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Endoscopic Evaluation of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding (GIB) in Patients Presenting With Melena
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00164723
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : September 14, 2005
Last Update Posted : August 13, 2015
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
|Procedure: Capsule endoscopy
|Not Applicable
Although tarry stool is a common feature of peptic ulcer bleeding, it can also be a manifestation of lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Examples include colonic cancer, small bowel tumors, and small or large bowel ulcers induced by aspirin or painkillers (NSAIDs). However, clinicians are often misled by the finding of peptic ulcers as the source of GI bleeding. It is not uncommon to detect peptic ulcers incidentally but the source of bleeding is actually in the lower GI tract (e.g. NSAID- or aspirin-induced small or large bowel bleeding ulcers, small bowel tumors, or colorectal cancer). Delay in diagnosis of lower GI bleeding often leads to serious consequences.
The preferred investigations for lower GI bleeding are colonoscopy plus video capsule endoscopy. Colonoscopy has been the gold standard for the diagnosis of colonic bleeding. The risk of colonoscopy-induced complications such as bleeding or perforation is less than 1 in 3500. Video capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive, safe and accurate technology that has been approved by the FDA for investigation of small bowel diseases. The video capsule is an 11x 26mm capsule that encases a digital camera, light-emitting diodes, batteries, and a transmitter. The patient needs to swallow the video capsule after an overnight fast and wear a recording device for eight hours. Images are taken twice-per-second and transmitted to the recording device. Oral feeding can be resumed after four hours. There is no restriction to daily activities. The swallowed capsule will be expelled naturally after 5 to 12 hours virtually in all patients. The risk of capsule retention is very low and only occurs in patients with severe small bowel stricture.
This study aims to assess the incidence and etiology of lower GI bleeding in patients presenting with tarry stool. The result will provide important information about the magnitude of the problem of lower GI bleeding that will improve our patient care.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|165 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Endoscopic Evaluation of the Incidence and Etiology of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients Presenting With Melena
|Study Start Date :
|February 2005
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|November 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|November 2014
patients taking NSAID will undergo capsule endoscopy
Procedure: Capsule endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy and colonoscopy
patients taking Aspirin will undergo capsule endoscopy
Procedure: Capsule endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy and colonoscopy
patients didn't take NSAID or ASA will undergo capsule endoscopy
Procedure: Capsule endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy and colonoscopy
- Diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy as the primary investigation for small bowel after negative esophagogastroduodenoscopy [ Time Frame: 48 hours ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding will be enrolled if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Presence of melena or melena concomitant with PR bleeding;
Gastroscopic findings not accountable for the upper GI bleeding including: (i) clean base ulcers /erosions (refer to User Groups below) without high-risk stigmata, fresh or altered blood but can have grade A or B esophagitis concomitantly ; and (ii) meet the criteria of either the User groups or Non-user group as below
User Groups Definition: Patients who used any dose of NSAIDs or aspirin via oral or systemic (intramuscular, Per rectal) route within 2 weeks prior to the onset of upper GI bleeding NSAID group: Clean base gastric or duodenal ulcer is required (i.e., patients with normal finding or erosions alone on endoscopy will not be eligible) Aspirin group: Either an ulcer or multiple (>5) erosions found on endoscopy
Non-user group
Definition :
- No continuous use of NSAIDs or aspirin for more than 1 week within the past 3 Months and patients who had not been exposed to NSAIDs, aspirin, or unknown drugs ≥ 4 weeks prior to GI bleed;
- Clean base gastric or duodenal ulcer is required (i.e., patients with normal finding or erosions alone on OGD will not be eligible)
- Age ³18;
- Willing to meet the capsule endoscopy procedure requirements, and have provided written informed consent prior to admission to this study.
- Concomitant clean base GU and DU can be recruited
Exclusion criteria
The presence of any of the following will exclude a subject from study enrollment:
- Hematemesis as the presenting symptom;
- Gastroscopic findings accountable for the bleeding episode (i.e., presence of blood in the stomach, ulcers showing high-risk bleeding stigmata, bleeding gastroesophageal varices, Mallory-Weiss tear showing bleeding stigmata, portohypertensive gastropathy);
- Gastroscopic findings are normal.
- Uncontrolled bleeding requiring emergency surgery or mesenteric angiography;
- Has cardiac pacemaker or other electromedical implant;
- Is expected to undergo MRI examination or be in the vicinity of powerful electromagnetic fields between ingesting the capsule and its excretion;
- Active malignancy or history of a malignancy within 5 years prior to enrollment;
- Previous gastric surgery;
- Known or suspected complete or partial stenosis of the small intestine;
- Established delayed gastric emptying or diabetic gastroparesis;
- Known inflammatory bowel disease;
- Use of misoprostol within the 2 weeks prior to admission;
- Concomitant use of NSAIDs and aspirin;
- Currently taking anticoagulants or lithium;
- Has a swallowing disorder that precludes safe ingestion of the capsule;
- Pregnancy;
- History of clinically significant substance abuse, drug addiction or a history of chronic ingestion of more than two alcoholic drinks per day;
- Any mental or physical condition, which precludes compliance with study and/or device instructions;
- Received any investigational medication within 30 days prior to the treatment period;
- Currently participating in another clinical study that may affect the results of this study.
- Ulcer > 2cm
- clean base ulcer with grade C or D esophagitis
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00164723
|Endoscopy Center in Prince of Wales Hospital
|Hong Kong (SAR), China
|Principal Investigator:
|Francis KL Chan, MD
|Responsible Party:
|Francis KL Chan, Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|September 14, 2005 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|August 13, 2015
|Last Verified:
|January 2011
Capsule Endoscopy
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Pathologic Processes
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Digestive System Diseases


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Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Three Police Officers Plead Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Protect Drug Deals
ATLANTA - Six defendants, including three former police officers, pleaded guilty this week in federal court to accepting thousands of dollars in cash payments to provide protection during staged drug deals which were part of a federal undercover operation
"The audacity of police officers protecting drug deals is shocking," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. "For these police officers, protecting and serving our citizens was little more than a slogan, and their brazen actions are unacceptable. Brave and honest law enforcement officers go to work every day to keep us safe, expecting their colleagues to serve the community unselfishly. Instead, these officers put greed before all else."
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: "Public corruption investigations, particularly those involving law enforcement officers, remain one of the FBI's top criminal investigative priorities. The FBI extends its gratitude to its ATF partners for highlighting the corruption aspect of its case early on which allowed the FBI to dedicate its investigative resources accordingly."
"These defendants took an oath to uphold the law and protect the citizens," said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Brown. "Instead they betrayed the community they swore to protect. Officers like these unfortunately tarnish the badge worn proudly by the committed men and women of law enforcement. The success of this investigation would not have been possible without the dynamic level of law enforcement cooperation."
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: The undercover operation arose out of an ATF investigation of an Atlanta, Ga., area street and drug gang in August 2011. During the investigation, ATF agents learned from an individual associated with the gang that police officers were involved in protecting the gang's criminal operations, including drug trafficking crimes. That individual could not specifically identify the officers but provided investigators with the officers' nicknames. Shortly after the investigation began, three individuals who have pleaded guilty, Shannon Bass, Jerry Mannery, and Elizabeth Coss, none of whom were police officers, provided officers' names to a police informant and told the informant that the officers would provide security for drug deals in exchange for cash.
The public corruption investigation, conducted by FBI and ATF agents, lead to the indictment of ten law enforcement officers. Three of the indicted officers have pleaded guilty. They are: former Stone Mountain Police Officer Denoris Carter, 43, of Lithonia, Ga., former DeKalb County Police Officers Dennis Duren, 33, of Atlanta, Ga., and Dorian Williams, 25, of Stone Mountain., Ga. All three officers were fired after their arrests in February 2013 and are no longer police officers.
In addition to the officers, three others pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme: Shannon Bass, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., Elizabeth Coss, 36, also of Atlanta; and Jerry B. Mannery, 39, of Tucker, Ga.
Between April and September 2012, former Stone Mountain Police Department Officer Denoris Carter, working together with Jerry Mannery, provided protection for what he and Mannery believed were five separate transactions in the metro Atlanta, area which involved multiple kilograms of cocaine. For all five transactions, Carter was on duty and dressed in his police uniform. During one transaction, he drove up in his marked patrol vehicle, got out and walked through the parking lot to keep watch over the purported drug deal. During the final transaction, Carter was on foot and wore a gun on his belt. Denoris Carter pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution of cocaine and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate the deal.
Between October 2011 and November 2011, former DeKalb County Police Officer Dennis Duren, working together with Shannon Bass, provided protection for what he and Bass believed were four separate drug deals in the Atlanta area. During the transactions, Duren who was on duty, armed and in uniform, stood watch over the immediate area surrounding the undercover transaction. Dennis Duren pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution of cocaine and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate the deal. Bass pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of cocaine.
Between January and February 2013, former DeKalb County Police Officer Dorian Williams, working together with Mannery and Bass, provided protection for what he believed to be three drug deals involving multiple kilograms of cocaine. On each occasion, Williams was in uniform and carrying a gun. He used his marked police vehicle to patrol the parking lots where the deals took place. Williams admitted that he specifically protected the drug deals from interference from legitimate police officers. Dorian Williams pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate a deal. Mannery pleaded guilty to conspiring with the police officers to distribute cocaine.
Elizabeth Coss pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of cocaine for her role in working with former MARTA police officer Marquez Holmes, to provide security for a drug deal in August 2012.
The Court will likely sentence the defendants this summer.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kim S. Dammers and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at email@example.com or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.

