The skies over Houston turned pitch black as the massive storms raced through the drought-stricken area, dropping several inches of rain over a two-hour period. Roads rapidly flooded and drivers became stranded on major arteries that connect the city's sprawling neighborhoods and suburbs cheapburberryoutlet2012.
In Texas City, a town about 40 miles southeast of Houston, a possible tornado damaged the roof and wall of the Mall of the Mainland, and Fire Chief Joe Gorman evacuated and shut down the building. In North and West Texas, meanwhile, the National Weather Service said a cold, steady downpour will drop an inch or two of much-needed rain.
The drought, however, is far from over.
"We're not going to end the drought this winter even if we have above-normal rainfall," said State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
According to preliminary data, Texas got about 14.89 inches of rain in 2011, compared to a normal average of 29.39 inches -- levels that compare to 1917 and 1956, some of the driest years in recorded history, Nielsen-Gammon said. Recovering from that will take a wet winter, and a wetter-than-normal spring, he said.
By early Monday, up to 4 inches of rain had fallen on parts of Houston and neighboring areas. Some places were expected to end the day with more than that, said Don Oettinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in League City, the office responsible for southeast Texas. Burberry bags, cheap burberry handbags outlet, buy 2012 burberry purse.
Oettinger said the National Weather Service will likely not know until Tuesday whether a tornado caused the damage at the mall in Texas City. A funnel cloud was seen southwest of Houston and heavy wind gusts were reported. Television images showed wind damage to some buildings.
Gorman said reports of a twister came in as wind and rain pounded the area. No injuries were reported at the mall, but the damage to the roof and wall prompted officials to evacuate the building and bring a structural engineer to investigate the stability of the structure.
Roads throughout downtown Houston flooded. Schools sent emails warning parents against trying to pick up their children before checking on road conditions. Flooding shut down major freeways. The municipal courts sent out advisories that while work would continue, people who could not make it to a hearing due to the weather would be excused.
Still, Oettinger agreed the rain was not nearly enough to end the drought.
"It certainly helps," he said. "But we need a number of days like this to have an effect on the overall drought."
In North and West Texas, Daniel Huckaby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said the "nice, steady rain" would help saturate the ground so that future rain would run off and help fill streams, lakes and reservoirs in drought-stricken areas. In the short-term, he said, the rain will help the growth of winter grass and reduce the danger of wildfires. Burberry ties, silk ties for men, cheap burberry tie on sale.
2012年1月9日星期一
We understand that our record will be scrutinized
Amid anecdotal evidence on both sides,moncler jackets the full record has largely escaped a close look, because so many transactions are involved. The Wall Street Journal, aiming for a comprehensive assessment, examined 77 businesses Bain invested in while Mr. Romney led the firm from its 1984 start until early 1999, to see how they fared during Bain's involvement and shortly afterward.
Among the findings: 22% either filed for bankruptcy reorganization or closed their doors by the end of the eighth year after Bain first invested, sometimes with substantial job losses. An additional 8% ran into so much trouble that all of the money Bain invested was lost.
Another finding was that Bain produced stellar returns for its investors—yet the bulk of these came from just a small number of its investments. Ten deals produced more than 70% of the dollar gains.
Some of those companies, too, later ran into trouble. Of the 10 businesses on which Bain investors scored their biggest gains, four later landed in bankruptcy court.
Enlarge Image
BAIN
BAIN
A spokesman for Bain Capital said its "success rate in growing and turning around businesses in both strong and weak economic periods is very high…" The company called the Journal's analysis "inaccurate and misleading" and said it unfairly put the onus on Bain for events at companies after it no longer owned them.
Seeking the protection of a bankruptcy court isn't necessarily a sign of long-term business failure. Many of the Bain companies emerged from reorganization healthier, just as, for instance, General Motors did a few years ago. But while bankruptcy filings aren't a perfect measure of performance, they provide a way to assess a disparate array of target businesses that in many cases weren't required to make public financial filings.
The Journal's findings could provide fodder for both critics and supporters of Mr. Romney's presidential ambitions and of his role at Bain. Some experts, while conceding that available studies don't provide a direct comparison, said the rate at which the firms Bain invested in ran into trouble appears to be higher than experienced by some rival buyout firms during the era.
That notion could undermine a central 60% off moncler jackets thrust of Mr. Romney's campaign message: that his private-sector experience building companies makes him the best candidate to turn around the ailing U.S. economy.
The numbers, however, also reflect Bain's investing style, which, particularly during the firm's early years, was focused on smaller and sometimes troubled companies that Bain hoped to fix or build.
Bain was investing in "riskier deals," said Steven N. Kaplan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. "For every one that went bankrupt, they had one that was a screaming success. The overall effect was terrific performance" for the firm's investors.
The Journal analysis shows that in total, Bain produced about $2.5 billion in gains for its investors in the 77 deals, on about $1.1 billion invested. Overall, Bain recorded roughly 50% to 80% annual gains in this period, which experts said was among the best track records for buyout firms in that era.
Some of the companies that ran into trouble did so after Bain was no longer involved and new owners had taken charge. Bain declined to provide information on when its involvement in its investments ended.
The Journal chose to look at target companies' fates by the end of the eighth year after Bain's initial investment, which appears close to the maximum time that Bain remained in control of any of its targets. Academic research has shown that buyout firms during this era exited their deals on average after 5? years, but in a large percentage of cases were still involved beyond seven years.
Bain backers argue that it is unfair to tag the firm with any bankruptcy that occurred several years after it took a company public or sold it. Others have said the firm and its former leader could still bear some responsibility for failing to leave a company in strong shape.
Bain said the evaluation "uses a fundamentally flawed methodology that unfairly assigns responsibility to us for many events that occurred in companies when we did not own or control them, and disregards dozens of successful venture capital investments."
