Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/259497743?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Pablo Sandoval: Where the Giants got 'Kung Fu Panda' and other nicknames
Third baseman Pablo Sandoval (aka ?Kung Fu Panda?) made the history books with three homers in the World Series. Sandoval takes his place alongside the ?Say Hey Kid? as a player and name sure to be long remembered.
San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval reacts after hitting a home run against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in San Francisco.
(AP Photo/The Sacramento Bee, Jose Luis Villegas)
EnlargeGame 1 of the 2012 World Series was not only a big night for Pablo Sandoval but for player nicknames as well. The roly-poly San Francisco Giants third baseman, whose nickname is Kung Fu Panda, became the first player in history to homer in his first three at-bats in a World Series game, propelling the Giants to a 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.?
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The moniker of the lovable Venezuelan, whose three-homer game is matched only in Series play by Babe Ruth (twice), Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols, has helped to engrave Sandoval?s persona into San Francisco?s baseball lore as much as the nicknames of the four former Giants who took the field Wednesday night. Participating in ceremonial first-pitch duties were Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and Gaylord Perry. ?
As players, they had memorable nicknames of their own. Mays was known as ?The Say Hey Kid,? stemming from his tendency to greet people with the words ?say hey.?? Cepeda, who hails from Puerto Rico, answered to ?Cha Cha.?? McCovey, who was honored by having the bay waters beyond AT&T Park?s right-field bleachers named McCovey Cove, was called ?Stretch? for his reaches for throws at first base. Perry, who spent the first 10 years of his 22 years in the big leagues with the Giants, gained his ?Ancient Mariner? nickname playing for Seattle late in his career ( ?The Rime of the Ancient Mariner? is a famous British poem).
As for how Sandoval came to be called the Kung Fu Panda, well, that was the inspiration of his Giants teammate Barry Zito, who several years ago made the connection with the cuddly hero of a 2008 DreamWorks computer-animated action comedy of the same name ?Kung Fu Panda.?
According to Sandoval's website, "On September 19, 2008, he received the nickname "Kung Fu Panda" from teammate Barry Zito, after a play on where Sandoval scored a run against the Dodgers by jumping over the tag of catcher Danny Ardoin."
Zito, who has resurrected his career, was the winning pitcher in Game 1, so it was fitting that he?s played a role in popularizing his 240-lb. teammate, who also has achieved a personal comeback. When San Francisco won the 2010 World Series over Texas, the slumping Sandoval had ridden the pine, sitting on the bench for four of the five games.
Early in 2011, the Giants actually publicized their "Operation Panda," an effort to get Sandoval into better shape in the off season. It worked. Sandoval shed more than 30 pounds, and his playing improved.
Now, however, maybe it?s time for a new nickname. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ann Killion has suggested ?Se?or Octubre,? a play on Reggie Jackson?s reputation as ?Mr. October,? for his World Series clouts for the Yankees in the late 1970s.
The icing on the cake? Well, Sandoval hit the first two of his Game 1 homers off Detroit ace Justin Verlander (the third came off reliever Al Albuquerque). For a team that finished with fewer home runs than any team in the majors this season (103), the Panda?s power surge was a most welcome aberration.
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Friday, October 26, 2012
Pandora falls on report that Apple in talks for Internet radio
(Reuters) ? Shares of online streaming music service Pandora Media closed down 12 percent on a report that Apple Inc was in serious talks with major music labels to start an advertising-supported internet radio service by early next year.
A deal could be reached by mid-November with Apple starting a service within the first three months of 2013, Bloomberg said, quoting people with knowledge of the negotiations.
News last month that Apple could be considering a potential launch of an online streaming music service cast a shadow over Pandora?s business prospects. The company?s shares have dropped more than 40 percent since then.
Pandora faces fierce competition from the likes of Sirius XM Radio, Clear Channel and Spotify as they battle for listeners in the burgeoning online streaming radio market, but Apple ? with its huge purse and ties to music labels ? may be Pandora?s most serious challenger yet.
Executives from Vivendi SA?s Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp, and Sony Corp?s music division visited Apple?s headquarters recently to learn more about its radio plans, Bloomberg said.
Apple wants listeners to be able to buy tracks as music streams or revisit what they?ve heard in auto-generated playlists, it reported.
?We don?t comment on our stock price or rumored competitive moves,? Eric Brown, Pandora?s vice-president of communications wrote in an email.
?We remain focused on our listeners and delivering the best Internet radio experience for them,? he added.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
Shares of Pandora closed at $8.20 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. They were down 13 percent at $8.08 in trading after the bell.
(Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
Source: http://news.doddleme.com/news-room/pandora-falls-on-report-that-apple-in-talks-for-internet-radio-2/
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Apple Q4 Earnings - Business Insider
tonight.
Revenue is right in line, but EPS is worse than expected.
Apple beat on iPhone sales, but was below expectations for the iPad, Macs, and iPods.
Shares were halted before the earnings hit. Once they were open for trading, they started off down 2.5%. Not that bad, really.
Here is what Apple reported versus expectations here. (Expectations via Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray.):
The first thing that jumps out at us in this release is the weak iPad number. Analysts were really expecting Apple to sell 17.5 million iPads for the quarter. But, because Apple announced 100 million iPads sold at its iPad mini event, analysts rejiggered their numbers and backed into 15 million sold. Apple still missed that number. So, if you compare iPad sales to the original estimate, it's truly awful. We're guessing Apple will blame rumors about the iPad mini for weak iPad sales.
The next thing that jumps out is the iPhone sales. They were much better than expected. We'll be interested in hearing more on the call about why iPhone sales were so good.
We're live blogging the call, which starts at 5 PM eastern.
4:59 PM | Listening to the earnings music, which is classical, and classy.
5:00 PM | Look at that ... Apple's stock has comeback! It's now flat.
5:02 PM | Peter Oppenheimer, Tim Cook, Gary Wipfler on the call.
5:02 PM | There WILL be forward looking statements. Neat.
5:03 PM | Peter Oppenheimer starts
Please to report the results. New September record quarter for iPhone, iPad and Mac sales.
5:03 PM | Driven by growth in iPhone and iPad sales.
5:03 PM | Going over the numbers, which we have listed above.
5:04 PM | Details
Mac: Over 4.9 million, new Sept quarter growth, 1% y/y growth, compared to PC market which is 8% contraction.
Portables an all-time high.
Earlier this year we introduced new iMac. New thinner, lighter of MacBook Pro w/ Retina.
5:05 PM | iPods
5.3 million, iPod touch half of all sold. iPods 70% of MP3 market, top in most countries we track.
Excited to ship new iPods. iPod Touch details now... iPod nano thinnest ever.
5:06 PM | iTunes store
Revenue almost $2.1 billion, sales of music, apps, and video.
Look forward to launching new iTunes. Cleaner interface.
