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Over 20 Rare Sony Titles Getting Manufactured-On-Demand Service!

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s manufacture-on-demand service “Sony Pictures Choice Collection” features never-before-released on DVD titles from more than 75 years of the Columbia Pictures film library.

Consumers will be able to purchase them through a distributor or select on-line partners, including, and Warner Archive.

Also, please be aware that it may take a few weeks for delivery, since the MOD program doesn’t work on the same model as a wide DVD release.

Titles include:

The Werewolf (1956)
A stranger (Steven Ritch, Plunder Road) shows up in town, not knowing who he is or where he came from. When a local tough guy threatens him, the stranger’s anger comes out, and he turns into one of the most terrifying creatures of legend — the werewolf — killing the hooligan. As locals try to understand the unusual murder, we learn the origin of the werewolf, created by two diabolical doctors who gave the stranger an unusual serum. Meanwhile, the part-man, part-beast hides in the woods, trying not to let his curse hurt others.

13 Frightened Girls
“From legendary horror director William Castle (House on Haunted Hill)comes a story about young girls mixed up in the world of international espionage. The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular, Candace (Kathy Dunn, TV’s “Days Of Our Lives”), finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and starts snooping around amongst the adults when the girls are on vacation in London. When Candace finds a Russian diplomat murdered, she gets herself into a web of intrigue and danger, and she must use her girlish wiles to escape from dangerous Chinese spies.

From legendary horror director William Castle (House on Haunted Hill) comes his most unusual horror film yet! A vicious murder of a justice of the peace leads the police to Solvang, California, where the murderer, Emily (Jean Arless, Shampoo), lives. As we delve into Emily’s life, we see her erratic relationships with her family and friends, and we learn about an inheritance worth millions. A movie considered to be so scary that it had a “Fright Break,” allowing the audience to leave the theater before the terrifying and shocking ending, HOMICIDAL is a scary thrill ride.

Vampire Bats
A deadly species of vampire bats is responsible for a series of bizarre murders, including a student found dead with his body completely depleted of blood. It is up to Dr. Maddy Rierdon (Lucy Lawless, TV’s “Xena: Warrior Princess”) and Dan Dryer (Dylan Neal, TV’s “Dawson’s Creek”) to figure out a way to stop these bats before they take control of their town. Also starring Timothy Bottoms (The Last Picture Show) and Craig Ferguson (TV’s “The Late Late Show”), with a special appearance by Brett Butler (TV’s “Grace Under Fire”), VAMPIRE BATS is scary, campy fun!

Scream of Fear
Penny (Susan Strasberg, Picnic) is a wheelchair-bound girl set to visit her father in France for the first time in ten years. When she arrives, she learns that he is away on business. She is left with her stepmother, Jane (Ann Todd, The Paradine Case), and Dr. Gerrard (Christopher Lee, The Lord of the Rings series), a friend of Penny’s father who has come to visit. But when Penny continues to see her father’s corpse around the house, she enlists the help of the family chauffeur, Robert (Ronald Lewis, Mr. Sardonicus), to help solve the mystery.

The Stranglers of Bombay
In nineteenth-century India, a murderous cult runs rampant, killing thousands of unwitting travelers and stealing their goods. The British East India Company decides to act, hiring the newly arrived Captain Connaught-Smith (Allan Cuthbertson, Performance) instead of Captain Lewis (Guy Rolfe, Taras Bulba), who knows the area and the people well. Frustrated with Connaught-Smith’s methods, Lewis decides to investigate on his own, leading to information that may take down the dastardly cult once and for all. Based on true, chilling events, THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is a compelling and terrifying tale.

Great Crimes and Trials of the 20th Century – Volume 1: Gruesome California
This compelling documentary series explores some of the most nefarious crimes of the 20th century. Volume One, Gruesome California, takes a look at such notorious criminals as Charles Manson, The Reverend Jim Jones and Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez, as well as the Alcatraz prison rebellion, the Patty Hearst kidnapping and the San Francisco City Hall murders. Using documentary footage and facts ripped from the headlines, GREAT CRIMES AND TRIALS OF THE 20th CENTURY is informative and fascinating.

The Killer That Stalked New York
Sheila Bennet (Evelyn Keyes, Here Comes Mr. Jordan) returns to New York from Cuba with $40,000 in stolen diamonds, as well as something even worse — a deadly case of smallpox. Being trailed by both a treasury agent (Barry Kelley, The Asphalt Jungle) and a public health doctor (William Bishop, Top Gun, 1955), Sheila continues on the run, spreading the disease around an unknowing town. While Sheila is unaware of the severity of her illness, she is also fearful of her conniving husband, Matt (Charles Korvin, Berlin Express), who is looking to take the diamonds for himself.

The Boogieman Will Get You
Two cinematic legends – Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) and Peter Lorre (Casablanca) – join forces in a movie that combines spine-tingling thrills with slapstick comedy. Karloff stars as bumbling scientist Nathaniel Billings, whose experiments have led to the deaths of several traveling salesmen, leaving their bodies piling up in the cellar. When a young divorcée (Jeff Donnell, Sweet Smell of Success) buys the professor’s house to create a hotel, it’s only a matter of time before suspicions arise. The town’s sheriff/doctor/loan shark (Lorre) looks to stop Billings, but sees the financial gain and becomes his partner instead. Will the doctor’s experiments be stopped before more bodies get added to the cellar?

Experiment in Terror
From acclaimed director Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany’s) comes this shocking tale of suspense. Kelly Sherwood (Academy Award® nominee Lee Remick, 1962, Best Actress, Days of Wine and Roses) works as a bank teller in 1960s San Francisco when she is threatened by a shadowy, asthmatic man (Ross Martin, TV’s “The Wild Wild West”), who demands that she steal $100,000 from her bank. When the man threatens the lives of Kelly and her sister, FBI Agent John Ripley (Glenn Ford, 3:10 to Yuma) is put on the case. The investigation sends Ripley on a wild goose chase through the streets of San Francisco, leading to a thrilling climax during a baseball game at Candlestick Park, featuring actual members of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.

Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17
In a story ripped from the headlines, a crazed lunatic takes a school bus of special needs children hostage. The hijacker is armed with C4 explosives, and one mistake could cause him to snap and kill everyone. It is up to a plucky school bus driver (Maria Conchita Alonso, The Running Man) and a young SWAT officer (Marcy Walker, TV’s “All My Children”) to stop him.

Legendary science fiction and horror director William Castle brings you a lighthearted comedy based in the mystical and unknown. Jonathan Jones (Tom Poston, TV’s “Newhart”), an acclaimed professor of ancient languages, comes across a supernatural coin that gives him three powers: the Power of Sudden Pain, the Power of Retarded Movement (slowing down time), and the Power of the Silent Death. When Russian spies find out about the coin, they will do anything to get it into their grasp. Also featuring Jim Backus (TV’s “Gilligan’s Island”), ZOTZ! combines adventure, comedy and a little bit of romance as well.

The Old Dark House
From the master of the macabre, William Castle, comes a tale filled with suspense and comedy. Tom Penderel (Tom Poston, TV’s “Newhart”), an American car salesman living in London, is invited to spend the weekend at the Femm Estate. The Femms, trapped in the house due to an ancestor’s will, live in fear as they are taken out one at a time. Tom is left to figure out who the killer is before he becomes a victim himself! Also featuring Academy Award® nominee Robert Morley (1938, Best Supporting Actor, Marie Antoinette), The Old Dark House has as many laughs as thrills.

The Mad Magician
Legendary horror star Vincent Price is at his terrifying best as Gallico the Great, an inspired inventor of magic acts who longs to perform his creations himself. When he finally gets his chance, the production is closed by Gallico’s cruel manager, who wants a rival magician to perform Gallico’s greatest trick, The Lady and the Buzz Saw. An enraged Gallico turns into a homicidal maniac, taking out his victims with the same methods he used to create his illusions. Also starring Mary Murphy (The Wild One) and Eva Gabor (Gigi), THE MAD MAGICIAN is a thrill ride! Originally shown in theaters in 3D, the film is presented in widescreen 2D, with just as much horror, and suspense!!

Ghost Story aka Circle of Fear: The Complete First Season
Horror movie maestro William Castle (The Tingler) followed his role model Alfred Hitchcock into TV with this anthology series of suspense and shudders, though he ceded the hosting chores to Sebastian Cabot (TV’s “Family Affair”) as “Winston Essex” for the first part of the series. A mid- season name change (to “Circle of Fear”) and a no-host format were intended to boost ratings, but this quirky, chilling and fascinating series only lasted one season. All 23 hour-long episodes are included with outstanding guest stars like Jason Robards, Helen Hayes, Melvyn Douglas, Gena Rowlands, Jodie Foster, Angie Dickinson, Geraldine Page, Patricia Neal, Martin Sheen, Stella Stevens, Karen Black, Rip Torn, Carolyn Jones, Mariette Hartley, William Windom and many, many more, this is a must-have for lovers of thrillers and classic television alike!

