Cases Database | Unlock the value of medical case reports

<base href="data:"><div style="color: black; text-align: left; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(25, 25, 25); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Documenting a patient's case history to inform physicians how the patient has been evaluated and the subsequent progression of his or her disease is arguably the oldest method of communicating medical evidence. And in the 21st century case reports play an equally important role.</font></div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'"><br style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "></font><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(25, 25, 25); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Since the launch of <a href="http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/authors/instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(79, 132, 189); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">Journal of Medical Case Reports</span></a> in 2007 and the more recent introduction of case reports to the broad-scope journal <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes/authors/instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(79, 132, 189); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">BMC Research Notes</span></a>, <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(79, 132, 189); text-decoration: underline; ">BioMed Central</a> has acknowledged the value of case reports to the scientific record.  To strengthen this commitment we have developed a valuable new resource – Cases Database, a continuously-updated, freely-accessible database of thousands of medical case reports from multiple publishers, including Springer, BMJ and PubMed Central.<br> </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(25, 25, 25); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">By aggregating case reports and facilitating comparison, Cases Database provides clinicians, researchers, regulators and patients a simple resource to explore content, and identify emerging trends.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(25, 25, 25); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'"><br></font></div></div><a href="http://www.casesdatabase.com/"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">http://www.casesdatabase.com/</font></a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Cases Database | Unlock the value of medical case reports

Documenting a patient's case history to inform physicians how the patient has been evaluated and the subsequent progression of his or he...

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Effective Addiction Treatment - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Countless people addicted to drugs, alcohol or both have managed to get clean and stay clean with the help of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or the thousands of residential and outpatient clinics devoted to treating addiction.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But if you have failed one or more times to achieve lasting sobriety after rehab, perhaps after spending tens of thousands of dollars, you're not alone. And chances are, it's not your fault.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Of the 23.5 million teenagers and adults addicted to alcohol or drugs, only about 1 in 10 gets treatment, which too often fails to keep them drug-free. Many of these programs fail to use proven methods to deal with the factors that underlie addiction and set off relapse.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">According to recent examinations of treatment programs, most are rooted in outdated methods rather than newer approaches shown in scientific studies to be more effective in helping people achieve and maintain addiction-free lives. People typically do more research when shopping for a new car than when seeking treatment for addiction.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">A <a href="http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/NewsRoom.aspx?articleid=678&zoneid=51" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">groundbreaking report published last year by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse</a> at Columbia University concluded that "the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care." The report added, "Only a small fraction of individuals receive interventions or treatment consistent with scientific knowledge about what works."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The Columbia report found that most addiction treatment providers are not medical professionals and are not equipped with the knowledge, skills or credentials needed to provide the full range of evidence-based services, including medication and psychosocial therapy. The authors suggested that such insufficient care could be considered "a form of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/malpractice/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">medical malpractice</a>."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The failings of many treatment programs - and the comprehensive therapies that have been scientifically validated but remain vastly underused - are described in an eye-opening new book, "<a href="http://annemfletcher.com/books.php?id=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">Inside Rehab</a>," by Anne M. Fletcher, a science writer whose previous books include the highly acclaimed "Sober for Good."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"There are exceptions, but of the many thousands of treatment programs out there, most use exactly the same kind of treatment you would have received in 1950, not modern scientific approaches," A. Thomas McLellan, co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia, told Ms. Fletcher.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Ms. Fletcher's book, replete with the experiences of treated addicts, offers myriad suggestions to help patients find addiction treatments with the highest probability of success.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Often, Ms. Fletcher found, low-cost, publicly funded clinics have better-qualified therapists and better outcomes than the high-end residential centers typically used by celebrities like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. Indeed, their revolving-door experiences with treatment helped prompt Ms. Fletcher's exhaustive exploration in the first place.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In an interview, Ms. Fletcher said she wanted to inform consumers "about science-based practices that should form the basis of addiction treatment" and explode some of the myths surrounding it.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">One such myth is the belief that most addicts need to go to a rehab center.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"The truth is that most people recover (1) completely on their own, (2) by attending self-help groups, and/or (3) by seeing a counselor or therapist individually," she wrote.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Contrary to the 30-day stint typical of inpatient rehab, "people with serious <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/drug-abuse/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">substance abuse</a> disorders commonly require care for months or even years," she wrote. "The short-term fix mentality partially explains why so many people go back to their old habits."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dr. Mark Willenbring, a former director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said in an interview, "You don't treat a chronic illness for four weeks and then send the patient to a support group. People with a chronic form of addiction need multimodal treatment that is individualized and offered continuously or intermittently for as long as they need it."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dr. Willenbring now practices in St. Paul, where he is creating a <a href="http://www.alltyr.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">clinic called Alltyr</a> "to serve as a model to demonstrate what comprehensive 21st century treatment should look like."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"While some people are helped by one intensive round of treatment, the majority of addicts continue to need services," Dr. Willenbring said. He cited the case of a 43-year-old woman "who has been in and out of rehab 42 times" because she never got the full range of medical and support services she needed.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dr. Willenbring is especially distressed about patients who are treated for opioid addiction, then relapse in part because they are not given maintenance therapy with the drug Suboxone.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"We have some pretty good drugs to help people with addiction problems, but doctors don't know how to use them," he said. "The 12-step community doesn't want to use relapse-prevention medication because they view it as a crutch."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Before committing to a treatment program, Ms. Fletcher urges prospective clients or their families to do their homework. The first step, she said, is to get an independent assessment of the need for treatment, as well as the kind of treatment needed, by an expert who is not affiliated with the program you are considering.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Check on the credentials of the program's personnel, who should have "at least a master's degree," Ms. Fletcher said. If the therapist is a physician, he or she should be certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Does the facility's approach to treatment fit with your beliefs and values? If a 12-step program like A.A. is not right for you, don't choose it just because it's the best known approach.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Meet with the therapist who will treat you and ask what your treatment plan will be. "It should be more than movies, lectures or three-hour classes three times a week," Ms. Fletcher said. "You should be treated by a licensed addiction counselor who will see you one-on-one. Treatment should be individualized. One size does not fit all."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Find out if you will receive therapy for any underlying condition, like depression, or a social problem that could sabotage recovery. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states in its <a href="http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment</a>, "To be effective, treatment must address the individual's drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Look for programs using research-validated techniques, like cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps addicts recognize what prompts them to use drugs or alcohol, and learn to redirect their thoughts and reactions away from the abused substance.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">Other validated treatment methods include Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or Craft, an approach developed by Robert J. Meyers and described in his book, "Get Your Loved One Sober," with co-author Brenda L. Wolfe. It helps addicts adopt a lifestyle more rewarding than one filled with drugs and alcohol.</div></div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/effective-addiction-treatment/?src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=print">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/effective-addiction-treatment/?src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Effective Addiction Treatment - NYTimes.com

Countless people addicted to drugs, alcohol or both have managed to get clean and stay clean with the help of organizations like Alcoholics ...

