Well, I’m back. Finally.

After a long plane ride from Charles De Gaulle to Dulles, my feet are back on American soil. Although, I have to say, it was not easy getting here.

The snowstorm that hit the East Coast really messed up transportation. Luckily, we got out of Europe before things started to fall apart there, but it was no better here. My situation wasn’t improved either since after I landed in Dulles, I was heading out to get on another plane home from DCA to CT. If you hadn’t heard, DCA was severely impaired by the storm and travel Saturday and Sunday was a hot mess. Not just flying, but also ground transportation. The DC metro system was almost entirely shut down, and because of this, the taxi system was bearing the brunt of those trying to get around town.

By miracle alone, I was able to a) get a taxi to the airport and b) get on a flight (my first two options had been cancelled) that got me home to Connecticut. It was really neat to see the camaraderie that came about from equally frustrated and tired flyers. I can only imagine what it was like for the employees of US Air working the ticket counters. I did not envy them yesterday.

So, after 24 hours of being awake and trying to reconcile a six-hour time difference, I made it back to my home.

I can’t tell you how excited I was this morning to sleep in and to take a shower without having to share the tub with my shower curtain. (In Europe, they have high bathtubs, but only half shower curtains. It gets tricky because as soon you turn the water on, the air circulation pushes the curtain in towards you, making your personal space bubble even smaller than it already was.) I was also super to be able to find flat water. (Another fact about Europe: they love their carbonated water.)

I guess now that I am back; it’s time to get into Christmas mode!

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

MiceAge has a huge update that mentions Mr. Lincoln’s return to the Main Street Opera House, Disney’s California Adventure Construction, and new, small additions at Downtown Disney.

Last week, Mr. Lincoln returned to his home in the opera house in Main Street, USA.  The “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show originally opened in 1965 and has been renamed several times until its closing in 2005 to install the Steve Martin movie, “Disneyland: first 50 magical years”.  That quietly closed down in February or March of this year to bring Mr. Lincoln back to where he belonged.  The original Lincoln show came from the Disney Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair and at Disneyland, was the first humanoid animatronic ever made.  This new show is now called “The Disneyland Story: Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”, but now with the latest, most technologically advanced Lincoln animatronic, with a turning head, very detailed skeletal-like body, and smooth arm-movements just like a human body’s would.

There is an update about the Disney’s California Adventure construction- mentioning the construction of Mickey’s Silly Swings, the World of Color nighttime show, the Little Mermaid dark ride, and Carsland.  There is also a small update about Downtown Disney.

the reason for my blog is for me to express my views on drum corps as well as to gain the ideals of other drum corps fans.
first i wanted to explain that i my self have marched in the drum corps circut, and currently march with carolina gold.

I am in the Design Ethnography studio, listening to it rain. My feet are still cold and wet from walking to the DCA with Neha T. earlier. I just used a Sharpie to stir my tea, in a manner that was perhaps less absent minded and more lazy than Alicia, owner of the Sharpie, would likely appreciate. I took the tea with two lumps of sugar (cubes, really.). I love the way the sugar cubes in hot tea release little air bubbles like they are in drowning death throws. I suspect that is somewhat sadistic.

One of my knowledge swatches is totally complete, and I have the pictures down for the second. I may even be done by 9:00 pm when they kick us out of the studio.

In spite of my utterly idiotic use of my time last night, I am not as exhausted as I thought I would be. I ache some, but my mental function is not too terribly impaired. My reflexes are slightly slowed. My brain is slightly fuzzy. Listening is more difficult. Ah, to be making decisions like a freshman again. If only stupidity kept us young forever.

Kanker sampai saat ini masih menjadi momok yang menakutkan baik bagi pasien dan dokter. Harapan kesembuhannya secara umum sangat kecil jika sudah sampai pada tahap lanjut. Bagi pasien, diagnosis kanker bagaikan vonis mati terlebih bagi mereka yang tidak memiliki dana untuk mengakses pengobatan terkini yang sangat mahal. Bagi dokter, Kanker merupakan salah satu penyakit yang memberikan tantangan yang luar biasa dalam mencari obat penyembuhnya.

Namun harapan bagi penderita kanker dan para dokter mungkin bisa dipenuhi oleh Dichloroacetate, satu obat lama yang pertama kali digunakan dalam satu penelitian klinis untuk mengobati penyakit genetis yang sangat jarang yang disebut congenital lactic acidosis dan syndrome MELAS. Pada kedua percobaan klinis tersebut, dichloroacetate memberikan hasil yang tidak memuaskan.

Bagaimana Dichloroacetate membunuh sel kanker?

