And I am sure most if not all the outside replication/validation researchers realize that and will not run their tests on large samples until they know they can get hits on known positive samples (such as prostate cancer XMRV positives). OF COURSE outside labs will calibrate their tests this way, I am sure that is what WPI did themselves. So that statement is basically saying that WPI does not believe anyone but them can calibrate PCR correctly, which is unlikely.
3. WPI has finally revealed a conflict of interest in the commercial testing of VIP Dx. I can only assume that someone outside has finally reported the fact that the Whittimores own a majority interest or major share of VIP Dx, that would be a matter of public record. This was a nice piece of spin-doctoring, the way they said this I almost want them to own VIP Dx so that the profits go back to CFS research. Well done, but a little late, that should have been revealed as soon as tests were sold by VIP Dx. I do trust WPI's motives, am not bashing them, but just do not like that they withheld this piece of information, that was a poor business practice in this type of science where people's illness is being used for financial profits, even if those profits do go to benefit CFS at the present time.
4. As with the prior XMRV tests, there is no real guidance for patient or physician. What does one do with the results of this test? Since WPI is selling so many XMRV tests, what do they expect people to learn, how will this help my ME/CFS? I think that small problem is being ignored in all the excitement. Again, if WPI wants to be a CFS advocacy company, then please advise us of the reason we need to be tested for XMRV at this time.
5. I realize I have just raised some questions and issues, and given that so many on this forum are optimistic about XMRV, here is one positive. I think this is the best move WPI has made yet related to XMRV, offering to license what they believe is the most affordable and useful test. I do hope some outside labs license the WPI culture-antibody test, might be interesting to see what happens if a lab that is getting negative PCR results has that to look at and think about. There is still so much to learn.
6. Finally, WPI continues to position themselves as the group bringing us validation. They say this test will have a dramatic impact on CFS, and have stated this before. This is probably what they hope. Personally, I don't need to be validated by WPI in any way, my CFS is very real and many different tests can prove that I am sick. I think we need to be careful, collectively speaking, when any group says we need validation. That ignores the mountain of research that has already validated CFS as a very real biological problem. Certainly Dr Peterson knows that well, in fact in 2008 he said that HHV6 findings validated CFS. We are validated already, without XMRV. We do have massive political problems with governments and uninformed medical professionals, but there is already adequate evidence for CFS, political battles need to be fought, but political-medical validation is a separate issue from the detailed scientific search for answers about CFS.
My request to WPI, please focus on finding some answers, others can fight the political battles. Also, please do not promote the idea that your test somehow will solve our medical-political validation problems. People should get tested when the test can be helpful in diagnosis and treatment, and not because they are seeking validation for their illness, at least at this early stage of the scientific process. I believe that equating XMRV with validation of CFS will cause a lot of distress in the vulnerable CFS community over the coming years as researchers debate the issues surrounding XMRV in CFS.
Countrygirl
Many thanks for your detailed response and explanation, Kurt.
Well thought out Kurt
A very well thought out and laid out post on this recent information Kurt.
I am hoping that the new test and licensing choices are being made because the WPI is in the know on other studies and, that they are confident of enough validation as well as replications studies to move up to this level of commercialism. :sofa:
Kurt,
Regarding the conflict of interest, when I heard it mentioned in connection with the UK study I felt like it was something I was already aware of, and I am not privy to any inside info. The Whittemores' connection to VIPdx was disclosed in the WPI press release announcing the availability of original test. The nature of their interest may have been unclear because they referred to "supporting" the lab, rather than investing in it, but as a former corporate lawyer, it was clear to me what they meant. All that to say I don't think they are revealing something, just clarifying it. Still, placing their interest in trust for WPI and clarifying Lombardi's role will remove an obstacle to a discussion of the science.
My sense is that the Whittemores invested in VIPdx for the same reasons they founded the WPI, and never expected their motives to be questioned. Unfortunately, the politics of the situation make everyone's motives suspect.
The press release is here: http://www.wpinstitute.org/news/docs/WPI Release Diagnostic Test.pdf
MEKoan
Well said, Lesley, I could not agree more.
ladybugmandy said:
i know they kept my blood..i contacted them.
Hi. Did you by chance send 3 blood tubes for the XMRV test do you know, or maybe more?
From memory there were 4 in the kit, but I got told to send only 3.
Yet this week I hear of someone saying they sent 6.
bullybeef
North West, England, UK
The problem we have here in the UK is our 'free' health service. Lauded around the world, but in terms of new research, validation, or rather prevalence, is the only way the UK scientific community will take serious notice of XMRV. The people in the UK who have paid for their tests, something we are not predisposed to here the UK, is quite brave. The irony, nobody wants to be told they have a retrovirus, but such is the lack of perception and awareness here in the UK, these people are pioneers, opening doors that may have remained shut, at least for the time being. Only last week a national newspaper ran a poll asking the British public if ME wasn't a real illness. And 20% said it wasn't! Has that ever happened in the US? I doubt it.
Prof Weesleys' paid to print research says everything that is murky about ME/CFS here in the UK and the lengths some with go to refute XMRV. WPI initial US figures need to stand up internationally, or be as close as possible. People in the US pay for their treatment and can demand specific tests to validate their condition. In the UK, the NHS aren't very forthcoming in helping us investigate our bodies and even if we do pay for private tests, not all are available and many cannot afford it. My wife pays over 100 ($163) per month towards her national insurance (NHS costs) and we pay them whether we see a doctor 100 times a year or never! These costs are compulsory.
