New restrictions on painkiller prescriptions take effect Saturday | syracuse.com

<base href="data:" class=""><div style="color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Syracuse, N.Y. – Central New Yorkers with prescriptions for Vicodin and other painkillers containing hydrocodone will not be able to get them refilled starting Saturday unless they go to their doctor for a new prescription.</font></span><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The change is required by the state's new I STOP law, designed to address the <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/the_troubled_path_to_painkille.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; " class="">epidemic</a> of prescription painkiller abuse and addiction sweeping Central New York and the rest of the nation.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Hydrocodone will become classified as a schedule 2 drug Saturday. That means refills will no longer be allowed for hydrocodone prescriptions. Even people holding hydrocodone prescriptions authorized for more refills won't be able to refill them starting Saturday.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">"What we've been doing is warning our patients that they will need a new prescription the next time," said Selig Corman of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Hydrocodone is a type of drug known as an "opioid." Opiods can create intense feelings of euphoria or well-being. They are synthetic versions of opiate drugs such as morphine and heroin, derived from the opium poppy. Hydrocodone is usually combined with other drugs such as acetaminophen. Some of the popular brand-name prescription drugs containing hydrocodone include Vicodin, Lortab and Tussionex.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Dr. Brian Johnson, director of addiction medicine at Upstate, said patients are often prescribed enough hydrocodone after surgery to last them several months, when they should only get enough for a few days.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The number of prescriptions written in Central New York for the two most popular prescription painkillers — hydrocodone and oxycodone — soared between 2007 and 2011, according to the state Health Department. <br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; " class="">Hydrocodone prescriptions increased more than 50 percent, from 181,993 in 2007 to 274,293 in 2011, while oxycodone prescriptions jumped by nearly 90 percent, from 64,755 in 2007 to 122,415 in 2011.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Also starting Saturday, Tramadol, a prescription muscle relaxant drug, will become classified as a schedule 4 drug as part of the I STOP law. Brand name versions of the drug include Ultram, Ultacet and Ryzolt. There are no limits on how much Tramadol can be prescribed now. Under the new classification, doctors will only be allowed to prescribe a 30-day supply of Tramadol with five refills. People with prescriptions for Tramadol issued before Saturday can get them refilled as long as the prescription is not more than 6 months old and the number of authorized refills does not exceed five.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; " class=""><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; " class="">Johnson of Upstate is happy about the changes. "It has to do with raising consciousness of how addictive these drugs are," he said.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Patients are often incorrectly told Tramadol is not addictive, then they end up in detox programs, Johnson said.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The new restrictions may create problems for some chronic pain patients and their doctors, said Dr. Joseph Catania of the New York Spine and Wellness Center, a pain management practice with offices in North Syracuse and DeWitt.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Catania said he agrees with the law's intent to curb diversion and abuse of painkillers. "But this prevents a medical office from using some judgment to determine the required follow up visit," he said.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Patients who are stable and only need to see their doctor every several months now will have to schedule office visits monthly, he said.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">"This is going to create a flood of patients into the medical community who may not have that type of routine access to care," he said. "It will impact all of us in how we take care of patients."</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Under the new regulation, doctors can prescribe 90-day supplies of hydrocodone for chronic pain patients.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The prescribing changes are just the first of several provisions in the I STOP law designed to overhaul the way prescription drugs are distributed and tracked in New York. The law will require doctors beginning Aug. 27 to consult an electronic prescription database when they are prescribing controlled substances. The database, being developed by the state, will include information about controlled substances – drugs regulated by federal law -- dispensed by pharmacies on a real time basis. The intent of the database is to prevent "doctor shoppers" from obtaining prescriptions from multiple physicians.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The law also will eventually mandate that all controlled substances be prescribed electronically.</font></div><div class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'"><br class=""></font></div></div><a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/new_restrictions_on_painkiller.html" class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/new_restrictions_on_painkiller.html</font></a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

New restrictions on painkiller prescriptions take effect Saturday | syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. – Central New Yorkers with prescriptions for Vicodin and other painkillers containing hydrocodone will not be able to get the...

Read more »

