With Mars mission and rover Curiosity, NASA hunts building blocks of life
The last time the United States landed a mission on Mars to look for extraterrestrial life or its building blocks, Gerald Ford was president and the nation had just finished celebrating its 1976 bicentennial.
Next week, the long-delayed second attempt will try to deposit a rover on the planet’s surface.
The descent and landing in the early hours of Aug. 6 will be the most complex and hair-raising in planetary history. The destination is a deep crater with a three-mile-tall mountain that NASA could only dream about using as a landing site until very recently.
It’s the most ambitious, the most costly ($2.5 billion) and the most high-stakes mission ever to another planet. It was also described last week by the agency’s top scientist, former astronaut John M. Grunsfeld, as “the most important NASA mission of the decade.”
“There is no doubt that this is a risky mission, and that is coming from a human-spacecraft guy,” Grunsfeld said. “It’s hard to get something this big and complex to the surface of Mars, and then to get it to start roving. Thousands of people around the world working on it will be feeling their lives are riding on the mission landing successfully. We’ll all know soon if the risk was worth it.”
What the Mars Science Laboratory mission and its rover named Curiosity bring to Mars is a capacity to analyze the planet with much more sophistication than before, and to do it over a sizable and scientifically rich expanse.
The goal is not to find Martian life per se but rather to ferret out carbon-based organic compounds that are building blocks of life, and then to determine whether the Gale Crater landing site was ever suitable for creatures. Both are integral parts of the science of astrobiology — the search for life beyond Earth.
A fully loaded SUV
At 10 feet long and seven feet high at the top of its camera mast, Curiosity is the size of an SUV and weighs almost a ton, about three times more than the Spirit and Opportunity rovers sent to Mars in 2003 on a primarily geological mission. Its robotic arm for digging soil and drilling rock is seven feet long, almost three times longer than previous rover arms. This tool will provide more and better samples for the lab’s instruments, which will do their analysis on Mars and send back the results to scientists here.
Curiosity will have numerous ovens to bake soil and rocks up to 1,800 degrees and analyze what comes out; it will have a laser zapper to free up potentially important targets in rocks; it will have cameras with unprecedented capabilities, including one that will take video of the last several minutes of the high-drama landing, now dubbed “seven minutes of terror” by NASA.
Getting to Mars, and especially landing on it, is difficult. Forty-four missions — flybys, orbits and landings — have been sent to the planet by NASA, the former Soviet Union, Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China, and about one-third have made it. All six successful landings were flown by NASA. (A Soviet capsule made a soft landing in 1971 but then sent back only 14 seconds of data, so it is not considered to have succeeded.)
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
'Life Of Pi' will be an exceptional film: Irrfan
'Life Of Pi' will be an exceptional film: Irrfan
New Delhi: After starring in international projects like 'Slumdog Millionaire' and the recently released 'The Amazing Spider-Man', Irrfan says his next Hollywood film, Ang Lee's 'Life Of Pi', is going to be exceptional.
'Life of Pi' is an adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel of the same name and tells the story of a boy named Pi Patel and his incredible survival at sea against impossible odds.
The 45-year-old actor plays the grown-up Pi in the film that marks the 'Brokeback Mountain' helmer's first 3D creation. "'Life Of Pi' is going to be an exceptional film. It is based on a very intelligent book. It was very difficult to adapt it into a film but the director did a fantastic job with it.
It is Ang's first 3D film and I am sure people are going to like it. With this film he has done something extraordinary," said Irrfan, who was in the Capital to attend the ongoing 12th Osians Film Festival.
'Life of Pi' also stars Suraj Sharma, Tabu, Adil Hussain and Hollywood star Tobey Maguire. The fantasy film will hit Indian theatres on November 21, a month ahead of its US release.
Irrfan's latest Hollywood release, Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man', saw him play an important role as Dr Ratha and he said that the success of the film came a surprise to him.
"I never had any hopes for that role. I was not expecting anything. I enjoyed working with the director and I am happy that the film is doing so well. I am also very happy for Andrew (Garfield, who plays Spider-Man in the film). In the
end it feels good to see a film succeed," he said.
Irrfan's last Bollywood venture was director Tigmanshu Dhulia's 'Paan Singh Tomar' based on the true story of an athlete-turned-rebel by the same name. The film that was made on a shoestring budget of Rupees 8 crore, went on to become
one of the biggest hits of this year.
"'Paan Singh' earned more than double. It is very tricky to judge a film by how much it collects at the Box Office. I have realised that a film is only considered successful if it makes money, irrespective of the content. That is something I am fighting for now," Irrfan said.
The actor has been riding on the wave of appreciation post 'Paan Singh' and when asked if he and Dhuluia are trying to redefine stardom, Irrfan said, "That is what we thought when I made 'Haasil'. We both wanted to redefine entertainment, stardom comes much later. "We had plans but it did not quite succeed. We had to
wait for it. I am still trying but I think I am getting there," he added.
New Delhi: After starring in international projects like 'Slumdog Millionaire' and the recently released 'The Amazing Spider-Man', Irrfan says his next Hollywood film, Ang Lee's 'Life Of Pi', is going to be exceptional.
'Life of Pi' is an adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel of the same name and tells the story of a boy named Pi Patel and his incredible survival at sea against impossible odds.
The 45-year-old actor plays the grown-up Pi in the film that marks the 'Brokeback Mountain' helmer's first 3D creation. "'Life Of Pi' is going to be an exceptional film. It is based on a very intelligent book. It was very difficult to adapt it into a film but the director did a fantastic job with it.
It is Ang's first 3D film and I am sure people are going to like it. With this film he has done something extraordinary," said Irrfan, who was in the Capital to attend the ongoing 12th Osians Film Festival.
'Life of Pi' also stars Suraj Sharma, Tabu, Adil Hussain and Hollywood star Tobey Maguire. The fantasy film will hit Indian theatres on November 21, a month ahead of its US release.
Irrfan's latest Hollywood release, Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man', saw him play an important role as Dr Ratha and he said that the success of the film came a surprise to him.
"I never had any hopes for that role. I was not expecting anything. I enjoyed working with the director and I am happy that the film is doing so well. I am also very happy for Andrew (Garfield, who plays Spider-Man in the film). In the
end it feels good to see a film succeed," he said.
Irrfan's last Bollywood venture was director Tigmanshu Dhulia's 'Paan Singh Tomar' based on the true story of an athlete-turned-rebel by the same name. The film that was made on a shoestring budget of Rupees 8 crore, went on to become
one of the biggest hits of this year.
"'Paan Singh' earned more than double. It is very tricky to judge a film by how much it collects at the Box Office. I have realised that a film is only considered successful if it makes money, irrespective of the content. That is something I am fighting for now," Irrfan said.
The actor has been riding on the wave of appreciation post 'Paan Singh' and when asked if he and Dhuluia are trying to redefine stardom, Irrfan said, "That is what we thought when I made 'Haasil'. We both wanted to redefine entertainment, stardom comes much later. "We had plans but it did not quite succeed. We had to
wait for it. I am still trying but I think I am getting there," he added.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Nothing quite like life in an Olympic village
Nothing quite like life in an Olympic village
Twitter has been awash with tidbits and pictures posted by sports stars, like Roland Schoeman, competing at his fourth Olympics, hailing the London base as the best village he has seen.
The high-rise apartment buildings — nine stories in the case of the block on Cheering Lane which Team SA shares with other nations including Spain — offer great views into the Olympic precinct.
Photographs of sunsets have been popular on Twitter.
But the reality is that life in the village is little different to what it is outside; training is as hard as ever.
During my brief visit into the village on Thursday afternoon, I bumped into head swim coach Graham Hill, who was heading off for a late lunch, having left the swimmers for their daily siesta. “The swimmers are sleeping,” he explained. A few hours later he would tweet a pic of himself at the Olympic pool, overseeing yet another training session.
Women’s hockey captain Marsha Marescia was rushing back from training, carrying a kitbag. “I’m late,” she shouted across the road. “I have to go for physio.”
The physiotherapists are located on the first floor, and they are visible through the windows, working tirelessly to keep Team SA fit and strong.
On top of the building SA flags have been hung to claim ownership of the block for the next few weeks. On the ground floor is the administrative office, where staff deal with mundane issues most of us would rather not know about, such as issuing meal tickets to visitors so they can eat in the legendary dining hall.
Caterers offer cuisines from around the globe — British, African, Jamaican, Indian, Asian and others are on the menu, including the famous stand hosted by MacDonald’s, one of the global sponsors of the Olympics.
Every burger and nugget is free. Legend has it that the stall is empty in the early stages of the Games, but as athletes finish their competition, suddenly the demand for junk food goes through the roof.
In the London dining hall, there were one or two people ordering at the main counter, but the real trade was going down at the McCafe side, where chocolate chip cookies — every single one free — were flying out the oven freshly baked.