Die Die My Darling
Directed by Silvio Narizzano (Georgy Girl, Loot) and produced by Hammer Films, the infamous British studio known for gothic horror classics, DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! stars the legendary Tallulah Bankhead (Lifeboat, TV’s “Batman”) in her final film performance. She plays the psychotic Mrs. Trefoile, a demented mother who terrorizes and imprisons her dead son’s fiancée, Pat (Stefanie Powers, TV’s “Hart to Hart”, Stagecoach), to avenge her son’s tragic death, with the help of her bumbling gardener (Donald Sutherland, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Klute, Don’t Look Now). A domineering religious fanatic, Mrs. Trefoile grows obsessed with the spirit of her late son, who died several years earlier in an auto wreck. When her son’s former lover pays an unexpected visit, Mrs. Trefoile kidnaps the beautiful young woman, holding her hostage in the basement to “cleanse” her soul so she can be reunited with her son in heaven. Trapped and tortured, Pat must fight for her life to escape. DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! is a campy, classic thriller fueled by Bankhead’s deliriously over-the-top turn as the ultimate Mother from Hell.

Island of Doomed Men
In another of his entertaining, disturbingly creepy roles, Peter Lorre (Casablanca, Mad Love) plays Stephen Danel, the owner of Dead Man’s Island, an off-the-radar colony which uses paroled convicts as slaves. Among Danel’s slaves are his beautiful wife, Lorraine (Rochelle Hudson, Les Misérables), a caged prisoner herself, and Siggy, his servant (George E. Stone, Guys and Dolls), trapped within a house and yard surrounded by an electric fence. Undercover agent Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox, The Unknown) gets sent to the island — as a paroled prisoner — and becomes trapped himself. Fascinated by the glamorous Lorraine, Sheldon now has multiple reasons to escape the island, but Danel’s sadistic guards maintain a tight circle around the house and grounds. This suspense-horror film is a B-picture at its best: efficient story-telling, familiar, beloved character actors, and strange plot points. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Before I Hang
Sentenced to die for his role in a mercy killing, Dr. John Garth (Boris Karloff, Frankenstein) spends his final days continuing his experiments from death row. On the eve of his execution,Garth injects himself with a serum made from the blood of a homicidal maniac. Only after learning that his own death sentence has been commuted, he discovers his experiment has a dangerous – and deadly – side effect. Director Nick Grinde brings this gritty sci-fi/horror to life. Also featuring Evelyn Keyes (The Prowler, Here Comes Mr. Jordan) and Bruce Bennett (Mildred Pierce, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

The Night Holds Terror
Based on actual events, this story of armed bandits holding a young family hostage in their ownhome is as terrifying today as it was when it hit theaters. The brutal characterizations by actorsJohn Cassavetes (Rosemary’s Baby, The Killers) as the tightly-wound mastermind and Vince Edwards (City of Fear, Murder by Contract) as a psychotic ladies’ man, and the finely drawn tension elevate this documentary-style, low-budget thriller to a first-rate noir. Also features incredible cinematography of real Southern California locations. Directed by Andrew Stone (Julie, Cry Terror!) and featuring Jack Kelly and Hildy Parks.

Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?) stars as Monica Rivers, the owner of a traveling circus plagued by a series of mysterious deaths. When a high-wire performer becomes the first victim, he is replaced by Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin, Battle of the Bulge), an even more daring aerialist. But Frank’s attentions to Monica make her business manager, Dorando (Michael Gough, Batman), jealous. After Dorando becomes the brutal killer’s next victim, Police Superintendent Brooks (Robert Hardy) arrives at the scene, but the mystery is not so easy to unravel with a cast of suspects with motives including jealousy and revenge. This campy horror flick with a surprising climax also features Judy Geeson (To Sir, With Love) and Diana Dors (There’s a Girl In My Soup).

Black Moon
After dabbling in voodoo on the island of Saint Christopher as a child, Juanita Lane (Dorothy Burgess, Hold Your Man) now finds herself powerless to resist its spell as an adult. With her daughter and her husband Stephen’s (Jack Holt, Dirigible) secretary Gail (Fay Wray, King Kong), Juanita returns to the island to try to exorcise the hold that voodoo has taken upon her life. However, once on the island, Juanita falls ever deeper under the spell of the voodoo drums. Concerned for the safety of Juanita’s small child, Gail contacts Stephen and requests that he come to the island immediately. Once there, Stephen finds that his wife has become the high priestess for a native rebellion, and he is forced to make a choice that will have dire consequences for everyone concerned.

Creatures The World Forgot
This singular film from Hammer Studios, set in the Stone Age, has almost no dialogue — the people speak in grunts — but it is strangely effective. Focused on a tribe of cavemen, and specifically a pair of twin brothers who become rivals for the leadership of the tribe following the impact of a devastating earthquake, the human struggles are portrayed fairly realistically (no dinosaurs roaming the earth). Directed by Don Chaffey (Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C.), whose ability to craft an engaging, human story with mythical characters and beasts was well-proven by the time he undertook this feature. Written by veteran Hammer producer and writer Michael Carreras (The Snorkel, Maniac, One Million Years B.C.), and starring beautiful Julie Ege (The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula), Brian O’Shaughnessey (The Gods Must Be Crazy), and Tony Bonner (Quigley Down Under); another lesser-known film that deserves its cult status.

1 Comment
  • MachetAY

    Awesome news. Very happy to see some Hammer titles in there.

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This Week in Horror - June 12, 2017 - Starship Troopers, Godzi...

An animated Starship Troopers movie is coming to theaters, Godzilla vs. King Kong has its director, and more details emerge about Jeepers Creepers 3. It's This Week in Horror with Whitney Moore!

Posted by Bloody-Disgusting on Monday, June 12, 2017

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pride and prejiduce and zombies

Excited about the big screen adaptation of "The Hunger Games"? Want to see a ridiculous amount of posters for the flick? Ever been in a Turkish prison? The answers to these questions and more are now online! Well the poster one... and the internet can't really answer for you. I'm so confused.

What in the sweet hell is going on with this flick? On top of "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" not being able to find a leading lady it looks like Craig Gillespie has now become the 3rd director to leave the flick. Ya know for a while I thought this might be my big chance to take on a directing role for a film but now I'm starting to think I might pass too when Hollywood comes knocking.

Welcome to planet erf! That's right folks, it looks like not 1 but 2 sequels are in the works for the 1996 alien invasion flick "Independence Day". Word around campus is the films will tie into the first but can also stand alone so that means if you happen to be baked out of your mind at the Malta Drive In the last time you saw the movie you don't have to worry about what you might have missed while unsuccessfully attempting to hook up with a girl who you're 99% sure was just using you for a ride. Ya know... if that happened to you.

I'm predicting there will be a lot of nerds out there who will pay for a ticket to see "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and leave having no idea what happened. Why? Because they're going to be showing a six-minute "The Dark Knight Rises" prologue in all Imax theaters before the flick. I also predict "Tower Heist" will be this year's "Gigli". That one's for you, Eric.

Trouble in Miami kids. It looks like Showtime and Michael C. Hall have yet to come to an agreement on a contract to extend Hall's run as "Dexter" two more seasons. Seems that Hall wants a shit load more money and Showtime only wants to give him a crap load. It's getting pretty heated. If an agreement can't be reached it looks like season 6, which premiered this past weekend could be the last.

The list of people who want nothing to do with "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" continues to grow with one Miss Blake Lively now passing on the leading role. Natalie Portman, Emma Stone and Mia Wasikowska have also given a big "aww hell no" to the role. I don't want to jinx it but this sounds like wonderful news for Monica Keena. It's only a matter of time before she gets offered the role.

A bunch of new stills have found their way onto writer/director Darren Bousman's twitter page for "The Barrens", a new flick that follows a family on a camping trip where they run into the Jersey Devil. Hunky "True Blood" star Stephen Moyer takes lead in this one along with Mia Kirshner, who I don't know but from her IMDB picture I assume is a ball buster. I mean that in the best way possible.

"The Lost Coast Tapes" is a new found footage flick that follows a group who encounter the one and only Bigfoot. The forest beast not the monster truck. Although that would be pretty cool if it was just a bunch of kids being chased around by a giant truck. Anyway this isn't that. It's about the big hairy guy from the beef jerky commercials. I think we've gone off topic though. Take a look at the new poster for the flick. It's got a guy impaled on a tree. Grave Digger would probably be scarier anyway.

Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy are rumored to be up for the roles of Elizabeth and Darcy in the upcoming big screen version of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". I have no idea who those characters are so I couldn't tell you if this is a good idea or not. I also can't remember who James McAvoy is but I do enjoy the work of that girl from "The Princess Diaries".

Guillermo del Toro apparently has 30 different movies in production and now he's got a video game. The game is called "inSANE" and there's a teaser on the nets even though the game doesn't come out until 2013. There's no game footage, no hint about what the game is and really no info whatsoever but hey, Guillermo del Toro, right? Right.

I am not the least bit ashamed to admit I watch "Glee" and by far my favorite character on the show is Brittney played by Heather Morris. Well, Morris is now rumored to be the front runner for the upcoming "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" reboot which means I may actually want to see it. Of course that's only if she plays a cheerleader with a pretty hefty learning disability. I think that's what the original Buffy was about anyway though, right?

If you're going to call your movie "Roid Rage" you should probably have some high school football players who go nuts and start murdering everyone. But the trailer for the film shows none of that, not even a Barry bonds reference. I'm starting to think the movie doesn't even have steroids in it. All of this would be shameful if it wasn't for the great one liner at the 54 second mark. I don't want to spoil it for you.

Hey here's something awesome to kick off your Tuesday. It's three pricks who are taking your childhood memories and taking a big old crap on them. Some might also call it a video with the three guys that MTV has cast in their new "Teen Wolf" series. I like my description better though.

