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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The story behind one of Sacramento’s most notorious crimes is hitting the big screen in a way you would never expect.
It’s a comedy about the couple inside the home where Dorothea Puente once killed some of her tenants and buried them in the yard.READ MORE: Updates: Strong Winds And Rain Moving Across Sacramento Region
It’s the house where evil once lurked in the form of one of Sacramento’s most notorious serial killers. The unassuming grandmotherly operator of a boarding house drugged and killed some of her tenants in the late 1980s. Seven were found dead and buried in the yard of the quaint-looking Victorian home on F Street.
It’s now home to Tom Williams and Barbara Holmes, a quirky couple with a sharp eye for style and a unique sense of humor.
When Los Angeles filmmaker Nick Coles met the couple, he decided to showcase their easygoing attitude.
The result is “The House is Innocent,” a short documentary where the focus isn’t on the murders.
“It’s really not on what really happened here; it’s about what they’ve done to improve the place,” Coles said.
The 14-minute documentary has already won awards and was recently selected to be showcased at next month’s Sacramento Film and Music Festival.
It chronicles, in comedic form, the journey of transformation of the house on F Street.READ MORE: Storm Forces Cancellation Of Outlaw Music Festival, Willie Nelson Performance In Wheatland
The room where Puente killed her victims is now Tom and Barbara’s master bedroom.
“Not much happens in here,” Tom said.
His sense of humor rings out loud and clear. When you walk down the staircase where Puente dragged her victims into the yard to bury them, you’ll see one of the many signs displayed around the home. Other signs are put up throughout the yard, intended to fight the heinous acts that occurred at the home with humor.
It’s the essence of acceptance.
Even the detective who dug up the first remains in Puente’s yard, John Cabrera, sees it as a turning point.
“This is a house that’s been reborn,” he said. “Yeah, seven people were buried in the yard; yes, this was a house of horrors; but it no longer lingers.”
The pain for many still does linger, and that’s not lost on the couple or the filmmaker. The victims are listed at the end of the documentary.
But the film’s goal is to help turn the page on one of Sacramento’s most infamous homes.MORE NEWS: Ironman California 2021 Triathlon Canceled Due To Safety Concerns Brought On By Powerful Storm
The couple plans to offer tours of the home before the documentary showing on Sept. 12, and donate the money raised to a local homeless charity.


With more work, Halo Nightfall could have been something special for fans and it could have connected the events from Halo 4 and Guardians in some entertaining ways.
I’ve always felt that the Halo series would go along well with a movie or series. Sometimes the games don’t make enough of an effort to explain the events that transpire in the Halo universe and even a two-hour movie would complement the story nicely. Maybe someone at 343 Industries feels the same way which is why they brought us Halo Nightfall, a five-part digital series that follows Agent Locke, one of the secondary playable characters from Halo 5: Guardians, as he investigates the origin of a bio-weapon that only targets humans.
Nightfall tells the story of a group of ONI and UNSC soldiers who travel to the remains of a Halo ring to drop a nuclear weapon and annihilate the surviving aliens before they can attack Earth again. But the soldiers suffer an accident on their way down to the planet and they need to salvage a ship and the small ship only has room for just two people. Apparently, the use of technology attracts the swarm of flesh-eating worms that infest Halo and the survivors need to escape before the sun comes up and scorches the surface of the planet.
While everything you remember from the games is here in some form (Covenant, UNSC soldiers, Elite, Halo and so on,) the special effects aren’t that good and the story’s nothing to write home about. I feel like Nightfall comes from a good place, but the series’ budget doesn’t align with its ambitions. As a consequence, Nightfall feels like a SyFy Channel series.
Forward unto Dawn, Halo’s previous webseries that came out to promote the fourth entry in the series, also shared some of these qualities. It also felt like a promotional material that was unnecessary. If you’re going to make the effort to release a Halo series, you should at least try to tell a compelling story with characters we know and love and something that complements the game it promotes. Neither Nightfall nor Forward unto Dawn are the series that Halo fans have been looking forward to.
It’s worth mentioning that I reviewed Nightfall from Halo: The Master Chief Collection where the series is available as an extra. The series is accessible on the Halo Channel application where you can watch all five episodes, as well as other content like promotional material, Comic-Con panels and so on. The entertaining part about this webseries is that, as you keep watching, you unlock short videos called “Second Story” that reveal more about the context and random characters. None of these videos are essential to understand the arc and if you watch them as they unlock, the process can be somewhat disruptive. That said, those looking for the most complete version of Nightfall should watch it from this compilation.
With more work, Halo Nightfall could have been something special for fans and it could have at least connected the events from Halo 4 and Guardians in some entertaining ways. But its poor special effects, a string of events that barely ties to the games and a story that’s not that memorable to begin with, Nightfall is a nice diversion to have if you get Halo the Master Chief Collection or if you want to watch it on YouTube, but that’s about it.


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The Easy Ways to Get to the 147th International AES Convention at the Javits Center
There are a few good options to get to the Javits Center from your hotel for the AES 147th International Convention. Within New York City, public transportation is always a quick and affordable way to go—and the new 7 Subway line extension across the street from the Javits Center makes the trip even more convenient.
The number 7 Flushing line now brings riders right to the Javits Center and makes three additional stops at key Manhattan locations: Times Square, 42nd Street at Bryant Park/Fifth Avenue, and Grand Central Terminal.
The 7 train connects with transfer stations to subway lines that go to Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and the AirTrain from JFK Airport, to facilitate travel for people coming to the AES Convention from outside the area. To view a New York City subway map please click on the following link: http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html.
You must pay with a Metrocard; the one-way fare is $2.75 and there are vending machines available at all stations.
If you prefer to stay above ground, Bus service is also available.
M12 bus: Runs along 11th Avenue from Columbus Circle to the West Village. Stops on 11th Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street.
M34 cross town bus: Runs east/west on 34th Street. Stops on 11th Avenue outside the Javits Center and at Penn Station. The M34 bus requires passengers to use pre-boarding fare collection machines before boarding the bus. These machines are designed to speed up the loading process. Pay your fare at a fare collection machine at the Select Bus Service bus stop. There are two types of fare collection machines that accept fares and issue receipts.
You must pay with a Metrocard at the MetroCard Fare Collector or pay with $2.75 in coins at Coin Fare Collector. You MUST pay at one of these machines and get a proof-of-payment receipt before boarding the bus. Keep your receipt for the duration of your trip.

domain: geography


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This season, Indya Vogue’s owner and creative designer Nishi Koonjul, is inspired by the tropical beaches, birds and exotic flowers of her tiny island, Mauritius. Her prints include flowers like birds of paradise, proteas, hibiscus, water lilies, agapanthus and frangipani as well as colorful Mauritian finches and tropical fish, all of which are eye-catching. These fauna and flora designs were then mixed with a soft, glamorous vibe through the use of graphic and easy tailoring using original and unique silk, chiffon, crêpe and cotton.
The palette’s soft undertones of blue, turquoise and leafy green are set against marine aqua tones. Bursts of zesty orange, bright yellow and flamboyant red encompass the hazy Mauritian sunset. She, yet again, brings exoticism, glamor and richness to this new collection of Tropical Blue Safari. This collection mixes elegance and chic blend with the naturally relaxed way of life in the Mauritius, no wonder known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Far from being a passing trend, these colorful and bold outfits will be timeless.
In this new collection, she has also brought the effect of 3D in her designs. Here and there, we see hand embroidered butterflies and dragon flies which seem to have landed so naturally. Embellishment include shells, intricate French knots combined with hand embroidery, hand beading, sequins, strass, Swarovski crystals and pearls.
The Tropical Blue Safari Collection has a piece for any fashionista, whether it be for a cocktail party, for a glamorous function, to look trendy on the beach or even to go casual with jeans and shorts. Our client will always have a unique trendy look irrespective of age.

domain: artistic


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The unnamed Maltese company allegedly laundered €511 million in Venezuelan funds in the space of three months
A criminal complaint filed in the courts of Miami has connected embattled Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his three stepsons to an international money laundering scheme that saw over $1 billion stolen from the Venezuelan government-owned oil company PDVSA between 2014 and 2015.
He is now under investigation by a US probe as part of Operation Money Flight.
Court documents allege that an international network of businessmen, government officials, and a well-known international money launderer known as "Chente" used an unnamed Maltese private investment firm to launder at least €511 million through the island.
The Maltese company were given €20 million in exchange for this service, 4% of the total €511 million sum they allegedly laundered.
Although neither Maduro or his family are named in the court documents, with the accused only being referred to as "Venezuelan Official 2", it is being widely reported that it is Maduro himself.Add a comment Leer más...

