Abraham & Harrison: April 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

Yet Another Photo of Zan Drinking a Pils in Berlin

Drinks with Zan at Altes Europa in Mitter Berlin

Here's the beer menu.

Zandria Sips Her First German Pils

Here's the lovely and charismatic Miss Zandria @followzan as she enjoys her first Radeberger Pils at Altes Europa in Mitte, Berlin.

Friday, April 23, 2010

My Awesome New Mug

From this awesome store in Mitte, http://schoenhauser-design.de -- Neue Shönhauser Straße 18, 10178 Berlin

Thursday, April 22, 2010

A True Hero (Almost) Gets His Memorial

At a time when kids consider gun-toting athletes and cracked-out celebrities heroes and role models, it’s refreshing to hear that a true hero, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is finally getting the official memorial he deserves. Abraham Harrison’s client, the Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial Foundation, is pushing for the last few million dollars needed to finish the project.
Over $106 million of the $120 million has been raised through corporate support as well as private donations from us ordinary folk. The Foundation has devised some creative and easy ways to add your contribution including an MLK Toolbar that donates $.05 for every search you perform using the toolbar.
To find out more about the history of the Memorial, its on-going construction and ways to donate here: http://mlkmemorialnews.org/

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Berliner Schnauze

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Stem Cell Therapy to Cure Type 1 Diabetes in Adults

Diabetes exacts its toll on many Americans, young and old. For years, researchers have painstakingly dissected this complicated disease caused by the destruction of insulin producing islet cells of the pancreas. Despite progress in understanding the underlying disease mechanisms for diabetes, there is still a paucity of effective therapies. For years investigators have been making slow, but steady, progress on experimental strategies for pancreatic transplantation and islet cell replacement. Now, researchers have turned their attention to adult stem cells that appear to be precursors to islet cells and embryonic stem cells that produce insulin. From Curing Diabetes with Stem Cell Therapy Resources:

Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Professor Alan Trounson has highlighted research that has transformed human embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes in mice. He says the technique could work equally with humans. "I do think we’ll get a cure to diabetes," he said.

Stem cells are the essential cellular building blocks that allow the body to regenerate new cells and repair tissue. Scientists are investigating the therapeutic potential of both embryonic and adult stem cells as a research tool to better understand-and develop treatments for-diseases that affect over 100 million Americans in their lifetime, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other debilitating conditions.

Stem cell therapy aimed at restoring blood flow to damaged limbs in people with diabetes has shown promise, according to UK company ReNeuron. Diabetics using stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to produce the hormone naturally again.

A handful of people with type 1 diabetes have been able to survive without insulin shots for more than two-and-a-half years, on average, after having their own blood stem cells removed and reimplanted through intravenous injection, U.S. and Brazilian researchers reported Tuesday.

The study involved the use of a technique called "autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" or AHST for short. This type of treatment has been used to treat other autoimmune diseases successfully. Previous trials have shown that moderate suppression of the immune system in newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients can stop the further loss of beta cells and reduce the need for supplemental insulin.

Pancreatic islet cell transplantation and particularly stem cell-based therapies have a huge potential to restore glucose control in patients with diabetes, without risk of serious hypoglycemic adverse effects associated with insulin therapy, and safety issues of other anti-diabetes treatments.

In Australia, and many other countries around the world, stem cell therapy is only approved to treat blood disorders such as leukemia. Whilst research is moving rapidly and showing great promise, the use of any type of stem cell as a therapy for diseases like type 1 diabetes is still firmly classed as experimental. This doesn’t mean these therapies won’t work, just that scientists and clinicians have deemed there isn’t enough data available to demonstrate patient safety as well as a long term benefit.

Hopes have been raised of a new treatment to free thousands of diabetes sufferers from the burden of daily insulin injections. Scientists revealed findings of a study which shows that 15 young patients with type one diabetes overcame their dependence on insulin after being treated with their own stem cells.

Via Chris Abraham Blog

Monday, April 19, 2010

Kaffeemitte is a Favorite Place in Berlin

Einen Grossen Kaffee von Kaffeemitte in Berlin

I get this every day for €2,40, zum mitnehmen, that I don't need to order it any more. I guess I am a regular.

My Favorite Barista / Kellner

The Best Seat in the House at Kaffeemitte

All The Papers to Read

They have all of the newspapers, auf Deutsch, to read splayed out on the tables. When I finally learn to read German well I will read my morning news at Kaffeemitte.