5:08 PM | iPhone
26.9 million, compared to 17.1 million last year. 58% growth.
We launched iPhone 5, demand phenomenal. Customers love new thin design. A6 chip, the ultra fast wireless.
Demand outstrips supply. Trying to get in people's hands.
Revenue from iPhone was $17.1 billion, compared to $11 billion, 56% increase.
5:09 PM | Talking about companies using iPhones
Cannon ... people get sales info.
Amtrak has given to train conductors, allows for better "passenger manifest" revenue comes in real time. REvolutionize paper based.
News orgs using iPhone to transform how they capture news. WSJ, BBC, etc doing HD video.
5:10 PM | iPad
Very pleased with sales of 14 million, a 26% y/y increase. Ahead of our expectations.
Earlier this week we introduced iPad mini, thinnest lightest we've ever built.
Also intro'd 4th generation iPad.
Revenue from iPad and accessories $7.5 billion, compared to $6.9 billion, increase of 9%.
5:11 PM | Talking about companies using iPads...
5:11 PM |
Sold over 44 million iOS devices in the quarter.
5:12 PM | New record for app sales. $6.5 billion in payments to developers.
5:12 PM | 190 million iCloud sign ups.
5:13 PM | Work non-stop till Maps lives up to our incredibly high standards.
5:14 PM | Retail
190 stores, 140 out of US.
Average revenue was $11.2 million compared to $10.7 million a year ago
Hosted 94 million visitors, versus 77.5 million year ago, increase of 22%
19,000 visitors per store, per week.
5:15 PM | Cash
$121.3 billion, up from $117 billion in last quarter. Net of dividends paid in August. Cash flow from operations was $9.1 billion.
5:16 PM | We may also purchase shares ...
5:16 PM | Review outlook now.
5:16 PM | As a reminder y/y will be impacted because this quarter is 13 weeks versus 14 weeks last quarter. Last year was 1/14.
5:17 PM | Expect 36% gross margin. (Very low.)
5:18 PM | Opens call to questions...
5:23 PM | Katy Huberty: December guidance right, would be a y/y decline... how you respond to that? Also gross margin?
OPpenheimer: Change y/y is driven by ... last year included a 14th week. This year is a 13th week, normal quarter. Also stronger US dollar, and change in gross margin. Going through detail on sequential basis.
This is most prolific product period. Newer repriced products are 80% of expected revenue. There are costs associated with demand. new form factors, never so many at once, all have higher costs, therefore lower gross margins. Case with products in the past. This time, its sheer number of new products.
Strongest iPhone line up w/ iPhone 4 free on contract. Also, iPad mini priced aggressively. Its GM is significantly below corporate average. So, we expect 4 percent sequential decline.
We expect benefits.
We lowered price of iPhone 4S, 4.
Transitionary costs wth new propducts.
High volume generated defered revenue. we defer each product we sell. In periods of strong sales, like december quarter, it's big.
September sales tha benefitted GM will not recur.
We will work to get margin up again.
5:24 PM | Tim Cook now...
We're dedicated to making the best products in the world. We're unwilling to cut corners. This this dedication is the reason customers buy our products. Managing for the long run. Will make long term decisions. Confident in decisions.
5:25 PM | Bill Shope: Supply ramp for the iPhone 5? Compared to past launches?
Tim Cook: Demand for iPhone extremely robust. Thrilled with what we see. We are in a significant state of backlog. Output improved significantly. Pleased with the progress. Pleased with volume ramp. Difficult to predict when supply adn demand balance. Confident in our ability to provide quite a few iPhones.
5:27 PM | Toni Sacconagi w/ Bernstein: Anticipate rolling out to all 100 countries this quarter? Supply constraints material impact on COGS?
Tim Cook: We still anticipate rolling out to 100 countries. Our fastest roll out ever. Some large countries in December.
In terms of cost, with each new product, we see learning curves. With these products we see nothing change. This is most prolific period in our history in terms of product innovation. We do see all of these costs associated with each of these, but I don't see those costs accelerating on a per unit basis. Production ramp across many many new products.
5:30 PM | Follow up from Toni: Asking about ipad being bigger than PC market. Can you see it evolving to larger tablets?
Tim Cook: As you know, we don't comment on future products, but let me make some comments...
Continue to be confident tablet market will surpass the PC market, incredible development in tablet space. Already extremely compelling for many many customers to choose an iPad over a PC. Look at size of PC market, compelling optty for Apple there.
We think iPad and iPad mini and iPad all extremely offerings in lieu of PCs. We're going to continue to focus on future of iPad. Comfident what we have in the pipeline. Can't wait to start selling first units on Friday.
5:32 PM | Shannon Cross: Talk about China?
Tim: In terms of what we saw, revenue $5.7 billion for quarter, Mac up 44%, launched portables for first time, iPad up 45%, iPhone up 38%. That $23.8 billion full year revenue, up over $10 billion y/y, up 78%. Continue to expand, continue to see it as an extremely exciting market.
5:33 PM | Cross follow up: Surface? Competition?
Tim: I havent played with a Surface yet. What we're reading about is, is that it's a fairly compromised, confusing product. I think one of the toughest things you do, is make hard trade offs. Decide what a product should be. We're really done that with iPad. User experience incredible. I supposed you could design a car that flys and floats, but wouldn't do those things very well. People want iPads and I think they will contnue to do that.
5:35 PM | New analyst: How do you want to differentiate the Mini? Cannibalization of old product?
Tim: We don't have old products, only new products (ZING). We provide iPod Touch, 4th gen iPad, iPad 2, and customers will decide which ones they want. We learned to not worry about cannibalization. Big oppty is 80-90 million PCS being bought. I think those people would be better off with iPad, or Mac. That's optty for Apple. So instead of cannabilzing, i think it's a much bigger optty.
5:37 PM | Follow up on Apple TV? How many sold? Living room strategy..
Tim: Q4, 1.3 million, up 100% y/y. More than 5 million for fiscal year, almost double previous year. Business continues to do well, but if you look at size of revenue versus other businesses still small. A beloved hobby. Still think more there, continue to pull the string.
5:40 PM | Gene Munster: Talk about iPad? Decel in Sept quarter?
Tim: June to September was 17 mill to 14 mill. As we talked in July, June had channel inventory increase, sell thru comparison looks different than sell in numbers. 14 million exceeded what we expected. We expected decline basedon 2-3 years of results, we see seasonal reduction in Sept quarter v June. K-12 in June quarter, not in Sept quarter. Higher ed move, which is still buying notebooks for the most part. Exaggerated by new product in the march quarter. In addition to all that, clear people delayed new iPad purchases because of new product rumors. Some anticiapted, some i wish wouldn't occur. Sell thru y/y grew 44%. Underlying sell thru extremely strong. We think incredible holiday season.
5:41 PM | Munster follow: Margins, would you pass costs to customers?
