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Pragna Patel1*, Pedro Ordunez2, Kenneth Connell3, Dan Lackland4 and Donald DiPette5
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
2Pan American Health Organization, Washington DC, USA
3University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Barbados
4Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
5University of South Carolina and University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
Received date: April 26, 2017; Accepted date: May 22, 2017; Published date: May 29, 2017
Copyright: © 2017 Patel P, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. In 2013, CVD were responsible for approximately 32% or 17 million deaths worldwide, with >75% occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LIMCs) [1]. Hypertension is the leading remediable risk factor for CVD; it affects >1 billion people worldwide and is responsible for >10 million largely preventable deaths globally each year [1]. Among those with hypertension, 33% are not aware of their condition and among those who are aware, only 56% are on treatment [2]. Furthermore, only 28% of people with hypertension worldwide, have their blood pressure controlled (i.e., at a clinical target of <140/90 mmHg) [2].
Prevention of CVD with population strategies such as salt reduction, smoking cessation and smoke-free policies, and laws to reduce air pollution are all paramount [3]. Alongside prevention efforts, there will always be a need to specifically address the treatment of hypertension. Improved diagnosis and treatment of hypertension is the most cost-effective means to improve premature mortality in LMICs [4]. However, a major obstacle to hypertension control is the absence of comprehensive primary healthcare services, including limited access to safe and effective medications, and lack of systems to effectively deliver prevention, screening, and treatment. However, building on lessons learned from the treatment of HIV/ AIDS and tuberculosis in LMICs, as well as successful models of hypertension control in the United States and Canada [5-10], the control of hypertension is attainable using a health system strengthening approach. Furthermore, using hypertension as an entry point to strengthen health services, establishes an improved healthcare infrastructure for comprehensive, sustainable management of all chronic conditions.
To meet the challenge of improving the control of hypertension, we encourage Standardized Hypertension Management (Figure 1) which involves utilizing evidence-based clinical interventions to improve health care delivery. These interventions include the use of standardized treatment protocols, team-based care (task shifting and collaboration), patient empowerment, a core set of medications (formulary) along with improved procurement mechanisms to increase the availability and affordability of these medications, registries for cohort monitoring and evaluation with specific metrics for quality improvement, performance assessment, and community engagement. With political will and strong partnerships, this approach provides the groundwork to reduce the burden of CVD. Additionally, this approach will strengthen primary care delivery and can be applied to other chronic conditions for improved management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) overall.
Implementation of this Standardized Hypertension Management approach in the PAHO region, known as the Standardized Hypertension Treatment and Prevention Project (SHTP) [11], has been concluded in Barbados as has been recently initiated in Chile, Colombia, and Cuba, as a quality improvement initiative. The SHTP Project, which has all the components recommended by the chronic care model [12], is not promoting the control of hypertension through a vertical program but rather advocates using hypertension as an entry point for comprehensive CVD management. PAHO has made great strides to broaden access to care and availability of medications for NCDs using PAHO's Strategic Fund (www.paho.org\strategicfund) which makes treatment very feasible in this region if countries choose to use the mechanism for medication procurement. However, while the SHTP Project is putting significant emphasis on the management and control of hypertension, an area that has been neglected in many countries, its framework and principles fully support the prevention of CVD/NCDs, particularly through reducing population salt consumption, promoting physical activity and a healthy diet and reducing harmful use of alcohol and exposure to tobacco smoke as well as advocating for smoking cessation. These lifestyle changes are important to address many NCDs and the main co-morbidities commonly seen in patients with hypertension, such as diabetes.
The Caribbean is leading the way with the first SHTP Project pilot in Barbados showing promising results; 18 months post implementation, >30,000 persons were screened and the hypertension prevalence in the two pilot sites was 33%. Notably, there was an increase in blood pressure control rates from 51% to 66% over the 18 months of the program. This 15% increase in blood pressure control is largely attributed to improved prescribing practices, as outlined in the standardized treatment protocols that were adopted. Prescriptions of the suggested first-line medication, chlorthalidone, increased by 3.5% which also translated to cost-savings for the overall program. As a result, the Barbados Drug Formulary will continue to improve availability of the core set of anti-hypertensive pharmacologic medications, particularly fixed-dose combination pills. Improvements in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure rates were seen across all age groups but were particularly prominent among persons >60 years of age. However, among women, the most significant declines were seen in 50-69 year olds and among men, the most significant declines were seen among 20-49 and >70 year olds. The program plans to explore how to improve management of hypertension among middle-aged men, a challenge that is also prominent in the United States. More than one-third of Barbadians aged 25-70 years suffer from hypertension, therefore the lessons learned and positive outcomes of this project will be disseminated and plans for national expansion in Barbados are underway (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ7j4g5qZVs).
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) was instrumental to the success of the Barbados pilot and further extended the principles of Standardized Hypertension Management to five Caribbean countries in collaboration with the University of the West Indies. The SHTP has been a key feature in the HCC's Direct Aid Program Part 2's Blood Pressure Control through Community Action Project (BPCCA). One-day community based 'Hypertension Screening & Monitoring' workshops were conducted in Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. SHTP principles and experiences were shared at these workshops and were very well received, particularly; the SHTP's standardized hypertension treatment protocol was appreciated and recognized as a useful tool. Several other countries in the PAHO region have expressed interest in SHTP including Antigua, the Bahamas, Curacao, Ecuador, Jamaica, and St. Lucia.
Regional expansion has also been undertaken. Chile, Colombia, and Cuba are implementing a comprehensive and innovative approach aligned with the PAHO NCD agenda to reduce CVD risk through hypertension control and secondary prevention. This approach, inspired by the SHTP Project and as well as lessons learned from the pilot in Barbados, uses four main interventions: introducing simple, standardized, evidencebased treatment algorithms, improving the availability and access to a core set of high quality medications, and instituting a clinical registry for patient monitoring and for evaluating healthcare organization performance. This approach complements and reinforces current efforts in CVD/NCD prevention in these countries, but concurrently emphasizes the comprehensive management of hypertension to improve care. Health systems strengthening is needed as evidenced by the low levels of blood pressure control and poor coverage of secondary prevention, both critical interventions to reduce the premature mortality due CVD, in the region.
The ultimate goal of the SHTP demonstration projects was to strengthen existing health systems such that other chronic diseases can also be addressed. Lessons learned from these countries suggest that to effectively reduce the burden of hypertension within a care delivery system, it is essential to have strong policies, political will, and effective partnerships. In this vain, the World Hypertension League advocates for strategic planning by national and regional organizations using hypertension as a focus and endorses the Standardized Hypertension Management approach [13].
Standardized Hypertension Management complements population approaches to primary prevention. In combination with salt reduction strategies, improved blood pressure control may avert >10 million deaths and adverse events due to CVD [14]. Furthermore, the interventions supported by this approach are invaluable for a necessary paradigm shift to adapt health systems that have historically focused care on acute infectious illnesses for the practice of preventive medicine and for the long-term management of chronic diseases. Thus, we believe that Standardized Hypertension Management will enhance health care delivery to reduce CVD burden worldwide.
The Standardized Hypertension Treatment and Prevention Project pilots were undertaken as a proof-of-concept to evaluate the feasibility of implementing evidence-based clinical interventions at the primary health care level. The aim was to strengthen health systems and to improve the quality of care of NCDs, specifically CVD, using hypertension as an entry point, in LMICs. The results of the pilot sites were promising with increases in blood pressure control rates, development of registries for improved care, and improved prescribing practices. Key elements of the Standardized Hypertension Management approach including the use of standardized treatment algorithms, improved access to medications and improved clinical monitoring systems have now been included in a more comprehensive global initiative for CVD prevention and treatment. The Global HEARTS initiative to reduce heart attack and strokes will support the implementation of the HEARTS technical package, a set of six technical and operational interventions to scale-up CVD management at the primary healthcare level. These include Healthy lifestyle counselling, Evidence-based treatment protocols, Access to essential medicines and technologies, Risk based management, Team based care and task sharing and Systems for monitoring. The Global HEARTS Initiative is being led by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PAHO, the World Heart Federation, the World Stroke Organization, the International Society of Hypertension, the World Hypertension League and other partners [15].
We would like to acknowledge the Standardized Hypertension Treatment and Prevention Network for their contributions to the development of this framework. Members include: Alma Adler, World Heart Federation; Sonia Y. Angell, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Samira Asma, CDC; Michele Bashin, Public Health Institute; Rafael Bengoa, Minister of Health, Basque Region; Ana Isabel Barrientos Castro, Sociedad Interamericana de Cardiología and Sociedad Centroamericana de Cardiología; Barbara Bowman, CDC; Francis Burnett, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; Jose Castro, PAHO; Norman Campbell, World Hypertension League; Beatriz Marcet Champagne, InterAmerican Heart Foundation; Kenneth Connell, University of West Indies; Jose De Gracia, Martin Didier, Caribbean Cardiac Society; Donald DiPette, University of South Carolina; Maria Cristina Escobar, Chile Ministry of Health; Daniel Ferrante, Argentina Ministry of Health; Thomas Gaziano, Harvard School of Public Health; Marino Gonzalez, Universidad Simon Bolivar; Sir Trevor Hassell, Health Caribbean Coalition; Anselm Hennis, PAHO; Rafael Hernandez, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Venezuela; Maryam Hinds, Barbados Drug Service; Marc Jaffe, Kaiser Permenante; Fernando Lanas, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile; Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Latin American Society of Hypertension; Fleetwood Loustalot, CDC; Ben Lumley, Public Health England; Javier Maldonado, Colombia Ministry of Health; Thelma Nelson, National Health Fund; Jose Miguel do Nascimento Junior, Brazil Ministry of Health; Pedro Ordunez, PAHO; Marcelo Orias, Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension; Jose Ortellado, Latin American Society of Internal Medicine; Pragna Patel, CDC; Jacqueline Poselli, Venezuela Foro Farmaceutico de Las Américas; Agustin Ramirez, International Society of Hypertension; Lynn Silver, Public Health Institute; Donald Simeon, Caribbean Cardiac Society; Valerie Steinmetz, Public Health Institute; Kathryn Taubert, ; Honorable Alvina Reynolds, St. Lucia Ministry of Health; Hilary Wall, CDC; Jamie Waterall, Public Health England; Fernando Wyss, Interamerican Society of Cardiology; Amy Valderrama, CDC; Jose Fernando Valderrama, Colombia Ministry of Health; and Fernando Lanas Zanetti, Interamerican Society of Cardiology.


