UF offers vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer
By REBECCA EHLINGER
Alligator Contributing Writer
The first-ever vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease is now available to UF students.
The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of a vaccine called Gardasil could prevent women from contracting the human papillomavirus, or HPV. It also prevents HPV-related cervical cancer and genital warts.
Nearly 30 of the more than 100 different strains of HPV are sexually transmitted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 10 of these 30 sexually transmitted HPV strands can lead to the development of cervical cancer.
"Type 16 is the strain that is most responsible for the largest number of cervical cancer cases," said Phylis Craig, a nurse-practitioner at the UF Student Health Care Center's Women's Clinic.
About 9,700 women in the United States will develop cervical cancer in 2006, according to the American Cancer Society. Cervical cancer will kill approximately 3,700 of those women.
In the United States, the most common sexually transmitted infection is HPV, according to the FDA.
At some point in their lives, at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will contract genital HPV infection, according to the CDC. Most people who are infected don't know that they have HPV because they have no signs or symptoms, yet they can still transmit the virus to their partners.
"During an average week, I myself would probably treat from three to four students for external genital warts," Craig said. These students are only the ones that have the noticeable symptoms of HPV.
Females from ages 9 to 26 are approved for the vaccine. Studies showed that females who were already infected with the HPV virus were not protected when they took the vaccine.
Females at UF who are not sexually active are the best candidates for the vaccine, because they have not yet been infected, and the majority of them are in the specified age range.
Sexually active females at UF who have not contracted HPV are also candidates for the vaccine. Women can determine if they have HPV through a routine Pap smear, according to the CDC Web site.
This vaccine would prevent these females from ever contracting HPV, which would then reduce the spread to other UF students.
Gardasil is given in three doses, at $120 a dose, over a six-month period.
The high cost of the vaccine could be a drawback for students.
"If it costs a UF student more than $50 to go get the vaccine, then I don't think that a lot of them will use it," said Allison Carter, a UF health education and behavior junior.
Craig is not yet sure if UF will be able to offer the vaccine at a discount to UF students.
Green Tea Inhibits Cancer
Green tea is under a microscope by scientists seeking to determine any possible health benefits. Many of the investigations have looked at the disease-prevention properties of green tea polyphenols, its antioxidant compounds.
In a study published in the March 1 Clinical Cancer Research, UAB researcher Santosh K. Katiyar, Ph.D., reported, "We discovered in test tube and in mouse studies that tea polyphenols have the ability to inhibit the growth of breast tumor cells and slow down their metastasis to other organs."
Treatment of highly metastatic breast tumor cells with green tea polyphenols showed several indications that it can cause tumor cell death. Feeding mice green tea equivalent to human consumption inhibited the spread of cancer to the lungs and increased the animals' survival.
Via Thecancerblog.com
Breast Cancer Drug To Extend Lives Of Men With Late Stage Prostate Cancer
29 Jun 2006
Today, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), UK, releases guidance that recommends that all eligible patients have access to a prostate cancer drug[1] - a move that will affect the lives of thousands of men across the UK[2].
Taxotere® (docetaxel) - which has been routinely given to female patients with late stage breast cancer since 2001[3] - extends the lives of men with late stage prostate cancer (metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer - mHRPC) and improves their quality of life[4].
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer of men in the UK; over 30,000 men are diagnosed with the condition each year[5]. In addition, it is the second most common form of cancer death, annually killing over 10,000 men - that's approximately one death every hour[2]. Although data is limited, it is believed that the majority of these deaths are due to late stage prostate cancer[6]. Late stage prostate cancer is a form of prostate cancer in which patients have become resistant to conventional treatments (hormone therapy).
Patients and patient groups welcome today's guidance and are calling for all men who could benefit to be given immediate access to the treatment, which could extend their lives and improve their quality of life for their remaining months. “NICE guidance supporting the use of Taxotere (docetaxel) based regimens for women with late stage breast cancer has been available since 2001,” says John Anderson, CEO, Prostate Research Campaign UK. “It's about time that men are also able to get to the front of the queue to gain equal access to a treatment that could benefit them. Now that the guidance has arrived there is no excuse for men who could benefit not to get access as quickly as possible. ”
“Taxotere (docetaxel) is the first treatment to improve survival, improve quality of life and reverse progress of metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer,” Professor Nick James, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust (Queen Elizabeth Cancer Centre), Birmingham and UK principal investigator on TAX 327. “Now that NICE have supported the use of this treatment, we urge all PCTs to ensure that funding is available for all patients whom could benefit. It is now up to patients to make sure that they are asking for this treatment, clinicians to offer it and PCTs to fund it.”
