A very unexpected surprise to return home this evening and find that my new passport had arrived after only 4 working days (Yes, Four!). Submitted on the afternoon of November 30th at the post office in Rathfarnham it had been processed, posted and arrived by today. (If you consider that it must have been posted yesterday — that’s actually a 3-working-day turnaround!)
Even more unbelievable considering that the staff at the Post Office told me that the guidance given by Oifig na bPasanna during the summer was to allow 15 working days (not the expected 10!) and that it had not been revised downwards after the summer rush.
So a genuine “Well Done” to the Passport Office and the An Post Passport Express Service — a public service EXCEEDING expectations in these times is a rare thing indeed!
Today is the end of an era in the pharma industry—the US patent expires on Pfizer’s Lipitor (atorvastatin), the best-selling drug of all time. This drug arguably simultaneously changed both the course of the pharma industry, through the manner of its acquisition by Pfizer, and of human health, through its incontroversially positive impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
As generic versions go on sale, this will mark LOE (or “loss of exclusivity protection”) of a brand that has dominated the drug industry, lowered the cholesterol of tens of millions of patients, and generated more in annual sales than the entire box office of US movies.
Time then to reflect a little on it and the lessons that it proffers. Two though-provoking pieces…
Why There Will Never Be Another Drug Like Lipitor
Say Farewell to Lipitor but Don’t Forget Its Lessons
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/say_farewell_to_lipitor_but_do.html
A primer for how to best structure searches using advanced operators to more quickly and accurately drill down to the information you want.
http://www.hackcollege.com/?p=5143
Created by: HackCollege
This is by no means an exhaustive list of search operators and advanced techniques, but it’s a good start that will help set you on the path to becoming a Google master.
Sadly, though web searches have become and integral part of the academic research landscape, the art of the Google search is an increasingly lost one. A recent study at Illinois Wesleyan University found that fewer than 25% of students could perform a “reasonably well-executed search.” Wrote researchers, “The majority of students — of all levels — exhibited significant difficulties that ranged across nearly every aspect of the search process.”
That search process also included determining when to rely on Google and when to utilize scholarly databases, but on a fundamental level, it appears that many people just don’t understand how to best find the information they seek using Google.
First seen on http://mashable.com/2011/11/24/google-search-infographic/?WT.mc_id=en_social-media&utm_campaign=Social%2BMedia
Absolutely loved this on BBC4 this evening! Word Up! Black American Pop at the BBC. A selection of some of the best performances by African-American artists of the 1980s. (Click the pic to go to it.) The fashions weren’t up to much, but the music is holding its own!
Including some Janet at the end – what a pleasure to see HER this year! Have a look…
Absolutely loving this new album from Florence & The Machine. A real case of “the difficult second album”? — no problem!
Similar themes of harps and tribal drums with piercing, almost acrobatic, vocals as her debut, this is a very accomplished album. Deserved to be at the top of the charts (in Ireland) for far longer, but that’s the pre-Christmas release rush for you.
This talk is as well-delivered as Dr Goldacre’s book is written. I highly recommend “Bad Science” − not an easy read by any means but one worth reading and re-reading. Here’s a 15-min synopsis of some of its most important themes.
Every day there are news reports of new health advice, but how can you know if they’re right? Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre shows us, at high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly obvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical industry.
His theme of the futility of the “placebo-controlled trial as product launch platform” is one that rings true with me. If the pharma industry did only one thing and replaced them with best-available-treatment comparisons, that would be a real leadership move.
As expected, NPG Records have had the videos below disabled on YouTube itself.
Well, we’ll see about that! 
See these & below…
Part2: https://ciarancollins.com/2011/08/05/238/
Part 3: https://ciarancollins.com/2011/08/05/prince-live-at-malahide-castle-dublin-july-30-2011-part-3/
Apologies that this footage is parts — due to the file-size limit of WordPress (at the original time of publication at least).
Do take the time to leave a comment and to rate the items — feedback of any kind is good!
And while you’re at it, do give me your opinion in this mini-poll…
My review of these — a great, unexpected opening number — from reading the on-line chatter none of the fans were expecting ‘Gold‘. Great surprise too that he did ‘Purple Rain‘ so early in the gig — much suspicion expressed that he timed it because it was actually raining while he played it. Try this for Part 1.1
NOTICE: Copyright Disclaimer — Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 (US) allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Under Copyright & Related Rights Act 2000 (ROI #28/2000) Chapter 6 ‘Fair dealing: criticism or review’ 51.—(1) Fair dealing with a work for the purposes of criticism or review of that or another work or of a performance of a work shall not infringe any copyright in the work where the criticism or review is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement. (2) Fair dealing with a work (other than a photograph) for the purpose of reporting current events shall not infringe copyright in that work where the report is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement.
and this for Part 1.2
NOTICE: Copyright Disclaimer — Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 (US) allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Under Copyright & Related Rights Act 2000 (ROI #28/2000) Chapter 6 ‘Fair dealing: criticism or review’ 51.—(1) Fair dealing with a work for the purposes of criticism or review of that or another work or of a performance of a work shall not infringe any copyright in the work where the criticism or review is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement. (2) Fair dealing with a work (other than a photograph) for the purpose of reporting current events shall not infringe copyright in that work where the report is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement.
Ciarán Collins 