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Don't just be right... do right

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagr.am/p/TDeTcqNRwW/" target="_blank" style="clear: left; float: left; "><img alt="" class="alignleft" height="500" id="blogsy-1360323751765.0344" src="http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/60fa45c242bc11e28ed022000a1fbc58_7.jpg" width="500"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We know every basketball player will miss some shots... so why do we expect others to be right all the time. And when they are wrong, how do we act?</td></tr></tbody></table> <blockquote><p> "You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right." Isaiah 64:5a</p></blockquote> <p>Do you ever read something and the unique combination of words just opens your mind to a truth?</p> <p>This morning the words describing a person who "JOYFULLY does what is RIGHT" lept off the page and furrowed my brow.</p> <p><strong>Do you know people are who are doing the right thing but with totally the WRONG attitude.</strong></p> <p>They stomp their foot and say, "Well this is the right thing and I'm going to do it if it just kills me" and then proceed to be so cranky and fussy that everyone knows they are doing the RIGHT thing and perhaps it is the RIGHT thing but they do it with such a WRONG attitude that you can't stomach being around the person?</p> <p><strong>Inside comes out more than you think.</strong></p> <p>As teachers, we are surrounded with doing the right thing for kids all the time. I can put on my happy face and serve my students with joy but if inside, I'm seething and angry and fussy and cranky, it does come out. It comes out when they're looking and I'm not. It comes out when they ask me a question.</p> <p><strong>But what about those WRONG decisions that vex me?</strong></p> <p>There are things that happen that are WRONG and decisions that are made that are WRONG. But that is the thing, we humans make wrong decisions and have the right to do so. Your administration, I promise you, will make some whoppers of wrong decisions and so will you. And if you don't cut your admin slack when they mess up, you're going to be eating a very unpleasant dinner when your whopper is served up steaming hot - because eventually, if you live long enough, you will screw up too.</p> <p><strong>But to joyfully do the right thing?</strong></p> <p>But this word - JOYFULLY do what is right. Does it stick in your craw like it does for me? I just can't quite swallow that task to joyfully do what is right. Because I get angry sometimes. Some things aren't fair, aren't right, and stink to high heaven like the pile of organic fertilizer that gets the buzzards circling in my hometown. It might be the right thing for me to do to just suck it up and let the bad decision be made, but to be joyful about it? To joyfully do the right thing?</p> <p>I don't have an answer for you today or quite honestly, one for me. I only accept these words as a true challenge to my soul and behavior. </p> <p><strong>If I do the RIGHT thing in a WRONG way does that make me less effective? Does it make me WRONG too?</strong></p> <p>You see them coming. The freight train. Filled with holy indignation, they are doing the right thing - don't get in their way -- they are RIGHT and they are coming THROUGH - through YOU if they have to.They are so right that you'd better not open your mouth or they will just cut your head off with a ginsu sharp word and keep on charging as the books on the bookshelves rattle and the stapler on your desk moves with the vibrating sound of the t-rex going by. They are RIGHT. Holy indignant -but right and everyone knows they are right. But God forbid, don't get stuck in a room with them. The poisonous dart of the vindictively right person will knock your attitude out faster than getting hit with a sleep inducing tribal blow gun from 10 feet. </p> <p>Some of the most harmful things in a school are the right person who chooses not to forgive and goes about letting everyone know it in the WRONG way. How many times do you have to rub our faces in it? -- A person screwed up. Now that's a new one, like this person hasn't screwed up before and won't again. And you really have to remind me years later about that screw up? Do you want others to keep such records on you?</p> <p>We can't minimize trying to do the right thing. <strong>But when people care more about being right than doing right, you've got a problem. </strong></p> <p>Ultimately, there is only one person in my school I have any control over at all... ME. And I can strive for and seek to "joyfully do what is right." </p> <p>Lest you think this is just to teachers... if you have teenagers or tots, this applies to you. If you're RIGHT as a parent but you go about dealing with it in the WRONG way - you might as well have been wrong in the eyes of your child who sees everything and sees every attitude.</p> <p>Don't just be right - do right. And do right joyfully. A lofty goal, but one worth pursing.</p> <p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" />Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad</a></div>

Inspiration Teaching Don't just be right... do right

We know every basketball player will miss some shots... so why do we expect others to be right all the time. And when they are wrong, how do...

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navy and orange library

I'm working with a dear friend on a living room refresh. She recently switched her dining room and living room and wants to make the new living room a cozy spot for reading, iPad watching and the occasional violin practice. (iPad for her and violin for the kids). I need to show you her dining room by the way - so good.<br /><br />What I love best about working with her is that I just plant the seed and girlfriend runs with it.  And since she is a mucho talented graphic designer, she always adds some killer flair along the way. Flair on your Chochkies uniform might be a thumbs down, but flair in your design is always a good thing. Flair is what takes a room from just pretty to pretty awesome.<br /><br />She is also good to indulge me in my color addiction and I try to limit myself to two colors in an effort not to drive her off a cliff. Is that teamwork or what?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA1Khz_BdKDVmkBNAPQYG9KYdVBP4W-RmmU6WdQYzcOo_Ie4YfhFMtXCcZ2Fokm9GNJUI_F4sJgnW_udsO673wJbdoFMCXoz7ImmaLW06_tuxmoDzB4BvuD0mtDY3LT-_z2U5Xr5HF-P/s1600/LittleBlackDoorBeccaLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA1Khz_BdKDVmkBNAPQYG9KYdVBP4W-RmmU6WdQYzcOo_Ie4YfhFMtXCcZ2Fokm9GNJUI_F4sJgnW_udsO673wJbdoFMCXoz7ImmaLW06_tuxmoDzB4BvuD0mtDY3LT-_z2U5Xr5HF-P/s640/LittleBlackDoorBeccaLR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Plan is set and in motion. Furniture has been delivered, bookshelves arrive next week and the grasscloth is in the corner ready to go up. Now all we need is some multi-day childcare so we can <strike>drink some wine</strike> get to work. Of course I'll be sure to share some pictures when it is ready for its closeup.<br /><br />Got a space that you want to refresh? I can help. Email me at news-these-days@gmail.com.<br /><br /><br />Sharing on <a href="http://designyourdwelling.blogspot.com/2013/02/mood-board-link-party-nursery-design.html" target="_blank">Design Your Dwelling</a>.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQglC3IQuTRjE7YFcwY6ZCxa3AxFPr1WFMYnybqLp9P-Jr9vC8LNwjP-q0vIvCtI3hmy9aJ3r2_lpnO_YcyImI12n7u2Vr_VWIW9Bo6we0ls1o_QbuuXV0QZBj6A6vknTG3pIpA7BXSJmT/s1600/-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQglC3IQuTRjE7YFcwY6ZCxa3AxFPr1WFMYnybqLp9P-Jr9vC8LNwjP-q0vIvCtI3hmy9aJ3r2_lpnO_YcyImI12n7u2Vr_VWIW9Bo6we0ls1o_QbuuXV0QZBj6A6vknTG3pIpA7BXSJmT/s200/-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://designyourdwelling.blogspot.com/2013/02/mood-board-link-party-nursery-design.html" target="_blank">Design Your Dwelling</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />

navy and orange library

I'm working with a dear friend on a living room refresh. She recently switched her dining room and living room and wants to make the new...