Mike White, who is apparently a director, has been chosen to make the moving pictures for the big screen adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". Now before you go thinking this might be something to get worried about let me remind you that Mr. White wrote "Nacho Libre". So that's something, right?

Is this true? Pang Ho-Cheung's "Dream Home" is the first Japanese slasher flick? How the hell is that possible? What have they been doing for all these years? Dressing up like giant hamsters and having sex with each other? Oh wait, that's probably it so don't laugh. Don't laugh!

And here's your first look at John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe in "The Raven". Spoiler alert, it looks like John Cusack with a goatee and one leg. Alright the one leg thing is a lie but I figured the goatee wasn't really much so I spiced it up a bit. I'm sorry I hurt you like that.

Where do Werewolves go when they die? For decades we thought we'd never know. But the film "Zombie Werewolves Attack", which was just picked up by Troma for distribution, is here to give us answers. They turn into Zombies, that's the answer. You should have figured that out by title alone.

Christian E. Christiansen, a guy who's most notable credit is a Danish series called "Mikkel og guldkortet", is rumored to be the next in line to direct the "Hellraiser" remake. Fret not though, Amber Heard is also rumored to be landing a role in the film and she's famous for, well being hot and stuff.

Mia Wasikowska, who you all remember as Alice from the "Alice in Wonderland" has been offered a role in the upcoming big screen adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". Bradley Cooper has apparently also been offered a role so I'm officially declaring today's news the hunkiest in BGH history.

Finally last night at the 2010 Scream Awards the trailer for "Scream 4" apparently premiered and thanks to the power of cell phones there's now 100 youtube videos of the trailer with tons of crowd noise. Enjoy!

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(Video) Bloomberg Sports’ Ballpark Figures: Hot Commodities

By Bloomberg Sports //

Ballpark Figures: Fantasy Headlines— Bloomberg Television’s Michele Steele and Bloomberg Sports Fantasy Analyst Rob Shaw discuss some sleepers in fantasy baseball. Shaw points to outfielders Dexter Fowler and Felix Pie as legitimate fantasy options. Rockies outfielder Fowler offers fantasy managers plenty of speed and runs. Pie offers the Orioles some pop as well as speed and a respectable batting average. Michele’s Steal is Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals. On the very day that she predicts big things form him, he pops two home runs against the Marlins. For more fantasy insight, visit us at Bloombergsports.com.

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One thousand reports of neglect and abuse are reported each year in Blount County.  In 2015 New Hope served 327 children who were affected by severe abuse.  In honor of those children we asked a local author to write a fictional story depicting what a child goes through when abuse or trauma occurs.  Please keep in mind that if you are a survivor or know someone who is this story may be emotionally charging for you.  If you choose to read we want to thank you for taking the time to do so.  “My Words” is a powerful story about a young girl dealing with trauma and how that has affected her world.  After reading we hope that come away empowered to make a a difference in the life of a child!

My Words story by Hannah Rials

From volunteering to attending a Stewards of Children training or through financial support there are a multitude of ways to help the Children’s Advocacy Center in their mission.  For ways to become involved at New Hope please visit our Making a Difference tab at the top of the screen. We hope you will consider joining us in the fight to make a difference in Blount County!

Need to report abuse?      |     Please call the DCS Hotline at 1-877-237-0004


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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Building Masjids

The building of a masjid (the place where one prostrates oneself) institutes a specific sacralised space within the primary and essential sacrality of the universe as a whole; as the Prophet said, "The whole earth is a masjid" [Bukhari, Musilm]. Once built, the masjid becomes the axial space of the Muslim spiritual community in which it is situated, but it also expresses the reality of settlement, of acceptance of the hosting space, which is then turned into a space for oneself, a home. Indeed, the presence of the masjid reveals that a place has been adopted as home, and that the believing conscience is "at home" because the place of worship, a reminder of meaning, has been set up. The Prophet's repeated act is in itself a teaching: whatever the exile or journey, whatever the movement or departure, one must never lose sight of meaning and direction. Masjids tell of meaning, direction, and settlement.

Compiled From:
"In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 83, 84

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Victory of Moses

The most virtuous day of Muharram (the First Month of Islamic Calendar) is the day of Ashura - the tenth of Muharram. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, when Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) came to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He said: 'What is this?' They said: 'This is the day when Allah saved Musa from drowning, so we fast on this day.' Then he said: We have more right to Musa than you.” So he fasted on this day and advised the Muslims to do the same.

Also, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “When Allah's Messenger observed the fast of the day of Ashura and ordered (his Companions) to fast, they said: “O Messenger of Allah! It is a day revered by Jews and Christians.” Allah's Messenger said: The coming year, if Allah wills, we will fast on the ninth (also).[Sahih Muslim, vol: 1, p: 359]

Ibn Abbas also reported: I never saw the Prophet more keen to fast on any day other than the day of Ashura and any month than the month of Ramadan.[Sahih al-Bukhari]

The phrase 'more keen' of Ibn Abbas indicates that the Prophet looked forward to fast on the day of Ashura in order to earn the reward for doing so. The Prophet said: Fasting the day of Ashura, I hope will be an expiation of sins for the year before. [Sahih Muslim v: 1, p: 368]

Thus, the day of Ashura is mercy from Allah and an opportunity for one to get his sins forgiven. It is recommended for the Muslim Ummah to fast both the tenth and the ninth of Muharram since Allah's Messenger fasted the tenth and intended to fast the ninth. Another important thing to be understood here is that voluntary fasts are expiation for minor sins, as long as one completely refrains from major sins and is always cautious about minor sins. Some people who are deceived rely greatly on voluntary worships (like fasting on the day of Ashura or the day of Arafat) while neglecting the obligatory worships (praying five daily prayers, fasting in Ramadan, etc.)

Compiled From:
"Muharram: The Month of Allah" - As-Sunnah Bimonthly Islamic Newsletter

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Monday, November 21, 2016

party time

"To be on the side of people who are struggling for something doesn't necessarily mean you are being political."

~~ Bob Dylan

"...We weren't actually involved in Memphis politics, but that was the thing -- everybody not wanting to be part of it was Memphis politics."

~~ Bobby Emmons, keyboard player; writer of the song "Luckenbach, Texas"

"I don't believe in the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.  I just believe in parties."

~~ 'Samantha Jones' on Sex and the City

...And speaking of being "borne back ceaselessly into the past," thoughts and allusions to Time, and to The Past, were floating in memory and an interview on the Muscle Shoals documentary soul singer Percy Sledge declares, "Time -- always changes organizations, and things that you're doing in life."

That struck me as -- well -- it struck me.  I wasn't sure if Mr. Sledge was right, on that.  But he said it, so I'll listen.  I guess my own perception is that "Time" per se doesn't actively change something -- people change things, or evolve and apply new ideas and new technologies.

I mean, time doesn't go out and write a new law, or song, or book, or elect a new president, implement a new program, or -- whatever.  People have to do that, if it's going to get done.

I always see "Time" as -- well -- just hanging out.

There in the background.  You check it -- you look to see what time it is, but you don't expect Time to -- finish your work, vacuum your carpet, write your essay, or whatever....

But Bob Dylan says something similar to the Percy Sledge statement, in the documentary No Direction Home -- he says,

about changes in his home town, "Just time, really.  No one can make time stand still."  But there again, like the other quote, he's saying that time changed things.  It still looks to me like people change things.  And maybe weather changes them, sometimes...I don't know.

Maybe it's generational -- in that earlier wave of people, maybe it was a common expression to say, "Time.  Time changed that."  More laid-back, and philosophical.

Can't argue with Bob Dylan and Percy Sledge.  ...You win!  I agree!

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Former Duke players will return in droves for Coach K’s 1000th game

Coach K instructs current players
Coach K instructs current players

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke Varsity Club will host the biggest men’s basketball reunion in the history of the program February 12-13 when the Blue Devils celebrate head coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000th game coaching at Duke and his 30 years heading the program, plus the 70 years of legendary basketball in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Over 300 former players, managers, coaches and trainers, spanning the past 70+ years of Duke Basketball, will be invited back for the celebration.

The weekend will include a reception hosted by Duke University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White, a public recognition of the entire group at the Saturday, Feb. 13 Duke-Maryland game (1:00 p.m. - CBS) and an after-game party with the current Duke coaching staff.

“This will be an exciting weekend and a great way to celebrate the history of Duke Basketball by recognizing and honoring all of the people that have made it so successful – the players, managers, coaches and trainers,” said White.

“The Varsity Club has a great history of hosting fantastic reunions and events to celebrate all of our 26 intercollegiate programs at Duke,” said director Mary Dinkins.  “This may just be the biggest we’ve ever had and it comes at a perfect time in having all of our generations together again at their home away from home – Duke University.”

Duke, ranked ninth in the AP preseason poll and eighth in the Coaches' poll, opens the 2009-10 season on Friday, Nov. 13 against UNC Greensboro in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The season opener will tip at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports South.


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Your best x-rays, of course. Dr. Mark Duber (Dr. Doobie to us) is writing a special Top Ten list for us next month: The Top Ten Most Expensive Orthopedic Injuries. We need your high-res x-rays to illustrate what we’re talking about. And just to look at and get freaked out by.

E-mail to or comment and let us know where we can download yours.