So we have to rely on XMRV being validated, globally, otherwise we could be left behind.
Esther12
Kurt said:
Thanks Kurt.
re point 2, is describing their test as the only one which as been scientifically validated really just spin then? It stood out to me as a strange thing to say at this point - how does a test get 'scietifically validated? I'm worried that other scientists might be getting antsy about some of the loose use of language that seems to be coming from the WPI. Would most scientists accept these sorts of claims as a normal part of promoting your own data, or might it seem odd?
Does anyone have any contacts with the WPI who might know why they're choosing to take this approach to PR? I find it all a bit unsettling.
bullybeef said:
But, you also have to rely on their test being scientifcally validated before the NHS will offer it.
Thanks for clarifying replication and validation further Kurt.
Kurt, it was announced before that all profits of the XMRV testing would be transferred back to WPI research- I don't think it was a secret kept from anybody. So the message they sent out was a clarification.
It was also "commercialized" because lots pf peiople from the public, including me, wants their disease legitimized and validated. Lots of people think that it was worth the 650$ even with the knowledge that false negatives are possible.
Alice Band
PWME - ME by Ramsay
How is this new test different from the old Culture test?
Kurt - do you mean "repackage" the existing culture test?
DysautonomiaXMRV said:
Hi there, I phoned last week adn they needed 15-20 ml of the green top tube and 1 small lavender tube. This may have changed since they don't do PCR anymore- I have just sent my samples today and likely sent too much blood but better too much than not enough.
reply to Kurt re observations
Thanks for posting that.Thank to be virus specifics for your posting>there are a number of things that i take issue with
A culture will not neccesserily grow what is the media have to be specifically constructed to be virus specific-if the amplification protocols are inadequate you wont be able to detect low tires especially in whole blood samples.The work of the WPI can only be validated using exactly the same protocol that,s why scientific papers are constructed in the way they are.\Any attempt at validation using different assay protocols and patient selection criterea are scientifically unvalid if one sticks rigidly to the scientific method.
I dont know how the WPI can be accused of of politics .Anwering the specific criticisms of Wesselly et al was neccessary to AVOID political dominace by psychiatrists with their own(but undeclared vested interests and using hand picked patients ffrom the clinic of one man-again scientifically inappropiate because this should have been declared.
If you want to complain about doctors engaging in politics I suggest that you direct your fire towards this side of the pond.In the real world money power and politics always win with science coming a poor last.Disengaging from the politics would be suicide and play right into the hands of those with vested interests in branding the illness as psychological.
Finally you can only detect what you are looking for ,other tests look for retroviradae not swpecifically for the unique dna sequence of XMRV.REtroviruses in my day were often called stealth viruses and are very difficult to detect if they replicate slowly. Adapting currently available tests is at best crude.As things stand The WPI test detects XMRV if present(for whatever reason.Thus far other tests have not shown any ablity to do so they therefore need to be validated against samples containing known positives.The WPI test has also been validated by replication and thus also established its reliability.Cross reactions are a possibility but rendered less likely by multiple sampling points, patients meeting the canadian criterea for me/cfs and having two seperate genomically inserted or actively replicating retroviruses would be truly unfortunate.The test would of course be less specific in non cfs patients.
The quality and design of previous biomedical research in this area is poor mainly because of study design and low numbers so the results have been inadequately powered and hence not generalisable.Statistical treatment has been almost absent so the results have easily been refuted.Correlation can equal causation if the f value approaches 1 for example.Serious clinicians look for the confidence intervals of data p values and so forth.Most if not all studies into the biomedical area are examples of pilot enquiry which have never been followed up by properly designed trials.The Trials which have refuted the initial work wern,t carried out properly either and were equally meaningless
My request to WPI, please focus on finding some answers, others can fight the political battles. Also, please do not promote the idea that your test somehow will solve our medical-political validation problems. People should get tested when the test can be helpful in diagnosis and treatment, and not because they are seeking validation for their illness, at least at this early stage of the scientific process. I believe that equating XMRV with validation of CFS will cause a lot of distress in the vulnerable CFS community over the coming years as researchers debate the issues surrounding XMRV in CFS.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that Lesley, I had not seen that original PR. However, you are making my point in a round-about way. Yes, a corporate lawyer might pick up the nuances of what is really being said. The same is true for much of the science in the studies, a researcher will realize that the XMRV study in the Science article was very early-stage research. Dr Coffin said so directly at CFSAC and he knows retrovirus research. But WPI is selling this to PWC as more than just tentative, setting themselves up as a type of standard. WPI is pretty skilled at PR for ME/CFS, but I personally feel that takes some advantage of PWC who trust the obvious meanings of the words and just send their money for tests, not realizing some of the finer details.
Also, the Whittimore family clearly owned VIP Dx years before WPI was founded, so their statements early in the XMRV announcements were more than a little misleading. They just said they had licensed their test to a local lab.