Bain added: "We understand that our record will be scrutinized and distorted during the political campaign involving our partner who retired 12 years ago, but our focus remains on working with management teams to build great companies and improve their operations."
If the Journal analysis were limited to bankruptcies and closures occurring by the end of the fifth year after Bain first invested, the rate would move down to 12%. That measure would exclude several cases that have brought Mr. Romney political criticism, where businesses filed for bankruptcy seven or eight years after Bain's investment.
Mr. Romney has told potential voters how cheap moncler vest at Bain he helped launch or rebuild companies such as Staples Inc., Domino's Pizza Inc. and Sports Authority Inc., creating more than 100,000 jobs.
His rivals have sought to turn his Bain tenure against him. Rick Perry has run an ad saying Mr. Romney "made millions buying companies and laying off workers." Newt Gingrich has said Mr. Romney should "give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain."
Mr. Gingrich laced into Mr. Romney at this weekend's debates, and a group associated with the former House Speaker plans to release a 28-minute documentary blistering Mr. Romney's Bain tenure. Meanwhile, on ABC on Sunday, Obama strategist David Axelrod criticized Mr. Romney as "a corporate raider."
Mr. Romney describes job losses and bankruptcies as an inevitable byproduct of the capitalist system, and has said that in some cases, eliminating some jobs may save the rest of the company. In response to Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Romney said: "Doesn't he understand how the economy works? In the real economy, some businesses succeed and some fail."
Asked in an interview about Bain's bankruptcy and failure rate, Mr. Romney said that in buyout deals, "our orientation was by and large to acquire businesses that were out of favor and in some cases in trouble." He added that Bain wasn't the type of firm that stripped companies cheap moncler and fired workers, but instead, "our approach was to try to build a business. We were not always successful."
Among the findings: 22% either filed for bankruptcy reorganization or closed their doors by the end of the eighth year after Bain first invested, sometimes with substantial job losses. An additional 8% ran into so much trouble that all of the money Bain invested was lost.
Another finding was that Bain produced stellar returns for its investors—yet the bulk of these came from just a small number of its investments. Ten deals produced more than 70% of the dollar gains.
Some of those companies, too, later ran into trouble. Of the 10 businesses on which Bain investors scored their biggest gains, four later landed in bankruptcy court.
Enlarge Image
BAIN
BAIN
A spokesman for Bain Capital said its "success rate in growing and turning around businesses in both strong and weak economic periods is very high…" The company called the Journal's analysis "inaccurate and misleading" and said it unfairly put the onus on Bain for events at companies after it no longer owned them.
Seeking the protection of a bankruptcy court isn't necessarily a sign of long-term business failure. Many of the Bain companies emerged from reorganization healthier, just as, for instance, General Motors did a few years ago. But while bankruptcy filings aren't a perfect measure of performance, they provide a way to assess a disparate array of target businesses that in many cases weren't required to make public financial filings.
The Journal's findings could provide fodder for both critics and supporters of Mr. Romney's presidential ambitions and of his role at Bain. Some experts, while conceding that available studies don't provide a direct comparison, said the rate at which the firms Bain invested in ran into trouble appears to be higher than experienced by some rival buyout firms during the era.
That notion could undermine a central 60% off moncler jackets thrust of Mr. Romney's campaign message: that his private-sector experience building companies makes him the best candidate to turn around the ailing U.S. economy.
The numbers, however, also reflect Bain's investing style, which, particularly during the firm's early years, was focused on smaller and sometimes troubled companies that Bain hoped to fix or build.
Bain was investing in "riskier deals," said Steven N. Kaplan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. "For every one that went bankrupt, they had one that was a screaming success. The overall effect was terrific performance" for the firm's investors.
The Journal analysis shows that in total, Bain produced about $2.5 billion in gains for its investors in the 77 deals, on about $1.1 billion invested. Overall, Bain recorded roughly 50% to 80% annual gains in this period, which experts said was among the best track records for buyout firms in that era.
Some of the companies that ran into trouble did so after Bain was no longer involved and new owners had taken charge. Bain declined to provide information on when its involvement in its investments ended.
The Journal chose to look at target companies' fates by the end of the eighth year after Bain's initial investment, which appears close to the maximum time that Bain remained in control of any of its targets. Academic research has shown that buyout firms during this era exited their deals on average after 5? years, but in a large percentage of cases were still involved beyond seven years.
Bain backers argue that it is unfair to tag the firm with any bankruptcy that occurred several years after it took a company public or sold it. Others have said the firm and its former leader could still bear some responsibility for failing to leave a company in strong shape.
Bain said the evaluation "uses a fundamentally flawed methodology that unfairly assigns responsibility to us for many events that occurred in companies when we did not own or control them, and disregards dozens of successful venture capital investments."
Bain added: "We understand that our record will be scrutinized and distorted during the political campaign involving our partner who retired 12 years ago, but our focus remains on working with management teams to build great companies and improve their operations."
If the Journal analysis were limited to bankruptcies and closures occurring by the end of the fifth year after Bain first invested, the rate would move down to 12%. That measure would exclude several cases that have brought Mr. Romney political criticism, where businesses filed for bankruptcy seven or eight years after Bain's investment.
Mr. Romney has told potential voters how cheap moncler vest at Bain he helped launch or rebuild companies such as Staples Inc., Domino's Pizza Inc. and Sports Authority Inc., creating more than 100,000 jobs.
His rivals have sought to turn his Bain tenure against him. Rick Perry has run an ad saying Mr. Romney "made millions buying companies and laying off workers." Newt Gingrich has said Mr. Romney should "give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain."
