S4 Liquidations

As more and more time goes by without electricity, heat, hot water, flush toilets, Internet, phone and cable, even the best relationships can get a little strained.

We’re about two months into our semester, so we’re around the time that long-distance relationships are starting to fail. You’ve probably seen that same girl crying on the phone with her boyfriend at 2am every Thursday night, convinced that he’s cheating on her with a girl he’s tagged in a picture with on Facebook. And if you haven’t seen something like this, you should probably come out from the rock you’ve been hiding under.

Relationships, especially long-distance ones, in college are hard whether it’s a town away or across the country. The effort that goes into it could be mistaken for a part-time job. The calling, texting, Skyping and package sending is endless, but for some people, it’s worth it. After all that time spent apart, seeing each other seems like a dream. Others think that college is a time to find someone new, and leave that high-school sweetheart in the dust of senior year summer. Sorry I’m not sorry.

I speak from experience. Yes, I was one of those not-so-nice girls that broke up with their boyfriend a few days after starting freshman year. Heartless? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely. But there’s no reason to waste your time unhappy. So I might have been quick to end a two year relationship, but it only opened the door to something way better. And I’m sure many girls can agree with me.

The best couples of Fairfield are the ones that go to the townhouses on a Friday night. They drink, fight, cry, all because of false accusations of cheating. The best part is they forget it all happened. “We fought last night? Why were you sobbing while you ate Dominos?” It’s like clockwork, and never ceases to amaze me. Going on dates to Flipside or Old Post Tavern become important to maintaining a loving relationship that needs to consist of other activities besides drinking on the weekends.

But then there are certain people that don’t have the attention span for a relationship. The word commitment isn’t clearly defined in their vocabulary, and they cringe when it’s brought up in conversation. Finding out about a random hookup at the beach gives them such a rush. I can see where they’re coming from. Some can’t see how it could be possible to keep up with someone else’s life. It’s the “you do you, I do me” mentality. Those go-getters.

Whichever route is taken, relationships are a huge part of college. Whether you’re in one, out of one or around an annoying one, it’s an unavoidable subject. But the most important lesson is that being in college, we all need to be open to new things. Did you know that about 60% of people find their spouse in college? Statistics only help to prove my point. Corny, but you may find your future hubbie or wifey in your PH10 class. Just don’t turn into that clingy boyfriend or girlfriend starting freshman year, that’s gonna end in a messy divorce.

-Sent from my BlackBerry

Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports on a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which chronicles payments made to orthopedic surgeons by medical device manufacturers following the settlement of a 2007 lawsuit with the Department of Justice.

New York, New York (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports on a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which found that the orthopedic implant industry scaled back payments to orthopedic surgeons after settling a lawsuit in 2007 with the Department of Justice for $311 million.* The lawsuit claimed that the five largest orthopedic device manufacturers, including DePuy Orthopeadics, paid kickbacks to surgeons in exchange for exclusively using their hip and knee implants. In lieu of criminal charges, prosecutors required the medical device manufacturers to disclose all of their consulting agreements with doctors, post payment amounts on their corporate websites, and allow federal authorities to oversee their actions. According to the Archives of Internal Medicine report, a total of 939 orthopedic surgeons received $198 million in 2007. Following the settlement, in 2008 the number of surgeons receiving payments from manufacturers, which includes DePuy, decreased by 40 percent. However, the proportion of surgeons receiving payments who had academic affiliations increased. That year, 568 orthopedic surgeons received a total of $119 million from hip and knee implant manufacturers. Jason Hockenberry, a professor of health policy and management at Emory University and also the lead researcher for the study, stressed the importance of closely monitoring the nature of payments to doctors by medical device manufacturers to Bloomberg News, stating We need to manage the potential conflicts of interest that arise from these financial relationships.**

DePuy ASR And Pinnacle Hip Replacement Lawsuits

In addition to leaving many questioning DePuys propriety in compensating doctors for research and clinical trials, consulting, or as royalties for products they assist in developing, DePuy is also in the midst of defending thousands of lawsuits filed by plaintiffs alleging that they were injured after receiving DePuys metal-on-metal artificial hip implants. In fact, two separate multidistrict litigations have been formed to handle claims filed in federal courts stemming from DePuys ASR hip implants and its Pinnacle hip systems. In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2197) is a consolidation of all federal DePuy ASR lawsuits, while In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2244) is a consolidation of the federal DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement lawsuits.

Since Johnson amp; Johnson issued its ASR hip recall in August 2010, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has provided a wealth of consumer information concerning both the Pinnacle and ASR hip systems on its website, www.consumerinjurylawyers.com. If you or a loved one received a DePuy ASR or Pinnacle implant during hip surgery and have experienced hip replacement pain or had to undergo revision surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other injuries.