domain: finance


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JOS, NIGERIA (ANS) — After the killing of a Roman Catholic priest and a parishioner in southeastern Nigeria earlier this month, another clergyman on Thursday (Aug. 15) narrowly escaped an attack by Muslim Fulani herdsmen about 40 miles away, sources said.
Morning Star News reports armed Fulani herdsmen on Aug. 1 killed the Rev. Paul Offu in Awgu town, south of Enugu city in Enugu state, as he was returning to his church site after a visit to other congregations he was overseeing, according to Enugu Diocese officials.
Note: Please help Assist News Service to be a voice for Christians around the world. Donate to ANS today
The herdsmen shot his car as he drove along Ihe-Agbudu Road, forcing it to a halt, and then dragged him out and shot him to death, diocese spokesman Emmanuel Nkemjika Igwesihi said in a press statement.
The herdsmen took parishioner Kenneth Igwe in the ambush. Police found his corpse on Aug. 5, according to Igwesihi.
“The Rev. Fr. Paul Offu was shot dead by some Fulani herdsmen who took him into the bush around 2 p.m.,” the Rev. Ben Achi, director of communications for the diocese told Morning Star News by phone. “He was accosted by the herdsmen and was shot dead.”
About 69 kilometers (42 miles) north, herdsmen on Thursday (Aug. 15) ambushed another Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. Chimezie Ani, near Caritas University, a Catholic university in Amorji-Nike, as he drove toward Ugwuomu, the priest told Morning Star News.
“I was driving when suddenly the herdsmen, who were armed, shot at my vehicle, aiming at the windshield,” Ani told Morning Star News. “I immediately on noticing them stopped the car and drove in reverse. The bullets from them broke my windshield and riddled the car all over. I miraculously escaped unhurt. They retreated into the bushes after realizing I escaped from them.”
He said Fulani herdsmen have been attacking Christian commuters along that highway “for some time now.”
“I’m sure they were herdsmen,” Ani said.
Achi of the Enugu diocese confirmed the Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 attacks.
“The incident [Aug. 15] happened along Ugwuomu Road as you heard,” Achi said. “We are very grateful to God that he was not harmed, as he was able to navigate on reverse to a safe distance.”
Morning Star News said that following the Aug. 1 killing of Offu, more than 200 Catholic priests took to the streets in the city of Enugu, the state capital, in protest on Aug. 2. They marched peacefully to the State House to present a letter to the governor expressing their displeasure over growing Fulani herdsmen attacks on Christians.
Afterwards the Rev. Callistus Onaga, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, told reporters of his sadness over the inability of the government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim Fulani, to end herdsmen attacks across the country. Christians in the state have come under a series of attacks over the past seven years, adversely affecting area Catholic churches, Onaga said.
“I am sorrowful and utterly disappointed on the security in the state,” he told a press conference.
Another priest, the Rev. Clement Ugwu, of St. Mark Catholic Church, Obinofia Ndiuno, in Ezeagu County of the state, was kidnapped and killed in March, and herdsmen shot another priest in late July, Onaga said.
“We were shocked to see a priest that joined in our meeting yesterday afternoon in this bishop’s house very healthy and sound being reported to have died. The priest shot by the herdsmen two weeks back is still receiving intensive medical attention as we speak,” Onaga said. “Why we get worried when our priests are attacked is that it shows the level of insecurity other Nigerians face daily. Our priests are very much respected and honored by our parishioners and the people, so if these things can happen to them, what happens to the flock, the people they shepherd?”
Priests in various parts of the state were kidnapped from 2013 to 2016, he said.
“Only in 2017 were we given some breathing space,” Onaga said. “It continued in 2018 and this year, 2019; it is worse as we have suffered the death of a priest in March this year, and now another issue. All we demand is that if there are crop of bad herdsmen in the state, they should be fished out, and we will continue to live in peace with the good ones.”
Morning Star News also reported that on Aug. 2, the Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, bishop of Awka Diocese, in southeastern Nigeria’s Anambra state, told reporters of his concern over the tepid response of the Nigerian government to violence carried out by armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen. Addressing journalists at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, he said the government lacks political will to curtail attacks against Christians.
“I am sad – what manner of country is this?” Ezeokafor said. “A country where some people are untouchables. A country where some people will be killing innocent citizens. What we are witnessing today is simply coordinated attacks against Christians in the country.
“These senseless killings of innocent Nigerians are becoming a daily occurrence. Why can’t our government put a stop to these killings? Is it not obvious that some people, somewhere are carrying a particular agenda? There is more to this than meets the eye.”
Police confirmed the attacks on the priests and reported arrests of some of the attackers.
Police spokesman Frank Mba said in a statement on Friday (Aug. 16) that officers were investigating the attacks on the priests.
“Crack detectives from the Intelligence Response Unit, the Forensic and Homicide sections of the Force Criminal Investigation Department have been deployed to Enugu state,” he said. “The deployment is to complement the Enugu Command of the Force in their investigations into the unfortunate incident.”
Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.

domain: news


Smooth Operator Yacht Overview
About Smooth Operator Yacht
Smooth Operator is a motor yacht with an overall length of m. The yacht's builder is Sunseeker from United Kingdom, who launched Smooth Operator in 2003. The superyacht has a beam of m, a draught of m and a volume of GT.
Smooth Operator features exterior design by Sunseeker and interior design by Ken Freivokh Design. Up to 8 guests can be accommodated on board the superyacht, Smooth Operator, and she also has accommodation for 5 crew members, including the ship's captain. Smooth Operator has a GRP hull and a GRP superstructure. She is powered by 2 MTU engines, which give her a top speed of kn. The yacht carries litres of fuel on board.
In the world rankings for largest yachts, the superyacht, Smooth Operator, is listed at number 4862. She is the 123rd-largest yacht built by Sunseeker. Smooth Operator's owner is shown in SYT iQ and is exclusively available to subscribers. On SuperYacht Times, we have 72 photos of the yacht, Smooth Operator.