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• 5-in-1 Light Reflector
• Handles/grips for easy operation and handling
• Multi 5 colour options (gold, silver, white, black, translucent).
• The reflector can be used both in studio or outdoor
• Ideal for taking portraits, still life, close-ups, and product photography.
• Folds and collapses, making it portable and easy to storage
• Comes in light-weight black Carry case
Package Includes:
• 5-in-1 Light Reflector x1
• Portable carry bag x1
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Make making a plan manageable. Assiniboine Credit Union offers free MoneyFit assessments, advice and ongoing support in our branches. Just what does it mean to be MoneyFit? That's a great question.
Sometimes money can be a source of stress and discomfort. For many people, finances are a very personal and not something to talk about openly. Financial products and services, with all those acronyms, rules and calculations can seem complex, confusing and even intimidating. Is it any wonder that many people feel stressed or even embarrassed about their current financial health?
Your Finances Shouldn't Scare You
The reality is that managing your money doesn't have to be complicated or scary. You don't need a university degree in finance to get financially fit. You just need a bit of coaching from an advisor you like and trust.
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MoneyFit is About Feeling Good About Your Finances
In short, MoneyFit is financial planning for real, everyday people—no matter what your financial situation. MoneyFit is not a complicated, unrealistic financial planning program. It distils your finances into simple, easy-to-understand basics. Whether you are wealthy or not, retired or just starting out, MoneyFit is a simple yet powerful way to make sense of your money, build your financial confidence, and ensure that you making progress on your personal goals.
Getting MoneyFit is about taking a holistic look at your finances and feeling confident that you are improving your financial health and making progress towards the goals you have for you and your family. It's like a wellness program for your wallet. Everyone can get MoneyFit.
Assiniboine Credit Union offers free MoneyFit assessments, advice and ongoing support in our branches. Talk to us today. MoneyFit will help you manage, save, grow and protect your money wherever you are.


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On 12th April 2018, CFA Institute and CFA Society Belgium hosted an evening discussion at the National Bank of Belgium with Vítor Constâncio, former Vice President of the European Central Bank, and Sir Paul Tucker, Chair of the Systemic Risk Council and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. The theme for the evening was the evolving state of systemic risk regulation ten years after the global financial crisis. This article reviews the discussion and evaluates the balance of regulation with regard to its ability to mitigate future shocks to the financial system.
The objective of this contribution is to describe the regulatory and economic environment in which banks now operate, especially the new Basel III rules and the exceptional monetary conditions, to identify which lessons banks learned (and which not) after the financial crisis, and what banks will have to do in order to restore sustainable profitability.


