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Chapter 21 : Escape
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Harry's heart began to throb in his chest and his hands began to shake. He was
still staring at Ron when he closed his eyes and calmed himself down.
He then reached down and picked up the letter from Sirius and walked over to
"Ron.. Ron, wakeup."
Harry said as he gently shook him.
"What? What is it?" Ron said in a grumpy voice.
"Ron, stay quiet and wake up hurry, something bad is happening."
Ron got up quickly and looked around the room Harry started throwing clothes at
"Ron you have to get dressed and then come quietly down to the common
room. Here read this. Hedwig just brought it; I'm going to get Hermione."
Harry said handing the tattered letter to Ron.
Ron began to read the letter when Harry hurried out of the common room. He
looked down at Hermione who was still sitting in the common room reading.
"Um, Hermione. I need to you come here for a
second. Please Hurry." Harry said trying to sound calm.
"What's wrong Harry?" she said and she put down her book.
"Just hurry please." Harry said.
Hermione knew right away that something was wrong. She took the steps two at a
time until she was face to face with him.
"What's wrong?" she said again.
"Hermione, the letter that Hedwig brought was from Sirius. He says for us
to leave the castle immediately. He says that Death Eaters are coming to attack
the castle today."
Harry could tell that Hermione was about to go into a serious panic.
"Hermione listen to me. Get Meagan up and dressed immediately. Ron is
changing clothes. We can ask questions later. Just hurry and get her up and
dressed and come back out here. And make sure you both have your wands."
Hermione stood in front of him for a second. There were questions that were
swirling in her head accompanied with panic.
"NOW!" Harry said sternly.
She looked at him with surprise and then took off running towards the dorm
Harry then went back to his dorm room. When he got back he saw Ron putting his
"Harry, where are we going?"
Harry really didn't know that yet. He walked over to Hedwig who had awoken when
Harry had burst back through the door.
"Hedwig, can you go down to Hagrid's and wait behind the cabin for me? We
have to leave the castle and I need you to come with us. But I can't bring your
She hooted softly and then took off out of the window.
"Ron, make sure you get your wand."
"Already got it Harry," he said patting his pocket.
Harry walked back out of the dorm room and was followed by Ron. They both
walked down to the common room when Hermione and Meagan soon came down after
"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked in a worried voice.
"We have to leave until we can find Sirius, Moody or Dumbledore. We need
to find them and let them know what's going on." Harry said.
"How are Death Eaters getting into the castle?" Ron asked.
"With Dumbledore gone, they can just walk right into the front door. Fudge
isn't going to stop them. He doesn't even believe that Voldemort is back."
"Okay, let's get going. Everyone have your wands ready. Hermione, quickly
show Meagan a few disarming spells on the way in case she needs to defend
Meagan had a look of sheer terror on her face now. She had no idea what was
really going on, but when Harry just said that she might need to defend
herself, the fear became realized.
"Oh no." Meagan said.
"Meagan, it'll be okay. We won't let anything happen to you." Ron
"Ron it's not that," Megan said, "it's
mom. She had an early meeting with Fudge. We can't leave her here Harry. She's
up there with him right now."
Harry put his hands up to his face.
"What is it Harry, we can let Meagan go get her right? No one will be
looking for her." Hermione said.
"Sirius said not to go to Fudge." Harry said shaking his head.
"I'm not sure why, but I'd bet if Death Eaters are coming here, you can
bet they'll take Fudge out immediately."
Harry looked around in thought for a second. "I'll be right back," he
said. He then ran back up to the dorm room. When he came back down he had his
invisibility cloak with him.
"I'm going for Meagan's mom. You three get down to Hagrid's cabin. If I'm
not there fairly quickly, send a message to Dumbledore with Hedwig. She'll be
waiting there." Harry said.
"Harry no." Hermione said.
"I'm not letting you go up there by yourself mate." Ron said.
"Listen, Ron you need to look after the girls. I'll be fine. I can move
more quickly in the cloak by myself. Plus both me and Meagan's mom can fit
under there if we get into trouble, three of us can't. We are running out of
time. They could be here any minute. They could already be here." Harry
Hermione had tears in her eyes as she threw herself at Harry and gave him a
hug. "Be careful Harry," she said. She then kissed him on the cheek
and quickly let go of him to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"I will; come on let's get moving. Be very quiet when you're going down
there. If you hear anyone coming down the corridor, try to find a place to
hide. If you don't recognize them, stun them, and just get away." Harry
They all made their way through the portrait hole very quietly. Ron and the
others took off slowly in the opposite direction. Harry quietly went into a
gallop towards the Headmaster's office.
The entire castle seemed unnaturally quiet. Harry was right outside of the room
to the entrance of the Headmaster's office when he stopped again to listen for
voices. He still didn't hear anything; not even muffled voices. He threw the
cloak over his body and slowly walked into the room to find the staircase had
already risen up to the office. Fudge or someone else must be up there.
Harry slowly crept up the stairs and as he got closer to the top he heard
muffled voices coming from inside of the office. As he crept closer to the
door, he could make them out from inside.
"Well Mrs. Livingston, I have no doubts that you will be more than
qualified for our Potions Master opening. I do apologize for having to do this
interview, but as I explained before I do have to question Albus' judgment
after some of the bad decisions he's made over he past year or so. I do fear
that his age is beginning to catch up with him."
"Thank you Mr. Fudge, it's been a pleasure to finally meet you. I have
read of the many wonderful things you have accomplished since becoming
Minister. It's been an honor really."
"Well, thank you dear. If there is anything I can do, don't hesitate to
Harry knew right away that this was the meeting that Meagan had talked about
between her mother and Fudge. He waited patiently outside the door for her to
walk out. It wasn't long before he heard the door knob turn, the door open, and
then saw her begin to walk out. Harry waited for the door behind her to close
before he said anything.
"Professor Livingston!" Harry said in a loud whisper.
She had already begun to walk down the steps when she stopped, turned around
and looked behind her and stared around the empty room. She didn't see anyone,
but she was sure she had heard a voice.
Harry quickly realized that he was still under the cloak, so he quickly opened
it and held his finger up to his lips signaling her not to say anything.
Professor Livingston's eyes got wide when she saw Harry and she walked over to
"Harry, what's going on?" she asked.
"Shhhhh" Harry said holding his finger back
up to his mouth.
She walked right up to Harry who stood up when she got close.
"Professor Livingston. I had to come up here to get you. We're in danger.
I got a letter saying that the Death Eaters are planning an attack on the
castle today. We need to get out." Harry said whispering.
"Harry is this." she began to ask, but was interrupted by Harry
"Professor, please keep your voice down, Fudge will hear us." He
She frowned at him but decided to whisper anyway.
"Harry is this some sort of joke? If it is, it isn't funny at all. Fudge
already talked to me about you and he isn't sure you are going to even be
allowed to stay here this summer," she said.
"Professor, this is no joke. Listen to me. We have to get out of here and
meet the others down at Hagrid's cabin. We are in danger. This isn't a joke.
Now, let's get out of here, you have to follow me quickly." He said.
She could tell that Harry seemed really convinced that something was going on.
She wasn't too sure yet, but decided to follow him anyway.
Harry slowly got in front of her and started to walk down the stairs when he
could see the shadows of some wizards that were coming through the door below
them. He turned quickly to Professor Livingston.
"They are already here, quick, over here. Get under the cloak with
me." Harry said as he pulled her by the arm into a corner of the office.
He then pulled the cloak over the both of them. Professor Livingston still
wasn't sure what was going on, but quickly made sure the cloak was securely
over her when she heard footsteps and voices from below begin to walk up the
The voices got clearer as the footsteps got louder.
"Remember, we can't kill him. Just stun him so we can put the Imperial on
him later. If there is anyone in here with him, we'll have to get rid of them.
We can't afford for anyone to know what's going on here," said a deep
"Let's hurry this up," One of the other voices said. "I want to
be the one to find Potter. I want to be the one famous for killing him. The
Dark Lord will reward me with power I'd bet."
"Potter'd probably deal with you in his
sleep," said a third voice trying to hide a laugh.
They were now in the room. There were three men that Harry had never seen
before. All three, were large men wearing dirty black robes. They looked very
scary and very formidable and Harry heard Professor Livingston's breathing
start to get very quick and shallow. He knew that she was now terrified and
obviously now knew that Harry was telling the truth.
The three stopped outside of the Headmaster's office and listened for voices
from inside. When they didn't hear any, one of them signaled to the other two
that he was about to go through the door.
The other two stood back and pulled out their wands and watched as the door was
magically blasted opened. All three of them quickly ran inside.
A scream of panic was heard from Fudge, followed by a spell from one of the
men. The chaos seemed to be over quickly.
"Go check the upper quarters and make sure there isn't anyone else here.
Then head down and begin searching the castle with the others," a voice
Professor Livingston saw that Harry had pulled his wand out of his cloak. She
then grabbed him by the arm when she saw him start to crawl out from behind the
"Harry what are you doing?" she whispered.
"We can't just let them take Fudge," he whispered back. "If they
get him in the Imperial Curse, think of what they can do at the ministry."
Professor Livingston knew that what Harry had said had some truth to it. She
just didn't think that they had any chance against three dark wizards.
"Harry we can't. There is no way we can do anything about his right
now." She said trying to make him see reason.
"Stay here." He said.
Harry crept out from under the cloak and looked back at it to make sure that
she was well hidden behind him. He then stayed crouched down and slowly made
his way up to the damaged doorway. He peeked around the door and saw that the
two men were standing over Fudge and were searching his body probably for his
wand or other things that might be dangerous to them. Harry also noticed that
the door to the above quarters was opened and that was the obvious location of
