Two dudes take a giant piss into the abyss after a day of missed connections and endless fragmentation. First up, a womb re-entry primer of trancing pulses and embryonic drone with J.B. on guitar and E.G. on EQ knobs. Next, a fake jazz demolition hymn with E.G. on guitar and J.B. spinning skronk into gold. Guyz 1, Universe 0. To be continued …
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Guyz Nyte - Awesome Blocked
Two dudes take a giant piss into the abyss after a day of missed connections and endless fragmentation. First up, a womb re-entry primer of trancing pulses and embryonic drone with J.B. on guitar and E.G. on EQ knobs. Next, a fake jazz demolition hymn with E.G. on guitar and J.B. spinning skronk into gold. Guyz 1, Universe 0. To be continued …
Guyz Nyte - Incensed
The Guyz' are paid a visit by the ghost of shamans' past during this sickening spirit dream of atmospheric wonk and loungey noise. Tone generator/feedback wrangler JB was out of action for close to a week after hot-boxing these infernal fumes, and string mangler EG swears he never played half the notes on this record. A spooky mix of lusty aimlessness and wrathful burn fit for adult contemporary radio in the first few circles of hell.
A Bit of South Korea in Austin, Texas
In 1996, Austin, Texas became home to South Korea's Samsung Semiconductor Corporation, which is one of the largest private employers in Travis county. And, just as all things are bigger in Texas, the 1.6 million square foot building--as large as nine football fields is not only the largest building in Austin, it is one of the largest single semiconductor facilities in the United States.
Samsung Austin Semiconductor produces Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips - most commonly used in personal computers, workstations, servers. The US-chartered company is owned by Samsung Electronics, the giant $60-billion Korean high tech company, and is Samsung’s only semiconductor manufacturing facility outside of Korea.
But many do not realize that almost 20 years before Samsung moved to Austin, we had already imported one of our most beautiful landmarks from South Korea.
The Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas bridges Lake Austin to connect north and south Loop 360 highway, also known as the "Capital of Texas Highway." The road is widely considered one of the most scenic urban drives in central Texas, in large part due to this arched weathering steel bridge and the rolling hills that flank the road.
The contract for the bridge was let in late 1979 and major structural steelwork was finished by July 1982. The bridge was dedicated officially November 29, 1982.
The bridge is named for Percy V. Pennybacker Jr., who designed bridges for the Texas Highway Department and was a pioneer in the technology of welded structures.
Pennybacker worked for the Texas Highway Department in the early 1900s designing bridges. He earned his civil engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He served as a captain in the Army Air Service during World War I. After the war, he worked in Kansas and Texas. During World War II, he became interested in welded construction as an alternative to rivets. By promoting the use of welding for heavy stress bridge design, he is credited with saving the state of Texas millions of dollars. When he retired from the Texas Highway Department, he worked another three years for the city of Austin as a civil engineer.
Like his father, Percy suffered from diabetes. After spending a year in the hospital, he became one of the first patients treated with insulin. The family moved from Tyler to Austin in 1900. He married Mary Alice. A life-long and faithful Episcopalian, he helped found St. George's Episcopal Church in Austin.
The steel bridge has a uniform weathered rust finish allowing the bridge to blend in with the surrounding hills and lake. The 600,000,000 pounds (272,000,000 kg) of steel for the bridge were produced in Japan.
The bridge structures were fabricated in Ulsan, Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). Yes they are the same Hyundai that produces the Kia automobile (they are the fifth largest auto maker in the world, producing 1.6 million cars per year). The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized 'H', is said to be symbolic of two people (the company and customer) shaking hands. Hyundai means "modernity" in Korean.
Hyundai Heavy Industries is also the world's largest shipbuilder company, headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea. Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947.
But, I digress…
The steel structures for the Pennybacker Bridge were shipped on the Jundale freighter to the Port of Houston and then trucked to the bridge site. The bridge was erected by Bristol Steel of Bristol, Virginia. The roadway surface is built from 3,400 short tons (3,000,000 kg) of concrete. The finish was sandblasted to ensure even weathering for an amber patina. The construction was coordinated by Clearwater Constructors of Denver, Colorado. The bridge cost US$10 million to build.
The bridge is constructed such that no part of the structure touches the water 100 feet (30 m) below. The bridge is 1,150 feet (351 m) long with a 600 feet (183 m) central arched span. This design keeps Lake Austin free from support columns because the recreational lake (really a dammed stretch of the Colorado River) is popular with boaters and waterskiers. The untied arch suspension span is suspended by 72 steel cables. At the time of its construction, it was only the second bridge of its design in the world.
The bridge has four lanes, two in each direction, separated by a middle barrier wall. The bridge also has a six foot wide bike and pedestrian lane. The bike access on the bridge is one reason for Loop 360's popularity with cyclists. The south approach provides a turnaround under the bridge along with lake access for public boating.
The bridge won first place in the 1984 Federal Highway Administration's Excellence in Highway Design competition. In 1992, the Austin members of the Consulting Engineers Council of Texas were surveyed and selected the bridge as the most innovative example of Austin architecture.
And there you have the rest of the story.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Dead Man Jumps from Taxi
This week I learned that dead men can jump. Either that or the headline writers at the Austin American-Statesman are trying hard to get their paper mentioned on the Jay Leno television show for his Stupid Headlines skit.
Of course, this begs several questions:
1. Can a dead man really jump?
2. Did the other passenger "help" the man out of the taxi?
3. Did the door accidentally open as the man leaned against the door handle?
4. Who was the other passenger and was he questioned?
5. Why would the deputy have released the other passenger without questioning him and getting some form of identification?
6. Does the cab driver not know where he dropped the other passenger off?
Call me inquisitive, but shouldn't someone have asked these questions. I think what should be investigated is the police officers' investigation. The world is indeed a strange place.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sometimes Life Hands You a Sack of Potatoes
This week I learned that sometimes things are not always what they at first seem.
This is a story that my friend John Mark Benton told on his Facebook page. It was just too good to not share.
John Mark lives down in San Augustine, Florida. You couldn’t ask for a nicer guy – very laid back and very likable. I met John Mark when he attended my School of Screenprinting in Austin two years ago. He wanted to learn how to print T-shirts to supplement his income from his landscaping company. After three days in Austin, John Mark decided that he really liked screenprinting – more than landscaping. He also realized the income he could derive from printing T-shirts was a lot more than toiling in the baking sun pushing a lawn mower around the expanses of yards. The number of grass blades far outnumbered the hours that he was willing to invest.
John Mark went back to San Augustine to convince his wife that they should sell the landscaping equipment and go into screenprinting full time. The problem was that they are just starting their life together and had two small children. But, somehow he convinced his wife that they should go for it. Now, two years later they have more business than they expected and are doing quite well, even with the economy taking a nose dive in the middle of their growth.
Now, don’t get me wrong, John Mark works hard for his success and every now and then needs a day off. His in-laws have a lake house over in Putnam County and every once in while, John Mark likes to relax down there. This last Saturday, about midnight, with the kids in bed, John Mark decided to stroll down to the dock to finish his beer and check out the solitude of the lake. The lake was quiet – the only sound coming from a bass that hit something on top of the water every now and then. Ah, peace and quiet, a cold beer and a moonlit night. What could be better?
About then John Mark heard a couple of people talking on another dock about 500 yards down the shoreline from him. He turned and notice that one guy was looking at something in the water, pointing and the other guy was … right in mid thought it hit him – BLAM!
Something racked him hard. It felt like someone had swung a sack of potatoes on a rope at the side of his head. A brilliant flash of white went off inside his head, blinding him for a few minutes.
If John Mark had not been sitting in the deck chair, he would have fallen in the water. As it were, he ended up slumped over the side of the chair in an awkward position. He yelled at nothing. There was nothing or nobody to yell at. His thoughts ran from a shotgun blast to a potato gun. He sat up and moved his hand to his head, half expecting part of it to be missing. He felt blood, but luckily all of the parts present before the hit were still there and intact. The side of his head and especially his ear were hot with blood and began swelling immediately.
With what had just happened, John Mark had let his emotions of anger and confusion take over. His attention moved to the only other people on the lake, the guys down the shoreline, to which he began yelling, “You mother...!!! They looked in his direction and run off of their dock, obviously scared out of their wits.
He thought about taking a boat down the shoreline to confront the boys down on the next dock, but the only boat available was one of those pedal boats and he quickly realized how ridiculous he would look pedaling up the shoreline and screaming at them.
