�
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has begun lobbying House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders' staff in opposition to stricter track-and-trace rules in the wake of the recent salmonella outbreak, CongressDaily reports. Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) recently released a revised version of the do drugs portion of an FDA overhaul billhook on which he is working that would pass the agency more say-so to oversee food and drug products. According to CongressDaily, when Dingell's circular was low released in April, Reps. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) proposed adding a track-and-trace element -- a so-called "bloodline requirement" -- to the bill. Committee staff members have indicated that they will not add a pedigree prerequisite unless everyone involved throne reach a consensus.
Although pharmaceutical distributors are "broadly speaking pleased" with the Buyer/Matheson proposal, and the trade name and generic drug industries are "looking at for changes," representatives of the chemist's shop industry "possess dug in their heels against it," according to CongressDaily. Lobbyists for the pharmacy industry say the Buyer/Matheson proposition does not account for the cost and complexity of track-and-trace technology. According to a June study by NACDS and the National Community Pharmacists Association, it could cost each pharmacy as much as $110,000 in the first class to implement new track-and-trace technology. Paul Kelly, frailty president of government affairs for NACDS, added that the do drugs industry -- unlike the food manufacture -- already has strong regulations and licensing that ensure the products ar safer. NACDS is lobbying for stronger wholesale distributor licensing standards and a requirement that FDA administer a enfranchisement program for manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies.
Kelly aforementioned, "All this talk about tracking and tracing food, we thought it was time to remind our friends that 'Hey, they're not the same'" (Edney, CongressDaily, 8/7).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can buoy view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Sara Bareilles, Little Voice
Sara Bareilles is a 28-year-old singer songwriter whose career trajectory has been carefully nurtured following the signing of a major label deal three years ago. Before this she'd already recorded a self-produced album, Careful Confessions (2003). Already doing sterling business in the US, it's taken a year for this album to be finally released in the UK, possibly for fear that her album would be lost in the flood of female singer songwriters currently filling up the AOR airwaves. But Epic needn't have worried. Little Voice displays a more than competent grasp of pop dynamics, and Bareilles' voice balances sultry with strident impressively. While it'll leave the youth market cold, Bareilles' tough-but-tender confessionals and jaunty, multi-layered beatle-esque pop for grown ups (a la Jellyfish or Aimee Mann) should easily find a home in the hearts of more seasoned ears.
It's this aspect of Sara Bareilles' work - especially on Fairytale, Bottle It Up or Love Song - that will draw older listeners. The lush backing vocals, upbeat cynicism and clever, slightly psychedelic, loping arrangements hit the mark with ease. There are other odious comparisons to make of course - someone this new on the scene can't escape them - Fiona Apple for downers maybe, or Tori Amos without the irritating quirkiness? But the latter reference is probably more down to the fact that Little Voice is produced by Eric Rosse who helmed several of Amos' albums. The fact is that Bareilles is still finding her true vocabulary; the sonic pallette on display here is wiggling its behind and getting comfortable in one place. So apart from the worryingly mainstream fare like Between The Lines which has seen her matched in a support role to acts like Ben Folds, Maroon 5 or even Counting Crows there's the far more interesting r 'n' b twist that surfaces on tracks like Come Round Soon or the Benny And The Jets-meets-Hall and Oates blue-eyed confection, Love On The Rocks. Elsewhere Many The Miles demonstrates that she's best when being upfront about her own experiences with a slinky beat to coax her more distinctive vocal side.
There is a slight caveat emptor clause for faithful followers, as several of the tracks on offer here are re-recorded tracks that were on Careful Confessions (albeit vastly improved), plus the piano ballads like City or Gravity simply drag the pace too much, even though they never lapse into excessively maudlin introspection. Whether this kind of very American music will find an audience beyond the parameters of a Radio 2 audience remains to be seen. But for lovers of quality pop with a brain this is no little achievement.
It's this aspect of Sara Bareilles' work - especially on Fairytale, Bottle It Up or Love Song - that will draw older listeners. The lush backing vocals, upbeat cynicism and clever, slightly psychedelic, loping arrangements hit the mark with ease. There are other odious comparisons to make of course - someone this new on the scene can't escape them - Fiona Apple for downers maybe, or Tori Amos without the irritating quirkiness? But the latter reference is probably more down to the fact that Little Voice is produced by Eric Rosse who helmed several of Amos' albums. The fact is that Bareilles is still finding her true vocabulary; the sonic pallette on display here is wiggling its behind and getting comfortable in one place. So apart from the worryingly mainstream fare like Between The Lines which has seen her matched in a support role to acts like Ben Folds, Maroon 5 or even Counting Crows there's the far more interesting r 'n' b twist that surfaces on tracks like Come Round Soon or the Benny And The Jets-meets-Hall and Oates blue-eyed confection, Love On The Rocks. Elsewhere Many The Miles demonstrates that she's best when being upfront about her own experiences with a slinky beat to coax her more distinctive vocal side.