Wednesday, December 30, 2009
So I'm like, "honey, do I look like I'm a US military veteran?"
"Do I look like I'm some sort of right wing anti-tax teabagger?"
"Do I look like anybody else on the DHS terrorism danger list?"
"Then I suggest that unless you want a nasty anti-discrimination lawsuit on your hands, you'd best give me an aisle seat. With extended legroom."
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.
Cohen awarded custody of the girl to Jenkins on Nov. 20 after finding Miller infor denying Jenkins access to the girl.
The judge said the only way to ensure equal access to the child was to switch custody. He also said the benefits to the child of having access to both parents would be worth the difficulties of the change.
Monday, December 28, 2009
American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials."
"The continuing threat of terrorism is something Obama’s brand of corrupt deal-making and influence peddling is wholly unprepared to deal with. Unlike Nebraska senator Ben Nelson, jihadists don’t view their “deeply-held principles” as price tags. They are unimpressed by symbolic awards from the Nobel committee, climate-change fraud operations, or gaseous speeches. They see weakness in months of dithering over Afghanistan strategy. They smell opportunity when ideology trumps security, and 9/11 masterminds receive the benefits of American civilian courts."
Also posted at www.doczero.org
Sunday, December 27, 2009
"The monstrous mountain of toxic pustules sprouting from greasy boils metastasizing from malign carbuncles that passed the Senate on Christmas Eve is not the last word in “health” “care,” but the first. It ensures that this is all we’ll be talking about, now and forever."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
"The American democracy was not created to dictate the destiny of its citizens. It has a duty to avoid interfering with our hopes and dreams, except where necessary to maintain order. The government should not be conscripting us into the service of its hopes and dreams, with thousand-page draft notices. A nation becomes great because of what its people achieve, not because of what they are required to do… or what they are forbidden to do."
Writing at Hot Air's Green Room, the doctor is spot on, as always.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
"In short, equality of result doctrine ignores the role of markets, of skills, of tragedy itself that renders some of us ill, others in perfect health, some born gifted, others less so, some evil by nature, others good, and instead promises that the state can even us all out through its power of material redistribution."
"In short, we have a traditional statist bent on redistribution (Obama’s words, not mine), updated with the postmodern belief that race/class/gender oppressions require government affirmative reactions (which also abroad explains why we reach out to enemies and shun allies), all energized by an ends justify the means Chicago bare-knuckles apparat."
The Obama administration remains stridently opposed to using military force to destroy Iran's nuclear installations. This was made clear during a high-level war game at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government earlier this month. At Harvard, former US undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns played Obama and former UN ambassador Dore Gold played Netanyahu. At the end of the game, the US had disavowed its strategic alliance withIsrael because Jerusalem refused to give Washington veto power over its right to attack Iran's nuclear installations. On the other hand, America had failed to get Russia and China to support sanctions and Iran was three months away from the bomb.
The Harvard game came just a few months after the real-world CIA Director Leon Panetta made what was supposed to be a secret visit to Israel and demanded that Israel not attack Iran without US permission.
All of this makes clear that Israel cannot depend on the US to defend it from Iran. Indeed, it makes clear that a breach of relations with the US is unavoidable.
Monday, December 21, 2009
"People have always believed that ‘they can’t do that; can’t foist this fraud on me; can’t take over 15% of the US economy just like that; can’t give my tax money to Hugo Chavez; can’t borrow money from China in my name and give to China.’ But if you realize one day that the answer to those questions is “Yes we can” — and there’s no point arguing, then you will have discovered the Day After Feeling. Our grandfathers knew it. We thought to be spared."
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Members of the world’s oldest profession are infuriated by the relentless and invidious likening of their industry to the world’s second oldest profession. Word on the street, literally, is that hookers are prepared to exact an apology for the defiling of their good names.
Even those not well acquainted with the whoring business should be able to appreciate the asymmetry between a freely bargained for and mutually beneficial exchange, versus extorting taxpayer funds in the service of tyrants.
Cocaine's a hell of a drug, and even more so when laced with another drug that's commonly used to deworm opossums. Federal agents have found that 69 percent of cocaine shipments seized entering the United States contain levamisole, a veterinary drug linked to serious weakening of the immune system in humans. Here's the real funny part: no one knows why.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
How did he achieve so much with so little? He founded a 527 group which funded candidates in one kind of race in which the victor has the most influence over election integrity, and in which there is so little political competition: the Secretaries of State."
Matthew Vadum, writing at Spectator.org, has details on how each Secretary of State whose election was funded by Soro's Secretary of State project is associated with election fraud and voter fraud.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
"I have been re-educated.
My worldview has understandably been corrected. Whereas for much of my life I always believed in the goodness of the United States of America, I now see that this country and everything for which it stands is a corrupt, irredeemable, and immoral fraud. Our Founding Fathers were nothing other than racist, slave-owning pigs more bent on protecting their own financial assets than they were in actually creating a land in which all people could thrive and be free.
I can’t believe that I never saw it before. The degree of my shame is so pronounced that it sickens me. Thank God--if there is one--that liberalism has brought me to my senses."
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
"In Greek mythology, the Chimera was a monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail. The term has come to be synonymous with nightmares and illusions. Modern America is infested with these monsters, and politicians are very dedicated to fighting them… with swords forged from billions of tax dollars, and shields woven from the dessicated remains of your shriveled liberties.
The proponents of Big Government programs frequently excuse their waste and inefficiency by hinting at the terrible things that would have happened, if they had not taken expensive action. The recent stimulus bill, a fountain of pork-barrel waste and theft, is defended in these terms."
Sunday, December 13, 2009
"Somewhat approve" remains at 46%.
"A technician who was summoned Nov. 30 tracked the alarm problem to the second-floor room registered to Vanderwerf, the arrest report said. Inside, staffers found the smoke detectors in the bedroom and kitchen-den had been removed and the horn that blares alarms was hanging out of the wall.
But the staffers and a deputy sheriff also discovered that someone had removed the bedroom door from its hinges and replaced it with a 5-by-4-foot piece of plywood affixed to the frame and the drywall with hinges and screws, the arrest report said. The door had two locks attached from the bedroom side and a circular hole padded with duct tape. The deputy noted in the arrest report that the hole appeared to be used "in some sort of sexual act."
via Dan Riehl.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
"In short, it's a detailed how-to-guide for replicating the climate reconstruction method used by the so-called "Climategate" scientists. Not a perfect replication, but a pretty faithful facsimile that you can do on your own computer, with some of the same data they used."
Friday, December 11, 2009
How's this for transparency and accountability?:
The government - our government, supposedly representing you and me in its interaction with people abroad - wants to label goods as coming from the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, so as to help consumers boycott them.
Bureaucracy is the real recession-proof industry. The numbers are mind-boggling. In 18 months, the number of federal employees making over $100K have increased 46%. The number making over $150K has more than doubled.
It’s not as if they’ve been asked to do more with less, either. In the first six months of the year, the federal government was adding 10,000 jobs per month, and over the recession had grown the ranks of bureaucrats by 9.8%. The private sector, during that same period, shed 7.3 million jobs to contract 6.3%.
Here’s the fun fact of the day from USA Today:
When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.
Got that? Seventeen hundred employees at DoT make $170,000 per year. Eighteen months ago, there was one.
UPDATE: Reason has a related post - The Class War: Public Employees vs. the Rest of Us.
When government absorbs huge amounts of money from the population, it reduces their options for entertainment, travel, and countless other aspects of their lives.
Because money is so versatile, we experience the loss of choice through taxation in a gradual way, making it relatively painless. Payroll tax withholding is also a potent sedative. You barely feel the possibilities being drained away from you. The essential lesson of the Obama Administration is that this kind of painless energy drain is over. The ambitions of socialism can no longer be fulfilled by draining tax money from the middle class in mosquito bites, while the heavy-duty vampire attacks are reserved for the Evil Rich."
Read the whole thing at Hot Air's Green Room.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The bottom line is that the ACORN funding prohibition language remains in the massive fiscal 2010 spending measure taken up by appropriators this week but ACORN ally Eric Holder's Justice Department has rendered that language virtually meaningless.
The Obama administration's bailout of ACORN may help keep the financially distressed group that had been considering filing bankruptcy before Christmas open for business.
Most provocatively, the Northwestern study suggests that exposure to infectious microbes early in life may actually protect individuals from cardiovascular diseases that can lead to death as an adult.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
"If I were watching the public's disgust with the newly revealed Tiger Woods from an office in the West Wing, I'd be concerned. Because Barack Obama is about as completely manufactured a political character as this nation has seen. His meteoric rise, without the inconvenience of a public record or accomplishments, and the public's willing suspension of critical evaluation of his résumé allowed his handlers and the media to project whatever they wanted to on his unfurrowed brow.
Ironically, the parallels have nothing to do with race. The Obama campaign did explicitly attempt to borrow the from the then-universal Tiger Woods appeal to allay any discomfort voters might have had with a mixed-race politician. They constructed a persona that would make the American electorate comfortable with a barely-known, first-term senator with a left wing voting record, a deliberately obscured personal and professional past, and no traditional qualifications for high office."
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Republicans proved themselves sadly capable of shoving their noses in the treasury during their last years in power, and were punished by the voters for it. The corruption of the Obama Democrats is truly breathtaking. Virtually nothing this Administration does is conducted in a honest, open manner. Everything from the “stimulus” bill, to Cash for Clunkers, to frantic attempts to buy House and Senate votes for the government’s health care takeover, is wrapped in pork and glazed with payoffs, cooked with a secret recipe that you can’t see without a subpoena. Some of this corruption is enabled by the Democrats’ largely accurate sense that the media will not hold them accountable for it, certainly not with the same vigor they would pursue Republicans. The raging rapids of taxpayer cash surging through Washington are a factor as well. Reckless deficit spending has made purchasing a representative or Senator the only investment guaranteed to increase in value."
At Hot Air's Green Room.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Details and links at HotAir.
Post-Enron and -Worldcom, Sarbox was passed to require microscrutiny of accounting practices at publicly traded companies. The results would have been (and were) foreseeable to business people, but not to bureaucrats.