subset: commoncrawl


text: x (Unused) > John Harralson Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Dinner June 14, 2012 Share Tweet The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Dinner was held on June 3 at Vincenzo's restaurant. Photos by JOHN HARRALSON | Contributing Photographer Carolle Jones-Clay and her husband, Ken Clay. Shana Damon and Sergio Katz, chef at Vincenzo's. Gabriele Vincenzo, Becky Cowan and Jeff English, Kentucky Derby Festival Senior Vice-President. Patrick Armstrong, Renee Armstrong and Michael E. Berry, president and CEO of the Derby Festival. Linda Steder, Bonnie Taylor and Robbie Steder. Helen and Tom Davis. Wendy and Anthony Jacob. Wendy was 2012 chair of the Derby Festival. Jenny Jacob, who is on the Foundation Board and past president of the Fillies, and Barbara Hood, chairman of the 2013 Fillies Ball. Pat and Sally Galla with Teri and Jerry Smith. Elise and Jeff Myers, Betsy and Day Rinehart and Dr. Kristen and Aaron Spalding. Bill and Kay Campbell. Bill is past chairman of the Derby Festival. Casey Priest, UofL student, and Olivia Henken, Miss Kentucky contestant. David Kennedy, commercial photographer, Lou Ellen Williams, Cindy Jones and Barbara Davis.


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PCL's construction companies in Canada focus on large commercial, institutional, industrial, and civil construction projects. As Canada's largest contractor, the organization also offers construction services for smaller, unique special projects.
Copyright © 2020 PCL Constructors Inc. All rights reserved
Read the latest issue of Horizons, PCL's quarterly publication.
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An Invitation to Cognitive Science, Vol. 3:Thinking
An Invitation to Cognitive Science provides a point of entry into the vast realm of cognitive science, offering selected examples of issues and theories from many of its subfields. All of the volumes in the second edition contain substantially revised and as well as entirely new chapters.


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Wine House renovated
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Wine House renovated
Our lodging in a former wine House is located in a very quiet area of the village, close to the centre where you can find shops and services. Our cottage has central heating during the winter. Gîte - Self Catering Rental in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire #45385 >