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Christopher Dorner Writings: The Scariest Parts Of The Alleged Cop Killer's 'Manifesto' (PHOTOS)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com</div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">Christopher Dorner, the former cop who <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/christopher-dorner-manhunt-los-angeles_n_2638023.html" style="border: none; color: #058b7b; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">allegedly killed three people</a>, posted a six-page manifesto to Facebook threatening "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">Dorner, 33, writes that racism, cover-ups and corruption within the Los Angeles Police Department led to his firing from the department in 2008.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">He claims that LAPD racism towards officers and Angelenos alike is worse than the "Rodney King days" and says that LA police officers celebrate dead bodies on crime scenes as a bonus to their paycheck.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">The former officer delivers a chilling message to the children of the officers he is targeting and instructs journalists on how to handle the story.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;"><img height="282" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/279483/slide_279483_2076556_free.jpg?1360279076000" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://htmlimg4.scribdassets.com/5nb902cge824c5s6/images/1-be1b1a1c11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://htmlimg4.scribdassets.com/5nb902cge824c5s6/images/1-be1b1a1c11.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><script src="http://pshared.5min.com/Scripts/PlayerSeed.js?sid=281&width=560&height=345&playList=517666730" type="text/javascript"></script> </div></div>

Christopher Dorner Christopher Dorner Writings: The Scariest Parts Of The Alleged Cop Killer's 'Manifesto' (PHOTOS)

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com Christopher Dorner, the former cop who  allegedly killed three people , posted a six-page manifesto to F...

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Depression and the Limits of Psychiatry - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div id="opinionator" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div align="left"><div class="entry-content"><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">I've recently been following the controversies about revisions to the psychiatric definition of depression.  I've also been teaching a graduate seminar on Michel Foucault, beginning with a reading of his "History of Madness."   This massive volume tries to discover the origins of modern psychiatric practice and raises questions about its meaning and validity.  The debate over depression is an excellent test case for Foucault's critique.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">At the center of that critique is Foucault's claim that modern psychiatry, while purporting to be grounded in scientific truths, is primarily a system of moral judgments. "What we call psychiatric practice," he says, "is a certain moral tactic . . . covered over by the myths of positivism."  Indeed, what psychiatry presents as the "liberation of the mad" (from mental illness) is in fact a "gigantic moral imprisonment."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Foucault may well be letting his rhetoric outstrip the truth, but his essential point requires serious consideration.  Psychiatric practice does seem to be based on implicit moral assumptions in addition to explicit empirical considerations, and efforts to treat mental illness can be society's way of controlling what it views as immoral (or otherwise undesirable) behavior. Not long ago, homosexuals and women who rejected their stereotypical roles were judged "mentally ill," and there's no guarantee that even today psychiatry is free of similarly dubious judgments.   Much later, in a more subdued tone, Foucault said that the point of his social critiques was "not that everything is bad but that everything is dangerous."  We can best take his critique of psychiatry in this moderated sense.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Current psychiatric practice is guided by the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM).   Its <a href="http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/grief-over-new-depression-diagnosis/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">new 5^th edition</a> makes controversial revisions in the definition of depression, eliminating a long-standing "bereavement exception" in the guidelines for diagnosing a "major depressive disorder."   People grieving after the deaths of loved ones may exhibit the same sorts of symptoms (sadness, sleeplessness and loss of interest in daily activities among them) that characterize major depression.  For many years, the DSM specified that, since grieving is a <em>normal</em>response to bereavement, such symptoms are not an adequate basis for diagnosing major depression.  The new edition removes this exemption.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Disputes over the bereavement exemption center on the significance of "normal."   Although the term sometimes signifies merely what is usual or average, in discussions of mental illness it most often has normative force.  Proponents of the exemption need not claim that depressive symptoms are usual in the bereaved, merely that they are appropriate (fitting).</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Opponents of the exemption have appealed to empirical studies that compare cases of normal bereavement to cases of major depression.  They offer evidence that normal bereavement and major depression can present substantially the same symptoms, and conclude that there is no basis for treating them differently. But this logic is faulty.  Even if the symptoms are exactly the same, proponents of the exemption can still argue that they are appropriate for someone mourning a loved one but not otherwise.  The suffering may be the same, but suffering from the death of a loved one may still have a value that suffering from other causes does not. No amount of empirical information about the nature and degree of suffering can, by itself, tell us whether someone ought to endure it.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Foucault is, then, right: psychiatric practice makes essential use of moral (and other evaluative) judgments.  Why is this dangerous?  Because, first of all, psychiatrists as such have no special knowledge about how people should live.  They can, from their clinical experience, give us crucial information about the likely psychological consequences of living in various ways (for sexual pleasure, for one's children, for a political cause).  But they have no special insight into what sorts of consequences make for a good human life.  It is, therefore, dangerous to make them privileged judges of what syndromes should be labeled "mental illnesses."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">This is especially so because, like most professionals, psychiatrists are more than ready to think that just about everyone needs their services.  (As the psychologist Abraham Maslow said, "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail").   Another factor is the pressure the pharmaceutical industry puts on psychiatrists to expand the use of psychotropic drugs. The result has been the often criticized "medicalization" of what had previously been accepted as normal behavior-for example, shyness, little boys unable to sit still in school, and milder forms of anxiety.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Of course, for a good number of mental conditions there is almost universal agreement that they are humanly devastating and should receive psychiatric treatment.   For these, psychiatrists are good guides to the best methods of diagnosis and treatment.  But when there is significant ethical disagreement about treating a given condition, psychiatrists, who are trained as physicians, may often have a purely medical viewpoint that is not especially suited to judging moral issues.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">For cases like the bereavement exclusion, the DSM should give equal weight to the judgments of those who understand the medical view but who also have a broader perspective.  For example, humanistic psychology (in the tradition of Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May) would view bereavement not so much a set of symptoms as a way of living in the world, with its meaning varying for different personalities and social contexts.  Specialists in medical ethics would complement the heavily empirical focus of psychiatry with the explicitly normative concerns of rigorously developed ethical systems such as utilitarianism, Kantianism and virtue ethics.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Another important part of the mix should come from a new but rapidly developing field, <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/psychiatry/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">philosophy of psychiatry</a>, which analyzes the concepts and methodologies of psychiatric practice.  Philosophers of psychiatry have raised fundamental objections to the DSM's assumption that a diagnosis can be made solely from clinical descriptions of symptoms, with little or no attention to the underlying causes of the symptoms.  Given these objections, dropping the bereavement exception-a rare appeal to the cause of symptoms-is especially problematic.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Finally, we should include those who have experienced severe bereavement, as well as relatives and friends who have lived with their pain.  In particular, those who suffer (or have suffered) from bereavement offer an essential first-person perspective.  As Foucault might have said, the psyche is too important to be left to the psychiatrists.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; "><em>Gary Gutting is a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and an editor of <a href="http://ndpr.nd.edu/about/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews</a>. He is the author, most recently, of "Thinking the Impossible: French Philosophy since 1960," and writes regularly for The Stone. He was recently interviewed in <a href="http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/what-philosophers-know/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">3am magazine</a>.</em></div></div></div></div></div><a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/the-limits-of-psychiatry/?pagewanted=print">http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/the-limits-of-psychiatry/?pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Depression and the Limits of Psychiatry - NYTimes.com