Mindy McCready's personal demons overshadowed early success

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><br /><div class="storyBlogByline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="source" style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">CBS/AP<span style="border: 0px; color: #c4c4c4; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 8px; vertical-align: baseline;">/</span> </span><span class="time" style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">February 18, 2013, 9:01 AM</span></div><h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.3em; letter-spacing: -0.07em; line-height: 0.87em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 13px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline; word-spacing: -0.04em;">Mindy McCready's personal demons overshadowed early success</h1><div class="storyMediaBox" id="storyMediaBox" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="image620 " style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 350px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px;"><img alt="In this undated file photo, country singer Mindy McCready performs in Nashville, Tenn." src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/02/18/04Mindy_620x350.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 1;" /></div><div class="imgText" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">In this undated file photo, country singer Mindy McCready performs in Nashville, Tenn. <span class="greySplitter" style="border: 0px; color: #c4c4c4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 2px; vertical-align: baseline;">/</span> <span class="creditImg" style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">AP PHOTO/MARK HUMPHREY, FILE</span></div></div><div id="inlineSocialBarTopPlaceholder" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="shareBar inline-sharebar" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 0.8em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px;"><span style="font-size: 0.7em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 900; letter-spacing: 0.07em; line-height: 1.6em; text-transform: uppercase;">hEBER SPRINGS, ARK.</span></div><div class="storyText" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tron/overlays/bkg-highlight-620.png) !important; background-position: 50% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; border-top-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps there was one heartbreak too many for Mindy McCready.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The former country star apparently took her own life Sunday afternoon in Heber Springs, Ark. Authorities say McCready died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot to the head and an autopsy is planned. She was 37, the mother of two young sons.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Her death ends a series of tumultuous public events that marked much of the singer's adult life. David Wilson -- the singer's boyfriend and father of her 10-month-old son -- was believed to have killed himself last month. McCready said in an tearful interview on Jan. 29, "He didn't just touch my heart. He touched my soul. He was my soul mate."</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McCready's body was found on the same porch where Wilson died.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><ul class="arrows gray" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background-image: url(http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/cbs/generic/genericSprite.png); background-position: -15px -911px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57569832/country-crooner-mindy-mccready-dies-at-37/" style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Country crooner Mindy McCready dies at 37</a></li><li style="background-image: url(http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/cbs/generic/genericSprite.png); background-position: -15px -911px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505270_162-57569845/mindy-mccready-died-on-same-porch-as-soul-mate/" style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mindy McCready died on same porch as "soul mate"</a></li><li style="background-image: url(http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/cbs/generic/genericSprite.png); background-position: -15px -911px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57569856/mindy-mccready-stars-mourn-country-singer-on-twitter/" style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stars mourn country singer Mindy McCready on Twitter</a></li></ul><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"I think it obviously speaks on the pain that she was feeling, that, for whatever reason, she chose to go to the same location and do the same thing that he did," said Shane Tallant, a friend of McCready's.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a June 2010 interview with CBS News, McCready addressed reports she had attempted to commit suicide multiple times.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><a data-assetid="50141262" data-assettypeid="14" data-nodeid="207" data-overlay="1" data-overlayenabled="true" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50141262n" style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="storyEmbed" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(222, 222, 222); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 4px 20px 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px; zoom: 1;"><figure class="video" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px -32px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><img class="image220" src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/02/18/81495143_640x480_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 140px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" /></figure><div class="meta" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-top: 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px; z-index: 11;">Play <span style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">VIDEO</span></div><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.07em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;">Mindy McCready, dead from apparent suicide</h3></div></a><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"I was never in a state in which I was conscious and with it and said, 'Oh I want to die,'" she said then.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In an interview that same year with the Associated Press, McCready smiled wryly while talking about the string of issues she'd dealt with over the last half-decade.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"It is a giant whirlwind of chaos all the time," she said of her life. "I call my life a beautiful mess and organized chaos. It's just always been like that. My entire life things have been attracted to me and vice versa that turn into chaotic nightmares or I create the chaos myself. I think that's really the life of a celebrity, of a big, huge, giant personality."</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This time it seems the whirlwind overwhelmed McCready.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Like so many times before, McCready showed a little toughness in the midst of a personal storm following Wilson's death, again endearing herself to her fans. But as usual, the brave face for the camera hid a much more complicated internal struggle that surfaced publicly time and again over the last 10 years.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This time, along with her remembrances of finding Wilson as he lay dying, she also answered questions about whether they'd argued earlier that evening about an affair and if she'd shot him.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Oh, my God," the "Today" transcript reads. "No. Oh, my God. No. He was my life. We were each other`s life."</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><a data-assetid="10003093" data-assettypeid="49" data-nodeid="207" data-overlay="1" data-overlayenabled="true" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-207_162-10003093-1.html" style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="storyEmbed" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(222, 222, 222); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 4px 20px 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px; zoom: 1;"><figure class="gallery" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px -32px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;"><img class="image220" src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/02/18/05Mindy_2_220x157.