For athletes not sure about what to eat, there are some nutritionists on hand, with a super-duper computer programme that will provide them with an exact menu minus anything they might be allergic to.
Much has been said of the thousands of free condoms that are reportedly being dished out in the village, but I can’t say I saw a single one. Not that I was looking.
But they are there somewhere, waiting to come out in the next week or two for those legendary orgies we have heard about.
The extraordinary achievements of Olympic athletes, however, will be on view in public and televised to millions around the world.
And that’s really why they are here.
Twitter has been awash with tidbits and pictures posted by sports stars, like Roland Schoeman, competing at his fourth Olympics, hailing the London base as the best village he has seen.
The high-rise apartment buildings — nine stories in the case of the block on Cheering Lane which Team SA shares with other nations including Spain — offer great views into the Olympic precinct.
Photographs of sunsets have been popular on Twitter.
But the reality is that life in the village is little different to what it is outside; training is as hard as ever.
During my brief visit into the village on Thursday afternoon, I bumped into head swim coach Graham Hill, who was heading off for a late lunch, having left the swimmers for their daily siesta. “The swimmers are sleeping,” he explained. A few hours later he would tweet a pic of himself at the Olympic pool, overseeing yet another training session.
Women’s hockey captain Marsha Marescia was rushing back from training, carrying a kitbag. “I’m late,” she shouted across the road. “I have to go for physio.”
The physiotherapists are located on the first floor, and they are visible through the windows, working tirelessly to keep Team SA fit and strong.
On top of the building SA flags have been hung to claim ownership of the block for the next few weeks. On the ground floor is the administrative office, where staff deal with mundane issues most of us would rather not know about, such as issuing meal tickets to visitors so they can eat in the legendary dining hall.
Caterers offer cuisines from around the globe — British, African, Jamaican, Indian, Asian and others are on the menu, including the famous stand hosted by MacDonald’s, one of the global sponsors of the Olympics.
Every burger and nugget is free. Legend has it that the stall is empty in the early stages of the Games, but as athletes finish their competition, suddenly the demand for junk food goes through the roof.
In the London dining hall, there were one or two people ordering at the main counter, but the real trade was going down at the McCafe side, where chocolate chip cookies — every single one free — were flying out the oven freshly baked.
For athletes not sure about what to eat, there are some nutritionists on hand, with a super-duper computer programme that will provide them with an exact menu minus anything they might be allergic to.
Much has been said of the thousands of free condoms that are reportedly being dished out in the village, but I can’t say I saw a single one. Not that I was looking.
But they are there somewhere, waiting to come out in the next week or two for those legendary orgies we have heard about.
The extraordinary achievements of Olympic athletes, however, will be on view in public and televised to millions around the world.
And that’s really why they are here.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Teen was trying to get his life on track before fatal Niagara fall: youth worker
Teen was trying to get his life on track before fatal Niagara fall: youth worker
The man who died last night after a police chase ended in the suspect and the officer going over a retaining wall into the Niagara Gorge has been identified as Ryan Dube, 18, according to the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara.
JoAnne Turner, the executive director of the youth agency, said Mr. Dube had been staying at the agency’s group home on Ontario Ave., two blocks west of where the pair fell into the gorge, and that Victim Services Niagara had been at the home till 1:30 a.m. to provide grief counselling to the staff and youth at the home.
The incident happened on River Rd. between Eastwood St. and Otter St. shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday when an officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service was chasing a suspect, according to a statement from Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit.
“A short time later, they both went over the gorge wall and into the Niagara gorge,” said the statement.
The SIU is a provincial arms-length agency that investigates incidents of death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault involving police. They have assigned seven investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Dube’s death.
Mr. Dube’s body was recovered just before 9 p.m. Ms. Turner described him as a well-liked, good-natured and respectful individual.
“It was a shock. Very, very difficult to take. It was just so tragic,” said Ms. Turner. “He’ll be very sadly missed.”
She said Mr. Dube had left the group home with a friend around 5 p.m. on what had previously been an uneventful day for him.
“The friend had come back to the residence and said that a cruiser had stopped, and an officer was talking to him and he fled.”
Shortly after, staff at the home became very aware of the rescue efforts near them and became fearful that it was Mr. Dube who had gone over the wall. It wasn’t until much later in the evening that they got confirmation from another youth agency – listed as Mr. Dube’s next of kin – that it was indeed him at the bottom of the gorge.
“The youth were very, very distraught to learn that it was him,” said Ms. Turner.
She said Mr. Dube was originally from the St. Catharines or Niagara region. It is not known if he was in touch with any family members, but the Boys and Girls Club is waiting to see if relatives will come forward to make funeral arrangements.
The deceased never had any issues of violence, although he sometimes had trouble making the 11 p.m. curfew, said Ms. Turner. Mr. Dube was trying to establish independence and had recently applied for several jobs.
She added that the police officer may have apprehended him because he was on probation for an unknown matter and may have been violating the terms of his probation.
Mr. Dube had been staying on and off at the group home since November 2011. Ms. Turner did not know where he was living while not at the shelter.
The male officer in the incident suffered a broken femur, according to the SIU statement. He was rescued using a bucket that was lowered into the gorge and transported by air ambulance on a stretcher to Hamilton General Hospital, the nearest trauma centre.
Jennifer Tracey, spokeswoman for ORNGE, said the officer was in serious condition. He was first taken by land ambulance to a local park nearby where the air ambulance had landed. She said the ride to the hospital is about 10 to 15 minutes. The helicopter left the scene at about 7:50 p.m.
Niagara Police confirmed that the officer’s name is Constable Jacob Smits and that he underwent emergency surgery. They refused to comment on the incident or confirm any of the details. Spokesman Derek Watson said only that the SIU was investigating.
Ermanno Ceniccola, 43, lives just one street away from where the officer and the suspect fell. He is the owner of a local IT company MediaVice and was working from home when he heard a lot of sirens. He went over to check out the commotion. As he watched the rescue unfold, he spoke to other witnesses on the scene who told him the suspect was a man in his twenties living on River St.
“They came running from a residence that was on River Rd. facing the gorge. They both crossed the street and jumped over,” Mr. Ceniccola said. “He was pursuing the suspect but for some reason, and this is probably strange to most people around here, is why the officer would have jumped over the wall too knowing how dangerous it is there. It’s kind of a mystery.”
It is not known if the police officer and suspect actually jumped or fell over the wall.
Mr. Ceniccola said a police cruiser was parked in the driveway of the home where the suspect and the officer came running from. He said a neighbour told him the house “is known for trouble.”
This is the second time in about two months that ORNGE has had to transport someone from the gorge. On Victoria Day, a man was rescued after attempting suicide.
The man who died last night after a police chase ended in the suspect and the officer going over a retaining wall into the Niagara Gorge has been identified as Ryan Dube, 18, according to the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara.
JoAnne Turner, the executive director of the youth agency, said Mr. Dube had been staying at the agency’s group home on Ontario Ave., two blocks west of where the pair fell into the gorge, and that Victim Services Niagara had been at the home till 1:30 a.m. to provide grief counselling to the staff and youth at the home.
The incident happened on River Rd. between Eastwood St. and Otter St. shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday when an officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service was chasing a suspect, according to a statement from Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit.
“A short time later, they both went over the gorge wall and into the Niagara gorge,” said the statement.
The SIU is a provincial arms-length agency that investigates incidents of death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault involving police. They have assigned seven investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Dube’s death.
Mr. Dube’s body was recovered just before 9 p.m. Ms. Turner described him as a well-liked, good-natured and respectful individual.
“It was a shock. Very, very difficult to take. It was just so tragic,” said Ms. Turner. “He’ll be very sadly missed.”
She said Mr. Dube had left the group home with a friend around 5 p.m. on what had previously been an uneventful day for him.
“The friend had come back to the residence and said that a cruiser had stopped, and an officer was talking to him and he fled.”
Shortly after, staff at the home became very aware of the rescue efforts near them and became fearful that it was Mr. Dube who had gone over the wall. It wasn’t until much later in the evening that they got confirmation from another youth agency – listed as Mr. Dube’s next of kin – that it was indeed him at the bottom of the gorge.
“The youth were very, very distraught to learn that it was him,” said Ms. Turner.
She said Mr. Dube was originally from the St. Catharines or Niagara region. It is not known if he was in touch with any family members, but the Boys and Girls Club is waiting to see if relatives will come forward to make funeral arrangements.
The deceased never had any issues of violence, although he sometimes had trouble making the 11 p.m. curfew, said Ms. Turner. Mr. Dube was trying to establish independence and had recently applied for several jobs.
She added that the police officer may have apprehended him because he was on probation for an unknown matter and may have been violating the terms of his probation.
Mr. Dube had been staying on and off at the group home since November 2011. Ms. Turner did not know where he was living while not at the shelter.