Tim: Hypothetical, we think we've made great choices. Customary practice is to just guide for current quarter. Dont want to talk about what we might do post that.
5:42 PM | Moskowitz from JPM: Question on ... iPad and iPhone revenue growth
Peter: If you're looking at y/y don't forget about th 14th week. Adjust for that! Just announced amazing new products. Large sequential increases. Thrilled for guidance of $52 bill in revenue.
5:43 PM | Follow up on iPhone 5 roll out ... why so wide? Will there be supply issues then fill in later?
Tim: What we did was plan first 30-40 countries, then roll those out in September across two countries. Rest with an eye towards supply. Not a precise science. Need several weeks of notice. Can be different than what we think.
5:47 PM | iPad mini price question
Oppenheimer: Not trying to build a cheap tablet. So difference between us and competition is profound. Fit and finish of our iPad mini is breath taking when held in your hands. iPad mini has higher costs, margin sig below our corporate average. We're going to work to get down the cost curve.
Tim: Creat product people will love for months and years after they purchase and continue using in a robust way. iPad mini designed to do. You can see on iPad looking at usage. 90% of tablet traffic is iPad. Apple will not make a product people feel good about in the moment, but rarely use again. Not what we want customers to have. Use an iPad mini and I don't think you'll be using anything else again.
5:47 PM | Enterprise optty?
Tim: We now have almost all Fortune 500 test deploy ipad. Penetration will only grow. Pushed aggressively in global 500, that's above 80%. Much more to go.
5:49 PM |
Tim: In terms of iPad and iPhone, dont see a component shortage. iMac will be constrained. Short time in quarter to manufacture and ship. So significant shortage. Others are based on how big is big. Bullish on demand as you cna see from revenue guidance.
5:52 PM | Brian Marshall: Is market going to low end SKU stack?
Oppenhemier: The iPhone ASP were relatively flat y/y, up slightly sequential. iPad ASP down y/y this was reflective of price reduction on iPad 2 and stronger dollar and change in the mix. Drove ASP change. iPad ASP pretty flat q/q.
5:53 PM | Marshall: US iPhone activations bigger than international?
Cook: iPhone 5 in US in quarter, bulk of world not in, so I would expect it.
5:53 PM | Keith Bachman: iPhone 5 in China in december?
Tim: yes, we project it will.
5:54 PM | Follow: Meet supply at end of quarter?
Tim: Not projecting if will balance for end of quarter. Feel great where we are.
5:55 PM | What do you think of subsidize hardware with search/content? How impact iPad business?
Tim: We've seen low cost challengers before, and iPad continues to beat every other tablet. Customers smart, want a device that can do more. We're confident that focus on the best product will win at the end of the day so we will stay true to that.
5:57 PM | Did you leave Samsung supplys?
Tim: Not a change in our supplier partners. Some changes, but not significant. Not a change that would have driven more costs...
LCD I wouldn't characterize any change driven cost. Samsung, we continue to be a customer, continue to have a commercial relationship.
5:59 PM | Question about iPad mini size...
Tim: Comments you are referencing what Steve mentioned about 7-inch. Let me be clear, we would never make one, we don't think they're good products. One of the reasons is size. Not sure if you saw the keynote. The difference in real estate ... usable area is much greater. iPad mini same pixels as iPad 2. So you have access to all 275,000 apps that have been customed designed to take advantage of canvas. iPad mini not a compromised product like the other products. In a whole different league.
6:01 PM | And that's that!
All done.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-q4-earnings-2012-10
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Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookie Recipe from Tv Food And Drink ...
Thin Mints are now relics of your past. THIS is the cookie recipe girl scouts will kill to keep out of your hands!
Forget what The Bossa Nova favorite, ?Once I Loved? tells you. ?I am here to testify that love is in fact not the saddest thing when it goes away. ?A plate of these chocolate mint sandwiches disappearing is far far worse. ?It?s enough to send me to the bottom of the swimming pool in my apartment courtyard, sucking my thumb and desperately holding on to a lead teddy bear.
Think ?chocolate covered mint Oreos? and you?re pretty much on board.
Here is that phenomenal cookie that will keep you up at night, as it quietly calls your name from that easily infiltrated plastic dessert container on your kitchen counter. ?You know? the one you have every intention of taking with you to work the next day because you truly mean to share these sinfully rich cookies ? gooey on the outside, crispy on the inside, and a rich chocolaty peppermint center ? with your co-workers.
But really, is that actually going to happen? ?What have your lousy co-workers really done for you? ?A sheet cake with your name misspelled for your birthday and a Darth Vader Get Well card when you were sick (?I sense a disturbance in the force!?).
Fuck ?em.
Share these with nobody. ?And I guarantee that at least one of these cookies you end up eating while your pajamas are on.
Leftover chocolate peppermint ganache makes a great mid-day treat. Just ask my sister!
Chocolate Mint Sandwiches from Martha Stewart
**A Note from Gary: These cookies are well-worth the little bit of extra effort involved, but this recipe yields only 18-20 cookies. ?Also remember that they are very, very rich. ?Only piggy people like myself and my sister will really want more than one or two. ?Keep that in mind.
For The Cookie
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Confectioners? sugar, for work surface
For The Ganache
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
For The Glaze
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
Make cookies: Whisk together cocoa powder and flour in a bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg until well blended. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer dough to a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners? sugar. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (take your time? the dough is a little sticky and breaks apart easily); space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining scraps of dough. Bake cookies until firm, rotating sheets halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
While cookies are in the oven, make ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly until chocolate is smooth. Stir in peppermint extract. Let cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
Spoon 1 teaspoon ganache onto the bottom of 1 cookie; sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly. Dip one flat side of each sandwich into melted chocolate to coat; gently shake off excess. Place sandwiches, chocolate sides up, on wire racks set over baking sheets. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
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Posted in Cookie Season and Desserts and Homemade 10 hours, 28 minutes ago at 9:47 am. 3 comments
Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2012/10/season-cookie-chocolate-mint-sandwiches/
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
How to Negotiate Your Parental Leave - Amy Gallo - Best Practices ...
Few people pay attention to their company's parental leave policy until they're about to become a mother or father. But once that happens, it's critical to know how much time you can take off, and with what pay. Getting the leave you want is a matter of understanding your company's policy and then appropriately advocating for your needs.