the third wizard. Harry felt his hand shaking, but closed his eyes for a split
second and took a deep breath.
What happened next happened so fast that Professor
Livingston wasn't sure what it was.
Harry burst into the room and had hit the two men with spells in a matter of
seconds, and then was back outside of the doorway. He looked over to the
direction of Professor Livingston and crawled back to her and got underneath
She could hear Harry breathing strangely and could feel the heat coming from
"What happened?" she whispered to him with a shaky voice.
Harry didn't say anything. She was looking into his eyes and wasn't sure what
to read from them. She also noticed that his breathing was suddenly back down to a level that was almost constant with a person
that was sleeping. It was very slow and rhythmic. She saw Harry look at her and
bring his hand up to his mouth to signal her to be quiet again.
Harry then looked towards the doorway and watched as the third wizard crept out
with his wand in front of him. He had obviously heard the commotion from the
quarters above and had snuck down trying to find out who had attacked the
The man looked around the room for a second, looking through Harry and
Professor Livingston a few times, then walked to the staircase and slowly began
to look down to see if anyone was down below the stairs. He had slid one foot
on the step and was still looking intently down below when Harry slid his hand
and wand out from behind the cloak.
"Expelliarmus! Petrificus Totalus, Mobilicorpus,
Accio. Harry had shouted all four very quickly and what happened was nothing
less than spectacular.
The Expelliarmus spell caused the man's wand to fly up in the air, as the man
turned around the Petrificus Totalus spell caused him to seize up losing the
use of his body, the Mobilicorpus spell then hit him and caused the him to fly
across the room and slam into one of the stone pillars, and the accio spell
made his wand that had flown out of his hand come flying directly into Harry's
It was all over within a few seconds, but the wand in Harry's hand, the
bleeding man's head across the room, and the other two unconscious wizards,
made Professor Livingston look at Harry as though she had no idea what to make
Harry stood up and walked into the office where Fudge and the other two Dark
Wizards all laid unconscious. He turned around at Professor Livingston who had
pulled the cloak off of her, but was still crouched down in the corner of the
"We need to get Fudge out as well." Harry said. "We can't leave
"What's going on Harry?" Professor Livingston asked.
"Death Eaters. They're trying to take over the
castle and we have to get out before they do. The others are waiting for
Harry looked around the room for an idea of a plan.
He saw the large black cloaks that the unconscious wizards wore and then turned
around to the Professor.
"Do you think if I throw the invisibility cloak over Fudge, you can still
guide him out with your wand?" he asked her.
"What Harry? What for?" she said.
"Listen, there will be more of them out there.
They'll see us trying to carry Fudge out. You and I can put these black cloaks
on and pull the hoods up. They'll be less likely to notice us. If we can throw
the cloak on Fudge, we can get him out and they won't see him."
"I understand Harry, Yes, I can do that." She said.
"Okay let's go then. Professor, if they see us, run towards Hagrid's cabin
down by the forest. The others are waiting there. Go to the back."
Harry pulled the dark robes off of the two men. The smaller one of the two he
threw to the Professor, the larger one was huge on Harry, but that didn't
matter for what they had planned. Professor Livingston made Fudge hover in the
air, then Harry threw the cloak over his body making him disappear before their
"Okay follow me. Remember, if anyone is onto us, run and I'll hold them
off. Hit anyone you see that you don't recognize with a stunning spell."
She nodded at him. Professor Livingston was terrified. She couldn't believe
what was happening and she couldn't believe what she had just seen Harry do to
the three Death Eaters.
They slowly made their way down the stairs and but didn't see anyone. When they
got close to the entrance they heard voices coming from the Great Hall, but
nothing in the direction they were going.
"Okay. Let's go outside, remember, just walk
normally. They're bound to see us at some point so let's not give ourselves
away if they do."
The two of them walked outside the door of the castle and made their way
outside. They had made it only twenty or so steps when someone yelled in their
"Hey, what are you two doing over there?" the voice asked.
"Keep walking" Harry said to her quietly.
"Hey you two! Where might you be going?"
Harry turned around and made sure the hood of the cloak was pulled up over his
"We saw something down by the Quidditch field. Think it might be the
Potter boy." Harry said trying to imitate a deep gruff voice.
"Well hurry back! We got our posts you know," the man said.
Harry just stuck his hand up in the air and waived at the man to show he
understood. They then kept walking, this time a bit faster, down to Hagrid's
"That was close" Harry said softly.
When they got close to the cabin, Harry pulled the hood of his cloak down and
signaled Professor Livingston to follow him to the back of the cabin.
When they got there, Harry knocked on the door.
"Ron, open up. It's me."
Harry heard the bolt of the door open, and saw Ron peek around it with his wand
"We're here Ron, we made it." Harry said.
"Thank God Harry. We've been worried sick. What in hell took you so long?
And why are you wearing those cloaks? We thought you were Death Eaters.
Hermione and Meagan are hiding in Hagrid's closet." Ron asked.
Harry and Professor Livingston walked into the cabin. Ron was about to shut the
door when Professor Livingston stopped him.
"We have company." She said as she pulled the cloak off of the
floating, unconscious Fudge.
"We ran into some Death Eaters Ron. They had already got to Fudge, but we
got him out of there. Just a stunning spell I think, we can wake him up in a
Hermione and Meagan heard Harry's voice and burst out of the closet.
Meagan ran into her mom's arms and started crying.
"Mom, I was so worried. I thought they had gotten you. I couldn't have
dealt with that mom, I couldn't have dealt with losing
you and dad both."
"It's okay honey. You aren't going to lose me. Harry made sure we were
okay," she said.
Hermione already had her arms around Harry too and when she heard Professor
Livingston say that. She looked up at Harry with tears in her eyes.
"Whatís happened Harry?" she asked.
"Nothing, just took the cloak and got her like I
said." Harry said looking at Professor Livingston who gave him a puzzled
Hermione squeezed him hard again, then pulled away from him and wiped the tears
out of her eyes. "What are we going to do now Harry?"
"I don't know. We can't go through the forest it's too dangerous. Unless
maybe we could find Firenze or Bane, but they would probably just confuse us
anyway and we'd get lost and Bane wouldn't help me. If we could find the car we
could fly that out, but we might never find it." Harry said obviously
thinking out loud.
"What about the passage way to the Shrieking Shack?" Ron said.
"Harry said we couldn't go into Hogsmeade though." Hermione said.
"Yeah, but if we could make our way to the cave we'd be home free."
"That's it Ron. It maybe risky, but I think if we can get to the cave
we'll be fine." Harry said.
"Professor, can you wake up Fudge? I'm going to find some parchment and
get a letter to Sirius." Harry said.
Harry searched through Hagrid's things until he found some parchment and a
quill and ink and sat down in one of Hagrid's large chairs.
We made it out of the castle. It's me, Ron, Hermione, Meagan and her mother,
Professor Livingston. When I went to get Meagan's mom, the Death Eaters already
had attacked. Fudge was there and we got him out as well. We are heading to the
place where you stayed last year where we brought you food. Please let
Dumbledore and the others know we are safe.
We'll wait there until I hear from you.
Harry then went outside and found Hedwig perched on the fence. She fluttered
her wings to show she was happy to see him. He walked up to her and stroked her
under her wing.
"Thanks girl. Please get this to Sirius. Please find him." Harry said
as he attached the message to her leg.
Harry watched as she flew off out of site, and then went back in through the back
door to Hagrid's cabin to find that Fudge had been revived and was asking
"What on Earth do you mean those were Death Eaters? How can you possibly
know that?" Fudge was asking while rubbing his head.
"They were, Mr. Fudge," Harry said as he walked into the room.
"Harry!" Fudge said.
"Mr. Fudge, the castle is under attack by Death Eaters. Voldemort sent
them to kill me and put you under the Imperius Curse," Harry said plainly.
Fudge looked outraged. "You're all mad. Dumbledore has brainwashed the lot
"Mr. Fudge! I assure you Harry is telling you the truth. After I left your
office I heard the men talking. They were Death Eaters, and they were under
orders." Professor Livingston said.
Harry walked up to Fudge and looked him in the eye. Hermione and Ron could
sense the power radiating from him, the same sort of power they had felt from
Dumbledore only once before. Professor Livingston had felt this from Harry
earlier when he had taken out the three Death Eaters.
"Mr. Fudge, listen to me very carefully because I am only going to say
Hermione and Ron couldn't believe that Harry was talking to the Minister of
Magic this way.
"Those men that attacked you were Death Eaters. They had come to kill me,
and once they were done with you, they would have killed you as well. I don't
think it would be a good idea, but if you want you can go back to the castle
and tell them that they are mad and that Voldemort isn't back and then you can
continue to be blind the entire time up until they torture you and kill you. My
friends and I are leaving and are going to try to find Moody and Dumbledore so
we can try and stop them. I would suggest that you come with us, and as soon as
it's safe, we'll figure a way for you to get word to the Ministry so that they
can begin to prepare for Voldemort's return. I can assure you he will find word
that we have escaped and he will start looking for us. I'll tell you now sir,
that if you make trouble for me and my friends, I will protect them." Harry
Fudge looked dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that a fourteen year old wizard
was talking to him that way. He couldn't believe that Voldemort was back, he
didn't want to believe it. He also didn't want to take the chance that he could
be wrong. He did know that someone had in fact attacked him, and that Harry had
somehow rescued him.
"Look Harry, I don't doubt that those are dark wizards, but I just can't
believe they were Death Eaters. I am indebted to you for saving me, so right
now I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. How many are up there?"
"We don't know. There were three that attacked you. There were more in the
Great Hall, and one that stopped us when we were leaving but he didn't know who
we were, we were wearing the other's cloaks and got you out with the
invisibility cloak. We are going to use a secret passage below the Whomping
Willow to get to Hogsmeade, and then hide in a cave above the village until
Sirius can reach us."
"Sirius? You don't mean.."
Fudge was interrupted by Hermione.