Esther12 said:
re point 2, is describing their test as the only one which as been scientifically validated really just spin then? It stood out to me as a strange thing to say at this point - how does a test get 'scientifically validated? I'm worried that other scientists might be getting antsy about some of the loose use of language that seems to be coming from the WPI. Would most scientists accept these sorts of claims as a normal part of promoting your own data, or might it seem odd?
Yes, that is just spin. But not all that uncommon in medical research. There are a lot of sharks in these medical markets and the small fish must swim fast.
Scientific validation for this type of finding should include multiple independent labs (not affiliated with WPI) running a variety of tests, all able to demonstrate the presence of XMRV in ME/CFS samples. And that has to be replicated many times, so a consensus opinion can emerge in the field. This usually takes years, particularly if there are conflicting findings. There is often some learning curve involved for the more difficult bugs such as HIV, but for something simple like XMRV this should be relatively simple once people know where the virus is found and how to get to it's RNA.
I think the odds are low that WPI will succeed, given the history of retroviral hunts for other diseases. But who knows, they did find something that reacts to MuLV antibodies, and they did a partial sequence so they found something. But WPI has not seriously addressed HERV contamination or explained how they controlled for that, and it is HERVs that usually kill this type of finding.
Kati said:
Kur, it was announced before that all profits of the XMRV testing would be transferred back to WPI research- I don't think it was a secret kept from anybody. So the message they sent out was a clarification. It was also "commercialized" because lots pf people from the public, including me, wants their disease legitimized and validated. Lots of people think that it was worth the 650$ even with the knowledge that false negatives are possible.
EXACTLY my point, many of these people are paying a lot of money for 'validation' of their illness. That is not what viral testing is designed for, and it is a poor gamble if that is the goal given that XMRV has not been proven to cause any disease or disability condition.
The conflict of interest issue can be very serious in science. Yes, for now profits are promised to flow back to WPI. But there is still a conflict, the problem is that this type of relationship can prejudice the science, put pressure on scientists to produce profitable findings over accurate findings. I am NOT saying that is happening, just that this is the risk, and the reason that conflicts of interest are important. The medical testing market potential for XMRV, if it is as pathogenic as WPI believes, is worth $billions. No matter how charitable someone says they are, when the numbers get high enough people change, organizations change, and conflicts of interest become serious problems. Still, I agree that WPI did the right thing in disclosing this, just am pointing out that it is a little late in the game to be clear about what is happening.
Alice Band said:
That appears to be what happened, they said it was the original Science study ttest. So it is repackaged.
gerwyn morris said:
A culture will not neccesserily grow what is the media have to be specifically constructed to be virus specific-if the amplification protocols are inadequate you wont be able to detect low tires especially in whole blood samples.
Yes, I realized after I wrote that comment someone might point that out, good catch! However, if a contaminant virus is also amplified by the same protocol as the target antigen, then you could have a very high cross-reacting concentration for the eventual WP antibody test. And that is the problem with retroviral hunts, because the HERVs can be very, very similar to the target retrovirus and often cross react.
I suggest anyone interested in this issue read the paper available here: Human RNA "Rumor" Viruses: the Search for Novel Human Retroviruses in Chronic Disease
The work of the WPI can only be validated using exactly the same protocol that,s why scientific papers are constructed in the way they are.\Any attempt at validation using different assay protocols and patient selection criterea are scientifically unvalid if one sticks rigidly to the scientific method.
Did you read my comments on replication vs validation? The WPI study can only be replicated using the same protocol. In my experience as a researcher, validation is a different matter, and requires multiple viewpoints, different types of measures. Otherwise there is no way to know if the original measures are producing false positives (in this case perhaps HERV cross-reactions, contaminant PCR hits or DNA interaction artifacts). WPI clearly understands this idea as they tried to use an MuLV antibody and sequenced two antigens (without explaining the biomarkers they used to select them), as well as an EM study, as evidence for their PCR test. Also, the patient selection criteria is pretty broad given WPI's comments about 98% (hinting 100%) positive for CFS. They appear to be toning that percent down now though. Anyway, by any CFS selection criteria there should be some positives, if WPI finds XMRV in a high percent of samples.
I dont know how the WPI can be accused of of politics. Anwering the specific criticisms of Wesselly et al was neccessary to AVOID political dominace by psychiatrists with their own(but undeclared vested interests and using hand picked patients ffrom the clinic of one man-again scientifically inappropiate because this should have been declared.
I was referring to the politics of promoting the idea that the XMRV test somehow validates ME/CFS. The science has NOTHING to do with the politics of CFS, and merging them is a bad idea in my view. Those in the UK do have an issue with psychiatrists, clearly, but I think playing to that is very risky behavior, because XMRV could become discredited, and then where will that leave you? ME/CFS must stand on its own and there is already plenty of physical evidence. The case has just not been adequately made yet in the halls of power in the UK, or the US (in fact, pretty much every government).
I don't agree, even in PCR testing you can find something different than you are looking for, this happens with retroviral research due to endogenous forms. See the link above, over 500 citations in that article!
Anyway, this point goes two ways. The same scientific challenge that makes replication and validation difficult also creates risk in the original study. That is one of the reasons validation by different test designs, looking in the same places and at the same dilution, are important. WPI was looking for and trying to build a case for XMRV to begin with. So they have focused on supporting that contention, and have not been as objective perhaps as they might have. And if they made an error, it will be a costly one for them as a result.