The male officer in the incident suffered a broken femur, according to the SIU statement. He was rescued using a bucket that was lowered into the gorge and transported by air ambulance on a stretcher to Hamilton General Hospital, the nearest trauma centre.
Jennifer Tracey, spokeswoman for ORNGE, said the officer was in serious condition. He was first taken by land ambulance to a local park nearby where the air ambulance had landed. She said the ride to the hospital is about 10 to 15 minutes. The helicopter left the scene at about 7:50 p.m.
Niagara Police confirmed that the officer’s name is Constable Jacob Smits and that he underwent emergency surgery. They refused to comment on the incident or confirm any of the details. Spokesman Derek Watson said only that the SIU was investigating.
Ermanno Ceniccola, 43, lives just one street away from where the officer and the suspect fell. He is the owner of a local IT company MediaVice and was working from home when he heard a lot of sirens. He went over to check out the commotion. As he watched the rescue unfold, he spoke to other witnesses on the scene who told him the suspect was a man in his twenties living on River St.
“They came running from a residence that was on River Rd. facing the gorge. They both crossed the street and jumped over,” Mr. Ceniccola said. “He was pursuing the suspect but for some reason, and this is probably strange to most people around here, is why the officer would have jumped over the wall too knowing how dangerous it is there. It’s kind of a mystery.”
It is not known if the police officer and suspect actually jumped or fell over the wall.
Mr. Ceniccola said a police cruiser was parked in the driveway of the home where the suspect and the officer came running from. He said a neighbour told him the house “is known for trouble.”
This is the second time in about two months that ORNGE has had to transport someone from the gorge. On Victoria Day, a man was rescued after attempting suicide.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Edwards Life 2Q Profit Up 17% as Heart Valve Sales Rise
Edwards Lifesciences Corp.'s (EW) second-quarter earnings rose 17% as sales of transcathether heart valves continued to increase.
The medical-device company raised the low end of its full-year earnings projections by two cents to $2.60 to $2.68 a share. Edwards also revised its full-year revenue view to $1.9 billion to $1.97 billion. It had previously expected revenue at the low end of its earlier range of $1.95 billion to $2.05 billion.
The company issued a downbeat outlook for the third quarter, projecting adjusted earnings of 57 cents to 61 cents a share and revenue between $465 million and $485 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected 65 cents and $484 million, respectively.
Edwards is trying to expand the market for its Sapien heart valve in the U.S. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel in June supported wider use for the devices, which are already approved in the U.S. for patients who aren't good candidates for open-heart surgery.
In the latest quarter, transcatheter heart valve sales advanced 71%, driven by the U.S. launch of its Sapien valve.
Chairman and Chief Executive Michael A. Mussallem said the company continues to expect its transcatheter technologies to continue to drive growth.
Edwards raised the low end of its 2012 global catheter-delivered valve sales projections by $30 million, now estimating sales of $550 million to $600 million. Given Sapien's strong second-quarter results, Edwards now expects U.S. sales of $240 million to $260 million this year, up from its April view of $200 million to $240 million.
For the second quarter, Edwards reported a profit of $67.8 million, or 57 cents a share, up from $58.1 million, or 48 cents, a year earlier. Excluding items such as special charges and tax settlements, per-share earnings rose to 67 cents from 49 cents. Revenue rose 12% to $482 million.
In April, Edwards projected adjusted earnings of 64 cents to 68 cents a share on revenue of $470 million to $500 million.
Gross margin widened to 73.1% from 70.4%.
Surgical heart valve therapy revenue fell 2.3%, though cardiac surgery system sales were up 5.5%. Critical care sales slipped 3.6%.
The company's stock fell 1% to $97.69 in after-hours trading and is up 35% over the past three months.
Edwards Life 2Q Profit Up 17% as Heart Valve Sales Rise
The medical-device company raised the low end of its full-year earnings projections by two cents to $2.60 to $2.68 a share. Edwards also revised its full-year revenue view to $1.9 billion to $1.97 billion. It had previously expected revenue at the low end of its earlier range of $1.95 billion to $2.05 billion.
The company issued a downbeat outlook for the third quarter, projecting adjusted earnings of 57 cents to 61 cents a share and revenue between $465 million and $485 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected 65 cents and $484 million, respectively.
Edwards is trying to expand the market for its Sapien heart valve in the U.S. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel in June supported wider use for the devices, which are already approved in the U.S. for patients who aren't good candidates for open-heart surgery.
In the latest quarter, transcatheter heart valve sales advanced 71%, driven by the U.S. launch of its Sapien valve.
Chairman and Chief Executive Michael A. Mussallem said the company continues to expect its transcatheter technologies to continue to drive growth.
Edwards raised the low end of its 2012 global catheter-delivered valve sales projections by $30 million, now estimating sales of $550 million to $600 million. Given Sapien's strong second-quarter results, Edwards now expects U.S. sales of $240 million to $260 million this year, up from its April view of $200 million to $240 million.
For the second quarter, Edwards reported a profit of $67.8 million, or 57 cents a share, up from $58.1 million, or 48 cents, a year earlier. Excluding items such as special charges and tax settlements, per-share earnings rose to 67 cents from 49 cents. Revenue rose 12% to $482 million.
In April, Edwards projected adjusted earnings of 64 cents to 68 cents a share on revenue of $470 million to $500 million.
Gross margin widened to 73.1% from 70.4%.
Surgical heart valve therapy revenue fell 2.3%, though cardiac surgery system sales were up 5.5%. Critical care sales slipped 3.6%.
The company's stock fell 1% to $97.69 in after-hours trading and is up 35% over the past three months.
Edwards Life 2Q Profit Up 17% as Heart Valve Sales Rise
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
‘Child Life Specialists’ Help Sick Kids Be Kids
‘Child Life Specialists’ Help Sick Kids Be Kids
Yoselyn Gaitan, an eight-year-old with a shy smile, sits quietly in an exam room at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C., wearing a tiny hospital gown. She looks a little uneasy as she waits to be brought back to the operating room for the final surgery on her cleft palate.
Kelly Schraf spots her through the curtain, and tiptoes into her room.
Yoselyn Gaitan meets with Kelly Schraf, a child life specialist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Schraf helps children and their parents navigate the medical system and cope with the emotional and physical stresses of life in the hospital (Photo by Jenny Gold/KHN).
Schraf is a child life specialist, a type of health care provider whose job is to help sick children and their families navigate difficult medical situations emotionally and psychologically while in the hospital. They do it largely through play—the basis of how a child learns and grows.
Schraf introduces herself to Yoselyn and her mother, and explains to them why she’s there: “It’s my job at the hospital to make it easier for you to be here and make it more fun.” At the word “fun,” Yoselyn begins to look a little more relaxed.
One of the scariest parts of surgery for a child is the anesthesia mask, so Schraf brings Yoselyn the mask in advance, along with some sparkly stickers for decoration.
“The doctor is going to put sleepy air through this hole, and sometimes the sleepy air is stinky. Another little girl told me it smells like dirty socks,” Schraf explains. “So what I have are special smells to put inside to make it smell good. I have bubblegum, strawberry and cotton candy.”
Yoselyn picks bubblegum and applies a generous layer of it to her mask. By the end of their visit, she’s grinning, and so is Schraf.
Schraf is straight out of college, followed by a mandatory 480-hour child life internship. She says she’s already found her perfect job. Her favorite part, she explains, “is knowing that I made a difference in a child or a family’s life. Seeing them so stressed because they’ve gone through so much that a child shouldn’t have to experience, and knowing that I can work with the hospital team and make their stay better.”
Pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon Rahul Shah says the doctors in the outpatient surgery unit are as grateful for child life specialists like Schraf as the patients are. “It’s really profound when you hear some of the most old school physicians or surgeons asking for something you would consider warm and fuzzy,” he says. But those doctors insist that they need child life specialists, largely because they make the unit more productive.
When the child life specialists aren’t available, Shah explains, “It’s hard. You’re pulling [children] sometimes away from the parents. The parents are upset. The child is upset. It heightens their anxiety. You bring them back to the operating room, and it’s a lot harder to put them back to sleep. It’s a lot harder to give them an IV.”
Even if each visit saves only four minutes of the surgical team’s time, he says, it can allow that team to accomplish an extra surgery each day.
There are about 4,000 child life specialists in the country. Most of them work in the acute units with the very sickest children. Liz Anderson, who, like Schraf, is bubbly, blond and 24, works in the oncology unit, where children often spend months at a time.
“I get to know them very, very well,” Anderson says.
Owen O’Hara, who has leukemia, plays with child life specialist Liz Anderson, who works with children in the oncology unit at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jenny Gold/KHN).
She’s been working with nine-year-old Owen O’Hara for several weeks. He sits in his pajamas in an isolation room, a feeding tube in his nose. It’s been less than a week since his bone marrow transplant, which his doctors hope will cure his leukemia; his immune system still too vulnerable to be in the unit’s playroom with the other kids. So yesterday, Anderson brought him a brand new set of Legos to play with.