There is a slight caveat emptor clause for faithful followers, as several of the tracks on offer here are re-recorded tracks that were on Careful Confessions (albeit vastly improved), plus the piano ballads like City or Gravity simply drag the pace too much, even though they never lapse into excessively maudlin introspection. Whether this kind of very American music will find an audience beyond the parameters of a Radio 2 audience remains to be seen. But for lovers of quality pop with a brain this is no little achievement.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Corrie star to split with husband
Coronation Street actress Kym Ryder and her husband Jack have announced that they are to separate after six years of marriage.
The couple, who were married in 2002, said the split was "amicable" and that no-one else was involved in the break-up.
A statement released by ITV said: "With great sadness, Kym and Jack Ryder have decided to separate after seven years together. Their separation is amicable and they remain friends, with Jack continuing to see Kym's children, David and Emily.
"There is no-one else involved in the break up of their marriage. Neither Jack nor Kym will be commenting further to the press, and in consideration of the children's emotional welfare they have requested the media respect their privacy on this occasion."
It was with the band Hear'Say on the TV show Popstars in 2001, that 31-year-old Kym first came to public attention.
During her time with Hear'Say, the band sold 1.2m copies of their debut album, however Kym quit the band a year later amid reports of clashes with Myleene Klass.
Despite embarking on a brief solo career, which saw her reach Number Two in the UK charts, she was later dropped from her record label.
Twenty-six-year-old Jack Ryder shot to fame as Jamie Mitchell in 'EastEnders' from 1998 to 2002 and first met Kym in a BBC canteen while Hear'Say were on 'Top of the Pops' in 2001.
The couple were then married in 2002, with Jack quitting 'EastEnders' shortly after.
Since then Jack has for the most part remained off screen, while Kym has carved out a new career as Michelle Connor in 'Coronation Street'.
The couple, who were married in 2002, said the split was "amicable" and that no-one else was involved in the break-up.
A statement released by ITV said: "With great sadness, Kym and Jack Ryder have decided to separate after seven years together. Their separation is amicable and they remain friends, with Jack continuing to see Kym's children, David and Emily.
"There is no-one else involved in the break up of their marriage. Neither Jack nor Kym will be commenting further to the press, and in consideration of the children's emotional welfare they have requested the media respect their privacy on this occasion."
It was with the band Hear'Say on the TV show Popstars in 2001, that 31-year-old Kym first came to public attention.
During her time with Hear'Say, the band sold 1.2m copies of their debut album, however Kym quit the band a year later amid reports of clashes with Myleene Klass.
Despite embarking on a brief solo career, which saw her reach Number Two in the UK charts, she was later dropped from her record label.
Twenty-six-year-old Jack Ryder shot to fame as Jamie Mitchell in 'EastEnders' from 1998 to 2002 and first met Kym in a BBC canteen while Hear'Say were on 'Top of the Pops' in 2001.
The couple were then married in 2002, with Jack quitting 'EastEnders' shortly after.
Since then Jack has for the most part remained off screen, while Kym has carved out a new career as Michelle Connor in 'Coronation Street'.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Monday, 2 June 2008
Tony Romo dumped Jessica Simpson because of media attention, her dad
Rumors that the couple split have been rife all week, but representatives for both Tony and Jessica continue to insist they are still together. And sources say it’s likely Romo will keep his promise to escort Jessica to her sister Ashlee Simpson’s wedding this weekend to Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz.
See Also
Uma's Stalker Released on Probation
Jack Jordan, the man convicted of stalking Uma Thurman and harassing her and her family for two years was released from jail on Monday and ordered to get psychiatric care as part of his probation.
"It's important that you understand that your conduct is unacceptable, is criminal," said New York Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro, who rejected a prosecution recommendation that Jordan return to jail, where he was held for four months.
Jordan,37, who was previously committed to a mental institution, was convicted of stalking and one count of aggravated harassment. He was cleared of two other counts and could have faced up to a year in prision.
Jordan told a judge that he would have left Thurman alone had he realized that his behavior was causing her great pain or fear.
"I heard things like, 'Would you leave?' instead of, 'Sir, you're making Ms. Thurman nervous. Please leave," Jordan said. "My greatest wish is that I had known sooner that I was putting fear into the heart of a woman I cared very much for."
Thurman, whose film credits include the Kill Bill movies and Pulp Fiction, testified at the trial that she was "completely freaked out" by Jordan's actions and feared for her life and the safety of her two children.
See Also
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)