“The provision of Taxotere (docetaxel) is one of the most important advances in treating late stage prostate cancer that has occurred in recent years,” says John Anderson, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Sheffield. “Now that we have been able to demonstrate that Taxotere is able to extend survival and manage quality of life in late stage prostate cancer, exciting trials have been initiated which will examine the benefits of Taxotere in early stage prostate cancer.”
NICE's guidance was based on the highly influential TAX 327 trial, published in a well-respected journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, in October 2004. The trial found that Taxotere® (docetaxel), plus prednisolone (prednisone), improved overall patient survival by 24%. Median patient survival with the Taxotere based regimen was 18.9 months compared to 16.5 months for the standard treatment (mitoxantrone).
Taxotere® (docetaxel) is recommended, within its licensed indications, as a treatment option for men with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer only if their Karnofsky performance-status score is 60% or more. The Karnofsky score is a measure of quality of life factors.
Taxotere® (docetaxel) has an acceptable increase of side effects. The most commonly reported adverse reaction associated with Taxotere® (docetaxel) is neutropaenia (low white cell count, which may lead to infection), which is reversible and not cumulative[7].
Other common side effects include flushing, skin rash, chest tightness, back pain, anaemia, nausea, sore mouth and taste change, diarrhoea, hair loss, hypersensitivity and tiredness.
http://www.sanofi-aventis.com
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[1] National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Guidance: Docetaxel for treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. June 2006. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk
[2] Cancer Research UK. Prostate Cancer Mortality Statistics.
Accessed: June 2006.
[3] National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Guidance: Taxanes for the treatment of breast cancer. Review 30. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk
[4] Tannock IF et al. Docetaxel plus prednisone or mitoxantrone plus prednisone for advanced prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004, 351:1502
[5] Cancer Research UK. Prostate Cancer Incidence Statistics.
Accessed: June 2006.
[6] National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Docetaxel for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (overview). 2005. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk
[7] Taxotere Summary of Product Characteristics (May 2006)
Via http://www.thecancerblog.com/
Fewer roadblocks at the FHA for buyers, lenders
Federal agency cuts paperwork, streamlines inspection procedures and raises the limits on home mortgages.
By Lew Sichelman, United Feature Syndicate
June 25, 2006
WASHINGTON — For anyone who has ever been told that government-backed mortgages are too much trouble, Martha Simmons has one word: poppycock.
That might have been the case a few years ago but not anymore, says Simmons, national retail production manager for SunTrust Mortgage in Richmond, Va. Simmons says the Federal Housing Administration has undertaken several significant changes in the last 12 months that have turned the agency into a more efficient lending machine.
Among many improvements, the FHA has raised its loan limits, albeit not as much as the agency and lenders would have liked; moved away from onerous repair and inspection requirements; and generally retooled the entire lending process to make it less cumbersome for borrowers and their lenders.
Borrowers are still wise to obtain conventional mortgages with private mortgage insurance, if they can. But for those with less-than-spotless credit, FHA-insured loans might now be the next best choice.
"When they can get a better price, we want them to take it," says Meg Burns, director of the agency's office of single-family program development. "We are targeting those who can't."
In the past, the government's housing program has missed that target badly. So badly that the FHA's market share shrank from 13% of all loans in 1990 to 3.5% last year.
For much of that period, the slow-moving agency was a sitting duck for more nimble sub-prime lenders offering the hottest new loan products with the quickest approval times.
Never mind that the slick-talking sub-prime guys charged higher rates.
Forget that they did little to help borrowers who found themselves in financial difficulty after they closed on their fancy loans and moved into their new digs.
As long as people qualified for a sub-prime loan, they didn't even consider the FHA — and neither did their real estate agents, who, Simmons says, discouraged buyers from going to the FHA because it was too inconvenient and unmanageable.
Unfortunately, many agents still cling to that belief. And agents, as trusted advisors in the home-buying process, hold sway over a lot of people.
But today's FHA is different. It is waiting for federal lawmakers right now to clear legislation that would, among other things, allow the agency to base its premiums on the risk would-be borrowers represent to the insurance program, allow greater flexibility in determining the down payment — including a zero-down option — and boost its loan limits.
FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery is convinced these changes will "make us a real player in the mortgage market again."