He tossed the beer bottle and walked back to the house, where he cleaned himself up and went to bed – still angry.
The next morning in the mirror he surveyed his head. There were two scratches that started on his cheek and temple and proceeded back past his ear. On the back of the ear were several more scratches that began as puncture wounds. Obviously, this wasn’t a sack of potatoes that hit him. The general consensus from the family was that an owl had swooped down and tried to grab his ear. Ouch!
The mother-in-law did provide her own source of empathy in stating, “Well, you shouldn’t have been out there in the first place.”
Product
Straight outta the 20th century, AvE jumps into the material realm with physical releases to collect dust, scratch and get chewed by yr tape deck.
The first is "Swat Team Extractions (There Goes the Neighborhood)," a brand new set from the AvE Ensemble on the Bare Wire Technologies label, home to such AvE favorites as Confusion Reactor, Flussig and Psyhcoptic Occlusion.
Label description: "Swat Team Extractions puts the fear into everyday living. Hear the police scanners emitting sirens and the 80s horror flick suburban neighborhood sounds scraping through to fill your head with paranoia. Reminds a bit of PKD future world where things seem normal on the thin surface until the weirdness creeps into your central nervous system. But that's just one interpretation of this amazing album of out there sounds. Make your own! Edition of 20."
Order it from Bare Wire Technologies
Second is a cassette release of AvE 018 - Save Me From the Gallup Poll's debut recording. 40+ minutes of wandering electronics previously available only as a digital download. Edition of 10. $6 includes postage in the U.S. Email artsvsentertainment@gmail.com to order.
More to come, and soon.
Blogs and Social Media
Blogs are not the definitive educational experience that most believe. Social media comments are not creating a positive outcome. Most are nothing more than negative comments about life and it’s dull boring existence for that individual.
Blogs are usually short, just a few paragraphs or at most the length of an article in a general purpose magazine – about 750 words at most. Social media comments are usually no more than 6 to 10 words.
A blog cannot capture the real essence of an idea, a technique or give purpose to life. A social media comment normally captures nothing and few understand why the comment was made or what it really means. They do present ideas, but seldom follow through with any real solutions to solving the mysteries. All too often they are a rant, an argument, or they pose a question but never gives the answer. They are little more than a sounding board for the masses – and the masses have far to much to say and little to contribute to the overall good of society.
Blogs and social media comments are little more than gossip, about one’s favorite restaurant or how the kids did in the school’s relay races. They are the short patches of conversation with readers clicking on to the next page like attendees at a cocktail party jumping to the next group in hopes meeting Mr. Right or hearing about a better job that is being offered.
Okay, so this is a blog, but what differentiates this blog from the ones that I spent the previous four paragraphs putting down? Simple, I present an idea, but I give a solution, or solutions, to make things better. Or, at least that is my mission.
I started publishing an Internet column, a precursor to this blog in 1993. It doesn’t seem all that long ago, but in computer years it is a age ago. I had this idea to write a column about the things I learned along life’s way and to make people think. This was pre-blog days. Blogs didn’t really exist at the time.
My blog, This Week I Learned, presents solutions to common every day things, such as how we look at others. I have written about the homeless living under a bridge near my gallery in Dallas, Texas, to the famous bondage model Bettie Page. I have written about my childhood in relating stories about growing up in a small Texas town some 60 years ago. There have been stories about junkmen, writers, artists, and more. In each, I have attempted to help others understand the people that I write about and create a better understanding of how we can be different yet live together in peace and harmony.
This is not an easy concept for some to understand, as we live in a world that thrives on both being as different as possible and also blending together. There are, and have always been, those that thrive on religious, race, and cultural differences. Far too many place a greater emphasis on difference than is necessary. They believe that there is only one true God – their own. They believe skin color determines a person’s ability to be honest, or in their ability to hold a job, or know love. They believe that one’s upbringing often creates impossibilities for one’s future. Of course, none of this is true.
What is the solution? I would ask each of the more than 112-million Bloggers, as well as other writers, artists, and creative types to learn to think and also to think to learn. I would ask each to be responsible to their readers in presenting solutions to make the world a better place through creating environments of peace and harmony. Think about it and learn.
How to Be a Star
Have you been to a concert? There are usually two acts. The opening act and the star. The opening act has got to be the toughest gig there is. Long before the opening act goes on stage, they were offstage, listening to the crowd grow restless. The crowd is chanting for the star of the show an hour before he goes onstage. Hardly anyone is there to see the opening act. No matter how great they are the audience is there to see the star of the show, and usually they paid the big bucks to see the star, not the opening act.When the opening act goes out on stage, they are met with a audible letdown from the audience. The opening act can hear it, they feel it, and it is tough to not acknowledge that they are a second to the star of the show. Yet, they walk out onstage, full of enthusiasm. They perform flawlessly, even flat out, to an audience who isn’t there to hear them. They smile and give it their all and yes, sometimes they get booed off the stage, no matter how good they really are. It isn’t their fault. They are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are playing at someone else’s party and are the unwanted guest.
They are there in hopes of attracting a new following. Perhaps a few of the audience will buy their music from iTunes or at the music store. Perhaps someone will like them well enough to become part of their posse and tell others to listen to them, “Hey have you heard so-and-so? They are really great!”
On the other hand, the star of the show, has the audience in their hand. People paid to hear them play. The applaud the star when the band members walk out onto the stage. They sing along with the star’s every word. When the star holds the mike up in the air and points it to the audience they finish the lyrics.
Two years ago, I met a beautiful young woman at a coffee shop in Austin, Texas. As I sipped my café latte I watched her enter the front door and step to the counter to order. She was dressed as a rock star and she exuded star quality. She appeared to be in her early twenties and I wondered how anyone so young could be so self-confident. Austin is the Live Music Capitol of the World, and there are a dozen musicians in every coffee shop in town. Six of them are working as the baristas and the other six are there to put their postcards on the community bulletin boards in hopes of snagging a few audience members from the assembled patrons.
As the young woman turned away from the counter, she had a smile on her face. As she walked across the room she noticed my obvious stare and held her hand out as she stated, “Hello, my name is Kimberly Freeman with One-Eyed Doll.” I hadn’t realized I had been staring. Actually, lost in thought was more like it. But, Kimberly was not going to allow this to get in her way, she was a star and acted like it. Entering the coffee shop was like going on stage for her and the patrons were her fans even though she had never met them. She pulled me into the crowd of her fans and embraced me as a long lost friend or perhaps her next biggest fan, which I was to eventually become.
I repeated the name of the band as a question, “One Eyed Doll?” Kimberly didn’t waste a moment to give me her elevator talk. It was a two-person band, her (the One Eyed Doll) and her drummer, who played heavy rock and would be performing at Club Elysium that evening at 9 pm. She reached into the bag slung over her shoulder and produced a professionally printed color postcard, which showed a photo of her onstage, on her knees with her Fender Stratocaster in hand. I promised I would be there. Kimberly seemed a bit shocked as my white hair gave me away as senior citizen and obviously not a regular at Club Elysium, a punk, goth and heavy rock dance club in the Sixth Street Entertainment Zone of Austin. When she asked if I knew where the club was, I acknowledged that I had been there before and would most certainly be looking forward to her act.
That night, I went to the club early and sat at the bar having a drink while I waited for Kimberly to go on stage. As the moment neared I moved to the front row so that I could enjoy the show without having to crane my neck to see around the crowd that was starting to fill the club. Most of the attendees were milling around in the back of the club even as Kimberly walked out on stage. She was met with about twenty people sitting in the front rows of the perhaps 100 chairs. The other eighty people were still milling around in the back talking and drinking.
I realized that Kimberly was the opening act. As she started playing, I was blown away by her expert guitar playing, but it was her voice and the words to her original songs that excelled. This girl could write and her voice was mesmerizing. By the third song, the crowd at the back had grown in size and in volume. The twenty of us were actually turning our heads to see if we could get their attention and embarrass them into being quiet.
Kimberly noticed our discomfort and before she started the next song, she sat down on the front of the stage with guitar in hand, she leaned over and spoke in a soft voice, not unlike the storyteller at a children’s book reading and said, “Don’t pay any attention to those people, I am singing to you guys. You are my audience and I am going to give you a very special concert tonight.”
And she did!
During the South By Southwest (SXSW) show a few weeks ago, Kimberly was a headline act. She was the star onstage and wowed the audience with her own songs and attitude.