Also, any researcher skilled enough to conduct a replication or validation study (two different types of studies as I explained above) should know how to run proper calibration testing with known positives.
I agree, statistical power is very weak in most ME/CFS research. But I think this case will be different. WPI has made some very bold claims. So they will be taken to task and made to prove it. Right now their behavior worries me because of some of the issues I have raised.
You raised the issue of people seeing what they want, finding what they are looking for rather than what is there. I am afraid that may be happening with the enthusiasm for XMRV in the ME/CFS world right now. People are so desperate for validation and treatment that they are accepting things uncritically. If I am wrong, then fine, that will be shown in time. But seeing so many people jumping on a bandwagon like this just reminds me too much of the past, so many false hopes with ME/CFS ...
And the big irony is that there was an earlier breakthrough by WPI from their virachip study, and that is being completely ignored right now, but it was a very promising new direction (the May presentation by Mikovitz).
Thanks Gerwyn, you did raise some issues that should be debated, and I hope I have done them justice.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Before the end of the year the City of Vienna, which has always advocated a Simon Wiesenthal Institute in Vienna, made available the necessary financial funds. The Municipal Council agreed to provide a multi-annual subsidy to the association "Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies". The City of Vienna will grant the association 1.3 million euros up to 2011 for establishing the Institute. Vienna is to become a leading research location for all topics concerning anti-Semitism, racism and the Holocaust. As from 2012 onwards, the Institute will be accommodated in Palais Strozzi (8th district of Vienna).


Can we put a style on the buttons? Looks a bit weird with everything else nicely styled and the buttons as plain grey rectangles.
One minor thing - the links being posted to Rebot still have '/blog2' in the path.
There's a bug in editing...If you submit a blog, then edit it, then save it, it doubles up the number of line breaks. It does this each time you edit it, so the gap between paras becomes bigger and bigger.


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15341934 28 Triamino derivatives of triazolotriazine and triazolopyrimidine as adenosine A2a receptor antagonists. Biogen Idec, Inc.
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text:
T3 Sixty
Insight /
Creating a mirror for the industry
Each year, T3 Sixty spends hundreds of hours to create a definitive ranking of the industry's most powerful leaders. Why?
First and foremost, it's about having quality data, which we all need to make the best, most productive decisions.
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The large franchisors and real estate holding companies continue to dominate the list with Realogy leaders occupying four slots in the top 20 and 13 slots overall with Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary HomeServices of America leaders occupying two slots in the top 20 and 13 slots overall. The list has been out for two weeks now, so we know the headlines, and who sits at the top, so we introduce some other insights the list reveals.
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The 10 most powerful women in the 2020 SP200 are:
Helen Hanna Casey, Chairman & CEO, Hanna Holdings
Jill Jacobi Wood, Principal, Windermere Real
Sherry Chris, President and CEO, Realogy Expansion Brands
Pamela Liebman, President and CEO, The Corcoran Group
Pam Alexander, CEO, RE/MAX Integra
Joan Docktor, President, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
Tami Bonnell, President and CEO, EXIT Realty
Katherine Johnson, SVP and General Counsel, NAR
Merrily Hackett, Managing Partner, Sutton WestCoast Realty
Susan Yannaccone, Regional EVP, NRT LLC
The SP200 also shows some leaders of companies with newer business models establishing themselves higher on the list. Some noteworthy ones include:
Glenn Kelman (No. 5), CEO, Redfin
Robert Reffkin and Ori Allon (No. 8) Compass
Eric Wu (No. 13), co-founder and CEO, Opendoor
Glenn Sanford (No. 15), founder and CEO, eXp Realty
Kuba Jewgieniew (No. 18) Realty One Group
Matt Widdows (No. 19) HomeSmart International
Scott Nagel (No. 67), President, Redfin
Dan Duffy (No. 83), CEO, United Real Estate
John Berkowitz (No. 85), co-founder and CEO, OJO Labs
Sean Black (No. 90), co-founder and CEO, Knock
Brian Bair (No. 95), co-founder and CEO, Offerpad
The 2020 list also shows the immense power Zillow Group has achieved in the industry. Of course, its co-founder and CEO Richard Barton took the No. 1 spot – but three other executives join him among the 40 most powerful industry leaders in 2020: Jeremy Wacksman (No. 21), Arik Prawer (No.23) and Errol Samuelson (No.38). These four also occupy the top four spots in the list's technology category; leaders from CoreLogic, Black Knight, MoxiWorks, OJO Labs, FBS and Inside Real Estate round out the industry's 10 most powerful technology executives.
Jump into sp200.com and see what reflections you uncover.
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A week before FIFA holds its election to replace him, disgraced president Sepp Blatter spoke to French network BFMTV about the end of his time in office and what regrets he may or may not have. So you know this is going to be good.
He went on to say that his allies deserted him in the wake of the scandal, leaving him to defend FIFA by himself against both his political enemies and a media cohort that was apparently out to get him.
Blatter also reiterated that the corruption scandal and the criminal investigation would likely never have happened if the 2022 World Cup was awarded to the US and not Qatar. Putting the conspiracy theory flavor text aside, by continuing to insist that the US is only investigating corruption because they weren't successfully bribed into compliance. If that's true, it means that FIFA was, in part, in the business of buying people off. That's some impressive doublespeak.