"Sir, we'll explain on the way. We don't have time now," she said.
"Okay, let's go. Hermione and me will go first.
I'll use the cloak to get to the tree and open the passage. When I signal,
Meagan, you and your mom come next. Ron, when you see them get clear, you and
Mr. Fudge follow. Everyone, if you're seen, just try to make it to the passage.
Once we're in, the tree will protect the passage. I doubt they know how to stop
it from thrashing." Harry said.
Harry looked at all of them staring back at him listening intently. It had just
dawned on him that he was barking out orders and making plans to try to save
their lives. But it was the fact that he was doing this with a Professor and
the Minister of Magic listening to him for guidance, and as a leader of sorts.
He tried to put these thoughts away, but then the events that happened in the
Headmaster's office came to mind. He honestly didn't really know what all had
happened, but he did know that everything he had done, the spells, the
movements, the thinking, it all came to him so naturally. It was almost as
though some sort of defense mechanism had been taught to him that day in the
"Okay Hermione, let's go. Get the cloak." He said.
They both then began to run across the field towards the tree. The others went
to the front of the cabin and watched them both through the window.
"How did Harry stop all three of those wizards?" Fudge asked
"I'm not sure Mr. Fudge. I mean, I watched it, but I'm still not sure. The
first two, I don't really know, he used spells I had never heard before. The
third one, he used four small spells, but used them quicker than I have ever
seen anyone throw spells. They were one right after the other. They all hit the
man, and within seconds, he was disabled and Harry had the man's wand in his
Fudge had a look of disbelief in his eyes as he watched Harry reach the base of
the tree and disappear under the cloak. The next thing he saw was Hermione look
back at them and wave for them to come, and then disappear down the passage.
"Let's go sweetheart." Professor Livingston said to Meagan.
Meagan gave Ron a hug when she passed him. "Be careful Ron."
Ron then let go of her, and went back to watch them out of the window. When
they were close to the passage he turned to Fudge and signaled that they go.
Fudge was the first one out of the back door, but was intercepted by a man in a
black cloak; it was one of the death eaters.
He had Fudge around the neck with one hand, and with the other, he had a wand
pointing at Ron. Ron had his wand pointing back at him almost instinctively.
"Put the wand down laddie. You don't want me to kill your Dad here now do
ya?" the man said as he tightened the grip on Fudge's neck causing him to
choke very audibly.
Ron didn't know what to do. But he did know that if he put his wand down, he
would be helpless.
"Let him go!" Ron said trying to look for a good aim to throw a curse
at the man. But he couldn't find one. All that was visible was the man's head,
which was just a few inches away from Fudge's.
Ron suddenly got an idea and felt the courage build up in him. "You put
your wand down," Ron said, "Or my friend Harry Potter, who is right
behind you, will make you."
The man's eyes got wide, and his grip loosened a bit on Fudge. The Minister
felt this and just when the man made a quick turn to look behind him to see if
Harry was really there, Fudge pushed off of him causing a brief period of
separation between them. Ron was ready for it, and hit the man in the chest
with a spell.
Fudge rubbed his neck and coughed. His face was horribly red from the man's
tight grip, but he gave Ron a smile and picked up his and the man's wand from
"Let's go Mr. Weasley. Thanks for that by the way. You're dad will be
proud of you no doubt." Fudge said.
As they were walking out Ron leaned down and rolled up the sleeve on the
unconscious man showing the Dark Mark tattoo on his arm. Fudge turned around to
see what Ron was doing, and gasped when he saw the tattoo..
"Still think Dumbledore and Harry are mad?" Ron said as he stood up
and brushed past Fudge.
It wasn't long before they were all safe in the passage. Harry hit the knothole
and slid into the passage as the door closed behind him. Now all they needed to
do was make it to the cave.
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The New Hot Spots for the Cold Months
Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean people stop traveling. In fact, certain cities have already seen a boost in the number of people making travel plans for the first three months of this year.
We partnered with Hotwire.com, a popular hotel and flight listing service, to find out which cities in the U.S. and Canada have seen the biggest year-over-year increase in vacation bookings from January through March. Some cities mentioned here are attracting greater attention thanks to an increased number of travel promotions, while others house new attractions that appeal to travelers around the country.
We’ve picked out the eight cities that have shown the biggest increase in demand and ranked them from the smallest to the largest spike. For those who haven’t made their winter vacation plans yet and may be interested in visiting any of the cities on this list, we’ve also used airfare and hotel room listings from Hotwire as well as from Kayak and Expedia to give you a sense of how much you can expect your trip to cost.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
8th Biggest Increase in Bookings: Vancouver
As if the beautiful scenery and skiing options weren’t enough of a reason to visit Vancouver during the winter, there are also plenty of travel promotions taking place there. According to Hotwire’s travel experts, the city opened a slew of new hotels leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics to accommodate the increased demand and now many of these hotels must offer significant discounts to fill up their rooms. Hotels like the Empire Landmark Hotel and Executive Hotel Vintage Park are offering rooms for less than $100. Keep in mind though that flights to and from Vancouver aren’t exactly cheap: Even if you’re flying from Seattle, you can expect to pay between $300 to $400 round trip.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 25%
Photo Credit: globalreset
7th Biggest Increase in Bookings: Las Vegas
Las Vegas has had a tough time in recent years as the recession simultaneously destroyed Nevada’s housing market and cut down the amount of money consumers had on hand to blow on slot machines. In an effort to keep tourists coming, hotels have rolled out one promotion after another and this year, it seems more consumers have saved up enough money to take advantage of these deals. Big names like Caesars Palace and the Hard Rock Hotel are currently offering rooms for less than $100, along with some very attractive package deals on flights and hotels combined.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 28%
Photo Credit: joanna8555
6th Biggest Increase in Bookings: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Some visit Fort Lauderdale for the beaches and warm weather, others use it as a jumping off point to take a cruise, and still others go to see their grandparents. In any case, it makes for a rather affordable winter getaway. You can fly round trip to Fort Lauderdale from pretty much any city in the U.S. for roughly $300 or less in the winter (if you plan ahead), and from many cities like Dallas and New York, prices are well under $200 on off-peak travel days. Likewise, many of the hotels cost less than $150 a night for a room with some like the Avon Waterfront Inn offering rooms for less than $100.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 30%
Photo Credit: MattHurst
5th Biggest Increase in Bookings: New York
New York City is filled with tourists year-round (trust us, we live there), but a few more travelers may be tempted to visit the Big Apple this year as the city rolls out additional promotions on lodging. According to Hotwire, New York is another city where more hotels have been popping up in the previous few years, meaning more ongoing promotions to fill up the rooms. That said, New York hardly qualifies as a cheap visit unless, of course, you stay in one of the hostels on the periphery of the city, where rooms go for anywhere from $20-$50 a night. If you’re looking for a proper hotel room though, expect to pay at least $100 a night.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 35%
Photo Credit: Getty
4th Biggest Increase in Bookings: Orlando, Fla.
At least some of Orlando’s rise in popularity this season can be pinned to a certain fictional wizard. According to Hotwire’s travel experts, new amusement parks like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios have helped boost demand for travel in the winter. What’s more, the city has been building more hotels and offering more promotions, particularly in the off season. As a result you can find rooms for less than $50 a night in certain hotels. Combine this with relatively cheap flights - $200-$250 round trip from cities like Boston and Chicago – and Orlando makes for a frugal family-friendly getaway.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 36%
Photo Credit: Allie_Caulfield
3rd Biggest Bookings Increase: New Orleans
New Orleans is back. The city’s tourism industry struggled to recover during the first few years after Hurricane Katrina, but in the past couple years it has come back strong. According to Hotwire’s travel experts, more travelers are looking to visit the city during the winter to watch the Saints play and, of course, to head down for Mardi Gras in February. Round-trip flights to New Orleans typically fall in the $200-$300 range depending on whether you’re flying from somewhere close by like Dallas or somewhere farther like Los Angeles. You can book many hotel rooms in the city for $50-$100 a night.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 39%
Photo Credit: Ray Devlin
(TIE) The Biggest Increase in Bookings: San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is arguably the best destination to visit if you want to feel like you’re traveling abroad while enjoying the conveniences of staying in the U.S. The cuisine and culture of this city – and Puerto Rico as a whole – are distinct from anything you’d find on the mainland, but it still uses the dollar and most (at least in this city) speak English. Round-trip flights to San Juan from the East Coast typically run in the $250-$350 range during the winter months and can cost upwards of $400 or $450 from the West Coast. The city is filled with pricey resorts that can cost $200 or more a night, but if you’re looking for something cheaper, hotels like the Casa Condado and the San Juan Park Hotel do have rooms for less than $100.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 61%
Photo Credit: Steve Beger Photography
(TIE) The Biggest Increase in Bookings: Oahu, Hawaii
Hawaii has long served as a destination for those looking to escape the bitter cold without leaving the U.S., but Oahu in particular has gained a little extra glamor in recent years as the birthplace of President Obama and a place where he still frequently vacations. Flying to Oahu from cities like New York in the winter months typically costs around $700 round trip, or about as much as airfare to and from Europe, but according to Hotwire’s data, you can find plenty of rooms for less than $100 a night.
Year-over-year increase in bookings: 61%
Photo Credit: Getty Images