The questions to be asked is why are some individuals stars and others opening acts. What differentiates the star from the opening act? How do you get to be a star?
Its simple!
1. Be very, very good at what you do. Educate yourself – gaining the knowledge to be the very best your community, if not the world.
2. Market yourself to a very small audience that views you as a star – not the opening act.
3. Grow that audience through continuous marketing efforts.
I became an instant fan of Kimberly Freeman’s One Eyed Doll. She is not only the best songwriter I know, but she is a star. She exudes knowledge of her craft and it shows on stage and off. She doesn’t try to be an opening act. Bottom line – she is a star and I bought it.
Be a STAR – not the opening act!
About Kimberly Freeman
One-Eyed Doll is the Austin, Texas based power-rock-duo led by guitarist and singer Kimberly Freeman. Freeman's wild stage antics, theatrical presentation, tough guitar chops and acrobatic moves have earned her unprecedented recognition in the world's live music capital.
The duo is backed by drummer PJ Evans: AKA NUMBER THREE. Previously a career movie actor, Three joined shortly after the production of the January 2007 release, "Hole".
From 2007 to 2008 with the release of the debut album, Freeman's community cult following exploded into a global fan base, setting a new standard for the modern guerrilla DIY business structure.
The duo released their most prolific and decidedly popular work to date, "Monster" in November 2008, once again under the precise hand of veteran producer Jason Sewell. The new album debuts, to the triumph of their inherently eccentric following, Kimberly's signature dark and heavy hits, "Fight" and "Monster" blending seamlessly with radio pop style ballads like "Brief Candle" and "Pretty Song".
Rumors have another album being planned for production, alongside several solo releases by Freeman in 2009. Visit her website online at http://www.oneeyeddoll.com.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Joshua Barton - Thanks, I Missed You, Too
One year ago yesterday, Fields of Industry dropped Two Dogs, A Television and held a release show in Ann Arbor the following evening in conjunction with FoI singer/songwriter Joshua Barton's birthday. Joshua turns another year older today and thanks the world for another successful year of staying alive with a solo record, Thanks, I Missed You, Too. Operating under his own name, Joshua allows himself to endulge in playful combinations of ambient sample assemblage, country gospel, new folk and the buzzy shoegaze sound that FoI has occasionally employed. In other words, Joshua gets to do all the stuff he's done before, but this time he does it all at once. Thanks... is an effort to reach an empathetic hand to Michigan with the hard-times resignation often employed by FoI, but here it's with a strangely up-key touch. Drawing upon recordings from 2005 to 2009, this was edited and compiled in 48 hours under the intense urge to get something done, an urge that Joshua hopes is contagious..
Tracks 8 & 9 excluded from CC License.
How Loud is "Too" Loud
How loud is "too" loud in the bedroom when engaging in intimacy?
If you live in the United Kingdom (not Marlin Perkin's Animal Kingdom, which is altogether a different animal, so to speak), being too loud could land you in jail. Yes, while it is hard to believe that being too noisy while being intimate with your husband means going to jail, surely there are worse crimes being committed in the UK?
Caroline Cartwright, a 48 year old woman in the UK was previously charged with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order due to the amount of noise she made while having what was described as "marathon romps" with her husband Steve Cartwright. The order prevented her from "making excessive noise" while engaged in intimacy anywhere in the UK.
But Caroline, who obviously couldn't get enough of Steve, breached the order three times. Having been reported by neighbors numerous times, (including one neighbor who is partially deaf), Caroline was arrested by the police, and has been remanded for as long as 2 weeks while awaiting trial.
Yes, Caroline has requested a trial by jury of her peers. This is going to get very interesting. You see the last time that she appeared in the courts, her neighbors produced 23 separate recordings of Caroline and Steve "doing it". They had placed recording devices on the walls. So maybe the neighbors are just audio-erotic.
One neighbor, who is obviously celibate, stated in court, "I heard sounds....they were really loud, and there was a lot of moaning and groaning and screaming as if in pain. It wasn't just the her, it came from both of them."
I'd suggest a simple solution. Be happy that Caroline and Steve have such a wonderful relationship. No one complains when Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones or Mary Black sings about finding love. No one seems to be complaining about the hip hoppers blasting their vulgarity from their cars with the windows rolled down.
I think what's happening is that the neighbors are jealous that they are not in a such a wonderful relationship like Caroline and Steve. Just like the people that complain about Bill Gates having all that money, there will always be complainers. I'd say give this couple an award for being happy and vocal about it.
If you live in the United Kingdom (not Marlin Perkin's Animal Kingdom, which is altogether a different animal, so to speak), being too loud could land you in jail. Yes, while it is hard to believe that being too noisy while being intimate with your husband means going to jail, surely there are worse crimes being committed in the UK?
Caroline Cartwright, a 48 year old woman in the UK was previously charged with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order due to the amount of noise she made while having what was described as "marathon romps" with her husband Steve Cartwright. The order prevented her from "making excessive noise" while engaged in intimacy anywhere in the UK.
But Caroline, who obviously couldn't get enough of Steve, breached the order three times. Having been reported by neighbors numerous times, (including one neighbor who is partially deaf), Caroline was arrested by the police, and has been remanded for as long as 2 weeks while awaiting trial.
Yes, Caroline has requested a trial by jury of her peers. This is going to get very interesting. You see the last time that she appeared in the courts, her neighbors produced 23 separate recordings of Caroline and Steve "doing it". They had placed recording devices on the walls. So maybe the neighbors are just audio-erotic.
One neighbor, who is obviously celibate, stated in court, "I heard sounds....they were really loud, and there was a lot of moaning and groaning and screaming as if in pain. It wasn't just the her, it came from both of them."
I'd suggest a simple solution. Be happy that Caroline and Steve have such a wonderful relationship. No one complains when Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones or Mary Black sings about finding love. No one seems to be complaining about the hip hoppers blasting their vulgarity from their cars with the windows rolled down.
I think what's happening is that the neighbors are jealous that they are not in a such a wonderful relationship like Caroline and Steve. Just like the people that complain about Bill Gates having all that money, there will always be complainers. I'd say give this couple an award for being happy and vocal about it.
Nordic Games Conference, Malmo Sweeden
Opus Artz would like to thank all our associates and game developers, who made this Nordic Games conference a very memorable event, within a very compact pretty city of Malmo.
Nordic Game 2009 drew more than 1100 participants from the Nordic region and around the globe, as well as industry and educational exhibitors and extensive international press coverage.
Of particular note, were the exceptional presentations by (in no particular order):
- World Domination: By CCP executive producer Nathan Richardsson (Nathan showed the big world dreams of how to make a product, and make it better over 12 years by providing continuing dedicated customer support. And the simple lesson of, if it is not broken, dont try to change it)
- Creative Gaming: Lessons Learnt from Making Little big Planet by Alex Evans (Alex described the pure genius of quitting your day job, starting up a independent company, thinking big and abstract, and re-inventing the wheel (literally) for a better cause for all players with opposable thumbs!)
- Next Century Middleware: Business tech 101 by the Unity Team (this presentation was a brilliant jewel in the crown; the three founders of Unity showcased how to apply the low cost, high volume, global appeal any platform approach they took towards generating the exciting future of gaming via Unity)
All in all, this was intimate gathering of developers, publishers, and related game students
that promise to be the bright young stars of tommorows games. Till next year, see you all again.
That Warning!
That Warning
If you watch television, are on the Internet a bit or have an email account, you have no doubt been seeing advertising or receiving SPAM about these drugs for erectile dysfunction. I mean, really, how many men do you know that have the problem? Okay, so maybe it doesn’t come up at the Friday night poker game, but really now!
I usually write about things that I have personal knowledge of, but there are always the exceptions. This is one. I have yet (of course I am only 65 years old) had to worry about erectile dysfunction. Knock on wood! (no pun intended … well okay maybe it was a pun!).
I have always found that the warning near the end of the commercial strangely comical. I'm sure you've all heard it:
In the rare case an erection lasts for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention.
I am sure that this is a carefully crafted statement meant to entice men who don’t really have an erectile dysfunction to purchase the drugs for this side effect. Personally, I would probably have a heart attack long before the four hours were over. The malady, yes it is a malady, for a unwanted prolonged erection is called priapism.