The extraordinary congress will convene next Friday in Zürich and a new FIFA president will be chosen. Yet if interviews like these are any indication, Blatter won't be going away anytime soon.


In a similar way, the ignorant think that they are getting joy out of the sense-objects. But, this limited joy that they experience does not come from outside of themselves. Ever present within their own hearts is true joy. It is this unchanging inner joy that gets superimposed on an object, making that object appear as if it is the source of joy. In this way, they believe they are deriving joy from the things of the world, but their joy is merely a small reflection of the unlimited joy that is hidden within them. Once they delude themselves into thinking that the joys and pleasures which they have in the outer world are true experiences, and the joy which they might get from the inner world is only an illusion, they lose all interest in practicing detachment. Then they give up pursuing the transcendental joy and continue to pursue only the worldly enjoyments which they believe can be obtained from sense objects.
If an object truly gave joy then everyone would experience that joy to the same extent. If the joy were really inherent in the object itself, then the joy derived from that object should be the same for all people. Yet we know that this is not the case. If a particular object gives joy and pleasure to some people, the same object may be repulsive to other people, giving displeasure to them. For instance, some people may greatly enjoy cucumbers, whereas others may not like them at all. If joy were an integral part of cucumbers then there would be the one experience for all. Cucumbers would not give a feeling of joy to some and a feeling of dislike to others. Why is there this difference in reaction between different people? Why are there things which you may like that are disliked by others? It must mean that the joy you experienced was not directly associated with the object but that this joy came from within. The feeling that you experienced was but a reflection of your own inexhaustible inner source of joy.


How Did You Decide When (or If) to Have Kids?
The time has come in my life when several of my friends have started to become…parents. Even typing that sentence feels odd because it's a reminder to myself that I, too, could very well have a baby at this stage. I'm an adult. I've been married for nearly five years. According to society, that would be the practical next step, right? Yet here I am, intractably ambivalent about motherhood.
It's not that I don't want a baby. Or that I (100 percent) do, at least not right now anyway. It's that I feel stuck in the middle. Some days, I love daydreaming with my husband about what our future-family might be like. And yet other days I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to be the primary caregiver of another human. Especially since I can barely keep the few plants we have alive.
So, in all seriousness, how do you decide whether to have kids? And if you do decide to embark down the path of parenthood, how do you know when you're ready?
As a lifelong worrier and self-proclaimed over-thinker, I oftentimes worry that my hesitations are a sign. So many people, such as my younger sister, know that they want kids. Other women I've spoken to about this very subject described a deep-down urge they felt when wanting to get pregnant. I've never had this urge. No tingling sensation, no baby fever, nada. Why have I never had this urge? Should I be concerned that I've never had these maternal twinges and ticks? Are these necessary prerequisites? Will these desires develop with age?
Like I said, I tend to overthink, a lot. But then again, deciding when (and if) to have kids is a huge life decision, and in my opinion, one that should not be taken lightly. I don't want to procreate just so I won't eventually regret not procreating. Yet, I also don't want to rush into parenting if I'm not entirely ready either. Will I ever be? Is anyone ever wholeheartedly ready?
I'll admit, a good chunk of my reluctance, I think, stems from fear. I'm scared of what it will be like to give up my current child-free freedom. I'm scared of how parenting might affect my relationship with my husband. I'm scared of how parenting might affect me, as an individual, and how it will affect my career. These might sound like selfish thoughts, but I'd be lying if I said they didn't swim through my mind.
All this being said, I'd love to now turn it over to you. If you have children, how did you know you were ready? When did you know? Did you ever experience baby fever? And if you don't have kids, are you hoping/planning to one day have them? Or have you made the decision not to have kids? I'd love to get your insight on this very personal topic.
Kathryn, I am in exactly the same situation as you. I too have never felt the "omg I wanna baby" sensation. I know it's because I'm afraid: of things like how much they cost (the healthcare alone!), of the dramatic changes, of the headlines that detail how many people STILL die from childbirth related complications. I'm also fully aware that the old "clock" is ticking. Right now I can just use "we haven't been married long, we haven't even had a proper honeymoon" as a nice excuse, but once that's happened, then what? I don't know, so I'm going to keep an eye on the comments here.
Hi Emma, thank you so much for your honesty and vulnerability. I truly appreciate you taking the time to comment, and couldn't agree with you more. I look forward to keeping my eyes on the comment section, too, as I am so curious to hear about people's different experiences, etc. I believe we can all learn so much from each other's incredible insight. Thank you again for reading. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Hi Lindsay, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I, too, love talking/reading/writing about this topic, as well as hearing about other people's experiences since we can all learn so much from one another! I am so excited for you and your husband, though, and wish you both the best!! Additionally, thank you for the podcast recommendation. I will definitely check that episode out. I hope you have a lovely week!
I'm becoming an aunt for the first time this summer, so part of me is just waiting to see if that helps solidify my feelings one way or the other.
Hi Tabitha, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I'm so glad you found the article relatable. (Happy almost fifth anniversary, by the way, and congratulations on soon becoming an aunt!) While I hate that you're experiencing the same doubts as me, I must admit it's comforting to know that we're not alone in this situation. That said, I wish you the best of luck and please don't hesitate to reach out if you ever want to chat!
