Cuba is Far Ahead of America in HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention

Juan Carlos Miranda, an AIDS patient, with Dr. Victor Maracha at an AIDS treatment sanitarium near Havana.

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Fidel Castro Foretold the Pandemic before any American President even uttered the word AIDS.
Fidel Castro reads a lot. That is why he sees far ahead of others.



HAVANA — Yudelsy García O’Connor, the first baby known to have been born with H.I.V. in Cuba, is not merely still alive. She is vibrant, funny and, at age 25, recently divorced but hoping to remarry and have children.

Her father died of AIDS when she was 10, her mother when she was 23. She was near death herself in her youth.

“I’m not afraid of death,” she said. “I know it could knock on my door. It comes for everyone. But I take my medicine.”

Ms. García is alive thanks partly to lucky genes, and partly to the intensity with which Cuba has attacked its AIDS epidemic. Whatever debate may linger about the government’s harsh early tactics — until 1993, everyone who tested positive for H.I.V. was forced into quarantine — there is no question that they succeeded.

Cuba now has one of the world’s smallest epidemics, a mere 14,038 cases. Its infection rate is 0.1 percent, on par with Finland, Singapore and Kazakhstan. That is one-sixth the rate of the United States, one-twentieth of nearby Haiti.

The population of Cuba is only slightly larger than that of New York City. In the three decades of the global AIDS epidemic, 78,763 New Yorkers have died of AIDS. Only 2,364 Cubans have.

Other elements have contributed to Cuba’s success: It has free universal basic health care; it has stunningly high rates of H.I.V. testing; it saturates its population with free condoms, concentrating on high-risk groups like prostitutes; it gives its teenagers graphic safe-sex education; it rigorously traces the sexual contacts of each person who tests positive.

By contrast, the response in the United States — which records 50,000 new infections every year — seems feeble. Millions of poor people never see a doctor. Testing is voluntary, and many patients do not return for their results. Sex education is so politicized that many schools teach nothing about protected sex; condoms are expensive, and distribution of free ones is haphazard.

Cuba has succeeded even though it has the most genetically diverse epidemic outside Africa. Almost all American cases are of one strain, subtype B. Cuba has 21 different strains.

The genetic diversity is a legacy of its foreign aid. Since the 1960s, Cuba has sent abroad thousands of “internationalists” — soldiers, doctors, teachers and engineers. Stationed all over Africa, they brought back a wide array of strains. According to a study in 2002, 11 of Cuba’s 21 strains are unknown elsewhere, formed when two others mixed.

And Cuba’s success has come despite its being a sex tourism destination for Europeans and Canadians.

While the police enforce laws against overt streetwalking, bars and hotel lobbies in downtown Havana are filled with young women known as jineteras — slang for “jockeys” — who approach foreigners, asking if they would like to go for a drink, or perhaps dancing, with the unspoken assumption that it will lead to more. Even so, of the roughly 1,000 new infections diagnosed each year, 81 percent are among men and very few among young unmarried women.

“Most of those who sleep with tourists know to use condoms,” said Dr. Ribero Wong, an AIDS specialist here.

In a survey in 2009, 77 percent of all sex workers said they regularly used condoms.

There are male jineteras for gay tourists too, of course, “but we believe the main vector is within the people,” said Dr. Luis Estruch Rancaño, deputy minister for public health. “Mainly, the very promiscuous group in the homosexual community who have many partners and don’t take precautions.”

One example is Carlos Emilio García, 50, a registered nurse who lives and works at a former quarantine sanitarium outside Havana. He had negative H.I.V. tests at his job every six months from 1990 to 1996, but became infected in 1997.

He admits to having had many partners; as he put it, “No, I don’t know who my assassin is.”

Asked why a well-educated nurse would risk sex without a condom, he waved his hands in the air and replied, “You know — because we all do crazy things sometimes.”