domain: economics


text:
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The perfect storm hitting the antibiotics R&D has intensified. According to a recent report by Reuters, the return on investment has fallen by a startling 30% at the world’s 12 largest pharmaceutical companies. The cost of developing a drug through to market has risen from $800 million several years ago to $1.05 billion today. This rise is mostly due to the increased number of failures – especially late stage failures. The increase in late stage failures is related in large part to the high regulatory hurdles being encountered across the various therapeutic areas where the industry works. To address this, companies have pared their phase III portfolios from an average of 23 to 18 compounds – a 28% decrease. At the same time, the commercial value of products entering late stage development has increased. Thus, the portfolio prioritization process has narrowed late stage products to those with higher commercial values in most companies. Additional responses from the industry include an insistence on increasing returns on investment. This is likely to generate additional merger and acquisition activity and further pressure on the portfolio optimization process. It is likely that this optimization process will place further pressure on antibiotic R&D.
At the same time, a recent report from the European CDC noting a 56% increase in reports of carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae between 2005 and 2010.
Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins continues to increase to very high levels throughout the European Community.
The European Union has responded to the crisis of antibiotic resistance with a fairly watered down action plan to member nations. Of the 12 action items in this plan, one is dedicated to the discovery and development of new antimicrobials – shown below. It calls for the establishment of a public-private partnership under the auspices of the Innovative Medicines Initiative to direct and coordinate academic, non-profit and industry partnerships for this purpose. But, in the realm of antibiotics, these efforts, so far, have failed to bear fruit with most recent late stage products coming from either large pharmaceutical companies or biotech. Having participated in two framework grants on the industry side, I can only hope that the process for Framework 7 and its successors will be more palatable than that for Frameworks 5 and 6. As almost a footnote, the action plan calls for implementing procedures for fast-tracking antibiotics against resistant pathogens. But, as the plan essentially says, these procedural pathways already exist. The question is how to implement them. The action plan, appropriately in the case of Europe, leaves this to the regulators. But some more explicit directions would have been helpful. For example, there should have been a directive to establish feasible pathways for superiority trials leading to early conditional approval. A directive to maintain feasible non-inferiority trial pathways would have also been a welcome addition. While I believe the European regulators already understand this, a clear mandate from the EU would still have been helpful to those of us who want to pursue innovative trial designs for antibiotic development and for the regulators themselves as they try and implement such designs in guidance to sponsors.
While the Perfect Storm intensifies, both the US and EU still fail to address the key issues. Feasible regulatory pathways forward are the first giant step forward. I can only hope that the EMA will succeed in maintaining feasible procedures and promulgating the new, innovative and feasible guidance that I know they seek for the development of new antibiotics.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
In October of this year, the FDA released a report entitled, “Driving Biomedical Innovation: Initiatives to Improve Products for Patients.” There are a number of interesting aspects of this report. The first is that the word antibiotic is only mentioned once – in a paragraph talking about clinical trails for targeted therapies. But the study of antibiotics in clinical trials has at best only rare and controversial attempts to do just that. One was the use of emergency use programs to approve the use of linezolid (Zyvox) and quinupristin-dalfopristin (Synercid) for the treatment if serious infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus feacium. One major advantage of these emergency use programs is that patients enrolled were documented to have or were very strongly suspected of having a resistan enterococcal infection at the time of enrollment. But given the non-comparative nature of the trials and the bias introduced by the emergency use approach, the FDA has indicated that they would never approve another antibiotic in this way again. But if not, then how?
The following excerpt is taken directly from the FDA report:
The early discovery of a potential
breakthrough therapy raises ethical and
trial design issues. It is important to gain
confidence that the effects seen in the early
trials are real, and to understand the safety
risks of the new drug. On the other hand,
from an ethical standpoint, it is important to
make sure that people with serious diseases
are getting the best possible therapy. In these
situations, the clinical trials for the drug’s
development must be compressed and the
evidence about its effects gathered in the most
efficient manner possible; however, there is
not a good understanding in the biomedical
community about how to accomplish this.
Additionally, there are questions surrounding
the use of an expedited drug pathway, such as:
• Can FDA, drug developers, and
investigators agree on a threshold to
determine when a treatment poses
“exceptional promise” and should thus
be treated in an expedited fashion?
• Can seamless drug development programs
be created to utilize natural history
data or adaptive trial design concepts to
compress drug development time?
• What are the ethical issues involved in
identifying a promising intervention?
How should the needs of all patients with
the disease be balanced against the need
for better therapy for an individual?
• Can surrogate outcome measures that
could be used for accelerated approval
be rapidly identified?
• Can we arrive at a consensus view of
the goal of monitoring commitments
companies will make once a product is
on the market after such a development
program, such as scientific expectations
These are all great questions. I can’t wait to hear the answers!
In other sections of the report, the FDA discusses their intent to better communicate with small business. While I am excited about this initiative since the FDA indicates that it wants to improve their understanding of the challenges faced by small businesses, I wonder whether the FDA will actually be able to provide feasible pathways forward for small businesses developing antibiotics. As it stands now, for example, there is almost no way a small biotech can take on the expense of a registrational trial for antibiotics. Only truly innovative trial designs will change this. But given the departure of large pharmaceutical companies and their deep pockets from the antibiotic R&D area, and given the current dismal situation for private funding, we desperately need these biotech to be able to proceed on their own. A feasible and less expensive pathway for FDA approval would go a long way to bring new therapies, including new antibiotics, to the patients that so desperately need them.
So – if the FDA is serious about their small business initiative and if antibiotic development is included within this rubric – I hereby volunteer my services. Of course, the problem is that they might not like what they hear.
No matter how one feels about the FDA, their report on initiatives in biomedical innovation is an important one. I think it does indicate a sincere desire to move forward. But, as always, the devil is in the details.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
You read it here first! I first reported Pfizer’s exit from antibiotics R&D back in February of this year. In that report, I noted that they claimed they were moving their antibiotic discovery effort to China I also expressed doubts that they would ever be able to do that. I have a source that tells me that they have now announced (at least internally) that they are cancelling their plans (such as they were) to establish antibiotic discovery in China. They still claim that they will continue to pursue what antibiotics they have in development. I seriously doubt they will be successful there either. My doubts around Pfizer’s confused efforts in the antibiotic arena are based on the following –
- 1. In firing everyone in their US-based discovery group, they lost all their internal scientific expertise.
- 2. Antibiotics expertise, including everything from basic science to clinical microbiology to animal model expertise, is required throughout the development process and throughout the period of marketing. With the loss of this internal expertise, Pfizer is lost.
- 3. To come to intelligent decision on in-licensing antibiotics, you still need the expertise that Pfizer no longer has.
- 4. To establish a new group in China, Pfizer needed to hire a scientific leader. They approached me for recommendations for people to lead the group. I pointed out that NO ONE in the antibiotic area who knows anything about Pfizer’s history of firing their most valued people would ever trust Pfizer enough to want to work for them. I also noted that they had an opportunity to offer that job to the very talented people they fired earlier this year – an opportunity they ignored. Who would work for a company like that?
So, I get to say “I told you so” on their failure in China, but I also predict that they will never be able to successfully develop whatever assets they want to move forward since they have lost virtually all their internal expertise. When Wyeth moved out of antibiotic R&D, they at least had the sense to retain a small core of scientists to support the ongoing development and later marketing of tigecycline. Pfizer appears not to even have that much foresight – or they just don’t care.
It is all very interesting because I occasionally hear from clients that Pfizer business folks want to talk to them about whatever antibiotic the client may have in various stages of development. But I always warn them that they should take these approaches with a large grain of salt since I doubt, for the reasons noted above, whether Pfizer can even intelligently evaluate an antibiotic in-licensing opportunity. So far, I have been correct in this assessment.
Of course, this is an incredibly sad state of affairs. When the world’s largest pharmaceutical company is so incompetent that they bungle their exit from a deprioritized area to this extent, it brings into question the entire management of the company. I also lament Pfizer’s exit from antibiotics R&D since it is just one less large pharmaceutical company in the fight against resistant infections and it is an additional large number of unemployed microbiologists with industry experience looking for work. Finally, I fear that there will be more competition in the consulting business!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
I usually try and limit my blogs to 800 words or less. That’s just not happening today – sorry. I attended the recent FDA Anti-infectives Drug Advisory Committee (fondly known as AIDAC) meetings on community-acquired (CABP) and hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated pneumonia (CABP). The FDA briefing materials, can be found by following these links - (CABP), (HABP/VABP). It is clear from the briefing materials and the meeting itself that the FDA wants to make their trial design requirements feasible. For CABP they are getting there. For oral antibiotics for CABP - who knows? For HABP/VABP we have a long way to go.
The discussion was extensive and took the entire day. There were notable presentations from Tom File, IDSA (John Bartlett) and PhRMA (Barry Eisenstein).
Dr. Sumati Nambiar began the day with a nice review of 4 years of FDA discussions and guidance documents in this area including comments to the docket. Basically, by reviewing the preantibiotic era literature and through work with FNIH, the FDA was able to convince itself that an NI margin based on early clinical outcome (symptoms only) could be justified since the treatment effect comparing sulfonamides to placebo was so dramatic. The FNIH process defined an early endpoint of symptom improvement at study day 4 (72 hours of therapy) as a one point improvement in at least two symptoms of cough, dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, sputum production AND no worsening of other symptoms. An absence of elevated body temperature and improvement in important measures of physiological stability would be important but not part of the primary endpoint. Likewise, the need for a later assessment to assure long-term response was recognized but only included as an “important” secondary endpoint.
The FDA, based mainly on daptomycin data as published by Pertel et al, and partly based on a potential masking of ceftaroline superiority to ceftriaxone in the FOCUS studies, believes that prior antibiotics, even a single dose of a short acting drug, might confound a non-inferiority trial and drive the results towards the null - hence the importance of the question on prior antibiotic use.
Presentations by John Bartlett, Tom File and PhRMA made the strong argument that trials would be difficult to enroll in general, but impossible to enroll in the US if all prior antibiotic use was precluded. In Forest’s FOCUS 1 and 2 trials only 2% of all patients came from the US. I presented the recent experience of a phase II study of an IV-oral antibiotic for CABP where most US centers refused to participate because of the exclusion of all prior antibiotic use. Even overseas this was a problem. The study was carried out in the US, Canada, Hungary and Poland. Of 860 patients screened, only 32 were enrolled. 220 failed to enroll because of prior antibiotic use. The rest of the screening failures were a mixture of causes with the most common being that the patients were not felt to have pneumonia after evaluation or refused consent.
The discussion of FDA’s question 1 centered around whether the symptom assessment at the early endpoint was sufficiently objective. Many physicians wanted to include signs such as temperature, pulse and respiratory rate as part of the assessment as noted in FDA’s option 2. The usual objection from Tom Fleming was that these are biomarkers. But surprisingly, a few clinicians noted that they thought the pulse and respiratory rates recorded on hospital wards were highly unreliable and that getting temperature measurements more than 2-3 times per day would require an act of God. Conclusion – physiological signs are not necessary but could be used at the sponsor’s option. From my point of view this is good since option 2 is infeasible just based on trial size alone. Option 1 would require 1376 subjects if powered at 80% for the overall program and therefore 90% for each trial. This is quite feasible.
As noted in the FDA’s options, the NI margin for clinical outcome was proposed as 10% but they allowed pooling of the microbiologically documented population for two trials in options 1 and 2 and proposed a margin of 15% for that analysis. Both would have to be met to achieve approval. In the single trial option (FDA’s option 3), they proposed several margins where the primary analysis population is the microbiologically documented one. An 80% powered trial at a 10% NI margin would require 1862 patients – probably infeasible. A 12.5-15% NI margin would require 1192 and 828 respectively at 80% power. These are feasible. The committee suggested a 10% margin for the single trial.
A further discussion of the margins led to questioning of the entire rationale for the early endpoint. This exists because the FDA could find historical data to justify a treatment effect. I noted that one could easily do ths is the context of previous prospective, controlled clinical trials using a pharmacometric approach as noted in previous blogs. The thought is to use pharmacometrics to define an NI margin for the more clinically relevant test of cure endpoint that has been used traditionally and is still used in Europe as an endpoint. The topic was taken up by John Rex and others and became even more important during the discussion of HABP/VABP on Nov. 4. The pharmcometric method has been shown to be robust and applicable across many indications and many antibiotic classes. I remain baffled as to why the FDA continually refuses to look at this option.
The most contentious discussion of the day occurred over whether prior antibiotics would be allowed or not. The basic tension was between whether one wanted to have any US patients enrolled in a trial or not. John Bartlett even raised the ethics of conducting a trial overseas where, if we know that delaying antibiotics in seriously ill CABP patients increases mortality, than those patients should not be subjected to that risk either by the time consuming enrollment procedures. Thus, he argues that they too should be allowed a single dose of a short acting antibiotic and that it might not be ethical to disallow that for overseas patients. I found this a powerful argument – and apparently so did at least some committee members. About half the committee agreed that a single dose of a short acting antibiotic would be acceptable. They requested that the FDA provide a list of acceptable antibiotics. They did not address the use of concomitant therapy for Legionella like the clarithromycin that was allowed in one of the ceftaroline trials since that is required by guidance in North America.
The FDA proposals for feasible trials are shown below. Again – see their briefing materials and the previous blog on this topic!
There was a clear consensus among all present that this indication is the one with the highest unmet medical need and the one with the least feasible regulatory path forward (except those where placebo trials are required like otitis, sinusitis and bronchitis in my view). The key to understanding the issues here is a full comprehension of the implications of the 28-day all cause mortality endpoint that the FDA requires. I noted that in their questions, they do not ask the committee if they agree with this endpoint. Nevertheless, this became a central area of discussion during the day.
A discussion of the statistical considerations in trial design was presented by Dr. Komo of the FDA. He reviewed a large number of trials in HABP and VABP. The microbiological evaluability rates for VABP ranged from 72 to 84% for trials of broad-spectrum agents and 56-63% for those studying Gram positive pathogens. For HABP, the range was from 50-63% for broad-spectrum agents and from 45-53% for Gram positive pathogens.
Dr. Komo followed this with a discussion of the determination of M1 and the NI margin. He reviewed the FDA discounting methods but both he and later Tom Fleming noted that if mortality is the endpoint and the control mortality rate is set at 20%, anything larger than a 10% margin might lead to potentially unacceptable increases in mortality for the treatment arm in any case. Therefore, using a mortality endpoint, no increase in margin would be permissible anyway purely on clinical grounds.
Dr. Komo then reviewed the Risk Difference, Relative Risk and Odds Ratio methods of measuring risk of mortality based on NI trial data. Since I am NOT a statistician, I only have an elementary understanding of these methods. But, what I clearly understand based on the presentation and the FDA briefing materials is that with the OR method, as the mortality rate goes down – which seems likely given current trends – the sample size required increases asymptotically!
There were excellent presentations by Don Craven (IDSA), Tom File and Robert Fromtling (of Merck for PhRMA). Of these, I will focus on the latter. The PhRMA proposal was for a composite endpoint where cure at TOC and alive at 28 days would be required for success. The suggested analysis would use an odds ratio of 1.714. If the FDA insists on a mortality endpoint, PhRMA prefers the approach the FDA took for CABP where there would be a margin of 10% for the ITT population and a margin of 15% for the microbiologically evaluable population. The study would be powered based on a risk difference approach (where the trial size actually decreases with decreasing mortality). PhRMA also pointed out that in the current assumptions by the FDA, drugs which focus on Pseudomonas would be excluded from the non-inferiority approach since the microbiologic evaluability would only be around 10%. They even questioned whether S. aureus infections would be feasible to study even under the proposed PhRMA standards. A final point from PhRMA related to the key issue of setting breakpoint – never discussed again while I was present. They pointed out that if breakpoints were set at the MIC50, this would dissuade virtually all companies from proceeding with anti-infective discovery and development.
During my open public hearing presentation I once again raised the idea of using pharmacometrics to define a treatment effect for a clinical endpoint. This is a much more critical issue for nosocomial pneumonia than for CABP since the FDA was able to finally get comfortable with a clinical endpoint there. To make trials feasible, we have to get away from mortality as the sole endpoint. John Rex raised this topic during the discussion. He hammered the point that this discussion was critical to whether or not antibiotics would eve be available to Americans or not and to whether companies would want to begin, restart or continue work in the antibiotic field. While I believe that many on the AIDAC were deaf to the urgency of his appeal, they did finally get the message of using pharmacometrics. This was discussed by enough committee members that I think even the FDA might have gotten the message. In my view, this is the only way forward here.
For the committee response – most agreed that a single trial would be OK and a significant number agreed that the single trial could be of both HABP and VABP patients. Again – if mortality is the endpoint and the mortality of the control must be 20% to maintain trial size at a reasonable level - this is going to be extremely hard to achieve, plus the microbiologically evaluable rate will decrease. Nevertheless, this represents an extremely important option for companies. Unfortunately, most on the committee agreed with the use of the odds ratio approach which really punishes sponsors for going under 20% mortality at a time when both the incidence of this disease and its mortality are falling.
Finally, there was a discussion of the use of prior antibiotics. The consensus seemed to be that there was little or no evidence that such treatment confounded trial interpretation and therefore that 24 hours or possibly even longer use might be tolerated. There was no real resolution of the issue of concomitant therapy such as aminoglycoside use that was common in previous trails and is frequently required by clinical guidelines. This will likely remain a thorny issue – but one which, might, once again be susceptible to interrogation using PK/PD methods.