I got married at 21 and knew that I wasn't ready to be responsible for another human for at least 18 years. Hubby was ready far sooner than I was. My oldest is 26 now and the five years we waited to start a family is just a distant memory. I loved being a Mom, there sure were tough times too though, but the good outweighed the bad and they all made me into who I am today. I wouldn't trade that for the world.
Thank you so much for your insight, Stef. I greatly appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment. I wish you and your family all the best!
Hello! I am a solo parent of a child I adopted at birth through domestic adoption. She is an absolute dream come true. I went through phases of knowing I'd have a full life without being a parent, however, I've known since I was a child that I specifically wanted to adopt. When it's hard, I have no doubt I made the right decision because if I had let fear stand in my way I would have recognized myself as the "me" I am and want to be.
I often use this silly example – 2 people can like pizza- I may prefer mushrooms and you may prefer olives- and we both "know pizza." There is NO WAY to know parenthood until you do it. You can babysit for a year and it's NOT THE SAME.
For me, this life, this journey, is the one I very purposefully picked. And it's outside the norm. Life a life you want. That's where I find peace.
Hi Kristen, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate it and can't help but find your story incredibly inspiring. Plus, I absolutely love your pizza example, as well as what you stated at the end: "For me, this life, this journey, is the one I very purposefully picked. And it's outside the norm. Life a life you want. That's where I find peace." Thank you for that! I wish you and your family all the best!
I kept overthinking it too, and then one month said screw it let's just try – because I didn't think I'd ever actually feel ready. Then, when I didn't test positive on the first early test and I was super disappointed, I realized that my heart wanted it more than I had known.
Sometimes you don't know what you want until the reality of it is taken away. If you're afraid you can't have kids, perhaps that means you want them more than you realize?
I don't really have great answers for you, just know you're not alone, it's definitely NOT an easy decision even though it's a big one, and your feelings may change over and over as you age and learn more, which is totally OK.
Thank you so much for your kind words and amazing insight. It is incredibly comforting to know I'm not alone with my hesitations. I do believe my feelings will change the older I get and the more I evolve, and you're right, that's totally OK. I wish you and your family all the best, and hope you have a lovely day!
Kathryn, just want to say that your hesitations on having kids (career, relationship with your spouse, freedom) are NOT selfish. These are valid reasons to consider before having kids. I think our society has convinced all women that if they don't want to have children or even have reservations about it, we're ultimately selfish and self-absorbed individuals. This is just not true. You do you, and whether or not you decide to have kids, just make sure you feel content with your decision : ) I may be biased, because I've known from a young age that I never wanted children. Just my 2 cents.
yes yes yes to this!. You AREN'T selfish for not wanting kids (if thats what you decide you feel). Anyone that makes you feel that way is being selfish.
Hi Marie and Kelly, I truly appreciate both of your incredibly thoughtful comments. I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you again for reading; I hope you have a wonderful week!
Hi Kathryn! It's great to hear from someone that is also wholly uncertain of where they fall on this topic. I'm so envious of folks that know for sure whether they do or do not aspire to parenthood.
I'm in my early 30s, and in late 2017 my husband and I were continuously grappling with what we wanted (it's tough to be married to someone as uncertain as yourself hah), and we decided we probably would end up wanting a child someday and because of our ages, we went for it. I became pregnant quickly, and I thought a loving instinct would just kick in. Instead, I felt trapped and became deeply depressed – and after weeks of deliberation, we ended up terminating the pregnancy.
It was an awful, disorienting time. I felt so guilty – for ending something I had conceived intentionally and that so many women wish they could do naturally, as well as for not having a maternal instinct emerge. My husband and I went to couples therapy to sort out what had just happened – and what we had done. I was lucky that his first priority was my health and happiness.
I don't offer this anecdote because I think any of this is the norm, necessarily. I think many women (and men) do have an instinct that kicks in if you happen to conceive. I have known so many women that ended up pregnant without knowing what they wanted and embraced it with strength and grace. But I was in the same boat of never knowing where I stood, and it was a bewildering experience that taught me a lot about approaching life decisions with intention. I feel for your exploration of parenthood, and I wish you all the best in navigating this significant life path.
Hi Tricia, wow I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to comment. I am so sorry to hear about what you and your husband had to go through, but I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for your honesty. I hope you both are doing well and wish you nothing but the best.
When I was waffling on this choice I heard a podcast where the guest said, "There are three buckets: the women who want to be mothers, the women who like kids but are meant to be aunts, and the women who shouldn't get within 10 yards of children. It's imperative to choose the right bucket, otherwise the consequence could be tragic." And it was in that instant I knew exactly what was right for me, and have literally never given it a second thought. Phew! Good luck!
Hi Elizabeth, thank you so much for your awesome insight! Did the podcast you mention happen to be featuring Elizabeth Gilbert? I could have sworn I've heard her mention those three buckets before, and I loved that advice!