What the Experts Say
Joan Williams, a law professor and the founding director of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law, says that most large organizations have a policy on the books, but it's rarely set in stone. "There are a lot of informal negotiations that go on with supervisors," agrees Peter Cappelli, a management professor at the Wharton School and the author of Talent on Demand: Managing Talent in an Age of Uncertainty. For many parents-to-be, the company's standard benefit is more of a starting point than a mandate. "Even when there is a policy, employees often negotiate a better situation for themselves," says Denise Rousseau, the H.J. Heinz II Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School of Public Policy and Tepper School of Business and author of I-Deals: Idiosyncratic Deals Workers Bargain for Themselves. So if you're unhappy with what your company offers, consider following these steps to try for a more generous leave. (Note that while this advice is based on policies and norms in U.S. companies, the general advice can be used in any setting where you are hoping to negotiate a better situation for yourself):
Know what you're entitled to
Start by reviewing your organization's employee manual or talking with someone in HR. In the U.S., if your firm has more than 50 employees within a 75-mile radius of its worksites, it's subject to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which requires companies to grant new parents at least 12 weeks of unpaid, job-guaranteed leave. Some organizations go beyond this requirement. According to the Families and Work Institute's 2012 National Study of Employers, the average policy allows 14 weeks for the primary-care giver. But for many new parents that time off is only partially paid, or completely unpaid. While 58% of new mothers and 14% of fathers receive some amount of replacement pay, only 9% of companies offer a fully paid benefit. (It's worth noting that the U.S. is only one of three countries that doesn't offer paid maternity benefits).
Ask yourself if that's enough
Unfortunately, few organizations have policies that fit the needs of modern working families. "Many of the workplaces of today are perfectly designed for the workforce of 1960," says Williams. Once you understand what you are entitled to, ask yourself, "Will it meet my needs? Will I have enough time off? Will the pay be sufficient?" Talk with your partner or spouse. Of course, it's hard to anticipate how much leave you'll want until your child has arrived. One solution is to ask for the longest amount of time you can afford to take, knowing that you can return to work earlier if you choose to.
Explore alternatives
Williams suggests you ask around and find out what precedents colleagues have set with their parental leaves and what companies comparable to your own offer their employees. "It's worthwhile to investigate what other types of arrangements have been acceptable," agrees Rousseau. "Find out who else has been on leave recently, what problems they had, and how they solved them."
There will be limits to what you can negotiate. You may be able to get more time off or a flexible work schedule more easily than you can get more pay. Cappelli suggests you list all of the different options that might work for you. "Then rank them ? which ones are easiest for your employer to say yes to, which ones need the least approval," he says.
Start with your manager
Rousseau points out that most individualized arrangements start as a negotiation between a valued employee and her manager. Bring it up with your boss as a problem you're hoping to solve together, not a demand or threat. The research you did will be helpful to your boss and may give him leverage to advocate on your behalf. "This is where it really helps to be a good employee that they don't want to lose," says Cappelli. If you think your boss will be unsympathetic, you can also start with HR. However, "HR is often reluctant to deviate from what's in print," says Rousseau.
Framing your request as an exception to the policy can make some managers uncomfortable. Instead, you might try to set it up as an experiment. "Organizations innovate or update policies by having people challenge them and set new precedents," says Rousseau.
Know when to take what you're given
Sometimes you shouldn't negotiate. "If people are being laid-off around you, if you're not on great terms with your boss, it's not a good time to ask about anything that looks like special treatment," says Cappelli. Rousseau says your decision to negotiate should also be dependent on your past job performance. "Anytime you have something that is non-compliant, it can create tension. If you're not in good standing it can be hard to make the case," she says.
Fathers: Take note
"It's incredibly rare that men take the full paternal leave given to them," says Williams. And that's not because they're more eager than women to get back to work. "We hear right left and middle that men are discouraged from it," she explains. Rousseau agrees, "Men pay more of a career price for taking time off." While it's important to recognize this bias, don't let it prevent you from using your benefit or from negotiating something better. That's the only way the inequity will change.
Principles to Remember
Do:
- Do some background research to understand what types of leaves others have taken and what other companies offer
- Start by talking to your manager about the leave you hope to take
- Ask for the longest amount of time you can afford ? you can always return to work earlier if you choose to
Don't:
- Shy away from taking the full leave offered to you, especially if you're a father
- Frame your negotiation as an exception to the existing policy ? try to set it up as an experiment instead
- Negotiate if you aren't in good standing as an employee
Case study #1 ? Lead the way
When Cara Quinn* first joined the educational technology company where she's worked for the past three years, she didn't take note of its maternity policy. She wasn't yet married or even thinking about kids. But last winter when she became pregnant, she was disappointed to find out the company offered no paid leave. As a Massachusetts resident, Cara was eligible to apply for short-term disability but that wouldn't cover her whole salary and wouldn't kick in until two weeks after she'd given birth.
At first, she just accepted the policy at face value. But then she started asking around about other employers' rules. "It was really eye-opening to realize that not a single friend worked for a company that was quite so stingy," she says. People advised her to negotiate a better deal and, although she was hesitant, she did eventually sit down with her manager to explain what a tough financial position the policy would put her in. She shared the research she'd done on peer companies and asked if there was any leeway in her employer's policy. Her supervisor agreed to talk with the HR director to get more information.
After a few back-and-forth discussions, the company agreed to cover the blackout period before she could apply for short-term disability. "That was certainly an improvement; two weeks out of twelve is far better than zero," she says. They also agreed to let her work remotely so she could earn additional money.
Cara admits that it isn't an ideal situation but she's happy she negotiated. And she feels fortunate that her husband's law firm is more generous. He gets two months of fully paid paternity leave.
"For a while it made me feel incredibly disheartened that women aren't valued and I wonder whether I should stay when I have another child," she says. But for now she's home with her baby and enjoying her partially paid leave.
*not her real name
Case study #2 ? To get what you want, you have to ask
Brian Braiker had been an editor at Newsweek for four years when his wife got pregnant with their first child. During the pregnancy, they discussed the possibility of one of them staying home during the first year. "Neither of us were thrilled with the idea of putting a baby in someone else's care full time. I think that first year of development and bonding is crucial," he says. They agreed that after his wife's three-month maternity was up, Brian would take over as a full-time parent. "She out-earned me tremendously. I was a journalist. She was a consultant. Financially it just made sense if one of us was going to stay home, it would be me," he says. Newsweek had an official paternity policy of two weeks paid leave, which he took right after the birth, and FMLA guaranteed him his job for three months. But Brian and his wife were hoping for longer.
He went to his boss, Deidre, to ask for a six-month unpaid leave. He suspected she would be open to it ? she had taken a year off when her child was born ? and she was. "I think she admired that I wanted to do it. She places a high premium on family," he says. And the organization seemed supportive as well. "If there was any resistance to the idea of an extended leave she shielded me from it," he says. When his six months were almost up, he asked for a three-month extension, which his boss again granted.
When he returned to Newsweek, he parlayed his experience into work. He started a Newsweek blog called, "I, Breeder" about parenting issues. Brian says he didn't have any concerns about the impact on his career. "My boss was empathetic so I knew I would be able to pick up roughly where I left off," he says. "Besides if my legacy comes down to being a great parent or being a great Newsweek employee, being a parent is going to win every time."
Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2012/10/how-to-negotiate-your-parental-leave.html
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Acupuncture relieves symptoms of a dry mouth caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, study suggests
ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? Patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancer often suffer from the unpleasant and distressing side-effect of a dry mouth, caused by damage to their salivary glands from the radiation.
Now, a new study has shown that acupuncture can relieve the symptoms of dry mouth (known as xerostomia). The findings from the largest trial yet to investigate this are published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology? on October 24.
Around half a million people worldwide develop head and neck cancer each year and, at present, there are few effective treatments for dry mouth, which is a common side effect of radiotherapy; as many as 41% of patients can still be suffering from it five years later. Xerostomia affects the patients' quality of life, interfering with taste, chewing, speaking and sleeping. Short-term solutions such as mouthwashes, gels and toothpastes provide some respite, while treatment with a drug called pilocarpine has its own unwanted side-effects.
Doctors at seven cancer centres in the UK* recruited 145 patients suffering from radiation-induced xerostomia to a trial comparing acupuncture with education about oral care. The patients were randomised to receive group acupuncture sessions for 20 minutes every week for eight weeks, or two oral care educational sessions for one hour, one month apart. Four weeks after the end of these two different types of care, the patients swapped over to receive the other treatment.
Symptoms of xerostomia were measured objectively by means of paper strips, called Schirmer strips, which measure the amount of saliva in the mouth. A tried and tested quality of life questionnaire measured patients' subjective reporting of how their mouths felt, with questions about changes in individual symptoms such as sticky saliva, dry lips, needing to sip water to relieve a dry mouth, needing to sip water to help swallow food, and waking at night to sip water.
Although the researchers found there were no significant changes in saliva production, patients who had received nine weeks of acupuncture were twice as likely to report improved dry mouth than patients receiving oral care. Individual symptoms were also significantly improved among the group receiving acupuncture.
Dr Richard Simcock, consultant clinical oncologist at the Sussex Cancer Centre and one of the authors of the study, said: "Time had an important effect on key symptoms, with patients receiving acupuncture showing a quick response, which was sustained over several weeks."
The researchers said that the subjective reporting of improvements in xerostomia was of more significance than the lack of changes in the objective test with the Schirmer strips. "There was no clear relationship between a patient indicating they had a very dry mouth and the measurement of saliva on the Schirmer strips," explained Dr Simcock. "By definition these patients with chronic xerostomia produced little or no saliva, making objective measurements really difficult. Many studies have focused on the objective measurement of how much saliva is produced, but the amount of saliva produced does not necessarily influence the experience of a dry mouth. Xerostomia is therefore an entirely subjective symptom -- it is what the patient says it is, regardless of salivary measurement."
They also believed that the improvements in the experience of xerostomia were unlikely to be due to a placebo effect. Dr Valerie Jenkins, Deputy Director of Sussex Health Outcomes Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C) at Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, who supervised the research, said: "The profound impact that xerostomia exerts on functions such as eating, talking and sleeping, which were relieved by the acupuncture means that if it is entirely a placebo effect than this is a pretty powerful placebo. In addition, the results showed that patients were less likely to wake at night to sip water after treatment -- this effect seems difficult to ascribe solely to placebo."
She concluded: "The scepticism that exists about complementary therapies such as these is often due to inadequately designed and reported studies. This was a well-controlled, randomised trial conducted in major cancer centres throughout UK with good governance and reporting of adverse events."
The researchers say that further studies are needed to refine the acupuncture technique and discover how long its effect lasts and whether booster sessions might be required. But they believe it could be easily incorporated into the care of patients with xerostomia.
Dr Simcock said: "This is a very neglected group of patients suffering from a most unpleasant side-effect of treatment for which all other ameliorative interventions have failed to address adequately. The acupuncture intervention has been designed in a way that allows it to be delivered simply and cheaply in normal hospital surroundings and yet still produces a significant benefit for patients with a chronic symptom."
* The seven UK centres were: Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton; Guy's & St Thomas's Hospital Trust, London; Mount Vernon Hospital, London; Maidstone Hospital, Kent; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham; Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford; The Royal Marsden, Sutton.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Oxford University Press (OUP), via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- R. Simcock, L. Fallowfield, K. Monson, I. Solis-Trapala, L. Parlou, C. Langridge, and V. Jenkins, on behalf of the ARIX Steering Committee. ARIX: a randomised trial of acupuncture v oral care sessions in patients with chronic xerostomia following treatment of head and neck cancer. Annals of Oncology, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mds515
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/cOmHcleWGWE/121023204630.htm
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Travcoa Transforms How Travelers Experience The World : Leisure ...
Travelers Today | By Travpr.com Press Release
Updated: Oct 23, 2012 09:38 AM EDT
Baby Boomers and Families Can Explore the World in More Than 100 Ways with a New Collection of Luxury Independent Journeys
(TRAVPR.COM) USA - October 22nd, 2012 - EL SEGUNDO, CA - Travcoa, the world leader in luxury travel, is transforming the way guests experience travel with the recently released 2013 Independent Journeys Collection brochure that features 78 finely-crafted itineraries to 66 countries. Forty-six new journeys have been added to the collection for 2013, which now includes 100 journeys to 70 countries available for sale on the company's website.
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These exclusive journeys cater to the traveler who seeks the freedom and intimacy of private travel, the convenience and value of a pre-arranged itinerary, and the style and quality for which Travcoa is renowned. Most journeys depart any day of the week and are suitable for one person or as many as you wish. Guests enjoy the best in a destination - luxury hotels, resorts and lodges; breakfast daily; private car and driver; highly skilled local guides; exceptional excursions; and privileged access to people, places and cultures.
"Travcoa Independent Journeys have become our fastest growing style of travel," stated Jerre Fuqua, President of Travcoa. "They are especially attractive to the discerning Baby Boomer market, as well as individual families and multi-generational family groups, as they provide the benefits of a guided tour with the flexibility and personalization of a private luxury journey."
Guests can select from single and multiple country journeys, such as "ThaiCamLao Discovery" which visits Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. In addition, Independent Journeys can easily be linked together to create an even more highly personalized journey, and guests will save 10% on the cost of the second journey. For example, "Mythical Machu Picchu" can be linked with "Darwin's Gal?pagos" for an exceptional journey to two iconic South American destinations.
For more information, to request a brochure, or to make a reservation, please contact a travel agent or a Travcoa Journey Consultant at 1-800-992-2003, email info@travcoa.com or visit www.travcoa.com.
About Travcoa:
Travcoa has been leading luxury adventures and in-depth explorations of the world's most interesting destinations since 1954. The company offers three types of travel experiences around the globe: small-group Escorted Journeys with comprehensive itineraries guided by professional Travel Directors; pre-designed and priced Independent Journeys for guests who prefer private travel on a date of their choice; and Custom Journeys crafted to individual guest specifications.
?