WSJ: "In the years since its passage, the country has experienced an historic drought of initial public offerings. Is Sarbox to blame? Many financial pundits say no, but the SEC survey results point in the other direction. When public companies are asked whether Section 404 has motivated them to consider going private, a full 70% of smaller firms say yes, and 44% of all public companies also say yes.
Has Sarbox driven businesses out of the country? Among foreign companies, a majority in the survey say that Section 404 has motivated them to consider de-listing from U.S. exchanges, and a staggering 77% of smaller foreign firms say that the law has motivated them to consider abandoning their American listings."
via Weekly Standard.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The subject today is the Left (including but not limited to Obama) and magical thinking:
"The teleological world view on the left has been a factor in American politics to a greater or lesser extent since the 1960’s, but this is the first time it was largely in control. And the most likely outcome of it is to make most Americans understand just how deeply worthless, and outright damaging, it is. Which, in the long run, will be very good for America.
The only concern is that we can come through the remaining three years of Obama’s first (and almost certainly his only) term of office without sustaining irreparable damage. If Congress had moved at the speed Obama wanted them to, we might have suffered such damage, but now that we’ve almost made it through his first year and are moving into an election year, with public opinion polls moving strongly against Obama and his policies, I am becoming cautiously optimistic that we can survive this."via Hot Air.
Story at Big Government.
"Specifically, ACORN strong-armed banks and worked with members of Congress, such as Barney Frank, to weaken credit standards in order for banks, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to fund risky mortgages. Mortgages, of course, that stood little chance of ever being paid, as we witnessed last year.But ACORN’s penchant for shaking down banks didn’t begin 2 years ago, or even 10 years ago. Check out this article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1988. "
"Now the pirating of thousands of e-mail messages from within its walls has revealed a dangerous bunker mentality among the scientists who guarded those records and a data-fudging scandal that has created a crisis of confidence in global-warming science that is threatening to destroy the political consensus around next week's carbon-policy summit in Copenhagen.
On a political level, coming on the eve of the Copenhagen summit, the controversy has been catastrophic: In the last few days, it has prompted opposition politicians in the United States, Britain and Australia to argue that human-caused global warming is a myth."
Saturday, December 5, 2009
At Gateway Pundit.
This guy certainly has a way with words. Anyone know who he is?
"A corporate executive who squandered a year of his investors’ income on a failed attempt to fix unemployment would not be rewarded with a new contract, six times as large, to manage health care… especially when a review of his firm showed a century of nothing but costly failures and fraudulent “business plans."
If Barack Obama truly wanted to help the economy, and reduce unemployment, he would stop giving endless speeches that only reinforce his image as a man who has no idea what he is doing, but is relentlessly determined to do it."
via RightWingNews: "There's more to soft totalitarianism than forbidding things. That which is not forbidden must be made mandatory. Take walking your dog, for example. Bureaucrats can't find a reason to forbid it. Therefore, in Australia they are pushing a law to make it illegal not to walk your dog."
Friday, December 4, 2009
Definitely NSFW. Maybe even not safe for home.
via Kathy Shaidle, who tweets, "You Americans have LOTS of great stuff, but our conservative writers are better."
She also has a very useful (and constantly growing) list of Christmas presents for conservatives.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
"If this wasn't a dry run, I don't know what one is. They wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the crew would handle it, and how the passengers would handle it. I'm telling this to you because I want you to know. The threat is real. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Hard science, alongside medicine, was one of the few things left accorded automatic stature and respect by most untrained lay persons. But the average person reading accounts of the East Anglia emails will conclude that hard science has become just another faction, as politicized and "messy" as, say, gender studies."
"In other words, at the time Kristof’s article was published this past Sunday, Brodniak was already being treated and cared for by some of the best neurologists in the country! . . . Kristof’s readers have been raising money to pay for the Brodniaks to get him treated. But Brodniak is covered. He doesn’t have to pay a dime.”
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
"Obama’s Afghanistan speech last night would have been adequate for a department store manager, informing the staff that extra help would be hired for the big Going Out of Business sale next year. It wasn’t very inspiring as a war speech. Inspiration is very important in warfare. As a modern liberal with an academic background, Obama sees military operations as unpleasant administrative chores, to be resolved rather than won… but Afghanistan is more than a distraction from the fun industry-nationalizing, trillion-dollar aspects of the President’s job, and resolution is never as inspiring as victory."
"Congress doesn’t want you to know it, but they are about to raise the debt limit because they’ve spent the full $12.1 trillion allowed on their taxpayer-funded credit card."
The case was filed at a police station near the village.
"What makes this story (the financial meltdown of Dubai World) more than simply one of a massive real-estate-investment company gone bad is the double-edged sword so prevalent in the chase for oil-based Middle East wealth: sovereign wealth funds and Shariah-compliant finance."
My daughter, who sells a LOT on eBay, saves up listings for these occasional days.
"The Guardian, the UK’s left wing daily, estimated that “up to 10,000 people” are dying each year of cancer “because their condition is diagnosed too late, according to research by the government’s director of cancer services.” While many people die because of late detection due to their own negligence, there is no reason to believe this self-neglect is more common in the UK than in the US."
How was Turkey lost and why did Washington do nothing to stop it are questions that historians will ponder... Alas, Obama has, like Bush before him, turned a blind eye toward Erdogan's abuses, wishing to believe that Turkey remains a Western democracy even as its prime minister re-orients his country toward Syria, Iran, and Sudan.
"Typically done in the name of deterring erosion, the government carts in truckloads of sand, making the beach bigger. But rather than extending the property of the owner, the state declares itself owner of the sandy addition, effectively separating waterfront home owners from the water itself."
...The theory is flawed. After one month - admittedly not an "infinite" amount of time - the monkeys had partially destroyed the machine, used it as a lavatory, and mostly typed the letter "s".
Investigators on Tuesday alleged that a Brooklyn-based bookkeeper and community organizer for the beleaguered antipoverty group Acorn improperly received $500,000 in merchandise for a corporate rewards program with Verizon, the telephone company, through a complex fraud scheme that went on for more than four years.
WASHINGTON - Federal authorities are expected today to reveal a major international undercover sting in which Philadelphia-based federal agents arrested an Iranian arms dealer in Eastern Europe and secretly extradited him to the United States.
The Iranian has been quietly jailed in a Philadelphia-area prison for nearly two years - the case sealed from public view - as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have scoured his laptop to pursue hundreds of leads about Iran's covert effort to acquire American military gear, law-enforcement sources said.
"The crusade against moral hypocrisy necessarily hits conservatives harder, not because conservatives are more immoral, but because they uphold morality more publicly, making them richer targets. The Left aims much of its moralizing at moralizing itself — “thou shalt not judge.” Meanwhile, the Right focuses on the oldies but goodies — adultery, drug use, etc. I think we’re right to uphold a standard even if we sometimes fail to live up to it.
What I don’t think we hear enough about is intellectual hypocrisy. What’s that? Well, if moral hypocrisy is saying what values people should live by while failing to follow them yourself, intellectual hypocrisy is believing you are smart enough to run other peoples’ lives when you can barely run your own."
via The Corner.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Makes me feel safer.
"In the book written by Katharine DeBrecht, “Governor Sarah” (a character based on Palin) attempts to help two young boys hold onto their dream of a swing-set business which is struggling as a result of high taxes, heavy regulations and 246 czars.
“I am trying to let all Americans know that these radicals are killing the American Dream and I want to stop them from hurting people that produce products and provide jobs,” the Palin character consoles the frustrated boys after their business is destroyed by “Marxus Obunduf” who is based on President Obama."
Global warming is a scam, pure and simple. By any objective measure, it’s the crime of the century, with a dollar value that dwarfs the sins of Bernie Madoff or Enron. People like Al Gore have become millionaires by selling books and “carbon credits” to their marks… many of whom knew perfectly well they were being taken for a ride, but felt political pressure to play along, or saw opportunities created by the exercise of raw government power. The economic damage from legislation passed in response to this hoax will run into trillions of dollars, if Barack Obama’s disastrous cap-and-trade legislation passes the Senate.
via HotAir's Green Room.
Monday, November 30, 2009
"These are boom times for the marijuana trade, especially in Northern California's Humboldt County. Humboldt pot is sold throughout the country, including some of the many medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles.
Decades after back-to-the-land hippies first moved to the rural area, it remains a mecca for marijuana."
The advent of so-called “in-vitro” or cultured meat could reduce the billions of tons of greenhouse gases emitted each year by farm animals — if people are willing to eat it."
The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge (aka The Royal Society) is celebrating is 350th birthday next year. Spun out in part of the fantastically cool Invisible College, the Royal Society's members have included Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Charles Darwin, Tim Berners-Lee, Lise Meitner, Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie, Francis Crick, and countless other smart folks. The organization kicks off its big anniversary year with Trailblazing, a new interactive timeline that includes 60 choice articles from the journal Philosophical Transactions.
"For now, the commission is doing what no other government entity is: challenging the Justice Department's lack of transparency and politicization."
John Goopy, the study leader, measured the sheep's emissions by herding them into a specially designed booth shortly after they eat and then calculating the amount of gas belched.
His team hopes to find whether there is a genetic link between the sheep that produce the least methane, which could then be exploited to breed low-emissions sheep.
"In my previous post on Climategate I blithely said that nothing in the climate science email dump surprised me much. Having waded more deeply over the weekend I take that back.
The closed-mindedness of these supposed men of science, their willingness to go to any lengths to defend a preconceived message, is surprising even to me. The stink of intellectual corruption is overpowering. And, as Christopher Booker argues, this scandal is not at the margins of the politicised IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] process. It is not tangential to the policy prescriptions emanating from what David Henderson called the environmental policy milieu [subscription required]. It goes to the core of that process."
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Gandhi-following, peace-loving, free-spirited vegetarian who was adopted at birth has discovered the worst possible thing a son could find out about his father – his dad is Charles Manson.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
via Freerepublic - "PLEASE take a minute to do this today and jump behind enemy lines to help kill the bill."
These multibillion dollar funding schemes are unlikely to end simply because an inconvenient truth has been discovered.