“We’re building an alien spaceship,” Owen explains, pointing out the cockpit and several green plastic men with tentacles.
Owen’s mom Jackie O’Hara says child life specialists have made a huge difference in helping Owen understand what’s happening to him, often explaining difficult medical concepts in child-friendly words. “Medical terminology is a different language altogether and it’s scary,” O’Hara explains. “They’re able to take the scariness out of it.”
But like all things in health care, child life programs come at a price. The 16 child life specialists at Children’s National Medical Center cost about $800,000 a year, which gets added to the hospital’s overhead, like electricity or maintenance, which gets passed on to patients and insurers.
Mark Wietecha, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, says the cost is “greatly worth it.” Child life specialists can minimize the trauma caused by a hospital stay – and that can pay dividends far into the future for a sick child, he said.
“It’s really almost an insignificant amount of money on our national expenditure to let the sickest kids have some opportunity to a life and be re-assimilated,” Wietecha said.
O’Hara couldn’t agree more. The child life program, she says, is “like having a little bit of a normal life in the middle of something that’s not normal.”
Yoselyn Gaitan, an eight-year-old with a shy smile, sits quietly in an exam room at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C., wearing a tiny hospital gown. She looks a little uneasy as she waits to be brought back to the operating room for the final surgery on her cleft palate.
Kelly Schraf spots her through the curtain, and tiptoes into her room.
Yoselyn Gaitan meets with Kelly Schraf, a child life specialist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Schraf helps children and their parents navigate the medical system and cope with the emotional and physical stresses of life in the hospital (Photo by Jenny Gold/KHN).
Schraf is a child life specialist, a type of health care provider whose job is to help sick children and their families navigate difficult medical situations emotionally and psychologically while in the hospital. They do it largely through play—the basis of how a child learns and grows.
Schraf introduces herself to Yoselyn and her mother, and explains to them why she’s there: “It’s my job at the hospital to make it easier for you to be here and make it more fun.” At the word “fun,” Yoselyn begins to look a little more relaxed.
One of the scariest parts of surgery for a child is the anesthesia mask, so Schraf brings Yoselyn the mask in advance, along with some sparkly stickers for decoration.
“The doctor is going to put sleepy air through this hole, and sometimes the sleepy air is stinky. Another little girl told me it smells like dirty socks,” Schraf explains. “So what I have are special smells to put inside to make it smell good. I have bubblegum, strawberry and cotton candy.”
Yoselyn picks bubblegum and applies a generous layer of it to her mask. By the end of their visit, she’s grinning, and so is Schraf.
Schraf is straight out of college, followed by a mandatory 480-hour child life internship. She says she’s already found her perfect job. Her favorite part, she explains, “is knowing that I made a difference in a child or a family’s life. Seeing them so stressed because they’ve gone through so much that a child shouldn’t have to experience, and knowing that I can work with the hospital team and make their stay better.”
Pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon Rahul Shah says the doctors in the outpatient surgery unit are as grateful for child life specialists like Schraf as the patients are. “It’s really profound when you hear some of the most old school physicians or surgeons asking for something you would consider warm and fuzzy,” he says. But those doctors insist that they need child life specialists, largely because they make the unit more productive.
When the child life specialists aren’t available, Shah explains, “It’s hard. You’re pulling [children] sometimes away from the parents. The parents are upset. The child is upset. It heightens their anxiety. You bring them back to the operating room, and it’s a lot harder to put them back to sleep. It’s a lot harder to give them an IV.”
Even if each visit saves only four minutes of the surgical team’s time, he says, it can allow that team to accomplish an extra surgery each day.
There are about 4,000 child life specialists in the country. Most of them work in the acute units with the very sickest children. Liz Anderson, who, like Schraf, is bubbly, blond and 24, works in the oncology unit, where children often spend months at a time.
“I get to know them very, very well,” Anderson says.
Owen O’Hara, who has leukemia, plays with child life specialist Liz Anderson, who works with children in the oncology unit at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jenny Gold/KHN).
She’s been working with nine-year-old Owen O’Hara for several weeks. He sits in his pajamas in an isolation room, a feeding tube in his nose. It’s been less than a week since his bone marrow transplant, which his doctors hope will cure his leukemia; his immune system still too vulnerable to be in the unit’s playroom with the other kids. So yesterday, Anderson brought him a brand new set of Legos to play with.
“We’re building an alien spaceship,” Owen explains, pointing out the cockpit and several green plastic men with tentacles.
Owen’s mom Jackie O’Hara says child life specialists have made a huge difference in helping Owen understand what’s happening to him, often explaining difficult medical concepts in child-friendly words. “Medical terminology is a different language altogether and it’s scary,” O’Hara explains. “They’re able to take the scariness out of it.”
But like all things in health care, child life programs come at a price. The 16 child life specialists at Children’s National Medical Center cost about $800,000 a year, which gets added to the hospital’s overhead, like electricity or maintenance, which gets passed on to patients and insurers.
Mark Wietecha, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, says the cost is “greatly worth it.” Child life specialists can minimize the trauma caused by a hospital stay – and that can pay dividends far into the future for a sick child, he said.
“It’s really almost an insignificant amount of money on our national expenditure to let the sickest kids have some opportunity to a life and be re-assimilated,” Wietecha said.
O’Hara couldn’t agree more. The child life program, she says, is “like having a little bit of a normal life in the middle of something that’s not normal.”
Monday, July 23, 2012
A Week in the Life of Libor
A Week in the Life of Libor
The Justice Department is now expected to file criminal charges this year against at least one big bank in connection with the rate-rigging scandal, while building cases against other banks and their employees. This is welcome news: prosecuting financial crimes is essential to restoring public trust in the banking system and in the willingness of the authorities to police it.
Meanwhile, the furor over how banks fiddled with the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, for their own advantage is now in the buck-passing phase, as bankers and regulators alike attempt to minimize their role.
It is a disturbing and disheartening spectacle. On CNBC last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended his actions in 2008, when he headed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — a time when the New York Fed knew Barclays was reporting false rates but did not stop or expose the misconduct. Mr. Geithner told CNBC he briefed other American regulators and British authorities on his concerns that the Libor process was “flawed and vulnerable to misrepresentation.” But to hear him tell it, the issue was a plumbing problem, not a potentially criminal and certainly improper pattern of rate rigging.
The British authorities to whom Mr. Geithner directed his concerns — Mervyn King and Paul Tucker, the governor and deputy governor, respectively, of the Bank of England — have testified that the New York Fed’s warnings did not set off any alarms because they contained no allegations of wrongdoing and seemed to echo many concerns raised about technical difficulties in setting the rate. But documents released on Friday by the Bank of England suggest that the central bank knew about potential manipulation in 2007.
Further investigation will have to settle the who-knew-what-when controversy. For now, the trans-Atlantic back and forth is yet another example of the deplorable state of financial regulation during the run-up to the financial crisis. It also shows how hard it is to get to the bottom of a controversy when the officials in positions of power now — like Messrs. Geithner, King and Tucker — are the same people who were running things when the misconduct occurred. Going forward, Mr. Geithner should recuse himself from any investigations into the rate rigging, including any inquiries that may be conducted by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a panel of regulators created under the Dodd-Frank law and led by the Treasury secretary himself.
And when the time comes to choose a new Treasury secretary — Mr. Geithner has said he does not expect to remain if President Obama is re-elected — the next president would do well to look for candidates among the regulators who have distinguished themselves by their willingness to confront the banking system’s manifest problems. One such person is Gary Gensler, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which pursued the rate-rigging allegations against Barclays, securing a record fine and referring the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.
Equally important, the Libor scandal cannot be reduced to a technocratic issue over how to best set interest rates. Central bankers and other financial officials need to find a replacement for Libor, which is deeply flawed.
But the real issue is how to reform the banks themselves. The Libor scandal is, in large part, the result of the bonus-driven bank culture, built on big returns and excessive risk. Speculative impulses also drove the recent multibillion-dollar losses at JPMorgan Chase and, obviously, the mortgage bubble. These impulses have not yet been curbed, let alone eliminated in federally insured banks, and until they are the taxpayers who stand behind the financial system remain in peril.
The Justice Department is now expected to file criminal charges this year against at least one big bank in connection with the rate-rigging scandal, while building cases against other banks and their employees. This is welcome news: prosecuting financial crimes is essential to restoring public trust in the banking system and in the willingness of the authorities to police it.
Meanwhile, the furor over how banks fiddled with the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, for their own advantage is now in the buck-passing phase, as bankers and regulators alike attempt to minimize their role.