Mr. Gingrich laced into Mr. Romney at this weekend's debates, and a group associated with the former House Speaker plans to release a 28-minute documentary blistering Mr. Romney's Bain tenure. Meanwhile, on ABC on Sunday, Obama strategist David Axelrod criticized Mr. Romney as "a corporate raider."
Mr. Romney describes job losses and bankruptcies as an inevitable byproduct of the capitalist system, and has said that in some cases, eliminating some jobs may save the rest of the company. In response to Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Romney said: "Doesn't he understand how the economy works? In the real economy, some businesses succeed and some fail."
Asked in an interview about Bain's bankruptcy and failure rate, Mr. Romney said that in buyout deals, "our orientation was by and large to acquire businesses that were out of favor and in some cases in trouble." He added that Bain wasn't the type of firm that stripped companies cheap moncler and fired workers, but instead, "our approach was to try to build a business. We were not always successful."
2012年1月8日星期日
By taking these two issues to the Supreme Court
They are two cases set to be heard cheap burberry outlet 2012 in the U.S. Supreme Court in the early part of this year, and the outcome of both will determine whether we are a cohesive country of laws or whether we are a divided states that would like to make up our own rules as we go along. It is the ultimate test for many of the rights we garnered throughout the decades, and the results of these rulings will directly impact each and every one of us as Americans and the values that we hold so dearly. The two pertinent cases involve Obama's health care reform legislation and the federal government's ability to supersede states when it comes to the notion of immigration.
By taking these two issues to the Supreme Court, some conservatives are making a feeble attempt to undo many of our civil liberties, but we, the people, refuse to stay silent. They may think they're slick, but guess what, Republicans, we know your games all too well.
On March 26th, my organization, National Action Network, will be rallying in front of the Supreme Court as it begins hearings on the ability of the federal government to enact the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. While this is merely politics for a Party struggling for relevance in an increasingly diverse nation, this case and health care reform are no laughing matter to millions of Americans living with little to no coverage. More than 2.5 million adults younger than 26 have already been able to stay on their parents' insurance plan, and millions of children with pre-existing conditions have not been denied coverage thanks to this Affordable Care Act. In essence, that is what this legislation is all about -- creating affordable options. It is the ability of millions of Americans to purchase insurance coverage at reasonable rates at a time when so many are either unemployed, underemployed or simply losing benefits as their employers cut costs cheap burberry bags.
Perhaps those pushing for an end to this health care reform bill have never felt the pain of deciding whether to take a young child to the doctor or buy groceries to put food on the table. Maybe they don't know the anguish of watching loved ones suffer because you can't afford the right medication or the necessary treatment that could possibly save his/her life. Too busy conjuring up politically divisive terms like "Obamacare," many on the extreme right have attempted to hide the tremendous benefits of this program that begins to rectify an unfair health care system. There is no reason why in the most powerful nation on Earth so many of its citizens are living without proper health care. As the attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act reaches the Supreme Court, we will be there letting our collective voices be heard. Be sure to join us on March 26th.
The other case sadly finding its way to the Supreme Court this year is the regressive attempt by Republican-led states to enforce blatantly racist immigration laws. After Attorney General Eric Holder led the Justice Department to file a lawsuit against Arizona's SB 1070 immigration bill, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked much of the AZ law from taking effect, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her decision in a 2-1 vote. Still unable to accept these rulings, AZ Gov. Jan Brewar is now taking the issue to the Supreme Court, as she and other harsh immigration law proponents are screaming states' rights and denouncing the federal government. Last time I checked, the federal government trumped states' rights -- and good thing they did or else we would still be sitting in "separate but equal" facilities, and still be barred from participating in much of society. With an increasingly conservative Supreme Court, we all need to pay extra attention to their findings and their rulings scheduled for later this year. And with Justice Elena Kagan recusing herself from this case, and with Justices Thomas and Scalia not recusing themselves from the health care case, we must wake up and see the bigger the picture. Burberry ties, silk ties for men, cheap burberry tie on sale.
By taking these two issues to the Supreme Court, some conservatives are making a feeble attempt to undo many of our civil liberties, but we, the people, refuse to stay silent. They may think they're slick, but guess what, Republicans, we know your games all too well.
On March 26th, my organization, National Action Network, will be rallying in front of the Supreme Court as it begins hearings on the ability of the federal government to enact the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. While this is merely politics for a Party struggling for relevance in an increasingly diverse nation, this case and health care reform are no laughing matter to millions of Americans living with little to no coverage. More than 2.5 million adults younger than 26 have already been able to stay on their parents' insurance plan, and millions of children with pre-existing conditions have not been denied coverage thanks to this Affordable Care Act. In essence, that is what this legislation is all about -- creating affordable options. It is the ability of millions of Americans to purchase insurance coverage at reasonable rates at a time when so many are either unemployed, underemployed or simply losing benefits as their employers cut costs cheap burberry bags.
Perhaps those pushing for an end to this health care reform bill have never felt the pain of deciding whether to take a young child to the doctor or buy groceries to put food on the table. Maybe they don't know the anguish of watching loved ones suffer because you can't afford the right medication or the necessary treatment that could possibly save his/her life. Too busy conjuring up politically divisive terms like "Obamacare," many on the extreme right have attempted to hide the tremendous benefits of this program that begins to rectify an unfair health care system. There is no reason why in the most powerful nation on Earth so many of its citizens are living without proper health care. As the attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act reaches the Supreme Court, we will be there letting our collective voices be heard. Be sure to join us on March 26th.