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Interior Design For Small Apartments | Individuals these days would like something unique and special especially for their living place. That is why modern homes look thus unique and most likely even weird. Fashionable homes are extremely unique within the method they seem, and it's somehow confusing to identify. However, interior design for small apartments aren't that confusing. There are several rules or identical structures governing the method modern homes are built. Discovering those rules is sort of useful especially for people who want to own mainstream modern house. It is conjointly useful for people who want to travel additional unique construction to discover something recent.
From outside, it's clear that modern homes are equipped with mirrors replacing the wall. This distinctive vogue isn't while not a reason. The huge glass windows in interior design for small apartments are meant to avoid wasting some energy by letting light-weight coming back into the house. There is not any would like to turn on the lamp anymore especially before night comes. Secondly, those glass windows are meant to supply health for people inside. We all recognize that UV light-weight will kill some mean bacteria, and that is solely a small thing that may be achieved through huge glasses.
In addition to glass windows, it's conjointly doable to discover flat rooftop. Even though it's referred to as as flat, it's doable to search out it declining for water drainage. Fashionable people love this alternative because it's practically cheaper. It is because the world coverage for the roof is reduced by 25% or thus. For appearance purpose, it basically makes a house easier that truly makes the house look modern. In addition, it conjointly looks nice especially when seen from below. The structure appears blend quite well with surroundings because of its flat surface. interior design for small apartments are fully nice alternative that may be used for your new homes. Having those parts will make your house simply like different modern house these days.
Gallery of Interior Design For Small Apartments
Tags: #interior design for small spaces photos #interior design ideas for small apartments in chennai #smart interior design for small spaces


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When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of... View more >
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Home → Professional Licensing → File a Complaint → Regulatory Board Administrative Complaint Procedures
Regulatory Board Administrative Complaint Procedures
The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation ("OPOR") provides administrative and support services to 31 professional and occupational licensing boards, and directly manages six additional licensing programs that do not have boards. This document describes the administrative complaint procedures followed by all boards other than the Manufactured Housing Board, and the Real Estate Commission. For the programs without boards, the procedures are similar but not identical to what is set out below.
Overview of the Complaint Process
The purpose of the licensing system is to protect the public against—
- Dishonest or unethical practitioners, and
- Practitioners who have fallen below minimum standards of competence in the practice of their profession.
Violators are subject to disciplinary action that can range from a formal warning to revocation of a license.
Disciplinary action is taken by the board that licensed the practitioner. Administrative support of the complaint process is provided by OPOR. The OPOR complaint coordinator is also the contact person for assistance and information relating to the complaint process. You can reach Complaints Division at:
Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation
35 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0035
(207) 624-8696 (voice)
Filing a Complaint
To file a complaint against a licensee, visit OPOR's web site at www.maine.gov/professionallicensing and click the link entitled "File a complaint." If you do not have internet access, you may request paper forms from the complaint coordinator.
If the person complained against is a trade licensee (i.e., electrician, plumber, oil burner technician, propane/natural gas technician or boiler operator), the complaint is routed to the chief inspector for the applicable board. Complaints against non-trade licensees are docketed and assigned a complaint number.
Document Exchange
After the complaint is docketed, the complaint coordinator acknowledges receipt of the complaint and sends a copy to the licensee. The licensee is asked to respond within 33 days. Upon receipt of the licensee's response, a copy is sent to the complainant. The complainant is asked to reply within 15 days, but a reply is not mandatory. The complainant's reply, like the original complaint, is shared with the licensee.
If the complaint is filed against a health care professional, a release form will be sent for the complainant to sign. A health care professional's time to respond is ordinarily postponed until the release has been received.
Copies of the complaint, the licensee's response, and the complainant's reply are sent to the board's complaint committee. Generally, the complaint committee consists of 1 board member who serves as complaint officer, the OPOR administrator of the board, the Assistant Attorney General assigned to the board, and frequently, an OPOR investigator. The complaint committee may investigate the complaint beyond the document exchange described above. The complainant, the licensee, or other persons with information pertinent to the complainant may be contacted by a member of the complaint committee as part of this investigation.
After Investigation
The complaint committee will evaluate the information obtained during the investigation and will make a recommendation to the board. The recommendation will be an agenda item at a regularly-scheduled board meeting. You can check the board's meeting schedule and meeting agendas at OPOR's web site, www.maine.gov/professionallicensing. Please be aware that a recommendation scheduled on short notice may not appear on a posted agenda. Board meetings take place at OPOR's offices in Gardiner, Maine.
The recommendation may be to:
1. Dismiss the complaint
If there is insufficient evidence to determine whether or not a violation of the board's statute or rules occurred, if the licensee's conduct does not appear to constitute a violation of the board's statute or rules, or if the complaint committee believes that no violation occurred, the complaint committee may recommend dismissal of the complaint. A dismissal cannot be appealed by the complainant, but a dismissed complaint may be reopened if new evidence is received.
2. Proceed with a consent agreement
A consent agreement is a voluntary mechanism for resolving enforcement matters without a hearing or further proceedings. A consent agreement is a negotiated settlement between the board, the licensee and the Attorney General in which the licensee admits to one or more violations of board law or rules and agrees upon the sanctions to be imposed. The complainant is not a party to the consent agreement. Consent agreements are a matter of public record.
3. Schedule the matter for an adjudicatory hearing
Adjudicatory hearings are held before the board and are conducted in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act. The Assistant Attorney General assigned to the board presents the case against the licensee by calling witnesses to testify, presenting documentary evidence, etc. The licensee also has the right to testify, to call other witnesses to testify on his/her behalf, and to present documentary evidence. Many times the complainant will be called as a witness as well. The licensee has the right to be represented by a lawyer and to request the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents. Each side may cross-examine witnesses called by the other side. All testimony is taken under oath.
At the close of the hearing the board deliberates and votes on whether or not a violation of the board's statute or rules occurred. If the board determines that one or more violations occurred, the board decides on what sanctions to impose. Once the board's decision has been reduced to writing and signed by the board chair, the Decision and Order, so-called, constitutes the final action of the board.
The licensee can appeal the Decision and Order to court. The complaint committee and the complainant cannot appeal.
A board may impose any of the following discipline:
- Issue a warning, censure or reprimand to a licensee
- Suspend a license for up to 90 days per violation or occurrence
- Revoke a license
- Impose a civil penalty of up to $1,500 per violation or occurrence
- Impose conditions of probation on a licensee
- Assess the licensee for the cost of transcribing and reproducing the administrative record in the event of appeal
With limited exceptions, complaints and investigative records are confidential during the pendency of an investigation. Complaints are only identified by complaint number on board meeting agendas, and board members avoid referring to the complainant or licensee by name when evaluating the recommendation of the complaint committee. The complaint and the complaint file become public upon the conclusion of an investigation, unless confidentiality is required by some other provision of law. Patient/client treatment records obtained during investigation, such as a chiropractor's chart or a therapist's notes, remain confidential indefinitely.
Reporting of Disciplinary Action
OPOR posts on its web site copies of all disciplinary action imposed on licensees via Consent Agreement or Decision and Order. OPOR also reports disciplinary action taken against health care licensees to the National Practitioner Database (NPDB) maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Disciplinary action taken against real estate appraisers is reported to the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.
Recovery of Money Damages
A board cannot order a licensee to pay money damages to a complainant, although a licensee may agree to restitution or reimbursement in a consent agreement. The primary purpose of the OPOR complaint process is to protect the public against dishonest or incompetent practitioners by disciplining violators. The penalties listed above protect the public by punishing the licensee, discouraging future violations by the licensee, rehabilitating the licensee, and promoting compliance by other licensees. The OPOR complaint process is not designed to redress violations by the recovery of money damages to compensate persons harmed by the licensee's conduct. This is a function of the courts. A complainant is free to file a civil action against a licensee in addition to filing a complaint with OPOR.
Click here to file an electronic complaint.
Last Updated: May 30, 2018