Sebenarnya obat ini dalam kaitannya dengan pengobatan kanker mendapat perhatian publik yang luas dan juga dari kalangan ilmuwan kedokteran sejak diterbitkannya sebuah penelitian oleh kelompok ilmuwan dari Universitas Alberta Canada tahun 2007 yang dipimpin oleh Doktor Evangelos Michelakis. Dalam laporan penelitian yang diterbitkan di Cancer Cell dibuktikan bahwa Dichloroacetate mampu membunuh sel-sel kanker dalam percobaan in vitro (percobaan dengan memakai sel, jaringan, organisme di luar tubuh mahluk hidup) dan mengecilkan kanker pada tikus besar (rat) yang  ditumbuhkan dengan cara mencangkokkan sel kanker pada binatang tersebut. Dichloroacetate merangsang terjadinya apoptosis atau kematian sel kanker dengan cara mengganggu metabolisme sel kanker. Sel kanker diketahui menggunakan proses glikolisis untuk mempertahankan hidupnya dan memfasilitasi penyebaran baik di jaringan lokal maupun jaringan tubuh yang jauh (metastase). Proses glikolisis pada sitoplasma inilah yang diganggu oleh dichloroacetate dengan cara merangsang metabolisme oksidasi glukosa yang terjadi di mitochondria sel. Pada sel kanker mitochondria mengalami hambatan dalam proses oksidasi glukosa ini. Membaiknya fungsi mitochondria oleh pengaruh dichloroacetate ini, akhirnya bisa membantu dalam proses apoptosis/kematian terprogram sel kanker.

Menyusul hasil eksperimen tersebut, tim Universitas Alberta tersebut berinisiatif untuk melakukan percobaan klinis pada manusia agar mamfaatnya bisa segera diketahui dan dipertanggungjawabkan. Namun sayang sekali bahwa tidak ada satupun perusahaan obat di dunia yang tertarik untuk membiayai penelitian klinis tersebut karena Dichloroacetate adalah obat atau zat kimia yang sudah bebas paten/generik sehingga tidak memberikan potensi keuntungan bagi perusahaan obat. Penelitian klinis yang dilakukan pada banyak pasien dan multi centre di banyak negara sebagai salah satu prasyarat diakuinya suatu obat atau zat kimia untuk pengabatan suatu penyakit membutuhkan biaya yang luar biasa besar. Perusahaan obat tentu tidak mau mensponsori suatu penelitian obat jika tidak memberikan potensi ekonomi bagi mereka. Mengingat obat ini sudah menjadi obat generik, maka peluang bagi kembalinya modal dalam membiayai penelitian kecil. Obat yang sudah masuk kategori generik bisa diproduksi secara massal oleh siapapun tanpa harus membayar royalti kepada perusahaan tertentu.

 Akhirnya tim peneliti tersebut memutuskan untuk mengumpulkan dana dari masyarakat dan lembaga pemerintah untuk melaksanakan penelitian klinis kecil sebagai permulaan (link). Obat ini kalau berhasil dibuktikan efektif pada manusia dalam mengobati kanker, akan bisa menjadi pilihan yang sangat murah dalam melengkapi senjata obat para dokter dalam menyembuhkan kanker. Ditambah lagi ada indikasi bahwa DCA ini bisa dipergunakan pada berbagai jenis kanker karena target kerjanya pada metabolisme sel kanker yang hampir serupa pada sebagian besar sel sel kanker.

Pasien Kanker berani bertaruh nyawa demi DCA

Secara keilmuwan dan legal formal DCA masih belum bisa dijadikan obat dalam menangulangi penyakit kanker sebelum secara meyakinkan dibuktikan efektifitasnya dalam sebuah penelitian klinis yang besar. Butuh biaya besar dan waktu yang lama (lebih dari 10 tahun) untuk melakukan penelitian klinis yang menjadi norma dalam ilmu kedokteran untuk menyetujui suatu penggunaan suatu obat baru.

Namun pasien kanker tentunya tidak punya waktu yang lama untuk menunggu. Mereka setiap hari berjuang untuk tetap bertahan hidup. Ditambah lagi bahwa terapi kanker saat ini begitu mahal bukan saja bagi pasien di negara berkembang tapi juga di negara maju. Berita gembira dari penelitian preklinis dari Universitas Alberta tersebut kemudian memberikan banyak pasien keberanian untuk mencoba DCA tersebut. Bahkan sebuah klinik di Canada yang dijalankan oleh sepasang suami istri (Medicor Cancer Centre) berani memberikan DCA kepada pasien-pasien kanker tahap akhir yang hasilnya menurut saya secara pribadi cukup menjanjikan. Bahkan dua pasien kanker tahap akhirnya mengalami remisi total dari penyakitnya. Di websitenya mereka juga menyajikan data-data serta kasus-kasus pasien kanker yang diobati dengan DCA.

Pasien-pasien klinik tersebut juga datang dari berbagai negara, dimana mereka sudah mendapatkan seluruh pengobatan kanker terkini, namun penyakitnya tetap memburuk. Pilihan pengobatan dengan DCA menjadi harapan baru mereka  meskipun dunia kedokteran masih belum menetapkan efektifitasnya sejauh ini melalui penelitian klinis standar. Bahkan mereka siap menanggung resiko apapun terkait dengan keputusan memakai terapi itu.

Meski kita harus sangat hati hati dalam hal ini, namun apa yang dilakukan oleh klinik tersebut dan kerelaan para pasien kanker tahap akhir tersebut menjadi pasien meski mereka harus membayar, patut diberi apresiasi. Paling tidak ini masih jauh lebih baik dibandingkan dengan pasien-pasien kanker kita di tanah air yang lari ke pengobatan alternatif yang tidak memiliki landasan keilmuwan sama sekali. Kebanyakan pasien kita tidak bisa berpikir kritis dan mau saja membayar mahal terapi pengobatan dukun ala simsalabim atau ramuan-ramuan tertentu yang belum dibuktikan dalam penelitian apapun.