I've recently been following the controversies about revisions to the psychiatric definition of depression.  I've also been teaching...

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28 in 28 #7: Qualities of Duration

<i>February is Book Month on A Daily Dose of Architecture. The "<a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/search/label/28%20in%2028">28 in 28</a>" series features a different book every day of the month.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.artbook.com/9788862082310.html"><b><i>Qualities of Duration: The Architecture of Phillip Smith and Douglas Thompson</i></b></a> by Alastair Gordon<br />Damiani/Gordon De Vries Studio, 2012<br />Hardcover, 221 pages<br /><br /><img alt="28-28_smith-thompson.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/28-28_smith-thompson.jpg" title="Book cover" /><br /><br />Ever since taking Martin Filler's question "Is the architect's monograph our latest endangered species?" <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2011/03/oeuvre-kaput.html">seriously</a>, I've paid attention to the non formulaic tendencies of monographs, be it their format, layout, or other means of conveying to readers what buildings they have worked on and realized. This monograph on New York's <a href="http://smithandthompsonarchitects.com/">Smith and Thompson Architects</a> is notable for the way it tells the story of the duo's architecture as just that, a story. While Alastair Gordon's writing does describe the various projects that Phillip Smith and Douglas Thompson have worked on since the 1970s, he does it with a narrative flow that is often missing from monographs.<br /><br />Rather than positioning projects one after the other, as is the norm, the projects fit into six overlapping chronological chapters. Within each chapter the projects fall into place like episodes within their lives. This emphasis on experience and personal narrative is intentional and appropriate for two architects "whose work stands out as an oasis of calm in an age of hyper speed and information overload." Their buildings and interiors refuse to be defined by any sort of style or -ism. They respect the past, even as they embrace the modern language of architecture.<br /><br />The building gracing the cover, a gallery, office space, and residence located at the corner of 10th Avenue and West 23rd Street, is easily their most well-known work, especially since the opening of the High Line about a decade after the building's completion. Inspired by the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, a vernacular residence in Cairo, and the Manhattan grid, the architects crafted a cubic composition that balances indoor and outdoor spaces. I've always appreciated the thoughtfully designed courtyard; the way it screens the intersection, invites the adjacent sycamore tree, and gives the glass-walled interiors some privacy. It's a delightful space that is born from the conditions of the city but creates an oasis within it. Or as Gordon puts it, "The city is still out there, rude and clamorous, but it seems distant and remote."<br /><br /><b>US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8862082312/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8862082312&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan.gif" /></a> CA: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/8862082312/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8862082312&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.ca" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-ca.gif" width="90" /></a> UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/8862082312/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8862082312&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.co.uk" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-uk.gif" width="90" /></a></b>

28 in 28 #7: Qualities of Duration

February is Book Month on A Daily Dose of Architecture. The " 28 in 28 " series features a different book every day of the month. ...

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Library Executive Director - New Canaan Library

<strong>Library Executive Director - </strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">New Canaan Library</span></strong>—a 21st century library—seeks a 21st century Executive Director! The Board of Trustees seeks a broad-gauged thinker and dynamic leader to provide strategic direction, participate in the building of a stellar new library and continue to develop the Library’s role as the cornerstone of the community’s intellectual and cultural life. In addition to managing day-to-day library operations, the key objectives for the next Executive Director will be to move forward with the strategic vision, participate in planning the new facility, lead a capital campaign for its development, and enhance alternative funding streams to continue an outstanding level of service, programs and growth. Responsibilities: The Executive Director is appointed by and reports to an 18-member Library Board of Trustees and works with the Board, staff, and others to implement the strategic vision for the Library. The Executive Director is responsible for the overall administration of day-to-day operations and finances of the Library, coordinating with the Board of Trustees on major initiatives and managing development and fundraising programs. The Executive Director will be the face of the organization and be responsible for managing the budget as well as provide staffing and personnel leadership. See the New Canaan Library Executive Director <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.gossagesager.com/NewCanaanEDjobdesc.pdf" href="http://www.gossagesager.com/NewCanaanEDjobdesc.pdf" target="_blank">Job Description</a> for additional details. Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have an advanced degree in Nonprofit Management, Public or Business Administration or Library Science. The position requires a minimum of eight years of relevant work experience including four years of experience in an administrative capacity, or any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully perform the requirements of the position. Essential attributes and skills include: experience and success with fundraising and development; excellent writing and communication skills; strong traditional and digital marketing skills, confident presentation skills, political acumen; collaborative and consensus-building skills; and a thorough knowledge of current trends and “best practices” for library or nonprofit management. Proven success working with and reporting to a governing board is a preferred qualification. Experience with a major building and construction project is a plus but not essential. Compensation: The position offers a hiring salary range of $115,000-130,000 (placement dependent upon experience and qualifications) and an attractive benefits package. For information, contact Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates by phone or via email. Apply via email with a meaningful cover letter and your resume as Word or pdf attachments to <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:DanBradbury@gossagesager.com" href="mailto:DanBradbury@gossagesager.com">Dan Bradbury</a> or <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:jobethbradbury@gossagesager.com" href="mailto:jobethbradbury@gossagesager.com">Jobeth Bradbury</a>. The position closes <span style="color: red;">March 24, 2013</span>.

Library Executive Director - New Canaan Library

Library Executive Director - New Canaan Library —a 21st century library—seeks a 21st century Executive Director! The Board of Trustees see...