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Squirrel releases the IBEX

Photo courtesy of Squirrel
Written by Kolla

That title paints a picture of an odd hostage situation, doesn’t it?
However, the Squirrels we are referring to are the wingsuit wearing ones, now expanding in to the wide world of parachutes by releasing the latest beast in the Squirrel family: the IBEX.

From the website:

Nimble, Agile, and Strong, the IBEX is our new lightweight / low-bulk wingsuit BASE canopy. It is equipped with two Mini-Vents, which are a standard option.

Created by engineers, tested on animals, and used by madmen, the IBEX is the best all-around wingsuit BASE canopy that we have ever flown. Our mission for the IBEX was to create a versatile and reliable canopy for wingsuit BASE, with progressive openings and great handling.

The IBEX is the result of a wide collaboration between Squirrel engineers, team pilots, and partners with many decades of combined para-foil design, construction, and testing experience. The IBEX has been tested in all of its natural environments and beyond, from Chamonix to Moab. We think the two bottom surface mini-vents, which are included standard, provide just the right amount of push during the opening sequence and make this a highly versatile canopy.

Read on to learn more about the specifics of this new design, and we look forward to hearing about your adventures in the wild with this new animal.

For more information and to watch a Load Test Drop video, visit the IBEX product page on the Squirrel website.

What do you think?


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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Shakespeare As It's Meant to Be: In Real Life

On Sunday evening, we visited a Shakespeare playhouse in our town to see Macbeth (that is, the Scottish Play). This was a first-time event for all of us in one way or another. Himself and I had never seen this particular play, and the girls had never seen Shakespeare on stage. So we were all excited. Plus, this theatre serves food -- really good food, as we discovered -- so we were extra excited.

I'm of the mind that Shakespeare should be seen and experienced, not read. Reading Shakespeare plays is boring. I know; I've read more than my fair share. And there's a perfectly good reason that the plays are boring to read: they are plays. Shakespeare wrote them to be performed on the stage. That's the whole point.

Shakespeare comes to life on stage. The actors of course give life to a mere character. But in an even greater sense, the words come alive. What looks archaic and foreign and impenetrable on the page becomes clear in real life.

We talked about the story on our drive home, and I was greatly pleased by how much the girls understood. But if I'd read the play aloud to them or, worse yet, handed it to them and said, "Read Act One, Scene One, and get back to me," the results would have been far worse. Never mind the huge resistance I would have faced!

That being said, once you've seen the play, it might interest you to read it. Now you have a "movie in your mind" to go along with the words on the play. When you read "Exeunt," you'll recall that the players thundered off the stage, swords glinting, in that particular scene. Or you may remember Lady Macbeth speaking the phrase "the milk of human kindness," and, since you recognize it as an idiom, you can read her soliloquy and further explore its use.

On the flip side, you might want to read a play to prepare yourself for seeing it. Shakespeare's minor characters are often not named in the play itself. To keep yourself from wondering, "Now who's this guy?" during the play, bone up a bit first. But even in this case, I advise reading a No Fear Shakespeare version (or another modern English translation) or even a story version, such as Edith Nesbit's or the Lambs' adaptations.

We all had a fabulous time. The girls are still talking about their favorite parts. They can't wait to see another Shakespeare play and are already planning which to see. Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest are high on the list.

How great is that?

P.S. Jimmie has written a most wonderful Squidoo lens, Shakespeare for Children, packed with tons of resources and ideas. Don't miss it.

I'm linking up with:
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  1. We love Shakespeare. We were fortunate to see Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Merry Wives of Windsor this summer. I just found a production of The Tempest in NYC running until November 3rd. I am trying to squeeze it in but it may not be possible.

    There is nothing like a live Shakespeare production. I hope it sparked a love that lasts a lifetime!

  2. I am reading Bill Bryson Shakespeare, which is making me love Shakespeare. After my idea was to read Lamb's book, and then Shakespeare. But I am reconsidering and I think I am going to try to watch his plays, if no life, at least a play on dvd, tape, youtube... anything I can spot.

    I still remember a life play of Midsummer NIght's Dream in Madrid, by a British company, and though at the time I knew no English and I could not really understand much, I still LOVED IT.

  3. Silvia, I loved Bryson's book! And I think that watching a play on DVD is a good alternative to a live play. The girls have seen Mickey Rooney play Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream on DVD!

  4. What age are your children that you took them to see the Shakespeare play?

    I'd love to take my children to see Shakespeare but I fear that the actors talking too fast would mean my children wouldn't be able to follow along. Reading bits of some of Shakespeare's plays is allowing me to get them more accustom to the language without throwing them in completely.

  5. I don't know. I worry that if my children saw a Shakespeare play before reading it, they wouldn't be able to understand much. Reading parts of it together (not the whole thing, but selected parts) and talking about the story lots I can get them used to the language more.

  6. I'm doing a whole year of Shakespeare next year. We live near London and will hopefully be visiting the Globe on a regular basis. I've been collecting resources for years and am really looking forward to learning more with my guys!

  7. Hi Christy! You brought up some good points. Age and maturity will make a difference. My girls are in the sixth and seventh grades; we use Ambleside Online for our basic curriculum, which relies heavily on literature of an earlier era. My dc are used to complex language and sentence structure. Plus, we've been reading Shakespeare stories for years now, so they know the basic storyline of many Shakespearean plays (though not Macbeth).

    As far as not being able to follow along, the idea is the same as reading a book to a child that's too complex for him to read on his own. It's amazing what kids can understand when the material is read aloud! With Macbeth, the girls understood the gist of the story without any prior experience except the write-up in the playbill. And honestly, I didn't understand every word, myself!

    I think reading parts of the play to introduce children to Shakespeare's language is a fine idea, if that's a concern. My main argument here is that Shakespeare did not write his plays to be read; he wrote them for the theatre. And that's the best place to experience them.

    Thanks for your comments! I hope this helps.

  8. It's great that your daughters enjoyed themselves so much. Shakespeare is amazing, poetry as well as plays.

    Thank you also, Ellen, for your very kind comment on my blog. I very much appreciate it.

  9. I despise Shakespeare! For the main reason that it feels like drudgery to read! But I LOVE the theater and can only hope to find experiences like yours for my children to be exposed to. We have watched some animated Shakespeare, and read some children's version because getting the jist of the story can help. I am hoping to hit an outdoor performance this summer!

I love reading comments! And I appreciate the time you take to leave them. Thanks!


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Friday, October 14, 2005

I reckon there is a 20 per cent chance a Government won't be formed

Winnie's long and short term prospects may be best served by going back to the electorate now. Without a complicit NZF, Clark will struggle to convince the GG she has the confidence of the House. Winnie will be obliterated in 2008 if a coalition with Labour doesn't travel well. He is out of the electorate business. He may fancy chances better to go back to the electorate now with an agreement with Labour not to stand in Tauranga.

Winnie may decide to let Clark's government building fall flat, avoid any fallout by staying loose and taking his chances at the resultant election...

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Open Access

Prevalence of plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women who visited obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Malaysia

  • Tee Cian Yeow1,
  • Won Fen Wong1Email author,
  • Negar Shafiei Sabet1, 2,
  • Sofiah Sulaiman3,
  • Fatemeh Shahhosseini1,
  • Grace Min Yi Tan1,
  • Elaheh Movahed1,
  • Chung Yeng Looi4,
  • Esaki M. Shankar1,
  • Rishien Gupta5,
  • Bernard P. Arulanandam5,
  • Jamiyah Hassan3 and
  • Sazaly Abu Bakar1
BMC MicrobiologyBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201616:45

DOI: 10.1186/s12866-016-0671-1

Received: 4 June 2015

Accepted: 10 March 2016

Published: 18 March 2016

The Erratum to this article has been published in BMC Microbiology 2016 16:95

The 7.5 kb cryptic plasmid of Chlamydia trachomatis has been shown to be a virulence factor in animal models, but its significance in humans still remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential involvement of the C. trachomatis cryptic plasmid in causing various clinical manifestations; including infertility, reproductive tract disintegrity, menstrual disorder, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among genital C. trachomatis–infected patients.

A total of 180 female patients of child bearing age (mean 30.9 years old, IQR:27–35) with gynecological complications and subfertility issues, who visited Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were recruited for the study. Prevalence of genital chlamydial infection among these patients was alarmingly high at 51.1 % (92/180). Of the 92 chlamydia-infected patients, 93.5 % (86/92) were infected with plasmid-bearing (+) C. trachomatis while the remaining 6.5 % (6/92) were caused by the plasmid-free (−) variant. Our data showed that genital C. trachomatis infection was associated with infertility issues, inflammation in the reproductive tract (mucopurulent cervicitis or endometriosis), irregular menstrual cycles and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). However, no statistical significance was detected among patients with plasmid (+) versus plasmid (−) C. trachomatis infection. Interestingly, plasmid (+) C. trachomatis was detected in all patients with PCOS, and the plasmid copy numbers were significantly higher among PCOS patients, relative to non-PCOS patients.

Our findings show a high incidence of C. trachomatis infection among women with infertility or gynecological problems in Malaysia. However, due to the low number of plasmid (−) C. trachomatis cases, a significant role of the plasmid in causing virulence in human requires further investigation of a larger cohort.