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Revision of Public Procurement Directives15 January 2014
by eub2 -- last modified 15 January 2014
New EU rules on public procurement and concession contracts approved by the European Parliament on 15 January 2014 are expected to ensure better quality and value for money when public authorities buy or lease works, goods or services.
1. Why modernise public procurement rules now?
Public procurement rules organise the way public authorities and certain public utility operators purchase goods, works and services. They set up specific contract award procedures to ensure that public purchases are made in the most rational, transparent and fair manner.
Public purchasing has to be underpinned by particular safeguards. These prevent any preferential treatment that could favour specific economic operators and guarantee sound competition between economic operators, so as to ensure that contracting authorities get the best value for European taxpayers' money.
Public procurement is a key part of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It is one of the market-based instruments to be used to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives by improving the conditions for business to innovate and by encouraging the wider use of green procurement supporting the shift towards a resource efficient and low-carbon economy. At the same time, the Europe 2020 strategy stresses that public procurement policy must ensure the most efficient use of public funds and that procurement markets must be kept open Union-wide (all the more in times of financial crisis).
In the face of these challenges, the existing public procurement legislation needed to be revised and modernised in order to make it better suited to dealing with the evolving political, social and economic context.
The revision of the European Union public procurement rules was one of the twelve levers for growth set out in the Single Market Act, and in December 2011, the Commission proposed the revision of the existing Directives.
2. Will the new Directives provide for higher thresholds?
No, the thresholds will remain at their current level. This is due to the international obligations of the EU and in particular its obligations under the World Trade Organisation's Government Procurement Agreement (recently re-negotiated). The EU has committed to ensuring that the procedural guarantees anchored in the Directives would apply to all contracts beyond the same value as that of the current directives. Therefore, increasing thresholds would imply a breach of EU international obligations.
However, it has to be noted that the thresholds have been adapted in accordance with the procedure in force by Regulation (EU) No 1336/2013 of 13 December 2013.
3. How are the public procurement rules going to be simplified?
The new Directives introduce a number of simplified rules and procedures. They broaden the possibilities for negotiation: the competitive procedure with negotiation may be used when justified by the specific circumstances in relation to the nature, complexity or the legal and financial make-up of a given project, or by the fact that the needs of the contracting authority cannot be met by an 'off the shelf' type of solution.
The documentation required is reduced, notably through the compulsory acceptance of self-declarations from bidders (through a standardised European Single Procurement Document) - only the winning bidder will have to submit formal evidence (certificates and attestations). The minimum deadlines to submit tenders are shortened.
The mandatory use of means of electronic communication in public procurement will increase accessibility to procurement thereby allowing EU companies – especially SMEs – to exploit the full benefits of the Digital Single Market and will bring efficiency gains (estimated savings: € 100 billion annually on total EU public procurement).
4. How will local authorities benefit from the new rules?
The local and regional authorities will be the first to benefit from the general simplification measures. They will be able to advertise their contracts via less burdensome prior-information notices (instead of contract notices). Furthermore, they will be able to agree with the pre-selected bidders on the deadlines in their procurement procedures.
Local authorities will also be able to benefit from the new simplified regime put in place for social, health, cultural and assimilated services (see question n° 9).
5. To what extent is cooperation between public entities exempted from the application of the rules?
On the basis of the principles set out in the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice, the Directives clarify the conditions under which cooperation between public entities is exempt from the application of the Directives. Cooperation between public entities is an important means for public authorities to perform their public service tasks. The related exemption however cannot result in a distortion of competition in relation to private economic operators. In this context, the conditions laid down strike a good balance between the freedom of public authorities to organise public services and fair market access for economic operators. In particular, it was agreed to limit the activities that may be performed in the open market, i.e. outside the public-public cooperation, to 20 %, and to exclude direct private capital participation in controlled entities (with the exception of non-controlling and non-blocking forms of private capital required by national law)
6. Will SMEs take full advantage of the new EU public procurement rules?
Further facilitating the access of SMEs to public procurement was precisely one of the objectives of the revision of the rules. As far as general simplification measures are concerned, self-declarations will primarily benefit SMEs. In addition, there are two SME-specific measures: the division of contracts into lots is being encouraged through the "apply or explain" principle. As far as the proof of financial capacity of the economic operator is concerned, the turnover requirements will be limited to a maximum of twice the estimated value of the contract, except in duly justified cases.
7. Do the new rules contribute to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy objectives for a greener, more social, innovative and inclusive economy?
The new rules will contribute to the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy for a greener, more social, innovative and inclusive economy. It should be stressed that no "what to buy" obligations are provided for. Contracting authorities will decide if they want to take advantage of the new possibilities put at their disposal.
The concept of "life-cycle costing" which is introduced in the Directives will encourage public authorities to consider the full life-cycle of products in their purchasing decisions. The life-cycle cost will include internal costs and costs imputed to environmental externalities (including the CO2 footprint) linked to the product, service or works during its/their life cycle.
In their award decisions, contracting authorities may take into account criteria linked to the production process of the works, services or supplies to be purchased such as the inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged people or the use of non-toxic substances.
In addition, contracting authorities may require that works, supplies or services bear specific labels certifying environmental, social or other characteristics, as long as only the criteria and characteristics of the label which are linked to the subject-matter of the contract are required and that equivalent labels are accepted.
To favour social inclusion, the current contracts' reservation in favour of sheltered workshops has been extended to economic operators whose main aim is the social and professional integration of disabled and disadvantaged workers; and the minimum required percentage of disabled or disadvantaged employees is reduced from 50% to 30%.
Finally, innovation will be fostered by the new partnership procedure where the contracting authority shall cooperate with a company – selected in a regular competitive tender procedure - to develop an innovative product, work or service, which does not exist on the market.
8. Are social and environmental clauses part of EU public procurement rules?
Yes, the Directives recall the principle that the applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour requirements established by Union law, national law, collective agreements or by relevant international environmental, social and labour law provisions, have to be complied with in the performance of public contracts, provided that such rules, and their application, comply with Union law in force.
9. Is the distinction between the current so-called "A" ("priority") services and "B" ("non-priority") services abolished?
This distinction is indeed abolished in the new Directives. A new simplified regime is put in place for social, health, cultural and assimilated services. This new regime will however also be applicable to other services such as legal services, hotels and restaurants services, catering and canteen services. Under the new rules, the current "B" (non-priority") services, such as the water transport, agricultural and forestry services, will be subject to the full set of rules of the Directives, unless listed in the "new simplified regime" annex to the Directives. All services not explicitly listed fall under the full regime of the Directives.
10. Is the "new simplified regime" simpler than the current regime applicable to the so–called "B" ("non-priority") services?
The new simplified regime is simpler because:
1) it benefits from a much higher threshold of 750 000 €;
2) rules implementing the corresponding national procedures no longer have to respect EU rules on technical specifications that apply to the current "B" ("non-priority") services;
3) apart from the general EU principles, the only obligations that have to be respected are the ones relating to transparency and publicity, namely: ex ante (through prior information notice) and (existing) ex post (contract award notice) publicity.
In addition, Member States will have to make sure that contracting authorities may take into account, i.a all quality and continuity criteria they consider necessary for the services in question. Member States may also eliminate the price as sole award criterion for such services.
11. Do the Directives include measures to further guarantee sound public procurement procedures?
Yes, they clarify notably the notion of "conflict of interests". The notion shall at least cover "any situation where staff members of the contracting authority who are involved in the conduct of the procedure or may influence its outcome have, directly or indirectly, a financial, economic, political or other personal interest which might be perceived to compromise their impartiality and independence in the context of the procurement procedure". Member States have to take measures to effectively prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest arising in the conduct of public procurement procedures.
Exclusion grounds are strengthened and extended e.g. to cases of undue influence on the decision process or serious misrepresentation in providing information on the absence of grounds of exclusion.
The Directives will now provide for the compulsory exclusion in case of abnormally low tender when it is due to non-compliance of EU law in the field of social and labour law and environmental law and international social and environmental law.
Finally, the rules governing the modifications of contracts have been simplified.
12. Is the mandatory use of means of electronic communication excessive and too burdensome for SMEs? When will e-procurement come into force?
On the contrary, electronic communication should improve access to public procurement, including for SMEs. Recent Eurostat figures show that nearly 99% of SMEs have access to the internet. Moving towards e-procurement therefore means SMEs will have access to the whole EU procurement market and hence significant opportunities to grow and create more jobs.
The agreed e-procurement deadline for full electronic communication is 54 months as from formal adoption date (transposition deadline of 24 months + 30 months).
13. The creation of single national oversight bodies was not accepted by the co-legislators. Has anything changed as far as governance in public procurement is concerned?
In order to improve the enforcement and implementation of EU public procurement rules in the Member State, the Commission had pleaded for an ambitious approach on governance and the necessity of a specific operational structure at national level, in charge of monitoring, implementation and control of public procurement. As both the Council and the European Parliament opposed such structure, the Commission agreed to limit the Directives to the identification of the tasks to be fulfilled while leaving decisions on the internal organisation to Member States.
The measures on governance agreed upon provide for increased monitoring at national level and for Member States' obligations to transmit to the Commission every three years a monitoring report covering information on: the sources of wrong application, legal uncertainties, level of SME participation, prevention, detection and adequate reporting of procurement fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest and other serious irregularities. This should help reducing the errors caused by the incorrect application of public procurement rules in the handling of EU funds.
On the request of the Commission and not more than every three years, Member States shall also provide information on the practical implementation of national strategic policies.
14. What are the main specific changes brought to the regime applicable to the "utilities" sectors (water, energy, transport and postal services)?
In particular, the new Directives clarify and improve the mechanism for exemption from the procurement rules provided for in the current Article 30 of Directive 2004/17/EC. They explicitly clarify the notion of "special and exclusive rights". They exclude from their scope the exploration for oil and gas, because this sector has consistently been found to be exposed to competition.
15. When will the new rules come into force?
Once the Council has formally adopted the new legislation, the new rules will enter into force on the twentieth day following that of the publication of the Directives in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive within 24 months after its entry into force. For implementing electronic procurement fully, Member States may extend this period by up to 30 months.


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Thanks to Drew for the additional baskets out there to make this type of activitiy happen.
16-Practice Basket Orange (18-Left, uphill, close to original) This is for you UBER long throwers, and now with the reservoir trees all knocked down, try to clear the gates baby!
you're a legume
Quote from: jamidanger on March 29, 2012, 03:08:04 PMyou're a legumeI hope you're in the minority on that idea;0


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Green.Building.Solutions. - Summer university on ecological building: July 23 – August 14, 2016, in Vienna
In 2016, 40 students from all over the world will once again have the opportunity to take part in this year's Masters-level course Green.Building.Solutions. in Vienna.
The inter-disciplinary lectures and workshops will examine ecological and sustainable aspects of urban planning and address interesting topics across a range of academic subjects in the fields of 'green building' and 'passive house' technology. Aspiring architects, planners and engineers will be able engage face-to-face with experts and lecturers from a wide range of disciplines, gaining a very special insight into the practical aspects of their work.
The Green.Building.Solutions. Summer University is run by the OeAD Housing Office in conjunction with seven universities: the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences , Vienna University of Technology , Vienna University of Economics and Business , University of Vienna , FH-Campus Vienna and Danube University Krems . The University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien has just been added as a new partner. The platform innovative gebäude© and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) will also be represented.
For further information about event participation or the fees and scholarship programme , please visit: http://summer-university.net/ .


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text: It's magic! The Bash makes it easy to book a magician. And not just any magician but a world-class magician that will amaze you and your guests. Perfect for corporate events, birthday parties, and more, magicians are among the most unique and talented entertainers out there. You won't believe your eyes!