Dichloroacetate: Isu Etika dan Bisnis

Salahkah para pasien kanker tahap akhir tersebut serta dokter yang memberikan DCA kepada mereka? Secara etik dan hukum bisa saja para dokter itu dijerat karena mereka telah memberikan pengobatan yang belum dibuktikan efektifitasnya secara akademik formal melalui penelitian klinis. Pasien bisa dianggap korban malpraktek dalam hal ini. Akan tetapi jika pasien tersebut dengan kesadaran sendiri memilih ikut terapi meski harus membayar, bagaimana? Haruskah mereka menunggu bertahun-tahun selesainya penelitian klinis DCA yang nampaknya juga akan tersendat-sendat karena tidak adanya minat perusahaan obat mensponsorinya, sebelum akhirnya mereka secara hukum bisa mendapatkan terapi yang cukup menjanjikan tersebut? Sementara umur harapan hidup mereka sangatlah terbatas.

Saya kira ini secara etika kedokteran adalah persoalan yang pelik. Mungkin kalau di Indonesia, permasalahan ini sama sekali tidak menjadi masalah mengingat keberadaan pengobatan alternatif dan dukun-dukun berobat yang menawarkan penyembuhan berbagai penyakit berat seperti kanker saja tidak diatur. Pemerintah tidak ambil pusing apakah terapi mereka betul-betul efektif atau hanya menjadi ladang penipuan pasien-pasien yang sudah putus asa. Tapi di negara maju, ini menjadi isu yang sangat besar karena keselamatan pasien dan integritas dunia kedokteran dipertaruhkan. Dalam kasus DCA di atas, banyak sekali kalangan profesional yang sangat menyesalkan adanya dokter yang mau berpetualang apapun alasan yang mendasarinya.

Satu-satunya langkah yang tepat tentunya adalah mempercepat uji klinis dari obat ini untuk mengetahui secara pasti efektifitasnya. Namun secara bisnis obat ini tidak menarik bagi perusahaan obat untuk disponsori. Oleh karena itu di negara maju yang kapitalistis, penelitian klinis DCA ini mungkin akan terhambat.

Pelajaran Berharga dari Kasus

Negara adalah penanggung jawab penuh terhadap segala urusan warga negaranya termasuk masalah pelayanan kesehatan. Adalah tugas negara untuk menyedikan pelayanan kesehatan yang terjangkau bagi semua rakyatnya. Ini tidak berlaku di negara kapitalis seperti AS dimana korporasi dan dunia swasta sangat berperan dalam urusan kesehatan di sana. perdebatan mengenai kebijakan kesehatan nasional  yang terjadi antara kubu Presiden Obama dari Partai Demokrat dan kubu Partai Republik menunjukkan betapa rakyat Amerika  begitu kuatnya dipengaruhi oleh pengusaha dan korporasi. Partai republik yang pro korporasi begitu mati-matian melawan rencana Obama yang ingin memjalankan asuransi kesehatan yang  dijalankan oleh negara yang lebih terjangkau bagi sebagian besar rakyat amerika.

Negara yang dikuasai oleh lobi korporasi akan melahirkan kebijakan-kebijakan yang pro korporasi dan mengabaikan kepentingan orang banyak. Bagaimana segelintir kapitalis di Amerika dengan kekuatan finansialnya bisa memporak-porandakan ekonomi dunia menuju krisis adalah contoh paling konkret bahaya kapitalisme ini bagi kebanyakan orang.

Dengan kapitalisme yang berkuasa, maka harapan untuk mengembangkan penelitian  obat yang murah seperti DCA ini akan jalan di tempat. Perusahaan obat lebih menitik beratkan aspek ekonomi dibanding aspek kemanusiaan di dalam kiprahnya.

Will Dr. Evangelos Michelakis’ Invention be blocked by a Profit Driven Pharmaceutical Industry?

I Visited Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day. Most Meaningful day of the year to visit Washington D.C. As i was waiting to board the flight i was Texting away…. (As usual) and must have set the phone down (GRRRR!). The flight was ready for take off before i was even in my seat! I was the last person to board the plane AND my seat was at the very last row so by the time i made it to my seat, bucked myself in and decided it was time to send another text… the plane was ready for take off.. and my phone was MIA!!! I flew out of PHX on flight 42 departing at 1:10pm and arrived just before 8pm DCA Time. Five hours later upon landing at DCA i asked the gate to call PHX and see if my phone had been turned in… No Dice.. The gate agent was super sweet and went out of her way to call 3 or 4 different numbers to try to track down my missing phone. She even offered me her personal cell to use while she was onthe company phone making calls!! Way to go US Airways Customer Service!!! (I didn’t even mention i was an employee so i know she was not just being partial). I called my phone several times and even left a message on my VM in case someone found it. I text myself also. I thanked the agent and went on to catch the metro. Conveniently, the Metrorail station is connected to the concourse level of terminals B and C at Reagan National Airport. These are the directions to get to the hotel: Take the Metro BLUE line to Rossalyn. Get off at Rossalyn. Take the Orange line to Ballston. Walk straight and go up two sets of escalators MAP

My fare to Rosslyn was $1.35.