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The Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle and Swing is one of the best kinds of cradles which are present in the market. In here, there are many different kinds of features present, which helps the baby to have a sound and peaceful sleep which is the most important thing.
Here come, some of the unique features of the Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle and Swing, which you must really need to know. By proceeding further, you will have a clear idea about stuff which you must know in a detailed manner.
Special Characteristic Features of Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle and Swing:
As, mentioned here above, there are many different kinds of unique features present which you must really know. Following are the things which you should have an idea at.
- This Fisher Price Cradle is one which could swing in 2 different motions which is mainly focused on soothing the baby which sleeps there.
- It is foldable and thus, it requires only less space to store it.
- As it is foldable, you can shift this from one place to another easily and thus, it is portable, which is one of the main important kinds of advantages present in here.
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- It includes AC adapter which works in120 volt which is for operating the battery. It requires 4D batteries.
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Fisher Price Cradle Pros:
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It is included in the manual which is attached to the cradle while you buy.
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Customer Reviews:
This baby cradle is rated 4.0 out of 5 by the customers who have already used this by seeing all the facts and the features which are provided in here. Thus, it is up to you to proceed further or not to.
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Radiohead live in Nimes France again (2nd night)
Radiohead performing soundcheck in Nimes. Photo by Nigel Godrich
Radiohead performed tonight at the Arena of Nimes in Nimes, France for the second consecutive night.
Last night marked the bands first show since the stage collapse in Toronto. The setlist started with 'Lucky', which was the first time Radiohead have opened with that song since 1998 and the first show of their 2012 tour to not start with 'Bloom'.
So far Radiohead have played in Soundcheck: Everything In Its Right Place, Airbag, Supercollider, Street Spirit, How To Disappear Completely, Morning Mr Magpie, Codex, The National Anthem and Kid A.
- Bloom
- Kid A
- 15 Step
- Morning Mr Magpie
- The National Anthem
- The Gloaming
- Supercollider
- Codex
- Airbag
- Climbing Up The Walls
- Nude
- Exit Music (For A Film)
- Lotus Flower
- There There
- Feral
- Bodysnatchers
- Treefingers (Encore #1)
- Give Up The Ghost
- House Of Cards
- Reckoner
- Myxomatosis
- True Love Waits (Intro)/Everything In Its Right Place
- Idioteque
- Street Sprint (Encore #2)
Radiohead are paying tribute to Scott Johnson once again this evening with his initials 'S' and 'J' on the bassdrums.
Photo by @fittr_happier
Video: Watch Radiohead perform 'Cimbing Up The Walls'
'Exit Music'
Look at the similarities between Pink Floyd performing in Pompeii, Italy in 1971 to Radiohead in Nimes, France in 2012.


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Multiple Teams · BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP INFO – REGISTER HERE
Attention all area basketball players – Coach Adam Jones is hosting a High School Basketball Camp and a Youth Basketball Camp. Register for these camps below. If you have any questions, contact coach Jones (firstname.lastname@example.com). High School Basketball Camp Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdWBlp4dkkuMyCJpwDskCA_j4DkfRiVr3U7mnZ55fEeSWrog/viewform?usp=sf_link Youth Basketball Camp Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15Hnd_mh_3skOwWRP112p7QaudMCm_xfSJWNy2qMbTxI


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Toshiba could well steal the spotlight away from some bigger smartphone names with the launch of its latest high-end handset at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Called the TG01, it's the first announced device with Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon QSD2850 chipset with dynamic speed control to ensure good battery life.
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Culture + Core Values
We live by a strong set of core values. They guide our interactions with clients and co-workers — and, if we do say so ourselves, they are also generally great guidelines for communicating with the outside world. Explore them below and see what makes InfoTrust one of the best places to both work with and for.
We embrace diversity as an important aspect of our company. An office made up of people who think exactly alike wouldn't just lower our ability to provide amazing work for our clients; it would also be incredibly boring! Each day, we strive to be empathetic to each person's viewpoint and to learn from others' experiences by seeking feedback from managers, co-workers and our clients.
Respect your customers (that's a given!), respect your team, and, above all, don't be an asshole. We are serious about treating each person the way he or she deserves to be treated.
We're always moving forward to innovate and improve, and we make sure our people have the time to do that. This is why our web analyst consultants spend 80% of their time on client work and the remaining 20% on learning and trying out new ideas. That 20% is where the real change is made.
We believe that each person can have a positive impact on the company and the community by taking initiative. That's why our culture and team is structured to encourage everyone to take ownership of themselves, their goals and what they work on each day. We discourage stagnation and encourage not waiting for permission to do something great.
Humbly Confident
As a company built around analytics, we don't leave things up to chance. We believe that data allows people to make better decisions, in business and in life. That's why we encourage clients and employees alike to use data as their primary decision making tool, avoiding "I feel like…" reasoning. With good data on your side, you can be confident in making an informed decision. Isn't that a nice feeling?
If you're not growing, you're dying. Every day is an exercise in learning, stretching and adding value to the world. From delivering results for clients to providing Thanksgiving dinner for families in need, each and every team member is held to the standard of continued growth and giving.
At Something
We can't all be great at everything, but everyone can be great at something.


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These telescopic handle shears from the experts at Spear & Jackson extend to 500mm for trimming harder to reach growth. Hardened high carbon steel blades give easy precise cuts and are built for strength and lasting sharpness. Light but strong aluminium handles. Adjustable tensioning. Easy to operate twist and lock mechanism. Non-slip soft grips for comfortable use. Overall length: 670-860mm (26-33"). Blade size: 230mm (9"). Includes a 10 year guarantee.
The Kew Gardens Collection from Spear & Jackson
Spear & Jackson have over 250 years of experience in manufacturing quality garden tools. They combine traditional production methods with the latest manufacturing technology to produce a wide range of garden tools known for their durability, comfort and performance.
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Kew Telescopic Shear


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Chris Wilder is looking forward to Saturday's home encounter against Daniel Farke's Norwich City.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Blades boss remarked: "They've had two close games. They went and got a result at Birmingham on the opening day before losing narrowly to a team that's just come out of the Premier League.
"They will be to get their season up and running and we enjoyed two tasty fixtures against them last season, I expect something similar again.
"Both teams will be going all out to win the fixture and we want to get our first home win of the season."
The manager added: "Daniel (Farke) is a good guy, we enjoyed a drink after both games last season and I've seen him a few times since. We live and learn, I said things after both games that at the time I thought were right, both were tight games.
"It's going to be another difficult game at the weekend, they're established in the division and they are a proper Championship football club who have recruited well this summer."