The other case sadly finding its way to the Supreme Court this year is the regressive attempt by Republican-led states to enforce blatantly racist immigration laws. After Attorney General Eric Holder led the Justice Department to file a lawsuit against Arizona's SB 1070 immigration bill, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked much of the AZ law from taking effect, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her decision in a 2-1 vote. Still unable to accept these rulings, AZ Gov. Jan Brewar is now taking the issue to the Supreme Court, as she and other harsh immigration law proponents are screaming states' rights and denouncing the federal government. Last time I checked, the federal government trumped states' rights -- and good thing they did or else we would still be sitting in "separate but equal" facilities, and still be barred from participating in much of society. With an increasingly conservative Supreme Court, we all need to pay extra attention to their findings and their rulings scheduled for later this year. And with Justice Elena Kagan recusing herself from this case, and with Justices Thomas and Scalia not recusing themselves from the health care case, we must wake up and see the bigger the picture. Burberry ties, silk ties for men, cheap burberry tie on sale.
If one tiny benefit has come out of this scandal
Jean-Claude Mas, the company’s elderly founder, reportedly told police last November that he had been concealing the material used in his implants since 1997. His PIP gel cost a fraction of the price of the officially approved Nusil gel, moncler jackets and he allegedly described it as “better”. The women who have received PIP implants, which many have come to regard as ticking time-bombs in their chests, are unlikely to agree.
If one tiny benefit has come out of this scandal – which will cause enormous distress and potential injury to so many – it has been the stripping away of glossy euphemism from the cosmetic surgery industry. Over the years, what was initially regarded as a bizarre lunacy, the stitching of a silicone bag into a healthy female breast, has become increasingly normalised, particularly among younger women.
We have got used to the sight of bullet-proof breasts that point skywards, and the cheery chat of “boob-jobs” and “double-Ds”. In the ubiquitous advertisements for cosmetic surgery clinics, and within their consulting rooms, the buzz-words are of “fullness”, “pertness” and “enhanced femininity”. (Which is clearly code for “big breasts” – except it doesn’t make sense. We can all admire a Marilyn Monroe, but no one could accuse the slenderer forms of Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis, or Audrey Hepburn of lacking “femininity”.)
Somehow, the recent talk of PIP implants rupturing and leaking industrial-grade silicone into lymph nodes – and the sight of a removed, faulty implant spooling into viscous yellow strands like a nicotine-stained tramp’s beard – doesn’t sit well with the dream. And nor should it. For the truth is that post-operative problems are not confined to PIP implants: there is always a risk of rupture and leakage, although at least the official ones contain medical grade silicone, not the material for sofa stuffing.
A common complication after breast augmentation surgery is “capsular contracture”, during which scar tissue hardens painfully around the implant. This can be treated by the surgeon squeezing it manually until the “scar envelope” cracks open, or by the patient undergoing yet more incisions.
Feeling queasy yet? I am. Still, around 25,000 British women have breast augmentation each year, and it is estimated that only 5 per cent of that is for reconstructive purposes. They are caught up too powerfully in the dream of a better, bustier moncler jackets for men them to be deterred by dreary talk of complications.
To read the comments on chat forums hosted by cosmetic surgery groups such as MYA (Make Yourself Amazing) is to get a taster of the fizzing mixture of excitement and apprehension experienced by those who have just undergone, or are about to undergo, breast surgery.
There is talk of having diligently saved up, and detailed technical discussion of surgeons, and of sizes, shapes and brands of implants. There is a deluge of pre-op advice (in one case: “Go as big as your surgeon will let you”) and chat of post-op pain. The tone is sisterly, supportive, sometimes frightened: “I’ve convinced myself I’m going to die on the operating table… but at the same time I really want these boobs, like, more than anything.” Some writers admit that the moment they have one procedure, they are eager for another. In the quest for physical improvement, they can never be satisfied.
And then, on another website, there is discussion about PIP implants which have ruptured, the clunky, reluctant bureaucracy of removal and replacement, and the terrible worry: in these cases, the dream is already dead.
Reading it all, I cannot help but wonder what, exactly, the dream is really made from. Make Yourself Amazing, indeed. I don’t think it’s for men per se, who as husbands or boyfriends are rarely the driving force behind women’s surgery, although there may be the desire to attract male attention. I think it’s more from the conviction that women must endure painful, risky things to make themselves amazing, because they will never be amazing enough as they are.
When you think about it like that, it’s enough to make you feel a bit sad.
Garrulous ghosts in the machine
I’ve heard of a horse-whisperer, of course, but until last week I had no idea of the existence of ghost-twitterers, although apparently the profession has been practising for some time. Moncler jackets for women, cheap moncler women down jackets on sale.A ghost-twitterer is employed to send tweets while pretending to be someone else, and one of this shadowy band spectacularly outed himself in error last week.
Jason Hall, racing correspondent for a local newspaper, was tweeting on behalf of the Channel 4 pundit Simon Holt, when he accidentally made public a message intended for his own wife: “Oh and by the way, I want your hot body tonight babe xxxxx”. Cue much speculation, hilarity, and at least one very red face at Plumpton racecourse. Add to that the fact that the widespread excitement over Wendi Deng joining Twitter, and apparently flirting with Ricky Gervais, turned out to be misplaced when the account was revealed as a hoax. Finally, there was the case of Diane Abbott, who apparently forgot that Twitter is a very public forum and that when white folk aren’t off “playing divide and rule”, some of them can also read.
It’s all been a sharp reminder that Twitter, with its deceptive illusions of intimacy for both twitterer and follower, can be a slippery arena. And that perhaps there’s only one thing worse than being caught out using a ghost-twitterer, and that’s realising – once you have tweeted straight into a pile of trouble – that there is no one else to blame.
Yellow lines mean ready cash
A grim glimpse into the world of the parking warden has been provided by a tribunal for the case of Hakim Berkani. He was sacked by the London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s parking firm, NSL, allegedly for refusing to issue large numbers of tickets without proper cause. Mr Berkani – a hero to local residents – claimed that the parking operation was “designed to extract as much cash as possible, by fair means or foul, from the motoring public”. NSL denies the allegation.