Chlamydia trachomatis Reproductive system disorders Infertility Plasmid

Chlamydia trachomatis is a common bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide. Chlamydial urogenital infection has increased at a fast rate, with more than 2.8 million new cases diagnosed each year [1]. In Malaysia, a high prevalence of chlamydial antibody was detected among urban citizens [2], particularly young females and sex workers [3]. Long term asymptomatic persistency of the pathogen among 50–70 % of individuals results in wide spread of the disease [4], and leads to delayed treatment, which in turn causes prostatitis and epididymitis in males or infertility in females [5]. In females, the pathogen can ascend the reproductive tract to the endometrial epithelium and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in approximately 20–40 % of the infected patients; among which 11 % develop tubal factor infertility while 9 % show ectopic pregnancy [6]. C. trachomatis-mediated inflammation in the genital tract can result in cervicitis or endometriosis, causing lesions, abnormal mucopurulent discharge and thickening of the uterus inner layer [6]. Inflammation can also contribute to hormonal disorders, i.e., polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and irregular menses [7]. Additionally, newborn infants can be infected at birth when delivered through an infected birth canal, causing severe conjunctivitis or pneumonia [8].
Fig. 1

Plasmid copy numbers among C. trachomatis-infected patients with different clinical parameters. Dot plot graphs show the ratio of plasmid:Momp as determined by quantitative real-time PCR assay. Each dot represents data from a single patient in each group (n = 92). The P values were measured with unpaired Student’s t-test. Data was considered significant when *P < 0.05. n.s.: non-significant

In recent years, several research groups suggest that the C. trachomatis without plasmid demonstrates a weaker degree of virulence. The plasmid-deficient strains show impaired ability to infect the female mouse genital tract [9, 10]. C. trachomatis infection damages the reproductive tract by activating TLR2 and initiates a Th1-dependent inflammatory response. In a study using plasmid-cured C. muridarum mutant infection in a murine model, TLR2-dependent cytokine was not detected and no sign of oviduct damage can be observed, suggesting that the plasmid-cured mutant has lost virulence [9]. Also, intra-vaginal immunization of the plasmid-deficient strains provide protection in the murine model of genitourinary tract infection [11]; as well as in trachoma infected macaques [12] due to the failure to trigger a Toll-like receptor 2-dependent immune response [13]. These findings have led to research on use of plasmid-deficient strains as a potential human vaccine. In fact, an intravaginal infection of attenuated plasmidless C. trachomatis L2 has been shown to provide protection to the host because it is nonpathogenic and raises systemic antibody in the C3H/HeJ mouse model [11].

Despite compelling evidence in animal models, there is no equivalent finding from human clinical study confirming the significance of plasmid in C. trachomatis infection. A recent study in human ocular C. trachomatis infection reveals that no direct association exists between plasmid copy numbers and disease severity [14]. Therefore, further work should be done to establish the plausible connection. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of plasmid-bearing (+) or plasmid-free (−) C. trachomatis infection and the plasmid copy numbers among obstetrics and gynecology patients in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. By associating the data with the patients’ clinical presentations, we evaluated the prevalence and risk of plasmid (+) and plasmid (−) variants in affecting gynecological disorders.

Demographics of the study population

The patient cohort from this study comprised 180 female patients of child-bearing age (mean: 30.95 years old; IQR: 27–35) who visited the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic at the University of Malaya Medical Centerfrom 2010 to 2014 (Table 1). A total number of 124 patients were married, 13 were single or had divorced, and the remaining 43 patients did not reveal their marital status. Most of the patients were of Malay ethnicity (68.3 %), followed by Indians (13.3 %), Chinese (12.7 %), and others (5.5 %), reflecting the demographics of the multiethnic Malaysian population. A majority of the patients recruited to the study presented with gynecological complications or subfertility issues, and had a higher risk of STD infection. The main reason for patients’ visit to the clinic was due to infertility (37 %). Other reasons included abdominal pain, bleeding, menorrhagia, irregular menstrual cycles and others. Two patients had cystectomy whereas one had a history of resolved PID.
Table 1

Patient demographics. Numbers (percentages) of patients with or without C. trachomatis infection; and patients infected with plasmid (−) or plasmid (+) variants. n = 180. The P values for all variables were measured with Fisher’s exact test. For age, a t-test (a) was used. n.s.: non-significant

All patients

(n = 180)

No infection

(n = 88)

C. trachomatis infection

(n = 92)

P value

(95 % CI)

Plasmid (−)

C. trachomatis

(n = 6)

Plasmid (+)

C. trachomatis

(n = 86)

P value

(95 % CI)

Age (years)

 Mean [IQR]

30.9 [27–35]

30.7 [27–34.25]

31.29 [27–35]

0.60 n.s. a

30.2 [26.75–32.25]

33.3 [27–35]

0.59 n.s. a

Marital status

124 (68.8 %)

55 (44.4 %)

69 (55.6 %)

0.078 n.s.

1.800 (0.94–3.41)

3 (4.3 %)

66 (95.6 %)

0.16 n.s.

0.303 (0.056–1.62)

12 (6.7 %)

6 (50 %)

6 (50 %)

1.00 n.s.

0.953 (0.29–3.07)

0 (0 %)

6 (100 %)

1.00 n.s.

0.952 (0.048–18.87)

1 (0.5 %)

0 (0 %)

1 (100 %)

1.00 n.s.

2.902 (0.11–72.24)

0 (0 %)

1 (100 %)

1.00 n.s.

4.385 (0.16–118.8)

43 (23.8 %)

27 (62.7 %)

16 (37.3 %)

0.053 n.s.

0.475 (0.23–0.96)

3 (18.7 %)

13 (81.2 %)

0.60 n.s.

5.615 (1.02–3.09)

123 (68.3 %)

64 (52.1 %)

59 (47.9 %)

0.26 n.s.

0.6705 (0.35–1.26)

4 (6.7 %)

55 (93.2 %)

1.00 n.s.

1.127 (0.19–6.51)

24 (13.3 %)

11 (45.9 %)

13 (54.1 %)

0.82 n.s.

1.152 (0.48–2.72)

1 (7.6 %)

12 (92.3 %)

1.00 n.s.

1.233 (0.13–11.50)

23 (12.7 %)

10 (43.5 %)

13 (56.5 %)

0.65 n.s.

1.284 (0.53–3.10)

1 (7.6 %)

12 (92.3 %)

1.00 n.s.

1.233 (0.13–11.50)

10 (5.5 %)

3 (30 %)

7 (70 %)

0.33 n.s.

2.333 (0.58 to 9.32)

0 (0.0 %)

7 (100.0 %)

1.00 n.s.

0.815 (0.13–11.50)

C. trachomatis infection is associated with various gynecological disorders

Genital C. trachomatis infection in each patient was first diagnosed by detection of the C. trachomatis Momp (OmpA) gene. Total DNA was first isolated from the patients’ endocervical swabs and PCR amplified using a human β-globin control primer to ensure the successful extraction of DNA from the endocervical swabs (data not shown). The presence of C. trachomatis DNA was detected with Momp primer using a nested PCR amplification method (outer primers followed by inner primer amplification) [15]. The results were further confirmed using a quantitative real-time PCR method with inner primer alone. MOMP is expressed on the cell surface with a porin activity that is often used for diagnosis of C. trachomatis [16]. Over half of the patients, i.e., 51.1 % (92/180), were diagnosed with genital C. trachomatis infection, suggesting a high incidence of sexually transmitted chlamydial infection among the female patients recruited (Table 2). No significant difference was detected among patients by age, marital status or ethnic background. We then sequenced the Momp PCR product and performed a nucleotide BLAST to assess the diversity of C. trachomatis strains in the local population. Interestingly, our data revealed that all samples examined showed a D serotype (data not shown).
Table 2

Chlamydial infection in patients with different symptoms. Numbers (percentages) of patients with or without C. trachomatis infection. n = 180. The P values for all variables were measured with Fisher’s exact test. n.s.: non-significant

All patients (n = 180)

Non-infected (n = 88)

C. trachomatis

-infected (n = 92)

P value

Odd Ratio (95 % CI)

76 (67.9 %)

36 (32.1 %)

12 (17.6 %)

56 (82.4 %)

9.852 (4.70 to 20.63)

  - 1° or 2° infertility

4 (9.3 %)

39 (90.7 %)

< 0.0001***

20.580 (6.83 to 62.02)

  - Miscarriage

8 (32.0 %)

17 (68.0 %)

4.486 (1.77 to 11.36)

Reproductive tract

 Normal lining

79 (55.2 %)

64 (44.8 %)

9 (24.3 %)

28 (75.7 %)

3.84 (1.69 to 8.72)

  - Mucopurulent Cervicitis

9 (36.0 %)

16 (64.0 %)

0.0876 n.s.

2.167 (0.90 to 5.23)

  - Endometriosis

0 (0.0 %)

12 (100.0 %)

30.43 (1.77 to 524.2)

Menstrual Cycle

70 (53.8 %)

60 (46.2 %)

18 (36.0 %)

32 (64.0 %)

2.074 (1.05 to 4.06)

Hormonal Disorder

87 (51.2 %)

83 (48.8 %)

1 (10.0 %)

9 (90.0 %)

9.434 (1.17 to 76.14)

*P<0.05 **P<0.01 ***P<0.001

Overall, C. trachomatis infection showed an association with infertility (OR:9.85, 95 % CI:4.70–20.63, P < 0.0001***) (Table 2). Among patients who were fertile, only 32.1 % (36/112) were infected by C. trachomatis, whereas among infertile patients, 82.4 % (56/68) had C. trachomatis infection. Notably, a high C. trachomatis prevalence of 90.7 % (39/43,) was detected among patients who were diagnosed with primary (1°) or secondary (2°) infertility (OR:20.580, 95 % CI:6.83–62.02, P < 0.0001***). Meanwhile, 68 % (17/25) of patients who experienced miscarriage were infected by C. trachomatis (OR:4.486, 95 % CI:1.77–11.36, P = 0.0013**).