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 140px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;" /></figure><div class="meta" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-top: 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px; z-index: 11;">25 <span style="border: 0px; color: #b12124; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">PHOTOS</span></div><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; color: #202022; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.07em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 220px;">Mindy McCready: 1975-2013</h3></div></a><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's unclear what circumstances led to McCready taking her own life, but it appears she was struggling again with twin issues that have persisted for years — substance abuse and the custody of her children. She checked into court-ordered rehab and gave her children up to foster care earlier this month after her father asked a judge to intervene, saying she'd stopped taking care of herself and her sons and was abusing alcohol and prescription drugs.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's not clear where her sons, 6-year-old Zander and infant Zayne, were Sunday.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A deputy stationed outside McCready's home Sunday night referred questions to the Cleburne County sheriff, who was unavailable. Yellow crime-scene tape cordoned off the front yard and a dark-colored pickup truck sat in the driveway.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">News of McCready's death spread quickly Sunday night on Twitter, with major country stars paying their respects to the onetime Nashville darling.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Too much tragedy to overcome. R.I.P Mindy McCready," wrote Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And Carrie Underwood added: "I grew up listening to Mindy McCready ... so sad for her family tonight. Many prayers are going out to them..."</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Melinda Gayle McCready arrived in Nashville in 1994 still in her teens with tapes of her karaoke vocals and earned a recording contract with BNA Records. She had a few memorable moments professionally, scoring her first No. 1 hit almost immediately.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Guys Do It All the Time," a self-assured dig at male chauvinism, endeared her to female fans in 1996. She also scored a hit with "Ten Thousand Angels," and her album of that title sold 2 million copies.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond that, though, she's mostly remembered for a string of dramatic moments as she spent the next 15 years chasing another huge hit. Her problems included a custody battle with her mother over one of her sons, arrests, overdoses and discord in her love life.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She made headlines in April 2008 when she claimed a longtime relationship with baseball great Roger Clemens. Published reports at the time said she met the pitcher at a Florida karaoke bar when she was 15 and he was 28 and married. Clemens denied the relationship. A decade earlier she was engaged to actor Dean Cain, but the two never married.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She also had a turbulent relationship with Billy McKnight, a country singer who is the father of her oldest son. McKnight was arrested in 2005 on charges of attempted murder after authorities say he beat and choked her.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">During this period she also pleaded guilty to obtaining the painkiller OxyContin fraudulently at a pharmacy and got probation. She violated the probation with a drunken driving arrest in May 2005, a few days before McKnight was arrested. And in July 2007, she was arrested in her hometown of Fort Myers, Fla., on misdemeanor charges of scratching her mother, Gayle Inge, on the face during a scuffle and resisting sheriff's deputies.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Less than a year later, McCready was arrested and charged with violating her probation by falsifying her community service records relating to the 2004 drug charge. A month later, she entered an extended care facility for undisclosed treatment, and followed that with a 60-day jail sentence. Inge took custody of Zander.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There were at least three suicide attempts between July 2005 and December 2008.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She tried to get help in an unusual way, joining the cast of "Celebrity Rehab 3" with Dr. Drew Pinsky. McCready came off as a sympathetic figure during the show's run. Pinsky called her an "angel" and in an interview in 2010 said it appeared McCready was doing "rather well."</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pinsky helped treat McCready for love addiction on the show and said he'd referred her to professionals who could continue to help her afterward.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"A love addict basically is somebody that really didn't have a good model for intimacy in their childhood, often times traumatized in one way or another, thereby intimacy becomes a risk place, becomes an intolerable place," Pinsky said. "And so what they tend to do is attach themselves to idealized, bigger than life, unavailable others, specifically go after some public figure that's married or go after some rock star who is himself a sex addict and not interested in a relationship, and then idealize that person and actively pursue them to the point of obsession."</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McCready suffered a seizure in one of the show's scarier moments. Tests showed she has suffered brain damage, something she attributed to her abusive relationship with McKnight.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McCready is the fifth celebrity to pass away since appearing on Pinsky's show and the third from Season 3. Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr and "Real World" participant Joey Kovar both died of overdoses.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the months after her stint, McCready said she found some peace, telling The Associated Press in early 2010 that she hoped to get her career restarted, write a book about her experiences and begin production on a reality show with her brothers. She'd just met Wilson and talked openly about their relationship, although the producer and musician declined to speak on the record.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With a publicist, reporters, cameras, makeup artists and musicians swirling around her during a press day for her last album, "I'm Still Here," McCready fended off questions about a sex tape and said she and Wilson started out as friends.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"And I've never had a relationship like that before where we started completely as friends," she said. "It turned into friends really caring about each other and then it turned into love and I've never had that happen before."</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the time, Pinsky thought the relationship was on the right track: "She's an easy person to like and to care about and we hope she does well," Pinsky said. "So far so good as far as I can tell."</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McCready said her main goal in 2010 was to pull her family back together: "I would like my son back with me and for my brothers and I and he to be able to go and do this (TV reality show), and I think after that I will be a pretty happy girl."</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The new album debuted at No. 71 and failed to gain radio airplay. McCready's plans never materialized and she soon was in legal trouble again, this time fighting for custody.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McCready took her older son from her mother, the boy's legal guardian, in late 2011. She fled to Arkansas without permission over what she called child abuse fears. Authorities eventually found McCready hiding in a home without permission and took the boy into custody.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She and Wilson had their son in April 2012.</div></div><br /><br /></div>