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Angels looking for boost from pitchers in second half
SEATTLE -- The Angels offense, for all its power, speed and potential, underperformed in the first half that ended Sunday at Safeco Field.
But that's not the team's problem. Manager Mike Scioscia is not worried about the bats.
"Our offense will be fine,'' he said. "I think we'll be able to pressure teams to score runs [in the second half], even with some of our guys who haven't hit their stride. We can still get it done.''
What he worries about, as every manager does, is the starting pitching. An effective, consistent rotation is what every successful team needs. Injuries and inconsistencies robbed the rotation of its effectiveness in the first half.
"We're not going to reach our goal without starting pitching,'' said Scioscia, whose team was 44-48 entering the first-half finale against Seattle. "We're not going to reach our goal without consistency that gives us the chance to win. I think we've proven that. When guys perform the way we expected them to, we've had some good streaks.''
Staff ace Jered Weaver missed at least nine starts in the first half after a fractured right elbow. Jason Vargas started 14 games before a blood clot developed in his left arm and he remains sidelined. Tommy Hanson is on the disabled list with a right forearm strain, but is expected back to fill the fifth starter spot on July 23rd.
"Some guys just are having some problems with consistency. Some guys are pitching really well,'' Scioscia said. "That's why Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas are important to us to get back to the depth that we've had.''
Entering Sunday, the Angels' pitching staff has allowed the fourth-most hits and runs, the fifth-most walks and has the 11th ranked ERA in the American League.
The offense, by contrast, is third in average, fourth in hits, sixth in runs and RBIs, and eighth in home runs.
"The way we need to set up a game, we put a lot of pressure on the offense to say, 'OK, you're going to need to out hit these guys because our pitchers are not performing to their capabilities.' That never happens," Scioscia said. "Our team needs to be set up with that consistent pitching.''
The bullpen ranks ninth in the league in ERA and seventh in saves. But the Angels have blown eight save opportunities.
"The bullpen is evolving,'' Scioscia said. "Hopefully, we can become an 'A' bullpen.''
Hanson threw a 38-pitch simulated game Saturday and is on track to return next week. Vargas is long tossing and is not on the mound yet. Right-hander Ryan Madson (right elbow) and left-hander Sean Burnett (left elbow impingement) are making gains.
"Madson is getting close as he's been to getting in a rehab game,'' Scioscia added. "So that's encouraging.''


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Is swine flu a conspiracy?
With so much worldwide panic and pressure surrounding swine flu, you had to guess that the conspiracy theorists would come out of the woodwork.
Everyone wants to find what pig was the original carrier. Everyone wants to know if the government is behind this. The FBI? The CIA? Is this is a great pandemic that was warned about by Nostradamus? Is Donald Rumsfeld secretly planning our demise to make money with Tamiflu? And who stands to gain?
As the news continues to break, and everyone wants to name a bad guy first, let's take a look at the theories swirling around the Interweb.
From Grist.org:
Swine-flu outbreak could be linked to Smithfield factory farms
Is Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork packer and hog producer, linked to the outbreak? Smithfield operates massive hog-raising operations Perote, Mexico, in the state of Vera Cruz, where the outbreak originated.
From MotherJones.com:
Swine flu: Bringing home the bacon
As the world gears up once again for a flu pandemic that may or may not arrive (it actually seems possible this time), we might want to remember some of the lessons of the last flu scare. One of these is that there are winners as well as losers in every high-profile outbreak of infectious disease. First and foremost among them, of course, is Big Pharma, which can always be counted on to have its hand out wherever human misery presents an opportunity to rake in some cash.
From LayScientist.net:
This site wryly rounded up an array of blogs and tweets crying "Conspiracy!" A sample of the notes posted there:
ATTENTION AMERICA!!!! This is highly significant. The WHO "Pandemic Control Room" is a creation of the Illuminati elite for the final "end-game" killer virus mapping and tracking, and is thus equipped with super-computers tied to all U.N. member government's security forces.
Obama makes an official visit to Mexico, and a short week later, Mexico City schools, Universities and all PUBLIC BUILDINGS are shut down in pandemic fear -- (for the first time since the devastating 1985 earthquake!) Again, is this just a bizarre co-incidence??"
From Twitter:
How could we leave out the latest Internet phenomenon? Love it or hate it—Twitter is being talked about and used. Who knew that in 140 characters, hundreds of little tweet-ed paranoias could be passed and spread, much like a virus. From Twitter user @supergodiva:
Is Swine Flu lethal Israeli scam to force Mexico=Gaza comparison via separation fence? http://is.gd/uVnR
Ret. Army General Russell Honore asks @donlemoncnn "Did this swine flu come out of a lab?" http://is.gd/uUaO"
Swine Flu reported as unusual as it affects the most healthy (20-45) vs weak kids/elderly. Perfect pathogen to quell dissent.
Finally, from NaturalNews.com:
The naturalists weigh in with "As Swine Flu Spreads, Conspiracy Theories of Laboratory Origins Abound." From the article:
It's not an unreasonable question to ask: Could world governments, spooked by the prospect of radical climate change caused by over-population of the planet, have assembled a super-secret task force to engineer and distribute a super virulent strain of influenza designed to "correct" the human population (and institute global Martial Law)?
So, what's the real truth here? One sick pig? Man-made lab experiment? Population control? Pharm companies cashing in? Rummy cashing in? Or a whole lot of floated hogwash?
What's your theory? Tell us in the comments below.
--Lori Kozlowski
Photo: EPA


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Although it's not entirely obvious upon first glance, the future of The CW appears to be a little uncertain for the first time in years.
The young-skewing network, which has built its lineup on the backs of costumed superheroes, will expand to six nights of original programming in the fall. It's the first time the network has had more than 10 hours to fill in primetime since 2009, when it eliminated its Sunday night lineup after struggling to compete with the other broadcast networks.
Although The CW's already low ratings have declined in much the same way as the rest of television — The Flash remains its most-watched program but still only averages 2.21 million viewers overnight — the network steadily upped its pedigree in recent years with two Golden Globe-winning series, Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. But with the news that both hourlong comedies, as well as the critically beloved dramedy iZombie, will end their respective runs this coming season, the network is at a crossroads. If it doesn't find new ways to take creative risks, there is a very real possibility the progress that has been made over the last four years could be completely undone.
Now, you might think that it is too early to be considering what The CW will look like a year from now — several of the network's current shows haven't even aired their season finales yet — but development season is becoming increasingly year-round, and The CW should be considering what it's going to do next.
The CW's 2018-2019 Fall TV Lineup: Everything You Need to Know
A look at the network's scheduling decisions over the last five years reveals The CW is unlikely to cancel established series without warning. What this means is that the network is, in turn, renewing the bulk of its lineup each year. While this is great for TV fans who hate to see their favorite shows die, this actually leaves very little opportunity for new growth. Even though The CW has been going the cable route and moving toward shorter seasons for some of its series, thereby freeing up room on its schedule throughout the year, its lineup is largely the same year to year. As it stands, just three programs will end this season — freshman series Life Sentence and Valor were canceled, while The Originals will sign off this summer. For comparison, last year the network ended up saying goodbye to just four shows: established dramas The Vampire Diaries and Reign, and one-and-done series No Tomorrow and Frequency.
By expanding to six nights of programming, The CW seems to be getting the best of both worlds: it has the ability to bring back the shows it wants to bring back while also bringing in new blood that might help to ease the pressure created by losing three critically beloved series next year. Unfortunately, the network's freshman series haven't had the best track record of late, and this new crop doesn't look all that inspiring either. In fact, upon closer inspection, it's becoming increasingly clear that The CW is largely doing the same thing year after year.
The Trailer for The CW's Charmed Reboot Is Pure Magic
Its new lineup, which features 17 shows across the traditional TV season, is made up of superheroes, adaptations, spin-offs and reboots. The network that was once known for taking creative risks that no other network would take has actually started to look a lot like the rest of television. What's even more wild is that once Crazy Ex-Girlfriend signs off, the network's only original series will be the midseason series In the Dark and the long-running Supernatural, a show that initially drew a lot of inspiration from the often forgotten series Route 66. A look at next season's lineup reveals that six shows are based on characters found in DC Comics, while Riverdale is based on the long-running Archie comics. Elsewhere, The 100 is adapted from a young adult novel, Jane the Virgin is an adaptation of a Venezuelan telenovela, and All American is inspired by the life of NFL player Spencer Paysinger. Meanwhile, Dynasty, Charmed and Roswell, New Mexico are all reboots, and Legacies is a spin-off of a spin-off.
Although shows like Jane the Virgin, The 100 and iZombie have proven that series that aren't entirely original can still make for excellent television, they tend to be the exception and not the rule. In addition to being well written and incredibly well acted, all three shows regularly take risks that make them stand out while also elevating them beyond their source material. They also offer clear and distinct voices, something that's becoming increasingly important as the TV landscape continues to expand. With the exception of In the Dark, which follows a blind woman as she attempts to solve her friend's murder with her guide dog, the network's crop of new shows honestly just feel like more of the same.
If The CW wants to continue to have the reputation it's rightfully earned after Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and iZombie sign off next year, if it wants to continue to offer programming that is unconventional, yet still thrilling and heartfelt, it has to be more than the network it seems to be becoming, one that is comfortable resting on its laurels. Opening up the schedule is certainly a good start, but filling it with programming that viewers can't find anywhere else is key. It's time for The CW to once again take the risks that other networks won't. Otherwise, Supernatural won't be the only series outliving us all.
(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of The CW's parent companies.)


