Couples retiring this year can expect their medical bills throughout retirement to cost 4 percent more than those who retired a year ago, according to an annual projection released Wednesday by Fidelity Investments.
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American Legion will host veterans' health care event
Military veterans can discuss their medical care in a town hall meeting Tuesday hosted by the American Legion.
The meeting will focus on the overall quality of health care that veterans receive at the Memphis Veterans Medical Center.
Men and women who receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs are invited to share their experiences at the open forum.
American Legion representatives will also visit the VA hospital to talk with patients, staff and administrators to determine ways to improve the patients' experiences.
"We visit these sites all across the country every year to evaluate the quality of health care our veterans are receiving," said Jacob Gadd, deputy director for health care for the Legion.
The town hall meeting and hospital visit are part of the Legion's "System Worth Saving" program. A task force of representatives from the organization makes about 50 visits annually to veterans centers nationwide.
"Overall, the feedback has been good. Veterans are quite happy with the level of care they are receiving," said Warren Goldstein, a field service representative in the site visits.
The task force compiles semiannual reports based on findings and submits them to the White House, Congress and VA leaders.
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Tampa area hospitals look to suburbs for growth
By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune Published: May 13, 2012 Updated: May 13, 2012 - 12:00 AM
The real battleground in Tampa area health care lies far from the city's limits.
During the next three years, eastern and southern Hillsborough County residents will witness the arrival of a new hospital and several hospital-owned medical practices, such as a Tampa General Hospital office opened this month in Brandon.
It coincides with similar growth in Northeast Hillsborough and Pasco counties.
Leaders from the area's major health care systems say these geographic moves are essential to their long-term growth, which for years has heavily marketed hospital technology and specialized services.
"In this day and age, you need to be where your patients are, and not the other way around," said Isaac Mallah, chief executive officer of BayCare's St. Joseph's Hospitals, including St. Joseph's Hospital South Hospital and medical offices slated to break ground this fall.
Today, many in the hospital industry believe the best way to attract new customers is to provide primary-care services in traditionally underserved areas. That means hiring doctors to work in these communities, as opposed to hiring physicians to practice only on the hospital campus.
There's great value in building relationships between patients and community-based family doctors who work for the hospital, said Jana Gardner, vice president of ambulatory services at Tampa General.
"We want to make sure people have access to our specialty care (at the hospital). And that all starts with a family physician," said Gardner, who oversees the new Brandon practice that eventually will house five staff physicians.
This approach is somewhat new for Tampa General, best known for its downtown trauma center, burn unit and organ-transplant program. Instead of contracting with community-based doctors under so-called affiliation agreements, Tampa General has brought a dozen family physicians onto its payroll.
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Slippery-Slope Logic vs. Health Care Law – Economic View
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Memphis residents may foot bill for rise in city health care costs
MEMPHIS, TN -
(WMC-TV) - Memphis city employees can expect a sharp rise in health care costs next year.
At the same time, citizens will foot the bill for millions of dollars that were not collected from those city employees this year.
"Like a lot of private businesses, health care costs are going up," said Memphis City CAO, George Little.
But until now, Memphis city employees have notbeen a part of that rise in costs.
"There will be increases," said Little. "The question is how much and when."
Saturday, the city administration announced in a budget hearing that health care costs for city employees could increase up to 12 percent in 2013.
"In addition to that, the Health Care Reform Act that Congress passed could increase costs," said Memphis City Councilman, Jim Strickland.
In the current budget year, the city delayed an increase in health care payments. Leaving a three million dollar shortfall in the 2013 budget.
"Some type of way, we have to find the money to make up that shortfall, said Memphis City Councilman, Harold Collins.
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Memphis residents may foot bill for rise in city health care costs
Health Net Announces Appearance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Health Care Conference
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT - News) today announced that members of its management team are scheduled to present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Health Care Conference on May 15, 2012, at approximately 11:40a.m. Eastern time (8:40a.m. Pacific time).