Mindy McCready Mindy McCready's personal demons overshadowed early success

CBS/AP /   February 18, 2013, 9:01 AM Mindy McCready's personal demons overshadowed early success In this undated file photo, country si...

Read more »

Ergun Caner - the Lance Armstrong of Evangelical Christianity - Finally Returns to Prominent SBC Pulpit, Where Decade of Deceit Began

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5aPTxcqb8TZYbTx2f3QPHzXFaRK1FtNaiYEC-GaF2jsPZzfddP9HnX2VO_5U-__QjRZLvbezg7yjr0iYOMnbVxC-LCtVduOvSUh9fkr3MgQSVeQh5ZK3m1bJGZ2bpe8NmsdSFHg6mcQU/s1600/CanerAtJax.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5aPTxcqb8TZYbTx2f3QPHzXFaRK1FtNaiYEC-GaF2jsPZzfddP9HnX2VO_5U-__QjRZLvbezg7yjr0iYOMnbVxC-LCtVduOvSUh9fkr3MgQSVeQh5ZK3m1bJGZ2bpe8NmsdSFHg6mcQU/s400/CanerAtJax.png" width="400" /></a>Sad to report, but Ergun Caner has returned to prominence within the Southern Baptist Convention, as Caner was granted the privilege on February 17th to preach once again in Jacksonville, in the same pulpit where Caner began his well-chronicled "decade of deceit" in 2001. At left he is grinning from ear-to-ear as he is being introduced to the congregation just before he preaches.<br /><br />For a prominent SBC church and pastor to once again feature Ergun Caner - the evangelical version of Lance Armstrong - in a pulpit to preach to the youth choir and congregation is nothing short of a tragedy, and it is just an example of the sorry state of the Southern Baptist Convention.<br /><br />Caner quickly became an SBC darling after his <a href="http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/03/ergun-caners-november-2001-fbc-jax.html" target="_blank">2001 sermon in Jax</a> - in which he claimed: <br /><ul><li> to be "raised in Europe", coming to America at age 15;</li><li>that he spoke broken English in high school;</li><li>until age 15 he was in "Islamic Youth Jihad";</li><li>that he was a trained terrorist, "trained to do that which was done on 11 September";</li><li>that he wore full Islamic gear to high school, praying to Mecca;</li><li>that he was called a "sand monkey" and ridiculed for being a devout Muslim;</li><li>said "Jesus strapped a cross on his back so I wouldn't have to strap a bomb on my back"; </li><li>that he knew how to speak Arabic, even using a phony dialect in his sermon. </li></ul><br />The only problem is; Caner never was raised in Europe or trained in terrorism. It was all made up. Caner and his family moved from Sweden to Columbus, Ohio at the age of 3. All of the above lies and deceits were spoken in that one single sermon to dupe the entire SBC, with former SBC-president Jerry Vines giving nods of approval while Caner spoke. Caner fooled the entire congregation, including myself and my family who were at the service. Caner and his brother Emir leveraged that one single sermon to launch them to become authors and seminary presidents and Christian speakers. The whole mess is what James White coined the "Great Evangelical Cover-Up". <br /><br />Why rehash all of this? Because I want the record to be crystal-clear, no re-writing of history by the SBC'ers: it was in Jacksonville that Caner set the groundwork, established his phony-baloney storyline that <a href="http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/04/ergun-caner-growing-up-i-learned-about.html" target="_blank">he would follow for the next 9 years</a>, until he was finally exposed by bloggers - including this blogger - and <a href="http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/09/james-white-speaking-truth-on-ergun.html" target="_blank">Christian apologist James White</a>. Caner's fibs even went so far as to lead him to lie to our military troops <a href="http://www.witnessesuntome.com/2010/08/united-states-marines-duped-by-pretend-jihadist-ergun-caner/" target="_blank">during 2005 training sessions</a> in which Caner posed as an expert in Turkish culture - preparing our troops to engage the enemy's culture. Can you believe it? It is true - Caner put our fighting men and women at risk by posing as someone he wasn't, as an expert in something he at best had only read about.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiCWxWYEs17sAwVT_8OimJ3Vyq9h-zw-y53l6hxtR2vfavohDrVx91U5v6oyeBqsSmoRx0QnX4wjKKDbT8pUQ0vzsltgURbkFDKcINZTLhM-vVg7RALl1i-6V_j8LJxRJxJt0n7Cbf2OC/s1600/CanerTroops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiCWxWYEs17sAwVT_8OimJ3Vyq9h-zw-y53l6hxtR2vfavohDrVx91U5v6oyeBqsSmoRx0QnX4wjKKDbT8pUQ0vzsltgURbkFDKcINZTLhM-vVg7RALl1i-6V_j8LJxRJxJt0n7Cbf2OC/s1600/CanerTroops.jpg" /></a><br />So here Caner is back in the SBC - all is forgiven apparently, and he never has publicly apologized for his decade of deceit, or for the way his defenders attacked James White and others who tried to get Caner to come clean - sounds like Lance Armstrong, doesn't it? Caner's friends and defenders will tell you he has apologized for making a few misstatements of fact over 10 years. But it is just not so. In fact, after Caner was removed as president of Liberty University's seminary president in 2010, at one of his first public speaking engagements at a <a href="http://www.newsadvance.com/archives/article_d8dbe50c-e6b4-5ff2-bbce-78ff15628fd5.html" target="_blank">Bristol, VA prayer breakfast</a> he said his troubles were due to "bloggers" and said they were just "frustrated people in their basement". He also said "it will take more than edited videos to take me down." <br /><br />And to make matters worse, if they could be worse, the media outlets for the Southern Baptists and Florida Baptists never, ever had reported on the Caner scandal. Why? Because prominent SBC leaders who have authored books with Caner and have been involved in promoting Caner after 9/11, would be too embarrassed. Too much potential damage, so the Baptist Press and Florida Baptist Witness - who purport themselves to be Christian news organizations - pretend Caner's decade of deceit never happened. And now that Caner is back in a prominent SBC pulpit, Joni Hannigan, one of the editors of the Florida Baptist Witness, <a href="https://twitter.com/JoniHannigan/status/303303011294404610" target="_blank">tweeted last night</a> during the Caner sermon: "So blessed to hear my friend @erguncaner preach tonight...", and she tweeted photos of her beloved Christian hero, Ergun Caner.<br /><br />In Caner's sermon last night, he asked an excellent question: after citing statistics that we have about 75,000 Baptist churches in America, with 55 million people claiming to be "born again Christians", Caner asked the following:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"...don't you reckon we [the church] would be further along? Don't you think we'd have a bigger impact on our culture?...We spend 8 billion dollars on church growth resources in America every year. What are we missing? We've got all the new programs, we've got more churches, with more land, more money, more members than in our history, so why aren't we seeing revival?"</b></i></div><br />Great question, Ergun. The answer to Caner's question, in part, is staring right back at Caner in the mirror. It is Caner himself, and those who have defended him and who continue to promote him, that are partly responsible for the ineffectiveness of the Southern Baptist Convention to gain new converts, and their failure to keep the young ones raised in SBC churches. Young people are growing up and seeing that their most prominent pastors and preachers have lied to them for personal promotion and financial gain, and the lies were mostly ignored and never dealt with openly. All of this causes people - especially young people who are prone to doubt during the early years of their faith journey - to question the entire validity of the Christian message.<br /><br />You, Ergun, are the man. How ironic is it that one of the many books Caner has coauthored is entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Churches-Die-Diagnosing-Poisons/dp/0805431810" target="_blank">"Why Churches Die - Lethal Poisons in the Body of Christ"</a> - when Caner himself, and those who promote him, are part of the lethal concoction infecting the Southern Baptist Convention today. <br /><br />Thank goodness most professional groups or societies in our culture deal harshly and swiftly with known liars within their own ranks. They know the effectiveness of their cause and the validity of  their message can go down the tubes in a heartbeat with one prominent phony left unchecked. Unfortunately, Baptists haven't figured this out, and I don't think they ever will. As their numbers decline and their churches die and get snatched up by larger churches, they'll just complain that we are a "post Christian nation" and blame it all on the devil - and of course the Calvinists. And the bloggers.<br /><br />I remember my former pastor Jerry Vines saying many times that Christianity is a faith that can stand up to the test of intellectual debate and inspection. He would say that a person doesn't need to check their brains at the church door to become a Christian.<br /><br />Unfortunately with an unrepentant Caner still roaming SBC churches, being promoted by prominent SBC preachers, I'm not sure that is true anymore.