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Important message on Coronavirus from ConvaTec
Karim Bitar is Chief Executive Officer of ConvaTec Group plc. Previously, Karim was Chief Executive Officer of Genus plc, a leading global agricultural biotechnology company. During his eight-year tenure, he helped transform Genus into a technology pioneer with leading global franchises in dairy, beef and pork genetics. Prior to this, Karim worked for over 15 years with Eli Lilly & Company and was President of Lilly Europe, Canada and Australia before joining Genus. An ex- McKinsey & Company consultant, he worked across Asia and Europe, and also held management roles at Johnson & Johnson and the Dow Chemical Company. Karim is a Non-Executive Director of Spectris Plc, a leading global analytical instrumentation company, and a member of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Advisory Board. Karim has a Masters (Hons) in Business Administration, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin.
Frank was previously CFO of Wittur Group, a privately-held industrial company based in Germany, prior to which he spent 27 years with GE in a variety of increasingly senior financial leadership roles. In 2007 he was appointed Executive Vice President and CFO of GE Healthcare, a position he held until mid-2015 when he left to join Wittur. GE Healthcare is a Global medical technology, life sciences and services company with $18b in revenues. Frank graduated with an Economics degree and a Master's in Business Economics from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands.
David Shepherd is President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Advanced Wound Care. He joined ConvaTec in November 2018 from Johnson and Johnson, where he worked for 26 years in a variety of sales, marketing, strategic and operations roles. Most recently he was the Area Vice President, Southern EMEA with responsibility for 15 businesses in Southern Europe and Israel, prior to which he was the US President for Cardiovascular and Speciality Services. David holds a Diploma in Marketing and a BSc in Management Science from the University of Lancaster.
Mani Gopal is President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Ostomy Care. Mani joined the company in January 2020 from Cooper Vision, following two years as Vice President for Global Key Accounts and Commercial Strategy. Mani has extensive experience of running and improving the performance of integrated healthcare businesses. Previously he, spent more than a decade working at Abbott Laboratories, including roles as Vice President & General Manager of Consumer Eye Health and General Manager - Government, Hospital and Long-Term Care in the Diabetes Care division. Earlier in his career, Mani spent eight years as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co and completed a PhD in Material Science at The University of California, Berkeley. He also holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Kjersti Grimsrud is President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Continence Care. Kjersti joined ConvaTec from Alere, Inc where from 2014 she was President Europe and the Middle East and President International, with responsibility for a business with revenues of US$720m. She decided to join ConvaTec following the acquisition of Alere by Abbott Laboratories in October 2017. Kjersti has over 25 years of sector experience in a variety of roles ranging from General Manager, senior positions in Sales and Marketing as well as in R&D. Kjersti was a member of the initial team at Axis-Shield, which in 2011 was acquired by Alere. She holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
John M. Lindskog is President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Infusion Care for ConvaTec. He joined the company in 2008 when, as General Manager of Unomedical's Infusion Device business unit, he helped lead the integration of Unomedical into ConvaTec. His 25 years of experience in the infusion devices industry began at Pharma-Plast, which later merged with Maersk Medical and became Unomedical. John holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration through the internal academy at the East Asiatic Company in Denmark and a Graduate certificate in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School.
Supratim Bose is President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Emerging Markets. He joined ConvaTec on 17 December 2018 from Boston Scientific Corporation, where he served as Executive Vice President & President of Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Prior to Boston Scientific, Supratim spent 29 years with Johnson & Johnson in various executive roles of increasing responsibility in Asia Pacific. Latterly, he served as a Company Group Chairman and a member of the Worldwide Group Operating Committee for the Medical Devices and Diagnostic Group. During his career, Supratim was also a member of the Board at CareFusion Corporation, Quattro Vascular and Trireme Medical, and of the Advisory Board at Singapore Management University's Lee Kong Chiang School of Business. Supratim holds a Master of Science in Biophysics and a Master of Management Studies, both from the University of Bombay.
Seth Segel is President of our Home Services Group (HSG). Seth joined ConvaTec in September 2017 following the acquisition of Woodbury Health Products, where he served as CEO for five years. Woodbury was a private equity backed supplier of catheter and incontinence products in the U.S. home setting. For ten years Seth served as Executive Vice President and a member of the Office of the Chairman at Cantel Medical Corp., a New York Stock Exchange listed specialty healthcare company dedicated to Infection Prevention and Control. Seth has lived and worked in North America, Asia and Europe holding positions in investment banking, management consulting, and as head of operations for a global media research firm. Seth holds an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics with honors from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Divakar Ramakrishnan is Chief Technology Officer at ConvaTec Group plc having joined the company in January 2020. Divakar was most recently Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Eli Lilly's Drug Delivery, Device and Digital Health groups, where he led a global R&D team focused on developing innovative and digitally-enabled devices to improve patient care. Divakar's career in healthcare spans more than 20 years. During this time, in addition to working in product development, he has built strong expertise in process development. He served as Eli Lilly's Vice President of Manufacturing Science and Technology, a role in which he oversaw all the company's process development across its entire product portfolio. Divakar began his career as a chemical engineer focused on process development. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from Anna University in India. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Natalia Kozmina is Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. Natalia joined ConvaTec in June 2020, bringing more than 20 years of life sciences and technology sectors knowledge to her role.Prior to joining ConvaTec, Natalia was Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Iron Mountain where she led various Human Resources functions. Prior to Iron Mountain, she was Vice President of Human Resources for Smiths Group following several years as Principal of the Global Health Practice at Egon Zehnder. Natalia transitioned to HR after spending more than 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry in a variety of roles ranging from general management, product management, sales as well as in R&D.Natalia holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booths School of Business and a post-graduate degree in Chemistry from Ohio State University. She graduated with Honors in Chemistry from Moscow State University.
Adam Deutsch is Chief Transformation Officer & General Counsel at ConvaTec. He joined the company in 2014 from Biomet, Inc., a leading global medical device company. His roles included Corporate Vice President and Associate General Counsel – Litigation, Investigations & Risk Management, as well as Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Biomet, Adam was a partner and associate with prominent law firms based in Chicago. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law.
Donal Balfe is Executive Vice President of Quality and Operations. Donal was previously Vice President of Operations for Medtronic PLC, where he was responsible for 13 manufacturing sites comprising the European and Asian manufacturing operations and the Renal Care Solutions business unit of Medtronic's MITG group. In this role, Donal supervised continuous change actions to improve service and business performance, reduce costs, enhance quality and increase margins, within a regulated environment. Prior to joining Medtronic, Donal was Vice President of Manufacturing at Covidien. He has 29 years of experience in Medical Device manufacturing, having started his career with Bayer Corporation. Donal graduated in Electronic Engineering from the Dundalk College of Technology, following which he received a Diploma in Industrial Management from the Bolton Street College of Technology in Dublin and a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Finance from Dublin City University.
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On this week's super-sized show, Bayless and I travel to five cities in two countries for a major taco crawl. Some are traditional, while other versions are being reinterpreted by ambitious chefs.
When seeking out the best taco, why not head to the epicenter of taco culture. Rick heads to Mexico City to meet up with Nick Gilman, author of "Mexico City's Best Tacos." Then I head to San Diego for some fish tacos at Rubio's before heading south to Ensenada, on Mexico's Baja Peninsula. I then sample the Sonoran-style tacos in Tucson, before winding up back home in Chicago, where one chef is inspired to make tacos inspired by the best Midwest farms at Antique Taco.