I never had the maternal twinges or urges;I shared all of your hesitations and fears. But when my husband and I envisioned our future many years down the road, we could see our current life without kids, but we both imagined grandkids, bustling holidays, etc. At 29 it looked like my window for easily conceiving might be closing, so we started trying and I had my first right at 30. Even at delivery it felt surreal and I couldn't comprehend that I was a parent. I never had an "aha moment", and often felt like I did before a big game-clammy handed, full of nerves and anxiety, kind of excited but a little anxious too.
Honestly it has been such a complete joy, and inspiration that I never could have imagined relishing like I do. You seem self-aware of all the areas that will take extra nourishing if/when you choose to have a baby. I think millennial parents often aren't talking about how positive it can be; and so many people lose sleep, money, and experience stress in their relationships to accomplish other life milestones that may or may not be just as fulfilling. It doesn't have to be as complicated and involved as I think maybe our society makes it seem. You really don't need to buy into the consumerism that preys on nesting urges, you can trust your gut, rely on your community, be open with your partner through the hard times, and come out the other side with the most beautiful love you could imagine. I'm not discounting that some mothers really struggle with hard pregnancies, bonding, parenting, relationship issues and more. But I only had 1 friend in my entire network encourage me to go for it and I'm so glad she did.
I do think the opportunity to go back to work full time helps me balance what I feel is my drive/purpose/social needs, and I then I have the gift of being very intentional about the hours I have with my girl. Some days finding the balance is excruciating- but again, you don't have to be a parent to experience having your heart and mind and emotions pulled many ways. Life will have prepared you in other ways if you do take on motherhood.
Hi Libby, thank you so much for taking the time to provide such thoughtful insight. I greatly appreciate you sharing your story; I cannot tell you how comforting it is to hear that you never experienced any maternal twinges or urges either, and that the idea of being a parent still felt surreal to you once you gave birth. However, I'm so happy to hear that all is well and that you and your husband are expecting your 2nd child—congratulations!! What an exciting time in your life! I wish you and your family all the best!
There's no right or wrong answer. I have two kids, and we're rapidly approaching the empty nest days, which I'm looking forward to. All your concerns are valid and real. If you're in doubt, don't do it. Maybe you'll be ready one day, maybe not. It's no one's business but your own.
Hi Amy, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate your advice. It wasn't too long ago that my parents entered the empty-nest days, and I think they're thoroughly enjoying it 😉 I wish you and your family all the best!
This was a well-written article, not to mention revealing a vulnerability and truthfulness about the subject that didn't diminish the value of anyone's life choices. As a stay-at-home mom, I appreciate it.
As for how I knew I wanted a child, I have actually experienced both sensations. With my first, I *knew* the time was right. I wanted a baby, and partially because of being the oldest of a very large family, felt very confident and competent in caring for a small human. Call it maternal urges or baby fever, I had it bad.
With my second baby, I suddenly had a lot of fear. My first baby was such a joy that I didn't want to introduce a new member to our family because I was afraid of how it would mess up our perfect system. I didn't want another little one to take away from any attention I could give to my child, or if I'm honest, to some of my projects. I also had experienced parenthood sleep deprivation in a new way, and birth really can be a beast.
Ultimately, I decided to have another baby based on a logical decision. I wanted my firstborn to have a friend, and I knew I could provide a stable home for a child to grow and be educated in. Up until about halfway in the pregnancy I was still more scared than excited, but slowly that has changed. I blame hormones in part, but I also think it is in part from realizing life has the potential to get even better with baby number 2. Because really, life always has the potential to be better, and if we can believe that, whether or not to decide to have a child will become a much clearer decision.
That being said, things to consider from a logical perspective about having a child, like health of the parents (especially the mother), both physical and mental is incredibly important. Even people with baby fever should stop and reevaluate their timing if they can't properly care for the child. Also, assessing the stability and health of the relationship that the child is born into is important as well. How your spouse treats you will probably be how you treat your child, and vise versa. Probably don't want to have anger issues, or at least be in the process of resolving them. Many a thing to consider, but if you can give the baby a safe home, it's really up to what you want.
Good luck! Life will always get better eventually.
Hi Bekah, I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed reading your comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such thoughtful insight. I agree with so much of what you mentioned above, but I especially loved "because really, life always has the potential to be better, and if we can believe that, whether or not to decide to have a child will become a much clearer decision.Less fear, more hope." Thank you again; I wish you and your family all the best!
Your feelings are completely normal in my opinion. At 32 after my husband and I were the main support system to his grandma in hospice, we had a vulnerable realization that we weren't in our twenties any more and that there is more to life than what we had in that very real life moment. I wouldn't say that we felt empty with our busy lives and two senior dogs – but yet we just wondered if we would again look at each other in 5-6 years and then it would be too late or we would be that much more in the zone of our day-to-day. I loved having older parents as we made them stay hip, and he loved having younger parents as they were almost like friends.
I should put it on the record that I was absolutely terrified as I never thought I wanted kids. However, I knew it meant a lot to him. 2.5 years later, I can't imagine our lives without our little lady. She's taught us a lot, we're still able to have time for ourselves now and then she is freaking entertaining. Now that we're on this side, we are really wondering what we did before her. Schedules can be tough – but each day is a new blast with something to smile about.
Hi Cal, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. I can't even begin to tell you how much your comment makes me smile. Ah, 2.5, what a fun age! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Spring and wish you all the best!