Ergun Caner - the Lance Armstrong of Evangelical Christianity - Finally Returns to Prominent SBC Pulpit, Where Decade of Deceit Began

Sad to report, but Ergun Caner has returned to prominence within the Southern Baptist Convention, as Caner was granted the privilege on Febr...

Read more »

Monday, Monday

I'm taking this week off at <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a></span>, so check back next week for an update on that website. I'll still be posting daily on this blog all week.<br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-current-review/40059_university_of_connecticut_social_sciences_and_classroom_buildings">University of Connecticut Social Sciences and Classroom Buildings</a> in Storrs, Connecticut, by Leers Weinzapfel Associates:<br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-current-review/40059_university_of_connecticut_social_sciences_and_classroom_buildings"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://c214210.r10.cf3.rackcdn.com/files/projects/40059/images/900:w/UConn_OakHallviewtoLaurelHall.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

I'm taking this week off at A Weekly Dose of Architecture , so check back next week for an update on that website. I'll still be pos...

Read more »

mirror mirror

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!<div><br /></div><div>We are still recovering from a weekend of 2-year-old birthday party fun and now preparing for the 2-year-old check up that will be happening in just a few short hours. (how I hate when my wee ones get shots)</div><div><br /></div><div>But before I go I thought I would leave you with some mirror eye candy. I noticed lately that I'm pinning a lot of mirrors. The irony of which is not lost on me as I just got a hor.rif.ic haircut and won't be looking in a mirror for quite some time. Maybe I should start pinning hats too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mirrors are one of the best decorating tools available as they can instantly change a room, and great ones are available at every price point. When in doubt about what to put on the wall, add a mirror. You can never have too many. (I have an extra 6 in my basement 'store' right now)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cQriFNtZTtDVZgeYDN6FVhmPu1dRu9H6z7Zcg3_EtCh4IB_0fH1vkT-xJm_FtAR6gk2ErCGx_j1Lhk3ccbbNw1ian_8a7q5dLFECvk8UzcTq6Ed1NJ5YymnfSOrlrFx3z3wm0zkfS3Ov/s1600/cool-designer-alert-anne-hepfer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cQriFNtZTtDVZgeYDN6FVhmPu1dRu9H6z7Zcg3_EtCh4IB_0fH1vkT-xJm_FtAR6gk2ErCGx_j1Lhk3ccbbNw1ian_8a7q5dLFECvk8UzcTq6Ed1NJ5YymnfSOrlrFx3z3wm0zkfS3Ov/s640/cool-designer-alert-anne-hepfer.jpeg" width="470" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sHHdC7GErnYse7IW-fWue1vMiXm0tpTSGZElETXQtnTNzhxyQ9rgYMR2klam3hdwT6_sueJWzZWoHu1FiktHjC36Tj86p8dTWUFyPIG7MPrLdLsPhBAoCfCrU2OlegAyWwu5SzoWNEVG/s1600/Screen%252520shot%2525202011-03-24%252520at%2525208.37.21%252520AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sHHdC7GErnYse7IW-fWue1vMiXm0tpTSGZElETXQtnTNzhxyQ9rgYMR2klam3hdwT6_sueJWzZWoHu1FiktHjC36Tj86p8dTWUFyPIG7MPrLdLsPhBAoCfCrU2OlegAyWwu5SzoWNEVG/s640/Screen%252520shot%2525202011-03-24%252520at%2525208.37.21%252520AM.jpeg" width="524" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmtqwnuRe7uGu3E-hLpMX3dySNw1nSFRUV8KK43SMK4oBaG60pwjwwIolwPImLHgyBfNXSxkWVdR32lGZ3Yo6fmEM_ev_v9VPIDwj8wEwq-cupWPh3jHEFwSbDh90PpQIYBLnN1tPRRwP/s1600/The-Painted-House-Ablenay-Wall-Mirror~CNRA1028~E3286.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmtqwnuRe7uGu3E-hLpMX3dySNw1nSFRUV8KK43SMK4oBaG60pwjwwIolwPImLHgyBfNXSxkWVdR32lGZ3Yo6fmEM_ev_v9VPIDwj8wEwq-cupWPh3jHEFwSbDh90PpQIYBLnN1tPRRwP/s640/The-Painted-House-Ablenay-Wall-Mirror~CNRA1028~E3286.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeBEmq69BR1lzqNq1iq6u0HIRxyW-WyLRInBYVSU2XUgV849pvcMMCQ_cD0e2fcbyjfDjLtBCJ41EQl2S1UjAz7Va_OhsWLsCYLkvSfOS623SAjAel0h9SJFkzQaYTbhif4kROlxjZHdJ/s1600/heart-pounding-red.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeBEmq69BR1lzqNq1iq6u0HIRxyW-WyLRInBYVSU2XUgV849pvcMMCQ_cD0e2fcbyjfDjLtBCJ41EQl2S1UjAz7Va_OhsWLsCYLkvSfOS623SAjAel0h9SJFkzQaYTbhif4kROlxjZHdJ/s640/heart-pounding-red.jpeg" width="466" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9MFaxLtFVzGRXyL32v0QngWwSL8Nldmmzt6MEjf3blBiVVMs2K3n-odX9bbFr9oRc3Muojs2Auq6zOWEjFCZtDrbpjcjPJNGvqFkCQL4H-o7X418l-C-OoCc1SuMGC5Odn1daM8St2lA/s1600/438.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9MFaxLtFVzGRXyL32v0QngWwSL8Nldmmzt6MEjf3blBiVVMs2K3n-odX9bbFr9oRc3Muojs2Auq6zOWEjFCZtDrbpjcjPJNGvqFkCQL4H-o7X418l-C-OoCc1SuMGC5Odn1daM8St2lA/s640/438.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-n27sQ0cjbmX_9eOK7lTNHbp7CBRxyV5-iJMo-h0iDgd2ErDyTaVz475eu5mmuFGW8Jm7vt2DivklD_3suS_cvsZqoyTlmTgx4-jnVwPAGJSIkmJRRzVKWDTusWfB9hSEn4I7WQ2WSHD/s1600/1137919.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-n27sQ0cjbmX_9eOK7lTNHbp7CBRxyV5-iJMo-h0iDgd2ErDyTaVz475eu5mmuFGW8Jm7vt2DivklD_3suS_cvsZqoyTlmTgx4-jnVwPAGJSIkmJRRzVKWDTusWfB9hSEn4I7WQ2WSHD/s640/1137919.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Find these images and more on my <a href="http://pinterest.com/ladybaum/mirror-mirror/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have a favorite mirror? Have you found/seen any cool ones lately? Any suggestions on how I get my hair to grow at lightening speed?</div>

mirror mirror

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We are still recovering from a weekend of 2-year-old birthday party fun and now preparing for the 2-ye...

Read more »