text: Spring, Texas got its name after one particularly cold winter, when the coming of warmer days and the sunshine of springtime meant that a handful of brave ranchers and miners were going to survive after all. Spring, they rejoiced, and the city was named. Though it's within the jurisdiction of Houston, this community has a character all its own and is the perfect place to experience the charm and hospitality of the Wild West.


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Grundfos offers a wide range of dosing pumps representing state-of-the-art technology.
Digital Dosing solutions (SMART Digital, DME, DDI) set new standards in liquid chemical handling and accuracy. The operator can easily install and set up the pump to discharge exactly the quantity of dosing liquid required for the process in a unique drive- and flow-control management concept. The setting of the pump is displayed in ml/h, l/h or gph, and the operation mode is easily identified by means of icons.
The DMH mechanical hydraulic dosing pump range is the preferred choice for industrial and complex tasks. The DMH range is a series of extremely strong, robust pumps for applications where a substantial dosing range and high-pressure capabilities are required.
The dosing pumps are designed for handling chemicals within the following applications, among others:
- Drinking water treatment
- Wastewater treatment
- Cooling water treatment
- Washing systems
- Process water treatment
- Chemical industry.
Features and benefits
- Precise and easy setting
- Unique technology
- Small number of variants will cover all needs
- Full pulse control
- Pulse batch control
- Internal timer batch control
- Analog 0/4-20 mA control
- Level control
- Fieldbus communication module.
- Precise and easy setting
- Unique technology
- Fewer variants to cover all needs
Grundfos dosing pumps play important role in Indian desalination plant
In Minjur, a town in Thiruvallur district of Chennai in India, will soon be able to overcome a hurdle facing many...
Safe disinfection in Kulmbach
The swimming pool in Kulmbach features safe disinfection: Grundfos replaces chlorine gas installations by a...
Kingscliff Wastewater Treatment Plant
Grundfos pumps and Alldos dosing packages form an integral part of the Kingscliff Wastewater Treatment Plant, and...
Grundfos replaces old competitor installation at brewery
Brauerei Baar AG was not yet a customer of Grundfos when sales manager Sabine Dörich called them and asked for an...
Ensuring legionella-free water for hospitals
Contamination of a hospital's water supply is a serious problem of public health. Therefore, it is important to...
Astramatic: Grundfos pumps in 1,000 m3/day RO plant in Algeria
Astramatic S.A., Barcelona, Spain, is an engineering and consulting company that designs, builds, manufactures, and...
AQUA Engineering: Grundfos is full-line supplier to leading water treatment company
Aqua Engineering GmbH in Mondsee, Austria, is a subsidiary of, BWT - Best Water Technology, Europe's leading...
Oxiperm Pro prevents legionella and reduces costs at local municipality's swimming pool
The swimming pool of Benfica's local municipality sports facilities, in Lisboa, is open to the public for more than...
Making things happen in Dubai
Just a century ago Dubai was little more than a desert-strewn landscape where Bedouin tribes roamed the sands.
De Schothorst: Grundfos DME dosing pumps improve standard of poultry research
In the Western European livestock industry, controlling environmental pollution in the form of N and P emissions...
Precision pumping: Getting exactly what you want with Grundfos Digital Dosing
Trevira Neckelmann is a leading textile dye works situated in Silkeborg, Denmark. 750 persons are employed in the...
WML: Digital Dosing system -Pioneer solution for water company
The WML (Water Maatschappij) is a Dutch water company, which is housed in the province of Limburg.
Avoid overdosing chemicals in wastewater treatment
Over the past 20 years, phosphorus and BOD levels have successfully been reduced in effluent discharged into the...
Arla: Fieldbus controlled dosing at dairy.
Europe's largest dairy ARLA Foods A/S, processes some 7,1 billion kilos of milk per year. The wastewater from the...
Verl-Sende: Innovative solutions with Grundfos Digital Dosing
A large number of wastewater treatment plants worldwide have been in operation for many years, and even decades.
The Sagardian Brothers Farm
Located forty miles west of Fresno, CA, The Sagardia Brothers Farm covers 150 acres of rolling hills.
SMART Digital solves off-gassing problem
Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority solves off-gassing problem with Grundfos SMART Digital.
To achieve optimum performance and operating condition it is very important that the Product/System is set up and adjusted correctly from the start. The knowledge from the Grundfos Service technician and the use of Grundfos specific service tools to adjust the performance of the pump guarantee that the customer can be sure that that the highest efficiency and proper operation is achieved. Commissioning of the pump is recommended for the following applications:
- If the pumps are controlled by a frequency converter .
- If the pump system is operating in large systems e.g. Building Management Systems.
- If the user wants to be trained in proper operation of the pump.
- If the pump must not be a missing link in an important production/application facility.
- Where the setup is crucial for proper life of the Grundfos product, e.g. water treatment applications, commissioning is not only recommended but it is required.
- Where safety is an issue e.g. disinfection system.
The commissioning is performed in a step by step procedure and the outcome will be a report of the settings of the pump.
Do not hesitate to contact your local Grundfos company to arrange commissioning of you new installed Grundfos product.
Recommended Spare Parts
Even though the Grundfos strategy is to supply the best pump solutions for our customers, long operation will result in wear and tear of some of the components in the construction in specific situations. If a short operating downtime is a demand or if the pump is installed in inaccessible areas where delivery of service parts may take a long time, it is recommended to have a small stock of recommended service parts.
Do not hesitate to contact your local Grundfos company to obtain information about recommended spare parts or service kits for your Grundfos product.
A Grundfos Service Agreement ensures efficient and uninterrupted operation of your pump system and gives you access to Grundfos Service Centres and authorised Service Partners worldwide, 24 hours a day.
Prevention is better and more cost effective than cure
Once you have purchased your pump, you want it functioning efficiently and reliably, and a formal Service Agreement with Grundfos gives you peace of mind. It also makes sound economic sense, giving you a firm overview of your maintenance budget and access to substantial discounts.
You simply combine a range of service to suit your needs – and let us carry out scheduled maintenance visits to prevent downtime. We offer three types of Service Agreements available for all pumps:
- Basic
- Extended
- Total.
Whichever you choose, you will be serviced by specially trained staff at all times.
The cost effective choice
Well-maintained pumps can reduce your energy consumption by up to 50% and in a series of pumps working together one faulty pump can affect all the others. A Grundfos Service Agreement keeps your total cost of owning a pump at a minimum, because our careful consideration of the Life- Cycle Cost of all our products means that we have control over the real costs of ownership of our pumps.
Signing up for a Service Agreement and letting our highly skilled service technicians service your pumps is your safeguard against unforeseen expenditure. Regular servicing and maintenance of your pumps ensure that they are working with optimum efficiency.
Grundfos Service will maintain and repair your pumps and our service professionals can advise you on efficiency issues, offering suggestions for saving money in the long term.
Repair and maintenance of your existing pumps system
Of course, you can always call Grundfos for repair and maintenance of pumps you have purchased from us. Grundfos can repair your pumps to the same specifications as new pumps, but it is important to remember that an upgrade or even a replacement pump can be cheaper than repair in the long term. See Upgrades and Replacement for how this makes good business sense.
Effective service – wherever you are
Grundfos Service is always close by. Together with our local authorised service partners, we offer worldwide service, and help from qualified pump professionals is never far away, whether you need immediate assistance or you are interested in hearing about your savings possibilities.
Grundfos Remote Management
Grundfos Remote Management is a cost-effective, secure and reliable way to monitor and manage pump installations from an Internet PC at a very low price.
Connecting pumps and people
With a secure and reliable remote management system, you can monitor and manage your pump systems from an Internet PC at a very low price.
Grundfos Remote Management is a cost-effective and straightforward way to monitor and manage pump installations in commercial buildings and in water supply and wastewater infrastructure. It reduces the need for onsite inspections, and in the event of an alarm or warning, the relevant people are notified directly.
Compared with mobile phone-based monitoring, the system offers a wider range of benefits and functionalities. For those who do not require remote process automation, Grundfos Remote Management is the ideal solution for monitoring and remote control as opposed to traditional SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. Initial investment is minimal, and a fixed low fee covers data traffic, hosting costs and system support, including back-up of all data.
Efficient alarm management
Via its on-call schedule, this new telemetry system ensures that alarms from onsite controllers go directly to the relevant people. From a PC anywhere, the system manager can log on and plan who is to receive alarm messages from each installation at any given time of the day. Managers can plan years ahead and easily handle daily exceptions to the schedule.
Optimize service and maintenance
Changes in pump performance can be tracked using trend graphs automatically generated by the system. This can give an indication of wear or damage in the installation, and service and maintenance can be planned accordingly.
The communication interface (the CIU27 modem) enables data transmission via GPRS/SMS from your Grundfos pumps and controllers. The built-in multi-purpose I/O board allows you to connect sensors and switches.
The purpose of CAPS is to offer a complete tool that contains an extensive catalogue of Grundfos products and a sizing programme to select the most suitable pump for your application.
On top of that there is a comprehensive pump replacement function for central heating circulating, hot water pumps and the wastewater S pumps and the possibility of producing professional quotations including curves, drawings, quotation texts, wiring diagrams etc.
It is possible to export all this in the most popular file formats including gif, bmp, txt, dxf, etc.
Last but not least the programme contains the instruction and operating manuals for nearly all pumps of Grundfos in multiple languages. Service drawings, exploded views and parts lists are available for all sewage products as well as several other pump types.
CAPS is available in two versions: WinCAPS is available on a CD-ROM and the online version called WebCAPS is available at the Grundfos website. Additional features in WebCAPS include CAD Drawings and Literature.
Spare parts
Spare Parts
BE Responsible is one of our key drivers in Grundfos. It is therefore essential to us, that our pumps are developed with a low energy consumption and the highest possible performance throughout their life. Therefore, Grundfos Service Offerings including spare parts and replacement kits are defined already in the development phase.
Customized service offerings, online ordering and rapid response distribution centres ensure you to have the parts when you need them.
Recommended Spare Parts List
The list specifies the parts you should have on site to service your pumps. These recommendations can be found at the product site in our WEB Caps tool.
Specially Designed Service Kits
Service Kits include everything you need for a specific maintenance or repair task, including instructions for dismantling, replacement and reassembly.
24-hour Spare Part Delivery Service
To be extra sure you do not have to wait, we can set aside a stock of your operation critical spare parts. This will make them available for you, whenever you need them.
10-year Guarantee
Spare parts for the Grundfos pump you buy today will still be available for 10 years - this is our guarantee to you.
Contact us
Select country to contact your local sales company
Contact us
Select country to contact your local service center