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Coconut Body Mist

<p>It always amazes me the amount of blogs that are purely based on reviewing certain products.  It is obviously something that is enjoyed by blog readers so I am going to do my first blog review and see if I receive any extra readers. </p><p>The product that I am going to review are <a href="http://keywestaloe.com/">Key West Aloe </a>Coconut Body Mist.</p><p>Coconut Body Mist is a tropical smelling product.  I bought this spray in the Key West Aloe Store on Duval Street.  The lady who served me explained that there used to be a factory in Key West that made all the products that they sold in the store.  The factory closed down in about the 90’s and the products are all made elsewhere in the USA.  I was glad to hear that production is still in the USA and hopefully I was supporting US jobs when I purchased it.  My husband also bought a spray in this store to keep the dog fresh smelling!  The Coconut Spray smells great and it reminds me of Key West every time I use it. it is very refreshing and on a warm day I think it would very cooling.</p><p>So there you have it my first product review – I hope you enjoyed it! </p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-1PGlzw_44SBC3TYsFXuEBeoxiiLnRKkhPOgA8hcEe2KA6NnsJKhJZMkZeFSCac3fNrW3UBj3sYqBV3icnCUhddzeeWP6MwfKbA7TspwGIFHXjg8Ab6KC5qHhhrtP19dlQD0UQrQP7kQ/s1600/20130207_195221.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-1PGlzw_44SBC3TYsFXuEBeoxiiLnRKkhPOgA8hcEe2KA6NnsJKhJZMkZeFSCac3fNrW3UBj3sYqBV3icnCUhddzeeWP6MwfKbA7TspwGIFHXjg8Ab6KC5qHhhrtP19dlQD0UQrQP7kQ/s400/20130207_195221.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Coconut Body Mist

It always amazes me the amount of blogs that are purely based on reviewing certain products.  It is obviously something that is enjoyed by b...

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Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 02/07/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://bighugelabs.com">BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">This is a great website that lets you do fun things with your photos. In particular, I like having students create a magazine cover of themselves in 10 years inspired by their goals of today. If they keep doing what they are doing now, what things will be their genius? Great, fun website. I also use the motivator to make fun sports photos for playoff games, etc.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/photos">photos</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> <ul class="diigo-comments"> </ul> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers/lesson-plans/">Civil War Lesson Plans</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">When you're studying a particular subject, it makes sense to dig deeper. For example, the Civil War Trust has some excellent lesson plans on the Civil War as well as a field trip planner, glossary of civil war terms, civil war coloring book, and more. If you cover the civil war in the US, you'll want to visit this site. If you're studying anything, try searching for the word "lesson plans" in quotes along with the topic with a plus like +"civil war" and you'll be amazed at the results. Many of them align with standards from the states or National Council for Social Studies.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history">history</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history_teacher">history_teacher</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history">Hungry History — Food & Culinary History</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">It is a great way to study culture and history to incorporate food into the lessons. As I've been perusing history websites to update my knowledge of what is out there, I came across hungry history on the history channel and love some of these ideas. If you're studying the UK, why not try scones? The South - fried chicken? </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history">history</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history_teacher">history_teacher</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.history.com/shows/classroom/articles/study-guides">THC Classroom — Study Guides — History.com</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">The history channel has printable study guides to go along with their content including Beowulf, Odysseus, World history, Civics, Geography, and more. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history">history</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history_teacher">history_teacher</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/sschat">sschat</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://teachinghistory.org/history-content">History Content | Teachinghistory.org</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">A US website funded with a grant from the US government that has history content, teaching materials and best practices in history. They also review website. They also have a historian that you can ask questions to and a database of previously asked questions. In a feature I like, they have a section of the site for the digital classroom.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history">history</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history_teacher">history_teacher</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.besthistorysites.net">Best of History Web Sites</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">My friends at Edtech teacher have a fantastic "best of history" websites. This is a must share website for history teachers where you will find many great resources.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history">history</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/history_teacher">history_teacher</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p> <ul class="diigo-comments"> </ul> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 02/07/2013

BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos This is a great website that lets you do fun things with ...