At the same time, though, the agency hasn't exactly been sitting around waiting for something to happen. Here's a brief recap:
In January, it raised its maximum loan limit by nearly $50,000, to $362,790, in the nation's most expensive markets. The ceiling was bumped to $220,160 practically everywhere else.
The maximum still isn't high enough in places like California, where the FHA insured 51,000 loans in fiscal year 2005, down from 109,000 in fiscal 2000, or Maryland, where it backed only 5,400 loans in fiscal 2005, versus 31,000 in 2000.
The FHA is asking lawmakers to raise the lid in high-cost markets to $417,000 this year and possibly even higher in subsequent years.
But $362,790 isn't exactly pocket change. With 3% down, it's enough to buy a house priced at $374,010.
And although that isn't even the median price in places like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, there are still plenty of houses changing hands at that amount or even less.
The agency also has streamlined its operating procedures in several ways to make them more compatible with the conventional loan process.
In what the FHA's Burns calls the most significant change in a year of change, the agency no longer requires lenders to submit inch-thick binders of documents supporting every single loan transaction.
Now, lenders are permitted to perform file reviews on their own, submit data electronically to the FHA and endorse the loan on the spot without waiting days or even weeks for a nod from the government. If the agency should request a case file for post-endorsement review, that file also can be sent electronically.
"Lenders have really responded," says Montgomery, noting that nearly half the loans insured by the agency since the change was implemented in January have been processed this way.
Also in January, the agency made serious fixes to its appraisal protocols, moving away from what the FHA commissioner admits were "unique" and "onerous" inspection and repair requirements.
"In essence," Montgomery says, "we adopted the industry standards."
That means no more Home Buyer Summary, a laundry list of blemishes and flaws intended to give would-be owners a true and complete picture of the house they were buying — which also served to frighten many of them away. And no more Valuation Conditions form, listing items that required fixing.
The agency still requires appraisers to note all conditions affecting the property's value, but further inspections and repairs are called for only when a defect is structural or when it would affect the health and safety of the occupant. Consequently, sellers are no longer compelled to repair cosmetic items like a cracked windowpane.
Industry consultant Bud Carter, senior vice president of Potomac Partners in Washington, D.C., calls these and other improvements "a major step in the right direction."
And even if Congress fails to approve the additional changes the FHA and lenders are seeking, he believes the agency has done enough in the last year to get itself back on track.
Post From http://www.latimes.com/business/la-re-lew25jun25,1,24080.story?coll=la-headlines-business&track=crosspromo
Home Sales, Spending Cool; Prices Rise: U.S. Economy Preview
June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Inflation pressures are mounting in the U.S. even as the housing market and consumer spending cool, reports this week are forecast to show, increasing the odds the Federal Reserve will keep raising rates beyond this month.
Combined purchases of new and previously owned homes fell to an annual rate of 7.77 million in May, according to the median forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. If that pace is sustained, this year still would be the third-best on record for home sales.
Fed policy makers will raise their target interest rate by a quarter point to 5.25 percent following their two-day meeting June 28-29, the economists say. A day later, a report is expected to show consumer spending in May rose at the slowest pace in three months and price increases accelerated, suggesting this week's rate increase won't be the central bank's last.
``The data are going to show a further softening on the growth front, but at still-reasonable levels,'' said John Shin, an economist at Lehman Brothers Inc. in New York. ``They will also show more inflation pressures, and that means there are going to be continued rate hikes after June.''
Sales of new homes fell to an annual rate of 1.15 million last month from 1.198 million in April, economists project a report tomorrow from the Commerce Department will show. A day later, the National Association of Realtors is expected to report existing homes sold at a 6.62 million pace, down from April's 6.76 million rate.
If sustained over 12 months, the combined sales pace last month would be the third-highest on record after 8.35 million in 2005 and 7.98 million the previous year.
Incomes, Spending
Consumers bought 0.4 percent more goods and services in May than in the previous month, the smallest gain since February, according to the survey median ahead of a June 30 report from the Commerce Department. Incomes rose 0.2 percent, the smallest increase since November, the report is also expected to show.
Traders and investors will also focus on the Commerce report's core price measure, which excludes food and energy costs, for clue's on the likely direction of Fed policy in coming months.
Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke this month called recent increases in core prices ``unwelcome developments'' and said central bankers ``will be vigilant'' to ensure inflation doesn't become entrenched. He highlighted the three- and six-month trends in the core consumer price index and in the Commerce Department's core price index, the Fed's preferred price measure.