A live webcast and replay of the presentation will be available at http://www.healthnet.com under Investor Relations. The webcast is open to all interested parties. The webcast should be accessed at least 15 minutes prior to its start time. Anyone listening to the webcast will be presumed to have read Health Nets Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012, and other reports filed by the company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Health Net
Health Net, Inc. is a publicly traded managed care organization that delivers managed health care services through health plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. Health Net, through its subsidiaries, provides and administers health benefits to approximately 5.6million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as Part D), Medicaid, U.S.Department of Defense, including TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Nets behavioral health services subsidiary, Managed Health Network, Inc., provides behavioral health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs to approximately 4.9million individuals, including Health Nets own health plan members. Health Nets subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.
For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit Health Nets website at http://www.healthnet.com.
Cautionary Statements
Health Net, Inc. and its representatives may from time to time make written and oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) of 1995, including statements in this and other press releases, in presentations, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), reports to stockholders and in meetings with investors and analysts. All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements and as such are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by PSLRA. These statements are based on managements analysis, judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are subject to changes in circumstances and a number of risks and uncertainties. Without limiting the foregoing, statements including the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects, may, should, could, estimate, intend, feels, will, projects and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by the forward-looking information and statements due to, among other things, health care reform and other increased government participation in and regulation of health benefits and managed care operations, including the ultimate impact of the Affordable Care Act, which could materially adversely affect Health Nets financial condition, results of operations and cash flows through, among other things, reduced revenues, new taxes, expanded liability, and increased costs (including medical, administrative, technology or other costs), or require changes to the ways in which HealthNet does business; rising health care costs; continued slow economic growth or a further decline in the economy; negative prior period claims reserve developments; trends in medical care ratios; membership declines; unexpected utilization patterns or unexpectedly severe or widespread illnesses; rate cuts and other risks and uncertainties affecting Health Nets Medicare or Medicaid businesses; Health Nets ability to successfully participate in the dual-eligibles pilot programs; litigation costs; regulatory issues with federal and state agencies including, but not limited to, the California Department of Managed Health Care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state departments of insurance; operational issues; failure to effectively oversee our third-party vendors; noncompliance by Health Net or Health Nets business associates with any privacy laws or any security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information; any liabilities of the Northeast business that were incurred prior to the closing of its sale as well as those liabilities incurred through the winding-up and running-out period of the Northeast business; investment portfolio impairment charges; volatility in the financial markets; and general business and market conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in the Risk Factors section included within Health Nets most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, and the risks discussed in Health Nets other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by law, Health Net undertakes no obligation to address or publicly update any of its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.
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Health Net Announces Appearance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Health Care Conference
Asheville area seniors see long-term health care rates skyrocket
Recent Requests
Since Jan. 1, six companies have presented rate increases that the N.C. Department of Insurance found to be actuarially justified. These percentages are the overall change to the specific block of insureds of the subject filings. The actual percentage increase applicable to a specific insured can vary based on age. 1. Mutual of Omaha requested 32.6 percent, DOI approved 24 percent 2. Physicians Mutual received 10 percent requested 3. Physicians Mutual received 10 percent increase requested 4. RiverSource Life received 15 percent increase requested 5. Prudential Insurance received 32 percent increase requested 6. UNUM Life received 25 percent increase requested Source: N.C. Department of Insurance
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Asheville area seniors see long-term health care rates skyrocket
Advocate Health Care partners with Merge Healthcare to provide physicians instant access to cardiac imaging and …
Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, has announced that Advocate Health Care, one of the nation’s top health care systems, will implement Merge’s complete cardiology solution suite to capture, manage and display cardiac images, and hemodynamics and ECG data across its enterprise of more than 250 care sites, including 10 acute-care hospitals ...
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Focus Groups Share Thoughts on Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests
May 11, 2012
Connie K. Ho for RedOrbit.com
Researchers at Loyola University Chicagos Stritch School of Medicine have found that patients see both benefits and risks from direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Dr. Katherine Wasson, a specialist on the ethics of direct-to-consumer genetic tests, and colleagues conducted the experiment. The study, published in the American Journal of Bioethics Primary Research, showed that the patients were concerned about the end game of the genetic test results.