domain: medical


text:
Park Up with Virgin Games
As part of the Live a Little campaign, Virgin Games launched its first social activation on 28th September with #CarParkPoker. Vlad’s mischievous character was back to inject fun into an everyday situation, creating a giant game of Poker in a car park, with a top prize of £5,000!
Fronted by Vlad, the game consisted of filling parking spaces with giant playing cards. Whichever cards were still visible in the vacant spaces formed the Poker hand. As the cars went in and out of the car park, the Poker hand constantly changed – getting higher and lower.
The action was streamed through Facebook Live on the Virgin Games page, with players keeping their eyes peeled for the highest hand. When they thought they saw it, they could call out in the comments section of the live-stream and be entered into a prize draw to win £5,000. Plus, there were £3,000 worth of Virgin Gift Cards to be won throughout.
The Poker game played for 2 hours and was a roaring success, with over 120,000 viewers and 26,500 reactions. Becky N won the £5,000 with a Flush.
Such was its success that there’s talk of more events like this in the pipeline, as Vlad continues to turn everyday situations into fun social games.
Simon Mizzi, Marketing Director from Virgin Games commented, “Car Park Poker is an industry first in terms of scale and concept. The larger-than-life idea is driven by Virgin’s irreverent, fun loving proposition as well as the fun we have as a gaming brand. Using our mischievous character, Vlad, we’ve injected some fun into everyday situations to surprise and delight our audience.”
You can head over to Virgin Games here.

domain: entertainment


Seychelles has taken another big step forward in reducing its debt burden, the Ministry of Finance has said. It said the exchange offer to holders of existing debts, launched by the government on December 7, 2009, has received the overwhelming support of its creditors.
On expiry of the exchange offer at close of business on January 14, holders of debts totalling US $283 million – about 89% of the aggregate amount of Existing Instruments eligible to take part – had agreed to provide extensive debt relief to Seychelles by exchanging their claims on the country for new notes.
The participation rates by Existing Instrument were as follows:
● €54.75 million amortising notes due 2011 – 100%;
● US $230 million 9.125% notes due 2011 – 84%;
● Term loan agreement dated March 22, 1999 – 100%;
● Facility agreement dated June 2, 2003 – 100%.
As part of the exchange offer, creditors had the option to choose either new discount notes or
new par notes.
Because tenders for new par notes did not reach the US $50 million threshold specified in the conditions, tenders for these notes will automatically be treated as tenders for new discount notes in accordance with the terms of the exchange offer.
At the same time, the Ministry of Finance has announced that in accordance with the exchange offer it will now take the steps required to carry out the collective action clause embedded in the 9.125% notes due in 2011.
Once the extraordinary resolution specified in the prospectus is approved at a meeting of holders to be held on February 8, holders of the 16% that was not tendered will receive on the settlement date new discount notes in exchange for their 9.125% notes due in 2011.
Giving his reaction to the exchange offer success, President James Michel said: “Today is a very important day for the people of Seychelles. We are delighted with the outcome of the exchange offer and are appreciative of the cooperation and support demonstrated by our creditors.
“This transaction was critical to our efforts to transform our country’s economic outlook. The reforms we have undertaken have been far-reaching and have prepared us for a bright future.
“This result is further evidence that we are ready for that future.”
Finance Minister Danny Faure said: “With the results of the exchange offer, 50% of the full amount of external commercial debt eligible under the exchange offer will be cancelled.
“This transaction, combined with the impact of our 2009 Paris Club agreement, and of the restructuring arrangements that we are negotiating with other creditors, will ensure a sustainable debt burden for Seychelles.
“It is clear to us that creditors have been reassured by the fundamental changes that we are implementing in our country. The support that they have provided to us will strengthen our determination to press ahead with our reform agenda.”
The exchange offer is scheduled to be settled on February 11.
White Oak Advisory LLP acted as financial adviser to the government in this transaction, and Clifford Chance LLP acted as legal adviser.