Economists estimate core prices rose 0.2 percent last month, matching the April increase, according to the survey median. Such an increase would put the three-month annualized rate at 2.9 percent and the six-month pace at 2.2 percent, according to Bloomberg News calculations. Bernanke says a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent is acceptable.
`Not Satisfied'
``The Fed will not be satisfied to keep rates on hold absent clear signs that growth is slowing to a pace that would ease inflationary pressures,'' Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays Capital in New York, said in a June 22 note to clients.
Signs inflation is accelerating while growth is holding up will prompt the Fed to raise its target rate to 6 percent by the end of the year, Maki said, half a percentage point higher than he previously forecast.
Part of the reason the economy will not buckle is that consumer confidence is stabilizing as the price of gasoline plateaus, economists said. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline at the pump was $2.88 over the first three weeks of June, down a cent from May's average, according to figures from the American Automobile Association.
Consumer Confidence
The New York-based Conference Board's index of consumer confidence rose to 103.8 this month, up from the 103.2 reading in May, according to the survey median. The measure slumped to 85.2 in October, a two-year low, after hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast. The private research group's report is due June 27.
The University of Michigan's final report on June consumer sentiment, due June 30, is expected to confirm confidence is holding up. The measure is forecast to rise to 82.5 from May's seven-month low of 79.1. It would be little changed from the 82.4 preliminary reading issued earlier this month.
In other reports this week:
The economy probably grew at an annual rate of 5.6 percent in the first quarter, the most in more than two years, the Commerce Department's final revision on June 29 is expected to show. The preliminary report issued last month showed a growth rate of 5.3 percent.
First-time claims for unemployment benefits in the week ended yesterday rose to 310,000 from 308,000 the prior week, a Labor Department report June 29 is forecast to show.
An index of Chicago-area business activity fell to 59 this month from 61.5 in May, the National Association of Supply Management-Chicago is expected to report on June 30. Readings greater than 50 signal expansion.
Date Time Period Indicator BN Survey Prior
06/26 10:00 May New Home Sales 1150,000
1198,000
06/27 10:00 June Confidence-Conf. Board 103.8 103.2
06/27 10:00 May Home Resales 6.62M 6.76M
06/27 10:00 June Richmond Fed. Manf. 7.0 1.0
06/29 8:30 6/17 Continuing Claims 2430K 2439K
06/29 8:30 1Q F GDP Price Index 3.3% 3.3%
06/29 8:30 1Q F Gross Domestic Product 5.6% 5.3%
06/29 8:30 6/24 Initial Jobless Claims 310K 308K
06/30 8:30 May Personal Income 0.2% 0.5%
06/30 8:30 May Personal Spending 0.4% 0.6%
06/30 10:00 June Chicago Purchasers 59.0 61.5
06/30 10:00 June F Confidence- U. of MI 82.5 82.4
post from http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=adC47eNyrUhg&refer=home#
Like a fairytale, Nicole ties the knot at twilight
JONATHAN MORAN
26jun06
HOLLYWOOD combined with Nashville in Sydney yesterday when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban married in a romantic twilight ceremony at Cardinal Cerretti Chapel on the clifftop at Manly.
Veiled and wearing an ivory gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, Kidman was every bit the princess bride as thousands of well-wishers lined the streets in scenes reminiscent of a royal wedding.
The Hollywood star, 39, walked down the aisle accompanied by her father Dr Antony Kidman, with her bridesmaids her sister Antonia as matron of honour, her 13-year-old daughter Isabella as bridesmaid and her niece, Lucia as flower girl.
She was met at the altar by Urban, 38, who wore a simple black suit teamed with black tie, and his groomsmen - his brother Shane, good friend Marlon Holden and his nephew, Blake.
Clutching a simple posy of white roses dotted with tiny red blooms, the bride was joined by her father in a vintage white Rolls Royce.
It was a scene reminiscent of royal visits, with fans lining both sides of the street with cameras, as police officers and private security guards kept order.
With an Aussie theme throughout, Hugh Jackman was accompanied by the choir, who sang Peter Allen's classic Tenterfield Saddler during the ceremony, and former Crowded House frontman Neil Finn.
About 230 family and friends, including Naomi Watts, Jackman's wife Deborra-Lee Furness, director Baz Luhrmann, Russell Crowe, News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi Deng and Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch attended the service, presided over by Father Paul Coleman.