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31 Days of Oscar: The Rains Came (1939)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ghgoCNNewLQwEwHmduCMjJqhyphenhyphenbI5TZL5cmp0QI0b9GBZkBLxc5fnCql6X2iBaF87t9zSRIDGP9NIKkdGcJC7a2LytDi6vxscdgc1rfpcNPHcE71KLzJ5XHgj51kwAQ6_kmu5wdnAzHk/s1600/Ty+Myrna+and+Brent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ghgoCNNewLQwEwHmduCMjJqhyphenhyphenbI5TZL5cmp0QI0b9GBZkBLxc5fnCql6X2iBaF87t9zSRIDGP9NIKkdGcJC7a2LytDi6vxscdgc1rfpcNPHcE71KLzJ5XHgj51kwAQ6_kmu5wdnAzHk/s400/Ty+Myrna+and+Brent.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no mistaking that drama on a grand scale is about to take place even before the first scene of <i>The Rains Came </i>(1939) begins. Alfred Newman's commanding score <span style="font-size: small;">pounds, the title s<span style="font-size: small;">equence rolls over the dark image of a<span style="font-size: small;"> rain drenched ancient city, and as each hand-lettered title appears it is soon washed from the screen as if swept away in a downpour<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTajSjs6tWWsJy0X_Wk1y3t9xHMm0L37b2ZtMOOai0gJ-8mrGgUSwOAqch1cbUH5FnHGW9bue2aDSIs8yw1l_p8Dn2-b_DHr71USAR1dIu-w7NrqRAGEvZeaTQCdS9SNt_kyi31zJfAI/s1600/the+rains+came+titles_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTajSjs6tWWsJy0X_Wk1y3t9xHMm0L37b2ZtMOOai0gJ-8mrGgUSwOAqch1cbUH5FnHGW9bue2aDSIs8yw1l_p8Dn2-b_DHr71USAR1dIu-w7NrqRAGEvZeaTQCdS9SNt_kyi31zJfAI/s640/the+rains+came+titles_opt.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The film opens on a more languid note. A group of Indian musicians plays a song, <span style="font-size: small;">hypnotic and dreamy, beneath a tree filled with chattering monkeys. A white man, taking shade from the heat, observes from the broad veranda where he lounges<span style="font-size: small;">. This lighter<span style="font-size: small;"> tone persists as the man, British expatriate Tom Ransome (George Brent) is visited by his good friend, Major Rama Safti (<a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2012/08/remembering-tyrone-power.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tyrone Power</span></b></a>), and then by an American missionary's wife bearing a party invitation. Later on, lovely and wayward Lady Edwina Esketh (Myrna Loy) arrives in India and the mood begins to shift with her troublesome presence<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkCtbgcynkD3fOWYltgi3Y6Ap0Qw_swyaNfxO3_3VcwFAwTrgu4tt8gE9j1iAfgR7-8GCAnhyphenhyphenoqMS7RYswfXPd75bdBkMN-tKwYXpp7QySujU6cujvCEJidilvXOt4pFwo1HEF53iLEc/s1600/Brent+and+Loy+tryst_opt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkCtbgcynkD3fOWYltgi3Y6Ap0Qw_swyaNfxO3_3VcwFAwTrgu4tt8gE9j1iAfgR7-8GCAnhyphenhyphenoqMS7RYswfXPd75bdBkMN-tKwYXpp7QySujU6cujvCEJidilvXOt4pFwo1HEF53iLEc/s320/Brent+and+Loy+tryst_opt.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">George Brent and Myrna Loy, alone in a darkened room somewhere in the palace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Halfway into this lavish forbidden love/disaster epic,<span style="font-size: small;"> a massive ea<span style="font-size: small;">rthquake strikes and <span style="font-size: small;">triggers a catastrophic flood. As the plot's steamy intrigues have stirred the emotions, so the cinematic vision of quake and flood overwhelms the senses. For these t<span style="font-size: small;">hrilling sequences the very first Oscar for Best <span style="font-size: small;">Special Effects was awarded to <a href="http://nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com/2010/12/fred-sersen-burns-chicago-and-floods.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fred Sersen</span></b></a> (visual effects) and E.H. Hansen (sound effects). <i><span style="font-size: small;">The Rains Came</span></i><span style="font-size: small;">, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and dir<span style="font-size: small;">ected by<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113284/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Clarence Brown</span></b></a></span></span> for 20th Century Fox, was nominated for another five Academy Awards.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span>t's believed that the first in-c<span style="font-size: small;">amera special effect was part of a short film <span style="font-size: small;">sequence<span style="font-size: small;"> titled <i>The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots</i> <span style="font-size: small;">(1895)</span></span></span>. The effect of a be-heading was achieved with the use of a dummy and a shot known as a substitution shot or a st<span style="font-size: small;">op trick. A few years later pioneering George Melies produced his 14 minute <span style="font-size: small;">effects-laden</span> <i>La voyage dans la lune</i><span style="font-size: small;">/<i>A Trip to the Moon </i>(1902) and by 1923 Cecil B. DeMille was able to simulate the parting of the Red Sea for the first time with his original version of <i>The Ten<span style="font-size: small;"> C</span>ommandments</i>. When the first Academy Awards were presented for 1928 a plaque for Best Engineering Effects was given to Roy Pomeroy for <i>Wings</i>, but the category did no<span style="font-size: small;">t continue. An honorary award was presented to Gordon Jennings (and shared with others) for effects created on 1938's <i>Spawn of the North</i>; <span style="font-size: small;">the <span style="font-size: small;">following year the Best Special Effects category was established. 1939, that banner year of legendary Hollywood films, was  <i>Gone with the Wind</i>'s year when it came to record-breaking Academy Award wins (eight). Among the five it did not win was the special effects award taken by <i>The Rains Came</i>; a total of seven films had been nominated in the <span style="font-size: small;">category</span> including <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpB8meI4Z83Vt8lfSpgHBlISHiw6PuGh8lTlIy0OiMgb5ggJB783T6f4ATC7IS1zSBOCfhjvdUNhbw-GLSLB7g30nvxxnqGIVR78cZ_8PpW92ZaIZeRgy7PajxH9UI72Ac7SrMU84TGU8/s1600/Loy+and+Power_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpB8meI4Z83Vt8lfSpgHBlISHiw6PuGh8lTlIy0OiMgb5ggJB783T6f4ATC7IS1zSBOCfhjvdUNhbw-GLSLB7g30nvxxnqGIVR78cZ_8PpW92ZaIZeRgy7PajxH9UI72Ac7SrMU84TGU8/s320/Loy+and+Power_opt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Myrna Loy and Tyrone Power at the Maharani's music school</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span id="goog_466238980"></span><span id="goog_466238981"></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Rains Came</i> <span style="font-size: small;">was based on <a href="http://www.ohioana-authors.org/bromfield/highlights.php"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Louis Bromfield</span></b></a>'s best-selling 1937 novel, <i>The Rains Came: A Novel of Modern India</i><span style="font-size: small;">. Set in the fictional Indian state of Ranchipur during the last years of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/independence1947_01.shtml"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>British Ra<span style="font-size: small;">j</span></b></span></a>, the story follows three principal characters. Tom Ransome (Brent) is a charming sot of a British 'younger son' (ar<span style="font-size: small;">istocrat) who arrived Ranchipur seven years earlier to paint a <span style="font-size: small;">still unfinished portrait. Lady Edwina Esketh (L<span style="font-size: small;">oy) is the jaded and promiscuous trophy wife of the much older and unrelentingly boorish Lord Esketh (Nigel Bruce). Major Rama Safti (Power) is a high-caste Indian doctor who trained in the U.S. and returned to Ranchipur, bringing with him the mo<span style="font-size: small;">dern practice of medicine and enlightened social values. Early on, Ransome and Lady Esketh, former lovers, meet at a party in the royal palace. After the two slip away from the festivities for a bit of private passion, they return and Lady Esketh's roving eye falls upon the handsome 'pale copper Apollo,' Major Safti. To Ransome's displeasure, Edwina makes it clear she plans to seduce the young doctor. Meanwhile, Ranchipur looks forward to the end of its dry <span style="font-size: small;">season and all anxiously await the coming of the rain. When it comes, it arrives in an unending torrent. Soon a powerful e<span style="font-size: small;">arthquake hits and the swollen local dam collapses. The ensuing calamity disrupts the best laid plans, virtuous and scandalous alike, of everyone in Ranchipur.