For more information about filing a DePuy hip replacement lawsuit, contact an attorney at Bernstein Liebhard LLP at (877) 779-1414 or at info(at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com.

*archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/19/1759

**bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-24/artificial-hip-makers-cut-doctor-consulting-pay-after-settlement.html

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country for the past nine consecutive years. Only two firms in the country have been selected for the Hot List nine years in a row.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

10 East 40th Street

New York, New York 10016

(877) 779-1414

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2011 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Amy L. Abate. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Felecia L. Stern, Esq.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

info(at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com

www.consumerinjurylawyers.com

# # #

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebDePuy-Hip-Recall-Lawsuit/Consumer-Injury-Lawyers/prweb8935334.htm

Heres the catch: To reach the well-being ideal for a woman in midlife — 45 to 55 — you need to have launched your last child by the time you reach age 50. And Mary Claire is on track for that.

Timing may not be everything, but its vitally important for women to know that the intersection between your stage in life and the age of your children will have a profound effect on your happiness.

The greatest impact on a womans well-being at age 50 is to be free of caregiving responsibilities for children in the home and to have healthy parents who dont need care. That means, ideally, having your last child between the ages of 27 and 36. It also helps to do everything you can to support your parents healthy behaviors.

Out of the 250,000 women between ages 45 and 64 polled by Gallup-Healthways, 56,000 are family caregivers. Fully half of the caregivers are either struggling or suffering and register lower well-being on almost every measure.

Four or more kids is too many to support well-being, except in unique cases (the Angelina Jolie factor). Women who have no children experience a dip in well-being from their 30s to mid-40s as their fertility dwindles and ends.

A prime reason Mary Claire feels so optimistic about her life at 50 is that she looks forward to a Second Adulthood. She and her husband, Chris, were deliberate about having their only child when Mary Claire was 33 and both their careers were secure. Both parents tossed balls with their son, Christopher, from the moment he could stand. Now that hes 17 and 6-foot-4, hes about to graduate from public school and has his pick of a half-dozen top colleges that want him for their volleyball teams. His parents are already free to take beach walks several nights a week they and look forward to taking up ballroom dancing when he goes to college.

This scenario should prompt us to think again about delayed childbearing. How wise is it to ignore nature and turn our bodies into test tubes that rely on fertility drugs to have children whenever a woman chooses? Big pharma and hospital fertility clinics are only too happy to promote the late-baby craze. But is it in the best interests of the long-term health and well-being of women?

Another important way to expand your well-being in midlife is to expand your social relationships. Friends from earlier in life may grow apart or move away. Moms you saw regularly when your kids were in school are no longer in your daily orbit. And if you have caregiving responsibilities for aging parents or a spouse, you can easily become isolated. Healthways analysis shows that low levels of social relationships is as harmful to well-being as smoking, no exercise and obesity. Each hour of social time — up to about six hours — improves the odds of having a good day. And having a best friend at the office energizes you to be seven times more involved in your work.

But for women in midlife, nothing beats good girlfriends — a core group of at least four, and up to a dozen who would offer to help if you asked for it. Mary Claire Orenic counts on her next door neighbor to walk and vent with on weekends. In addition to her core four who live locally, she tries to keep up with friends from previous life stages who reside around the country.

Thats all you need to know. Go out and get a (happier) life!

Glee is like a rollercoaster, and Im sitting backwards. The show
jumps between genres and storylines so quickly that fans might be able
to lodge a class-action lawsuit against the creators for whiplash.
However, the most infuriating part for me is that, when I enjoy an
episode, the general consensus on the Internet seems to be it wasnt
very good. And when I hate an episode (like I did with Asian F),
people seem to think its one of the best episodes ever.

I think the problem stems from the fact that viewers take what they want out of Glee. The show has so much going on, and depending on why you watch, you might love or hate a particular episode.

Take this weeks Pot o Gold. I can acknowledge that the whole Quinn storyline (complete with Puck and Shelby hooking up) is terrible and creepy. And I can also admit that the weeks big musical numbers were nothing special. But I still loved the episode thanks to healthy doses of Brittany, Santana and Sue Sylvester. Theyre the reason I watch and the things I love most about Glee, so any episode that heavily features them is my cup of tea.

The detractors, however, seem to dwell on the Quinn stuff, dismiss the leprechaun jokes as lame and huff over the lack of Rachel. So lets look at why this might be by examining the three biggest reasons someone might watch Glee.

The Relationships

If youre a Finnchel or Klaine or Wemma shipper, then you clearly love Glee for the dramatic elements. You view Glee as a teen soap and get emotionally invested in these characters and their love lives. If thats the case, then Pot o Gold was a complete failure. It didnt deal with any of those big three relationships and the only relationship storylines to focus on were Puck and Shelby (gross) or Santana and Brittany (which is sweet and awesome).