There are a few companies, such as 23andMe, deCODE Genetics and Navigenics, that currently test consumers for single gene disorders like cystic fibrosis; complex disorders with multiple genes like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; traits like hair color, eye color, and baldness; as well as allergies to drugs like Coumadin for a fee ranging from $100 to $1,500. Normally, consumers can order these tests directly and receive the exams without having to go through a health-care professional like a geneticist or a genetic counselor.
In the study, the researchers conducted four focus groups with 29 participants who were primary care patients at Loyola University Medical Center. After they received information about the direct-to-consumer genetic testing, they were to give their opinions on the exams. The focus groups lasted about an hour and a half to two hours, with much of the answers being recorded and transcribed. Following the focus groups, researchers read and analyzed transcripts of the sessions and looked for themes that came out from the data.
Even though direct-to-consumer genetic tests werent covered under insurance, many of the participants were willing to pay the $10 to $20 price and a few of them were willing to pay up to $100 to $400.
This situation could exacerbate inequalities in the health-care system, with those having greater financial resources being able to access this elective health-related information while those with fewer resources are unable to pay for it, noted the researchers in the report.
Participants in the focus groups also stated that they were interested in having their children tested, including those who were adopted or were from foster homes. They believed that the tests would provide useful information for the future. However, this perspective is not shared by medical professionals who recommend that children should only be tested if theres a disease to be investigated; otherwise, children should wait until they are adults to be tested.
Children could be tested without understanding its implications, and parents might take actions that are inappropriate and potentially harmful, based on results without consulting a qualified health professional, explained the researchers in the article.
The researchers also found that there were four main reasons participants were involved in the study. In particular, they hoped to gain more information, seek prevention, seek intervention, and to help others. They also mentioned concerns about testing, including questions regarding the accuracy of the tests, the interpretation of the exams, the ethical issues raised with the tests, as well as the ability to share the testing information with consumers physicians.
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Focus Groups Share Thoughts on Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests
Genetic ‘Signature’ Predicts Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Response: Study
Scientists have uncovered genetic signs that could help doctors predict how breast cancer patients will respond to chemotherapy.
Researchers led by McMaster University biochemist John A. Hassell found two sets of genes that could indicate the presence of higher levels of two proteins targeted by commonly used chemotherapy drugs.
They reported their results in a paper published Thursday in the journal BMC Medical Genomics.
Hassell and his colleagues focused on the enzyme TOP2A or the protein beta-tubulin, which are targeted by anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy drugs, respectively. Without those targets, the chemotherapy won't work.
The researchers built their 'gene expression signatures' by looking at the expression levels - how often the genes are transcribed - of genes that correlated with the expression levels for the genes encoding TOP2A and beta-tubulin.
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If the signature indicates a patient's tumor is making a lot of TOP2A and beta-tubulin, there's a good chance that chemotherapy will be more effective. And on the flip side, if a patient's genetic signature indicates that chemotherapy wouldn't be as successful, doctors can avoid giving the patient a treatment that would do more harm than good.
Using data for a group of 488 breast cancer patients, Hassell and his team found they could use these genetic signatures to accurately predict if anthrocycline or taxane drugs had successfully obliterate a patient's cancer.
"This is all in the realm of personalized medicine," Hassell said in a telephone interview.
Hopefully, finding these kinds of genetic indicators will mean that eventually a breast cancer patient can be treated with a chemotherapeutic agent tailored to her particular type of breast cancer, according to Hassell.
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Genetic ‘Signature’ Predicts Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Response: Study
Molecular subtypes and genetic alterations may determine response to lung cancer therapy
Public release date: 11-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dianne G. Shaw dgs@med.unc.edu 919-966-7834 University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Cancer therapies targeting specific molecular subtypes of the disease allow physicians to tailor treatment to a patient's individual molecular profile. But scientists are finding that in many types of cancer the molecular subtypes are more varied than previously thought and contain further genetic alterations that can affect a patient's response to therapy.
A UNC-led team of scientists has shown for the first time that lung cancer molecular subtypes correlate with distinct genetic alterations and with patient response to therapy. These findings in pre-clinical models and patient tumor samples build on their previous report of three molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer and refines their molecular analysis of tumors.
Their findings were published in the May 10, 2012 online edition of the Public Library of Science One.