Thrilling onlookers as she arrived at the gates of the church, Kidman wound down her window to wave at fans and thank the crowd for turning out.
"It's very simple, there's no big operation - she's just like you, me or any other bride," Kidman's spokeswoman Wendy Day said.
"She didn't want anything strange or odd or underhand about this, no black umbrellas or tinted windows.
Wedding bells chimed at 6.25pm, signalling the couple had become husband and wife.
Soft jazz music was played straight after the wedding bells while guests were served food and champagne. At 7.10pm a huge cheer went up from the crowd after being introduced to the guests as husband and wife.
The reception is believed to have had a Moulin Rouge-style theme. Walking arm-in-arm from their hotel lobby prior to the ceremony the groom's parents Bob and Marienne were full of compliments for their new daughter-in-law. "She's going to be a beautiful daughter-in-law," Mrs Urban announced.
Post From: http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,19589018%255E911,00.html
Saturday's Tech Day
Samsung SGH-E900
Nic Rossmüller : June 23th 2006 - 00:08 CET
Samsung SGH-E900 : Samsung introduces a glossy and agile slim slider, Samsung SGH-E900 for European market. The Samsung SGH-E900 attracts mobile users with its refined design. The Samsung E900 comes in a delicate black and slate two-tone color, emphasizing its stylish look. The stylish design and artistic details perfectly matches the simple and elegant look of the Samsung E900. This GSM slim slide-up phone is expected to reinforce Samsung’s premium image and cutting edge technology. Featuring an innovative touch key for quick and easy control, the Samsung E900 has been designed for simplicity and convenience. The handset’s sleek touch-sensitive control pad seamlessly compliments the Samsung E900’s intuitive dual interface.
Samsung E900 Phone - Touch pad
With the navigation key button in the center surrounded by touch keys around the outside, the layout gives an elegant look and illuminates only the necessary buttons for simple navigation and limited accidental button touching. The touch pad also highlights the simplicity and convenience of Samsung E900 and allows the mobile to have a sleek and polished surface as it eliminates the need for excessive protruding buttons. Therefore, the Samsung E900 introduces not only a minimalist design but a satisfactory user interface to its consumers.
Samsung SGH E900 mobile phone - User interface Black UI
The Samsung E900 also adopted a new user interface known as the ‘Black UI’, which differentiates and concurrently shows the sub menu list from the main menu and highlights fonts for optimal viewing and convenience. The icons present sophistication and simplicity on the black or white background with highlighted colors to enhance users' accessibility with a preview of menu contents. The Samsung E900 combines both shiny and matte black materials for an elegant look. The keypad also features two vertical metallic lines in the keypad for a more sophisticated look. At a mere 16.5 mm in thickness and weighing only 93g, the Samsung E900 provides its users a slim and compact form that perfectly fits in the palm and easy to slide up.
Samsung E900 phone - 2 Megapixel camera
This tri-band handset with EDGE multimedia technology offers 2 megapixel camera with flash and video recording feature. The Samsung SGH-E900 also presents Bluetooth, USB and 2.05 inch 262K color TFT display to enhance its features. The new user interface is well-incorporated into the E900 for vivid 3D message, MP3 background play, power zoom, and even a video caller ID. It also supports external microSD memory for additional storage. “Samsung always promoted the perfect balance between design and technology. Samsung’s new slider, the Samsung E900, is the best example which exemplifies our philosophy.” said Kitae Lee, president of Samsung’s Telecommunication and Network Business. “We adopted high end technology to meet mobile user’s need and market trend, slim and simple.”
Samsung SGH-E900 - Specification
• GSM / GRPS class 10 /Tri band (900 / 1800 / 1900MHz) + EDGE
• 2 Megapixel Camera with flash
• 2.05” 240x320 262K Color TFT
• Video Recording & Messaging (MPEG4 / H.263)
• MP3 / AAC / ACC+ / AAC+(e) / WMA
• Digital Power Amp / Touch Key
• Bluetooth / USB
• Document Viewer / TV-output
• 80MB embedded, External memory (microSD)
• Size: 93 x 45 x 16.5 mm
• Weight: 93g
Post from http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/8712/samsung_sghe900_phone/
Truly a Sad Day In HOLLYWOOD!
JUSTIN TO CAMERON: BYE BYE!