Project Seeks to Build Map of Human Brain - NYTimes.com

<div></div><nyt_text><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The Obama administration is planning a decade-long scientific effort to examine the workings of the human brain and build a comprehensive map of its activity, seeking to do for the brain what the <a title="About the project" href="http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; ">Human Genome Project</a> did for <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/genetics/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Genetics." class="meta-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; ">genetics</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The project, which the administration has been looking to unveil as early as March, will include federal agencies, private foundations and teams of neuroscientists and nanoscientists in a concerted effort to advance the knowledge of the brain's billions of neurons and gain greater insights into perception, actions and, ultimately, consciousness.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Scientists with the highest hopes for the project also see it as a way to develop the technology essential to understanding diseases like<a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/alzheimers-disease/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Alzheimer's Disease." class="meta-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; ">Alzheimer's</a> and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/parkinsons-disease/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Parkinson's Disease." class="meta-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; ">Parkinson's</a>, as well as to find new therapies for a variety of mental illnesses.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Moreover, the project holds the potential of paving the way for advances in artificial intelligence.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The project, which could ultimately cost billions of dollars, is expected to be part of the president's budget proposal next month. And, four scientists and representatives of research institutions said they had participated in planning for what is being called the Brain Activity Map project.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The details are not final, and it is not clear how much federal money would be proposed or approved for the project in a time of fiscal constraint or how far the research would be able to get without significant federal financing.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In his State of the Union <a title="Text and video of the address" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/us/politics/obamas-2013-state-of-the-union-address.html" style="text-decoration: none; ">address</a>, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Barack Obama" class="meta-per" style="text-decoration: none; ">President Obama</a> cited brain research as an example of how the government should "invest in the best ideas."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">"Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy — every dollar," he said. "Today our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer's. They're developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs, devising new materials to make batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Story C. Landis, the director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said that when she heard Mr. Obama's speech, she thought he was referring to an existing <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_institutes_of_health/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about National Institutes of Health, U.S." class="meta-org" style="text-decoration: none; ">National Institutes of Health</a> project to map the static human brain. "But he wasn't," she said. "He was referring to a new project to map the active human brain that the N.I.H. hopes to fund next year."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Indeed, after the speech, Francis S. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, may have inadvertently confirmed the plan when <a title="The Twitter message" href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector/status/301531819743006720" style="text-decoration: none; ">he wrote in a Twitter message</a>: "Obama mentions the #NIH Brain Activity Map in #SOTU."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">A spokesman for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy declined to comment about the project.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The initiative, if successful, could provide a lift for the economy. "The Human Genome Project was on the order of about $300 million a year for a decade," said <a title="Times article" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/science/08church.html" style="text-decoration: none; ">George M. Church</a>, a Harvard University molecular biologist who helped create that project and said he was helping to plan the Brain Activity Map project. "If you look at the total spending in neuroscience and nanoscience that might be relative to this today, we are already spending more than that. We probably won't spend less money, but we will probably get a lot more bang for the buck."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Scientists involved in the planning said they hoped that federal financing for the project would be more than $300 million a year, which if approved by Congress would amount to at least $3 billion over the 10 years.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The Human Genome Project cost $3.8 billion. It was begun in 1990 and its goal, the mapping of the complete human genome, or all the genes in human DNA, was achieved ahead of schedule, in April 2003. A federal government study of the impact of the project indicated that it returned $800 billion by 2010.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The advent of new technology that allows scientists to identify firing neurons in the brain has led to numerous brain research projects around the world. Yet the brain remains one of the greatest scientific mysteries.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Composed of roughly 100 billion neurons that each electrically "spike" in response to outside stimuli, as well as in vast ensembles based on conscious and unconscious activity, the human brain is so complex that scientists have not yet found a way to record the activity of more than a small number of neurons at once, and in most cases that is done invasively with physical probes.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">But a group of nanotechnologists and neuroscientists say they believe that technologies are at hand to make it possible to observe and gain a more complete understanding of the brain, and to do it less intrusively.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In June in the journal Neuron, <a title="Summary of the article" href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(12)00518-1" style="text-decoration: none; ">six leading scientists proposed</a> pursuing a number of new approaches for mapping the brain.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">One possibility is to build a complete model map of brain activity by creating fleets of molecule-size machines to noninvasively act as sensors to measure and store brain activity at the cellular level. The proposal envisions using synthetic DNA as a storage mechanism for brain activity.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">"Not least, we might expect novel understanding and therapies for diseases such as <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/schizophrenia-disorganized-type/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Schizophrenia - disorganized type." class="meta-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; ">schizophrenia</a> and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/autism/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Autism." class="meta-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; ">autism</a>," wrote the scientists, who include Dr. Church; Ralph J. Greenspan, the associate director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at the University of California, San Diego; A. Paul Alivisatos, the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Miyoung Chun, a molecular geneticist who is the vice president for science programs at the Kavli Foundation; Michael L. Roukes, a physicist at the California Institute of Technology; and Rafael Yuste, a neuroscientist at Columbia University.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The Obama initiative is markedly different from a recently announced European project that will invest 1 billion euros in a Swiss-led effort to build a silicon-based "brain." The project seeks to construct a supercomputer simulation using the best research about the inner workings of the brain.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Critics, however, say the simulation will be built on knowledge that is still theoretical, incomplete or inaccurate.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The Obama proposal seems to have evolved in a manner similar to the Human Genome Project, scientists said. "The genome project arguably began in 1984, where there were a dozen of us who were kind of independently moving in that direction but didn't really realize there were other people who were as weird as we were," Dr. Church said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">However, a number of scientists said that mapping and understanding the human brain presented a drastically more significant challenge than mapping the genome.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">"It's different in that the nature of the question is a much more intricate question," said Dr. Greenspan, who said he is involved in the brain project. "It was very easy to define what the genome project's goal was. In this case, we have a more difficult and fascinating question of what are brainwide activity patterns and ultimately how do they make things happen?"</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The initiative will be organized by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, according to scientists who have participated in planning meetings.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The National Institutes of Health, the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/d/defense_advanced_research_projects_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency." class="meta-org" style="text-decoration: none; ">Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency</a> and the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_science_foundation/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about National Science Foundation, U.S." class="meta-org" style="text-decoration: none; ">National Science Foundation</a> will also participate in the project, the scientists said, as will private foundations like the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Md., and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">A meeting held on Jan. 17 at the California Institute of Technology was attended by the three government agencies, as well as neuroscientists, nanoscientists and representatives from Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm. According to a summary of the meeting, it was held to determine whether computing facilities existed to capture and analyze the vast amounts of data that would come from the project. The scientists and technologists concluded that they did.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">They also said that a series of national brain "observatories" should be created as part of the project, like astronomical observatories.</p></div></nyt_text><div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/science/project-seeks-to-build-map-of-human-brain.html?">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/science/project-seeks-to-build-map-of-human-brain.html?</a></div>

Project Seeks to Build Map of Human Brain - NYTimes.com

The Obama administration is planning a decade-long scientific effort to examine the workings of the human brain and build a comprehensive ma...

Read more »