The few Cuban women who are infected usually get the virus from partners who are secretly bisexual, experts said.

“Homo-bisexual transmission” is its own category in Cuba; socially, a man who occasionally has sex with other men is not considered gay if he is a “top” — the penetrative partner, explained Ramón Arango García, a fashion designer and educator at the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention Center.

Heroin use, which drives epidemics in many countries, is virtually nonexistent in Cuba, officials insist.

And since 1986, only 38 babies have been born with the virus. In Cuba’s cradle-to-grave health care system, pregnant women get up to 12 free prenatal checkups, during which they are tested for H.I.V. at least twice.

Before antiretroviral drugs were available, H.I.V.-infected women were offered abortions or, if they chose to deliver, Caesareans and free infant formula to discourage breast-feeding and reduce the risk of transmission. Now they get the drugs free.

Universal Coverage

As broken as it is economically, Cuba still points proudly to one legacy of its 1959 revolution: Basic health care is universal and free. Cuba has 535,000 health care workers (“We’re all either doctors or baseball players,” one hospital microbiologist joked) and each citizen is officially registered with a family doctor nearby;

Click here to read the rest of the report on the New York Times.




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Photo of the Week: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

source: TIMES SQUARE AD COALITION
headline: TIMES SQUARE ADVERTISING COALITION MACY'S THANKSGIVING PARADE
caption: Saluting 85 years of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in Times Square. (PRNewsFoto/Times Square Advertising Coalition, Fred Rosenberg)
byline: FRED ROSENBERG
media contact info: George Lence, 917-270-0080, george@nicholaslence.com.
release date: 23 November 2011
release time: 13:01 EST
industries: ENT
city: NEW YORK
state: NY
country name: UNITED STATES
news release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/signs-highlight-times-square-as-best-backdrop-for-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-134404598.html
photo identifier: 20111123/NY11866
credit: PR NEWSWIRE

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The Arrest of New York Terrorist Bomber Jose Pimenthal

The alleged New York lone-wolf jihadist Jose Pimentel.


Read more at: http://www.investigativeproject.org/3303/the-ideas-behind-the-alleged-bomber

21 Nov 2011 21:05 Africa/Lagos


New York Bomber Suspect Arrest Prompts Warning: "Tune Into Your Surroundings During Thanksgiving Travel," Antiterrorism Expert Says

PR Newswire

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2011

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "The recent arrest of alleged New York bomber Jose Pimenthal underscores the need for all of us to be vigilant during the Thanksgiving travel rush," warns antiterrorism expert Todd McGhee who pioneered new security measures at Logan Airport, post 9/11 and later co-founded Protecting the Homeland Innovations, LLC in Braintree, Mass.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111102/NE98563 )

"Warning signs of a lone-wolf terrorist include hanging back when everyone is in a rush, appearing trancelike or spouting ideology. Tune into your surroundings instead of your iPod to pick up on out-of-step behaviors that could mean trouble," says McGhee.

On Sunday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the arrest of Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, "a 27-year-old Al Qaeda sympathizer" who he said was motivated by propaganda and planned to harm returning U.S. troops.

"If a stranger has to think about answering a simple questions like, 'Are you visiting your family?' it's a sign of trouble," says McGhee, adding, "This is what we teach security professionals to look for – subconscious responses people cannot hide. It's a like a tell in a poker player."

"Airport security is getting better, but the public must be aware of what to watch for and how to respond," says McGhee. McGhee's PHI (www.phitraining.com) provides antiterrorist training to security professionals at TSA, AMTRAK, NYPD and other agencies as well as public awareness campaigns.

"Pay attention to the ebb and flow of human activity in airports, rail stations and bus terminals to become more aware of behaviors that are out of step with the crowd. If you sense a threat go with your instincts. Move away and alert the nearest security professional or a gate agent. Do not try to detain the individual yourself. Your safety comes first," says McGhee.