Now these directions are entirely too simple for me to follow. My impulsiveness jumps on the first train i see; however i’d like to blame my intensive lack of sleep;) As soon as the doors close i realize im on the yellow line! *($)#!@ and i have no idea which direction im headed! Quickly, i exit at the first stop and walk up and over the metro in plans to take the yellow line back to the airport and start over. While waiting for the metro to take me back to to square one i glance at a MAP and see just how simple my journey was: No need to go back to the airport i simply had to take the BLUE ->ORANGE. ORANGE -> HOTEL. DUH!!!!!!! I must say the convenience factor is in huge play here in DCA. The Hotel Hilton Astoria in Arlington Virgina950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, United States 22203 is located at Ballston Station. Tel: 1-703-528-6000

SUPER!!! Guess i would have know all this prior had i installed the wheretraveler.com iphone app on my phone.. oh wait i don’t have my phone GRRRR!!! Nor the step by step instructions where to go on the website haha All these helpfull hints i found in the free magazine in my hotel room! The magazine Where: 2009 November was a great resource to me as i planned out my tour of the city.
This time i got it all figured out:
Orange line to Rossalyn. Rossalyn take blue line to Arlington Cemetery. Easy. Ballston -> Rossalyn. Rossalyn -> Arlington Cemetery.
..Rossalyn Pic here…

The Cemetery is massive.

วันนี้มาเล่าเรื่อง Dollar Costing Average ซักหน่อยดีกว่า ช่วงนี้มีคนถามผมบ่อยมากจริงๆว่า วิธีการของ DCA ที่ว่าเนี่ย มันจะดีแล้วได้ผลจริงๆหรอ? ผมจะบอกได้เลยครับว่ามันจะได้ผลดีจริงๆในระยะยาว ผมชอบมองว่ามันคือ Double Reaction – Attack & Defensive บางคนหวังผลในระยะสั้นแต่ผมว่ามันไม่เวิคหรอกครับ หลายๆคนที่ผมแนะนำนั้นลงไปแค่ 2 ทีแล้วบอกว่าไม่เข้าตาแล้วผ่านไปแค่ 2 เดือนไม่เห็นผล ซื้อๆขายๆมันกว่า ผมก็จะบอกว่าใช่แล้ว อันนี้เป็นการลงทุนนะครับ ไม่ใช่การเกร็งกำไร

มีคำถามว่าระยะยาวมันจะ Work แน่หรอ? เพราะหุ้นลงเอาๆ ในเมื่อเข้ามาในตลาดทุนแล้วผมเองก็อยากจะบอกให้ทุกคนเชื่ออย่างหนึ่งคือ “ทุกบริษัทหวังผลกำไรและความก้าวหน้า” นั่นไม่ได้หมายความว่าผมหมายถึงหุ้นทุกตัวนะครับ บางตัวเป็นหุ้นปั่นไม่ได้สะท้อนภาวะที่ดีในระยะยาวที่แสดงผลกำไรจริง บางตัวออกหุ้นมาล้างหนี้ บางตัวดีๆอยู่เกิดอะไรก็ไม่รู้เจ๊งขึ้นมา ตรงนี้เราต้องเลือกดีๆ รับความเสี่ยงกันไป ถ้าใครนึกไม่ออกว่าจะลงทุนกับหุ้นตัวไหนผมก็คิดว่าลองไปเล็งๆเอาที่ SET50 แล้วกันนะครับ ไม่ต้องไปลงกองทุนหรอก ถ้าอยากลงกองทุนผมว่าไปดูว่ากองทุนที่ผลงานดีๆ แล้วเราชอบ ลงอะไรแล้วก็ลงตาม Port เขาก็ได้ ห้าห้า (กองทุนจะว่าผมไหมเนี่ย)

เรื่องของการทำ DCA นั้นผมจะบอกว่าข้อดีที่เป็น Double Reaction นั้นเพราะในตลาดหุ้นเนี่ยมันมีอยู่แค่ 2 Action ล่ะครับ ไม่ Bear – ขาลง ก็ Bull – ขาขึ้น แล้วที่ผมบอกว่ามันเป็นหลักของการทำ Attack & Defensive เนี่ยไม่ผิดหรอก เพราะ Bear ยิ่งลงมากคุณจะได้ Volume ที่สูงมากสะสมไว้เยอะๆ พอขึ้นแล้วตีขายกลับได้กำไรงาม แล้วก็เป็น Bull ก็เช่นกัน สะสมได้น้อยแต่ Attack ได้เยอะเพราะ Price มันจะราคาสูงขึ้นยังไงก็กำไร

Bear Market

มีคนบอกว่าหุ้นลงแล้วตามซื้อมันจะดีหรอ? สำหรับผมหรอ “ดีซิ” ยิ่งหุ้นลงปริมาณเงินที่ลงทุนเท่าเดิมนั้นจะทำให้ผมได้ “จำนวนหุ้นที่มากขึ้น” แล้วราคาเฉลี่ยนั้นมันจะถูก Weight ลงไปเรื่อยๆด้วยนะครับ ไม่ใช่ ซื้อครั้งแรก 100 บาท ซื้อครั้งที่ 2 ราคา 50 บาท ราคาเฉลี่ยจะเป็น 75 บาท ผิดค๊าบบ เพราะถ้าคำนวณดีๆอย่างมีการ Weight แล้วมันจะดันต้นทุนต่ำไปกว่านั้นอีกเพราะ Volume เป็นตัวดันต้นทุนลง ราคายิ่งลง จำนวนหุ้นยิ่งมากและเป็นผลทำให้ ราคาเฉลี่ยลงตามครับ