It is perhaps unfortunate for NSL, however, that Mr Berkani’s claims chime so exactly with public perception. Most people accept the need to regulate parking, but the indecent zeal of the wardens leaves drivers feeling like carp in cheap moncler an increasingly tight barrel. Everyone has their own tale of an inflexible parking warden who smears a patina of mean-mindedness across the day, but it is worth considering the extreme pressures placed on individuals who might otherwise be reasonable.
If one tiny benefit has come out of this scandal – which will cause enormous distress and potential injury to so many – it has been the stripping away of glossy euphemism from the cosmetic surgery industry. Over the years, what was initially regarded as a bizarre lunacy, the stitching of a silicone bag into a healthy female breast, has become increasingly normalised, particularly among younger women.
We have got used to the sight of bullet-proof breasts that point skywards, and the cheery chat of “boob-jobs” and “double-Ds”. In the ubiquitous advertisements for cosmetic surgery clinics, and within their consulting rooms, the buzz-words are of “fullness”, “pertness” and “enhanced femininity”. (Which is clearly code for “big breasts” – except it doesn’t make sense. We can all admire a Marilyn Monroe, but no one could accuse the slenderer forms of Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis, or Audrey Hepburn of lacking “femininity”.)
Somehow, the recent talk of PIP implants rupturing and leaking industrial-grade silicone into lymph nodes – and the sight of a removed, faulty implant spooling into viscous yellow strands like a nicotine-stained tramp’s beard – doesn’t sit well with the dream. And nor should it. For the truth is that post-operative problems are not confined to PIP implants: there is always a risk of rupture and leakage, although at least the official ones contain medical grade silicone, not the material for sofa stuffing.
A common complication after breast augmentation surgery is “capsular contracture”, during which scar tissue hardens painfully around the implant. This can be treated by the surgeon squeezing it manually until the “scar envelope” cracks open, or by the patient undergoing yet more incisions.
Feeling queasy yet? I am. Still, around 25,000 British women have breast augmentation each year, and it is estimated that only 5 per cent of that is for reconstructive purposes. They are caught up too powerfully in the dream of a better, bustier moncler jackets for men them to be deterred by dreary talk of complications.
To read the comments on chat forums hosted by cosmetic surgery groups such as MYA (Make Yourself Amazing) is to get a taster of the fizzing mixture of excitement and apprehension experienced by those who have just undergone, or are about to undergo, breast surgery.
There is talk of having diligently saved up, and detailed technical discussion of surgeons, and of sizes, shapes and brands of implants. There is a deluge of pre-op advice (in one case: “Go as big as your surgeon will let you”) and chat of post-op pain. The tone is sisterly, supportive, sometimes frightened: “I’ve convinced myself I’m going to die on the operating table… but at the same time I really want these boobs, like, more than anything.” Some writers admit that the moment they have one procedure, they are eager for another. In the quest for physical improvement, they can never be satisfied.
And then, on another website, there is discussion about PIP implants which have ruptured, the clunky, reluctant bureaucracy of removal and replacement, and the terrible worry: in these cases, the dream is already dead.
Reading it all, I cannot help but wonder what, exactly, the dream is really made from. Make Yourself Amazing, indeed. I don’t think it’s for men per se, who as husbands or boyfriends are rarely the driving force behind women’s surgery, although there may be the desire to attract male attention. I think it’s more from the conviction that women must endure painful, risky things to make themselves amazing, because they will never be amazing enough as they are.
When you think about it like that, it’s enough to make you feel a bit sad.
Garrulous ghosts in the machine
I’ve heard of a horse-whisperer, of course, but until last week I had no idea of the existence of ghost-twitterers, although apparently the profession has been practising for some time. Moncler jackets for women, cheap moncler women down jackets on sale.A ghost-twitterer is employed to send tweets while pretending to be someone else, and one of this shadowy band spectacularly outed himself in error last week.
Jason Hall, racing correspondent for a local newspaper, was tweeting on behalf of the Channel 4 pundit Simon Holt, when he accidentally made public a message intended for his own wife: “Oh and by the way, I want your hot body tonight babe xxxxx”. Cue much speculation, hilarity, and at least one very red face at Plumpton racecourse. Add to that the fact that the widespread excitement over Wendi Deng joining Twitter, and apparently flirting with Ricky Gervais, turned out to be misplaced when the account was revealed as a hoax. Finally, there was the case of Diane Abbott, who apparently forgot that Twitter is a very public forum and that when white folk aren’t off “playing divide and rule”, some of them can also read.
It’s all been a sharp reminder that Twitter, with its deceptive illusions of intimacy for both twitterer and follower, can be a slippery arena. And that perhaps there’s only one thing worse than being caught out using a ghost-twitterer, and that’s realising – once you have tweeted straight into a pile of trouble – that there is no one else to blame.
Yellow lines mean ready cash
A grim glimpse into the world of the parking warden has been provided by a tribunal for the case of Hakim Berkani. He was sacked by the London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s parking firm, NSL, allegedly for refusing to issue large numbers of tickets without proper cause. Mr Berkani – a hero to local residents – claimed that the parking operation was “designed to extract as much cash as possible, by fair means or foul, from the motoring public”. NSL denies the allegation.
It is perhaps unfortunate for NSL, however, that Mr Berkani’s claims chime so exactly with public perception. Most people accept the need to regulate parking, but the indecent zeal of the wardens leaves drivers feeling like carp in cheap moncler an increasingly tight barrel. Everyone has their own tale of an inflexible parking warden who smears a patina of mean-mindedness across the day, but it is worth considering the extreme pressures placed on individuals who might otherwise be reasonable.