I spent a lot of time in your situation. Both my husband and I were ambivalent for many years, and could have been happy, I think, with either choice. To me, it was never about just "knowing," it was a decision that I wanted to make somewhat rationally, taking into consideration the trade-offs of either route. The hard thing about that is while I had plenty of experience not being a mother, I knew there were so many things about being a parent I couldn't know before I got there, making it impossible to compare.
Last year, when time was starting to run out because I was 34 and my husband was 40, we decided to go for it, as our desire to become parents was just stronger than our desire to remain child-free. Unfortunately, I miscarried that pregnancy 9 weeks in, and it was in that moment that I finally just "knew." My grief over that loss created the strongest urge I've ever felt to have a baby, and I am now 6 months pregnant with a boy who will hopefully be our first and only child.
Even though my miscarriage was a horrible experience, I am grateful for it, as it gave me the clarity I never had and the resiliency to endure my current pregnancy, which has been filled with medical complications for me personally (though the baby seems to be doing just fine).
There is no one right choice and I don't think it's possible to compare the road not taken with the one I'm on. I'm still not always sure I took the right road, especially when things are very difficult, but I have to believe that the outcome will be worth it.
Hi Allison, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. I greatly appreciate your openness as well as your incredible insight. I am so sorry about your experience last year, and that you and your husband had to undergo that level of grief. However, I am so happy that you're now six months pregnant, about to welcome your first child into the world. Ah, what an exciting time! I hope the last three months of pregnancy goes smoother for you. I wish you and your family all the best!
I think, so many people jump into having kids without sitting down to think about it (raises hand) so all of the questioning and thinking is important! For me, having a BABY felt overwhelming, but I knew I wanted to raise kids, and also knew that the baby stage is really so short. My son is 2.5 and my second is due in September. I love watching my kid grow up, and it really wasn't until he was over 2 that I felt like I really started to fall in love with him and REALLY loved being a mother. I just woke up one day and knew I wanted to try for another baby. And we went for it. No looking back now!
HI Jess, thank you for providing such valuable insight—I can't tell you how comforting I found your story to be, especially since you noted how even though you always knew you wanted to have children, you still found the idea to be very overwhelming. You're right, I bet the baby stage really does pass by fast!
But ah, 2.5—what an exciting and fun age. I wish you and your family all the best, and congratulations on your second child!
Hi Marie, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I greatly appreciate your thoughtful insight, and am so sorry that you are currently having to struggle with anorexia. However, even though we're just now e-meeting, I want to let you know how much I'm thinking of you. I am deeply grateful for your incredibly honesty and wish you nothing but the best, no matter which path you decide to take. Please don't ever hesitate to reach out!
I'm 39. Married for 14 years. And I feel like I'm in this teeny tiny minority of women who don't have and never seriously considered having children. My husband and I talked about it before and after we got married, but as the years passed he became more and more determined that he didn't want to have children. I've never had a twinge of baby fever. I don't like holding babies. I don't like watching other people's kids. I don't dislike kids, but I definitely only enjoy being around those children who are well-behaved and respectful.
We are grateful that our parents have never pressured us to have kids and my Mom always says that we should never have kids to please other people. I'm happy with our decision and I'm just as happy for other women who choose to have kids.
Hi Tara, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read your comment. PS, your mom sounds like an absolute rockstar!! I hope you're having a lovely week and wish you and your family all the best!
I definitely relate to this. I've never had any kind of mothering instinct or urge, but after 2 abortions when I was in my early 20s, I once again became pregnant at 30 with my partner of only 1 year. I've always struggled with birth control options as I'm sensitive to synthetic hormones; and I'd tried tried the IUD, Oral contraceptives, depot and the patch to no success. We'd mostly been 'careful' using condos and monitoring my cycle/ovulation period. I don't know what happened the month I got pregnant — we'd mostly been using protection and had completely avoided my ovulation week. I attribute it to the flu and an overseas holiday and realise this may have impacted everything.
My partner and I proceeded with the pregnancy— mostly because we thought it was the right thing to do and the right time. I no longer had the 'excuse' of being young or poor and I felt ashamed for being so careless. I then began researching how abortions can affect future fertility and this convinced me that if I didn't have my baby now, perhaps I'd never be able to. As my pregnancy progressed, I continued to think about aborting but as time passed, that option dwindled.
I now have a 10 month old. It's been a massive adjustment but I couldn't imagine my life without her. Has it impacted my life? Yes. Career? Yes. Relationship? Hell yes. But still… wouldn't change a thing.
Hi Victoria, thank you for taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate your honesty and vulnerability, and find your story incredibly moving. I'm sure your household is certainly a fun one right about now with a 10-month-old—what a delightful age! I wish you and your family all the best!


Thirumoolar sings in praise of Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles.
Can't hear it. Aindu Karathanai? A very powerful mantra on Ganesha!
Swahilya, I have updated the post with the hymn. I could not figure the tamil font for "Jnana". Pls pardon me.


The Racine Dominicans' Eco-Justice Center recently received a full-color, four-page spread in Country Woman magazine. The article, titled "Faith in Farming," was featured in the April/May issue. Read article The Eco-Justice Center also recently named Racine native Allison Thielen as its new executive director. Sister Janet Weyker will continue to live and volunteer at the center.