จากรูปจะเห็นได้ว่าการลงทุน 1,000USD 4 ครั้งในขาลง มันจะไม่ใช่การหารตรงๆด้วยจำนวน 4 ครั้งเพื่อได้ค่าเฉลี่ยของการลงทุน แต่จำนวนราคาเฉลี่ยหุ้นมันจะถูกลดลงไปเรื่อยๆตามที่จำนวนหุ้นเพิ่มขึ้นจนท้ายสุดจะเบนค่าไปทางส่วนที่ต่ำกว่า แล้วเมื่อหุ้นดีดกลับไปเมื่อไหร่ก็ลองคิดดูเล่นๆนะครับว่าเราจะกำไรสุดยอดขนาดไหน

Bull Market

อันนี้ก็เป็นการลงทุนขาขึ้นนะครับ ซึ่งเป็นหลักการที่ทุกคนชอบอยู่แล้วล่ะ มันก็ดีเหมือนกันเพราะผมจะได้ “ราคาที่สูงขึ้น” คิดง่ายๆ วันนี้ซื้อ 30 พรุ่งนี้ราคา 40 ใครๆก็ชอบยิ่งขึ้นเรายิ่งดีใจ แต่ถ้ามองในมุมของการลงทุนระยาวนั้นการใช้ DCA ในขาขึ้นมันจะทำให้เราได้ Volume ที่น้อยลงไปด้วย ซึ่งนั่นเป็นสิ่งดีนะครับเพราะมันจะเป็นจุดตัดความเสี่ยงของเราไปในตัวไม่ให้เราลงทุนมากขึ้นตามราคาและความเสี่ยงที่สูงขึ้น

Bull คงไม่ต้องอธิบายมากใครๆก็อยากให้เกิด ขายได้ขายดี ตรงนี้ถ้าสังเกตดีๆ Volume จะลดลงเรื่อยๆตามราคาที่ปรับสูงขึ้น ค่าเฉลี่ยของราคานั้นไม่ได้ปรับตามอย่างรวดเร็วตามราคาหุ้นด้วยนะครับ มันจะค่อยๆดีดออกจากฐานที่ดึงด้วย Volume จำนวนมากๆไว้ แล้วค่อยๆปล่อยเราขึ้นไปเก็บทีละนิดๆ

อย่างว่านะครับ ในความเป็นจริงแล้วหุ้นมันไม่ได้ Bull / Bear อย่างเดียวหรอก สุดท้ายมันจะต้องมีสลับกันไปสลับกันมาซึ่งตรงนี้ผมก็จะบอกได้ว่า DCA ก็ช่วยทำให้ทุกคนคลายกังวลจากความเสี่ยงตรงนี้ได้เพราะสุดท้ายหุ้นเราจะอยู่ในระดับราคาที่มี Weight ของ Volume ให้มันอยู่ต่ำๆ พอในระยะยาวก็ขายนะครับ แต่ตรงนี้ก็อย่าลืมหาจังหวะด้วยล่ะโดยเฉพาะเวลาจะเพิ่มเงินลงทุน เพราะพอเพิ่มแล้วกลายเป็น Weight จะทุกดัน ขึ้นตามเงินลงทุนเลยเวลาเพิ่มเงินลงทุนผมยังแนะนำให้เพิ่มช่วงขาลงนะครับ มันจะได้ไปสะสมหุ้นก่อนแล้วพอหุ้นขึ้นตรงนั้นจะเป็นประโยชน์มาก ถ้าไป Weight ขาขึ้นแล้วเกิดอยู่ๆมันลง กว่าจะถัวเฉลี่ยกันไปได้ก็ใช้เวลานานอยู่

จบแระครับ ยังไงก็ลองเอาเครื่องมือนี้ไปใช้ปฏิบัติดูนะครับ ผมกำไรกับวิธีการนี้แหละ ^_^

 

Midwest Airlines 717-2BL N924ME (msn 55190) DCA (retired), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Midwest Airlines (subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings) (Milwaukee) retired its last Boeing 717 operated by Midwest Airlines crews on November 2, ending 25 years as an airline. The airline surrendered its AOC the following day. It now becomes a marketing brand (now a virtual airline). Other airlines in the Republic Airways Holdings family will operate under the Midwest brand from Milwaukee.

News link including a video of the last 717 flight:

www.wisn.com/money/21501388/detail.html

Midwest will add two new routes from MKE. MKE-Raleigh/Durham service will be added on April 1, 2010 (operated by Republic Airlines Embraer ERJ 170s) and MKE-San Francisco on April 19, 2010 (operated by Frontier Airbus A319s).

Press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/Midwest-Airlines-Adds-More-bw-1671443684.html?x=0&.v=1

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

Please click on photo or link below for full view, information and other photos:

http://airlinersgallery.com/2/25dc471/#/gallery/midwest-airlines/midwest-717-200-n924me-03-apr-dca-bd-lr-100801/

Last week I visited the Thomas Hirschhorn exhibition at DCA in Dundee, with the PG student group. After an broken down journey down from Aberdeen we made it to the centre. I was looking forward to seeing this work, as I was well aware of Hirschhorn and his seriousness but energetic installations, but the full force of this satirical and no holds barred presentation was a palpable experience, added to by the enthsiastic and generous sharing of the ideas and narrative to the exhibition by curator Graham Domke.