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This post was originally published in August of 2008. But, the value is still there.
Due to his work as a contractor, FishPapa spends more time in Lowe's and Home Depot than the average Joe. The plus side is that while he loves carpentry work, it's not his main hobby. It's his job. Therefore, big box home improvement stores aren't places that I have to worry about us getting "lost" in. We go in, we go out. Business is taken care of.
Very nice.
Plus, I get my home improvement projects done for free.
Yes, yes, I do.
Recently, in our intensity to be as frugal as can be in finishing our home remodeling projects, my hubby has had plenty of opportunity for bargain shopping in these home improvement warehouses. Often, there will be a slight and insignificant flaw in a product or like recently, a product that had obviously been returned. There was nothing wrong with said product, but it had been installed and then returned. Most likely, the person didn't like the looks of it. That's how it goes, you know.
So, FishPapa decides to ask if they would knock some off $99 original price tag. The employee squints and says, "How about 50 bucks?"
SOLD to the very handsome man who married me!
If the item isn't in perfectly packaged, new condition, don't be afraid to ask for a reduction in price. Be brave and save yourself some money.


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A technology known as MRI Ultrasound Fusion Guided Biopsy is enabling doctors in the Department of Urology to perform more accurate prostate biopsies. This system, often called "fusion biopsy", allows our urologists and radiologists to blend MRI and ultrasound imaging to identify areas of potentially aggressive disease and target biopsies with greater precision.
Fusion biopsy is one of the most exciting recent advances in prostate cancer diagnosis and research. This technology combines multi-parametric MRI with real-time ultrasound to provide a 3D visualization of the prostate that enables physicians to track and target suspicious areas during prostate biopsy. Because it is more accurate than other methods, MRI–ultrasound fusion has the potential to help diagnose prostate cancer with greater accuracy and avoid unnecessary invasive biopsy procedures.
This technology is not only helpful in determining surveillance protocol for patients; it is also a research tool for Sven Wenske, M.D., Assistant Professor of Urology at CUMC, who studies treatment regimens for prostate cancer and the ways in which the disease often resists them.
Dr. Wenske, a recipient of a two year grant from the New York State Department of Health, utilizes fusion biopsy to further the understanding of prostate cancer biology and treatment response to different medications in vitro. Fusion biopsy is pivotal to this research because it helps Dr. Wenske identify viable tumors which can then be tested with current and new therapies to monitor the growth progress of prostate cancer. According to Dr. Wenske, "Further investigation of these mechanisms through identification of involved genes would help scientists understand this process better and allow for the development of new drugs that would circumvent resistance."
Whether the technology is used as a diagnostic tool or for research, the Department of Urology is committed to realizing the full benefits of fusion biopsy for patients at Columbia and beyond.


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The Chief is an 18-hole championship golf course that represents perfect harmony of natural habitat and the game of golf. Beautifully carved through the rolling wooded terrain of northern Michigan. The Chief will truly overwhelm your visual senses with its large, meandering bunkers, dramatic elevation changes and panoramic views. The Chief provides a memorable golf experience and is a true 'must play' among Michigan's courses!
5085 Shanty Creek Road
Bellaire, MI 49615
Phone: (231) 533-9000


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View our annual sustainability achievements.
Circular Economy
SLS is committed to help drive "circular economy" initiatives with our clients. We help clients keep resources in use for as long as possible; extract the maximum value from those resources while in use; and then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of their useful life.
Linear Materials Model
The traditional linear materials economy model, where raw materials are mined, products are produced and landfilled at the end of their useful life has proven to be unsustainable as the earth's population continues to grow and we consume more products.
Circular Economy Model
Moving from an unsustainable linear model to a circular model is the path forward to avoid depleting finite raw material resources. Reusing and recycling retired IT assets and electronics enables our clients to benefit from improved processes, better environmental outcomes and improvement to the bottom line.
SLS Services
On behalf of our clients, SLS is responsible for discarded electronics. We refurbish, repair, remanufacture and restore equipment for continued useful life. In addition to facilitating reuse of electronic equipment, SLS also recycles equipment, transforming waste to raw material. Recycling diverts material from landfill or incineration and provides a feedstock for making next generation products.
SLS can help companies reimagine the traditional materials economy model use of electronics to a closed loop sustainable model. We encourage a more strategic discussion with our clients on how to manage electronic product lifecycles, reimagine supply chains, extend product design and reuse and recycle products.
Working together, SLS and our clients can challenge conventional models of design, manufacturing, distribution, reuse, and recycling, in an increasingly global, value-driven, competitive, regulated and resource-challenged marketplace.
SLS engages collaboratively with global clients to re-examine business models, to strengthen current approaches, and to plan for continual evolution towards a circular model based upon knowledge about disposition of retired electronic assets and managing their movement through reverse supply chain.


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Dedicated to True Bilingual Education
Enter Site
Chinese / Japanese / English
The mission of American International Montessori is found in the words of Dr. Maria Montessori, ["to educate the human potential."] We believe with Dr. Montessori that the "task of the child is the formation of man, oriented to his environment, adapted to his time, place and culture." This formation of man, when seen in the global perspective, will consist of diversity and multiculturalism. It is clear to us that our children's future will be more diverse in the people with whom they will live, work, play, and form family and
friends. This global village will favour citizens who are comfortable operating in culturally and economically diverse environments and can speak in multiple languages At AIM our goal is to assist our students in learning to communicate functionally and effectively in English and Mandarin or Japanese. Within this unique bilingual learning environment, each child can discover his or her innate desire to learn, enabling them at their own pace and reach their highest academic potential. Our mission is to develop confident, multicultural, multilingual children who respect diversity and community and who are caring, capable, enthusiastic, and committed to a lifetime of learning.


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GETSIDSection: Linux Programmer's Manual (2)
Updated: 2008-12-05
Index Return to Main Contents
NAMEgetsid - get session ID
SYNOPSIS#include <unistd.h>
pid_t getsid(pid_t pid);
Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
getsid(): _XOPEN_SOURCE >= 500
DESCRIPTIONgetsid(0) returns the session ID of the calling process. getsid(p) returns the session ID of the process with process ID p. (The session ID of a process is the process group ID of the session leader.)
RETURN VALUEOn success, a session ID is returned. On error, (pid_t) -1 will be returned, and errno is set appropriately.
- A process with process ID p exists, but it is not in the same session as the calling process, and the implementation considers this an error.
- No process with process ID p was found.
VERSIONSThis system call is available on Linux since version 2.0.
CONFORMING TOSVr4, POSIX.1-2001.
NOTESLinux does not return EPERM.
SEE ALSOgetpgid(2), setsid(2), credentials(7)
COLOPHONThis page is part of release 3.22 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 05:33:03 GMT, December 24, 2015


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HORROR/ANTHOLOGY: This book is an anthology of 14 horror stories on varying topics. Each one stands alone and includes new characters and new circumstances. The reader feels satisfied as each story is wrapped up before the next one begins. They all have a Stephen King-like terror element, and many have an unexpected twist at the end. As in all good horror stories, there is even a scary clo
News & reviews for the fiction lover in us all!