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In Hebrews 13:3 there is reference to those in prisons (and other places, of course). My understanding is that those who are in prison are fellow Christians who are being persecuted for their Christian beliefs. While I believe that we must evangelize everywhere and all people, it would seem that the people spoken of here are fellow Christians. Is this correct?
I agree with your understanding of Hebrews 13:3. The admonition in that verse comes out of the situation described at the end of chapter 10 (vv. 32-34, see also 6:9, 10) and the character of the church in the world as pilgrims and aliens (13:9-14 with chapter 11, esp. vv. 8-10, 13-16, 24-27, 38; 12:1-4).
The book of Hebrews is a unity, all of it encouraging Jewish believers in Christ to remain steadfast in their devotion to Him despite all opposition and persecution. This means being devoted to one another in Christ so that we encourage one another to spiritual faithfulness (3:12-14, 10:24, 25) and aid and comfort one another when persecution comes—including standing up for abused brethren and even visiting them in prison, despite the risk to oneself.
Yes, the Great Commission directs us to proclaim the Gospel everywhere and to all people (including people in prison). But passages like Hebrew 13:3 and also Matthew 25:31-40 (with 10:16-24) teach us to have a special regard for even the least of Christ's brethren, our brothers and sisters in Him, when they are rejected and persecuted by the unbelieving world.
Of course, it is not always physically possible to visit brethren in prison for Christ, but at the very least we can pray for them and maybe do more (letters of encouragement, public pressure on governments, etc.).
I hope this is a helpful response. Feel free to come back for more—either follow up on this or other questions.
The Lord bless and guide you.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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When he was building his own street-legal Batmobile, car aficionado Casey Putsch was such a stickler for detail that he used a real turbine for the engine. It's not the stealthiest engine around, but subtlety, thy name is not Batmobile.
Here's the offical description of Putsch's Fledermaus-themed ride:
The car is a replica of the vehicle from the classic 1989 Batman movie that was directed by Tim Burton starring Michael Keaton as Batman. It is registered and insured for the street and features a military spec Boeing turbine engine that was used in a drone helicopter by the Navy to drop torpedoes on enemy submarines. Putsch taught himself about turbine engines and successfully rebuilt this surplus engine by himself. The engine powers the rear wheels via a semi automatic transmission and is driven like any other conventional production car.
[Via The Escapist]


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Volunteers can be found in many different roles throughout the Park System. Every year, over 1000 individuals enrich the Monmouth County Park System through their dedication in the "Volunteers in Parks" program. The steadfast support of our volunteers contributes to the success of recreation programs, special events, and facilities.
Share your time and talents and become a member of the Park System Volunteer Staff. Join us in a number of notable jobs!
• Special Events such as Earth Day, Monmouth County Fair, Thompson Park Day• Equestrian/Horse Care• Race Assistants• Gardening/Pruning• Programs/Camps• Trails Maintenance• Docents/Receptionists• Environmental Cleanups/Beach Sweeps
• Special Events such as Earth Day, Monmouth County Fair, Thompson Park Day• Equestrian/Horse Care• Race Assistants• Gardening/Pruning• Programs/Camps• Trails Maintenance• Docents/Receptionists• Environmental Cleanups/Beach Sweeps
To join the ranks of the VIPs, contact the Volunteer Office at 732-842-4000, ext. 4283 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Before beginning your volunteer work with the Monmouth County Park System, you must file a Volunteer in Park Application (VIP form) with the Office of Volunteer Services. For an application, download the form in pdf format and mail to Coordinator of Volunteers, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738.
The Coordinator of Volunteers will review your application, references, and background information. You may be called for a personal interview by the Coordinator of Volunteers or a Park Supervisor. After all the checks have been made and reviewed, a recommendation may be made to place you as a volunteer in your area of interest.
The Monmouth County Park System requires that all volunteers be 18 years of age or older. Junior Volunteers, ages 14-17, must be supervised by a parent, legal guardian or an authorized park employee. In some situations, it may be desirable or necessary for the Park System to place a child volunteer, age 13 or younger (i.e. at a theater performance or family life demonstration at a farm/historic site). Under those circumstances, a parent or legal guardian must provide direct on-site supervision.
Children, ages 13 and younger, who volunteer as a group (i.e. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church organizations) for a one-time activity (i.e. clean-up, planting) may volunteer without their parents, provided there is a ratio of one adult for every seven children. Teens, ages 14-17, who volunteer as a group must have a ratio of one adult for every ten volunteers. These exceptions each require a parental consent/release form for every child.
Volunteer Milestones