Study senior author, Neil Hayes, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, says, "It has been known for about a decade of using gene expression arrays that "molecular subtypes" exist. These subtypes have molecular "fingerprints" and frequently have different clinical outcomes. However, the underlying etiologies of the subtypes have not been recognized. Why do tumors form subtypes?
"Our study shows that tumor subtypes have different underlying alterations of DNA as part of the difference. These differences are further evidence of the importance of subtypes and the way we will use them. For example, the mutations are different which may imply much more ability to target than previously recognized. Also, we are starting to get a suggestion that these subtypes may reflect different cells of origin that rely on different cancer pathways. This is further unlocking the diversity of this complex disease." Hayes is a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The team first defined and reported in 2006 on three lung cancer molecular subtypes, named according to their genetic pattern bronchoid, squamoid and magnoid.
In this PLoS One paper they sought to determine if distinct genetic mutations co-occur with each specific molecular subtypes. They found that specific genetic mutations were associated with each subtype and that these mutations may have independent predictive value for therapeutic response.
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Molecular subtypes and genetic alterations may determine response to lung cancer therapy
Genetic packing: Successful stem cell differentiation requires DNA compaction, study finds
Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of sections of wild-type (top row) and H1 triple-knockout (bottom row) embryoid bodies. After 14 days in rotary suspension culture, the wild-type embryoid bodies showed more differentiated morphologies with cysts forming (black arrows) and the knockout embryoid bodies failed to form cavities (far right). (Credit: Yuhong Fan)
(Phys.org) -- New research findings show that embryonic stem cells unable to fully compact the DNA inside them cannot complete their primary task: differentiation into specific cell types that give rise to the various types of tissues and structures in the body.
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University found that chromatin compaction is required for proper embryonic stem cell differentiation to occur. Chromatin, which is composed of histone proteins and DNA, packages DNA into a smaller volume so that it fits inside a cell.
A study published on May 10, 2012 in the journal PLoS Genetics found that embryonic stem cells lacking several histone H1 subtypes and exhibiting reduced chromatin compaction suffered from impaired differentiation under multiple scenarios and demonstrated inefficiency in silencing genes that must be suppressed to induce differentiation.
While researchers have observed that embryonic stem cells exhibit a relaxed, open chromatin structure and differentiated cells exhibit a compact chromatin structure, our study is the first to show that this compaction is not a mere consequence of the differentiation process but is instead a necessity for differentiation to proceed normally, said Yuhong Fan, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology.
Fan and Todd McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, led the study with assistance from Georgia Tech graduate students Yunzhe Zhang and Kaixiang Cao, research technician Marissa Cooke, and postdoctoral fellow Shiraj Panjwani.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Healths National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the National Science Foundation, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar Award, and a Johnson & Johnson/Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Award.
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Phase contrast images showing that H1 triple-knockout (bottom) embryonic stem cells were unable to adequately form neurites and neural networks compared to wild-type embryonic stem cells (top). (Click image for high-resolution version. Credit: Yuhong Fan)
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Genetic packing: Successful stem cell differentiation requires DNA compaction, study finds
State's seed diversity is under threat, say activists
The Southern Action on Genetic Engineering (SAGE)-Karnataka, which undertook a jatha to highlight the threat to farmers' seeds by corporate seed companies, will conclude its awareness campaign by holding a State-level Seed Savers' convention in Bangalore on May 20 and 21.
The two-day convention, which will be held at the NGO Hall, Cubbon Park, will hold deliberations on the threat to Karnataka's seed sovereignty and highlight the State's seed diversity.
Representative of SAGE-Karnataka V. Gayatri told presspersons here on Friday that efforts have been made by corporate seed companies, particularly foreign companies, to gain control over the agricultural practices of the country. By promoting hybrid seeds, these companies want to destroy traditional and indigenous seeds and make farmers dependent on them.
Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda will inaugurate the convention on May 20. M.K. Ramesh from National Law School of India University will speak on the emerging legal issues related to seeds.
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Now *This* Is a Cell Phone: Using Radio Waves to Control Specific Genes in Mice | 80beats
With some clever genetic engineering but without ever touching a cell or an animal, scientist can remotely control cells using ultrasound, light,and, now, also radio waves. The electromagnetic waves can be used to selectivelyheat up parts of cells and activate a gene to make insulin in mice, according to a recent study published in Science.