What with all the fake stories about rings and engagements, this major celebrity bustup has gone under the radar. But this time it's really happened. Both parties (Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz) want to keep it quiet - they don't want to make a big deal out of such a sensitive issue. What happened is that Justin is poised to leave on a world tour and he wants to be free. Last week he informed Cameron that it's over, just as she was about to leave town to film some movie pickups, and according to insiders "she is devastated." "They were a great, well matched couple in many ways but Cameron (at 33) is ready to settle down and wants a commitment, even though she might not admit it. Justin is only 24 and he's been with Cameron for three years. He hasn't had a chance to sow his wild oats yet." "A few weeks back, Justin and his buddies took off for a few days in Las Vegas and Cameron went chasing after him. She was just too clingy." Cameron is one of the richest and prettiest actresses in Hollywood and all she dreams about is a home and family. But she's had bad luck with boyfriends who won't commit - first Matt Dillon, then Jared Leto, and now Justin. Justin and Cameron figured the fact that they're currently separated geographically would keep their bustup a secret for awhile. Not from JANET CHARLTON'S HOLLYWOOD!
TrackBack: http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/57
Google Stock Update
For all of you that took a mortgage on your house to buy the stock...This is for you.
Google after the bell for 6-22-06: Google overvalued?
Posted Jun 22nd 2006 4:39PM by Brian White
Filed under: After hours, Rumors, Products and services, Launches, Internet, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG)
Google shares closed down a bit today at $399.95 per share, a drop of $2.28 or 0.54%, with a trade volume of slightly over 5.8 million shares. I mused on Google's take on the mobile web today -- and I think they "get it" more than other companies -- and Sheldon fielded quite a few comments on why Google is positioned to go down the tubes bit. We always invite and appreciate incisive and informed comments, but sometimes we get flames and bashes without anything but emotional bias -- but we love you, we really do!
On that note from Sheldon, I've recently pondered, in many ways, how Google is going to make money from all these services and products it has recently released. Just like this one -- a wireless internet network already installed in its hometown of Mountain View, California.
Google says (at least, publicly) that it does not expect advertising to support this network and it does not know how it is going to monetize this new WiFi wireless internet network. However, it does want to give this service away so that customers can potentially do more "Googling" anywhere they are. Cough -- business model -- cough. Maybe money grows on trees in Mountain View?
More GOOG
Posted Jun 22nd 2006 3:55PM by Sheldon Liber
Filed under: After hours, Internet, Blogs, Rants and raves, Google (GOOG)
Can't help but follow-up to 10 Reasons I think Google is going down since it caused the most controversy and highest response of any blogs I have written to date. I definitely touched a nerve somewhere. The commentary is running 60/40 negative (not all publishable) but with no response or insight on either side relative to my actual arguments. I have never owned Google, Inc. (GOOG) and would have disclosed to readers had I shorted the stock. That could be a disaster even if it does go down because you would need substantial resources for what would most assuredly be a wild ride.
Some readers discussed additional reasons GOOG is likely to go down in value, but not one refuted any of my "10 reasons". If anybody has something concrete to add to the discussion that would be most valuable and is a good use of the blog site. My blog was stimulated by two things; people often ask me what I think about GOOG as an investment and I have actually considered investing myself. I have always come to the conclusion that I had better places to risk my capital so I thought I would share this view.
Some of the comments I received lend credence to the concern that many of Google's investors are impulse buyers and will run out on the stock, lead by emotion, not rational thinking. There is a lot of hoping and praying in Google's current market value.
Saving the enviroment by drinking French Rabbit
Two things I love, a great wine and helping save the enviroment!
By using recyclable packaging by TetraPak, French Rabbit is bringing a unique branding experience to your local supermarket shelves with these one liter (instead of the standard 750ml glass bottle) containers. Initially launched in Ontario, Canada in 2005, French Rabbit sold half their annual sales goal after just two weeks on the shelves. Four varietals from the Languedoc Roussillon region of France are available - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot at $9.99 retail.
Some ecological benefits of the Tetra Prisma packaging includes arriving at the bottling plant folded flat, saving on shipping weight compared to glass, protection from sunlight, and can be resealed with its screw top after squeezing out excess air. Also cools faster than wine in a bottle.
post via: http://www.dailyolive.com/all-things-wine/saving_the_envi.html
You Can't Beat Coldplay
Going for a walk with Coldplay on your iPod will fix almost any bad day.
Some info on my favorite band:
Coldplay is a post-Britpop/alternative rock band from London, England known for their smooth melodies and introspective lyrics.