McGhee adds, "Outside the boarding gates, airports are as public as city streets where anybody up to no good can hang out. Situational awareness helps to keep us safe from belligerent drunks, sexual predators, scammers and other troublemakers as well as terrorists."


SOURCE Protecting the Homeland Innovations, LLC

CONTACT: Richard Pirozzolo, +1-617-959-4613, dick@pirozzolo.com

Web Site: http://www.phitraining.com


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The Arrest of New York Terrorist Bomber Jose Pimenthal

The alleged New York lone-wolf jihadist Jose Pimentel.


Read more at: http://www.investigativeproject.org/3303/the-ideas-behind-the-alleged-bomber

21 Nov 2011 21:05 Africa/Lagos


New York Bomber Suspect Arrest Prompts Warning: "Tune Into Your Surroundings During Thanksgiving Travel," Antiterrorism Expert Says

PR Newswire

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2011

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "The recent arrest of alleged New York bomber Jose Pimenthal underscores the need for all of us to be vigilant during the Thanksgiving travel rush," warns antiterrorism expert Todd McGhee who pioneered new security measures at Logan Airport, post 9/11 and later co-founded Protecting the Homeland Innovations, LLC in Braintree, Mass.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111102/NE98563 )

"Warning signs of a lone-wolf terrorist include hanging back when everyone is in a rush, appearing trancelike or spouting ideology. Tune into your surroundings instead of your iPod to pick up on out-of-step behaviors that could mean trouble," says McGhee.

On Sunday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the arrest of Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, "a 27-year-old Al Qaeda sympathizer" who he said was motivated by propaganda and planned to harm returning U.S. troops.

"If a stranger has to think about answering a simple questions like, 'Are you visiting your family?' it's a sign of trouble," says McGhee, adding, "This is what we teach security professionals to look for – subconscious responses people cannot hide. It's a like a tell in a poker player."

"Airport security is getting better, but the public must be aware of what to watch for and how to respond," says McGhee. McGhee's PHI (www.phitraining.com) provides antiterrorist training to security professionals at TSA, AMTRAK, NYPD and other agencies as well as public awareness campaigns.

"Pay attention to the ebb and flow of human activity in airports, rail stations and bus terminals to become more aware of behaviors that are out of step with the crowd. If you sense a threat go with your instincts. Move away and alert the nearest security professional or a gate agent. Do not try to detain the individual yourself. Your safety comes first," says McGhee.

McGhee adds, "Outside the boarding gates, airports are as public as city streets where anybody up to no good can hang out. Situational awareness helps to keep us safe from belligerent drunks, sexual predators, scammers and other troublemakers as well as terrorists."


SOURCE Protecting the Homeland Innovations, LLC

CONTACT: Richard Pirozzolo, +1-617-959-4613, dick@pirozzolo.com

Web Site: http://www.phitraining.com


Top Topics

Thanksgiving 2011

New York Terror Plot

MF Global Bankruptcy

Holiday Shopping

Lost Credit Card Claims Climb 19 Percent During the Holidays

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety: Michael Jackson's Doctor and Other Recent Lawsuits: How Medical Practice Standards Affect Legal Liability

Lady Gaga is Coming to Town - Barneys New York Opens GAGA'S WORKSHOP and Unveils Madison Windows for the Holidays

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Bank of America Presents 19th HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

20 Jun 2011 16:33 Africa/Lagos

The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival Presented by Bank of America Celebrates Its 19th Year

FREE OUTDOOR CLASSIC FILM SERIES JUNE 20 - AUGUST 22
Director, Milos Foreman, will attend on opening night to introduce "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest"

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again, Bryant Park will be a destination for film buffs on summer nights in New York City, with an all-star legendary film line up for the 19th year of the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by Bank of America and in association with The Bryant Park Corporation.

Continuing the popular tradition of presenting "stars under the stars," the free outdoor festival returns Monday evenings at sunset, beginning June 20 and running through August 22. The season kicks off on the first day of summer with ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, starring Jack Nicholson as a patient who leads a revolt at a mental facility in this 1975 favorite.