Personally, I dont really care about the drama of the relationships. If Emma vanished from the show never to return, Id be quite happy. The same goes for Finn, Rachel and Kurt, whove become so earnest that watching them makes me feel like Im watching an after-school special.

The Music

At its core, Glee is a musical, and the big production numbers can often be a highlight of an episode. However, is the music really the primary reason someone would watch the show? I know that some people enjoy musical revues, productions that are just a series of songs without any real story, but I cant stand them. I saw Smokey Joes Cafe on Broadway, and it was the worst theater-going experience of my life. Sure, the songs were great, but I need something more than music.

For this reason, Im able to acknowledge that Asian F, despite being my least favorite episode of season 3, had the best musical numbers. I loved Mike Changs Cool, Brittany Run the World (Girls) and the big Dreamgirls group number, Its All Over. But everything in between just wasnt as good.

The Comedy

This is the reason I watch, and what I wish Glee would be all of the time. The show is a comedy, and as such, it should have jokes and wacky characters and ridiculous situations. The reason I love Brittany and Sue the most is that they are impossible characters not based in any sense of reality. If Sue existed in the real world, shed be in prison, and if Brittany was real, shed be moved to a special school. Their absurdity often leads to great comedic moments.

The comedy is what keeps me coming back for more. Glee can be an incredibly funny show when it isnt focused on very special episodes about serious issues like gay bullying or the economic crisis. Leave the drama for One Tree Hill.

So why do you watch Glee? Are you invested in the relationships and the characters? Do you love the music? Or are you a sucker for the zany, absurdist comedy?

(Image courtesy of FOX)

November 3, 2011

Updated Nov 3, 2011 at 4:57 PM EDT

Buffalo, NY (WKBW) – Michael Abdallah, 28, was sentenced to four years on charges of promoting prostitution, and rape in the second and third degree Thursday morning.

These acts were against a number of teenage girls.

New statistics have shown that women as young as 18 are turning to internet sperm donors to become mothers after failing to find the man of their dreams has increased.

A number of women who are in their twenties are logging on to websites like babydonor and co-parent-search to find biological fathers for their children as they claim to be frustrated with relationships and have decided to face the challenge of parenthood alone.

For the second time in a year, and on the eve of their sixth anniversary, Ashton Kutcher, 33, has been accused of cheating on wife Demi Moore, 48, with 23-year-old Sara Leal. Clinical psychologist Linda Blair considers whether relationships with a big age-gap can ever work.

Demi, these recent allegations must be extremely upsetting for you. You and Ashton had appeared to be very much in love. Now it looks as if it may be difficult for the two of you to keep your relationship intact.

No doubt, however, you’re feeling particularly vulnerable, as Ashton’s alleged fling was with someone who’s so much younger than you are.

You’re probably wondering whether a large age gap is indeed irreconcilable, particularly because for women in today’s society ‘beauty’ appears to equate with ‘youth’.

If marriage is old-fashioned and monogamy is dead, what happens to all those 19th-century novels that took both of them so seriously?

What happens to contemporary writers who still believe that characters can fall in love – and that relationships matter because they might actually last?

These are among Jeffrey Eugenides questions in The Marriage Plot, and he wastes no time invoking the literary tradition to which his novel turns for answers.

To start with, look at all the books, he begins, before invoking names like Austen, Eliot and James – each amply represented in the personal library of Brown University senior Madeleine Hanna.

It is graduation day in 1982, and Madeleine is miserable, having broken up with fellow senior Leonard Bankhead and no longer speaking to one of her best friends: religious studies major Mitchell Grammaticus, who has had an unrequited crush on her since freshman year.

Madeleine is a descendant of Isabel Archer, heroine of James The Portrait of a Lady – one of the two great high-realist novels, Eliots Middlemarch being the other – that heavily influence this one.

The daughter of a college president, she is intelligent, pretty and privileged – the one in a troop of girls a writer might write a book about.

Incurably romantic, she is also naive about life and insistent that her good intentions can make everything right.

Leonard sorely tests her theory.

One part Gilbert Osmond from Portrait and three parts Edward Casaubon from Middlemarch, he is smart but manic-depressive.

Madeleine learns as much on graduation day. Exuding her customary can-do pluck, she spends the next year trying to put Leonard and their relationship back together.

Eugenides writes with empathy and insight about Leonards condition, choosing telling metaphors to describe both the depressive and manic features of his mental illness.

Leonard compares his head to an old chandelier, whose unreachable lights are going out, one by one. His depression is a bruise in your mind that never heals.

The lithium he takes places a barrier between him and reality.