But why care about radio waves if we have light and ultrasound?Radio waves have a couple distinct advantages over existing techniques.
In the current study, the radio waves didnt heat up a whole patch of tissue or even a whole cellit only affected specific pores in the cell, calledTRPV1,that open in response to heat. To get this specificity, the scientists made special iron oxide nanoparticles attached to an antibody that only sticks to TRPV1. When they turned on the radio waves, the iron oxide particles warmed up and opened the TRPV1 channel, minimally affecting the rest of the cell or surrounding cells.Ultrasound, on the other hand, heats up a whole patch of tissue to 42 Celsius, which could have damaging or confounding effects on the cells.
Radio waves, unlike light, can also penetrate deep into tissue. To show how the radio could safely work inside an animal, scientists injected mice with special cells that had been genetically engineered to include both the TRPV1 pore and a gene switch that would release insulin when exposed to calcium. Then they got those cells in the mice to start making insulin with a little Rube Goldberg-esque cellular machine: heat from the radio waves opened the TRPV1 channels, calcium rushed into the cells through the open TRPV1, the flood of calcium turned on the insulin gene switch, and, finally, the cells began making insulin. (The whole chain of events makes you appreciate the complexity of biology, right?)
In one last step, the scientists did away with the synthetic iron oxide nanoparticles altogther. They got cells to produce their own iron nanoparticles, a iron storage protein calledferritin. When they tested ferritin in cells, it was 2/3 as effective at inducing insulin production as the synthetic nanoparticles.
There could be medical applications for activating genes in stem cell therapy in the future, but for now, this is just pretty cool: scientists can turn on some radio waves and hack right into the cellular machinery of a mouse.
[via Nature News]
Mouse image via Shutterstock / lculig
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Now *This* Is a Cell Phone: Using Radio Waves to Control Specific Genes in Mice | 80beats
Gene therapy for hearing loss: Potential and limitations
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2012) Regenerating sensory hair cells, which produce electrical signals in response to vibrations within the inner ear, could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have shown that introducing a gene called Atoh1 into the cochleae of young mice can induce the formation of extra sensory hair cells.
Their results show the potential of a gene therapy approach, but also demonstrate its current limitations. The extra hair cells produce electrical signals like normal hair cells and connect with neurons. However, after the mice are two weeks old, which is before puberty, inducing Atoh1 has little effect. This suggests that an analogous treatment in adult humans would also not be effective by itself.
The findings were published May 9 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
"We've shown that hair cell regeneration is possible in principle," says Ping Chen, PhD, associate professor of cell biology at Emory University School of Medicine. "In this paper, we have identified which cells are capable of becoming hair cells under the influence of Atoh1, and we show that there are strong age-dependent limitations on the effects of Atoh1 by itself."
The first author of the paper, Michael Kelly, now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, was a graduate student in Emory's Neuroscience program.
Kelly and his coworkers engineered mice to turn on the Atoh1 gene in the inner ear in response to the antibiotic doxycycline. Previous experimenters had used a virus to introduce Atoh1 into the cochleae of animals. This approach resembles gene therapy, but has the disadvantage of being slightly different each time, Chen says. In contrast, the mice have the Atoh1 gene turned on in specific cells along the lining of the inner ear, called the cochlear epithelium, but only when fed doxycycline.
Young mice given doxycycline for two days had extra sensory hair cells, in parts of the cochlea where developing hair cells usually appear, and also additional locations (see accompanying image).
The extra hair cells could generate electrical signals, although those signals weren't as strong as mature hair cells. Also, the extra hair cells appeared to attract neuronal fibers, which suggests that those signals could connect to the rest of the nervous system.
"They can generate electrical signals, but we don't know if they can really function in the context of hearing." Chen says. "For that to happen, the hair cells' signals need to be coordinated and integrated."
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Club Watch: Clone Records Night @ Hidden
An electronic insitution Rotterdams Clone Records have been releasing, selling and distributing great electronic music for the last 20 years.