Can They Patent Your Genes? by Daniel J. Kevles | The New York Review of Books

<div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Can genes be patented? This spring, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may well decide the question, and the consequences for American biomedicine could be huge.<sup id="fnr-1"><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/mar/07/can-they-patent-your-genes/?pagination=false#fn-1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: underline; ">1</a></sup> Over three years ago, in May 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union (<acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">ACLU</acronym>) and the Public Patent Foundation (<acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">PPF</acronym>) filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking to overturn the patents on <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">DNA</acronym> isolated from two human genes.<sup id="fnr-2"><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/mar/07/can-they-patent-your-genes/?pagination=false#fn-2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: underline; ">2</a></sup> Called <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">BRCA</acronym>1 and <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">BRCA</acronym>2, the genes significantly increase a woman's risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The main defendant was the Myriad Genetics Corporation, a biotechnology firm in Utah that controls the patents—and is legally entitled for the life of the patent (now twenty years) to exclude all others from using these genes in breast cancer research, diagnostics, and treatment. Other defendants were the University of Utah Research Foundation, which had come to own the patents, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (<acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">PTO</acronym>), which had granted them.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The plaintiffs were not the usual parties in patent suits: competitors concerned with their balance sheets. They included medical geneticists, pathologists, and advocates for women's health, as well as biomedical researchers, genetic counselors, and several women with breast cancer or at risk for it. They were distressed that Myriad's patents allowed it to exercise such monopolistic control over a biological substance as essential to research, medicine, and patients as <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">DNA</acronym> implicated in cancer. They contended that <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">BRCA</acronym> <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">DNA</acronym>—and by implication all human <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">DNA</acronym>—should not be eligible for patents as a matter of law and that Myriad's enforcement of its patents interfered with the progress of science and the delivery of medical services.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The plaintiffs had the support, expressed in friend-of-the-court briefs, of many parties representing the medical profession, biomedical researchers, and patients, all opponents of allowing anyone monopoly rights on human <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">DNA</acronym>. The Myriad Genetics Corporation, however, had many allies from the biotechnology industry, patent lawyers, and various genomic companies—all of whom said the grant of such rights was needed for their business. In American law, opponents of a public policy cannot ordinarily pursue their objections in the federal courts, including in patent suits, unless the policy causes an injury that gives them standing to sue.<sup id="fnr-3"><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/mar/07/can-they-patent-your-genes/?pagination=false#fn-3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: underline; ">3</a></sup>The plaintiffs contended that they had suffered harms, offering in evidence how Myriad enforced its <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">BRCA</acronym> patents—in the clinic and the laboratory—to stop others from using the genes to do research on cancer. On November 2, 2009, over the objections of Myriad and the <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">PTO</acronym>, Judge Robert W. Sweet, the presiding judge, granted all the plaintiffs standing to sue Myriad, holding that, given the gravity of the issue for health and science, they had every right to call Myriad, the <acronym 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">PTO</acronym>, and gene patents to account.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; 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; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">More ...</p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/mar/07/can-they-patent-your-genes/?pagination=false">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/mar/07/can-they-patent-your-genes/?pagination=false</a></span><br></div>

Can They Patent Your Genes? by Daniel J. Kevles | The New York Review of Books

Can genes be patented? This spring, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may well decide the question, and the consequences for American ...

Read more »

It's President's Day, Hail to the Chef!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">What better way to laud our Presidents than to create an Executive Office restaurant with a full menu of culinary delights in their honor?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIegcDk-_wpbbBf8Tjp3aRT1rZjA-tj_hjJM8H7YqK7_I6rgfjmxT4rxbSzzHKP3QYlsI2TKI7BowW4hoivImLfy27Fg-FK9lDI9ce5WqArAlt_56ETii3QYJBeOLqdS-a_eM-3hoQM8/s1600/Club+Sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIegcDk-_wpbbBf8Tjp3aRT1rZjA-tj_hjJM8H7YqK7_I6rgfjmxT4rxbSzzHKP3QYlsI2TKI7BowW4hoivImLfy27Fg-FK9lDI9ce5WqArAlt_56ETii3QYJBeOLqdS-a_eM-3hoQM8/s400/Club+Sandwich.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />So to wit, and heretofore…<br /><br />Welcome to the best eatery anywhere…<i>Air Force Yum.</i><br /><br />Ready for breakfast? How about trying an <i>Abra-Ham and Cheese Omelet</i>? Instead of eating it along with boring slices of toast, try our <i>Mary Todd Lincoln Crazy Bread</i>.<br /><br />If you phone ahead, you can even reserve the coveted John Wilkes booth.<br /><br />Eggs not your first choice? Perhaps you are more of a pancake and sausage kind of person, and prefer JFK to Honest Abe. No problem...<br /><br />Order a plate full of our <i>Bay of Pigs in a Blanket</i>. The cakes are fluffy and the sausage has a hint of Cuban spices. Bueno!!<br /><br />You can always stop by for lunch as well.<br /><br />If you like a good hamburger try our <i>Cow-Vin Coolidge Burger</i>. We cook the beef until well done so the meat doesn't make a sound. Silent Cal would have it no other way.<br /><br />A well made Club Sandwich is increasingly hard to find, but not at our place. We use three layers of the best turkey, ham, roast beef, and the freshest tomato and lettuce in ours.<br /><br />This is a giant sandwich inspired by a giant in American Politics, Franklin Roosevelt.<br /><br />Order this, and the only thing your hunger will fear will be the deliciousness of our <i>Cripple-Decker Club</i>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AaMXo6U50o6vUnUo6_TYpSxYbQFEtn0_6YuGBzax8InYdB4E1ptJsWOP6zJkps10XZTQyE2Gzw3duQKzwKcy0HzkSvhyvwQc2YAWQmKV09oCII-x_79UWtE9oCZUjPKy8j-38VpCcWY/s1600/Chris+Christie+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AaMXo6U50o6vUnUo6_TYpSxYbQFEtn0_6YuGBzax8InYdB4E1ptJsWOP6zJkps10XZTQyE2Gzw3duQKzwKcy0HzkSvhyvwQc2YAWQmKV09oCII-x_79UWtE9oCZUjPKy8j-38VpCcWY/s320/Chris+Christie+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a>Maybe you’d like to nosh on a few appetizers. We got ’em. Try our Teddy Roosevelt inspired, <i>Speak Softly and Carry a Big Fried Cheese Stick</i>.<br /><br />Another popular snack is our <i>William McKinley Buffalo Wings</i>. They are to die for.<br /><br />Another appetizer was recently added in speculative honor of the man who may be elected President in 2016.  We are now offering deep-fried whale nuggets.  So ahoy and climb aboard, as you delight in our new, <i>Crisp Christie Bites</i>.<br /><br />We have plenty of dinner entrees from which to choose as well. One popular dish is our <i>Chester A. Arthur Mutton Chops</i>. These mutton chops are big and delicious just like Chester’s…minus the hair.<br /><br />Not a glutton for mutton?<br /><br />A rising star on our dinner menu is the other white meat in the form of our uber-juicy <i>James K. Polk Chops</i>.<br /><br />These chops are butterflied and stuffed with spinach, bleu cheese, and seasoned with copious amounts of obscurity. Who knew that our eleventh President tasted so good!?<br /><br />We also offer tribute to former White House Wizard, George W. Bush. For a big, Texas-Sized appetite try our <i>Iraq of Lamb</i>. Upon trying this dish, President Bush said, <i>“Dang, these is some good.”</i><br /><br />We offer some great Italian fare too. Start off with our <i>Benjaminestrone Harrison</i> soup, followed by a <i>James A. Garfield of Arugula</i> salad, and top your repast off with our award winning <i>Harry Trumanicotti.</i><br /><br />Are you more a fan of seafood and Obama? We've got you covered. Try either our <i>Oysters Barackerfeller </i>or our <i>Deep Fried Mishellfish Platter</i>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYjb7y6fTOvGnojscDFlGLp4KBLscD7nA8rGthFxxyIWTAaxUlai8GuLAvmU9xSBRZpQpHPJjVcLkzYHQrZ_hyML4NVJwBWsewzyrx_ouvJJRr2W6RNB1pK5PptRWcLBiPR2pJpD55Vw/s1600/James+Buchanan+Gay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYjb7y6fTOvGnojscDFlGLp4KBLscD7nA8rGthFxxyIWTAaxUlai8GuLAvmU9xSBRZpQpHPJjVcLkzYHQrZ_hyML4NVJwBWsewzyrx_ouvJJRr2W6RNB1pK5PptRWcLBiPR2pJpD55Vw/s320/James+Buchanan+Gay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Ready for dessert?  Delight in our <i>Andrew Johnson Impeachment Cobbler</i>, <i>Sherbet Hoover</i>, or even our world renown<i> Hasty</i> <i>Tasty Pasty Cakes</i> in honor of our only gay President, James Buchanan.<br /><br />Well there you have it, a menu fit for a President. And don't forget...<br /><br />If you like the food here and want to come back again and again, sign up for huge discounts by purchasing our <i>William H. Taft Frequent Diner Card</i>.  And folks…<br /><br />Celebrate President’s Day by having a cocktail at Air Force Yum, as well.<br /><br />We mix blue vodka, a splash of sweet Vermouth, a dram of Manischewitz, a shot of ego, and voila…<br /><br />Mmmmm...I love a good <i>Bill Clintini</i> in the morning. Happy Presidents Day!!<br /><br />Cheers!!<br /><br />Matt-Man<br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank">@mattman_iws</a><br />.<br /><br /></div></div>