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Retailers May Start Using New Surveillance Tech - Business Insider
We've covered surveillance tech that identifies faces and people under the influence, even an iPhone app that helps block potential spies, government or otherwise.
Now there's surveillance that could change the future of retail.
Bioscholar.com?reports that "Mirela Popa and colleagues at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, are developing a software that can automatically categorise shoppers? behaviour using video footage from the fisheye cameras."
The CCTV cameras would be outfitted with a special algorithm in their software which logs and learns a shopper's behavior ? and a 'confused' shopper could become the target of floor personnel.
Popa told Bioscholar that there will be more cameras at eye level, measuring customers' interactions with certain products.?
The military has been working on "Behavior Recognition Algorithms" for a while now.
Popa plans to deliver the findings of all the data she and her team gathers to the?International Conference on Image Processing in Florida this month. The Conference is sponsored by the?Institute for Electronics and Electronic Engineer's Signal Processing Society, which caters often to the needs of military and government agencies.
NOW SEE: This Russian Website Is Selling Illegal Access To Private American Servers
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Dell announces its first multi-touch monitor, the S2340T, and a wireless trackpad for Windows 8
In addition to trotting out a new Windows 8 Ultrabook and putting its Windows RT tablet up for pre-order, Dell just announced its first multi-touch display along with a wireless trackpad optimized for Win 8. Starting with the 23-inch S2340T, it has 1080p resolution and a 90-degree articulating stand that allows the display to lie nearly face-up. At the base, you'll find various inputs, including USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ethernet. There's also a webcam up top for those of you who plan on giving the new version of Skype a try. Meanwhile, the TP713 (pictured) is a Magic Trackpad-style touchpad designed to support Windows 8 gestures, such as swiping in from the left to toggle through applications. Both are up on Dell's site now, with the monitor priced at $650 and the trackpad going for $70. Both are expected to begin shipping this week.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/dell-s2340T-multitouch-monitor-TP713-wireless-trackpad/
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Relieve Minor Burns with a Potato
Accidentally burn yourself while cooking? If you were cooking potatoes, or have one handy, how-to illustrator Yumi Sakugawa points out that they're great for minor burn relief.
How? You just dice up a small part of the potato and combine it with tap water to make a paste, then spread that paste over the burn. Leave it there for a few minutes for a soothing effect. Pretty cool if it's just a minor burn. If you have a bad burn, however, go see a doctor!
12 Weirdly Practicaly Uses for Potatoes | Secret Tips from the Yumiverse
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/_IeqI1T_Gnw/relieve-minor-burns-with-a-potato
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Naming A baby - Adoption.com Forums
I don?t know the answer you are looking for, but I know we changed our foster-adopt name once he was in our home full time. Legally no, on paperwork no, but if you ask him what his name is he will tell you the name we gave him. I felt fine changing it because we planned on adopting him. His caseworker and everyone else involved knew we did it and did not mind.
________________
My adoption journey:
Information class 12/2010
Application completed 10/2011
PRIDE completed 1/2012
Home Study competed 2/2012
Approved to Adopt 3/2012
RAS 1 5/2012
RAS 2 6/2012, picked! We said Yes!
Transition started 7/2012
Court 8/2012 ? MOVE IN!!!
Trial 10/2012 ? Rights terminated
Adoption 2013
Source: http://forums.adoption.com/texas-foster-adoption/409082-naming-baby.html
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Monday, October 22, 2012
10 Farm-To-Table Restaurants In Vancouver, Canada | Gadling.com
, it was apparent many restaurants are trying to create sustainable, farm-to-table menus. It's a great city if you're an eco-conscious traveler due to the many options for any price level. To help guide you, here are some top picks for morally conscious cuisine in Vancouver.
I'm not sure there are any other restaurants in the city that take creative sustainability to the level Diva at the Met does. Chef Hamid Salimian and his team enjoy foraging when they can, even for the organic matters like stones, driftwood and torched bark that make up the snack plates. Chef Salimian visualizes what most can not even fathom, while remaining as organic as possible. For example, a slice of chicken bacon from a biodiverse farm might be brined and smoked for days and come on a stone slab, while a squid ink-infused mussel bread will be topped with roe and made to look like coral. Seafood comes from Ocean Wise-certified providers, while produce comes from farms with high crop biodiversity. In terms of farms, most of their produce comes from North Arm Farm, Sapo Bravo, Glourish Organics and Cherry Lane Farm. Although an upscale restaurant, meals can be affordable, with prices ranging from $19 to $38 for an entree, to the five-course tasting menu at $55 and the seven-course tasting menu at $75.
Cibo Trattoria900 Seymour Street
Like Diva at the Met, Cibo Trattoria immerses you in a relaxed, romantic ambiance. However, while Diva focuses on surreal gastronomy, Cibo Trattoria serves up rustic Italian fare with a modern twist. What's really interesting at this venue is they change their menu daily, focusing on what's fresh and in-season. While certain meats and cheeses come from Italy to get authenticity, much of their ingredients are locally sourced from British Columbia farms, with deliveries coming daily. For example, their radishes come from Aldergrove while their watercress is purchased from Hannah Brooks Farm in Langley. Typical dishes may include a handmade paccheri pasta with meatballs, oregano, San Marzano tomatoes and ricotta salada, crispy ox tongue with marinated heirloom peppers or roast bone marrow garlic and parsley bread crumbs and apple salad. They also do seasonally inspired dishes for fresh ingredients, like pumpkin ravioli with chili, garlic, marjoram and amaretti. You can sample local wines from the Okanagan and Fraser valleys. And although they have to reprint their menus daily, all printouts are done on recycled paper, which is also recycled after use. The menu includes affordable small plates as well as pastas for about $15 and entrees for less than $30.
C Restaurant
1600 Howe Street
As the founding restaurant in the Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Program, C Restaurant was one of the first in Vancouver to deconstruct seafood supply lines, dealing directly with the fisherman to ensure a product that is of the highest quality and ethical sensitivity. Since the restaurant focuses on seasonal freshness, there really isn't a signature dish. Instead, its signature is to utilize sustainable seafood and local produce as much as possible. Not only is their food sustainable, but their wine program features vintages from British Columbia's Okanagan Region, as well as global wines made with an organic and biodynamic philosophy. The restaurant is contemporary, with entrees averaging $30.
Juno Vancouver Sushi Bistro
572 Davie Street
You don't need to eat at an upscale restaurant to enjoy a sustainable meal. And with Vancouver having myriad sushi establishments, it would be wrong not to include one on this list. Located in Yaletown, Juno Vancouver Sushi Bistro doesn't simply churn out rolls, they focus on high-quality cuisine and fresh ingredients, employing only serious Japanese chefs. Ingredients include wild seafood, natural beef, free-range chicken and heritage KUROBUTA pork, all locally-sourced from British Columbia farms. If you're in the mood for a local drink, Juno serves sakes from the Granville Island Artisan Sake Maker and BC "Vintners Quality Alliance" (VQA) wines.