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Strategic Intelligence
From FORwiki
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Maria Lesaru (Talk | contribs)
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== Applications ==
== Applications ==
Strategic intelligence '''applications''' have been developed to support decision-making. These applications are:
Strategic intelligence '''applications''' have been developed to support decision-making. These applications are:
* '''''forecast''''' - consists of a continuous monitoring of the developments and their conditions, leading to an early identification of promising future applications and an assessment of their potential
* '''''forecast''''' - consists of a continuous monitoring of the developments and their conditions, leading to an early identification of promising future applications and an assessment of their potential
* '''''impact assessment''''' - consists of an analysis of social, economic and environmental potentials of new developments in order to obtain results that support the decision-making process and to develop options for better exploiting opportunities that arose
* '''''foresight exercises''''' - are based on a much broader concept that implies a wide range of themes and stakeholders in order to examine the social, economic and environmental aspects of new technologies. This form of strategic intelligence is frequently used to support policy-related decision-making at the national or supra-national level.
* '''''impact assessment''''' - consists of an analysis of social, economic and environmental potentials of new developments in order to obtain results that support the decision-making process and to develop options for better exploiting opportunities that arose
* '''''foresight exercises''''' - are based on a much broader concept that implies a wide range of themes and stakeholders in order to examine the social, economic and environmental aspects of new technologies. This form of strategic intelligence is frequently used to support policy-related decision-making at the national or supra-national level.
Strategic Policy Intelligence offers a variety of methodologies to meet the demands of policy-making. This variety is a strength of the concept, creating flexibility and promoting independence.
Strategic Policy Intelligence offers a variety of methodologies to meet the demands of policy-making. This variety is a strength of the concept, creating flexibility and promoting independence.
Revision as of 18:45, 5 April 2012
|Project Visions and Visioning
|This article is developed within the scope of the Project Visions and Visioning, an effort to enhance Foresight learning through collaborative work.
Strategic intelligence (SI) can be defined as "the set of actions to search, process, diffuse and protect information in order to make it available to the right person at the right time in order to make a decision".
Strategic intelligence applications have been developed to support decision-making. These applications are:
- forecast - consists of a continuous monitoring of the developments and their conditions, leading to an early identification of promising future applications and an assessment of their potential. Forecasting can be approached by using two routes: Top-Down forecasting is when international and national events affect the future behavior of local variables and bottom up forecasting when local events affect the future behavior of local variables. Also, forecasting can be approached from a quantitative or a qualitative perspective. Quantitative forecasting uses historical data to establish relationships and trends which can be projected into the future. Qualitative forecasting uses experience and judgment to establish future behaviors.The term is widely used in finance and economy
- impact assessment - consists of an analysis of social, economic and environmental potentials of new developments in order to obtain results that support the decision-making process and to develop options for better exploiting opportunities that arose. Impact assessment is the process of identifying the anticipated or actual impacts of a development intervention, on those social, economic and environmental factors which the intervention is designed to affect or may inadvertently affect. It may take place before approval of an intervention (ex ante), after completion (ex post), or at any stage in between. Ex ante assessment forecasts potential impacts as part of the planning, design and approval of an intervention. Ex post assessment identifies actual impacts during and after implementation, to enable corrective action to be taken if necessary, and to provide information for improving the design of future interventions.
- foresight exercises - are based on a much broader concept that implies a wide range of themes and stakeholders in order to examine the social, economic and environmental aspects of new technologies. This form of strategic intelligence is frequently used to support policy-related decision-making at the national or supra-national level.In the act of foresighting, the basic stages which need to be touched are: understanding, synthesis and future modelling, analysis and selection, transformation, action. (Saritas, 2006).According to the results of an analysis of the European Foresight monitoring Network, the most widely used methods are: literature review, expert panels and scenarios, followed by workshops, brainstorming, trend extrapolation and interviews. These have been chosen according to their power to be future-oriented, participative, evidence-based, multidisciplinary and action-oriented (Keenan,2007).
Strategic Policy Intelligence offers a variety of methodologies to meet the demands of policy-making. This variety is a strength of the concept, creating flexibility and promoting independence.
Concepts of decision-making
Evidence-based policy
A policy is a deliberate plan of action, guiding decisions and achieving rational outcomes. From a strategic perspective, the role of a policy is to resolve contradictions between the organisation and its environment. Broadly, policies are typically instituted in order to seek positive benefit and to avoid negative effects. The purpose is not simply to provide a basis for making efficient decisions, but also to provide knowledge needed to improve the organisational, political and social systems. The notion of evidence-based policy fits well with a rational decision-making model (Davies et al. 2000). The solution of a complex social problem requires not only better evidence of what works in terms of policy intervention, but also requires more rational decision-making in which such evidence can play a stronger role (Sanderson 2004). Colebatch (2006) describes three types of policy knowledge (based on Tenbensel 2006):
- Epistemic knowledge - the universal knowledge produces by analytic rationality. It is the type that establishes causal links and chains and is the knowledge aspired to by mainstream rationalist policy analysts in their search for the likely consequences of the different policy alternatives they evaluate.
- Tacit knowledge - the practical-technical knowledge derived from experience and skill. This is not simply the practical applications of epistemic knowledge. The tacit knowledge rests very much in implicit personal or institutional practices often associated with craft like skills, awareness of reputations, hands on techniques, etc. It is the knowledge which cannot be explicitly codified.
- Phronetic knowledge - this is a sense of the ethical. It is based on practical value rationality. 'Where are we going?', 'Is this desirable?', and 'What should be done?' are phronetic questions. This type of knowledge is important because it is often needed to underpin the definition of a policy problem.
The point here is that policy arguments are likely to involve all of these sorts of knowledge, but that participants are unlikely to be equally skilled in all of them. The reason for this is because each type of knowledge asks a different question. Episteme asks 'what is true?'; tacit knowledge asks 'what works?; and phronetic asks 'what should be done?' Good policy argument rests on a foundation of all three types of knowledge (Colebatch 2006). In many policy areas participation of actors from society has become common practice. Participation can take place in different forms and at different levels. A general definition of public participation is the practice of involving members of the public in the agenda setting, decision-making, and policy forming activities of organizations responsible for policy development (Rowe and Freyer 2005). The stakeholders are members of the public who own the problem under discussion and having a stake in the future. Stakeholders can be individuals, informal groups or well established organisations. The number of stakeholders involved in a certain issue is not necessarily fixed but might change over time. As the policy process evolves, new stakeholders will enter the scene and others will leave. Stakeholder participation is considered to be a key driver behind improving evidence for policy (Enserink 2003). Decisions will be better in two respects: first, they will command greater respect from the stakeholders involved and hence carry more legitimacy; and second, they will benefit from the insights and knowledge brought by the different stakeholders (Burton et al. 2006). Stakeholders are very important in decision making not only because they can offer a new view about the problem (as knowledge providers) but they can also be involved in the organization's development. But, although for making a good decision is best to respect the stakeholder's opinion it is not recommended to involve many participant in the policy process because it make it complicated and complex and hard to manage.(P.De.Smedt, Stategic Intelligence in Decision Making, page 92)
The Decision Makers
There are inherent tensions between traditional, more pluralist forms of public participation and new deliberative democratic processes. These innovative processes are challenging existing roles of the decision-makers in society. But the appreciation of these processes depends largely on the ingoing position taken towards the role of politicians in general. Hendriks (2002) makes an abstraction of a politician's role by describing two opposite positions: on one side a centralised and top-down steering approach, and on the other side a facilitating and networking approach. For each of these two opposite approaches he also describes a hard and soft approach.