But, seriously priapism is no laughing matter. And here is where the story turns serious. In most cases, there is no defined cause for priapism, but it can be associated with may systemic diseases, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, tumor infiltration, spinal cord injury or anesthesia, amyloidosis, spider bites, carbon monoxide poisoning, or malaria. There are many medications that can be associated with this, including psychotropic medications, cocaine or marijuana abuse.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top ranking care centers in the world, Priapism is a persistent, usually painful, erection that lasts for more than four hours and occurs without sexual stimulation. The condition develops when blood in the penis becomes trapped and unable to drain. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can lead to scarring and permanent erectile dysfunction.
It can occur in all age groups, including newborns. However, it usually affects men between the ages of 5 to 10 years and 20 to 50 years.
There are two categories of priapism: low-flow and high-flow.
1. Low flow: This type of priapism is the result of blood being trapped in the erection chambers. It often occurs without a known cause in men who are otherwise healthy, but also affects men with sickle-cell disease, leukemia (cancer of the blood) or malaria.
2. High flow: High flow priapism is more rare than low-flow and usually less painful. It is the result of a ruptured artery from an injury to the penis or the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus), which prevents blood in the penis from circulating normally.
What causes priapism?
Sickle cell anemia
Some adult cases of priapism are the result of sickle-cell disease and approximately 42% of all adults with sickle-cell will eventually develop priapism.
Medications
A common cause of priapism is the use and/or misuse of medications. Drug-related priapism includes drugs such as Desyrel used to treat depression or Thorazine, used to treat certain mental illnesses. For people who have erectile dysfunction, injection therapy medications to treat the condition may also cause priapism.
Other causes of priapism include:
Trauma to the spinal cord or to the genital area
Black widow spider bites
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Illicit drug use, such as marijuana and cocaine
In rare cases, priapism may be related to cancers that can affect the penis and prevent the outflow of blood.
How is priapism diagnosed?
If you experience priapism, it is important that you seek medical care immediately. Tell your doctor:
The length of time you have had the erection
How long your erection usually lasts
Any medication or drugs, legal or illegal, which you have used. Be honest with your doctor, illegal drug use is particularly relevant since both marijuana and cocaine have been linked to priapism.
Whether or not priapism followed trauma to that area of the body.
Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a thorough physical examination to determine the cause of priapism. This will include checking the rectum and the abdomen for evidence of unusual growths or abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer.
After the physical exam is complete, the doctor will take a blood-gas measurement of the blood from the penis. During this test, a small needle is placed in the penis, some of the blood is drawn and then it is sent to a lab for analysis. This provides a clue as to how long the condition has been present and how much damage has occurred.
How is priapism treated?
The goal of all treatment is to make the erection go away and preserve future erectile function. If a person receives treatment within four to six hours, the erection can almost always be reduced with medication. If the erection has lasted less than four hours, decongestant medications, which may act to decease blood flow to the penis, may be very helpful. Other treatment options include:
Ice packs: Ice applied to the penis and perineum may reduce swelling.
Surgical ligation: Used in cases where an artery has been ruptured, the doctor will ligate (tie off) the artery that is causing the priapism in order to restore normal blood flow.
Intracavernous injection: Used for low-flow priapism, during this treatment drugs known as alpha-agonists are injected into the penis that cause the veins to narrow reducing blood flow to the penis causing the swelling to subside.
Surgical shunt: Also used for low-flow priapism, a shunt is a passageway that is surgically inserted into the penis to divert the blood flow and allow circulation to return to normal.
Aspiration: After numbing the penis, doctors will insert a needle and drain blood from the penis to reduce pressure and swelling.
If you suspect that you are experiencing priapism, you should not attempt to treat it yourself. Instead seek emergency as soon as possible.
What is the outlook for people with priapism?
As long as treatment is prompt, the outlook for most people is very good. However, the longer medical attention is delayed, the greater the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction.
So, what to do if you have an erection for more than 4 hours? Some say that conservative measures like walking up the stairs (to promote an arterial steal phenomenon) as well as ice packs to the penis and perineum can help. If not, then its off to the ER.
Medications like alpha-blockers, methylene blue, and terbutaline have been used with varying success. If these don't work, then injection therapy should then be considered as well as a urology consult.
So, next time you wonder about the "erections lasting longer than 4 hours" mentioned at the end of those erectile dysfunction ads, wonder no more.
If you watch television, are on the Internet a bit or have an email account, you have no doubt been seeing advertising or receiving SPAM about these drugs for erectile dysfunction. I mean, really, how many men do you know that have the problem? Okay, so maybe it doesn’t come up at the Friday night poker game, but really now!
I usually write about things that I have personal knowledge of, but there are always the exceptions. This is one. I have yet (of course I am only 65 years old) had to worry about erectile dysfunction. Knock on wood! (no pun intended … well okay maybe it was a pun!).
I have always found that the warning near the end of the commercial strangely comical. I'm sure you've all heard it:
In the rare case an erection lasts for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention.
I am sure that this is a carefully crafted statement meant to entice men who don’t really have an erectile dysfunction to purchase the drugs for this side effect. Personally, I would probably have a heart attack long before the four hours were over. The malady, yes it is a malady, for a unwanted prolonged erection is called priapism.
But, seriously priapism is no laughing matter. And here is where the story turns serious. In most cases, there is no defined cause for priapism, but it can be associated with may systemic diseases, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, tumor infiltration, spinal cord injury or anesthesia, amyloidosis, spider bites, carbon monoxide poisoning, or malaria. There are many medications that can be associated with this, including psychotropic medications, cocaine or marijuana abuse.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top ranking care centers in the world, Priapism is a persistent, usually painful, erection that lasts for more than four hours and occurs without sexual stimulation. The condition develops when blood in the penis becomes trapped and unable to drain. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can lead to scarring and permanent erectile dysfunction.
It can occur in all age groups, including newborns. However, it usually affects men between the ages of 5 to 10 years and 20 to 50 years.
There are two categories of priapism: low-flow and high-flow.
1. Low flow: This type of priapism is the result of blood being trapped in the erection chambers. It often occurs without a known cause in men who are otherwise healthy, but also affects men with sickle-cell disease, leukemia (cancer of the blood) or malaria.
2. High flow: High flow priapism is more rare than low-flow and usually less painful. It is the result of a ruptured artery from an injury to the penis or the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus), which prevents blood in the penis from circulating normally.
What causes priapism?
Sickle cell anemia
Some adult cases of priapism are the result of sickle-cell disease and approximately 42% of all adults with sickle-cell will eventually develop priapism.
Medications
A common cause of priapism is the use and/or misuse of medications. Drug-related priapism includes drugs such as Desyrel used to treat depression or Thorazine, used to treat certain mental illnesses. For people who have erectile dysfunction, injection therapy medications to treat the condition may also cause priapism.
Other causes of priapism include:
Trauma to the spinal cord or to the genital area
Black widow spider bites
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Illicit drug use, such as marijuana and cocaine
In rare cases, priapism may be related to cancers that can affect the penis and prevent the outflow of blood.
How is priapism diagnosed?
If you experience priapism, it is important that you seek medical care immediately. Tell your doctor:
The length of time you have had the erection
How long your erection usually lasts
Any medication or drugs, legal or illegal, which you have used. Be honest with your doctor, illegal drug use is particularly relevant since both marijuana and cocaine have been linked to priapism.
Whether or not priapism followed trauma to that area of the body.
Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a thorough physical examination to determine the cause of priapism. This will include checking the rectum and the abdomen for evidence of unusual growths or abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer.
After the physical exam is complete, the doctor will take a blood-gas measurement of the blood from the penis. During this test, a small needle is placed in the penis, some of the blood is drawn and then it is sent to a lab for analysis. This provides a clue as to how long the condition has been present and how much damage has occurred.
How is priapism treated?
The goal of all treatment is to make the erection go away and preserve future erectile function. If a person receives treatment within four to six hours, the erection can almost always be reduced with medication. If the erection has lasted less than four hours, decongestant medications, which may act to decease blood flow to the penis, may be very helpful. Other treatment options include:
Ice packs: Ice applied to the penis and perineum may reduce swelling.
Surgical ligation: Used in cases where an artery has been ruptured, the doctor will ligate (tie off) the artery that is causing the priapism in order to restore normal blood flow.
Intracavernous injection: Used for low-flow priapism, during this treatment drugs known as alpha-agonists are injected into the penis that cause the veins to narrow reducing blood flow to the penis causing the swelling to subside.
Surgical shunt: Also used for low-flow priapism, a shunt is a passageway that is surgically inserted into the penis to divert the blood flow and allow circulation to return to normal.
Aspiration: After numbing the penis, doctors will insert a needle and drain blood from the penis to reduce pressure and swelling.