Many were aghast when the label announced its closure in 2009 so central was their position in dance music circles. But they shouldnt have worried. Just a few months later,Army of Darknessstyle the label was resurrectedand remade (nay,Cloned)in a number of sub labels eight and counting, each focusing on a different area of dancefloor futurism. Two of its finest imprints will showcase the hottest names on their books tonight youd be best to take notes.
Room One tonight is host to Royal Oak if anything Clones most straightforward House wing offering some of the finest sounds from the labels Dutch base and beyond. Swedish duo Genius of Time made waves in 2011 with their ace Houston we have a problem, a Whitney-referencing earworm of a track. The sampling of the late diva was a move as prescient as their music an astral-gazing, laid-back take on classic house. Dutch resident Gerd looks to bring things up even higher with his breezy takes on the timeless sounds of Chicago.Finally, the King of the Clones label boss Serge himself will see things out with the latest tracks to catch his ear.
If that all sounds a bit easygoing, things are racheted up a notch in Room Two with the sounds from Clones Basement. The label has taken the role of an audio sandbox, a place for forward thinking producers to share their visions of underground techno.UK Bass artist and Hemlock-label boss Untolds release last year streamlined his usually frantic percussion for a sound designed for main-room destruction, see him in full effect tonight. A stalwart of the Dutch scene,Conforcessound isunmistakablytechno-centered, but expect plenty of left-of centre detours to keep things fresh.Things are rounded off by Dexter, on inspired form recently, guesting on Rush Hours Amsterdam All Stars compilation and restlessly experimenting with his sound. Afterworking in a number of styles over the years electro, house, techno no doubt hell work some of these in tonight.
Clone Records: Basement Series vs Royal Oak at Hidden, Vauxhall SE11 5EQ, Friday 11th May. Tickets are available here.
Image used with permission from Clone Records.
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Get retro with ÆtherFest
You don't have to wear brass goggles or leather corsets to fit in with the dapper anachronistic crowds at therFest. But why cheat yourself of such fashionable fun at the steampunk convention? Especially when you can strut your stuff with some serious A&A.
And A&A would be ...
Aesthetics and attitude, says Pablo Mr. Saturday Vazquez III of the San Antonio Neo-Victorian Association, which hosts the event Friday through Sunday at the St. Anthony Hotel.
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that marries modern gadgetry and general futurism with the steam-powered past of the Victorian era. It's as much a fashion statement as a literary one, with fans who craft giant ray guns, mechanical arms and other bizarre brass and clockwork accessories to wear with old-timey petticoats, top hats and coattails.
In its second year, therFest showcases live music and fan clubs with groups such as Marquis de Vaudeville and Airship Isabella, plus steampunk authors O.M. Grey and Lia Habel, panels for steampunk novices and experts and tabletop gaming in the Cracked Monocle gaming room. There are also dances, dinners and tea times that keep with the con's historic hotel setting.
And while therFest isn't all about playing dress-up, rest assured on-hand vendors will gladly outfit you with the latest retro-futuristic outfits and accessories.
Vazquez stresses you don't need such gear to get in the door. But once inside, such paraphernalia can only enhance what's meant to be an immersive experience: And hopefully (you) come out with a top hat, too, afterward.
rguzman@express-news.net. Twitter: @reneguz
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Amazing Airport Restaurants
We've all been there. Tired. Hungry. Staring into the cold, dark eyes of a Panda Express.
The dearth of decent airport dining can make even the savviest world traveler feel stranded in a culinary heart of darkness. With nothing but a mediocre Hudson News paperback to pass the interminable hours before boarding, what is the hungry traveler to do but submit to Sbarro?
Before you dive headlong into the abyss, consider your coordinates. The world's leading international airports are seriously upping their gourmet game, offering everything from menus by Michelin-starred chefs to food stalls stocked with local delicacies. At these six spots, you'll eat surprisingly well before boarding.
1. Hong Kong International (HKG)
Tian Xia Dumplings will not win you over with its looks. Located within the elevated Dave & Busters that is HKG's dining and entertainment concourse Terminal 2, this unassuming kiosk sells an array of hearty Hong Kong street-food classics, like big bowls of fish noodles as well as the namesake dumplings, which are made to order and served alongside a fiery red chili oil sauce.