- Centralised: proponents of powerful politics are in favour of the classic notion of representative democracy. Politicians are elected representing the public interest and take precedence. The hard variant stands for a strong centralised leadership with a strong concentration of the decision power, while the soft variant tolerates more interactive consultation.
- Decentralised: proponents of the modest role of politics are in favour of a facilitating role for politicians in decision-making. The hard variant stands for politicians who only steer and intervene when and if necessary, but who otherwise remain on the sidelines. The soft variant is more managerial oriented and in favour of politicians who are limiting their selves to network management: politicians as a creator of preconditions and rules of game, as a process facilitator.
The conceptual difference between stakeholders and decision-makers is clear. The former has a stake and can have an influence to the decision-makers. The latter has the responsibility and power to make the decisions. In practice policy decisions are often shrouded in uncertainty. It is not always clear that a decision has been taken. It is sometimes unclear what the decision is and who has taken it (Burton et al. 2006). In reality the role of a politician is dynamic and deviates depending on internal and external developments such as the actual political agenda setting, temporally coalitions, discontinuities and so one. The boundaries between stakeholders and decisionmakers are less fixed and literature often includes also others non-politicians who are demonstrating political support to the process. Also agencies or government departments who are playing a role in the development of programs or in the allocation of funding can be seen as part of the decision-making, although this is sometimes contested
The Risk of Decision Failure
Decision failure is more common than people often tend or wish to believe. Some decision-makers always expect good results ignoring the possibility that outcomes of a good decision may change. If a decision-maker gets caught up in decision failure, most often they reveal as little as possible. Additional it is also difficult to separate good decisions with bad outcomes from bad decisions with good outcomes. Anyhow, research on decision errors in organisations reveals high levels of failure, even up to fifty percent, in day to day decision-making (Nutt 2004). Decision failures occur in two overarching categories:
- simple explainable errors or mistakes - the possibility that the decision-maker was unable to make the decision. This category of inevitable errors denotes the statistical necessity that some random error will occur.
- unexplainable or unexpected decision errors - decision failures that occur in this category are more important because there is seemingly no logical explanation for the decision failure. The unexpected happened and the mental model turned out not to be robust enough (Chermack 2004).
There are four potential contributors, each independently or combined contributing to decision failures, as follows:
- Bounded rationality - people cannot effectively cope with all of the available information and alternatives
- Neglecting internal change - people have a tendency to believe that all internal processes are well being recognised
- Stickiness and friction of information and knowledge - there are cost and limitations in the transfer of information and knowledge between people
- Mental models - people are often selective and include and exclude information based on their mental model. Mental modes describe the way in which people perceive the reality, they ideas, concept, believes, ideologies that exist in an organization and among people. These mental models are not to be ignored when a decision must be taken, but they must not influence it.(P.De.Smedt, Stategic Intelligence in Decision Making, page 94)
Policy change
A policy is as a process and therefore its nature is somehow characterized by constant paradoxes and by the dynamic change. For example a policy can have relevant information for one stakeholder and in the same time irrelevant for another one, or even more it "can result in confliction framing of a problem by different stakeholders" and this is "rather because of competing assumptions than because of inconsistent facts". Policies suffer of continuous changes that appear in the external and the internal environments causing twists in problem perceptions and priorities stated initially, at the beginning of the process. Therefore changes in policies and in policies implementation mustn't be anymore an unexpected fact. Outcomes of a policy process are not always easy to discern at the time. Milestones when decisions are made and announced can be recorded, but their significance – they may be seen as more or less important over time – is not always clear. It can be useful to visualize this process as a series of sequential steps. In this linear model the policy process is divided into different steps: i.e. the problem definition, the analysis of alternative solutions, the adoption of a solution, and its testing and evaluation. Each step is treated as temporally and functionally distinctive. The model is most useful as a heuristic for identifying times and places where different outcomes are produced. But, the downside is that this model is oversimplifying and as such not optimal to understand policy change. The dynamic of change and changes that appear in the decision making process and in the policy process can't be avoided when interactions between groups of people or interaction between many flows of activities take place.
Interactions between Strategic Intelligence applications and Decision-Making
Inherent to the methods and theoretical assumptions used, SI applications have their advantages and limitations to support decision-making. These may be evaluated both in their own terms and in terms of whether they fit the purpose (Burton et al. 2006). But assessing the effects of SI applications requires an understanding that it is just one of the influences on public policy. To be effective it needs to be tuned into the strategic behaviour and cycles of policy and social actors (Georghiou and Keenan 2006). The given that a conventional process evaluation measures mainly activity and not its significance supports the fact that a broader perspective is needed to understand the effectiveness in the decision-making process. Three complementary perspectives on policy change are proposed to analyse the interactions between SI applications and decision-making, as follows.
Window of opportunity
Policy problems and solutions are social constructions. They are the result of a social process (Schneider and Ingram 1997). System dynamics are used in many disciplines – such as economic, social and environmental science – to describe complexity and change processes. Policy change can be seen as a dynamic, nonlinear process involving a diverse range of stakeholders and giving rise to both positive and negative feedback. Complexity refers to the intrinsic relationships that arise from the interaction of agents capable in adapting to and evolving with a changing environment. As mentioned earlier, policy change can be defined as an overall system behaviour that is the result from interactions between people including different flows of activity. In this model, streams of problems, solutions and politics move independently through the policy system. Each individual flow of activity can only indirectly and incrementally impact the changes in policy and policy implementation. Changes emerge when these three streams converge; presenting a window of opportunity to effectively drive the decision (Wood 2006). This approach emphasises the importance of barriers and incentives. Institutional structures, for example, can act as barriers in the way they promote conventional and risk-averse thinking and exclude new ideas and experiments on the political agenda. On the contrary, increased knowledge flows are important as incentives for policy change because the can act as a catalyst of change by raising awareness amongst the stakeholders and by confronting the decision-makers with new ways of thinking
Clarity of purpose
The complexity of policy choices prompts higher level of stakeholder participation. But the growing dependence of politicians to the other stakeholders can erode the trustworthiness of the politicians. SI applications affect decision-making not only by providing legitimacy to some forms of political action, but also by shaping the actors' perception of their interest as well their strategies (Dimitrakopoulos 2005). It is important for SI applications, such as foresight, to involve politicians prior to the start. The lack of commitment of politicians to SI applications, may lead to the emergence of parallel processes that can create divergence between the different flows of activity. This can eventually lead to inertia and limited opportunities for innovation. To be effective, SI applications need a clear purpose and position in the policy process and the participants, including the decision-makers, should be aware of their role. Complete clarity concerning what decision-makers want to achieve is essential in order to design the process aiming to meet those objectives (Burt and van der Heijden 2003). It is therefore important that politicians must play an active role in the confirmation of the process design and the communication of the purpose. More ever, SI a can give policy-makers an opportunity to achieve visibility and leadership by taking the role as foresight ambassador. This approach emphasises the importance of transparency and political commitment in the SI application process.
Legitimacy of evidence
Stakeholder participation and interdisciplinary research are considered to be key drivers behind improving evidence for policy (Enserink 2003). Regarding legitimacy, the point is not to judge whether an objectively correct decision has been made, but to explore if all key stakeholders had trust in the foresight process to provide strategic intelligence to support decision-making. Legitimacy is a question of perception. It is generally higher in cases in which policy recommendations have been produced in such a way that divergent values and beliefs of involved stakeholders and decision-makers have been respected, and opposing views and interest have been duly acknowledged (Niederberger 2005).
Reference - Strategic Policy Intelligence: Current trends, the State of Play and Perspectives, S&T Intelligence for Policy-making Processes, Executive Summary, by Alexander Tubke (JRC-IPTS)


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