If you suspect that you are experiencing priapism, you should not attempt to treat it yourself. Instead seek emergency as soon as possible.
What is the outlook for people with priapism?
As long as treatment is prompt, the outlook for most people is very good. However, the longer medical attention is delayed, the greater the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction.
So, what to do if you have an erection for more than 4 hours? Some say that conservative measures like walking up the stairs (to promote an arterial steal phenomenon) as well as ice packs to the penis and perineum can help. If not, then its off to the ER.
Medications like alpha-blockers, methylene blue, and terbutaline have been used with varying success. If these don't work, then injection therapy should then be considered as well as a urology consult.
So, next time you wonder about the "erections lasting longer than 4 hours" mentioned at the end of those erectile dysfunction ads, wonder no more.
The First Root Beer
I laid in bed, tossing and turning. I couldn’t sleep, so I arose and came to my computer to work on this column. When I fired up my Mac, and opened Firefox, my Google home page gadget, “Today in History” touted - May 16,1866: Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
As a lover of root beer since I was old enough to remember, I decided to research the story a bit and see what I could learn this week about root beer. As it turned out – quite a bit. First I learned that Charles Elmer Hires (August 19, 1851 – July 31, 1937) was an early promoter of commercially prepared root beer, but hardly the “inventor” of root beer.
At the age of 12 he worked as a drugstore boy. When he was 16 he moved to Philadelphia and worked in a pharmacy, saving his money until he had nearly $400. Using this money, he started his own drugstore. Later, he would attend medical school and he eventually became a pharmacist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I did learn that although various websites state that “Hires Root Beer was created by pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires on May 16, 1866,” this is doubtful. First, no documentation is given on any of the websites as to where the date came from. And second, given that Hires was born Aug. 19, 1851, that would mean he was 14 years old. The 1866 date is rendered all the more doubtful in light of the lore that his recipe for root beer was based on one for an herbal tea which he secured from an innkeeper in New Jersey while he was on his honeymoon. All very strange.
Hires is one of many brands owned by the British giant Cadbury Schweppes. Their brands include Dr. Pepper, Seven Up, A&W Root Beer and many others. The company states that:
“Hires Root Beer, America’s original root beer, is more than 120 years old and the oldest continuously marketed soft drink in the United States. Created by pharmacist Charles E. Hires, it began as a delicious herbal tea made of roots, berries, and herbs. After perfecting the recipe in his drugstore, Hires decided to call his drink ‘root beer’ because a friend thought it would be more appealing than ‘herbal tea.’ ”
Other stories tell how Hires “discovered” root beer on his honeymoon in New Jersey where the woman who ran his honeymoon hotel served root tea. Hires was originally going to call his drink "root tea" also but thought that "root beer" would be more appealing to the working class.
Another story states that Hires was a young medical student at the Jefferson medical college when a friend, the Reverend Dr. Russell Conwell, founder of the Temple university, asked Hires to assist in concocting a beverage for sale to Pennsylvania miners in the interest of a temperance movement. With two other professors, they made the drink out of root, bark, and berry ingredients.”
The drink was slow to catch on, but Conwell persuaded Hires to present his product at the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. To make it stand out, he called his drink "The Temperance Drink" and "the greatest health giving beverage in the world". Because of his role in the temperance movement it is believed that Hires wanted root beer to be an alternative to alcohol.
What is known is that Charles Hires began marketing “Hires’ Improved Root-Beer Package,” a powdered substance from which a consumer could make root beer in 1877. Hires was packaging the mixture in boxes and selling it to housewives and soda fountains. They needed to mix in water, sugar, and yeast.
The wording use of “Improved Root Beer” is key here, because root beer had been established for at least 40 years before Hires began marketing his product. American colonists drank root beer - sometimes slightly fermented, sometimes not - which was then called “small or short beer.”
Published references of root beer as a drink were plentiful as can be attested by these newspaper articles:
July 28, 1840 - The Southport (Wisconsin) Telegraph: “The editor of the Rahway [N.J.] Herald spent the fourth [of July] in the following manner:—Forenoon, feasted on cherry pie and root beer; afternoon on root beer and cherry pie; evening partook of both. Nothing like variety!”
October 13, 1843 - The Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Democrat, published a report from New York reflecting on “celebrating the ‘glorious fourth [of July],’ in parading the dusty streets, rejuvenating in the oyster shops, or in drinking root-beer (that abominable compound) in the Park....”
July 14, 1847 – Watertown (Wisconsin) Chronicle: “While in New York, President [James K.] Polk visited Fulton market, and was presented with a pine apple, a glass of root beer and a paper of tobacco. He received them all with a ‘low bow.’ ”
June 15, 1849 – The Star and Banner (Gettysburg, PA): “Five persons have lately died at Blairsville, Pa., by drinking root beer, made by mistake from wild parsnip instead of roots of sweet myrrh and sarsaparilla, and some 16 or 18 persons are still suffering from ill effects.”
June 22, 1849 – Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel and Gazette: An ad titled “Temperance Beverage” read, “You that are thirsty—and who is not, this hot weather?—go and drink Hopkins’ Root Beer and Sarsaparilla Soda manufactured by him at the corner of Martin and Main Streets. We drink it daily and think it nothing inferior to the nectar of the gods.”
June 11, 1853 – Hornellsville (New York) Tribune: An ad for Dr. Green’s Celebrated Root Beer ran stating it was manufactured locally and “furnished to village and country dealers on liberal terms.”
September 18, 1858 – New York (New York) Times: “Fair Haven oysters, ice cream, and the more substantial fares of roast beef and boiled are to be had in plenty, and may be washed down with pop, root-beer, or soda-water, at one’s pleasure.”
September 4, 1869 – Port Jervis (New York) Evening Gazette: “The fashionable drinks in Boston just now, are root beer, New England root beer, old fashioned root beer, Ottawa beer, Chippews beer, and several other kinds of beer.” It added: “Lager beer [is] prohibited by the prohibitory law.”
Prior to “inventing” root beer, Hires was selling an herbal tea, a cough medicine and cough drops at his pharmacy in Philadelphia. It’s been speculated that the serving of the root beer at Hires’ drugstore stemmed from carbonated water at the soda fountain being added to Hires’ herb tea. This is unlikely, implying as it does the chance discovery of something new, while root beer was by then a common beverage.
The most reliable source lists 1895 as the date when bottled Hires Root Beer went on the market. According to a 1932 United States Board of Tax Appeals decision, it was in 1895 that the Charles E. Hires Company “added to its former products carbonated root beer put up in bottles ready for consumption.”
Those “former products,” according to the decision, were “Hires’ Improved Root-Beer Package,” inaugurated in 1877, which was “a dry preparation known as from which root beer was obtained by a simple process,” and “Hires’ Root-Beer Extract,” introduced in 1878, “from which, by the addition of water and yeast, root beer was easily made, ready for consumption.” Neither product constituted a “root beer”—they were the makings for root beer.
Whichever date is right, it was much later than May 16, 1866. There were carbonated soft drinks in bottles in 1885, but Hires Root Beer was not listed at the time. And soft drinks in cans didn’t come about until 1938 when Cliquot Club Ginger Ale first appeared in tin containers.
So, there you have the “rest of the story!” For my money, I prefer A&W Root Beer as a drink!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Don't Mess with Texas Law!
Even those in other countries have heard the phrase, "Don't Mess with Texas!" Well, I have a new one for you, "Don't Mess with Texas Law."
For years, the Austin (Travis County, Texas) Police Department has been called on the carpet repeatedly for police brutality and unjustified shootings. We just buried a young man last week that police shot when the young man reached to pull up his baggy pants. The police officer that killed him stated he thought the young man might be reaching for a gun. The officer will likely go free as the law gives him the same rights as it does any other citizen to defend himself with deadly force if he believes that his life "might be in danger."
Sometimes things can get a little out hand. Back in May a Travis County constable used a Taser on a 4-foot-11-inch, 72-year-old grandma, who the officer stated was belligerent during the traffic stop.
Deputy Constable (and Taser instructor) Christopher Beize used his Taser on Kathryn Winkfein after she became confrontational when he pulled her over for going 60-mph in a 45-mph construction zone. She had driven the highway each day and stated that she simply did not see the construction zone signs and thus did not know to slow down. The construction signs, are left up 24-7, even long after the workers quit work.