text:
It was small, it was intimate and it was FUN! It has been one year since Lauren and Mike engaged with our services, requesting our Full Planning and Styling package to bring their wedding to life from the other side of the world. Both living in the UK at the time, Lauren and Mike always dreamed of coming back home to Australia to celebrate their wedding at Mike’s parent’s beautiful home in Rosebay. Completely manicured to perfection, the property presented the perfect location for a quaint celebration of love at home.
The day was filled with delicious food by Cook and Waiter, great tunes by Event Entertainers, a small but practical marquee by Pages Event Hire, a delicious cake by Stacey Brewer Cakes, magical blooms by Sweet Pea and Honey Bee, and the most epic images captured by Willow and Co.
The ceremony was situated at the front of the property. An Italian inspired patio infused with trailing vines, stone detailing and floor to ceiling windows. Lauren and Mike married on the front porch during a ceremony filled with lots of laughter and love!
Guests then made their way through the house and into the back yard. A smaller space with manicured green hedging filling all four sides. We popped a marquee into the centre to avoid last minute weather decisions and seated the guests in long tables down the length of the marquee.
The styling was kept minimal drawing inspiration from the idea of a secret garden centred around wild and organic florals with hanging foliage introducing touches of toffee, taupe, dusty blush and terracotta used to create a warm, flowing statement. We continued this rich colour palette through to the signage and table styling, using texture and layering of the napkins and stationery and a light weighted runner down the table. Accents of timber were also used to ground the look and further reinforce the secret garden concept.

domain: artistic


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Winchester Repeating Arms
Winchester Repeating Arms Model 70 Super Grade Stainless 535235212
Product Code : 048702016516
|Receiver||High Gloss Steel|
Determined at checkout.


text:
Open source software tools and services are often created quickly and out of necessity. Linus Torvalds, for example, created the first version of git in a weekend when the Linux kernel team could no longer use BitKeeper for Source Control Management.
sigstore was created earlier this year to address the massive gap for an easy, trustable and efficient digital signing tool to confirm the provenance (origin) of software. Since March 2021 sigstore has been growing rapidly and is being used for various projects. This includes Kubernetes, one of the world’s largest open source projects.
But like Let’s Encrypt and the Linux Kernel, sigstore requires resources. Building the first version of the tool is different from bringing together resources to enable widespread adoption and support it for the long term. That’s why we’re excited to announce today that the project has received generous contributions from Chainguard, Cisco, HPE, Google, Red Hat and VMware to conduct an extensive security audit and hire a full-time developer relations engineer.
The reality is that today the majority of software isn’t digitally signed. Without signatures, there’s little evidence of the software’s provenance, so most software consumed is cryptographically untrusted. With sigstore, developers can digitally sign containers, artifacts, config-as-code, policy, and any given computer file. sigstore has the potential of becoming to digital signing what Let’s Encrypt is to HTTPS.
“By working to eliminate the requirements for specialized skills in cryptography, sigstore is committed to establishing trust and transparency in the open source supply chain. Removing this exclusivity is key to increasing developers’ access to cryptographic signing and creating an open log for accountability. Red Hat is proud to support sigstore’s constant commitment to open source in the supply chain security space,” said Luke Hinds, Senior Principal Software Engineer, Red Hat.

domain: news


text:
At turns peaceful, playful, and provocative, Poems of Earth and Spirit is a collection of poetry and practices that draws us into deeper kinship with all life. Through Kai Siedenburg’s intimate explorations of the natural world, we experience cross-cultural communication with chickadees, loving encounters with trees, and the gratitude of thirsty plants quenched by rain. And through carefully crafted practices we discover our own intimate encounters with nature in cities and wild places alike. For those seeking a connection with nature that nourishes mind, body, and spirit, this book is a gift.
• Seventy original poems co-created by Kai Siedenburg and the natural world
• More than 40 practices to help deepen your connection with nature wherever you are
• Thirteen beautiful illustrations by Christi Voenell
- Santa Cruz: Bookshop Santa Cruz, the Homeless Garden Project store, Eco-Goods, and Pure Water
- Other Central Coast locations: The 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley; Slow Coast stores in Davenport and Pescadero; the Phoenix Shop at Nepenthe and the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur
- Sierra foothills: Earth in Nevada City
Kindle version now available!
For bulk orders and discounts, contact Kai Siedenburg.
A portion of the sales of this book raises funds in aid of TreeSisters and supports tropical reforestation.
Advance praise for Poems of Earth and Spirit:
“Beautiful, heart-felt poems for connecting with the Earth.”
—Joseph Bharat Cornell, author of Sharing Nature and Deep Nature Play: A Guide to Wholeness, Aliveness, Creativity, and Inspired Learning.
“Brimming with insight and imagination, Kai Siedenburg’s debut collection of poems explores our relationship to nature in provocative ways… To spend time with this collection is like sitting by a pure mountain stream; we are filled with peace, wonder, and delight.”
—Mary Reynolds Thompson, author of Embrace Your Inner Wild: 52 Reflections for an Eco-Centric World and Reclaiming the Wild Soul: How Earth’s Landscapes Restore Us to Wholeness.
“I’ve been sharing Kai’s poems with my students and workshop participants for years. I love how they help people to see the natural world more clearly and appreciate it more profoundly… her poems invite us into a more intimate relationship with all of life.”
—Ariana Candell, LMFT, R-DMT, Ecotherapist and Founder of The Earthbody Institute.
“What I want from poetry is what Kai gives me, to see anew and to feel deeply, to be reminded of who I am. As she sees the earth do, she gives her poems everything she’s got. Brava, Kai Siedenburg, Brava!”
—Patrice Vecchione, author of Step into Nature: Nurturing Imagination & Spirit in Everyday Life.


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I perform the surgery at no charge and accept no remuneration for running the foundation. Surgical facility and anesthesia fees still apply, and these are paid for by the foundation. Please contact me to schedule a consultation.
- Read All Reviews -
I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma skin cancer in both my nose and lip areas. I was warned that the surgery to remove the cancers could be disfiguring. My MOHs surgeon chose you, Dr. Mobley. What a pleasant surprise it has been to be the recipient of sum of the finest surgery available.
I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your skill and sensitivity as a surgeon. It has been just over a year now and my nose and forehead look great. Thank you for the time and care you took and for your patience and kindness. Best wishes!
Hello Dr. Mobley, Thanks for all you have done for me throughout this whole experience. My nose is healing well and looking better everyday. I'm really happy with my new appearance and I can breathe better too!
Dear Steven, You've done fantastic work achieving the 99th percentile on patient satisfaction over the last year. This places you among top scoring docs and providers nationally. Thanks for giving both great care and an exceptional experience to your patients.


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Full rights to publish graph Contact name for the permission to use the data (on paper and/or web): Ms Ann Thuvander. EEA does not have rights to publish the underpinning data due to outdated formulation in the copyright agreement form.
Developing countries often gain little financial benefit from the influx of visitors to their shores. Only around 30 % of the money spent by tourists on their holiday remains in the host country. Eco tourism is promoted in some countries. For sustainable destinations, explore EU’s catalogue at www.eco-label.com or the National Geographic's portal at www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.
More green tips

domain: geography


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She has her original Certificate of Authenticity and original hang tag and is numbered A0083. The Certificate bears some wrinkles but is not ripped or torn. She features a gorgeous porcelain bouquet of genuine. Crafted entirely by hand in Italy. The Italian Capodimonte flowers creating the bouquet are.
Handmade, with the individual petals attached by hand to form each flower. The back of the bouquet bears the blue stamp Capodimonte. Made in Italy with the N for Naples. This bridal doll is numbered A0083. Lovely brown hair, deep brown eyes, soft pink lips.
Pure white floral patterned gown with lace and pink ribbon accents, with a lovely long train. Accessories include veil, jewelry, bouquet of hand crafted Italian Capodimonte flowers, and stand.Bouquet is boxed separately and located in the box under the feet part of the doll. Lift Doll out to locate the bouquet. "Roses Everlasting" is complete with Certificate of Authenticity and hang tag. "Roses Everlasting" will make a beautiful addition to your porcelain doll collection. "Roses Everlasting" has been part of my personal doll collection, and I hate to part with her, but I need to down-size. I hope she finds a good home in your collection! I've tried my best to describe the colors of the doll/dress and have also provided photos. However, color may vary due to lighting and photo quality. This item is in the category "Dolls & Bears\Dolls, Clothing & Accessories\Dolls & Doll Playsets". The seller is "jrivers1" and is located in this country: US.
This item can be shipped to United States.