The inflammation (cervicitis with mucopurulent discharge or endometriosis) of patients’ reproductive tract was recorded by clinicians during examination. C. trachomatis infection showed a close connection with the inflammation in the reproductive system (OR:3.84, 95 % CI:1.69–8.72, P = 0.0008***) (Table 2). Our data showed that approximately 64 % (16/25) of patients who were diagnosed with mucopurulent cervicitis (OR:2.167, 95 % CI:0.90–5.23, P = 0.087) and 100 % (12/12) of patients with endometriosis (OR:30.43, 95 % CI:1.77–524.2, P < 0.0001***) had C. trachomatis infection.

In addition, we showed that C. trachomatis infection exhibited significant association with irregular menstrual cycles (OR:2.07, 95 % CI:1.05–4.06, P = 0.045*) as well as PCOS (OR:9.43, 95 % CI:1.17–76.14, P = 0.018*), when compared to the uninfected controls.

Higher incidence of plasmid-bearing C. trachomatis infection among patients with infertility, inflammation and PCOS

Next, we investigated if the patients enrolled were infected by plasmid (+) or (−) C. trachomatis variants. Total DNA extracted from the vaginal swabs of the C. trachomatis-infected patients were amplified with two sets of cryptic plasmid primers (which target Pgp1 and Pgp8 respectively) using quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Of the 92 C. trachomatis-infected patients, we detected that 93.5 % (86/92) were caused by plasmid (+) C. trachomatis whereas only 6.5 % (6/92) were caused by plasmid (−) C. trachomatis (Table 1).

When comparing the clinical parameters of the patients, we noted no significant correlation between the plasmid and the tendency for the patients to exhibit infertility (OR:0.76, 95 % CI:0.13–4.40, P = 0.562), inflammation (OR:5.26, 95 % CI:0.28–98.68, P = 0.155), irregular menses (OR:2.81, 95 % CI:0.31–25.24, P = 0.315) and PCOS (OR:1.59, 95 % CI:0.08–30.6, P = 0.529) (Table 3). Among the patients with infertility, 92.8 % (52/56) cases were diagnosed with plasmid (+) C. trachomatis, compared to only 7.14 % (4/56) cases with plasmid (−) C. trachomatis. Similarly, the majority of the patients who had inflammation in the reproductive tract (96.4 %, 27/28) and PCOS (100 %, 9/9) were caused by plasmid (+) C. trachomatis. Among the 6 patients infected by plasmid (−) C. trachomatis, 2 were fertile while 4 had infertility. However, 5 among the 6 showed no sign of inflammation and had regular menstrual cycles.
Table 3

C. trachomatis plasmid in patients with different symptoms. Numbers (percentages) of patients infected with plasmid (−) or plasmid (+) C. trachomatis variants. n = 92. The P values for all variables were measured with Fisher’s exact test. n.s.: non-significant

C. trachomatis-infected patients (n = 92)

Plasmid (−) C. trachomatis (n = 6)

Plasmid (+) C. trachomatis (n = 86)

P value

Odd Ratio (95 % CI)

2 (5.55 %)

34 (94.4 %)

4 (7.14 %)

52 (92.8 %)

0.5629 n.s.

0.764 (0.13 to 4.40)

  - 1° or 2° infertility

3 (7.6 %)

36 (92.3 %)

0.5295 n.s.

0.755 (0.14 to 3.95)

  - Miscarriage

1 (5.8 %)

16 (88.2 %)

0.6939 n.s.

0.875 (0.09 to 8.01)

Reproductive tract

 Normal lining

5 (7.8 %)

59 (92.1 %)

1 (3.5 %)

27 (96.4 %)

0.4045 n.s.

2.288 (0.25 to 20.55)

  - Mucopurulent Cervicitis

0 (0.0 %)

16 (100 %)

0.1550 n.s.

5.269 (0.28 to 98.68)

  - Endometriosis

1 (8.3 %)

11 (91.6 %)

0.5786 n.s.

0.733 (0.078 to 6.88)

Menstrual Cycle

5 (8.3 %)

55 (91.6 %)

1 (3.1 %)

31 (96.8 %)

0.3153 n.s.

2.818 (0.31 to 25.24)

Hormonal Disorder

6 (72.2 %)

77 (92.7 %)

0 (0 %)

9 (100 %)

0.5293 n.s.

1.59 (0.083 to 30.6)

Higher relative plasmid copy numbers associated with PCOS

To examine if the abundance of plasmid in C. trachomatis is associated with the presence of the clinical symptoms, we quantified the plasmid copy numbers in each patient (Figure 1). The average CT value from two cryptic plasmid primers (Pgp1 and Pgp8) for each patient was obtained. Relative plasmid copy numbers per bacterium (ratio for plasmid:Momp) for all 92 C. trachomatis-infected patients were calculated. In general, we noticed no direct connection between fertility, the reproductive tract lining and menstrual cycle, consistent with the previous studies in human ocular infection and in vitro tissue tropism [14, 17]. Notably, PCOS patients showed a higher plasmid copy number (2.386 ± 0.284 versus 1.734 ± 0.096, P = 0.0472), relative to the non-PCOS patients. Although endometriosis patients also demonstrated a comparatively higher plasmid copy number, (2.193 ± 0.308 versus 1.714 ± 0.110, P = 0.114), no statistical significance was noted.

In this study, we reported a high prevalence (51.1 %) of C. trachomatis infection among female adults of child bearing age, with subfertility or gynecological problems who visited Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics in Malaysia. This indicates that there is a pressing need for wider population screening to increase awareness and prevent the spread of the disease among the community. Most of the patients who demonstrated symptoms were diagnosed with genital C. trachomatis infection, including infertility (82.4 %), reproductive system lesions (75.7 %), irregular menses (64 %) and PCOS (90 %), suggesting the C. trachomatis is a leading factor for female reproductive system disorders.

Although a high rate of genital C. trachomatis prevalance was detected in our study, the patients recruited were suspected to be at risk of the bacterial infection based on the clinical examination. The rates of C. trachomatis infection vary in different studies depending on the group of patients recruited and the study region. For example, a study using 50 infertile female patients showed a 40 % infection rate by C. trachomatis [18] whereas other studies reported only a 8 % [19] or 15 % C. trachomatis infection rate. Among patients with tubal infertility, the prevalence of C. trachomatis was reported to be 38.3 % among 120 patients [20]. Consistent to the previous study, the presence of plasmid (+) C. trachomatis was high (93.5 %). However, the prevalence using real-time PCR amplification depends highly on the assay sensitivity. For data validation, a glycogen-positive test for bacterial isolates can be used to confirm the presence of plasmid in the bacteria [21].

Various research groups have established that the plasmid (+) C. trachomatis demonstrated a higher virulence in animal models of ocular or genital infections [914]. Consistent with these findings, our results showed that high percentages of those who had infertility (92.8 %), inflammation in the reproductive tract (96.4 %), irregular menses (96.8 %) and PCOS (100 %) were diagnosed with plasmid (+) but not plasmid (−) variants of C. trachomatis. Although these observations provide support for previous work which suggests the usage of plasmidless C. trachomatis as a potential human vaccine [11], caution must be taken as some of the patients who showed symptoms were infected by the plasmid (−) strains. Also note that the genetic diversity of human populations may contribute to results contradicting experiments performed using inbred animals. Therefore, additional surveys which involve a larger human cohort should be conducted to ensure the over-all safety of the plasmidless strains among individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Plasmid (+) or (−) C. trachomatis strains demonstrated no difference with regards to growth kinetics, plaquing efficiency and size but showed a defect in glycogen granule accumulation and intrainclusion movement [10]. A recent study showed that C. trachomatis is capable of inducing alteration to global host histone modifications and double strand break repair, thus generating an environment favorable for malignant transformation [22]. In fact, C. trachomatis infection poses risk for infected individuals to develop cervix intraepithelial neoplasia [23, 24], in a similar way to other tumor-inducing pathogens. Extra-chromosomal plasmid DNA may play a role in integrating with the host genome which leads to this pathological damage. The conserved 7.5 kb cryptic plasmid is a small, non-conjugative and non-integrative extrachromosomal DNA that contains genes encoding 8 proteins [25]. The plasmid Pgp3 encodes for immunogenic trimers which trigger specific antibody production in infected individuals [26, 27]; and is secreted into the cytosol of infected cells during chlamydial infection [28, 29]. Meanwhile, Pgp4 encodes for a protein which comprises a putative helix-loop-helix domain which functions as transcriptional regulator for virulence-associated genes [10, 30]. Therefore, expression of plasmid genes may be crucial in leading to clinical symptoms. To support this notion, a quantitative protein analysis could be carried out in the future to measure the amount of plasmid-derived proteins in the patient sample.

In conclusion, we suggest that plasmids maybe a potential risk factor for reproductive system disorders including infertility, inflammation in the reproductive tract, irregular menses and PCOS in genital chlamydial infection. However, continued work is required to substantiate plasmids as a virulence factor in future studies with a larger human cohort.