A scene from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

The film's Oscar winning director Milos Foreman, will attend the opening night festivities in Bryant Park on June 20th to introduce the film.

The festival's closing night film, DIRTY HARRY, stars Clint Eastwood who made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. Other highlights of this year's festival include Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, Paul Newman in COOL HAND LUKE, and Oscar winning film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.



"Support for the film festival reflects our belief that the arts, in all its forms, should be shared with the widest possible audience," said Jeff Barker, Bank of America New York City president. "Only in New York can you spend a summer evening outdoors with legends of the screen and people from all walks of life amid the city's skyscrapers."

"It is with great pride that HBO enters its 19th year of showing classic films on the big screen in Bryant Park. The festival has turned into a favorite summertime tradition for many New Yorkers. As neighbors of Bryant Park, it is a great way for HBO and Bank of America to give back to the city," said Bill Nelson, Chairman and CEO, HBO.

The films will be projected in 35mm onto a screen 20 feet high by 40 feet wide. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas. Snacks, meals and refreshments are available at Bryant Park food kiosks and restaurants. Each presentation will show on Monday evenings starting at sunset. The lawn opens at 5pm. Classic animation provided courtesy of Warner Bros.

For more information, call the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival hotline at (212) 512-5700. For film series information, visit the festival's website at hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival (will be live by June 1st).

THE HBO BRYANT PARK SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL 2011

PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA

JUNE 20 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Saul Zaentz Co.)-Rebellious Jack Nicholson leads a patient revolt at a mental facility. He urges the inmates to rebel against the nasty Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Based on the Ken Kesey novel, it has been directed with force, humanity and a sly smile by Milos Forman. It is the second film (after "It Happened One Night") to score an Oscar Grand Slam, winning the five top prizes. Kirk Douglas owned the screen rights for years, but was too senior to play the lead when son Michael finally co-produced. The American Film Institute ranked "Cuckoo" as #33 Greatest Movie of All Time. (1975) 133 Min.

JUNE 27 THE 39 STEPS (MGM)-An innocent man goes on the run to prove he is not a murderer and that a spy ring exists in Scotland. The exuberant thriller is one of Alfred Hitchcock's early British masterpieces. Robert Donat is the "everyman" in trouble and Madeleine Carroll is the classy blonde who lends a helping hand. It has been remade several times for big screen, small screen, even radio, but never as successfully. It even turned up recently as a cleverly conceived show on Broadway and in London's West End. Watch out for a villain with a missing finger and a music hall performer named Mr. Memory. You won't forget him. Special thanks to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts New York (BAFTA New York) (1935) 86 Min.

JULY 4 EASY RIDER (Sony/Col) Stoners Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (he also directed) hit the road on their customized motorcycles to find the "real" America. 1960's peace and love soon turn to fear and hate. The script was Oscar-nominated, though reportedly much was improvised between L.A. and New Orleans, as the low budget movie was being shot by Laszlo Kovacs. Rumor also has it that plenty of marijuana was smoked on this road trip, giving new meaning to the term "high"way. Steppenwolf, The Byrds, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and Little Eva are heard on the soundtrack. And yes, that is legendary record producer Phil Spector making a cameo appearance as a drug dealer. (1969) 94 Min.

JULY 11 GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (TCF)-They may be just "two little girls from Little Rock," but Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are on the trail of bigger stones. As we all know, "diamonds are a girl's best friend." Two gold digging showgirls head for Paris in this brightly colored musical comedy based on the Anita Loos story and a Broadway hit starring Carol Channing. Fox intended it as a movie showcase for their biggest star Betty Grable, but Marilyn came cheaper. The musical number "Anyone Here For Love?" featuring the statuesque Russell and a gaggle of disinterested chorus boys (as the U.S. Olympic team!) is a genuine camp classic. (1953) 91 Min.