It is a disturbing and disheartening spectacle. On CNBC last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended his actions in 2008, when he headed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — a time when the New York Fed knew Barclays was reporting false rates but did not stop or expose the misconduct. Mr. Geithner told CNBC he briefed other American regulators and British authorities on his concerns that the Libor process was “flawed and vulnerable to misrepresentation.” But to hear him tell it, the issue was a plumbing problem, not a potentially criminal and certainly improper pattern of rate rigging.
The British authorities to whom Mr. Geithner directed his concerns — Mervyn King and Paul Tucker, the governor and deputy governor, respectively, of the Bank of England — have testified that the New York Fed’s warnings did not set off any alarms because they contained no allegations of wrongdoing and seemed to echo many concerns raised about technical difficulties in setting the rate. But documents released on Friday by the Bank of England suggest that the central bank knew about potential manipulation in 2007.
Further investigation will have to settle the who-knew-what-when controversy. For now, the trans-Atlantic back and forth is yet another example of the deplorable state of financial regulation during the run-up to the financial crisis. It also shows how hard it is to get to the bottom of a controversy when the officials in positions of power now — like Messrs. Geithner, King and Tucker — are the same people who were running things when the misconduct occurred. Going forward, Mr. Geithner should recuse himself from any investigations into the rate rigging, including any inquiries that may be conducted by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a panel of regulators created under the Dodd-Frank law and led by the Treasury secretary himself.
And when the time comes to choose a new Treasury secretary — Mr. Geithner has said he does not expect to remain if President Obama is re-elected — the next president would do well to look for candidates among the regulators who have distinguished themselves by their willingness to confront the banking system’s manifest problems. One such person is Gary Gensler, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which pursued the rate-rigging allegations against Barclays, securing a record fine and referring the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.
Equally important, the Libor scandal cannot be reduced to a technocratic issue over how to best set interest rates. Central bankers and other financial officials need to find a replacement for Libor, which is deeply flawed.
But the real issue is how to reform the banks themselves. The Libor scandal is, in large part, the result of the bonus-driven bank culture, built on big returns and excessive risk. Speculative impulses also drove the recent multibillion-dollar losses at JPMorgan Chase and, obviously, the mortgage bubble. These impulses have not yet been curbed, let alone eliminated in federally insured banks, and until they are the taxpayers who stand behind the financial system remain in peril.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Late-life binge drinking may risk cognitive decline: study
Late-life binge drinking may risk cognitive decline: study
Moderate to heavy alcohol use in late-life may increase risk of cognitive decline, according to two new studies presented to the Alzheimer's Association International Conference that concluded here Thursday.
According to one study, conducted by Tina Hoang and other researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found moderate drinkers in the late phase of the study were roughly 60 per cent more likely to develop cognitive impairment. The discovery was made after they followed more than 1,300 women aged 65 and older for 20 years.
They also found women who changed from non-drinking to drinking over the course of the study had a 200 per cent increased risk of cognitive impairment.
"These findings suggest that alcohol use in late-life may not be beneficial for cognitive function in older women," Hoang said, adding that clinicians should carefully assess their older patients for both how much they drink and any changes in patterns of alcohol use.
In the other study, Dr. Iain Lang and other researchers from University of Exeter, Britain, conducted a secondary analysis of data from 5,075 participants aged 65 and older in a US study to assess the effects of binge drinking in older people on cognition and mood.
The researchers found participants reporting heavy episodic drinking twice per month or more were 147 per cent more likely to be in the group experiencing the highest decline in cognitive function, and were 149 per cent more likely to be in the group experiencing the highest amount of decline in memory.
"Policymakers and public health specialists should know that binge drinking is not just a problem among adolescents and younger adults," Lang said.
"We have to start thinking about older people when we are planning interventions to reduce binge drinking."
Moderate to heavy alcohol use in late-life may increase risk of cognitive decline, according to two new studies presented to the Alzheimer's Association International Conference that concluded here Thursday.
According to one study, conducted by Tina Hoang and other researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found moderate drinkers in the late phase of the study were roughly 60 per cent more likely to develop cognitive impairment. The discovery was made after they followed more than 1,300 women aged 65 and older for 20 years.
They also found women who changed from non-drinking to drinking over the course of the study had a 200 per cent increased risk of cognitive impairment.
"These findings suggest that alcohol use in late-life may not be beneficial for cognitive function in older women," Hoang said, adding that clinicians should carefully assess their older patients for both how much they drink and any changes in patterns of alcohol use.
In the other study, Dr. Iain Lang and other researchers from University of Exeter, Britain, conducted a secondary analysis of data from 5,075 participants aged 65 and older in a US study to assess the effects of binge drinking in older people on cognition and mood.
The researchers found participants reporting heavy episodic drinking twice per month or more were 147 per cent more likely to be in the group experiencing the highest decline in cognitive function, and were 149 per cent more likely to be in the group experiencing the highest amount of decline in memory.
"Policymakers and public health specialists should know that binge drinking is not just a problem among adolescents and younger adults," Lang said.
"We have to start thinking about older people when we are planning interventions to reduce binge drinking."
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Life, Death and Health Care Reform
It is becoming abundantly clear that the opponents of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act care little about minority health.
David Bositis, senior research director for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, has observed in the {Washington Post} that about 36 percent of African Americans have no health insurance (compared to approximately 12 percent of Caucasians).
“Because Americans of Color suffer from hypertension, diabetes and cancer at twice the rates of Caucasians,” he notes, “insurance companies, when permitted to do so, exclude us more often from coverage.”
“I wonder,” Mr. Bositis asks rhetorically, “why those who are fighting this law do not care about the high death rate and high rates of the illnesses of black Americans?”
I suspect that Republican opponents of President Obama and the Affordable Care Act might argue with David Bositis’ critique. Yet, during a recent speech before the NAACP, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, again threatened to repeal the health care reforms that will reduce these health disparities.
“If our goal is jobs,” Mr. Romney candidly declared, “we have to stop spending over a trillion dollars more than we take in every year. So to do that, I'm going to eliminate every non-essential, expensive program I can find. That includes Obamacare . . . .”
“Expensive?” Surely, although the Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the Affordable Care Act will actually save money for American taxpayers in the long run.
“Non-essential?” I fail to understand how Mr. Romney can reach that conclusion when Americans in large numbers, and especially Americans of Color, are dying before our time because far too many of us lack adequate health insurance coverage.
Last month, the advocacy group Families USA issued a well-documented analysis of this national tragedy, concluding that, in 2010 alone, 26,100 Americans nationwide died prematurely due to a lack of health coverage. This staggering annual death toll equates to 502 working age Americans dying prematurely every week.
If given the opportunity, Republicans also would end Medicare as we know it, replacing Medicare’s current, guaranteed coverage with only a voucher that would be inadequate to protect our seniors.
The Republicans also oppose our Affordable Care Act’s staged elimination of the Medicare Part D “donut hole” that is costing many of our seniors thousands of dollars that they cannot afford.
Without Democrats’ principled advocacy, health care reform would be in mortal danger. Fortunately, President Obama and Senate Democrats currently stand in the way of these radical and regressive Republican proposals
Moving forward with expanded protection of our health is yet another reason why this year’s presidential and congressional elections are so critical for every American family.
The Democratic vision of universal, high quality and more affordable health care is especially important to those of us who are Black. Expert projections indicate that, when fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act could extend health coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans - 7 million of whom are African Americans.
The Affordable Care Act already has eliminated lifetime limits on the dollar value of health coverage; provided access to coverage for children up to age 26 through their parents’ plans; and ensured coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. Beginning in 2014, moreover, no health insurer will be able to deny coverage to anyone based on pre-existing conditions, whatever our age.
The Act also authorizes a major expansion of the Medicaid program to all eligible Americans with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. It provides for the creation of state and national “insurance exchange pools” and, where justified, provides premium assistance to individuals and families.
The Affordable Care Act contains reforms that are calculated to make health insurance more affordable for us all. For the average American family, the Act’s new protections can mean not having to choose between visiting the doctor and buying groceries.
Recently, the constitutionality of the Act was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. Yet, on July 11, Republicans in the House of Representatives again voted to repeal these critically needed reforms - while offering nothing substantial as an alternative.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has declared that providing affordable health care to America’s uninsured millions is “not the issue.” In response, we should be asking Senator McConnell and his Republican allies, “If our survival is not the issue for you, what is?”
In my view--and President Obama’s--protecting our health is the foremost issue in our ongoing national health insurance debate.
For tens of thousands of Americans each year, meeting this challenge will be the difference between death and life.
Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives
David Bositis, senior research director for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, has observed in the {Washington Post} that about 36 percent of African Americans have no health insurance (compared to approximately 12 percent of Caucasians).
“Because Americans of Color suffer from hypertension, diabetes and cancer at twice the rates of Caucasians,” he notes, “insurance companies, when permitted to do so, exclude us more often from coverage.”
“I wonder,” Mr. Bositis asks rhetorically, “why those who are fighting this law do not care about the high death rate and high rates of the illnesses of black Americans?”