Hope you all are doing well.
This is my another video on STM32F407. In this video, I will show you that how the speedometer works!! The process starts with 12-bit ADC (Analog to Digital converter) values which will generate by a varying potentiometer (starts with 0 to 4095) and controller plot that value on a scale of 0-100 as shown in a screen (Dimension:320x240). In ADC I take 20 sample per reading to decrease the fluctuation of a needle and get the precise output. Same phenomena apply on vehicles controller takes the analog reading from the sensor which is attached to front wheels and plot it in a digital speedometer.
Thanks for watching,


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Posters is immensely grandiose and makes a good wall decoration, it dimension isand the price is $0.00. If you're trying to discover top recommendedPosters with sixpenny price, this unit is the good deals for you.
Posters is secure and evoke empathy and each of them matures as they are delivered with challenges and surprising revelations. There are any number of other great approaches to getting things done in this item. This unit could of picked a better picture next to the rules but it's majestic and sunny. This is a desirable, fun poster at a absolutely cut-price price.Posters is a highly pleasant poster; well worth the reasonable price, and with a little care frames nicely. The standout quality paper, painting is lustrous however it is slightly dark but that has nothing to do with the beings. The poster is huge, glittering and absolutely impressive, the cheap price $0.00 is wonderful. This item is tasteful and the seller was radically prompt with the shipping.Posters itself is very smart, you get what you see on the screen.

domain: hobby


Dance With Me - Zoli Adok: on record, this is just the most disco-tastic thing ever, which sadly didn't translate on stage to Eurovision final qualification for Hungary. Still love this song though.
The Highest Heights - Lovebugs: on record, this is just the most pop-rock-tastic thing ever, which sadly didn't translate on stage to Eurovision final qualification for Switzerland. Still love this song though.
Bistra Voda - Regina: I'm still surprised this didn't end up in a higher position on the scoreboard as I thought it was a cert for top 5. It's still standing up to repeated play, which is more than can be said for most of the songs that finished higher!
Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf: for some strange reason I've developed an unhealthy obsession with this song since I came back from my recent holiday. Great rap/rock commercial crossover which I didn't appreciate much when it was in the charts. Better late than never I guess.
Rise to the Occasion/Bite the Bullet - BWO: I'm really loving their "Big Science" album at the moment and these are my two most played tracks from it this week!
We Made You - Eminem: another song which probably wore my resistance down on holiday, although it's a long way from classic Eminem, there are still some witty lyrics in there.
Gloria - Mando Diao: saw their video for this a couple of times on Viva when I was away. Very 'retro' in sound and vision, a band out of time (and I say that as a compliment).
Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer - Freemasons feat Sophie Ellis-Bextor: welcome back Sophie, no-one does posh dance music like you do, no one sings "daaaaancer" or "aaaaanswer" like you do.
Ayo Technology - Milow: still addictive. When is this going to be released in the UK? Anyone know? Or will it pass us by like most other big Euro-hits?
When It Was Good - Flipsyde: this will be one massive, massive hit record. It's not getting a mention yet in the UK new release schedule: will it be another Lady GaGa and we'll be the last to know?
Jai Ho - AR Rahman/Pussycat Dolls: this is turning out to be one of this year's more enduring pop hits. I never get tired of hearing it.


Must be why the Chrysler-tuning side of BRABUS decided to go underground to seek the next vehicle to Startech-stamp. Because oh look, they came up with the tunneling lack-o-cute, the Dodge Nitro. And really, you just know it's gonna be a killer tune job when the second paragraph of the press release touts the vehicle's new hotness as being "a more homogeneous transition between front and rear wheel houses." Nothing says cool to us like homogeneity. But hey, at the very least they've boosted the diesel version of the next Jeep Liberty from the stock power output of 140 hp to a SD3 performance kit boost-enabled 180 hp. Torque output pops up a similar percent increase — but still only hits 266 lb-ft. Not bad, but we'd rather take the 420 out for a torque-y spin instead. Full gallery below and the release is after the jump.
Jalopnik · Ray Wert
A Titan of a Giveaway: PickupTruck.com Wants You to Help Customize, Win Nissan Pickup
Kinja is in read-only mode. We are working to restore service.


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By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo told the Department of National Defense (DND) not to turn soldiers into errand boys.
Tulfo emphasized the importance of keeping military morale high.
“Let me remind you, guys, na kahit na gaano kaganda yung ating mga military hardware equipment, it is as good as the people behind them, yung mga taong nag o-operate noon sa dapat high-morale yun mga tauhan natin,” Tulfo said in a hearing of Senate finance subcommittee.
“And having said that kasi may na observe ako, a couple of years ago, yun bang mga pupunta ka sa bahay ng mga heneral, ginagawang boy yung mga sundalo. Huwag naman po. And I know that for a fact, and you guys can’t deny that,” he added.
Tulfo also emphasized that the soldiers’ job is to protect Filipinos and not make them slaves.
“Ang mga sundalo po trinain yan, nag invest yung ating gobyerno kung pano humawak ng baril, pano dumepensa para labanan yung mag enemy forces to defend our country, kung papano sila humawak ng maayos ng baril, hindi po para humawak ng walis,” he said.
“We should stop that practice, Secretary. Can you assure me? Ayoko na pong marinig yan, please?” the senator added. (ai/mtvn)


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Potentially Inappropriate Medications Are Associated with Increased Healthcare Utilization and Costs
Previous presentation: These results were previously presented at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting, October 26, 2019, New York, NY.
To examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prescribing and its association with healthcare utilization and related expenditures utilizing nationally representative data from the United States.
Retrospective cohort study.
The 2011–2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
Community-dwelling sample of U.S. adults aged 65 and older during the first round of each MEPS cycle.
A qualified definition operationalized from the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® was used to estimate the prevalence of PIM prescribing over the study period. Negative binomial models were assembled to examine associations between PIM exposure and healthcare utilization including hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and outpatient provider visits. Generalized linear models with the log link function and gamma distribution were used to analyze associations between PIM exposure and healthcare expenditures. Sensitivity analyses were conducted utilizing inverse probability treatment weighting using propensity scores for being prescribed a PIM.
The period prevalence of PIM prescribing over the 5-year sample was 34.4%. PIM prescribing was positively associated with hospitalizations (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 1.17; 95 confidence interval [CI] = 1.08–1.26; P < .001), ED visits (aIRR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.17–1.35; P < .001), and outpatient provider visits (aIRR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.14–1.21; P < .001). PIM exposure was associated with higher marginal costs within outpatient visits ($116; 95% CI = $105–$243; P < .001), prescription medications ($128; 95% CI = $72–$199; P < .001), and total healthcare expenditures ($458; 95% CI = $295–$664; P < .001). Similar results were found in our propensity score analyses.
PIMs continue to be prescribed at a high rate among older adults in the United States. Our results suggest that receipt of PIMs is associated with higher rates of healthcare utilization and increased costs across the healthcare continuum. Further work is needed to implement evidence-based deprescribing interventions that may in turn reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization.
|jgs16743-sup-0001-Supinfo.pdfPDF document, 244.1 KB||
Supplementary Table S1: Qualified definitions for PIM exposure.
Supplementary Table S2: Differences in Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prevalence within the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2011 and 2015.
Supplementary Table S3: Healthcare Utilization Rates between PIM and Non-PIM Prescribing Groups.
Supplementary Table S4: Associations between Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing and any Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits.
Supplementary Table S5: Study Population Characteristics between PIM and Non -PIM Prescribing Groups using Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting.
Supplementary Table S6: Associations between Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing and any Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits using Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting.
Supplementary Table S7: Associations between Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing and Healthcare Utilization using Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting.
Supplementary Table S8: Marginal Healthcare Expenditures between PIM and Non-PIM Prescribing Groups using Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting.
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
- 1, , . An Aging Nation: The Older Populationin the United States, Current Population Reports, P25-1140. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau; 2014.
- 2 Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans. Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US); 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215400/. Accessed December 11, 2019.
- 3 By the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® Update Expert Panel. American Geriatrics Society 2019 updated AGS Beers Criteria® for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019; 67(4): 674-694.
- 4, , , , , . STOPP/START criteria for potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people: version 2. Age Ageing. 2015; 44(2): 213-218.
- 5, , . Potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly: the PRISCUS list. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010; 107(31–32): 543-551.
- 6, , , , , . Prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults using the 2012 Beers Criteria. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015; 63(3): 486-500.
- 7, , , , , . Determinants of potentially inappropriate medication use among community-dwelling older adults. Health Serv Res. 2017; 52(4): 1534-1549.
- 8. Potentially inappropriate medication use in a Medicare managed care population: association with higher costs and utilization. J Manag Care Pharm. 2001; 7(5): 407-413.
- 9, , , . Health outcomes associated with potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Res Nurs Health. 2008; 31(1): 42-51.
- 10, , , . Potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults in the USA in 2007. Age Ageing. 2011; 40(3): 398-401.
- 11, , , , . Inappropriate medication in a national sample of US elderly patients receiving home health care. J Gen Intern Med. 2012; 27(3): 304-310.
- 12, , . Potentially inappropriate medications and risk of hospitalization in retirees: analysis of a US retiree health claims database. Drugs Aging. 2010; 27(5): 407-415.
- 13, , , et al. Health service use, costs, and adverse events associated with potentially inappropriate medication in old age in Germany: retrospective matched cohort study. Drugs Aging. 2017; 34(4): 289-301.
- 14, , , , , . Association between potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and risk of hospitalization in older adults: an observational study based on routine data comparing PIM use with use of PIM alternatives. PLoS One. 2016; 11(2):e0146811.
- 15 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2016; https://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/. Accessed December 11, 2019.
- 16, , , , . The SF-12 as a population health measure: an exploratory examination of potential for application. Health Serv Res. 2000; 35(4): 885-904.
- 17 Utah Department of Health. Interpreting the SF-12. Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Department of Health; 2001; http://health.utah.gov/opha/publications/2001hss/sf12/SF12_Interpreting.pdf. Accessed April 5, 2020.
- 18. Specification and testing of some modified count data models. J Econom. 1986; 33(3): 341-365.
- 19 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Using Appropriate Price Indices for Analyses of Health Care Expenditures or Income Across Multiple Years. Washington, DC: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2016. https://meps.ahrq.gov/about_meps/Price_Index.shtml. Accessed December 11, 2019.
- 20, . Estimating log models: to transform or not to transform? J Health Econ. 2001; 20(4): 461-494.
- 21. An introduction to propensity score methods for reducing the effects of confounding in observational studies. Multivariate Behav Res. 2011; 46(3): 399-424.
- 22, , . Generalizing observational study results: applying propensity score methods to complex surveys. Health Serv Res. 2014; 49(1): 284-303.
- 23 By the American Geriatrics Society 2015 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. American Geriatrics Society 2015 updated Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015; 63(11): 2227-2246.
- 24, , , , . Effect of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on inappropriate medication prescriptions in older adults: the D-PRESCRIBE randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2018; 320(18): 1889-1898.
- 25, , , , . Reduction of inappropriate benzodiazepine prescriptions among older adults through direct patient education: the EMPOWER cluster randomized trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014; 174(6): 890-898.
- 26, , , et al. Deprescribing proton pump inhibitors: evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Can Fam Physician. 2017; 63(5): 354-364.
- 27, , , et al. Deprescribing antipsychotics for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and insomnia: evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Can Fam Physician. 2018; 64(1): 17-27.
- 28, , , et al. Deprescribing benzodiazepine receptor agonists: evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Can Fam Physician. 2018; 64(5): 339-351.
- 29, , , et al. Impact of inappropriate drug use on health services utilization among representative older community-dwelling residents. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother. 2004; 2(2): 92-101.
- 30. Explicit criteria for determining potentially inappropriate medication use by the elderly. An update. Arch Intern Med. 1997; 157(14): 1531-1536.
- 31, , . The association of inappropriate drug use with hospitalisation and mortality: a population-based study of the very old. Drugs Aging. 2005; 22(1): 69-82.
- 32, , , , , . Updating the Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults: results of a US consensus panel of experts. Arch Intern Med. 2003; 163(22): 2716-2724.
- 33, , , et al. Costs of potentially inappropriate medication use in residential aged care facilities. BMC Geriatr. 2018; 18(1): 9.
- 34, , , , . Association between potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly adults and hospital-related outcomes. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015; 63(1): 185-186.
- 35, , , , . Potentially inappropriate medication use and associated healthcare utilization and costs among older adults with colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. J Geriatr Oncol. 2019; 10(5): 698-704.
- 36, , , , . Deprescribing medications for chronic diseases management in primary care settings: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2018; 19(11): 923-935.e2.
- 37, , , , , . Reduction of pharmaceutical expenditure by a drug appropriateness intervention in polymedicated elderly subjects in Catalonia (Spain). Gac Sanit. 2019; 33(2): 106-111.