Manic, he resembles an airport controller, with his circling thoughts represented by the many planes he must safely land, without a crash.

His drugged self is a dummy that he as ventriloquist tries valiantly to monitor and control.

You know youre really lost in the woods, Madeleine realizes of her challenging relationship, when the woods begin to feel like home.

While Madeleine and Leonard try to find their way back to the light, Mitchell – this novels Will Ladislaw – is off on a comparable post-graduation journey of discovery, to Europe and India.

These portions of the book – filled with Mitchells musings on religious mystics, his volunteer work for Mother Teresa, and his longing for Madeleine – are earnest but often flat. Theyre also increasingly disconnected from the compelling, page-turning plot involving Madeleine and Leonard.

But Mitchells spiritual quest has the merit of grappling with another old-fashioned concept that current fiction rarely takes seriously and that spurs Madeleines persistent efforts to reach Leonard: the search for meaning and truth in an ironic and fragmented world.

That search not only links him to the beleaguered protagonists, but also to Eugenides broadly satiric riffs on poststructuralist literary theory – and the challenges such theory poses for writers who are still invested in characters and stories.

Notwithstanding the postmodern flourishes in his earlier work, Eugenides has always shown faith in stories and the people who live them.

The Marriage Plot puts that faith on the line, giving us the most fully realized characters Eugenides has drawn. Upon reaching Eugenides modest and modern twist on the Victorian ending, one is ready to say I do.

Mike Fischer is a Milwaukee writer and lawyer.

IF YOU GO

Who: Jeffrey Eugenides, reading

When: Noon Oct. 23

Where: Boswell Book Company, 2559 N. Downer Ave.

This is what I explained to the conference of the Southern African Heads of Independent Schools (SAHISA) in Cape Town in mid September. Speaking to a room full of teachers on social media and the self is an intimidating prospect when you consider that these are the people who in many ways are at the coalface: the ones having to confiscate phones, call in parents and mediate in cases of cyberbullying.

Theyre seeing how social media is shaping an entire generation, which is growing up unaware that there is any other way to live than by dividing yourself into someone who lives both offline and online, at the same time, all the time.

What does this mean for identity? What happens to a self that is always bifurcated in this way? We know that identity is not fixed, that we emphasise different versions of ourselves in different contexts. But social media allows us to portray a much more controlled version of ourselves to the world. In the past, only film stars were able to present themselves in this way; now everybody can feed the world a steady stream of opinions, photos and random updates.

This means were always constructing ourselves for an imagined audience and, rather than necessarily connecting with others, we perform for them. Professor Sherry Turkle of MIT has raised concerns about the impact of social media on empathy in college students. She argues: On Twitter or Facebook youre trying to express something real about who you are. But because youre also creating something for others consumption, you find yourself imagining and playing to your audience more and more. So those moments in which youre supposed to be showing your true self become a performance. Your psychology becomes a performance.

Echoing Turkles findings, Jean Twenge, Associate Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University has conducted research, which indicates an increase in narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder in college students. Generation Me is living up to its name.

So the digital self is performed, always putting on a show for the benefit of an audience, and also narrated, always telling stories to keep that audience engaged. People who are good on social media have an innate sense of how to keep their followers wanting more, no matter how apparently banal. Sometimes, of course, people forget that theyre being watched. Like someone picking their nose while sitting in traffic, they forget that what theyre doing is visible to others, and that this has consequences. Key to social media, and the reason it is different from ways in which we have communicated before, is that visibility: the I see that you see that I see. This is the first time that mass-to-mass communication has been possible, and we are seeing how it is revolutionizing the world.

The impact of technology on identity and relationships, and the implication for how this impacts in turn on the world, could be seen to telling effect earlier this year. As Graham Brown of MobileYouth explains in his analysis of the role played by social media in the riots that ripped through London and other cities, social action was driven by two factors, the need to belong and the need to be significant. This was true both for the rioters and those who then joined forces to clean up the mess. People were not simply participating, they were telling everybody else about what they were doing via tweets, Facebook and BBM. In his view, technology is agnostic. Technology merely accentuates our existing social and psychological conditions whether those conditions be destructive or creative.

One of the most striking images that Brown cites is a photo of a group cleaning up after the riots. Each of them holds a broom in one hand and types out a tweet with the other, telling the world what theyre doing before they actually do it. The truth of the matter is this: that the digital self is never entirely present. The experience of life when technology is there to mirror it is one that is always divided. Youre there in a world of weight and shadow, but youre also present in social media. I know from my own experience that is not possible to tweet and be fully present; you can do one or the other, but not both.

Increasingly, there will be no distinction between the digital self and what we might call the authentic self. The challenge for us will be to embrace the former, without losing the latter.