2. Los Angeles International (LAX)
Built in 1961, the modernist Theme Building at LAX looks a bit more Star Trek than Saarinen. But channel your inner Shatner at the spider-legged Encounter restaurant, an emblem of mid-century futurism that serves a surprisingly tasty menu of local California produce, fresh seafood and steamed edamame topped with fleur de sel, sesame pepper and zesty ponzu sauce.
John Bartelstone Photography for OTG Management
3. London Heathrow (LHR)
The first airport restaurant from celebrity chef and Zen master Gordon Ramsay is in Terminal 5, Heathrow's sweeping metropolis of luxury shopping and poorly placed escalators. The varied Plane Food menu includes crispy duck salad, risotto with English peas and seared cuts of dry-aged British beef. If your time in T5 is limited, order from the two-course Plane Fast list, where a mere ?16.95 gets you pumpkin soup and Suffolk pork belly in under 25 minutes.
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Et cetera: non-fiction roundup – reviews
The Great Accelerator by Paul Virilio, Sparrow by Kim Todd and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The Great Accelerator by Paul Virilio, translated by Julie Rose (Polity, £9.99) Virilio, the French philosopher, has long cultivated a kind of Delphic compression, addictive once you tune in to its cadences. And what could be a better hook for a slim new volume by a "dromologist" (philosopher of ...
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Freedom Force: Superhero role-playing done right
This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. The Avengers' huge success in its first week of release may represent the pinnacle of the superhero takeover of mainstream culture. Superhero comics have long been comparable to video games' bigger brother, with many of the same criticisms and stereotypes and similar slow paths to respectability. There's always been a great deal of crossover between the two, especially in terms of games based on comics. Most of these were platformers or brawlers, and most, like licensed games generally, were mediocre at best with a few exceptions.
Roleplaying games especially seemed to be a natural fit for superhero games. Both usually have origin stories, over-the-top villainy, straightforward morality and, most importantly, characters overcoming adversity by gaining more strength and greater power, with single characters or small party dynamics. There were a few attempts of varying success, like the simple RPG/adventure hybrid Superhero League Of Hoboken, but it still took until 2002 for a great superhero RPG to be released: Freedom Force.
Each hero is introduced through comic-style cutscenes, done in the style of 1960s-era "Silver Age" comics. An over-the-top voice delivers campy, Stan Lee-esque narration, and the hero's voices are all entertainingly overdone. Freedom Force feels silly, but in a way that's respectful of the playfulness of the source material.
Freedom Force is a top-down, party-based action/RPG, much like the later X-Men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance titles, but it plays quite differently. Freedom Force is slower-paced, less action-oriented, and built more for the indirect control of the mouse than the later Marvel games. Ultimate Alliance feels like Diablo mixed with Gauntlet, but Freedom Force is its own thing. In pace, it's closer to Baldur's Gate, but it's both less chaotic than the Infinity Engine games and more character skill-based.
This isn't an accident: the manner of skill-based fighting both games use is well-served by this setup. With small parties, you can use a variety of different characters and skill-sets, but there aren't so many that it becomes difficult to control. The skills themselves are spaced out by time more than anything, which fits perfectly with the superhero theme and the logical consistencies between superhero and traditional roleplaying narratives. It just feels right to play a real-time RPG with this kind of engine.
That's not the only thing that Freedom Force gets right, though. One of its most impressive feats is its use of three dimensional, polygonal technology to create a superhero playground. Most every object within the game world can be interacted with: you can pick up rocks, trees, and cars. You can demolish every building in your way though sometimes you have to protect buildings from attack as well. Putting a ranged character on a rooftop for a fight may be wise, but if one of your super-strong characters throws a car into the building, there may be trouble.
Freedom Force was well-received upon its release, but it has lost its place in the discussion of great roleplaying games. A sequel, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, was released a few years later, but by then Marvel's licensed games were proving to be crossover hits and may have overwhelmed Freedom Force. But it's a great and important game that deserves to be remembered and still played. Happily, it's fairly easy to acquire: GamersGate and Steam have both games, while GOG.com has the sequel. If The Avengers gave you an itch for some classic roleplaying superhero fun, this is a good way to scratch it.
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