Music video by Jack Johnson performing From The Clouds. (C) 2010 Jack Johnson
Music video by Jack Johnson performing Upside Down. (C) 2006 Brushfire Records Inc
I just found this Artist and love the upbeat Music and Videos of both. I hope you like him too.
Jack Johnson is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a number of EPs and surfing movies/soundtracks. He is also known for organizing an annual event, the Kōkua Festival. Notable songs from Johnson's repertoire include "Upside Down"; "Flake"; "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"; "If I Had Eyes"; "You and Your Heart"; "Taylor"; "Banana Pancakes" and "Better Together".


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Maybe it is just the heat and humidity in NYC right now, but ideas like this one are getting a lot of play around the office. Via IEEE Spectrum. From a UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering press release:
...The project, named ATTACH (Adaptive Textiles Technology with Active Cooling and Heating), is led by Joseph Wang, distinguished professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego. By regulating the temperature around an individual person, rather than a large room, the smart fabric could potentially cut the energy use of buildings and homes by at least 15 percent, Wang noted.
“In cases where there are only one or two people in a large room, it’s not cost-effective to heat or cool the entire room,” said Wang. “If you can do it locally, like you can in a car by heating just the car seat instead of the entire car, then you can save a lot of energy.”
The smart fabric will be designed to regulate the temperature of the wearer’s skin—keeping it at 93° F—by adapting to temperature changes in the room. When the room gets cooler, the fabric will become thicker. When the room gets hotter, the fabric will become thinner. To accomplish this feat, the researchers will insert polymers that expand in the cold and shrink in the heat inside the smart fabric....
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Although Cinque Terre WEST Osteria has been pleasing Pacific Palisades palates since May, the Chamber of Commerce finally held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 23.
The restaurant’s outdoor patio was packed at the 970 Monument building site, as nearly 110 members arrived to witness the ribbon-cutting and enjoy the Chamber mixer.
This event was special because Chef/Owner Gianbattista “Gianba” Vinzoni had two surprise guests. His wife Marlo orchestrated her in-laws arriving from Italy without Gianba’s knowledge.
“I picked his parents up at the airport and took them home,” Marlo said, and laughed as she recalled how her daughter, a sophomore at Palisades High, opened the door and was caught totally by surprise.
“I almost closed the door because I was so surprised,” said the daughter, Chiara. “Instead I fell backwards.” The Vinzonis have lived in the Palisades for 15 years, where their children, Chiara and Antonio, attend local schools.
Later, Marlo took Gianba’s parents to Cinque Terre. “They were seeing the restaurant for the first time,” she said. “It was also a surprise for my husband’s birthday.”
When Circling the News took the photo of Antonio and Luigina, Gianba’s parents, his proud mother insisted we get the restaurant sign in the background.
“We are all so happy that my in-laws are here,” Marlo said. “It was a wonderful birthday surprise and the ribbon-cutting was the icing on the cake.”
Chef Gianba grew up cooking with his grandmother, who made fresh pasta, stomped grapes for homemade wine, picked olives for pressing olive oil, and raised her own chickens, rabbits and pigs. His parents still live in Bonassola, in the Cinque Terre region.
Gianba spent five years as an Italian Navy Seal. He moved to Los Angeles 22 years ago and rapidly was hired by some of the top kitchens in the city. He even crafted food for the Golden Globes dinners in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The restaurant continues to get top-notch reviews from residents who appreciate the food’s exceptional quality at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is also inviting for meeting friends to have a cappuccino and something sweet.
People at the mixer were treated to pollo al limon (lemon chicken), a risotto, croissants, Cinque Terre salad and roasted squash, burrata and saba.
Several people took extra croissants home with them, proclaiming that “our children love them.”
Everything in the restaurant is made daily and if you order the Cinque Terre salad, the Testaroli al Pesto or the broccolini, a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of those items will support The Painted Turtle, a medical specialty camp for children with serious and life threatening medical conditions. (Visit: the paintedturtle.org.)
Cinque Terre is open Monday from noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.


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This beautiful penthouse features 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom, PLUS an incredible private rooftop. You’ll love the vibrant colors and the amenities, relax on the comfortable sectional couch and enjoy a movie after a day at the beach, prepare breakfast in the fully equipped kitchen, take a dip in the Jacuzzi tub and dine al fresco on your rooftop under the stars! This is a great option for those looking to rentals in Tulum.
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Moskito is based in Playa del Carmen and specializes in turnkey solutions for real estate, vacation rentals, and property management since 2005. We have offices in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, covering the entire Riviera Maya.