When Grandma declined to sign the citation, the officer stated that she was under arrest, opened the door and dragged the woman out of her truck. As the constable dragged Grandma from her truck, she called him some choice names. But, she also told him to give her the citation and she would sign it. She reached for the ticket book and the officer pulled out his Taser and used it on Grandma.
Grandma fell to the ground in pain, and when she tried to get up, the deputy constable shot her again with another Taser.
An ambulance was called to evaluate Winkfein, and she was not found to have any irregularities, according to court documents. She was arrested, taken to the Travis County Jail and charged with a Class A misdemeanor of resisting arrest and detention, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
Sgt. Maj. Gary Griffin of the constable's office said the deputy constable acted properly in a dangerous incident in doing the right thing in dealing with a subject who refused to be arrested and put them both in harm's way. "Her actions were inappropriate," Griffin said of Grandma.
Frankly, I believe that the deputy constable should be embarrassed that harsh words from a 4-foot-11-inch, 72-year-old grandma could cause him to lose his cool and act with such violence. I hope he doesn't get reprimanded by his own grandma for forgetting to wipe his shoes after playing in the back yard.
Really now, how difficult would it be for a trained deputy constable to physically restrain Grandma. Unnecessary force? I think so!
Another mark against law enforcement. Score one for Grandma! Elect that woman Governor of Texas!
For years, the Austin (Travis County, Texas) Police Department has been called on the carpet repeatedly for police brutality and unjustified shootings. We just buried a young man last week that police shot when the young man reached to pull up his baggy pants. The police officer that killed him stated he thought the young man might be reaching for a gun. The officer will likely go free as the law gives him the same rights as it does any other citizen to defend himself with deadly force if he believes that his life "might be in danger."
Sometimes things can get a little out hand. Back in May a Travis County constable used a Taser on a 4-foot-11-inch, 72-year-old grandma, who the officer stated was belligerent during the traffic stop.
Deputy Constable (and Taser instructor) Christopher Beize used his Taser on Kathryn Winkfein after she became confrontational when he pulled her over for going 60-mph in a 45-mph construction zone. She had driven the highway each day and stated that she simply did not see the construction zone signs and thus did not know to slow down. The construction signs, are left up 24-7, even long after the workers quit work.
When Grandma declined to sign the citation, the officer stated that she was under arrest, opened the door and dragged the woman out of her truck. As the constable dragged Grandma from her truck, she called him some choice names. But, she also told him to give her the citation and she would sign it. She reached for the ticket book and the officer pulled out his Taser and used it on Grandma.
Grandma fell to the ground in pain, and when she tried to get up, the deputy constable shot her again with another Taser.
An ambulance was called to evaluate Winkfein, and she was not found to have any irregularities, according to court documents. She was arrested, taken to the Travis County Jail and charged with a Class A misdemeanor of resisting arrest and detention, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
Sgt. Maj. Gary Griffin of the constable's office said the deputy constable acted properly in a dangerous incident in doing the right thing in dealing with a subject who refused to be arrested and put them both in harm's way. "Her actions were inappropriate," Griffin said of Grandma.
Frankly, I believe that the deputy constable should be embarrassed that harsh words from a 4-foot-11-inch, 72-year-old grandma could cause him to lose his cool and act with such violence. I hope he doesn't get reprimanded by his own grandma for forgetting to wipe his shoes after playing in the back yard.
Really now, how difficult would it be for a trained deputy constable to physically restrain Grandma. Unnecessary force? I think so!
Another mark against law enforcement. Score one for Grandma! Elect that woman Governor of Texas!
Law School Site Sued over Web Access Issues
It seems that a website must be built in such a manner that vision impaired and blind individuals can access the site without problems. Albeit, those with vision problems use special tools that allow them access to the sites, it would seem that the problem is not one of individual sites, but with the software choices necessary to "read" the site.
However, since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) pre-dates the Web as we now know it and was intended to deal with physical structures. This can make it problematic to apply to a virtual presence such as a web site.
The Unruh Civil Rights Act requires any business establishment of any kind to be accessible if doing business in California so this seems to have the wider scope that might be needed for a successful lawsuit.
There have been a couple of ADA successes - such as the Ramada, Priceline cases and, most recently, the Target lawsuit - I don't understand how the US National Federation of the Blind can keep bringing these lawsuits against individual business and affect a change with the Web. It would seem that they are only in it for the money that can be won by contesting the issue. I believe a better solution lies in the creation of software and standards that will allow all individuals to traverse these sites and the Web.
This is an article found on the Web:
The US National Federation of the Blind; its California affiliate; and a blind law school applicant, Deepa Goraya, filed a lawsuit on February 1st 2009 against the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC).
The complaint asserts that the LSAC, the body that administers the Law School Admissions Test (which most aspiring law students must take) and provides other services to law schools and law school applicants, violates the California Disabled Persons Act and the Unruh Act because the LSAC web site and LSAT preparation materials are inaccessible to blind law school applicants. The plaintiffs did attempt to meet with the LSAC to resolve the matter, but the LSAC canceled a planned meeting.
The lawsuit claims that the LSAC web site contains a number of accessibility barriers including improperly formatted online forms, tables and charts that cannot be read by screen access software, and faulty keyboard navigation support. These access barriers make it difficult or impossible for blind people to use the site to register for the LSAT, amongst other things. The site is also the only avenue for people to apply online to any law school accredited by the American Bar Association. However, blind applicants cannot submit their applications without sighted assistance because the application forms are improperly formatted. In addition, none of the LSAT practice materials, which include previously administered versions of the test that sighted people can obtain on the LSAC site, are available in accessible electronic formats.
“The Internet is extremely useful to blind people, as well as our sighted peers, when Web sites are properly formatted according to well-established guidelines; there is no good reason for any Web site offering goods and services to the public to be inaccessible to blind people. For too long, blind people have experienced barriers to entering the legal profession, despite our long history of demonstrated success in that field. The National Federation of the Blind will not sit quietly while the LSAC willfully refuses to provide the same services to blind people seeking admission to law school that it does to the sighted. The LSAC is engaging in blatant discrimination against the blind and we will not stand for it.”
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind
“Trying to use the LSAC Web site made the experience of applying to law school a nightmare when it should have been as easy for me as for anyone else. I had to select and rely upon a reader for over fifty hours to complete my law school applications. Also, none of the practice tests available on the Web site were accessible. I want the process of gaining admission to law school to be easier for all blind people who are interested in entering this noble profession, and I hope this action will achieve that goal.” - Deepa Goraya, a law school applicant and named plaintiff in the suit
However, since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) pre-dates the Web as we now know it and was intended to deal with physical structures. This can make it problematic to apply to a virtual presence such as a web site.
The Unruh Civil Rights Act requires any business establishment of any kind to be accessible if doing business in California so this seems to have the wider scope that might be needed for a successful lawsuit.
There have been a couple of ADA successes - such as the Ramada, Priceline cases and, most recently, the Target lawsuit - I don't understand how the US National Federation of the Blind can keep bringing these lawsuits against individual business and affect a change with the Web. It would seem that they are only in it for the money that can be won by contesting the issue. I believe a better solution lies in the creation of software and standards that will allow all individuals to traverse these sites and the Web.
This is an article found on the Web:
The US National Federation of the Blind; its California affiliate; and a blind law school applicant, Deepa Goraya, filed a lawsuit on February 1st 2009 against the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC).
The complaint asserts that the LSAC, the body that administers the Law School Admissions Test (which most aspiring law students must take) and provides other services to law schools and law school applicants, violates the California Disabled Persons Act and the Unruh Act because the LSAC web site and LSAT preparation materials are inaccessible to blind law school applicants. The plaintiffs did attempt to meet with the LSAC to resolve the matter, but the LSAC canceled a planned meeting.
The lawsuit claims that the LSAC web site contains a number of accessibility barriers including improperly formatted online forms, tables and charts that cannot be read by screen access software, and faulty keyboard navigation support. These access barriers make it difficult or impossible for blind people to use the site to register for the LSAT, amongst other things. The site is also the only avenue for people to apply online to any law school accredited by the American Bar Association. However, blind applicants cannot submit their applications without sighted assistance because the application forms are improperly formatted. In addition, none of the LSAT practice materials, which include previously administered versions of the test that sighted people can obtain on the LSAC site, are available in accessible electronic formats.