JULY 18 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (MGM)-This taut murder mystery was the surprise Oscar winner for Best Picture over "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate." Ironically, that very award ceremony was postponed due to the assassination of Martin Luther King. Rod Steiger plays a bigoted Mississippi sheriff who is reluctant to accept help from a black, big city detective Sidney ("Call me Mister Tibbs") Poitier. Due to racial unrest in the South, filming necessarily took place in Illinois. The moody Quincy Jones score was Grammy nominated and Ray Charles made the title song an instant standard. (1967) 109 Min.

JULY 25 THE LADY EVE (Universal)-This sparkling romantic comedy is the work of a master, Preston Sturges. Barbara Stanwyck (at her most tempting) is a con artist/card shark out to dupe the clueless heir to a brewery fortune (Henry Fonda). He is an ophiologist by trade and knows more about snakes than girls. Just back from a year up the Amazon on a serpent hunt, he is an apple ripe for the plucking. The script is brimming with sophisticated banter (earning an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Original Story), but Sturges is not above some well-placed slapstick and physical pratfalls. In 2002, the AFI placed it #26 on a list of Top 100 Greatest Love Stories in American cinema. (1941) 94 Min.

AUG. 1 COOL HAND LUKE (Warner Bros.)-"What we've got here is…failure to communicate." So says a sadistic guard (Strother Martin) to Luke (Paul Newman) who is serving time on a Dixie chain gang. Luke has trouble with authority figures and will find countless ways to rebel against the system during his incarceration. You may never be able to face an egg again after the justifiably famous (and excruciating) eating scene in which Luke puts away over four dozen of the hard-boiled variety. Newman received his fourth Oscar nomination, but it was supporting actor George Kennedy, as a fellow inmate, who took home an acting prize. (1967) 126 Min. (Panavision)

AUG 8 AIRPLANE! (Paramount)-"You ever been in a cockpit before?" No? Well, now's your chance. The gags just keep coming and coming in this raucous spoof of Hollywood's all-star disaster epics. A Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker collaboration, it was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Comedy and won a WGA award for Best Comedy Script. These are the same wild and crazy guys responsible for the popular "Naked Gun" series. Star turns by Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and the late, great Leslie ("Don't call me Shirley") Nielsen. Cameos are by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Maureen McGovern and an autopilot inflatable doll! (1980) 86 min.

AUG. 15 HIGH SIERRA (Warner Bros.)-The landmark crime drama by Raoul Walsh took Humphrey Bogart off the "B" list and propelled him into superstardom. His big hit "The Maltese Falcon" came out later the same year. Here he is Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a hardened ex-con on the lam from the cops, who, way deep down, has a heart of gold. The part was intended for Paul Muni (contract dispute) or George Raft. Bogie himself convinced Raft to turn down the role. Good move. "Sierra" was co-scripted by his old friend and drinking buddy, John Huston. Top-billed Ida Lupino co-stars as the devoted moll and Bogart's own pooch, Zero, appears as the cute mongrel Pard. (1941) 100 Min.

AUG. 22 DIRTY HARRY (Warner Bros.)-Clint Eastwood made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. He went on to play the iconic cop four more times. Originally considered for the part were Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, but the "Gods of Hollywood Casting' were smiling down on Clint. No more Italian westerns. Don Siegel's direction packs quite a punch, as Harry goes about ridding the San Francisco streets of a serial sniper. His unique take on law enforcement involves carrying a very large .44 Magnum. Are ya feeling lucky, punk? Come on, make Harry's day. (1971) 102 min. (Panavision)

HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two pay television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 85 million subscribers worldwide . The services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

HBO's philanthropic efforts are defined by a mission to cultivate and develop new talent through support of innovative educational organizations. We are committed to ensuring the stories we present reflect the diverse world in which we live and the voices from all communities are provided the access and resources to share their experiences with audiences around the world.