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Artifacts in Napal provide more evidence for the mystery. For 6 decades , the ridged scalp of an alleged yeti has been displayed in the pangboche monestary alongside a supposed hand of the beast.
The yeti hair from china was an exact match to samples found in Nortern California. And both DNA samples are registering as unclassified species
Washington Environmental Atlas. The year 1974 One of the many creatures listed in the official list of native species:Sasquatch. That book includes a map of all known Sasquatch sightings in the region. The official government publication also describes Sasquatch hair recovered by the FBI. It is believed to belong to no known species of human or animal.
I'd imagine that they have superior senses of smell and hearing which help them to detect us and to keep far away from us.
Originally posted by Majestic Lumen
reply to post by Night Star
Awesome find!, just started watching it, just want to add that I've felt (like many) that there seems to be a cover up, just no way to prove it. And that goes for many other things and topics, but every inch we get closer to the truth always helps
Originally posted by windslayer
Not trying to cast doubt or anything, but, just wondering... Why the hell hasn't anyone ever followed a bigfoot-like creature? Obviously when you're driving it's a bit tricky, but enough people have caught them on film whilst out camping.. Surely someone has followed a bigfoot before to see where they live?
Originally posted by AzDesertWatcher
I want to believe as much as the next guy...BUT until someone find remains its still just a myth. How is it everyone believes in bigfoot but yet noone has actual proof other than blurry pics or video's (or cgi videos that any college grad can create).


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Many of us who who were so thrilled by President Obama's campaign and election, in recent times have began to wonder if his was going to a one term presidency. And whether all the hope we and, more importantly the American people, had invested in his, " yes we can", promise for a for a new bold America, and indeed a new world order, was going to be dashed. Perhaps he did not have the guts fight. Maybe the odds were too heavily stacked against him. Did he take on more than he could manage? The jury is still out on these questions and on the debate generally, but the recent passage of his health care reform bill has helped to energize all who had and continue to have high hopes for his presidency.
Many countries across the world have been in a similar position where an elected leader promised so much but either failed to live up to popular expectations, or in the long run the country for whatever reason did not fulfill its potential. Former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere and Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah come to mind. Closer home Forbes Burnham in Guyana, Eric Williams in Trinidad and Tobago and Michael Manley of Jamaica were hugely popular, almost held in awe and spoken about in Messianic terms, yet in all cases , in Africa, and in the Caribbean, these countries now face countless problems.
In our case in Jamaica, the current Prime Minister came to office with high expectations, even if his popular mandate was more sobering. The past administration had been there for too long and had gotten too complacent. People wanted a change. Especially the young. Crime was at an all time high level. The economy was floundering and the level of corruption was unbearable. The leader, though arguably driven by the noble desire to uplift the poor, was weak, self-centered and lacking in any ability to inspire hope. So even those who did not vote for the Prime Minister, or supported his party publicly, were quietly very relieved when he won, as change was coming soon.
And yet in recent times, many of these very same people have begun to wonder if they made the right choice. The (very) puzzling refusal to allow the extradition to the USA, of one of our most high profile "dons" ( gang leader) has led to virtual panic in the society, as many are wondering if their American visa - a precious privilege for Jamaicans - will be revoked also, as has been the case for some high profile entertainers and at least one businessman, even though "officially" there is no established link. And the extradition matter has spawned another story which is threatening to destroy the government's credibility completely. Further, as if to add "fuel to fire", in the midst of all of this, the most widely read daily newspaper, " The Gleaner", has been , in recent times, featuring the daily count of murders and the number of days in which this mayhem has existed, and posed the question, " Who is accountable?" The headlines today? 436 Jamaican murdered in 101 days. What has gone wrong? Only God he knows!
In the midst of this reality, and in preparation for the service today, one of the readings
" jumped out" at me this week, and I read it with awe and deep reflection as it offers a reason, and even a revelation, why things go wrong. Or go right. As the sad reality is that, it is not only elected leaders that have failed to live up to their potential. And it is not only nations that have gone down the wrong path.
The church in general, regardless of our denominational preference, has suffered immeasurably on account of the much publicized " sexual abuse" scandals which are currently rocking the Roman Catholic Church. And as we know only too well, the issues of sexual abuse, predatory behaviour by priests, and extramarital affairs, have been the subject of much discussion in many other denominations. What went so horribly wrong? My own denomination, worldwide, is deeply divided by the decision of some leaders to ordain, and to support the ordination, even to the high office of Bishop, of actively gay and completely unrepentant priests. What has gone so horribly wrong? There are doctrinal differences which have deeply divided the church, and led to not only antagonism within the body, but of equal importance, confusion in the minds of unbelievers as to what constitutes the true church. What has gone so horribly wrong?
But as I read the passage, what struck me most forcibly, was the chasm, the very wide gap, between the power of the witness of the early church and the present. And the clear implication that, for all of the above mentioned reasons, and no doubt more, something has gone horribly wrong. Thank God, and that's the message of hope to us all, that what the reading also made very clear, is that God's power to assist those who are faithful - what one of my friends and a female priest calls the " remnant" - has been with the church ever since its inception, and will always preserve the " body of Christ" as a righteous institution which will continue to spread all over the world, and with power declare that Jesus is the Christ, and with power, to do good to all.
" The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid their them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil-spirits, and all of them were healed.
Then the high priests and all of his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out .............................
Then someone came and said, " Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them,
Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. " We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. " Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."
Peter and the other apostles replied: " We must obey God, rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by hanging on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them:
" Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all of his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God".
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of the Jesus, and let them go.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 5:12-42 NIV
Before I comment on the many lessons learned from reflecting on that passage of Scripture, another one to which I was led to read, much shorter, though equally instructive, must be borne in mind.
He said to them, " Go into the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they will drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
Mark 16:15-18 NIV
So the questions which arose from in my mind as I write and reflect of this revelation from God are:
If the Word of God which rightly says that " the kingdom of God is not about talk but about power"; and if Jesus prophesied that those who believe would have great power, even to the point where in the passage from Acts, the "shadow of Peter" could heal the sick, what has gone wrong with the church in 2010? What has gone terribly wrong? Or it is a case where some were given to be apostles, some teachers, some preachers.....and powerful healing is taking place and which is going unpublicized. But ought not this power of the church, and this love be so manifest that people, those in need and those who benefit, would " protect the church"..... would stone those who would persecute the apostles. And yet, as revealed in the Gleaner today, and which revelation, mirrors the experience of many churches, that millions of dollars are being spent to protect property, cars and lives of church goers in this country
How does one know if a new church, a new leader or a new idea is of God? How do we judge whether or not it is worthy of our support? Can we ever know ? Is Obama going to make a major difference in how people, from different parts of the world, live together, or will he just be another bright young man whose ambitions for humanity are limited by what is good for America? Did Nyerere, Nkrumah, Williams, Burnham, and Manley leave any lasting legacy outside of their rhetoric and promises? Is Golding the " real deal" or has he just flattered only to deceive? Is it too early to tell, despite the major issues confronting the nation, and should he therefore be given more time to prove himself? Can he, with his recognized talent of a huge intellect, and his administration recover and be redeemed, to do good for the people who elected him?
Is the Roman Catholicism as we know it today, destined for profound change? Will the witness of the church once again be accompanied with, and indeed heralded by, " Angels opening doors" for the persecuted church? Will church members, again, as one, once again, decide to " obey God, rather than men and be prepared to suffer the consequences"? And what will that mean for us who claim that we believe? Can we " take joy in suffering for the Name ( Christ) , if our ambitions and desires coincide ( be no different from ) with those of unbelievers. Will we, the baptised ones, choose to surrender our lives completely to Jesus, so that God's power may flow through us and bring healing to a broken nation and to a people in need? Or will be continue to accept a " watered down" version of the faith, and just maintain our churches, sing wonderful songs, participate in Holy Communion, praise the Lord for His mercies to us, and have little or no impact of those "possessed by the demons of murder and corruption"; those sick with " lust , pride, greed and idolatry"? And for those who still continue to be unbelievers, it is not a powerful witness to the truth of the Good Friday and Easter message, that despite the many " warts and bumps" of the church, it has survived over two thousand year? And therefore to continue to be disobedient and oppose the truth is to be guilty of " fighting against the Lord", and then to what purpose, as history has taught us that there is no good end to those who fight against the will of God.
This is indeed a very sobering passage of Scripture for challenging times. For as with Theudas and Judas only time will tell if politicians and church leaders are the " real deal" , and anointed by God to do His work. This is the first time many (of us, including myself) are hearing about Theudas and Judas and many other pretenders " to the throne". But the Name, the wonderful name of Jesus, from that day appointed by God Himself, and from that small town in Palestine over two thousand years ago, continues to this day, to be on the lips of the living and the dying believer . And even on the lips of unbelievers for one reason or another - it seems impossible for them to stop talking about Him. This is the Name that has stood the test of time. This is the Name of the One who died for me and for you. This is the Name of the One who will never disappoint anyone who puts their trust in Him. This is the name of the One, who according to one of our gospel artistes, Jamaica needs now...."This island needs Jesus, this island needs Jesus..bam ba ba li bam bam, bam ba ba li bam bam...yeah yeah". This is the Name of the One who many are praying will guide Obama, and not USA foreign policy; that should guide our Prime Minister and not party considerations or any other name; and that should guide our church leaders and not the world and its many attractions, and what world opinion demands of them to conform. Because like the early church, only those who choose to obey God and not man, and who choose to suffer for the Name, and those who believe, will prosper and not be condemned, either by the bar of history, or by the Word of the Living God.
Oh Jesus, O for grace to love thee more.