“The Internet is extremely useful to blind people, as well as our sighted peers, when Web sites are properly formatted according to well-established guidelines; there is no good reason for any Web site offering goods and services to the public to be inaccessible to blind people. For too long, blind people have experienced barriers to entering the legal profession, despite our long history of demonstrated success in that field. The National Federation of the Blind will not sit quietly while the LSAC willfully refuses to provide the same services to blind people seeking admission to law school that it does to the sighted. The LSAC is engaging in blatant discrimination against the blind and we will not stand for it.”
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind
“Trying to use the LSAC Web site made the experience of applying to law school a nightmare when it should have been as easy for me as for anyone else. I had to select and rely upon a reader for over fifty hours to complete my law school applications. Also, none of the practice tests available on the Web site were accessible. I want the process of gaining admission to law school to be easier for all blind people who are interested in entering this noble profession, and I hope this action will achieve that goal.” - Deepa Goraya, a law school applicant and named plaintiff in the suit
That Warning!
If you watch television, or you are on the Internet a bit or have an email account, you have no doubt been seeing advertising or receiving SPAM about these drugs for erectile dysfunction. I mean, really, how many men do you know that have the problem? Okay, so maybe it doesn’t come up at the Friday night poker game, but really now!
I usually write about things that I have personal knowledge of, but there are always the exceptions. This is one. I have yet (of course I am only 65 years old) had to worry about erectile dysfunction. Knock on wood! (no pun intended … well okay maybe it was a pun!).
I have always found that the warning near the end of the commercial strangely comical. I'm sure you've all heard it:
In the rare case an erection lasting for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention.
I am sure that this is a carefully crafted statement meant to entice men who don’t really have an erectile dysfunction to purchase the drugs for this side effect. Personally, I would probably have a heart attack long before the four hours were over. The malady, yes it is a malady, for a unwanted prolonged erection is called priapism.
But, seriously priapism is no laughing matter. And here is where the story turns serious. In most cases, there is no defined cause for priapism, but it can be associated with may systemic diseases, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, tumor infiltration, spinal cord injury or anesthesia, amyloidosis, spider bites, carbon monoxide poisoning, or malaria. There are many medications that can be associated with this, including psychotropic medications, cocaine or marijuana abuse.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top ranking care centers in the world, Priapism is a persistent, usually painful, erection that lasts for more than four hours and occurs without sexual stimulation. The condition develops when blood in the penis becomes trapped and unable to drain. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can lead to scarring and permanent erectile dysfunction.
It can occur in all age groups, including newborns. However, it usually affects men between the ages of 5 to 10 years and 20 to 50 years.
There are two categories of priapism: low-flow and high-flow.
1. Low flow: This type of priapism is the result of blood being trapped in the erection chambers. It often occurs without a known cause in men who are otherwise healthy, but also affects men with sickle-cell disease, leukemia (cancer of the blood) or malaria.
2. High flow: High flow priapism is more rare than low-flow and usually less painful. It is the result of a ruptured artery from an injury to the penis or the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus), which prevents blood in the penis from circulating normally.
What causes priapism?
Sickle cell anemia
Some adult cases of priapism are the result of sickle-cell disease and approximately 42% of all adults with sickle-cell will eventually develop priapism.
Medications
A common cause of priapism is the use and/or misuse of medications. Drug-related priapism includes drugs such as Desyrel used to treat depression or Thorazine, used to treat certain mental illnesses. For people who have erectile dysfunction, injection therapy medications to treat the condition may also cause priapism.
Other causes of priapism include:
Trauma to the spinal cord or to the genital area
Black widow spider bites
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Illicit drug use, such as marijuana and cocaine
In rare cases, priapism may be related to cancers that can affect the penis and prevent the outflow of blood.
How is priapism diagnosed?
If you experience priapism, it is important that you seek medical care immediately. Tell your doctor:
The length of time you have had the erection
How long your erection usually lasts
Any medication or drugs, legal or illegal, which you have used. Be honest with your doctor, illegal drug use is particularly relevant since both marijuana and cocaine have been linked to priapism.
Whether or not priapism followed trauma to that area of the body.
Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a thorough physical examination to determine the cause of priapism. This will include checking the rectum and the abdomen for evidence of unusual growths or abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer.
After the physical exam is complete, the doctor will take a blood-gas measurement of the blood from the penis. During this test, a small needle is placed in the penis, some of the blood is drawn and then it is sent to a lab for analysis. This provides a clue as to how long the condition has been present and how much damage has occurred.
How is priapism treated?
The goal of all treatment is to make the erection go away and preserve future erectile function. If a person receives treatment within four to six hours, the erection can almost always be reduced with medication. If the erection has lasted less than four hours, decongestant medications, which may act to decease blood flow to the penis, may be very helpful. Other treatment options include:
Ice packs: Ice applied to the penis and perineum may reduce swelling.
Surgical ligation: Used in cases where an artery has been ruptured, the doctor will ligate (tie off) the artery that is causing the priapism in order to restore normal blood flow.
Intracavernous injection: Used for low-flow priapism, during this treatment drugs known as alpha-agonists are injected into the penis that cause the veins to narrow reducing blood flow to the penis causing the swelling to subside.
Surgical shunt: Also used for low-flow priapism, a shunt is a passageway that is surgically inserted into the penis to divert the blood flow and allow circulation to return to normal.
Aspiration: After numbing the penis, doctors will insert a needle and drain blood from the penis to reduce pressure and swelling.
If you suspect that you are experiencing priapism, you should not attempt to treat it yourself. Instead seek emergency as soon as possible.
What is the outlook for people with priapism?
As long as treatment is prompt, the outlook for most people is very good. However, the longer medical attention is delayed, the greater the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction.
So, what to do if you have an erection for more than 4 hours? Some say that conservative measures like walking up the stairs (to promote an arterial steal phenomenon) as well as ice packs to the penis and perineum can help. If not, then its off to the ER.
Medications like alpha-blockers, methylene blue, and terbutaline have been used with varying success. If these don't work, then injection therapy should then be considered as well as a urology consult.
So, next time you wonder about the "erections lasting longer than 4 hours" mentioned at the end of those erectile dysfunction ads, wonder no more.
I usually write about things that I have personal knowledge of, but there are always the exceptions. This is one. I have yet (of course I am only 65 years old) had to worry about erectile dysfunction. Knock on wood! (no pun intended … well okay maybe it was a pun!).
I have always found that the warning near the end of the commercial strangely comical. I'm sure you've all heard it:
In the rare case an erection lasting for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention.
I am sure that this is a carefully crafted statement meant to entice men who don’t really have an erectile dysfunction to purchase the drugs for this side effect. Personally, I would probably have a heart attack long before the four hours were over. The malady, yes it is a malady, for a unwanted prolonged erection is called priapism.
But, seriously priapism is no laughing matter. And here is where the story turns serious. In most cases, there is no defined cause for priapism, but it can be associated with may systemic diseases, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, tumor infiltration, spinal cord injury or anesthesia, amyloidosis, spider bites, carbon monoxide poisoning, or malaria. There are many medications that can be associated with this, including psychotropic medications, cocaine or marijuana abuse.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top ranking care centers in the world, Priapism is a persistent, usually painful, erection that lasts for more than four hours and occurs without sexual stimulation. The condition develops when blood in the penis becomes trapped and unable to drain. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can lead to scarring and permanent erectile dysfunction.
It can occur in all age groups, including newborns. However, it usually affects men between the ages of 5 to 10 years and 20 to 50 years.
There are two categories of priapism: low-flow and high-flow.
1. Low flow: This type of priapism is the result of blood being trapped in the erection chambers. It often occurs without a known cause in men who are otherwise healthy, but also affects men with sickle-cell disease, leukemia (cancer of the blood) or malaria.
2. High flow: High flow priapism is more rare than low-flow and usually less painful. It is the result of a ruptured artery from an injury to the penis or the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus), which prevents blood in the penis from circulating normally.
What causes priapism?
Sickle cell anemia
Some adult cases of priapism are the result of sickle-cell disease and approximately 42% of all adults with sickle-cell will eventually develop priapism.
Medications
A common cause of priapism is the use and/or misuse of medications. Drug-related priapism includes drugs such as Desyrel used to treat depression or Thorazine, used to treat certain mental illnesses. For people who have erectile dysfunction, injection therapy medications to treat the condition may also cause priapism.
Other causes of priapism include:
Trauma to the spinal cord or to the genital area
Black widow spider bites
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Illicit drug use, such as marijuana and cocaine
In rare cases, priapism may be related to cancers that can affect the penis and prevent the outflow of blood.
How is priapism diagnosed?