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Vários estudos demonstram o impacto dos distúrbios obstrutivos do sono na qualidade de vida de crianças. No entanto, poucos tratam do desempenho escolar e intelectual em crianças que passaram por tonsilectomia ou adenoamigdalectomia, indicando benefícios destas cirurgias. OBJETIVO: Avaliar e comparar o desempenho intelectual e de aprendizado de crianças submetidas a cirurgias de tonsilectomia ou adenoamigdalectomia no pré e pós-operatório. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Por meio de um estudo longitudinal e descritivo, 83 crianças entre 7 e 11 anos foram avaliadas pela Psicologia no pré e pós-operatório. A primeira avaliação ocorreu antes da cirurgia, a segunda e a terceira avaliações ocorreram com um e seis meses após esta. Foram utilizados Ficha Sociodemográfica, Teste das Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven e o Teste de Desempenho Escolar. RESULTADOS: O grupo de crianças do estudo apresentou evolução estatisticamente significante nas avaliações de desempenho intelectual (p < 0,05) e também nas avaliações de desempenho escolar nos subtestes escrita, aritmética e leitura (p < 0,001) ao longo do tempo. CONCLUSÃO: Baseados em nossas descobertas, concluímos que a tonsilectomia ou adenoamigdalectomia realizadas em crianças com distúrbios respiratórios obstrutivos produzem impacto positivo no desenvolvimento da aprendizagem escolar e intelectual.
avaliação de desempenho; criança; tonsila faríngea; tonsila palatina
Several studies have demonstrated the impact of obstructive sleep disorders on the quality of life of children. However, few studies address school and intellectual performances of children who have undergone tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, indicating the benefits of these surgeries. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the learning and intellectual performances of children submitted to tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, before and after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 83 children between the ages of 7 and 11 were evaluated by a psychologist employing a longitudinal and descriptive study in the pre and post-surgery groups. The first evaluation was performed just before surgery, and the second and third evaluations one and six months after the surgical procedure. The social-demographic form, Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices Test and the School Performance Test were used. RESULTS: The group of children in this study presented a statistically significant evolution in their intellectual performance evaluations (p < 0.05) and also school performance evaluations in writing, mathematics and reading sub-tests (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on our findings we concluded that tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy performed in children with obstructive respiratory disorders produce a positive impact on intellectual and school learning development.
performance tests; child; palatine tonsil; adenoids
ISpecialized in Larynx; ENT Physician
IIPsychoanalyst (Hospital Psychologist - Psychology and Pediatrics Department of the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Hospital)
IIIPhD (Manager of the Psychology Department - Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Hospital; Adjunct Professor - Medical Sciences School - Santa Casa de São Paulo Hospital)
IVPhD (Director of the Medicine Program and Full Professor at the Medical Sciences School - São Paulo
Send correspondence to
Several studies have demonstrated the impact of obstructive sleep disorders on the quality of life of children. However, few studies address school and intellectual performances of children who have undergone tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, indicating the benefits of these surgeries.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the learning and intellectual performances of children submitted to tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, before and after surgery.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 83 children between the ages of 7 and 11 were evaluated by a psychologist employing a longitudinal and descriptive study in the pre and post-surgery groups. The first evaluation was performed just before surgery, and the second and third evaluations one and six months after the surgical procedure. The social-demographic form, Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices Test and the School Performance Test were used.
RESULTS: The group of children in this study presented a statistically significant evolution in their intellectual performance evaluations (p < 0.05) and also school performance evaluations in writing, mathematics and reading sub-tests (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Based on our findings we concluded that tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy performed in children with obstructive respiratory disorders produce a positive impact on intellectual and school learning development.
Keywords: performance tests, child, palatine tonsil, adenoids.
Difficulties in school performance are almost always associated with different problems, emotional or family issues, or even to diseases. What frequently happens is that children with such difficulties are described as having little dedication to school activities1. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon to find intelligence levels matching those, or even higher, of other children in the same age range2.
The low intellectual and school performance may bring suffering to the child, low confidence in his potentials and feelings of failure which may affect his self-esteem, thus bringing about repercussions in his entire development, and also to the lives of family members3.
Pharyngeal and palatine tonsil hyperplasias are frequent causes of nasal obstruction and chronic oral breathing during childhood - becoming the main breathing obstruction disorder, which may cause numerous clinical changes, from apnea - with and without cardiopulmonary repercussions, all the way to changes in craniofacial development, postural changes, atypical deglutition, poor feeding, and others. Because of these symptoms the child may also have school learning disorders - which is not well clarified in scientific research, but rather by deduction based on the physician's experience and reports from patients and parents.
Tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy remain the most frequently performed surgical procedures in otorhinolaryngology. In properly selected children, they may change the quality of life perception and solve the obstructive symptoms4.
Uema et al.5 carried out learning tests in children with sleep obstructive apnea syndrome (SOAS), previously tested with polysomnography and allocated them in one of three groups: SOAS, primary snoring and children without sleep obstructive disorders. The results showed statistically significant differences in the SOAS group and primary snoring when compared to the control group. In this study, we tested the immediate memory and attention level (which impacts memory processing), which proved to be impaired in the group of patients with obstructive sleep disorders, since these evocations are directly associated to the level of attention and remembering the information presented once only - immediate memory.
Silva & Leite6 carried out an interventional study, before and after surgery, in which they assessed 48 children, with mean age of 5.93 years, with indication of tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy at an ENT outpatient ward, and guardians received the Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA - 18) questionnaire, specific to assess quality of life before surgery and with a minimum of 30 days afterwards. They carried out a nasal fibroscopic exam, complete ENT physical exam and a semi-structured questionnaire on the clinical and social profiles of the child, in both consultations. The most frequent symptoms were: restless sleep, apnea and snoring. Sleep obstructive disorders had a relevant impact on quality of life and improved considerably after surgery.
Goodwin et al.7 performed 480 polysomnography in children of 6 to 12 years of age, of both genders, with SOAS and found significant associations between the symptoms and polysomnographic findings, including their rate of attention and learning.
In another study, Gozal & Pope8 investigated 300 children with the worst grades in a school, 18.1% of them had gas-exchange (O2 and CO2) disorders during sleep. Of those with sleep obstructive disorders, half were submitted to adenoidectomy. They noticed that the group submitted to adenoidectomy had a significant increase in the aforementioned mean value. The other half, without disorders, kept their mean scores.
Ezzat et al.9 analyzed the intelligence coefficient of 84 children with sleep apnea syndrome before and after they were submitted to adenotonsillectomy and noticed an improvement in the postoperative performance in most of them.
Kim et al.10 utilized the information from the parents of 302 children for the diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome and found clear association with bad school performance in them.
Numerous studies in the international literature7,11-13 have been showing the impact of sleep obstructive disorders in learning, memory, attention and the very quality of life of these children. Notwithstanding, so far, there are but a few papers published6 on the subject. And, in even fewer cases, in national and international studies, the school performance of patients submitted to tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, is assessed; thus causing certain questions about the benefit os such procedure in the education of a population.
The goal of the present paper is to assess and compare the intellectual and school performances of children submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy before and after the procedure.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Longitudinal and cross-sectional.
In this study, we had 83 patients between 7 and 11 years of age, of both genders, who were submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy surgeries between June of 2009 and April of 2011.
Patients with surgical indication associated with upper airway obstruction. The decision for surgery was based on the patient's history and physical exam:
Symptoms during sleep: snoring; excessive movements during sleep; excessive sweating; "suffocation" fits reported by the parents or informants.
Behavioral disorders: psychomotor restlessness; excessive irritability; tiredness during the day or upon waking up; bad school performance.
Mouth breathing, nasal voice.
Physical exam: tonsils grades III and IV, which are considered obstructive according to Brodsky's classification.
Complementary tests: Cavum x-ray and/or nasal endoscopy, showing an important degree of nasopharyngeal obstruction.
The patients had their surgical indication based on some of the signs and symptoms of the groups aforementioned, and most of them were: snoring, mouth breathing and tonsil hyperplasia.
Patients with changes in neurological and psychomotor development;
Patients with psychiatric and behavioral disorders;
Patients with syndromes;
Patients with visual disorders;
Patients who use medication acting on the central nervous system (CNS);
Patients with hearing disorders (interview, otoscopy and audiometry);
Patients with chronic or recurrent pharyngotonsillitis;
Patients with a history of peritonsillar abscess;
Patients with halitosis or caseous tonsillitis;
Patients with tonsil asymmetry or possible malignancy;
Patients with clinical history of upper airway obstruction not matching physical exam findings.
We used the following study instruments:
Created by the researchers with the aim of collecting information about the sociodemographic profile of the patients.
Raven's Test of Progressive Colored Matrices - Special Scale14
This is a non-verbal instrument to assess intelligence, validated and adapted to be used in Brazil15, which enables the assessment of the general intelligence factor (ability to understand new situations, ability to remember relevant information, judgement and build up of specialized information). This test can be utilized in children between 5 and 11.5 years of age. It is made up of three series (A, Ab and B), with 12 problems in each one, ordered in ascending order of difficulty and which, added together, provide the general score. The solution of their problems requires a spacial construction scheme.
SPT - School Performance Test 16
This is a standardized psychometric instrument, which aims at assessing school performance. This test can be utilized in children between 7 and 12 years. The SPT is made up of three subtests: written (first name and words alone presented in a dictation), arithmetics (oral solution of problems and calculations of arithmetical operations in written) and reading (recognition of words apart from the context).
Data collection started after the Project was approved by the Scientific Committee, as well as by the Ethics in Research with Human Beings Committee of the Institution (Project nº 152/09 CEP).
The patients were assessed by an otorhinolaryngologist and those with surgical indication were referred to the Psychology ward.
The researchers made a brief explanation about the study, as well as the goals and the guardian signed the Informed Consent Form, pertaining to Resolution nº 196 of October 10, 1996, from the National Council of Health, after fully understanding and agreeing to participate.
The researchers collected the data in a private psychologist room, which guaranteed secrecy and privacy.
The patients were assessed by the psychology professionals at three moments. In the first assessment (before surgery), the parents filled out the Sociodemographic Form and the children were submitted to the Raven's Progressive Colored Matrices Test and the School Performance Test (SPT) - which aimed at assessing intellectual and school performances, respectively. The patients were then submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy in the Operating Theater under general anesthesia and orotracheal intubation. Afterwards, they were discharged and received post-operative care. Following that, they were referred to ENT outpatient followup and to psychological assessment - six months after the procedure. We decided to do the first postoperative assessment with one month, because that would be when the child had no more pain, swallowing difficulties, fever, headache and others, which could hamper their assessment. In these postoperative evaluations, only the children were submitted to the tests and it took between 60 and 90 minutes to perform.
The data obtained was collected and inserted in the database created in the SPSS for Windows version 13.017 to obtain scores and for the descriptive and inferential statistical assessment of the sample.
We used the Anova variance analysis model to compare the scores along time, with repetitive measures. The analyses of the scores between the assessments was carried out by means of multiple comparisons.
The level of significance adopted was 5% (0.05%).
It is worth stressing that for the descriptive analysis of the data we considered 83 patients in the first and 75 in the third assessment. Nonetheless, in order to have statistical significance, the sample had 75 patients in each.