Being Pre-Nostalgic About Goethe Berlin Kaffeepause

Not Many Goethe Berlin Kaffeepausen Left

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mark Harrison's Letterpress Business Card

You like?

Friday, April 16, 2010

German Civics Lesson at Goethe-Institut Berlin

More German Civics Lesson from the Goethe-Institut Berlin

Thursday, April 15, 2010

KawecoSport expands to a full-length fountain pen

It is pretty gorgeous and then shrings down to the size small enough to fit at the bottom of my jeans pocket.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

My Gorgeous New Letterpress Business Cards

Do you like this?

Let me know if you approve of this and I will have it done.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

OMP - Orchestre Miniature in the Park - Berlin

Elisabeth King Jamming with OMP in Berlin

What's With the Green Jelly?

Is that my soul? Is that a ghost? Am I possessed by Cnidariæ?

Off to Dance in the Rain

Shall I do the Bahn or the Bike?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Taking DB Regional Instead

Taking the S-Bahn to and from Shönefeld is a pain in my bum so I am loaded on the local regional train to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof, my home station, with zero transfers -- so, hopefully is all work smoothly and swimmingly -- the train is already "zwanzig Minuten" late, which is terribly un-German. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, though my hotel was very nice. By the way, it costs the same fare to go from Flughaven Berlin-Shönefeld to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof via DB Regional with zero transfers as it does to take the S-Bahn to Ostkreutz and then transfer once to get to Hbf: €2.80: toll!

I like London; ich liebe Berlin

Always Buy a Priority Pass for RyanAir

I arrived super-early and paid £5 to get a priority pass from an air hostess sitting on a bench around the gates. Very odd but I scored an exit row and have plenty of space this time. I should have bought several. Oh well. I don't fancy RyanAir.com anyway.

Espresso and The Girl Who Played with Fire

At the airport years early. All is well. Trying to fortify myself with coffee and calm myself with some Stieg Larsson (RIP) and maybe activate a UK SIM. Maybe not. Should have done that before coming. Oh well. All went well.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium III) by Stieg Larsson

Be jealous my American friends! ;)

M11

Really a Glorious day Outside London, UK

Rather!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

OK. I have landed safe and sound

Here I am leaning towards sleep at Hotel De Vere Venues Hunton Park
Address Essex Lane, Watford, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley, Watford, WD4 8PN, United Kingdom, Phone+441923261511, Fax+442084841659
E-mail: hunreception@deverevenues.co.uk

The Homeward London Taxi

Someone told me that l'Escargot is in Soho, London. There are a metric bazillion people here but I am in this taxi home to The Grove. £60 for the 4 of us.

Our Canadian Overlords Mug For "Fotos"

Le Souper est Fini

C'etait très bien!

Dinner at L'Escargot in London

48 Greek Street, London, W1D 4EF http://www.whitestarline.org.uk

Taking the Brands Party Bus to Dinner in London

Self-Portrait with Ghosts Outside London

At the Grove London's Country Estate Chandler's Cross Hertfordshire WD3 4TG Telephone: +44 1923 807807

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

My Room at De Vere Venues Hunton Park

Essex Lane, Watford, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley, Watford, WD4 8PN , United Kingdom

I Get a Manual Diesel Vauxhall Rental Car!

Here's Hoping this Makes the RyanAir Cut!

Off to London!

Monday, April 5, 2010

I Kind of Love this Stabilo pointVisco pen

It writes like a dream: fine, gel, blue, smooth. Sweet!

BMW's New 7-Series Gets it Right!

I have hated BMW's boot-heavy flagship super-sedan 7-series auto since all the Beemers got their "mean eyes" and, in addition, the 730-750 BMW also got too much junk in the trunk, giving the $120k car a bit of a bustle, looking sort of like a rumble seat. Now, finally, they sorted it all out and have delivered a gorgeous, slippery, and sporty auto. Bravo, Bavaria, bravo, BMW (I have myself a 2001 e39 530 BMW I love and adore).

Thank You To All Of The Olympic Bloggers

Recently, we at Abraham Harrison helped the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) reach out to bloggers and others online in order to bring more attention to the Winter Olympic Games. Nearly 300 movers, shakers and influencers responded to our call to action with the placement of banners, tweets, and with blog posts. Thank you to all of the authors of the following posts:

Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Finished it. Loved it. Consumed it. Recommend it.