If you experience priapism, it is important that you seek medical care immediately. Tell your doctor:
The length of time you have had the erection
How long your erection usually lasts
Any medication or drugs, legal or illegal, which you have used. Be honest with your doctor, illegal drug use is particularly relevant since both marijuana and cocaine have been linked to priapism.
Whether or not priapism followed trauma to that area of the body.
Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a thorough physical examination to determine the cause of priapism. This will include checking the rectum and the abdomen for evidence of unusual growths or abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer.
After the physical exam is complete, the doctor will take a blood-gas measurement of the blood from the penis. During this test, a small needle is placed in the penis, some of the blood is drawn and then it is sent to a lab for analysis. This provides a clue as to how long the condition has been present and how much damage has occurred.
How is priapism treated?
The goal of all treatment is to make the erection go away and preserve future erectile function. If a person receives treatment within four to six hours, the erection can almost always be reduced with medication. If the erection has lasted less than four hours, decongestant medications, which may act to decease blood flow to the penis, may be very helpful. Other treatment options include:
Ice packs: Ice applied to the penis and perineum may reduce swelling.
Surgical ligation: Used in cases where an artery has been ruptured, the doctor will ligate (tie off) the artery that is causing the priapism in order to restore normal blood flow.
Intracavernous injection: Used for low-flow priapism, during this treatment drugs known as alpha-agonists are injected into the penis that cause the veins to narrow reducing blood flow to the penis causing the swelling to subside.
Surgical shunt: Also used for low-flow priapism, a shunt is a passageway that is surgically inserted into the penis to divert the blood flow and allow circulation to return to normal.
Aspiration: After numbing the penis, doctors will insert a needle and drain blood from the penis to reduce pressure and swelling.
If you suspect that you are experiencing priapism, you should not attempt to treat it yourself. Instead seek emergency as soon as possible.
What is the outlook for people with priapism?
As long as treatment is prompt, the outlook for most people is very good. However, the longer medical attention is delayed, the greater the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction.
So, what to do if you have an erection for more than 4 hours? Some say that conservative measures like walking up the stairs (to promote an arterial steal phenomenon) as well as ice packs to the penis and perineum can help. If not, then its off to the ER.
Medications like alpha-blockers, methylene blue, and terbutaline have been used with varying success. If these don't work, then injection therapy should then be considered as well as a urology consult.
So, next time you wonder about the "erections lasting longer than 4 hours" mentioned at the end of those erectile dysfunction ads, wonder no more.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Divine Calling of Neda
Inside the small home in a middle-class neighborhood east of Tehran, Iran, a family of four has lost their middle child. She is a victim of the internal war between the people of Iran and the oppressive government.Neda Agha-Soltan, 26-years old, was a student of philosophy and religion at the Azad Islamic University. While she was studying religion, Neda was more spiritual than religious. She was a happy, positive person who loved music, having studied violin and recently piano. Neda had just purchased a piano and was awaiting delivery.
Neda’s disposition was typically composed, even tranquil. She did have a quirky, lively sense of humour. A friend recalled that once, when Neda was visiting her friend's house, she picked up a white Teddy bear, took off her big, purple-studded earrings and put them on the bear. Then she removed a necklace from around the neck of a friend and put it around the bear's neck, taking delight in the bear's transformation.
She liked to travel, having visited Turkey three months ago with a tour group. And she, like most Iranians, was concerned about human rights in an era when the government of Iran seems to be taking away the civil liberties of the inhabitants of that country.
Neda was shot and killed as she stepped from her car with a friend at an anti-government demonstration in Tehran on Saturday, June 20, 2009. She was not there to rally against the government, but was simply taking a break from the heat of her small Peugeot 206 subcompact car with a poorly working air conditioner. She left the car with a family friend, a teacher of music and philosophy, near the demonstration to get some fresh air. Her murder was captured in video from a cell phone held by someone in the crowd.
Under Iran’s strict gun-control laws, private citizens cannot carry firearms. This has led to speculation that government forces were involved in the murder of Neda. She was taken to a nearby hospital and, within a day, she was buried at Behesht Zahra, the city's largest Muslim cemetery, on the outskirts of Tehran. It is extremely unusual for the body of a victim to be released and buried so quickly and this further supports the theory that the government forces were responsible for Neda’s death.
Since Saturday, the Iranian government has sought to minimize the impact of her death and have prohibited all public displays of mourning for Neda. A gathering of about 60 friends and family at a mosque was broken up by members of the Basij pro-government vigilantes blamed for much of the violence against the demonstrators.
While Neda, whose name means Divine Calling in Farsi, was an unlikely candidate to become a martyr, she has emerged as a powerful symbol of opposition to the Iranian government. That a young woman who embraced life in so many ways, was never involved in politics and yet was chosen from a crowd of thousands and shot by a sniper would effect so many is telling. Perhaps it is aptly just that her death will bring about just the opposite effect that her murderers meant to bestow.
A person’s life has been taken – her entire existence reduced to just a few seconds of powerful – if grainy, video. But it is this very video, shown worldwide within minutes to the rest of the world that injects life and context into the trials of the Iranian people by an oppressive government.
Neda's family has not been allowed to post a black banner of mourning outside the family's house. Under Muslim tradition, the seventh and 40th days after someone dies are devoted to mourning and reflection.
Neda's death begs the question of what is the real atrocity in the world. To paraphrase writer, Rachel Lee, "Is it what is happening in the oppressiveness of Iran today? Or is it that many of us, especially those of us who live in the United States, enjoy the luxury of relative peace and stability, ignoring the pain and fear and death that stalks so much of the world? We cannot give into the greed and hate of the world. If we do, everyone loses. And we lose far more than our sensitivities. We lose our souls."
Please do not allow Neda’s life to go unremembered. Do not allow her influence to be diminished. Speak out against oppression in our world by corrupt governments and help to bring peace and prosperity to all.
This Week I Learned Reports
This Week I Learned has been published since mid-1995. In the beginning it was an email sent to a list of friends, who forwarded it on to their friends. A few years later we started accepting subscriptions and it started to grow. At one time the email list reached 40,000 subscribers and we were forced to place This Week on the Internet to take care of the great number of readers.
We have since expanded to 622,599 individual readers since 6 October 2005, when we begin seriously tracking our readers. In the last 26 days, we have had our heaviest concentration of readers from the following countries:
United States
Ireland
Mexico
Canada
United Kingdom
Hong Kong
Belgium
Denmark
Switzerland
Japan
India
Brazil
Netherlands
Chile
Argentina
Sweden
Russian Federation
Germany
New Zealand
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Greece
Belize
Cote D'Ivoire
France
Happy Birthday Donald Duck
Donald Duck is 75-years-old today. The Walt Disney Productions' animated cartoon and comic-book character is a white anthropomorphic duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He usually wears a sailor shirt, cap, and a red or black bowtie, but no pants (except when he goes swimming or wears a towel when stepping out of the shower). Donald's most famous trait is his easily provoked and occasionally explosive temper.
According to Disney canon, particularly in the 1942 short "Donald Gets Drafted", Donald's full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck.
Donald's birthday is officially recognized as June 9, 1934, the day his debut film was released, but in "The Three Caballeros", his birthday is given as simply "Friday the 13th". In "Donald's Happy Birthday" his birthday is given as 13 March.
Donald's voice, one of the most identifiable voices in all of animation, was performed by voice actor Clarence "Ducky" Nash up to 1983. It was largely this semi-intelligible speech that would cement Donald's image into audiences' minds and help fuel both Donald's and Nash's rise to stardom. Since 1985, Donald has been voiced by Tony Anselmo, who was trained by Nash for the role.
Happy Birthday, Donald!
Secret Underground Cities
Version 1.0 - Updated 14th July 2009
Following our art sketchmeet at the recent Kelvedon hatch,
more interesting information cropped up with regards to the multiple decommisioned cold war nuclear bunkers spread across UK.
Of particular note is the impressive Wiltshire, Burlington Site 3 area, feaeturing over 60 miles of roads and space for over 4000 personnel which was to be the site of the main Emergency Government War Headquarters which is almost as impressive as the US Greenbrier facility, West Virginia (featuring a luxury 5 star hotel built above)
Thus, this post will be dedicated to cataloguing and being updated with regards to various secret and decommisioned underground facilities, bunkers and cities.
WILTSHIRES SECRET UNDERGROUND CITY
The BBC has been granted exclusive full acess to Site 3 and features full panoramic, video and image stills. Check it out
BBC: Wiltshire
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