The sample was made up of 83 patients submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy. One hundred and two patients participated in the pre-operative assessment. Of these, eight were not operated (one patient was disconnected from the hospital, two patients gave up on the surgery, two patients had contraindications to the procedure and three patients awaited tests in order to undergo surgery), one patient was taken off the study for having a diagnosis of epilepsy and then patients went through only the first assessment and surgical procedure. Eighty-three patients underwent the first and second assessments and 75 patients went through the first, second and third assessments until the conclusion of the study.
The 83 patients in the sample had a mean age of 8.6, standard deviation (SD = 1.3). Forty-seven patients (56.6%) were male and 36 (43.4%) were female.
Concerning the other sociodemographic data collected, the results are depicted on Table 1.
As far as schooling is concerned, in the first assessment, 18 patients (22%) were in the 1st grade, 21 were in the 2nd grade (25.6%); 27 (32.9%) in the 3rd grade; eight (9.8%) in the 4th grade; seven (8.5%) in the 5th grade and one (1.2%) in the 6th grade. Eighty-one children (97.6%) went to public school and two (2.4%) to private school.
As to skin color, 51 patients (61.4%) were white; 23 (27.7%) were brown; eight (9.6%) were black and one (1.2%) was yellow.
In the first assessment, 67 patients (80.7%) did not have urinary and/or fecal incontinence, but 16 (19.3%) had some type of incontinence. In the second assessment, 75 patients (90.4%) did not have urinary and/or fecal incontinence and eight (9.6%) had some type of incontinence. In the third assessment, of the 75 patients assessed, 69 (92%) did not have urinary and/or fecal incontinence and it was only six (8%) who still had some type of incontinence.
All the patients were Brazilians, 76 (91.6%) were from the city of São Paulo, one (1.2%) from the countryside of the State of São Paulo; five (6.0%) were from the Northeast and one (1.2%) from the Brazilian Midwest.
As to the education of the mothers/guardians, two (2.4%) were illiterate, 15 (18%) had elementary education I - eight (9.6%) had not completed it and seven (8.4%) did; 26 (30.4%) had elementary education II - 13 (15.7%) had not completed it and 13 (15.7%) did; 34 (40.9%) had high school - 10 (12%) did not complete it and 24 (28.9%) did; three (3.6%) had incomplete higher education and three (3.6%) responders did not know how to answer it.
As to the education of the fathers/guardians, one (1.2%) was illiterate; 16 (19.2%) had elementary education I - 10 (12%) did not complete it and six (7.2%) did; 32 (38.5%) had elementary education II - 27 (32.5%) did not complete it and five (6%) did; 27 (32.5) had high school education - seven (8.4%) did not complete it and 20 (24.1%) did; two (2.4%) had higher education - one (1.2%) did not complete it and one (1.2%) finish it. Five (6%) responders did not know how to answer.
Raven's Progressive Colored Matrices - Special Scale
Results from the Total Number of Points
In assessing intelligence, the total number of points achieved by the patients in the sample in the first assessment had a mean value of 21.2 (SD = 5.9) and median of 21, in the second assessment, the mean value was 22.8 (SD = 6.3) and a median of 23; and in the third assessment, the mean value was 24.7 (SD = 5.8) and median value of 25.
We noticed an evolution in the performance of these patients in the first to second assessment, in the second to the third and in the first to the third assessment (p < 0.001).
As to the percentile, the sample had 56.6 (SD = 26.2) as mean percentile, and median value of 60 in the first assessment, mean of the 61.3 percentile (SD = 27.6) and median 70 in the second assessment and percentile 66.5 mean (SD = 24.6) and median 75 in the third assessment, which can be seen on Table 2.
Upon comparing the mean number of points in this score through variance analysis, we found a statistically significant evolution in the performance of these children (p < 0.001). Comparing the results of the three assessments, we found a statistically significant difference from the first to the third assessment (p < 0.001).
Results from the Level of Intelligence
Analyzing the first and third assessments, we noticed that in the first there were 30 (40%) children with higher or above average level of intelligence, 34 (45.3%) on average and 11 (14.7%) below average or intellectually handicap. On the third assessment, 39 (52%) children had higher or above average intelligence level, 30 (40%) were on average and six (8%) were below average or intellectually handicap, which shows the statistically significant evolution in the intellectual performance of these children from the first to the third assessments (p = 0.041) according to the Mc Nemar test. Table 3 depicts the comparison of the intellectual performance results from the first to the third assessments.
School Performance Test
The first writing subtest assessment had a mean score of 14.8 (SD = 10.0) and median of 14; in the second assessment, the mean was 15.7 (SD = 10.1) and median of 16; and, in the third assessment the values were: mean of 17.6 (SD = 9.9) and median of 19.
Comparing the written subtest scores showed a significant evolution in the children (p < 0.001).
Upon analyzing the three assessments, we noticed significant differences between the second and the third assessments (p < 0.001) and between the first and the third (p < 0.001).
The first assessment of the arithmetics subtest produced a mean value of 10.47 (SD = 6.62) and median value of 9.0; in the second assessment, the mean was 10.75 (SD = 6.84) and median of 9.0; and, in the third assessment, the mean value was 12.23 (SD = 6.82) and median of 11.0.
There was a statistically significant performance evolution in this subtest after surgery (p < 0.001). A more detailed investigation showed an evolution from the second to the third assessment (p < 0.001) and from the first to the third assessment (p < 0.001).
The first assessment of the reading subtest produced a mean score of 45.8 (SD = 25.3) and median of 58; in the second assessment, the mean was 60.0 (SD = 24.7) and median of 60.0; and, in the third assessment, the mean was 53.7 (SD = 20.8) and median of 65.0.
We also noticed a significant performance evolution in this subtest after surgery (p < 0.001): from the first to the second assessment (p = 0.001), from the first to the third assessment (p < 0.001) and from the second to the third assessment (p < 0.001).
The results from the writing, arithmetics and reading subtests are depicted on Table 4.
Difficulties in school performance are frequently a reason for referral to specialists. These can be associated with emotional aspects, family issues or even diseases. Despite being intelligent, many children have learning difficulties.
Respiratory discomfort and sleep apnea are disorders which may also affect a child's school performance, as well as behavior, development and quality of life.
In order to assess whether tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy surgeries would bring benefits as far as school performance is concerned, psychological evaluations were carried out before and after the surgery. Through this process, the children in the study group had significant improvements in the intellectual performance test and in the writing, arithmetics and reading tests, which assess school performance.
Thus, similarly to the studies mentioned in the References below, this study also showed significant evidence that treating disorders associated with sleep apnea syndrome in children brings about benefits vis-à-vis their intellectual and school performance.
Uema et al.5 proved that children with OSAS and primary snoring had their immediate memory and attention level impaired; as did Goodwin et al.7, who found associations between the polysomnographic findings and the learning and attention indices in children with OSAS. Our study showed that, for these patients, the proper treatment of such conditions may bring about benefits for the child's intellectual and school performances, because it enables these children to better utilize their potential and better develop their skills, and this could be seen by the results of the tests carried out and corroborated by the accounts from parents and guardians, who noticed that after the surgical procedure, the children became more attentive and also slept better, without snoring, which benefitted not only the children, but also the entire family.
Gozal & Pope8 investigated children with the worst grades in a school, and 18.1% of them had sleep disorders. Half were submitted to adenotonsillectomy and, by assessing their school report cards, they found an improvement in the grades of this group. Comparatively, our study also confirmed this information by means of the specific and standardized tests to assess intellectual and school performance in children.
A recent paper by Kim et al.10 confirmed that children from an elementary school in Seul, with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome had low school performance. Another study, by Ezzat et al.12, showed an improvement in the intelligence tests of patients when comparing their results before and after adenotonsillectomy. Both papers corroborate the data analysis produced in our study.
Thus, we may stress an improvement in the school and intellectual performances of these children, properly diagnosed and submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy surgeries - which will probably bring about benefits to the quality of life of these children and their families.
During the psychological assessments, in the first evaluations of some children the parents reported some type of incontinence. Nonetheless, we noticed that during the second and third evaluations that some of these children improved and no longer had incontinence. This data require further studies to be properly investigated.
As a limitation of the present study, we stress the lack of a control group with children of the same age range, but without OSAS signs and symptoms, in order to compare and analyze if the the school and intellectual developments of our sample are equal to or lower than that of the control group before and after surgery, and also to take the child's own growth and development process out of the equation.
This study proved the fundamental importance of properly treating the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in children. By means of these specific tests, we could show that surgeries used to treat OSAS, when properly indicated, play a most relevant role in the school and intellectual developments of children with such disorder. Thus, this surgical approach deserves more attention from public health authorities, because it may bring about benefits for the school and intellectual performances of children, and, consequently, to the very education of this population.
Assessing intelligence performance in the post-operative of tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy, when compared to pre-operative levels, showed a statistically significant evolution in these children in their total scores, in the percentage score and for their intelligence level performance.
When we assessed school performance before and after tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy and compared the mean scores throughout three assessments, we noticed better performance after surgery, for each subtest (writing, reading and arithmetics) and for their total score.
The group of children in the present study had a satisfactory evolution in their intellectual performance. Our findings also show that tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy surgeries performed in children with obstructive sleep disorders may have a positive impact in their intellectual development and school performance.
- 1. Stevanato IS, Loureiro SR, Linhares MBM, Marturano EM. Autoconceito de crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem e problemas de comportamento. Psicol Estud. 2003;8(1):67-76.
- 2. Souza ASL. Pensando a inibição intelectual: perspectiva psicanalítica e proposta diagnóstica. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo; 1995. 116p.
- 3. Kaemingk KL, Pasvogel AE, Goodwin JL, Mulvaney SA, Martinez F, Enright PL, et al. Learning in children and sleep disordered breathing: findings of the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea (TuCASA) prospective cohort study. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2003;9(7):1016-26.
- 4. Li HY, Huang YS, Chen NH, Fang TJ, Lee LA. Impact of adenotonsillectomy on behavior in children with sleep-disordered breathing. Laryngoscope. 2006;116(7):1142-7.
- 5. Uema SFH, Pignatari SSN, Fujita RR, Moreira GA, Pradella-Hallinan M, Weckx L. Assessment of cognitive learning function in children with obstructive sleep breathing disorders. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(3):315-20.
- 6. Silva VC, Leite AJM. Quality of life in children with sleep-disordered breathing: evaluation by OSA-18. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;72(6):747-56.
- 7. Goodwin JL, Kaemingk KL, Mulvaney SA, Morgan WJ, Quan SF. Clinical screening of school children for polysomnography to detect sleep-disordered breathing-the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study (TuCASA). J Clin Sleep Med. 2005;1(3):247-54.
- 8. Gozal D, Pope DW Jr. Snoring during early childhood and academic performance at ages thirteen to fourteen years. Pediatrics. 2001;107(6):1394-9.
- 9. Ezzat WF, Fawaz S, Abdelrazek Y. To what degree does adenotonsillectomy affect neurocognitive performance in children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome due to adenotonsillar enlargement? ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2010;72(4):215-9.
- 10. Kim JK, Lee JH, Lee SH, Hong SC, Cho JH. School performance and behavior of Korean elementary school students with sleep-disordered breathing. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(4):268-72.
- 11. Gozal D. Sleep-disordered breathing and school performance in children. Pediatrics.1998;102(3 Pt 1):616-20.
- 12. Goodwin JL, Kaemingk KL, Fregosi RF, Rosen GM, Morgan WJ, Sherrill DL, et al. Clinical outcomes associated with sleep-disordered breathing in Caucasian and Hispanic children-the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study (TuCASA). Sleep. 2003;26(5):587-91.
- 13. Goodwin JL, Kaemingk KL, Fregosi RF, Rosen GM, Morgan WJ, Smith T, et al. Parasomnias and sleep disordered breathing in Caucasian and Hispanic children - the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study. BMC Med. 2004;2:14.
- 14. Angelini AL, Alves ICB, Custódio EM, Duarte WF, Duarte JLM. Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven - Escala Especial. São Paulo: Centro Editor de Testes e Pesquisas; 1999. p.129-36.
- 15. Pasquali L, Wechsler S, Bensusan E. Matrizes Progressivas do Raven Infantil: um estudo de validação para o Brasil. Aval Psicol. 2002;1:95-110.
- 16. Stein LM. TDE Teste de Desempenho Escolar: Manual para Aplicação e Interpretação. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo; 1994. 33p.
- 17. Norusis MJ. SPSS for Windows. Chicago: SPSS Inc; 2006.
Intellectual and school performance evaluation of children submitted to tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy before and after surgery
Felipe Hideo IkedaI; Patricia A. de Campos HortaII; Wilze Laura BruscatoIII; José Eduardo Luftaif DolciIV
Publication in this collection
23 Aug 2012
Date of issue
16 Nov 2011
31 Mar 2012