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6-5/315 DT prospect from Fort Scott JC in Kansas
Originally from North Carolina, played both ways at Trinity Christian HS as a senior in 2011. He finished that year with 46 tackles, six for loss, five sacks, and one interception.
Lamin redshirted last season so he has limited experience for a Juco kid. He is on track to graduate in December with three years to play three.
"I think I can play the three technique or nose guard on the next level and be successful at either one," Lamin told Scout when asked to describe his game. "I think I am a strong player that has great feet. I am already quick for my size, but that is one thing I am going to keep working on this summer."
Arkansas was his first BCS offer last month. By the end of the month he had offers from Texas Tech, Arizona State, Tennessee, Nebraska, South Carolina, Florida, and more.
He named Arkansas, Auburn, Arizona State, South Carolina, and Tennessee as his top five in late May, indicating a strong desire to play football in the SEC. He spent the last few days at Florida for a visit, and is set to take his second official visit to South Carolina this coming weekend. Miami offered him late last week, and is trying to get a visit lined up.
He seems really focused on playing in the SEC, so getting him on campus for a visit will be the first big step for the Hurricanes. This offer shows that the UM coaches continue searching the Juco ranks for defensive linemen.
Video: CLICK HERE


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Individualism And Community
Education And Social Policy In The Postmodern Condition
Examining, in the widest sense, the changes in political philosophy that have occurred in Western capitalist states since the early 1980s, this book focuses on the introduction of neo-liberal principles in the combined area of social and education policy. New Zealand presents a paradigm example of the neo-liberal shift in political philosophy. From constituting the social laboratory of the Western world in the 1930s in terms of social welfare provision, New Zealand has become the neo-liberal experiment of the fully marketised society in the 1990s. Against the theoretical background of educational theory and practice, this book examines neo-liberalism and its critiques as responses to the so-called crisis of the welfare state and argues for a reformulated critical social policy in the postmodern condition. The conclusions about social policy drawn by the authors can be generalized to similar situations in other Western capitalist countries.

domain: sociology


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March 2, 2020
(Lucidea) Lucidea, parent company to a full portfolio of market-leading knowledge management and library automation solutions, will soon announce a new release and enhancements to its powerful collaborative KM platform, Inmagic Presto, and a new alerts feature in the latest release of SydneyEnterprise and GeniePlus—library automation for special libraries of all sizes and budgets.
December 19, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea is the parent company to a full portfolio of market-leading knowledge management, library automation, and museums and archives collections management solutions. They announced another very strong year in 2019 with exciting upgrades to their ILS, CMS, and KM applications, an artificial intelligence (AI) prototype, the Argus Mobile app, and two new books from their publishing arm, Lucidea Press.
October 28, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, developer of a full portfolio of powerful knowledge management solutions, will bring its Trend-Setting Product, Inmagic Presto, to the 2019 KMWorld conference in Washington, DC on November 4th-7th, along with its other powerful knowledge management applications used worldwide by leading corporations, professional services firms, heritage institutions, and nonprofits.
October 2, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of SydneyEnterprise, Inmagic Presto, GeniePlus, ArchivEra, and Argus will soon enable rapid data entry across its portfolio of library automation, knowledge management, and museum and archives collections management software.
August 23, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of ArchivEra, CuadraSTAR SKCA and Eloquent Archives, will participate in the Archives & Records Association (ARA) annual conference on 28th and 30th August in Leeds.
August 21, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, leader in innovative collections management software solutions for museums and archives, and provider of CuadraSTAR SKCA, Eloquent Archives, Argus, and ArchivEra, will attend the American Association for State and Local History Conference.
August 9, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of powerful knowledge management solutions for the legal sector, will participate in ILTACON 2019, in Orlando, FL. ILTACON sessions and exhibitors focus on sharing what works and showcasing the technology necessary to support the rapidly changing law firm landscape.
July 31, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea has announced that archives expert Margot Note’s new book, Demystifying Archival Projects: Five Essentials for Success, is now available. The latest publication from Lucidea Press offers pragmatic advice from Ms. Note, a seasoned archives expert and consultant specializing in project management, with significant experience as both a practitioner and advisor.
July 30, 2019
(Lucidea) Vancouver-based software developer Lucidea is significantly enhancing the automatic classification capabilities of its leading ILS, KM and museum and archival collections management software—bringing AI to library, knowledge center, museum and archives clients.
July 24, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of ArchivEra, CuadraSTAR SKCA and Eloquent Archives, will participate in the Society of American Archivists (SAA) annual conference on August 4th and 5th. Lucidea’s archives specialists will demonstrate the powerful and versatile capabilities of ArchivEra, CuadraSTAR SKCA, and Eloquent Archives that make them a valued technology partner in the archives community.
July 8, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of knowledge management and library automation solutions to law firms worldwide announces participation in AALL 2019, this year in Washington, DC on July 13th through 16th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (WCC).
July 3, 2019
(Lucidea) Vancouver-based software developer Lucidea attended this year's SLA Conference and INFO-EXPO in Cleveland, OH. As Diamond sponsors, they delivered a comprehensive and exciting lineup of events and updates.
June 10, 2019
(Lucidea) Vancouver-based software developer Lucidea will attend this year's SLA Conference and INFO-EXPO on June 14th through 18th in Cleveland, OH. As the only Diamond Sponsor, Lucidea is bringing a broad lineup of events and updates.
June 6, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea, provider of leading innovative ILS and KM solutions SydneyEnterprise, GeniePlus and Inmagic Presto, will attend this year’s British and Irish Association of Law Librarians conference in Bournemouth, 13th through 15th June. You’ll find them at Stand 31 at the Bournemouth International Centre.
May 31, 2019
(Lucidea) Lucidea’s archives collections management applications, ArchivEra, CuadraSTAR Knowledge Center for Archives, and Eloquent Archives, will be represented at this year’s Association of Canadian Archivists conference in Toronto. Visit Lucidea on June 5th through 8th at the Chelsea Hotel to see how easily these applications enable researchers and the public to connect with the historic materials archivists work hard to preserve.


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Transitory art. Very cool.
Gorgeous inspiration for outdoor art and exploration: Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time - Trailer
If you haven't seen Andy Goldworthy's work or seen the DVDs about his art process, you are really missing out. This particular driftwood sculpture was taken out when the tide came in and it completely unwound! It was beautiful.
Rivers and Tides (Working with Time) [CD]
Andy Goldsworthy Rivers And Tides | Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time - Trailer
Film about the land artist Andy Goldsworthy called 'Rivers and tides' (2001)
This Andy Goldsworthy documentary is a must see - brilliant! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307385/
Rivers and Tides . Portrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature.
Rivers and Tides movie - documentary film about Andy Goldsworthy


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POSTED: Monday, July 29, 2013 - 10:30am
UPDATED: Monday, July 29, 2013 - 12:53pm
LIVINGSTON PARISH, LA — A driver and his unresrtained passenger died in a Livingston Parish crash.
On Saturday, July 27, shortly before 9:00 pm, State Troopers investigated a two vehicle fatal crash that occurred on LA Hwy 64 (Magnolia Beach Rd.) in Livingston Parish.
The crash took the lives of Mickel L. Tetreault, 20, of Livingston, and Bryan Payne, 22, of Denham Springs.
The investigation revealed that Samuel Doherty III, 28, of Baton Rouge, was driving his truck on westbound Hwy 64 when he entered the eastbound lane, striking Payne' vehicle head-on.
Tetreault, the front seat passenger in Payne’s vehicle, was not wearing a seatbelt. He suffered fatal injuries from the crash.
Payne suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital; he later died of those injuries on July 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Doherty was properly restrained; however, impairment on his part is suspected.
Routine toxicology samples were obtained from both drivers and will be sent to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. This crash remains under investigation, and charges are pending.