This morning, I nearly spit out my coffee after reading an article in the Macon (GA) Telegraph concerning the inability of the State of GA to audit prepaid cell companies operating in Georgia to account for 911 fees.

About two and a half years ago, the GA Legislature passed laws requiring that companies offering prepaid cellular service in Georgia pay  $1.50 per prepaid customer per month in 911 fees that the traditional cell phone consumers already pay as part of their contracts.

I understand from the Macon article, written by Travis Fain – tfain@macon.com, and visible here http://www.macon.com/local/story/905004.html, that the DCA (GA Dept of Community Affairs) is powerless to enforce these regulations. Furthermore, any kind of audit of these records is unfunded. This creates a hollow law, with no teeth, and makes the state look foolish, once again.

Fain quotes Clint Mueller, the legislative director of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), who says, ““There’s a lot of corporations that they’re (DCA) not collecting from. We don’t know how much (money) is getting left on the table.”

Says Fain, “The DCA was given power to collect the 911 fees, which were supposed to go into a pot that local 911 operations could tap for grants. That hasn’t happened, and instead the state has used the money to help fund its normal budget, which funds all sorts of state functions, such as public education and the Georgia State Patrol.”

GA Rep. John Lunsford, who sponsored the origianl bill and whom I know to be a reasonable legislator, says “The process is flawed. I think we need better accounting and we need to put some teeth in the laws. What I’d like to actually see is criminal penalties for failure to pay.” I’m with you Rep. Lunsford, but why didn’t we think of this in 2007?

“This is real money that actually belongs to the local taxpayers.” Lunsford said. He’s right in so many ways.

How much real money? Nobody knows. The DCS has collected $15.5 Million since 2007 from companies who HAVE been paying their share. What is unknown is the number of companies, representing an unknown number of consumers, who are not paying their share.

So, we have multiple problems here. First, we have cell phone companies who may not be obeying the law and may not be paying the required toll to support 911 services in Georgia. Second, we have no way to know the impact of these underpayments because the state cannot afford to conduct the audits. Third, we have created laws with no teeth. Fourth, we have a state agency who has little or no control over laws and regulations they are charged with enforcing. Fifth, we have a state budget process that is using collected funds, designated for a pool from which 911 Emergency Service agencies can tap for grant money, that the state is using to fund the General Operating Budget. Finally, we have no plan to fix this. 

Where have we seen this before? See my previous blog articles: “Protesting a 12-day Shutdown of State Gov Agency” http://wp.me/pxvZf-E and “Why I’m Not a Fan of Sales Tax Holidays” http://wp.me/pxvZf-h. So you northerners won’t think this is a southern problem, here’s where I rcently dinged Illinois’ stupid sales tax law changes http://wp.me/pxvZf-m.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, commonly known as National, Washington National, Reagan, Reagan National, or DCA, is located in Arlington, Virginia and is the nearest commercial airport to Washington, D.C.; located 3 miles south of the central business district.

Built in 1940 by the federal government, it was originally called Washington National Airport, but was renamed to honor former President Ronald Reagan on his 87th birthday in 1998 by President Bill Clinton.  It is owned by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The airport is a focus city for U.S. Airways, which has near hourly flights to LaGuardia Airport (New York City) and Logan International Airport (Boston).

Reagan National has U.S. immigration and customs facilities for corporate jet traffic only, therefore it only recieves internation flights from airports with U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance (Nassau, Bermuda, and most major airports in eastern Canada).

You can get to DCA by flight (obviously), subway (via Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metro station), taxi (all fare is now metered), shuttle (door-to-door service available), or road (via George Washington Memorial Parkway or U.S. Route 1).

http://www.mwaa.com/national/

SelectMenu is a powerful widget that let user choose a value from a select box.

to use it in your Data Container Array please add

'my_field' => array(
    // ... field configuration entries
    'inputType' => 'select',
    // ... field configuration entries
);

to the field configuration as ‘select’ is the corresponding alias for the SelectMenu widget

It features data retrieving from the following sources:

• an array
• a foreign field from a custom table
• a custom callback

Using array as source

Define the options array

<?php
$myOptions = array(
    'a' => 'label a',
    'b' => 'label b'
);

$GLOBALS['TL_DCA']['my_dca'] = array(
// other sections like palettes etc.
    'fields' => array(
        'my_field' => array(
              'inputType' => 'select',
              'options'     => $myOptions
        ),
        // ... other fields
    )
);
?>

the resulting html will be:

<select name="wselectmenu" id="ctrl_wselectmenu" class="tl_select mandatory" onfocus="Backend.getScrollOffset();">
  <option value="a">label a</option>
  <option value="b">label b</option>
</select> 

Grouping options

Options can be grouped by putting them as array element, starting from the code above:

$myOptions = array(
    'my_group' => array(
        'a' => 'label a',
        'b' => 'label b'
    )
);

will be rendered as:

<select name="wselectmenu" id="ctrl_wselectmenu" class="tl_select mandatory" onfocus="Backend.getScrollOffset();">
  <optgroup label="&nbsp;my_group">
    <option value="a">label a</option>
    <option value="b">label b</option>
  </optgroup>
</select> 

Labelling the group

Labels can be managed through an array; e.g.:

'my_field' => array(
   // ... other field entries
   'options'     => $myOptions,
   'reference'   => $GLOBALS['TL_LANG']['tl_dev_sandbox']['optionsLabel']
   // ... other field entries
);

the reference array can be put into languages/your_language_code/your_dca_name dir (e.g. languages/en/tl_dev_sandbox.php for english and tl_dev_sandbox table) so it will be loaded when your dca is loaded.

this the method used by TYPOlight core extensions and it makes translations in other languages easy.