Raincity Grill
1193 Denman Street
This high-end restaurant opened in 1992 with a menu that featured locally-sourced food. Eventually, Raincity Grill also added their signature 100-mile menu, which showcased items with ingredients from within 100-miles of Vancouver.
"Our menu is a tribute to the local farmers, fisherman and producers of British Columbia," it states on their homepage. "The Chef sources out the best organic, sustainable products available ... 'Farm-to-table' has become a recent catchphrase but at Raincity Grill it has been a philosophy for twenty years."
Some specific sustainable menu items include "Brioche French Toast" with Fraser Valley compote and house-made huckleberry syrup, a "Spinach And Berry" salad with North Arm Farm spinach, local berries and Okanagan goat's cheese and "Fraser Valley Duck Breast" with wild coastal huckleberries. If you're on a budget, check out their $10 fish and chips window. Libations are also in line with their 'go local' philosophy, as the restaurant serves wines from the Pacific West Coast.
Edible Canada Bistro
1596 Johnston Street
Located on Granville Island, Edible Canada's bistro does an excellent job of supporting the farm-to-feast philosophy. While their food is fresh and locally grown, even using onsite plant boxes of herbs and produce and making use of the adjacent public market, their efforts extend beyond eating. In fact, the venue features tabletops made of recycled fir tree, hostess stands created with discarded beach cedar and two complimentary charging stations for electric vehicles. As for drinks, they're spearheading the revolution of offering wine on tap, an environmentally-friendly way to serve vino as it eliminates the packaging and, because 27% of glass is recovered for recycling, stops millions of bottles from going to the landfill. Menu items range from $11 to $28, while their bacon window also offers inexpensive eats.
The Templeton
1087 Granville Street
Located in Vancouver's lively entertainment district, The Templeton is an old-fashioned retro diner serving comfort food in a sustainable way. Most ingredients are organic and locally sourced, and there are an array of vegetarian and vegan options, like lentil loaf, tofu omelets, Portobello mushroom burgers and veggie bacon. If you're a carnivore, The Templeton features organic, free-range and non-medicated meats. Best of all, this venue is cheap to moderately priced with $10 burgers, $10 fish and chips and $16 steaks. Finish it off with a $5 deep-fried Mars bar.
Trafalgar's Bistro
2603 West 16th Avenue
Trafalgars Bistro and adjacent Sweet Obsession bakery in Kitsilano are pioneers when it comes to sustainability. In the summer of 2011, the venues launched a recycling and composting initiative that was the first of its kind by installing a Green Good composting system. By doing this, they were able to eliminate all organic waste going to landfill, with 99% of the remaining trash being recycled. Additionally, their strong association with Inner City Farms means they can make use of their compost in Vancouver's urban gardens. In terms of food, their seafood is certified Ocean Wise, all meats are unmedicated and free-range and produce is almost always locally sourced. While the ambiance suggests fine dining, it's actually a casual and affordable place to eat, with entrees ranging from $17 to $30 and a three-course menu for $30.
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street
Located in Yaletown, the casual yet elegant Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar has always focused on farm-to-table and ocean-to-table. All seafood is delivered to their kitchen daily and only the absolute freshest, exceptional quality fish and shellfish are selected. Most of them are line caught, trap caught or sustainably farmed in British Columbia. During the month of February, they even feature an annual Unsung Heroes Festival, which introduces diners to new experiences and flavors using abundant fish species, showcasing to people options other than over-fished varieties. It's no surprise the establishment is Ocean Wise, with swimming scallops from the Gulf Islands, Kusshi oysters and Reed oysters from B.C. and sustainably-farmed sturgeon from Sechelt. A typical entree is about $34.
La Pentola
322 Davie Street
Recently opened in September 2012, La Pentola serves up gourmet Italian dishes while also incorporating the Italian philosophy to source locally. In Italy, the regions are diverse because specific ingredients are important to different areas. Additionally, there are a vast amount of quality, artisanal products and farms around Vancouver, which La Pentola makes use of by working with them to create their dishes. For example, the restaurant uses squab from local livestock farms. Their dish has a sauce made from grapes, and a walla walla onion puree where both ingredients come from local Stoney Paradise Farm. To La Pentola, being cutting edge also means holding yourself accountable to the environment and the community. Expect to pay about $6 to $17 for a starter, $12/$13 for a pasta and $30 for an entree.
[Images via Diva at the Met, C Restaurant, Raincity Grill, The Templeton, Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar]
Source: http://www.gadling.com/2012/10/22/10-farm-to-table-restaurants-in-vancouver-canada/
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Liquor Control Board to sell remaining liquor inventory at auction - The
Rolf Boone/The Business Blog Modified October 21, 2012
The state Liquor Control Board is set to auction off 15,000 cases of alcohol and related products at a live auction in Seattle Nov. 1.
The auction, which begins at 10 a.m., is open only to spirits retailers, distributors and restaurant licensees who are 21 or older. Prospective bidders will need to put down a $5,000 deposit.
The auction will be divided into 138 lots: five lots of mini-bottles, eight lots of pints, 10 lots of high-dollar items and 115 lots of spirits, wine, mixers, garnish and beer. The Liquor Control Board paid $1.29 million for the inventory.
If you go:
-Time: Registration is at 8 a.m.; live bids begin at 10 a.m.
-Location: Liquor Control Board distribution center, 4401 East Marginal Way, Seattle.
-Format: Live auction led by a local auction company.
-Bid deposit: $5,000.
For more information, go to: http://www.liq.wa.gov
Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/10/21/2292733/liquor-control-board-to-sell-remaining.html
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In Myanmar, only sickest HIV patients get drugs
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Thein Aung has been trained not to show weakness, but he's convinced no soldier is strong enough for this.
He clenches his jaw and pauses, trying to will his chin to stop quivering and his eyes not to blink. But he's like a mountain that is crumbling. His shoulders shake, then collapse inward, and he suddenly seems small in the denim Wrangler shirt that's rolled up to his elbows and hanging loosely off his skinny arms. Big tears drip from his reddened eyes, and he looks away, ashamed.
As he sits outside a crowded clinic on the outskirts of Myanmar's biggest city, he knows his body is struggling to fight HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes ? but he can't help wishing he was sicker.
Although Aung is ill enough to qualify for HIV treatment in other poor countries, there's simply not enough pills to go around in Myanmar. Only the sickest of the sick are lucky enough to go home with a supply of lifesaving medicine here. The others soon learn their fate is ultimately decided by the number of infection-fighting cells found inside the blood samples they give every three months.
The World Health Organization recommends treatment start when this all-important CD4 count drops to 350.
In Myanmar, it must fall below 150.
____
Antiretroviral therapy, in the past considered a miracle only available to HIV patients in the West, is no longer scarce in many of the poorest parts of the world. Pills are cheaper and easier to access, and HIV is not the same killer that once left thousands of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa.