The band currently consists of:
Chris Martin: lead vocals, piano/keyboard, guitar
Jon Buckland: guitar, harmonica, backing vocals
Will Champion: drums/percussion, piano backing vocals.
Guy Berryman: bass guitar, synthesizer, harmonica, backing vocals
Coldplay's early material was seen as reminiscent of artists such as Jeff Buckley, Oasis, The Verve, and Travis, with Martin claiming U2, Radiohead and Echo and the Bunnymen as among the band's greatest influences. Other influences include Pink Floyd, The Beatles, a-ha, R.E.M, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Kraftwerk, The Flaming Lips and, more recently, Kate Bush and Johnny Cash.
Despite Coldplay's surge in popularity, the band has remained very protective of how their music is used in the media. The band allows their music to be used in film, television, and promotional spots such as the movie trailer to Peter Pan and for a PBS television self-promotional spot. They also are permitting charity Cancer Research UK to use "Fix You" on a forthcoming campaign. However, Coldplay have been adamantly against the use of their music in actual product endorsement. The band turned down multi-million dollar contracts from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and The Gap, who wanted to use the songs "Yellow", "Trouble", and "Don't Panic" respectively. According to Martin, "We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we sold the songs' meanings like that."
Since the release of A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay have also been active supporters of various social and political causes. They have been advocates for Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. The group has also performed at various charity projects such as Band Aid 20, Live 8, and the Teenage Cancer Trust.[2] Martin was outspoken against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and he endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. Bassist Guy Berryman says, "You can make people aware of issues. It isn't very much effort for us at all, but if it can help people, then we want to do it".
Dream Vacation
Holland America's Grand World Voyage
Yes, this would be the ideal vacation, over 4 months traveling the world...and for a little over $100,000.00 can you really afford not to go.
Ports & Excursions
Alexandria, Egypt
Ashdod, Israel
Bali, Indonesia
Bora Bora, Society Islands
Cairns, Australia
Callao/Lima, Peru
Casablanca, Morocco
Civitavecchia/Rome
Cochin, India
Crossing The International Date Line
Darwin, Australia
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Easter Island
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Funchal, Madeira
Haifa, Israel
Hong Kong, China
Kusadasi, Turkey
Livorno, Italy
Malaga, Spain
Manta, Ecuador
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Mormugao, India
Mumbai (Bombay), India
New York, New York
Noumea, New Caledonia
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Papeete, Tahiti Penang, Malaysia
Piraeus, Greece Port Vendres
Pt. Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia
Salalah, Oman
Semarang, Indonesia Sharm
El Sheikh, Egypt
Singapore Suva, Vita Levu,
Fiji Islands
Sydney, Australia
Cruise the world's wonders surrounded by elegance and style
Holland America Line is the leader in world cruising having sailed more than forty Grand World Voyages since 1958.
Our 2007 Grand World Voyage cruise trip has been creatively fashioned to be a true circumnavigation of the globe while exploring unspoiled, lesser-known ports as well as the classic world-class cities. Sail aboard our flagship ms Amsterdam to 38 unique ports found in 26 different countries across six continents. The entire voyage encompasses more than 33,400 nautical miles as it sails through the Panama Canal on the way to South America, the South Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Suez Canal, Egypt, and the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic via Madeira on the way back to New York and Ft. Lauderdale.
My favorite Painting
The Kiss by Edvard Munch
I wanted to start my blog off by posting all of my favorite things, this painting being one of them. Do you like it?
Poem that means the most to me
Miracles by Walt Whitman
Why! who makes much of a miracle?
As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach, just in the edge of the
water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love--or sleep in the bed at night with
any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with my mother,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive, of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds--or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sun-down--or of stars shining so quiet
and bright,
Or the exquisite, delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;
Or whether I go among those I like best, and that like me best--
mechanics, boatmen, farmers,
Or among the savans--or to the soiree--or to the opera,
Or stand a long while looking at the movements of machinery,
Or behold children at their sports,
Or the admirable sight of the perfect old man, or the perfect old
woman,
Or the sick in hospitals, or the dead carried to burial,
Or my own eyes and figure in the glass;
These, with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring--yet each distinct, and in its place.
To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the
same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same;
Every spear of grass--the frames, limbs, organs, of men and women,
and all that concerns them,
All these to me are unspeakably perfect miracles.
To me the sea is a continual miracle;
The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of the waves--the ships,
with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?