Study design

A total number of 180 female patients of child-bearing age who visited the Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinics at the University of Malaya Medical Centre voluntarily participated in the study from 2010 to 2014. Detailed clinical information on reasons for referral, gynecological history including menstruation, symptoms of genital and urinary tract infection, obstetric and medical histories were documented. The subjects’ vulva and cervix were examined for the presence of lesions, warts, ulcers, ectopy, erythma and discharge. Patients with a positive urine pregnancy test, recent antibiotic therapy, yeast infection and genital tuberculosis were excluded from the study. The participants were briefed that their blood and vaginal swab samples will be used for research purposes, and written consent was obtained. This study has been approved by the University of Malaya Medical Centre Medical Ethics Committee.

DNA extraction

Endocervical swabs were collected by using a Floqswab (Copan, Brescia, Italy) and transferred to a laboratory in a UTM-RT universal transport medium tube (Copan). The samples were vortex mixed and the cells were centrifuged at 400× g for 10 min. The cells recovered were lysed and separated with phenol chloroform. The DNA was precipitated using 1:10 volume of 3 M sodium acetate and isopropanol at −20 °C overnight incubation. The samples were washed and eluted with TE buffer.

PCR amplification

Diagnosis of C. trachomatis was performed as described [15]. Nested PCR was performed to amplify the genes that encode for Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) and plasmid using outer and inner primers (Table 4). PCR samples were run in a Veriti Thermal Cycler (Applied Biosystems, Essex, UK) at the following conditions: 95 °C for 3 min, 30 cycles of 95 °C for 30 s, 50 °C for 1 min, and 72 °C for 1 min, followed by a final extension at 72 °C for 7 min using HelixAmp Taq DNA polymerase (Nanohelix, Daejeon, South Korea). The first round PCR was amplified using 50 ng of DNA isolated from endocervical swabs with outer primer pairs. Then, 1 μl of first round PCR product was used as the template in the second round PCR and amplified with inner primer pairs. The amplicons were run on gel electrophoresis using 1.5 % agarose gel and viewed under a UV transilluminator. Human β-globin gene was used as a positive control to confirm successful DNA retrieval from patient swabs. PCR amplification for human β-globin primer was run separately in PCR master mix containing a total volume 50 μl as follows: 1 μl template DNA, 200 mM of each of dNTP, 25 pmol of each primer, 4 mM Tune Up solution, 5 μl of PCR buffer and 2.5 units of HelixAmp Taq DNA polymerase recombinant (Nanohelix, Daejeon, South Korea). PCR samples were run at the following conditions: 95 °C for 3 min, 30 cycles amplification consisted of 95 °C for 30 s, 50 °C for 1 min, and extension at 72 °C for 1 min, followed by final extension at 72 °C for 7 min.
Table 4

PCR primers used in C. trachomatis conventional PCR and real-time PCR diagnosis. For nested PCR amplification of Momp and plasmid, outer primer pairs were used at first round PCR, while inner primer pairs were used at second round PCR amplification. For real-time PCR diagnosis, Momp inner primer pairs, plasmid Pgp8 inner primer pairs and plasmid Pgp1 primer pairs were used

Target genes

Sequence (5′-3′)

Amplicon size

Outer forward

455 bp

Outer reverse

Inner forward

395 bp

Inner reverse

Plasmid Pgp8

Outer forward

212 bp

Outer reverse

Inner forward

150 bp

Inner reverse

Plasmid Pgp1

456 bp

268 bp

Quantitative real-time PCR amplification

A quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the plasmid copy numbers in patient samples. DNA samples isolated from the vaginal swabs of C. trachomatis-infected patients were prepared. Mastermix containing 1 μl template DNA, 1× SsoAdvanced Universal SYBR Green Supermix (Biorad, Hercules, CA), 10 pmol primers were run using a Mx3000 Stratagene thermacycler (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA). Primers used were inner primers for Momp, inner primer for plasmid Pgp8, and plasmid Pgp1 primers. Plasmid copy number for each patient was calculated as below:
$$ Plasmid\; copy\; number=\frac{Average\left({C}_TPgp1+{C}_TPgp8\right)}{C_T MOMP} $$

Amplification of an approximately 871 bp fragment of OmpA was performed by nested PCR. The first PCR step was carried out with outer primer pair (Table 1) using 10 μl of DNA extracted from swabs. Amplification was performed in a final reaction volume of 50 μl containing 0.3 μM of each primer, 0.2 mM of dNTPs, 3 μl of TuneUp solution (Nanohelix, Korea) and 5U of HelixAmp™Taq DNA polymerase (Nanohelix, Korea). The first amplification conditions consisted of initial polymerase activation at 94 °C for 2 min; 40 cycles of 94 °C for 45 s, 60 °C for 45 s and 72 °C for 90 s and a final elongation step at 72 °C for 5 min. In the second round PCR, 3 μl of product from the first PCR step was amplified using inner primer pairs (Table 1). Nested PCR conditions consisted of 95 °C for 5 min; 40 cycles of 94 °C for 1 min, 60 °C for 1 min and 72 °C for 2 min and a final elongation step at 72 °C for 10 min. The amplified products were visualized by electrophoresis on 1.5 % agarose gel stained with GelRed solution (Biotium).

The 871 bp OmpA fragments obtained were purified using a QIAquick Gel Extraction kit (Qiagen) and processed using a BigDye® Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). The reaction mixtures were loaded onto a 3730xL DNA Analyzers (Applied Biosystems). The primers used for sequencing were inner primer pairs. Nucleotide sequence data were assembled by Bioedit and residues corresponding to flanking primers were excluded from analysis. Sequences were submitted to the standard nucleotide BLAST search engine at the National Center for Biotechnology Information ( to determine the genotype.

Statistical analysis

Statistical analysis was done using GraphPad PRISM version 5. For normally distributed data, an unpaired t-test was used. For categorical data (clinical symptoms), Fisher’s exact test was used, with a no-symptom group as control. Odd ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Statistical significance was determined at P < 0.05*, P < 0.01** and P < 0.001***.

Availability of data and materials

All data and materials are available upon request.

Major outer membrane protein

optical density

polycystic ovary syndrome

pelvic inflammatory disease

sexually transmitted disease

The authors would like to thank the volunteers and nurses at the University of Malaya Medical Center Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics for their assistance in sample collection. This study was supported by grants from Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education (HIR-MOHE E000013-20001) to WFW and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) FP027-2010B to NSS.

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

Authors’ Affiliations

Department of Medical Microbiology, Tropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
Faculty of Medicine, SEGi University
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of medicine, University of Malaya
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
Center of Excellence in Infection Genomics, South Texas Center For Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio

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© Yeow et al. 2016


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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sydney Sisters Take Break

After three years of intense activity our Sydney Sisters will take a short break. We certainly have appreciated their efforts. They are a bunch of 'crafty' women and have churned out jams, chutneys and other delights. In their own right they have fund raised for the water tank at the Women Veteran's Centre in Bugoro and contributed to other Sisters efforts.

We would like to thank our Sydney Sisters and we look forward to meeting with you soon.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

BMW i3 Super Bowl Commercial "Newfangled Idea" Released

Even though the Super Bowl is still about a week away, today BMW released the 60 second i3 commercial which will air during the big game.

The commercial begins with a flashback to a live filming of NBC's Today Show in 1994 with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel Talking about the internet. They have absolutely no idea what it is or how one might use it. They even can't agree on what the "@" symbol on a keyboard means. It's really hard to imagine this, since in the 21 years that have passed since this was filmed, the internet has integrated its way into all of our lives so much it is difficult to image life without it.

That's the whole point of the commercial. Things that seem foreign to us today may be the norm very soon in today's rapidly evolving world of technology. After the flashback, Katie and Bryant are sitting in an i3, and their conversation sounds very much like the one they had 21 years ago, struggling to understand what the i3 is and even how it was made. At one point Bryant looks out the window at a cyclist who is waiting next to them and says, "Katie said she thought this was a car," inferring that he doesn't even know what to call it.

I must admit, the first time I watched it I was a little disappointed. I was so excited when I heard BMW bought a full 60 second commercial during the Super Bowl just for the i3, and I immediately began to imagine what angle they might use. I was hoping for something that expressed how much fun the car is, how people just love to drive it, and how easy they could integrate the electric lifestyle into their life. I've been critical of all of the automaker's marketing efforts when it comes to their electric vehicle offerings. I don't believe anyone has really captured the essence of driving electric or why someone might consider getting their first electric car. So in my mind this was the angle I was hoping BMW went for. I also had a little fear they would just go entirely the sustainability angle, at which point I may have just banged my head on the kenaf fiber dashboard of my i3 until I was unconscious.

So I was a little surprised when I watched the commercial, but then I watched it a couple more times and I started to see why this may indeed have been the proper angle to take. No, it's not as heartwarming as the Clydesdale horses in the Budweiser spots, or even as cool as Leonard Nimoy's Audi commercial from last year, yet it does drill home the point it was trying to. Electric mobility is on the verge of becoming mainstream, and even though it may seem foreign to most people today, in only a short period of time they will wonder why they were ever living without it. I can live with that. Well done BMW.  Hit or miss; what do you think? Leave your opinions below in the comments section.