I suspect that Republican opponents of President Obama and the Affordable Care Act might argue with David Bositis’ critique. Yet, during a recent speech before the NAACP, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, again threatened to repeal the health care reforms that will reduce these health disparities.
“If our goal is jobs,” Mr. Romney candidly declared, “we have to stop spending over a trillion dollars more than we take in every year. So to do that, I'm going to eliminate every non-essential, expensive program I can find. That includes Obamacare . . . .”
“Expensive?” Surely, although the Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the Affordable Care Act will actually save money for American taxpayers in the long run.
“Non-essential?” I fail to understand how Mr. Romney can reach that conclusion when Americans in large numbers, and especially Americans of Color, are dying before our time because far too many of us lack adequate health insurance coverage.
Last month, the advocacy group Families USA issued a well-documented analysis of this national tragedy, concluding that, in 2010 alone, 26,100 Americans nationwide died prematurely due to a lack of health coverage. This staggering annual death toll equates to 502 working age Americans dying prematurely every week.
If given the opportunity, Republicans also would end Medicare as we know it, replacing Medicare’s current, guaranteed coverage with only a voucher that would be inadequate to protect our seniors.
The Republicans also oppose our Affordable Care Act’s staged elimination of the Medicare Part D “donut hole” that is costing many of our seniors thousands of dollars that they cannot afford.
Without Democrats’ principled advocacy, health care reform would be in mortal danger. Fortunately, President Obama and Senate Democrats currently stand in the way of these radical and regressive Republican proposals
Moving forward with expanded protection of our health is yet another reason why this year’s presidential and congressional elections are so critical for every American family.
The Democratic vision of universal, high quality and more affordable health care is especially important to those of us who are Black. Expert projections indicate that, when fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act could extend health coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans - 7 million of whom are African Americans.
The Affordable Care Act already has eliminated lifetime limits on the dollar value of health coverage; provided access to coverage for children up to age 26 through their parents’ plans; and ensured coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. Beginning in 2014, moreover, no health insurer will be able to deny coverage to anyone based on pre-existing conditions, whatever our age.
The Act also authorizes a major expansion of the Medicaid program to all eligible Americans with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. It provides for the creation of state and national “insurance exchange pools” and, where justified, provides premium assistance to individuals and families.
The Affordable Care Act contains reforms that are calculated to make health insurance more affordable for us all. For the average American family, the Act’s new protections can mean not having to choose between visiting the doctor and buying groceries.
Recently, the constitutionality of the Act was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. Yet, on July 11, Republicans in the House of Representatives again voted to repeal these critically needed reforms - while offering nothing substantial as an alternative.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has declared that providing affordable health care to America’s uninsured millions is “not the issue.” In response, we should be asking Senator McConnell and his Republican allies, “If our survival is not the issue for you, what is?”
In my view--and President Obama’s--protecting our health is the foremost issue in our ongoing national health insurance debate.
For tens of thousands of Americans each year, meeting this challenge will be the difference between death and life.
Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Best Knight of your life
Batman is lured back into action after a lengthy hiatus — to prevent a terrorist from nuking a Gotham City closely resembling the Big Apple — in the imposingly dark and hugely entertaining “The Dark Knight Rises.’’
Superhero movies are perhaps the most predicable genre out there right now (sorry, Marvel fans), but take it from someone who can usually spot plot twists half an hour away: Christopher Nolan’s dramatically and emotionally satisfying wrap-up to the Dark Knight trilogy adroitly avoids clichés and gleefully subverts your expectations at every turn.
Christian Bale (as Bruce Wayne) dons the Batsuit once again in this hugely satisfying action film.
Eight years after the end of 2008’s “The Dark Knight,’’ Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is a shattered recluse who hobbles around his mansion on a cane following the death of his fiancée — and his long-unseen alter ego, Batman, is being blamed for the death of DA Harvey Dent.
Bruce is finally forced to don the Batsuit again, though, after a fusion device he helped develop is stolen and weaponized.
The villain is Bane (Tom Hardy), a hulking, bald terrorist with a grotesque mask that includes a Darth Vader-like voice synthesizer.
Introduced in a spectacular airborne stunt sequence straight out of a James Bond movie, Bane simultaneously traps almost all of Gotham City’s police force in an underground tunnel, demolishes half a football stadium and announces to Gotham’s populace that he’s turning over the city to the 99 percent.
The city’s presumed-guilty wealthy citizens — who no longer include Bruce, thanks to Bane’s stunningly staged attack on the Gotham Stock Exchange — are sentenced by a French Revolution-style court even as Bane blows up all the bridges to prevent escape from his planned thermonuclear special event.
The ever-reliable Alfred (Michael Caine), Wayne Enterprises CEO and master inventor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and the gravely injured Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) have Batman’s back in his quest, but that isn’t enough.
He must also forge more ambiguous alliances with the slinky Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), who he catches burgling his mother’s necklace; as well as Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), an icy millionairess who helped fund Bruce’s reactor.
Another member of Nolan’s “Inception’’ ensemble, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays a dedicated young cop with crucial links to Bruce Wayne.
Written by Nolan, his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer, “The Dark Knight Rises’’ almost rivals “Inception” for complexity, and some of the political satire doesn’t really work.
Midway through, I was having some doubts about whether Nolan could pull it off.
But boy, does he ever. In the last half hour, everything clicks smashingly together, also tying in characters and situations from the first two films — as well as featuring some of the most emotional sequences ever from a director who has a deserved reputation for coolly cerebral work.
Bale does the best acting of his career here as the anguished hero, and Hathaway is far more effective than I could have imagined, bringing humor to her role without edging into camp (and no, Selina’s never referred to as Catwoman, no matter how outré her taste in action gear).
Given the impossible task of following the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker, Hardy is nowhere near as memorable but still quite effectively scary — and a formidable physical adversary for Bale’s Batman.
“The Dark Knight Rises’’ builds to a pulse-pounding, nail-biting climax that’s loaded with the kind of surprises that were so absent in some other recent superhero movies that I could mention.
Nolan’s apocalyptic, 9/11-inflected vision of Manhattan and its hero are far more viscerally engaging in a real-world way than the fan-pandering, silly fantasy counterparts that Marvel offered up in both “The Avengers’’ and “The Amazing Spider-Man.’’
I saw this seriously spectacular-looking (and thankfully not 3-D) movie, much of which was shot using 70mm IMAX cameras, at the Lincoln Square IMAX — and strongly recommend that you see it on the biggest screen you can afford.
Superhero movies are perhaps the most predicable genre out there right now (sorry, Marvel fans), but take it from someone who can usually spot plot twists half an hour away: Christopher Nolan’s dramatically and emotionally satisfying wrap-up to the Dark Knight trilogy adroitly avoids clichés and gleefully subverts your expectations at every turn.
Christian Bale (as Bruce Wayne) dons the Batsuit once again in this hugely satisfying action film.
Eight years after the end of 2008’s “The Dark Knight,’’ Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is a shattered recluse who hobbles around his mansion on a cane following the death of his fiancée — and his long-unseen alter ego, Batman, is being blamed for the death of DA Harvey Dent.
Bruce is finally forced to don the Batsuit again, though, after a fusion device he helped develop is stolen and weaponized.
The villain is Bane (Tom Hardy), a hulking, bald terrorist with a grotesque mask that includes a Darth Vader-like voice synthesizer.
Introduced in a spectacular airborne stunt sequence straight out of a James Bond movie, Bane simultaneously traps almost all of Gotham City’s police force in an underground tunnel, demolishes half a football stadium and announces to Gotham’s populace that he’s turning over the city to the 99 percent.
The city’s presumed-guilty wealthy citizens — who no longer include Bruce, thanks to Bane’s stunningly staged attack on the Gotham Stock Exchange — are sentenced by a French Revolution-style court even as Bane blows up all the bridges to prevent escape from his planned thermonuclear special event.
The ever-reliable Alfred (Michael Caine), Wayne Enterprises CEO and master inventor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and the gravely injured Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) have Batman’s back in his quest, but that isn’t enough.
He must also forge more ambiguous alliances with the slinky Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), who he catches burgling his mother’s necklace; as well as Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), an icy millionairess who helped fund Bruce’s reactor.
Another member of Nolan’s “Inception’’ ensemble, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays a dedicated young cop with crucial links to Bruce Wayne.
Written by Nolan, his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer, “The Dark Knight Rises’’ almost rivals “Inception” for complexity, and some of the political satire doesn’t really work.
Midway through, I was having some doubts about whether Nolan could pull it off.
But boy, does he ever. In the last half hour, everything clicks smashingly together, also tying in characters and situations from the first two films — as well as featuring some of the most emotional sequences ever from a director who has a deserved reputation for coolly cerebral work.