But Myanmar, otherwise known as Burma, remains a special case. Kept in the dark for so many decades by its reclusive ruling junta, this country of 60 million did not reap the same international aid as other needy nations. Heavy economic sanctions levied by countries such as the United States, along with virtually nonexistent government health funding, left an empty hole for medicine and services. Today, Myanmar ranks among the world's hardest places to get HIV care, and health experts warn it will take years to prop up a broken health system hobbled by decades of neglect.
"Burma is like the work that I did in Africa in the'90s. It's 15, 20 years out of date," says Dr. Chris Beyrer, an HIV expert at Johns Hopkins University who has worked in Myanmar for years. "If you actually tried to treat AIDS, you'd have to say that everybody with every other condition is going to die unless there are more resources."
Of the estimated 240,000 people living with HIV, half are going without treatment. And some 18,000 people die from the disease every year, according to UNAIDS.
The problem worsened last year after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria canceled a round of funding due to a lack of international donations. The money was expected to provide HIV drugs for 46,500 people.
But as Myanmar wows the world with its reforms, the U.S. and other nations are easing sanctions. The Global Fund recently urged Myanmar to apply for more assistance that would make up the shortfall and open the door for HIV drugs to reach more than 75 percent of those in need by the end of 2015. It would also fight tuberculosis, a major killer of HIV patients. TB in Myanmar is at nearly triple the global rate as multi-drug resistant forms of the disease surge.
The aid group Doctors Without Borders has tried to take up the slack by providing more than half the HIV drugs being distributed. But every day, physicians at its 23 clinics must make agonizing decisions to turn away patients like Aung, who are desperately ill but still do not qualify for medicine because their CD4 counts are too high.
"It's very difficult to see those kind of situations," says Kyaw Naing Htun, a young doctor with a K-pop hairstyle and seemingly endless energy, who manages the organization's busy clinic in Insein. He says about 100 patients who should be on drugs are turned away every month in Yangon alone. "It takes a lot more resources when they come back sicker. It's a lose-lose game."
____
Aung first learned about the virus living inside him in April. He had dropped weight and wasn't sleeping well, but figured it was the TB and diabetes running him down.
When the test came back positive for HIV, he was shocked and scared: How? Why?
"I wanted to commit suicide when I found out the results," he says softly, looking away. "What upset me most was my wife. She says I shouldn't die now because we have children."
The questions swarmed and consumed him, followed by a flood of worry and guilt that he had possibly infected his spouse. Then the bigger concern: What's next?
Unlike many living in a country closed off to the world for the past half century of military rule, Aung, an Army staff sergeant, had some firsthand knowledge about HIV.
He had watched the disease rot one soldier from the inside out, punishing him with a cruel death. But he also saw another get on treatment and live a normal life, despite the military kicking him out.
With the images of those two men locked in his head, Aung decided to fight to save himself and ultimately his family. No one but his wife could know, or he would lose his job and their home on the military base because of the deep fear and discrimination surrounding the disease. Drugs were his only chance to keep the secret.
"If I get the medicine, and I can stay in this life longer, I will serve the country more and my family will not be broken," he says. "My family is invaluable."
At the clinic in Insein, an area of Yangon better known for a notorious prison, Aung, who is using another name to protect his identity, waited nervously for the results of his first blood test.
CD4 count: 460. Low enough for drugs in the U.S., but well above the 150 cutoff in Myanmar. He was given TB meds and told to come back in three months.
____
Many of the 200 people crammed into the two small buildings of an HIV center just outside Yangon are simply waiting to die.
Beloved opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi visited patients there in November 2010, just days after being freed from house arrest, appealing to the world for more medicine. She also spoke passionately in July about the stigma of HIV via a video link to the International AIDS conference in Washington, saying, "Our people need to understand what HIV really is. We need to understand this is not something that we need to be afraid of."
There are no doctors or nurses stationed at the hospice supported by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, forcing patients to care for each other. One man hangs a drip bag on a plastic string from the ceiling over an emaciated body. Other caregivers ? many of whom are also infected ? wave paper fans beside their loved ones for hours, providing the only relief they can offer.
Infected children whose parents have already passed away play barefoot in the stuffy, crowded rooms. Bodies, some nothing more than breathing corpses, are stacked side by side on bamboo slats above dirt floors.
Another room is packed with 20 women stretched out on straw mats crisscrossing the wooden floor. A young mother sobs in one corner as she breast-feeds a 7-day-old baby girl. She did not take HIV drugs until late in her pregnancy, and now must wait up to 18 months to know for sure whether her only child is infected.
"The funding is limited for the enormous number of patients," says newly elected parliament member Phyu Phyu Thin, who founded the center in 2002 and was jailed by the former government for her HIV work. "Waiting to get the medicine under the limits is too risky for many patients because they can only get it when their health is deteriorating."
____
Aung looks the part of a soldier with his shaved head and wiry build. He spent the first decade of his 27 years in the military fighting in domestic ethnic wars, away from his wife and two children.
It's this past life that devours him each night when sleep refuses to come. He served as a medic then, and regularly came into contact with the blood of wounded soldiers. He also had sex with other women. The question that haunts him most is, which one is to blame? He'll never know.
He takes sleeping pills every night to be released from these thoughts. But relief does not come, as chills and night sweats drench his body and the constant urge to urinate keeps him running to the toilet.
He's lost 10 pounds in the past month, dropping from 130 pounds to 120. His cheeks are starting to sink, and his eyes look hollow. His strength is also fading, and he can no longer lead grueling daily runs with the trainees. He uses his TB as an excuse, but he fears his superiors will not be fooled much longer.
"I try to hide it as much as I can, but some people have started rumors about me, so I try not to face them directly," he says. "I want to be strong like the other people. I'm trying, but now my body cannot follow my mind."
His wife refuses to be tested until Aung gets on the drugs. She worries if she comes back positive, her guilt-ravaged husband will kill himself.
"She doesn't want me to be depressed," he says. "If she is positive, I will be very, very depressed."
The disease has forced him to rethink who he is. He's killed people in combat, cheated on his wife and witnessed many horrors in his lifetime. But he wants a chance to make up for his wrongs.
As a Buddhist, he believes his disease is a punishment for misdeeds in a previous life. He vows to be a better man by helping others and giving what little he has to charity.
He says sicker patients deserve treatment first. Still, as he sits waiting for his second blood test, he can't help wishing his immune system was weak enough to help him reach the magic number.
But when the doctor reads his results, he knows he will leave empty-handed again.
CD4 count: 289. Still too high.
His only choice is to try again in three months, hoping he'll be sick enough then.
___
Follow Margie Mason on Twitter at twitter.com/MargieMasonAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-only-sickest-hiv-patients-drugs-002946401.html
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