$GLOBALS['TL_LANG']['tl_dev_sandbox']['optionsLabel']= $optionsLabel = array(
    'my_group' => 'label for my group',
);

the resulting html will be:

<select name="wselectmenu" id="ctrl_wselectmenu" class="tl_select mandatory" onfocus="Backend.getScrollOffset();">
    <optgroup label="&nbsp;label for my group">
        <option value="a">label a</option>
        <option value="b">label b</option>
    </optgroup>
</select> 

Using the reference array to label the whole select items

Using the code above we manage the labels for options through the $myOptions array (‘a’ => ‘label a’)  while the groups labels are managed through the reference array.

Applying a small change we can manage all the select items (groups and options) with the reference array.

change the $myOptions array so it will looks like:

$myOptions = array(
                'my_group' => array(
                    'a',
                    'b'
                )
            );

then add the missing entries to the reference array

$GLOBALS['TL_LANG']['tl_dev_sandbox']['optionsLabel'] = array(
    'my_group' => 'label for my group',
    'a'              => 'label for option a',
    'b'             => 'label for option b'
);

Querying the database to populate the options

This is useful when you have a foreignKey relationship with another table (e.g. the tl_article table refers to tl_user to associate its own author).

To use this feature just specify the table and field from which you want to populate the selectbox

please note:

table must have a field named id. For each row retrieved the id will be used as value and the field will be used as label.

e.g. the following field configuration entry:

        'my_field' => array(

            'inputType' => 'select',
            'foreignKey' => 'tl_user.name',
        )

will populate a select with id as values and name as labels querying the table tl_user.

Using custom callback to generate the options

Sometime you need more control on options. Luckily the options can be generated through a custom callback.

Create the callback:

please note:

the standard way used by TYPOlight core extensions when dealing with callback is to create a class named as the dca and put it into the dca file. The callback class will extends Backend.

class tl_dev_sandbox extends Backend {

    /***
     * since Backend::__construct is protected we must
     * redefine it as public
     */

    public function __construct() {
        parent::__construct();
    }

    public function generateOptions() {
        // you can use the logic explained above to create groups

        $myOptions = array();

        // fill in the myOptions array

        // this is useless but you can query the database or read data from somewhere
        $myOptions = array('a', 'b');

        return $myOptions;
    }
}

then change your field configuration:

'my_field' => array(
      'inputType' => 'select',
      'options_callback'     => array('tl_dev_sandbox', 'generateOptions')
)

That’s it. If you have questions please comment below.

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

By

Deborah Levine

&

Lisa Twaronite

, MarketWatch

Traders deemed ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet’s comments about the shared currency supportive of the euro, when they expected him to indicate the euro was too strong, which hurts exports and slows a recovery in manufacturing-driven …

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By

Deborah Levine

&

Lisa Twaronite

, MarketWatch

Traders deemed ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet’s comments about the shared currency supportive of the EURo, when they expected him to indicate the EURo was too strong, which hurts exports and slows a recovery in manufacturing-driven economies.

“While Trichet was clearly trying to temper enthusiasm over the EURo, market participants appear to be undeterred,” said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist at The Bank of New York Mellon.

Trichet’s comments also highlighted the lack of commentary from U.S. officials in support of a strong dollar, as the currency moves close to key levels of concern, analysts said.

The dollar also fell against the British pound after the Bank of England stuck with its current lending rate and asset-purchase program.

/quotes/comstock/21o!x:seurusd



CUR_EURUSD



1.47


,

-0.01

,

-0.49%

The euro bought $1.47857 near the highest in at least a year and up from $1.4689 in late U.S. trading Wednesday.

A move above $1.4866 could see a rapid move to $1.50 which “will create some discomfort, if not at the ECN then at finance ministries in the euro zone,” said David Watt, senior currency strategist at RBC Capital Markets.

Meanwhile, the British pound rose to $1.6082, up from $1.5953.

The dollar Index


/quotes/comstock/11j!i:dxy0

(

<A href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/DXY" title="US Dollar Index Future – Spot Price”>
DXY




76.35


,

+0.47

,

+0.61%

)

, a measure of the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of currencies, recently traded at 75.917, down from 76.455 in late trading Wednesday. Watt said a shift above 75.89 could trigger a shift move towards 70, near the lows in early 2008.

The dollar bought 88.43 Japanese yen, down from 88.54 yen late Wednesday.

“A strong dollar is extremely important in the given circumstances,” Trichet said in a news conference.

That’s more than U.S. officials have said, RBC’s Watt noted.