domain: medical


As an American expat, I couldn’t have guessed just how many incredible businesses were thriving here- doing exceptional work and building a robust economy for the future.
There’s a proud tradition in this country of innovation, hard work and entrepreneurship- of building useful and beautiful things. And I’m very fortunate to have witnessed it firsthand.
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text:
Several months ago, the Bulgarian police arrested a large criminal organization and confiscated dozens of computers. The authorities were shocked to discover that the computers were holding over three billion dollars’ worth of Bitcoin.
Illustration Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News
Last May, the Bulgarian police raided a network of organized crime, arrested 24 suspects and confiscated dozens of computers and tablets.
The authorities were shocked to discover that the confiscated computers had virtual wallets with 213,519 Bitcoins, worth more than three billion dollars or more than one percent of the country’s GDP.
According to suspicions, the criminals bribed customs officials in several eastern European countries with the goal of infecting their computer systems with a virus, which would enable them to falsify records of cargo inspections. The virus allowed the organization to avoid making payments of customs duties.
At the time of the raid, the Bitcoins were worth approximately 500 million dollars. Since then, their value has increased by a shocking amount. The criminals used Bitcoin to store their funds as it is much more difficult to trace.


text:
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is scheduled to have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday.
Bennett is facing potential discipline for boarding Tampa Bay forward Blake Coleman midway into the third period of the Panthers’ 5-4 loss to the Lightning on Sunday. The contest was the opener of the teams’ first-round series.
Bennett, 24, received a minor penalty for charging at 12:19 of the third period. The Panthers, who were nursing a 4-3 lead at the time, allowed a goal to Brayden Point on the ensuing power play. Point tallied again with 1:14 remaining in the third period to give the Lightning a 5-4 advantage.
Bennett notched a pair of assists early in the third period on Sunday. He recorded 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games this season with the Calgary Flames and Panthers.
Bennett has collected 155 points (73 goals, 82 assists) in 412 career games since being selected by the Flames with the fourth overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla.
–Field Level Media


text:
Dr. Linda Messinger
DVM, Diplomate ACVD
Dr. Messinger has been board certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) since 1993. She is one of approximately 300 board-certified dermatologists in North America. One of the major functions of the ACVD is to maintain the highest standards of post-graduate training in veterinary dermatology and allergy. Board certification by the ACVD denotes that the individual is a board-certified specialist in veterinary dermatology.
Dr. Messinger received both her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degrees from Cornell University. During her undergraduate training, Dr. Messinger was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
After completing veterinary school Dr. Messinger completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine, surgery, dermatology, and ophthalmology at the prestigious and world-renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City. Thereafter, she completed a dermatology residency at the University of Florida and then remained on staff there for one year.
The University of Florida has one of the largest veterinary dermatology residency programs in the world. While at the University of Florida, Dr. Messinger taught hundreds of veterinary students as well as veterinarians about the specialty of veterinary dermatology. She was in private specialty practice in the Orlando area before moving to Colorado in 1995 to establish the Department of Dermatology at VRCC.
Dr. Messinger has delivered lectures on veterinary dermatology to a variety of professional and lay groups, both at the international, national, and local levels. In addition, Dr. Messinger has authored many scientific articles, review articles, and book chapters.
To advance our understanding of skin diseases in animals (so as to help our patients), Dr. Messinger has been involved in a variety of research projects and clinical trials related to veterinary dermatology. Dr. Messinger is also a consultant in dermatology for a large veterinary corporation. She is a member of the ACVD, American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, American Veterinary Medical Association, Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, and the Cornell Feline Health Center.
Dr. Messinger is currently chairperson of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology Program Committee. She was also granted the prestigious honor of training residents in veterinary dermatology and allergy, under the guidelines of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.
Dr. Messinger specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, coat, ear, and nail diseases in animals, including bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, allergies, immune-mediated skin diseases, endocrine (hormonal) disorders, inherited skin diseases, idiopathic and certain skin cancers, to name a few. She is dedicated to working closely with you and your family veterinarian to provide the most progressive and comprehensive services and care for your special family member(s).
Dr. Messinger grew up on Long Island, in South Huntington, New York. The medical field has always fascinated her. Her love for animals and veterinary medicine began at the age of 7 when her family adopted a gray and white kitten and when she visited her grandparent’s farm in Germany.
Currently, Dr. Messinger’s pet family includes yellow Labrador Retriever (Rigby), a Labrador Retriever mix (Fuzzy), a mixed breed puppy (Willie), and her cats (Daisy, Bella, Kitty Sue, Sweetie, Beekman, Amber, Seth, and Milo), one Guinea pigs (Pumpkin), two goldfish (Prince and Pablo Sandoval), one beta fish (Tom) and pond snails. Bella was found meowing on the side of a country road while on a bike trip in Italy. Fuzzy and Willie both have allergies to airborne allergens. Dr. Messinger enjoys aerobics (which she has taught), running, cycling, gardening, and family life. She is semi-fluent in the German language.

domain: biology


text:
Geography and topography
Cleopatra was a daughter of Ptolemy XII (Auletes). Her mother was believed to be Cleopatra V Tryphaena. Cleopatra VII was born in Egypt 70 or 69 B.C, growing up in the palace of Alexandria. She was descended from a lineage of Greek kings and queens who had ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. By the time of Cleopatra’s rise to power, the state of Egypt was crumbling around her due to outside pressures from Rome, loss of lands, and famine at home.
Background and rise to prominence
At the age of 18 Cleopatra ascended to the throne with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII. The first three years of their reign were difficult due to economic failures, famine, deficient floods of the Nile, and political conflicts. Cleopatra was married to her young brother, but she quickly made it clear that she had no intention of sharing power with him. Cleopatra ruled alone until her brother’s adviser's led by Pothinus began conspiring against her. In 48 B.C. they removed Cleopatra from power and she was forced into exile in Syria. Later she raised an army of mercenaries and returned the following year to face her brother’s forces at Pelusium.
Caesar and Cleopatra
After the Roman general Pompey was murdered, Ptolemy XIII welcomed the arrival of Pompey’s rival, Julius Caesar, to Alexandria. In order to help her cause, Cleopatra sought Caesar’s support, reportedly smuggling herself into the royal palace to plead her case with him. The relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra grew from their mutual longing for power and money. Caesar wanted the riches found in Cleopatra's court, while she longed for power in Rome. Contrary to legend, Caesar did not stay long in Egypt with Cleopatra. The relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra grew for their mutual longing for power and money. However Caesar did not stay long in Egypt with Cleopatra
Mark Antony and Cleopatra
After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra set her sights on the dashing Roman general Marc Antony. The two began an affair, resulting in twins in 40 B.C. and appointed his new wife ruler of Egypt, Cyprus, Crete, and Cyria. The first meeting after Julius Caesar’s death proved a luxurious one. There were scented flowers in Cleopatra’s barge, where she dressed like a Roman goddess. After losing a major battle at sea, Antony and Cleopatra were forced to flee to Egypt in 31 B.C. In desperation, Cleopatra spread rumors of her own suicide. Antony, thinking his lover already dead, stabbed himself with a sword but was then brought to die in Cleopatra’s arms. Cleopatra was captured but managed to kill herself via a poisonous snakebite.
In the centuries following her death, Cleopatra and her life have captivated historians, storytellers, and the general public. She has been the inspiration for Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra (1607). Her story resonates because she was such a huge icon in a male dominated society. Cleopatra held the country together and proved to be as powerful as any other male leader.

domain: history


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text:
Rheumatoid factor (RF) is a blood test that measures the amount of the RF antibody in the blood.
Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
No special preparation is usually necessary.
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
This test is most often used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren syndrome. About 80% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and almost all patients with Sjogren syndrome have positive RF tests.
It may also be used to rule out or diagnose other inflammation-related conditions.
Results are usually reported in one of two ways:
A low number (normal result) usually means you do not have rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren syndrome. However, some people who do have these conditions still have a "normal" or low rheumatoid factor (RF).
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
High levels of rheumatoid factor, especially in people who have symptoms, can help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren syndrome. The higher the level reported, the more likely one of these conditions is present.
People with these autoimmune diseases may also have higher levels of rheumatoid factor:
Many other medical problems and infections may cause higher-than-normal levels of RF. However, RF is not used to diagnose these problems:
Sometimes, people who are healthy and have no other medical problem will have a higher-than-normal RF level.
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
The RF test can be positive in some healthy people.

domain: health