BANK OF AMERICA AND THE ARTS

As one of the world's largest financial institutions and a major supporter of arts and culture, Bank of America has a vested interest and plays a meaningful role in the international dialogue on cultural understanding. As a global company, Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to the arts by supporting such efforts as after-school arts programs, grants to help expand libraries, programs to conserve artistic heritage as well as a campaign to encourage museum attendance. Bank of America offers customers free access to more than 150 of the nation's finest cultural institutions through its acclaimed Museums on Us® program, while Art in our Communities® shares exhibits from the company's corporate collection with communities across the globe through local museum partners. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation also provides philanthropic support to museums, theaters and other arts-related nonprofits to expand their services and offerings to schools and communities. Bank of America partners with more than six thousand arts institutions worldwide.

BRYANT PARK CORPORATION

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance, and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from events, concessions, and corporate sponsors, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security and sanitation services, and tending the park's lush lawn and seasonal garden displays, BPC provides public amenities and activities, including movable chairs and tables, café umbrellas, restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown park, conveniently located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, is visited by over 5 million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. BPC's website, www.bryantpark.org, provides more detailed information and a schedule of upcoming events.

SOURCE HBO

CONTACT: Suzanne Pinto, HBO, +1-212-512-1904; T.J. Crawford, Bank of America, +1-646-855-3301

Web Site: http://www.hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival

Behold New York City in 2259!

Look at the Montage of the present New York City.
Can you imagine what it will look like in 2259?
See the future below.

28 Apr 2009 08:00 Africa/Lagos


What Will New York Look Like in 2259?

Procedural Inc. now provides an impressive 3D scenario of a futuristic New York. CityEngine customers and trial users can freely download the city example to explore, modify and use it. As an additional highlight, the 2009.1 CityEngine release will be presented at this year's FMX 09 conference (Stuttgart, May 5th- 8th).

LOS ANGELES, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Procedural Inc. has announced the high quality 3D city example NYC 2259, which is available for free download. NYC 2259 is the extrapolation of New York City 250 years into the future, inspired by Luc Besson's great sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. The example features grammar rules and assets to create highly detailed futuristic skyscrapers as well as flying cars.


Procedural Inc., an innovative software company located in Zurich, Switzerland, is creator of the world's foremost procedural modeling technology. With the CityEngine, Procedural Inc.'s graphics experts have developed a radically different 3D application that allows professional users in entertainment, architecture and urban planning to efficiently create 3D city models.


Behold New York City in 2259!

"We are very happy to deliver this cool example to our clients and trial users. Usually, such detailed cities are made in months of tedious modeling work for one angle of view only, but with the CityEngine you can modify and re-generate the whole city within minutes" says Pascal Mueller, CEO Procedural Inc. "And in case there are plans for a sequel to The Fifth Element, I hope Luc Besson knows now where to get the city backdrop for it."


A "Making of" video of the New York example is available online at: http://www.procedural.com/cityengine/provided-examples/new-york-city-2259.html


And there's more good news for 3D professionals in need to create city models: the new version of the CityEngine will be launched in May! The 2009.1 release will be presented for the first time in public at FMX (Stuttgart, May 5th- 8th) in the scope of the workshop "The Future of 3D City Modeling". The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 5th, 11:00am, Room Karlsruhe and will broadcasted live via Procedural TV: http://www.procedural.com/company/procedural-tv.html. In addition, the CityEngine 2009 will be showcased at Procedural Inc.'s booth during the whole conference.


Availability


The CityEngine can be purchased online and a free 30-day trial version is also available for download at http://www.procedural.com/. The software can be purchased via Procedural Inc.'s website, or by telephone order at +41 76 720 3303.


CityEngine is a registered trademark of Procedural Inc. Other product and company names herein are trademarks of their respective owners.


High-resolution images:
http://www.procedural.com/company/press_room.