U.S. policy makers, specifically Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, need to “say they want currency markets to be stable, and that they are cooperating with markets,” he said. What officials have said recently “doesn’t provide any confidence to markets anywhere. Are they comfortable with Trichet being Mr. Dollar?”

“An orderly decline in the dollar will help the U.S. economy recover, but a disorderly move doesn’t,” Watt said.

Trichet also said the economic recovery in the euro zone will be “uneven” after the ECB kept its key lending rate at 1%, as widely expected. His comments on the U.S. currency were of most interest to the currency market.

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Source: Dollar still falls after ECB supports buck – MarketWatch

MPLBelgique.org

Aujourd’hui, l’armée israélienne a explosé ses systèmes d’observation et de transmission dans la vallée de Houla. Peu de temps avant, des sources sécuritaires avaient informé la chaine NBN que les Israéliens ont fait exploser un matériel d’espionnage leur appartenant, parce que les services de sécurité libanais l’avaient découvert.

Par ailleurs, des informations de presse rapportent que, vers 11h de l’avant midi, la DCA de l’armée libanaise a fait feu sur un avion israélien de type MK qui survolait la région de Marjeyoun, Kfakila, Mays Al Jabal.

La semaine dernière, les médias israéliens diffusaient des images satellites supposées illustrer l’évacuation d’une roquette à partir d’un bâtiment du Sud-Liban (à Tayr Felsay) où une explosion s’était produite peu de temps auparavant. Malgré les démentis libanais, la diplomatie israélienne en a alors profité pour exiger une enquête de l’ONU, prétextant une violation de la Résolution 1701 par le Hezbollah. 24 heures plus tard, les médias libanais publiaient une vidéo haute-définition du lieu-dit où un camion évacuait peu de temps après la catastrophe la porte métallique du garage soufflée par l’explosion. Cette même porte que les images floues remplies de mauvaise foi, diffusées par l’armée israélienne, apparentaient à une roquette. Dans cette vidéo, étaient également perceptibles les agents de la FINUL qui quadrillaient ce lieu.

Dès lors, une question se pose légitimement. Qu’attend donc l’ONU pour faire cesser la désinformation israélienne ou pro-israélienne et surtout, qu’attend-elle pour clore cette pseudo-enquête lancée sur du faux?
Chaque jour, l’armée israélienne viole la souveraineté libanaise ainsi que la résolution 1701 de l’ONU sans aucune réaction de la communauté internationale. Jusqu’à quand Israël bénéficiera-t-elle de tant d’impunité, voire de complicité?

A DCA-BR– Organização Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento da Certificação Aeronáutica promoverá, entre 17 e 19 de novembro de 2009, o 1º Simpósio Internacional de Confiabilidade e Segurança Operacional, nas instalações do Novotel, à Av. Nelson D’Avila, 2200, próximo ao trevo do Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Aeroespacia (DCTA), em São José dos Campos (SP).

O Simpósio contará com palestras de especialistas do Brasil e do Exterior voltadas para os processos de gestão da segurança operacional e da confiabilidade nas indústrias de Aviação Civil e de Defesa. No evento serão apresentadas também as experiências de especialistas que atuam em outros segmentos de atividades, tais como as indústrias naval, petroquímica, siderúrgica e nuclear, envolvendo conceitos de confiabilidade, análise de risco, suas ferramentas e aplicações, além dos fatores humanos relacionados.

Os objetivos principais do Simpósio são discutir os processos de gestão de segurança operacional na aviação; debater os conceitos e as ferramentas mais modernas disponíveis para análise de risco e de falhas de sistemas; discutir programas de controle de confiabilidade e de monitoramento de risco nas atividades de projeto, desenvolvimento e manutenção de sistemas e estruturas.

A realização do Simpósio acontece no exato momento em que as autoridades certificadoras dos países membros da Organização de Aviação Civil Internacional (OACI) estão discutindo formas de implementar novos programas de segurança operacional. Esses programas, conhecidos como SMS (Safety Management Systems/Sistemas de Gerenciamento de Segurança Operacional), deverão tornar-se progressivamente obrigatórios nos próximos anos, visando aumentar os índices de segurança no transporte aéreo mundial.

Como prestadora de serviços nesse segmento de atuação, a DCA-BR está habilitada a atender consultas sobre a interpretação das recomendações e requisitos visando à implantação do SMS nas empresas que terão que se adequar a esses novos regulamentos.

Os profissionais interessados em participar do Simpósio poderão obter informações adicionais através do site www.dcabr.org.br  ou pelo telefone (12) 3203-2104.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Please click on photo for more photos.

Midwest Airlines (subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings) (Milwaukee) will phase out the last Boeing 717 on November 3. This represents the last type flown by the original Midwest pilots. All other Midwest Airlines flying will be conducted by sister airlines Republic Airlines (2nd) and Chautauqua Airlines under the Midwest and Midwest Connect brand. What aircraft will be operated on the Midwest AOC to keep the AOC alive?

ALPA issued the following press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/Midwest-Pilots-Statement-on-bw-1862134552.html?x=0&.v=1

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

The dollar has finally regained some ground.  It’s too early to tell, but the strength could be the beginning of a significant reversal.  The GBPUSD is testing h&s neckline support.

Euro / US Dollar

I wrote Friday that “the recent break was from a triangle and triangles preceded t …

Source: Dollar Turnaround; Beginning of Reversal or Pullback?