2012年1月6日星期五
After subsidizing the iPhone
The promotion starting Jan. 13 offers a 32-gigabyte model with a three-year plan, while a commitment to two years for a monthly fee of 386 yuan allows users to get the 16-gigabyte model, the company known as China Unicom said in a statement on its website yesterday www.cheapburberryoutlet2012.com.
China Unicom, the only one of the nation’s three carriers offering the iPhone with a service contract, is using the handset to woo high-end subscribers who play games and watch online videos using their phones. The user growth comes at a price as Unicom’s 3G subsidy costs in the first half of 2011 ballooned almost fourfold, driven by support for the iPhone.
“After subsidizing the iPhone, the operator will have less money for subsidizing other smartphone users that could be more profitable,” Steven Liu, a Hong Kong-based analyst with Standard Chartered Bank, said in an e-mail today. He rates the shares “underperform” and said the company’s subscriber growth will “slow down despite iPhone.” Burberry wallets, cheap burberry wallet for women 2012 sale.
China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd., the company’s publicly traded unit, fell 1.8 percent to HK$16.34 at the midday break in in Hong Kong, compared with a 1.4 percent drop in the city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index.
Sophia Tso, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for China Unicom, said she couldn’t immediately comment on what the iPhone 4S pricing plan would mean for its subsidy costs.
Data Surge
China Unicom is increasingly relying on subscribers who use the Web on their phones as growth in voice traffic slows. In August, the Beijing-based company said 51 percent of sales growth in the first half of last year came from non-voice services, while data traffic on its 3G network jumped almost sevenfold in the same period. Burberry bags, cheap burberry handbags outlet, buy 2012 burberry purse.
China Unicom, the only one of the nation’s three carriers offering the iPhone with a service contract, is using the handset to woo high-end subscribers who play games and watch online videos using their phones. The user growth comes at a price as Unicom’s 3G subsidy costs in the first half of 2011 ballooned almost fourfold, driven by support for the iPhone.
“After subsidizing the iPhone, the operator will have less money for subsidizing other smartphone users that could be more profitable,” Steven Liu, a Hong Kong-based analyst with Standard Chartered Bank, said in an e-mail today. He rates the shares “underperform” and said the company’s subscriber growth will “slow down despite iPhone.” Burberry wallets, cheap burberry wallet for women 2012 sale.
China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd., the company’s publicly traded unit, fell 1.8 percent to HK$16.34 at the midday break in in Hong Kong, compared with a 1.4 percent drop in the city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index.
Sophia Tso, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for China Unicom, said she couldn’t immediately comment on what the iPhone 4S pricing plan would mean for its subsidy costs.
Data Surge
China Unicom is increasingly relying on subscribers who use the Web on their phones as growth in voice traffic slows. In August, the Beijing-based company said 51 percent of sales growth in the first half of last year came from non-voice services, while data traffic on its 3G network jumped almost sevenfold in the same period. Burberry bags, cheap burberry handbags outlet, buy 2012 burberry purse.
To promote animal health, and to make animals grow faster
Emerging drug resistance in bacteria is one of the world's greatest health threats, according to the CDC, the FDA, the World Health moncler jackets Organization, and a wide range of medical professional societies.
These groups cite "strong evidence" that many of these hard-to-treat germs arise in food animals and spread to humans. For this reason, the FDA argues strongly against unwise -- "injudicious" -- use of antibiotics in livestock. Yet over 80% of animal antibiotics are used in these ways.
In January 2012, the FDA prohibited some uses of the cephalosporin class of antibiotics in food animals. But these antibiotics make up less than a fraction of 1% of the 15,000 tons of antibiotics used in U.S. food animals each year.
This raises important questions. Here are WebMD's answers.
Why are antibiotics used in food animals?
There are two main reasons: To promote animal health, and to make animals grow faster.
The FDA has no problem with the antibiotics used to treat disease in animals. And it has no problem with antibiotics used under the direct supervision of a veterinarian who is treating specific animals.
But over 80% of antibiotics used in food animals is put into their feed or water by livestock producers, almost always on a herd-wide basis. This makes animals put on weight faster even if they don't eat more food.
Such "production use" of antibiotics is what the FDA, in its June 2010 guidance to the industry, deemed unwise or "injudicious."
How can antibiotics given to animals create drug-resistant germs?
If you get an antibiotic prescription moncler jacket from your doctor, you'll be warned to take every single one of the pills exactly as prescribed. That's because the last few pills mop up the most drug-resistant germs. If you take too low a dose, the most resistant germs remain.
The same thing happens in animals. Veterinarians treat sick animals with appropriate doses of antibiotics.
But when antibiotics are used to make animals grow faster, they are given at low doses over long periods of time. That's a recipe for growing drug resistant bacteria in food animals.
Can drug-resistant bacteria in food animals find their way to humans?
There are some researchers, such as an expert panel of the Institute of Food Technologists, who say the odds are low that any of these bugs will find their way into humans. But in testimony before Congress, the USDA, the FDA, and the CDC all said that the use of antibiotics in food animals leads to infections with drug resistant bacteria to humans.
And in a letter to Congress, 14 health groups -- including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics -- said "overuse and misuse of important antibiotics in food animals must end, in order to protect human health."
The World Health Organization has also warned that overuse of antibiotics in food animals can lead to drug-resistant infections in people.
In January 2012, the FDA banned certain uses of cephalosporin antibiotics in food animals effective April 5, 2012.
The ruling prohibits giving food animals the kinds of cephalosporins used to treat disease in humans or in pets. Exceptions allow off-label use by veterinarians to treat specific diseases, and allow the use of an older cephalosporin called cephapirin, which is not used in humans.
Cephalosporins are not one of the antibiotics used to increase animal growth.
Cephalosporins are important human drugs introduced in 1964. They are often used to treat pneumonia. Cephalosporins are also used to treat ear, skin, urinary tract, and other infections.