For more information, press only:
Procedural Inc.
Dominik Tarolli
+41 79 563 3881
dominik.tarolli@procedural.com


Source: Procedural Inc.

CONTACT: Dominik Tarolli of Procedural Inc., +41-79-563-3881,
dominik.tarolli@procedural.com


Web Site: Procedural Inc.


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Broken Windows and Somali Pirates

Broken Windows and Somali Pirates
by Newt Gingrich (more by this author)
Posted 04/15/2009 ET


Today I want to discuss what Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Police Chief William Bratton’s success in lowering crime in New York City has to do with the piracy issue today. But first, let me give you three reasons to go out and be a part of a Tax Day Tea Party TODAY:

• If you’re a 50-year old-with a college degree, you will pay approximately $81,000 over your working life just to pay the interest on the debt in the Obama budget.


• If you’re a 40-year-old, you’ll pay $132,000.


• And if you’re a 20-year-old, just starting out after college, you will pay a whopping $114,000 just to service the interest on the debt created by the Obama budget.To find a Tax Day Tea Party to attend today, visit.taxdayteaparty.com or teapartyday.com.

More about who else will be attending and what’s at stake in a moment.

Navy Seals: 3, Somali Pirates: 0

The good news came on Easter Sunday. All Americans said a prayer of thanks when three eagle-eyed Navy Seals freed American Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates with just three shots. By simply doing their job, honorably and effectively, these remarkable men set the right standard for a civilized world. And give credit to President Obama for authorizing the use of force to protect the captain. But are you ready for the bad news?

Here it is: The Seals’ show of strength and leadership was a singular event in a dangerous world.

In New York In the 1970s, Civilization Was Giving Way to Predators

Do you remember New York City in the 1970s? It seems like every other car parked on the street had a sign posted in its window that said: “No Radio.”These “No Radio” signs were a white flag of surrender to the rampant crime that terrorized New York in the 1970s. They were a signal that the criminals were winning; the ultimate sign of the weakness of civilization in the face of the uncivilized: Predators, aggressors and thieves.

Much like New York 30 years ago, the world today is full of predators and aggressors constantly testing the limits of what they can get away with. They prey on the weak and the innocent. And the signal they are receiving from America and the civilized world is that there are no consequences for their bad behavior.

Hanging Up a “No Radio” Sign in the International ArenaWe are back to hanging up “No Radio” signs. And the Somali pirates are just the latest example.

• North Korea fires a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon deliberately on the day the President is giving a big speech on nuclear disarmament, and the civilized world wrings it hands and talks about legal conventions.

• The Iranian dictatorship cheerfully announces that is has 7,300 centrifuges to make nuclear bombs and nothing happens.• Hamas fires a few more missiles into Israel and everyone ignores it.

• Pakistan transfers power to the Taliban in its North West Frontier and the world stands idly by.

• There’s a Mexican drug war going on that barely makes the newspapers.

• And as Rich Galen points out, there are still approximately 260 hostages being held by Somali pirates.

Two more ships were seized Tuesday. But you never hear about them because they’re not Americans.

Strength Works Against Predators -- Weakness Only Invites More Predation

As mayor, Rudy Giuliani, along with his police commissioner, William Bratton, transformed New York by doing something very simple in conception but very difficult in execution.Giuliani and Bratton cleaned up crime in New York by showing that strength works against predatory aggressors.

Weakness only invites more predatory aggression.Mayor Giuliani and Commissioner Bratton were inspired by a theory developed by social scientist James Q. Wilson and criminologist George Kelling called the “broken windows” theory.

If Criminals Believe There are No Consequences, More (And Worse) Crime Will Follow

The Broken Windows theory simply states that if a building has a broken window that is not fixed, the message is sent that no one cares. Vandals believe there will be no consequences for their bad behavior, and consequently, worse behavior will follow.