It's President's Day, Hail to the Chef!!

What better way to laud our Presidents than to create an Executive Office restaurant with a full menu of culinary delights in their honor? S...

Read more »

Clean Well

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNNjGgzdCt0/USFdWorxUQI/AAAAAAAAGZA/e_rJrG6Unv0/s1600/cleanwell_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNNjGgzdCt0/USFdWorxUQI/AAAAAAAAGZA/e_rJrG6Unv0/s1600/cleanwell_logo.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's right, flu season has arrived.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ugh, no fun at all when there are tons of icky germs going around in and out of the school systems.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do you keep yourself and loved ones from getting sick in your home?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I keep myself from getting sick by constantly washing my hands.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that in mind though my hands get very dry and cracked and irritated. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look for the best products such as hand soaps, sprays, or lotions etc. for my hands. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One that will moisturize my skin to keep from drying out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With winter here it just zaps the moisture right out! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">poof!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STUgW44kMyQ/USFg4DojDgI/AAAAAAAAGZI/x1pci-pfdg8/s1600/orange+vanilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STUgW44kMyQ/USFg4DojDgI/AAAAAAAAGZI/x1pci-pfdg8/s320/orange+vanilla.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wipes packet is missing from the picture above, used them all. oops. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I found out I was going to do a review for <a href="http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/our-products/hand-sanitizer/">Clean Well</a> hand products I was ecstatic!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was even more happy when I found out I was going to be receiving EOS hand lotion and lip balms with my Clean Well products to review.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hate to complain, because I love these products.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They work great and are keeping my hands from drying out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well when my package arrived I didn't receive the EOS products.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead I received sample sizes of the products for Clean Well, which is great!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I then emailed the person who sent them to me and told him that I didn't receive the EOS products.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have to say I loved using them!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Facts:</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">all natural</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">alcohol free</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">safe for kids</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 times more uses out of it than gels</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">moisturizing formula so you won't dry out your hands</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Orange Vanilla spray:</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't have time to wash your hands?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spritz some Orange Vanilla and voila clean hands!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love how when you spray it on you don't get the alcohol smell like other products have such as gels for hands. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead you get the sweet and delicious aroma of orange vanilla.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Botanical Wipes:</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smells wonderful and cleans hands on contact.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All you have to do is just wipe your hands and your good to go!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love them so much that I even use them as a disinfecting wipe for furniture! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EOS hand lotion:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">makes my hands feel soft and look renewed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also smells great!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">no more dryness!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I know the kind of lotion that works for me!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EOS lip balms:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hello hydration, makes them kiss-ably smooth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>other products they sell:</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hand and face wipes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">foaming soap</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">liquid soap</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fabric deodorizers </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-an4gQ2ljCrQ/USFbSpfgLJI/AAAAAAAAGYM/th427CvK77g/s1600/cleanwell+package.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-an4gQ2ljCrQ/USFbSpfgLJI/AAAAAAAAGYM/th427CvK77g/s320/cleanwell+package.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After I emailed, I received a response then was shocked when I received this!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I received the EOS products, but when the package arrived it was ripped and the containers of the wipes were busted and smashed. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can see in the below photos.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the bottles was smashed beyond repair by having the top of it cracked where the wipes were exposed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So glad they didn't dry out though because I put them in a zip lock baggie. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnRdPo03Q0k/USFTm1VrA9I/AAAAAAAAGYA/tWueFiBtfVU/s1600/cleanwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnRdPo03Q0k/USFTm1VrA9I/AAAAAAAAGYA/tWueFiBtfVU/s320/cleanwell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After I had saw the damage I emailed and haven't heard a response since. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like I stated earlier though I love the products and couldn't be more happier that my hands are no longer very dry.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was just not too thrilled how this package above was shipped to me.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other than that they work great, smell great and leave your hands feeling clean!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to check out their products?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check them out online here!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cleanwell">https://www.facebook.com/cleanwell</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/cleanwell">https://twitter.com/cleanwell</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/cleanwell/">http://pinterest.com/cleanwell/</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sold at:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whole Foods</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kroger</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earht fare</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Vitamin Shoppe</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GNC</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stop & Shop</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and much more! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Clean Well

That's right, flu season has arrived. Ugh, no fun at all when there are tons of icky germs going around in and out of the school systems...

Read more »