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YZzkJyxyqnPG9TqUVTscA3fNNIOxqb2txOqH7r-StiQGNXWE6_Gy3j6yt9OnA_eVShauw55sklFBTYaLTItikfjGc2uci4jsi4RVlTer82y_b9CovKUh32W1SVlpK_9-160DGjqegLo/s1600/Rains+Came+Fred+Sersen+dwg+for+TRC_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YZzkJyxyqnPG9TqUVTscA3fNNIOxqb2txOqH7r-StiQGNXWE6_Gy3j6yt9OnA_eVShauw55sklFBTYaLTItikfjGc2uci4jsi4RVlTer82y_b9CovKUh32W1SVlpK_9-160DGjqegLo/s400/Rains+Came+Fred+Sersen+dwg+for+TRC_opt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fred Sersen's drawing for flood scene<i></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr1VHSuEa51FG6u5Hdl9dgPp-Z0qos0RGmbK_h268vD9GP-XGyquJTT0ewg8JvCpx01eju1PJiu5kGP6wTwcaJ63w7s76T7BnlmpbFx3bi-Qg3o4Q1iYzOekfSsUR2PBZStwehLziEpw/s1600/Rains+Came+flood+scene_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr1VHSuEa51FG6u5Hdl9dgPp-Z0qos0RGmbK_h268vD9GP-XGyquJTT0ewg8JvCpx01eju1PJiu5kGP6wTwcaJ63w7s76T7BnlmpbFx3bi-Qg3o4Q1iYzOekfSsUR2PBZStwehLziEpw/s400/Rains+Came+flood+scene_opt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Flood scene</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">According to The Hollywood Reporter<span style="font-size: x-small;">, the film was budgeted at $2,500,000 with $500,000 for sets and $500,<span style="font-size: x-small;">000 for the flood and earthquake scenes. A tank holding 50,000 gallons of water was constructed on a Fox sound stage to create the effects for the flood scenes. 350 grips, carpen<span style="font-size: x-small;">ters and<span style="font-size: x-small;"> other<span style="font-size: x-small;">s worked on these sequences for more than a month. </span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><it and="" author="" background="" bromfield="" characters="" environment="" grow="" must="" of="" out="" philosophy="" rathe="" s="" span="" story="" that="" the="" their="" was="">It was author Bromfield's philosophy that "<span style="font-size: small;">the story must grow out of the characters, their environment and b<span style="font-size: small;">ackground" rather</span></span> than "be imposed on a plot."  </it>The natural disaster of the earthquake, along with <span style="font-size: small;">the </span>flood, fires and cholera that follow, profoundly alters <span style="font-size: small;">each</span> main character. Tom Ransome and Lady Esketh, both molded in the world of the British aristocracy, are transformed. Ransome, whose expat life in exotic Ranchipur had grown dissolute and stale, is restored, finding new purpose in the aftermath through service to the Maharani and in discovering new love. Edwina Esketh, once the incarnation of chilly self-indulgence, volunteers at Major Safti's hospital. Having fallen in love with the doctor and no longer in predatory pursuit of him, she wishes to be useful and helpful in his work. Noble Major Safti, who has been a model of duty and devotion to his country as well as a symbol of "the new India," realizes that he cannot - <span style="font-size: small;">and will not -</span> reason away what has awakened in his heart. These characters and a narrative of il<span style="font-size: small;">licit love set in a colonial outpost are what make <i>The Rains Came</i> connect as something more than a beautifully filmed and scored special effects extravaganza.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cast against type (something that rarely happened once she became MGM's "ideal wife"), <span style="font-size: small;">Myrna Loy</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">is entirely <span style="font-size: small;">believable as man-eating Edwin Esketh, a spoiled woman who is humbled and changed by love and cir<span style="font-size: small;">cumstance. Sparks fly when Loy <span style="font-size: small;">shares the screen with Tyrone Power. One of Power's stren<span style="font-size: small;">gths is his ability to underplay in in<span style="font-size: small;">timate scenes. His resonant voic<span style="font-size: small;">e softens and takes on a hint of velvet as he communicates emotion through his eyes. The effect is heart-melting warmth.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Loy and Power share one especially tender scene that takes place in the early morning on a hospital ward. That scene is included at the end of the following clip which also contains a classic sequence in which the very tired Lady Esketh makes and <span style="font-size: small;">then </span>realizes that she's made a horrific mistake (listen for the sustained-string musical<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>cue): <span style="color: red;">6/3/13 update: the YouTube clip originally included below was recently deleted from the site.</span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q08NLpvtdKw" width="420"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span>  <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">George Brent, who received third billing, is the actual male lead and he, like Loy, believably conveys his character's transformation, in Ransome's case from roue to responsible citizen.  Ransome's involvement with infatuated young Fern Simon (Brenda Joyce) is the film's other dangerous romance.  She is <i>very </i>young, he is decades older and has a reputation.<i> </i>This was Joyce's film debut and it shows. She is a beautiful girl but green and awkward onscreen. Zanuck had initially considered Lana Turner for the role but, unfortunately, settled on the Fox starlet instead. Solid in supporting roles are Nigel Bruce (Lord Esketh), Maria Ouspenskaya (Maharani), H.B. Warner (Maharajah) and Mary Nash (Miss McDaid). As was the custom then, all the key Indian characters are portrayed by Caucasian actors: Power, Ouspenskaya, Warner and Joseph Schildkraut (Mr. Bannerjee).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.americancomposers.org/raksin_newman.htm"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alfred Newman</span></b></a>'s stunning score for <i>The Rains Came</i> is a favorite of mine.  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dramatic (the main theme) and </span>romantic (he uses the sweet and haunting "Hindoo Love Song" as Lady Esketh and Major Safti's love theme), it is also chilling (the music cues that signal danger, as in the scene shown above). Newman received an Oscar nomination for his score (as well as for three other films he scored that year: <i>Wuthering Heights</i>, <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame </i>and <i>They Shall Have Music</i>). In all, Alfred Newman was nominated for 45 Oscars, won 9 (a record) and is considered one of the "three godfathers" of film music along with Max Steiner and Dmitri Tiomkin.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Rains Came</i> does not masquerade as a realistic depiction of India in the 1930s (there is no mention of Gandhi or British oppression), it is a visually dazzling romantic epic - a true Hollywood Movie - and irresistible.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Rains Came</i> airs Friday morning, February 8, at 9:30am Eastern/6:30am Pacific on Turner Classic Movies as part of its annual "31 Days of Oscar" celebration. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><br /><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oscar Nominations</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Special Effects  - Fred Sersen, E.H. Hansen (winner)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Music/Original Score - Alfred Newman</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cinematography - Arthur C. Miller</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Art Direction - William S. Darling, George Dudley</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Film Editing - Barbara McLean</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sound Recording - E. H. Hansen</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><br /><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This post is my entry in the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon hosted by Once Upon a Screen, Outspoken & Freckled and Paula's Cinema Club. <a href="http://aurorasginjoint.com/2013/01/25/31-days-of-oscar-blogathon-update/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Click here</span></a> for a link to a listing of participating blogs.</span></i></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3eoOGICxHW-Y6uyYwtrldKgho0M892BimA6IloWOnzR_VZMOBkQ6RsdreIOVnnncnqdBlujJOP5yeC98mBzdrGFPaCLFPAvjjoxSS2UXfFTS8VSyHH_PNkfLwAnrXyMegSVWYwDe-24/s1600/31days-800_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3eoOGICxHW-Y6uyYwtrldKgho0M892BimA6IloWOnzR_VZMOBkQ6RsdreIOVnnncnqdBlujJOP5yeC98mBzdrGFPaCLFPAvjjoxSS2UXfFTS8VSyHH_PNkfLwAnrXyMegSVWYwDe-24/s320/31days-800_opt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />

1939 31 Days of Oscar 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon Best Special Effects Clarence Brown Fred Sersen George Brent Myrna Loy Special Effects TCM The Lady Eve (author) The Rains Came Tyrone Power 31 Days of Oscar: The Rains Came (1939)

There is no mistaking that drama on a grand scale is about to take place even before the first scene of The Rains Came (1939) begins. Alfred...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 02/07/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://trunk.evernote.com/app/popclip/mac">PopClip - Mac - English - Evernote Trunk</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">This very cool Mac app, Popclip, lets you highlight and send text on a page just about anywhere (including evernote.) I wish I had this for sending quotes to buffer, etc.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mac">mac</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/10-apps-that-work-great-with-evernote/">10 Apps That Work Great With Evernote</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">I've used some of these apps like Kustomnote. I like vjournal as my daily diary that goes into Evernote. This is a nice list of apps that work well with evernote. Take a look.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 02/07/2013

PopClip - Mac - English - Evernote Trunk This very cool Mac app, Popclip, lets you highlight and sen...

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No Saturday Mail Delivery is Bullshit!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola y’all! Uh, I had a really deep and thoughtful post planned for today, but my Hillbilly Neighbor Shastina came over this afternoon and was really upset. She said she really needed to get something off her chest so I said “Have at it” …<br /><br />HEYYYYYYYYY! This is Shastina again. Remember me? Jay’s “hillbilly” neighbor? I don’t know why he calls me that and honestly if he wasn’t so God Damn CUTE I would drag him about back and whoop his ass for it. Anyway, there are couple of things I need to get off my chest. NO MATT-MAN? IS THAT YOUR NAME? WHOEVERTHEFUCKYOUARE my shirt and bra are NOT what I need to get off my chest. I have a couple of things buggin’ me.<br /><br />First I’m not happy that my one and only for … foryeah? Shit, how do you spell … well fuck it … my one and only trip into the seedy internet world resulted in some motorcycle freak with 893 guns taking a shining to me. I was gonna just let it go but since I was going to be here anyway, I thought I would ask WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT? I had to get the locks on my doors changed just to be careful. Then I went out and bought a second .357 magnum just like my old one to keep in my car.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pE5sNW7tRtJ0-zlBTLeM2NK1mCvuH20ZyR2tR2ByOKZYVbUPva8PCVusVmG2nPxionNLTTKfDYKqiu1T1sEKY4-G6kSZDtgz9sNxKTKaqsN9Aev1UADQhTcRgF_CAL8C5DPZ4M1tuLg/s1600/Hot+Nude+Redneck+Girl+Banjo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pE5sNW7tRtJ0-zlBTLeM2NK1mCvuH20ZyR2tR2ByOKZYVbUPva8PCVusVmG2nPxionNLTTKfDYKqiu1T1sEKY4-G6kSZDtgz9sNxKTKaqsN9Aev1UADQhTcRgF_CAL8C5DPZ4M1tuLg/s400/Hot+Nude+Redneck+Girl+Banjo.jpg" width="220" /></a>I knew the internet was full of fucking freaks and that’s why I don’t bother with it. At first I even blamed Jay despite the fact that he is just the sweetest thang ever. But, then I realized that a really fucking smart, sexy broad like me shouldn’t be taking the chances I took when I posted that. Jay had no way of knowing that I would become an internet sensation and guys from coast to coast would waggin their tongues and whackin their pathetic little willies over me. So, I forgive Jayman and am willing to prove it at any time. Well, as soon as he gets tested, but we don’t need to get into that shit again.<br /><br />Okay, so that’s the first thing. I don’t care how allurin and exotic you freaks out there find me, no stalking! You hear me motorcycle shitbag?  And just in case you don’t speak English …. NOLO EL STALKO ALLOWEDO! Got it?<br /><br />Okay, that’s all for that. Second thing I need to talk about is this whole no mail delivery on Saturday shit. Who was the liberal elitist panty waste who came up with this shit? Fuck him. He doesn’t understand how folks live and how important Saturday delivery is to some folks.<br /><br />See, my family runs a … what should I call it? A “home based business.” WINK WINK? If you know what I mean? OH HAIL! THEY MAKE AND SELL MOONSHINE AND METH JESUS FUCK YOU PEOPLE ARE SLOW! I swear, the more education and so-called sophistication you got the dumber you are.<br /><br />Anyhoodle, it may not seem like much, but Saturday home delivery is important in the home based business world. See? We get a lot of orders for our … product WINK WINK in the mail. And we get most of our orders on Saturday cause it takes about a week to manufacture our … product WINK WINK (I hope y’all are following me on this. You don’t seem all that smart.) and people like to have their orders by the weekend.<br /><br />I know you think we’ll adapt and overcome, and maybe we will, but it won’t be easy. Some of those backwoods folk don’t take well to change. They’re not like me, living up here in the big town, driving on paved roads being read by freaks on the internet. They’re simple people who like simple things and they don’t want NO FUCKING CHANGES!<br /><br />Well, that’s all I got. Thanks to Jay for lettin me speak my mind. Maybe I’ll give him a titty flash while he’s watching me through the peephole of his front door. Damn, that’s the way to stalk someone right there! Be subtle baby!<br /><br />And oh yeah, HAPPY FUCKIN BIRTHDAY TO MATT-MAN! I give Jayman permission to send you any undercover pics he takes of me. I don’t even know you and I’m giving you a fuckin present. Shit. Look what you internet perverts have done to me.<br /><br />Shastina<br /><br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Also, definitely check out yesterday's I'm With Stupid. It was all kinds of fun as we took down that stupid Favstar thing and people's desperate need for validation. Also, sweet and sexy Tantra Flower joined us for part of the show. You GOTTA hear her voice! AW YEAH! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4371481&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4371481&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;">Listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/">internet radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">Im With Stupid</a> on Blog Talk Radio<br /><br /><br /></div></div>

No Saturday Mail Delivery is Bullshit!

Hola y’all! Uh, I had a really deep and thoughtful post planned for today, but my Hillbilly Neighbor Shastina came over this afternoon and w...

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Skyscraper

This morning I was reading Martin Pawley's assessment of the 1989 Channel 4 documentary <i>Skyscraper</i>, made by Karl Sabbagh. Pawley referred to the four-part series as a must-see for its insight into the financing, technology, and architecture of <a href="http://petergof.com/nyc/world_wide_plaza.htm">One Worldwide Plaza</a> in Manhattan. I couldn't resist trying to find it online, and coincidentally all four parts were uploaded to YouTube exactly one month ago by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/DigiComTV?feature=watch">DigiComTV</a>. So here they are. Try not to be discouraged by the bad 80s TV soundtrack, or David Childs' postmodernism.<br /><br />Part 1:<br /><object height="480" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-sGkfmIgzk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-sGkfmIgzk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 2:<br /><object height="480" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vuc7ok-4rdo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vuc7ok-4rdo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 3:<br /><object height="480" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X8Z-rfLtYIY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X8Z-rfLtYIY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 4:<br /><object height="480" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/77yhLMUAq-w?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/77yhLMUAq-w?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Skyscraper

This morning I was reading Martin Pawley's assessment of the 1989 Channel 4 documentary Skyscraper , made by Karl Sabbagh. Pawley referr...

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