In 2010, U.S. meat and poultry producers used 27 tons of cephalosporins. That sounds like a lot. But it's only a fraction of the 14,600 tons of antibiotics used in food animals that year.
One consumer group called the FDA action a step forward -- but only a baby step.
Will the FDA ban use of other antibiotics in food animals?
There is no indication that the FDA plans to ban food-animal use of other antibiotics already approved for such uses.
Antibiotics have been used for what the FDA now calls "injudicious uses" since the 1950s. In the now famous "Swann Report," U.K. researchers in 1969 concluded that feeding low-dose antibiotics to animals posed a health risk to humans.
The U.S. government in 1970 formed its own task force to look at the issue. Eventually -- in 1977 -- the FDA issued a formal finding that all animal use of penicillins and low-dose animal use of tetracyclines should be banned.
But the FDA never acted on this finding. Environmental groups filed a lawsuit to force FDA to act. The FDA asked for more time. On Dec. 22, 2011, the FDA finally withdrew its 1977 finding.
Meanwhile, in 1999 and in 2005 environmental moncler jackets 2011 groups filed citizen petitions demanding that the FDA ban non-health-related antibiotic use in food animals. In November 2011, the FDA issued a statement saying it was "concerned" about injudicious food-animal use of antibiotics -- but that the petitions were denied.
What is the FDA doing about its concerns over antibiotic use in food animals?
The FDA says it takes too long and costs too much to formally ban unwise use of antibiotics in food animals. Instead, in a formal response to the citizen petition to ban such use, the FDA said it would ask the food industry to voluntarily stop "production use" of antibiotics.
That strategy is outlined in an unusual "draft guidance to industry" issued in June 2010 but not yet made final. Entitled "The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals," the paper chronicles over 40 years of scientific and government reports linking antibiotic use in food animals to drug-resistant infections in humans.
The guidance stresses two main principles:
Antibiotics important to humans should be used in food animals only when necessary for the animals' health.
Use of these antibiotics in food animals should require the oversight of a veterinarian.
But the document makes it clear that the FDA expects industry to follow this guidance voluntarily. How has it worked so far?
The FDA tells WebMD that it hasn't worked yet because the guidance isn't yet final.
"There is no estimated time frame, but moving forward with strategies for implementing the recommendations outlined in the draft guidance is a priority for the agency," the FDA wrote in an email to WebMD in January 2012. "FDA intends to finalize the draft guidance (Guidance #209) in the near future as well as issue additional, cheap moncler more detailed guidance on implementing the recommendations."
Avinash Kar, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the environmental groups that had petitioned the FDA, is dubious.
These groups cite "strong evidence" that many of these hard-to-treat germs arise in food animals and spread to humans. For this reason, the FDA argues strongly against unwise -- "injudicious" -- use of antibiotics in livestock. Yet over 80% of animal antibiotics are used in these ways.
In January 2012, the FDA prohibited some uses of the cephalosporin class of antibiotics in food animals. But these antibiotics make up less than a fraction of 1% of the 15,000 tons of antibiotics used in U.S. food animals each year.
This raises important questions. Here are WebMD's answers.
Why are antibiotics used in food animals?
There are two main reasons: To promote animal health, and to make animals grow faster.
The FDA has no problem with the antibiotics used to treat disease in animals. And it has no problem with antibiotics used under the direct supervision of a veterinarian who is treating specific animals.
But over 80% of antibiotics used in food animals is put into their feed or water by livestock producers, almost always on a herd-wide basis. This makes animals put on weight faster even if they don't eat more food.
Such "production use" of antibiotics is what the FDA, in its June 2010 guidance to the industry, deemed unwise or "injudicious."
How can antibiotics given to animals create drug-resistant germs?
If you get an antibiotic prescription moncler jacket from your doctor, you'll be warned to take every single one of the pills exactly as prescribed. That's because the last few pills mop up the most drug-resistant germs. If you take too low a dose, the most resistant germs remain.
The same thing happens in animals. Veterinarians treat sick animals with appropriate doses of antibiotics.
But when antibiotics are used to make animals grow faster, they are given at low doses over long periods of time. That's a recipe for growing drug resistant bacteria in food animals.
Can drug-resistant bacteria in food animals find their way to humans?
There are some researchers, such as an expert panel of the Institute of Food Technologists, who say the odds are low that any of these bugs will find their way into humans. But in testimony before Congress, the USDA, the FDA, and the CDC all said that the use of antibiotics in food animals leads to infections with drug resistant bacteria to humans.
And in a letter to Congress, 14 health groups -- including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics -- said "overuse and misuse of important antibiotics in food animals must end, in order to protect human health."
The World Health Organization has also warned that overuse of antibiotics in food animals can lead to drug-resistant infections in people.
In January 2012, the FDA banned certain uses of cephalosporin antibiotics in food animals effective April 5, 2012.
The ruling prohibits giving food animals the kinds of cephalosporins used to treat disease in humans or in pets. Exceptions allow off-label use by veterinarians to treat specific diseases, and allow the use of an older cephalosporin called cephapirin, which is not used in humans.
Cephalosporins are not one of the antibiotics used to increase animal growth.
Cephalosporins are important human drugs introduced in 1964. They are often used to treat pneumonia. Cephalosporins are also used to treat ear, skin, urinary tract, and other infections.
In 2010, U.S. meat and poultry producers used 27 tons of cephalosporins. That sounds like a lot. But it's only a fraction of the 14,600 tons of antibiotics used in food animals that year.
One consumer group called the FDA action a step forward -- but only a baby step.
Will the FDA ban use of other antibiotics in food animals?
There is no indication that the FDA plans to ban food-animal use of other antibiotics already approved for such uses.