Bale does the best acting of his career here as the anguished hero, and Hathaway is far more effective than I could have imagined, bringing humor to her role without edging into camp (and no, Selina’s never referred to as Catwoman, no matter how outré her taste in action gear).
Given the impossible task of following the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker, Hardy is nowhere near as memorable but still quite effectively scary — and a formidable physical adversary for Bale’s Batman.
“The Dark Knight Rises’’ builds to a pulse-pounding, nail-biting climax that’s loaded with the kind of surprises that were so absent in some other recent superhero movies that I could mention.
Nolan’s apocalyptic, 9/11-inflected vision of Manhattan and its hero are far more viscerally engaging in a real-world way than the fan-pandering, silly fantasy counterparts that Marvel offered up in both “The Avengers’’ and “The Amazing Spider-Man.’’
I saw this seriously spectacular-looking (and thankfully not 3-D) movie, much of which was shot using 70mm IMAX cameras, at the Lincoln Square IMAX — and strongly recommend that you see it on the biggest screen you can afford.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Review: Musical life only gets better for Nas
On the cover of his 10th album, ‘‘Life Is Good,’’ the urban troubadour known as Nas is dressed in a white suit, glumly holding his ex-wife Kelis’ green wedding dress — the only thing left behind after the couple’s publicly acrimonious divorce. By way of his art, Nas both washes his laundry in public and shows he has moved on.
Producers No I.D. and Salaam Remi give this very personal record an aura of nostalgia, a throwback to the golden age of hip-hop, by using classic beats. Collaborations with artist like Mary J. Blige, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz and Nas’ solos arrange themselves into a coherent necklace made of discreet gems. Old mixes with new, noir enters the flow and the lyrics are tinged with both vulnerability and brutality.
Nas is the same master wordsmith as he was when he first bowled over critics with his 1994 debut ‘‘Illmatic.’’ He tackles thug life, chrematistics and the pursuit of status, yet shows signs of growth by considering more personal topics like parenthood, love and his relationship with his celebrity.
Songs like ‘‘Daughters,’’ where he raps about his own real-life parenting struggles with his teenage daughter or ‘‘Bye Baby,’’ where he addresses the breakdown of his marriage and his subsequent bleeding heart, show a touching self-awareness. ‘‘Cherry Wine’’ featuring the late Amy Winehouse paints him in a surprising light where he is unshackled by the stereotypical rap views of women. Nas manages to make a clean break with the past by submersing himself and us in it.
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: ‘‘You Wouldn’t Understand,’’ with its fast beat enhanced by Victoria Monet’s crystalline voice.
Producers No I.D. and Salaam Remi give this very personal record an aura of nostalgia, a throwback to the golden age of hip-hop, by using classic beats. Collaborations with artist like Mary J. Blige, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz and Nas’ solos arrange themselves into a coherent necklace made of discreet gems. Old mixes with new, noir enters the flow and the lyrics are tinged with both vulnerability and brutality.
Nas is the same master wordsmith as he was when he first bowled over critics with his 1994 debut ‘‘Illmatic.’’ He tackles thug life, chrematistics and the pursuit of status, yet shows signs of growth by considering more personal topics like parenthood, love and his relationship with his celebrity.
Songs like ‘‘Daughters,’’ where he raps about his own real-life parenting struggles with his teenage daughter or ‘‘Bye Baby,’’ where he addresses the breakdown of his marriage and his subsequent bleeding heart, show a touching self-awareness. ‘‘Cherry Wine’’ featuring the late Amy Winehouse paints him in a surprising light where he is unshackled by the stereotypical rap views of women. Nas manages to make a clean break with the past by submersing himself and us in it.
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: ‘‘You Wouldn’t Understand,’’ with its fast beat enhanced by Victoria Monet’s crystalline voice.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Life Technologies Sets 2nd Quarter 2012 Earnings Release Date for Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Life Technologies Sets 2nd Quarter 2012 Earnings Release Date for Tuesday, July 31, 2012
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 12, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced it will report its second quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, July 31, 2012, after market close. The company will also hold a webcast on the same day at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss operating results, as well as future expectations.
The webcast can be accessed through the investor relations page of the Life Technologies website at ir.lifetechnologies.com/events.cfm. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website through Tuesday, August 21, 2012.
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology company with customers in more than 160 countries using its innovative solutions to solve some of today's most difficult scientific challenges. Quality and innovation are accessible to every lab with its reliable and easy-to-use solutions spanning the biological spectrum with more than 50,000 products for agricultural biotechnology, translational research, molecular medicine and diagnostics, stem cell-based therapies, forensics, food safety and animal health. Its systems, reagents and consumables represent some of the most cited brands in scientific research including: Ion Torrent™, Applied Biosystems®, Invitrogen™, GIBCO®, Ambion®, Molecular Probes®, Novex®, and TaqMan®. Life Technologies employs approximately 10,400 people and upholds its ongoing commitment to innovation with more than 4,000 patents and exclusive licenses. LIFE had sales of $3.7 billion in 2011. Visit us at our website:
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 12, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced it will report its second quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, July 31, 2012, after market close. The company will also hold a webcast on the same day at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss operating results, as well as future expectations.
The webcast can be accessed through the investor relations page of the Life Technologies website at ir.lifetechnologies.com/events.cfm. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website through Tuesday, August 21, 2012.
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology company with customers in more than 160 countries using its innovative solutions to solve some of today's most difficult scientific challenges. Quality and innovation are accessible to every lab with its reliable and easy-to-use solutions spanning the biological spectrum with more than 50,000 products for agricultural biotechnology, translational research, molecular medicine and diagnostics, stem cell-based therapies, forensics, food safety and animal health. Its systems, reagents and consumables represent some of the most cited brands in scientific research including: Ion Torrent™, Applied Biosystems®, Invitrogen™, GIBCO®, Ambion®, Molecular Probes®, Novex®, and TaqMan®. Life Technologies employs approximately 10,400 people and upholds its ongoing commitment to innovation with more than 4,000 patents and exclusive licenses. LIFE had sales of $3.7 billion in 2011. Visit us at our website:
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Muslims mark 17 years since Srebrenica
The pain that seared Srebrenica 17 years ago burned fresh Wednesday as tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims came to bury their dead in the town whose name is now synonymous with genocide.
In a ceremony broadcast live on television across the country, 520 coffins were placed in the ground as tears flowed like water from family and friends.
On the anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II, 30,000 Muslims traveled to a memorial center in Srebrenica to honor the thousands of Muslim men and boys slaughtered in July 1995 by Serb forces.
Izabela Hasanovic, 27, sobbed over one of the coffins before it was lowered into a freshly dug pit.
"My father, my father is here," she sobbed. "I cannot believe that my father is in this coffin. I cannot accept it!"
Another woman dropped on her knees next to a coffin, pressing her lips against the green cloth covering the wood.
"It's your sister kissing you. It's me," she whispered, caressing the coffin with both hands until others lowered it.
Then the valley echoed with the sound of dirt landing on the coffins from thousands of shovels, as a voice read out the names of the victims and their ages from loudspeakers.
Among them were 48 teenagers as well as 94-year-old Saha Izmirlic, who was buried next to her son who also died in the massacre. On the other side of her grave, an empty space is waiting for her grandson who has not yet been found.
Srebrenica was a U.N.-protected Muslim town in Bosnia besieged by Serb forces throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic overran the enclave in July 1995, separated men from women and executed 8,372 men and boys within days. Dutch troops stationed in Srebrenica as U.N. peacekeepers were undermanned and outgunned, and failed to stop the slaughter.
The bodies of the victims are still being found in mass graves throughout eastern Bosnia. The task has been made even more difficult by the fact that the perpetrators dug up mass graves and reburied remains in other areas to try to cover their tracks. The victims have been identified through DNA analysis and newly identified ones are buried at the Srebrenica memorial center every year.
So far 5,325 Srebrenica massacre victims found this way have been laid to rest. In Washington, President Obama issued a statement honoring the memory of the "innocent men and boys" massacred.
In a ceremony broadcast live on television across the country, 520 coffins were placed in the ground as tears flowed like water from family and friends.
On the anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II, 30,000 Muslims traveled to a memorial center in Srebrenica to honor the thousands of Muslim men and boys slaughtered in July 1995 by Serb forces.
Izabela Hasanovic, 27, sobbed over one of the coffins before it was lowered into a freshly dug pit.
"My father, my father is here," she sobbed. "I cannot believe that my father is in this coffin. I cannot accept it!"
Another woman dropped on her knees next to a coffin, pressing her lips against the green cloth covering the wood.
"It's your sister kissing you. It's me," she whispered, caressing the coffin with both hands until others lowered it.
Then the valley echoed with the sound of dirt landing on the coffins from thousands of shovels, as a voice read out the names of the victims and their ages from loudspeakers.