However, fixing the broken window sends a message that people care about their community and are watching, which deters crime. Giuliani and Bratton acted on the insights of the Broken Windows theory to transform New York from one of the most dangerous cities in America to the safest big city in the country by treating minor crimes like vandalism, prostitution, and loitering like broken windows. They deployed police to where they were most needed using the CompStat (computer statistics) system. And instead of tolerating these crimes and showing weakness to criminals and would-be criminals, the police showed strength. They instituted a “zero tolerance” policy for so-called minor crimes. When other criminals witnessed this show of strength, they were deterred. Citizens, meanwhile, felt safer walking the streets and taking the subway. They took more responsibility for their neighborhoods and helped make them safer as well.


In New York, restoring a sense of order to the streets meant that police didn’t have to spend all their time responding to actual crime. Their show of strength inspired citizens to care more for their own communities and deterred criminals from committing crimes in the first place.


President Obama Should Take a Lesson from the Wilson, Giuliani, Bratton and Reagan PlaybookThis is a lesson that all those who now dismiss the Somali pirates as “distractions” would do well to learn.


It’s a lesson that Ronald Reagan, in addition to Mayor Giuliani and Commissioner Bratton, well understood. As Callista and I tell in our new movie, Rendezvous with Destiny, the time America spent under the presidency of Jimmy Carter was a four-year lesson in the perils of weakness.


Ronald Reagan moved America from weakness to strength with astounding speed, and the end of the existential threat to America of the 20th century, the Cold War, was the result.President Obama should take a page from James Q. Wilson, Rudy Giuliani, William Bratton and Ronald Reagan’s playbook: Strength works. Weakness fails.


We need a strategy to end piracy. Do You Know What Your Obama Debt Number Is?As I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter, all of us will be forced to pay for President Obama’s record-setting budget increases -- as will our children and grandchildren.


By 2019, President Obama’s budget will have added over $9.4 trillion to the federal debt. And like any form of debt, such as a home mortgage or car loan, this debt comes with a steep debt load. Just like paying off the interest on a credit card, every young American will be responsible for not only paying the principal on President Obama’s budget, but will also have to shoulder the interest payments.


How much will you have to pay? How much will your kids owe? American Solutions has put together an Obama Debt Calculator to determine how much President Obama’s deficits will cost you over your working life. Just go here, enter your age, your current salary, and get your Obama Debt Number.


I Will Be At the New York Tax Day Tea Party at City Hall at 8:30 pmAnd when you’re done, take the time -- make the time -- today to come out to a Tax Day Tea Party in your area.


I will be at the New York City Tea Party at City Hall at 8:30 pm.My friend and Fox News host, Sean Hannity, will be at the Atlanta Tea Party.


To find a Tax Day Tea Party near you, you can visit taxdayteaparty.com or teapartyday.com.And don’t forget to bring your Tax Day Tool Kit, which you can download at americansolutions.com/teaparty.


Let’s make this Tax Day the day Americans stopped just paying up and started fighting back.


Your friend,


Newt Gingrich

Newt’s Quick Links
Last Wednesday, at an event sponsored by the Center for Health Transformation’s Missouri Project, I had the opportunity to join a bipartisan group of local and state leaders, employers, and healthcare experts in Missouri to discuss drastically improving our healthcare system. We discussed issues from combating Medicaid fraud to restructuring the reimbursement rates of physicians. It has been clear with the Center for Health Transformation’s state projects that people all over this country want to be more engaged on transforming healthcare. You can learn more at healthtransformation.net.

On Greta van Susteren’s show last week, I suggested that those who are upset by President Obama speaking at Notre Dame should organize on the same day as his speech a nationwide series of events in support of the right to life. You can watch it here.
On the same show, we also discussed how better roads are key to Afghanistan’s future. Watch it here.

Mr. Gingrich is the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and author of "Real Change: From the World That Fails to the World That Works" and "Winning the Future" (published by Regnery, a HUMAN EVENTS sister company).Click here to have the

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