Antibiotics have been used for what the FDA now calls "injudicious uses" since the 1950s. In the now famous "Swann Report," U.K. researchers in 1969 concluded that feeding low-dose antibiotics to animals posed a health risk to humans.
The U.S. government in 1970 formed its own task force to look at the issue. Eventually -- in 1977 -- the FDA issued a formal finding that all animal use of penicillins and low-dose animal use of tetracyclines should be banned.
But the FDA never acted on this finding. Environmental groups filed a lawsuit to force FDA to act. The FDA asked for more time. On Dec. 22, 2011, the FDA finally withdrew its 1977 finding.
Meanwhile, in 1999 and in 2005 environmental moncler jackets 2011 groups filed citizen petitions demanding that the FDA ban non-health-related antibiotic use in food animals. In November 2011, the FDA issued a statement saying it was "concerned" about injudicious food-animal use of antibiotics -- but that the petitions were denied.
What is the FDA doing about its concerns over antibiotic use in food animals?
The FDA says it takes too long and costs too much to formally ban unwise use of antibiotics in food animals. Instead, in a formal response to the citizen petition to ban such use, the FDA said it would ask the food industry to voluntarily stop "production use" of antibiotics.
That strategy is outlined in an unusual "draft guidance to industry" issued in June 2010 but not yet made final. Entitled "The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals," the paper chronicles over 40 years of scientific and government reports linking antibiotic use in food animals to drug-resistant infections in humans.
The guidance stresses two main principles:
Antibiotics important to humans should be used in food animals only when necessary for the animals' health.
Use of these antibiotics in food animals should require the oversight of a veterinarian.
But the document makes it clear that the FDA expects industry to follow this guidance voluntarily. How has it worked so far?
The FDA tells WebMD that it hasn't worked yet because the guidance isn't yet final.
"There is no estimated time frame, but moving forward with strategies for implementing the recommendations outlined in the draft guidance is a priority for the agency," the FDA wrote in an email to WebMD in January 2012. "FDA intends to finalize the draft guidance (Guidance #209) in the near future as well as issue additional, cheap moncler more detailed guidance on implementing the recommendations."
Avinash Kar, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the environmental groups that had petitioned the FDA, is dubious.
2012年1月5日星期四
DONDA is the name of West’s late mother
Just one problem: DONDA is the name of West’s late mother. Cheap burberry - designer bags, shoes, accessories, clothing outlet 2012.
The New York Observer picked up on it, prompting an "editorial pow wow" and an apology, according to new Gawker editor A.J. Daulerio.
"I thought it was a half-assed apology," Daulerio told TheWrap. "I basically do not want people working for the site who do not care.
"I had a conversation with Seth and he told me he really didn't care."
What apology? This one:
“*DONDA is actually the name of Kanye's deceased mother, not the acronym above, which was meant to be the kind of thing Kanye would make up in a late-night creative writing fit, but has offended many people. So sorry, to everyone who was offended, and for the confusion. Sorries all around!”
The original post left the word uncensored, but it was updated to have stars replacing three of the letters and a strikethrough on the phrase. Then that note was added.
Daulerio, the former editor at Deadspin, does not officially begin his new gig until next week, but said this situation required his immediate attention.
"It's a horrible joke and I don't want it on the site regardless," Daulerio said. "... That was atrocious to me."
Daulerio added that Abramovitch's firing was not just a result of this post and the apology but a "series of events." He would not go into further detail.
Also Read: Kanye West's Epic Twitter Rant: Unite the Power of Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson and McQueen
How upset was Abramovitch?
He e-mailed this response to TheWrap:
"Yes, it's true, I'm leaving Gawker. I was a part-time freelancer since early last year, and I'm proud of the writing I've done there. I'm also looking forward to having my nights off again."
He seemed to make light of it in a comment on another of his posts, but did not respond to that element of our query. Burberry sunglasses outlet, buy cheap burberry sunglasses 2012 online.
In other news, the same Observer reporter (and Gawker alum) Foster Kamer obtained an internal memo from Gawker Media chief Nick Denton. Guess he still has his claws in.
The New York Observer picked up on it, prompting an "editorial pow wow" and an apology, according to new Gawker editor A.J. Daulerio.
"I thought it was a half-assed apology," Daulerio told TheWrap. "I basically do not want people working for the site who do not care.
"I had a conversation with Seth and he told me he really didn't care."
What apology? This one:
“*DONDA is actually the name of Kanye's deceased mother, not the acronym above, which was meant to be the kind of thing Kanye would make up in a late-night creative writing fit, but has offended many people. So sorry, to everyone who was offended, and for the confusion. Sorries all around!”
The original post left the word uncensored, but it was updated to have stars replacing three of the letters and a strikethrough on the phrase. Then that note was added.
Daulerio, the former editor at Deadspin, does not officially begin his new gig until next week, but said this situation required his immediate attention.
"It's a horrible joke and I don't want it on the site regardless," Daulerio said. "... That was atrocious to me."
Daulerio added that Abramovitch's firing was not just a result of this post and the apology but a "series of events." He would not go into further detail.
Also Read: Kanye West's Epic Twitter Rant: Unite the Power of Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson and McQueen
How upset was Abramovitch?
He e-mailed this response to TheWrap:
"Yes, it's true, I'm leaving Gawker. I was a part-time freelancer since early last year, and I'm proud of the writing I've done there. I'm also looking forward to having my nights off again."
He seemed to make light of it in a comment on another of his posts, but did not respond to that element of our query. Burberry sunglasses outlet, buy cheap burberry sunglasses 2012 online.
In other news, the same Observer reporter (and Gawker alum) Foster Kamer obtained an internal memo from Gawker Media chief Nick Denton. Guess he still has his claws in.
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