Among them were 48 teenagers as well as 94-year-old Saha Izmirlic, who was buried next to her son who also died in the massacre. On the other side of her grave, an empty space is waiting for her grandson who has not yet been found.
Srebrenica was a U.N.-protected Muslim town in Bosnia besieged by Serb forces throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic overran the enclave in July 1995, separated men from women and executed 8,372 men and boys within days. Dutch troops stationed in Srebrenica as U.N. peacekeepers were undermanned and outgunned, and failed to stop the slaughter.
The bodies of the victims are still being found in mass graves throughout eastern Bosnia. The task has been made even more difficult by the fact that the perpetrators dug up mass graves and reburied remains in other areas to try to cover their tracks. The victims have been identified through DNA analysis and newly identified ones are buried at the Srebrenica memorial center every year.
So far 5,325 Srebrenica massacre victims found this way have been laid to rest. In Washington, President Obama issued a statement honoring the memory of the "innocent men and boys" massacred.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
FOREX-Euro near 2-yr lows, awaits German verdict on bailout fund
July 11 (Reuters) - The euro steadied in Asian trade on Wednesday but hovered near two-year lows against the dollar as investors fretted about the outcome of a German court hearing on the euro zone bailout fund, the latest obstacle to efforts to beat the region's debt crisis.
The political hurdles and investor scepticism about European Union's decision-making process are likely to ensure the single currency will remain under pressure for some time, market players said.
"While the euro could see some short-term corrective moves against the dollar, it is really difficult to think of taking long positions in the coming months, considering Europe's situation," said Masashi Murata, senior currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in Tokyo.
The euro was changing hands at $1.2266, with Monday's EBS two-year low of $1.2225 in sight, a break of which would open the way to a test of support at $1.20.
If that level is breached, the pair could move to test its June 2010 low of $1.1875.
The German Constitutional Court began a hearing into whether the euro zone's bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), and planned changes to the region's budget rules are compatible with German law. Without German backing, the ESM, which was originally meant to start on July 1, then delayed to July 9, cannot come into effect.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said any significant delay in approving the ESM could lead to more market turmoil and undermine confidence in the euro zone.
The latest meeting of euro zone finance ministers this week also failed to provide much reassurance.
While the ministers agreed to grant Spain an extra year through 2014 to reach its deficit reduction targets, they did not come up with a final figure for aid for the country's ailing lenders but said some 30 billion euros would be available by the end of this month.
The Australian dollar also traded near an all-time high against the single currency of A$1.1974 hit on Tuesday, and was last trading at A$1.2008. Against the U.S. dollar, the Aussie rose 0.3 percent to $1.0208.
The weaker euro helped support the dollar against a basket of six major rivals, with the dollar index holding ground at 83.272, down 0.1 percent but still not far off a June 1 peak of 83.542. A break of that level would take it back to mid-2010 highs.
The political hurdles and investor scepticism about European Union's decision-making process are likely to ensure the single currency will remain under pressure for some time, market players said.
"While the euro could see some short-term corrective moves against the dollar, it is really difficult to think of taking long positions in the coming months, considering Europe's situation," said Masashi Murata, senior currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in Tokyo.
The euro was changing hands at $1.2266, with Monday's EBS two-year low of $1.2225 in sight, a break of which would open the way to a test of support at $1.20.
If that level is breached, the pair could move to test its June 2010 low of $1.1875.
The German Constitutional Court began a hearing into whether the euro zone's bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), and planned changes to the region's budget rules are compatible with German law. Without German backing, the ESM, which was originally meant to start on July 1, then delayed to July 9, cannot come into effect.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said any significant delay in approving the ESM could lead to more market turmoil and undermine confidence in the euro zone.
The latest meeting of euro zone finance ministers this week also failed to provide much reassurance.
While the ministers agreed to grant Spain an extra year through 2014 to reach its deficit reduction targets, they did not come up with a final figure for aid for the country's ailing lenders but said some 30 billion euros would be available by the end of this month.
The Australian dollar also traded near an all-time high against the single currency of A$1.1974 hit on Tuesday, and was last trading at A$1.2008. Against the U.S. dollar, the Aussie rose 0.3 percent to $1.0208.
The weaker euro helped support the dollar against a basket of six major rivals, with the dollar index holding ground at 83.272, down 0.1 percent but still not far off a June 1 peak of 83.542. A break of that level would take it back to mid-2010 highs.
Russia drafts new Syria resolution for UN security council
Russia has circulated a draft UN security council resolution that would extend the UN mission in Syria for three months but stops short of threatening the Assad regime with sanctions.
The deeply divided council must decide the future of the mission, known as UNSMIS, before 20 July when its initial 90-day mandate expires. International envoy Kofi Annan is due to brief the council on Wednesday on his bid to broker peace in Syria.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have killed more than 15,000 people since a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters began in March 2011, some western leaders say. Damascus says rebels have killed several thousand of its security forces.
The Russian draft resolution is unlikely to satisfy the American and European council members, who have called for a resolution under chapter seven of the UN Charter, which allows the council to authorise actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention – though US officials have said they want only sanctions, not military intervention.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Alexander Pankin said a resolution under chapter seven would be "counterproductive" in what he described as a "delicate situation". Russia and China have previously vetoed UN resolutions designed to pressure Assad.
"There is no mention of chapter seven [in the Russian draft] and that's a matter of principle for us because we believe the special envoy is doing a commendable job," Pankin said. "[The draft] is a continuation of the mission bearing in mind the recommendations of the secretary general."
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has recommended UNSMIS be allowed to shift its emphasis from maintaining military observers – who suspended most of their monitoring activities on 16 June because of increasing violence – to finding a political solution and addressing issues like human rights.
The mission would keep its current mandate for up to 300 unarmed observers under this option but significantly fewer likely would be needed to support the new focus.
The Russian draft resolution, obtained by the Reuters news agency, does not specify a number but "stresses the need for UNSMIS to have a military observer capability to conduct effective verification and fact-finding tasks".
It also "calls upon all Syrian parties to guarantee the safety of UNSMIS personnel without prejudice to its freedom of movement and access, and stresses that the primary responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities".
The resolution strongly urges all parties to cease all violence and stresses "that it is for the Syrian people to find a political solution and that the Syrian parties must be prepared to put forward effective and mutually acceptable interlocutors" to work with Annan toward an agreement.
One security council diplomat, who did not want to be named, described the Russian draft as "basically a rollover".
"At the very least it needs to be combined with some real pressure on the parties," he said. "The council will need to address the Syria situation in a more comprehensive way."
Annan met with Assad in Damascus on Monday before traveling to Iran and Iraq for talks on the conflict. Annan said Assad had suggested easing the conflict on a step-by-step basis, starting with districts that have suffered the worst violence.
The deeply divided council must decide the future of the mission, known as UNSMIS, before 20 July when its initial 90-day mandate expires. International envoy Kofi Annan is due to brief the council on Wednesday on his bid to broker peace in Syria.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have killed more than 15,000 people since a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters began in March 2011, some western leaders say. Damascus says rebels have killed several thousand of its security forces.
The Russian draft resolution is unlikely to satisfy the American and European council members, who have called for a resolution under chapter seven of the UN Charter, which allows the council to authorise actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention – though US officials have said they want only sanctions, not military intervention.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Alexander Pankin said a resolution under chapter seven would be "counterproductive" in what he described as a "delicate situation". Russia and China have previously vetoed UN resolutions designed to pressure Assad.
"There is no mention of chapter seven [in the Russian draft] and that's a matter of principle for us because we believe the special envoy is doing a commendable job," Pankin said. "[The draft] is a continuation of the mission bearing in mind the recommendations of the secretary general."
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has recommended UNSMIS be allowed to shift its emphasis from maintaining military observers – who suspended most of their monitoring activities on 16 June because of increasing violence – to finding a political solution and addressing issues like human rights.
The mission would keep its current mandate for up to 300 unarmed observers under this option but significantly fewer likely would be needed to support the new focus.
The Russian draft resolution, obtained by the Reuters news agency, does not specify a number but "stresses the need for UNSMIS to have a military observer capability to conduct effective verification and fact-finding tasks".
It also "calls upon all Syrian parties to guarantee the safety of UNSMIS personnel without prejudice to its freedom of movement and access, and stresses that the primary responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities".
The resolution strongly urges all parties to cease all violence and stresses "that it is for the Syrian people to find a political solution and that the Syrian parties must be prepared to put forward effective and mutually acceptable interlocutors" to work with Annan toward an agreement.
One security council diplomat, who did not want to be named, described the Russian draft as "basically a rollover".
"At the very least it needs to be combined with some real pressure on the parties," he said. "The council will need to address the Syria situation in a more comprehensive way."
Annan met with Assad in Damascus on Monday before traveling to Iran and Iraq for talks on the conflict. Annan said Assad had suggested easing the conflict on a step-by-step basis, starting with districts that have suffered the worst violence.
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