Bonus clip: The making of the commercial with Katie Curic, Bryant Gumbel and BMW's Trudy Hardy interviews.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

BMW Partners With Volkswagen & ChargePoint. Announces Beginning of Large Scale CCS Fast Charge Rollout in US

Today at the DC Auto Show, BMW announced they have partnered with Volkswagen and ChargePoint to begin what will be the largest roll out of CCS Fast Charge stations in the US. This first phase will consist of the installation of roughly 100 CCS Fast Charge stations, split between the East and West Coasts.

On the East coast, there will be locations approximately every 50 miles between Washington DC and Boston, and on the West coast the new "CCS Highway" will span from San Diego, CA all the way to Portland OR. All of these locations will feature 50kW dual-head Fast Charge stations, including CHAdeMO charging capabilities as well as CCS. In addition, these locations will have multiple Level 2 ChargePoint EVSE's, allowing the user to "top off" once the vehicle reaches 80% state of charge from the DC fast charger.

In addition to the "CCS Highway" locations, BMW is also going to install a network of their 24kW DC Fast Chargers at secondary locations which are somewhat off of the main arteries.

I spoke with BMW infrastructure manager Rob Healey today and he wanted to stress how this announcement signifies only the beginning of the commitment that BMW and their partners have to proliferate the deployment of DC Fast charge infrastructure. He pointed to the fact that the decision to include CHAdeMO on all their 50kW locations on the East & West coast deployment indicates their commitment to the success of overall e-mobility, not just their plug-in offerings. Healey used the phrase that "a rising tide lifts all boats" and in this case I believe he's absolutely correct.

BMW and their partners are still identifying locations and are working with public and private entities to secure locations that are a maximum of 50 miles apart. There isn't a set time frame on completion of this first phase but the installations have begun on the West Coast and will soon begin on the East. BMW has already installed three 24kW DC stations and four dual-head Level 2 charging stations at their North American Headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. I was even invited there to test them out with my i3 this week, which I did. All of these stations will be open to the public 24/7 and they already appear on the ChargePoint map.

I believe this is a great first step for BMW and their partners with regards to DC fast charge, but it's only the first step. There will also be attention paid to the other areas of the country that aren't included in this announcement. It's a big country, and areas like Atlanta which have become EV hot spots aren't going to be ignored, but these two corridors were considered the most important ones to begin with. I also believe we're going to see even more collaboration between the OEMs. It's no secret BMW and Tesla have had discussions in the past, and in my opinion, installing CHAdeMO on all of their locations on the CCS Highway is extending a huge olive branch to Nissan. How great would it be if Nissan then turned around and said they will do the same thing now? This little detail could end up being the biggest thing to come out of the whole announcement...

Full Press release:

Washington, D.C., January 22, 2015 At the 2015 Washington Auto Show, two of the top automakers, BMW of North America and Volkswagen of America, together with ChargePoint, the largest electric vehicle charging network, announced an initiative to create express charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the East and West Coasts. Designed to increase the number of fast charging locations, the initiative will help meet the large and growing demand for convenient, publicly available electric vehicle fast chargers, including direct current (DC) Fast charging locations, and support the adoption of electric vehicles in the United States. In the initial phase, the aim is to install nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports across both coasts, with plans to expand the program to increase access to fast charging across the country. These newly installed DC Fast chargers will be added to the growing ChargePoint network of more than 20,000 charging spots in North America.

With more than 280,000 electric vehicles sold in the United States, EV owners need more charging flexibility while on the go. The express charging corridors will provide electric vehicle drivers access to DC Fast chargers along the most heavily populated and highly-trafficked regions on Interstate 95 on the east coast, from Boston to Washington, D.C., and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV.

“A robust network of conveniently located DC Fast charging stations will go a long way toward increasing electric vehicle adoption and making electric vehicle ownership even more enjoyable,” said Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure at BMW of North America. “The express charging corridors are another important step in the development of the U.S. e-mobility infrastructure that makes longer distance travel a real option for consumers, particularly along the most heavily trafficked portions of both coasts—making the BMW i3 and other electric vehicles even more appealing.”

“Volkswagen believes in a holistic approach to e-mobility in order to create a seamless experience for the consumer,” said Jörg Sommer, vice president, product marketing and strategy, Volkswagen of America. “The investment in the express charging corridor will provide e-Golf and other electric vehicle owners with the added support to travel their day-to-day and popular long distance routes.”

Each fast charging location along the express charging corridors is expected to include up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector, used in both BMW and Volkswagen electric vehicles as well as many other electric vehicles that incorporate a DC Fast Charging capability. When charging at a 50 kW station, both the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf can charge up to 80 percent in 20 minutes. Both vehicles can charge up to 80 percent in 30 minutes at a 24 kW station. Locations will also include Level 2 chargers, currently the most commonly available public charging stations, which are compatible with all electric vehicles. Level 2 stations can dispense up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging, providing a full charge for the BMW i3 and the VW e-Golf within 3.5 to 4 hours.

The DC Fast charging stations will be part of the ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed with a ChargePoint or ChargeNow card or with the ChargePoint mobile app.

“Our goal at ChargePoint is to get everyone behind the wheel of an EV and provide EV charging everywhere they go,” said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint CEO. “With strategically-placed stations where drivers need them, these express charging corridors will give EV drivers the freedom to go farther and have an EV as their only car without limitation.”

Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. There is a target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports in the first phase, available by the end of 2015. DC Fast chargers along the express charging corridors are expected to be installed in convenient locations such restaurants, shopping centers, rest stops, and more. ChargePoint will leverage its existing customer base and knowledge on usage to pick strategic locations either where drivers currently charge, or to fill in spaces where there is currently a lack of infrastructure.

With the investment, BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint are providing drivers with the ability and confidence to enjoy longer distance driving and recharge their electric vehicles quickly, ultimately leading to greater electric vehicle adoption.

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 and X4 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 122 MINI passenger car dealers, and 35 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, Eos, e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, Tiguan, and Touareg vehicles through approximately 651 independent U.S. dealers.

About ChargePoint
ChargePoint operates the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, with more than 20,000 spots to plug in and charge. We are transforming the transportation industry by providing the charging stations, mobile apps, analytics and the charging network that allow property owners and drivers to benefit from EV charging. We are also transforming the energy industry by providing intelligent solutions to help people and businesses shift away from fossil fuels and use electricity more efficiently. Our mission is to get all drivers behind the wheel of an EV and provide them a place to charge whether at home, at work, around town or out-of-town.

Over 165,000,000 gas-free miles have been driven on our network, and our drivers have collectively avoided more than 6.9 million gallons of gasoline and 51 million pounds of COemissions. Real-time network information is available through the ChargePoint app and in many top-selling EVs.


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Dakar 2012, Stage 1: Getting Their Feet Wet

Dakar 2012, Stage 1: Getting Their Feet Wet

The first stage of the Dakar 2012 is complete with The Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain and their five-man team placing a best sixth place for the day (by Joan Barreda). The team was riding cautiously and avoiding any unnecessary risks during this stage because of the sometimes dangerous conditions. The first stage consisted of a special test which proved to be fast, dusty and littered with holes. The time differences after 35 miles are small and saw the 28-year-old Spaniard come from 23th position early on.

Teammate Paulo Goncalves rode defensively and said, “I wanted to avoid any risk and rather warm myself up for the following days.” This approach was also taken by Zé Hélio, Ike Klaumann and Jose Manuel Pellicer, who all completed the inaugural stage not far behind the leaders.

Tomorrow marks the first real endurance test. The riders have to cover a distance of almost 500 miles (with a special stage alone of 183 miles). The course is expected to be fast at first, then leading through the dunes of El Nihuil and a spectacular volcano area.

The Dakar 2012 consists of 14 stages and is held over 5,214 miles (8,391 km). The route leads from the Argentinian coast across the Andes through Chile all the way to Peru’s capital of Lima. This year Speedbrain is fully backed by Husqvarna Motorcycles (a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW Motorrad) and will field four Husqvarna TE 449 RR models, all newly developed by Speedbrain. Four riders with varying levels of experience, ranging from Dakar veterans to first timers, will represent Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain in the ultimate motorcycling test: the Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves, Spain’s Joan Barreda, and Jose Helio Goncalves Rodrigues Filho — the latter also known as ‘Zé Hélio’ — and his Brazilian compatriot Ike Klaumann.

Stage wins and an overall podium are the targets for the team at the Dakar 2012.

The Husqvarna TE 449 RR specially developed by Speedbrain.

Dakar 2012, Stage 1

1. Francisco Lopez (CHI) Aprilia
2. Marc Coma (SPA) KTM, 0:14 min behind
3. Javier Pizzolito (ARG) Honda, 0:27
6. Joan Barreda (SPA) Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain, 0:57
16. Paulo Goncalves (POR) Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain, 1:57
28. Zé Hélio (BRA) Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain, 3:32
33. Ike Klaumann (BRA) Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain, 4:56
37. Jose Manuel Pellicer (SPA) Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain, 5:29

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The Motley Fool Discussion Boards

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Retirement Discussions / FIRE Wannabees

Subject:  Re: What percentage of gross? Date:  1/5/2004  12:53 PM
Author:  SeattlePioneer Number:  1701 of 5158

<<While 27% is way below some of the others here, I am pretty happy with it and generally comfortable with our goal of FIRE just before age 50. My wife and I are now 38 and have three young kids, ages 7, 8 & 10.

The ability and inclination of people to save varies widely. Since a majority of people have saved little or nothing, I'd say 27% is great!

Seattle Pioneer
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