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Plants for Energy
Plants have the ability to capture solar energy and use carbon dioxide and water to photosynthesise carbohydrate during their growth. This carbohydrate can be converted into starch or oils for longer-term energy storage.
Plants have also evolved cell walls, which are complex and difficult to break down, protecting them against biological attack. The lignocelluloses material contained in plant cell walls represents the most abundant form of organic carbon on our planet. Lignocellulose is the major structural component of plant material and is used in a range of industrial sectors as a building material, for paper and pulp production, textiles and polymers manufacture.
Plant biomass for production of biofuels and biochemicals
Plant biomass is of interest to the renewable chemical and bioenergy sectors as the sugars contained in lignocellulose could be used for the production of biofuels and biochemical building blocks (platform chemicals) to make alternative products to those produced in the petrochemical industry today. Plant biomass is an abundant resource and it is estimated that between 10 and 100 billion tonnes of plant biomass is degraded in nature every year.
If all the energy stored in plant biomass could be converted into renewable energy, it would be equivalent to approximately 680 billion barrels of oil, close to the global annual energy consumption.
Different processes are available to release energy from plants:
- Combustion: Provide heat or electrical power
- Fermentation: Manufacture ethanol as a petroleum substitute
- Trans-esterification: Manufacture biodiesel as a diesel substitute
- Gasification and Fischer-Tropsch: Manufacture syn-diesel as a diesel substitute
- Anaerobic Digestion: Bacteria break down biomass to produce methane (biogas).
Commercial biofuel production is focussed on "first-generation" technologies. Currently, crops that have high yields of sucrose (e.g. sugar-cane, sugar beet) are used to produce bioethanol. Starch crops such as maize, wheat and cassava are also used for production of bioethanol.
Research centres around the world are also focussing on "second-generation" technologies to make cellulosic bioethanol production a commercial reality, with projects being established to demonstrate the technology at pilot-scale in North America and Europe.
A wide range of feedstocks are available globally for biofuel production, including energy crops (e.g. Miscanthus, Jatropha, short-rotation willow/poplar), wastes (e.g. waste oils, food processing wastes, etc), agricultural residues (straw, corn stover, etc), forestry residues and novel feedstocks, such as algae.
The following links provide relevant examples of some of UK activities on this subject:
- Algal Bioenergy Special interest Group
- BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre
- EPSRC's SUPERGEN Initiative: SUPERGEN Biomass and Bioenergy Consortium
- Carbon Trust: The Pyrolysis Challenge and The Algae Biofuels Challenge
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Keep up to date with the latest agri-food and biosciences news, events, funding opportunities and more.
KTN's Plant Sector Publications
KTN's Plant Sector has developed a series of publications to highlight the economic benefit of research and development to the agriculture and food industry.


text: Is there anyone who can help me to decipher the codes from CarSoft and knows the software decently well? I am trying to use it to figure out why my car won't start and am quite confused on a few things I'm getting from the program. I'd prefer to talk over the phone if possible... Jeremy 414-690-2621


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We did a quick trip thru the dealer's room where kisarazumama splurged on a stack of DVDs including a (nice but bootlegged) set of the MST3K "Season Zero" KTMA episodes & a Rodan model kit, then we went upstairs to the celebrity rooms for some autographs & I got to meet the actresses from two of my all time favorite cult movies - Patricia Quinn who played Magenta in the Rocky Horror Picture Show & Mink Stole who has appeared in many of John Waters' movies but is probably best known for her role as Connie Marble in Pink Flamingos. Got an autographed photo from Ms. Quinn and Mink Stole signed my laserdiscs of Pink Flamingos and Polyester! (folks always seem surprized/impressed when you whip out a laserdisc - I like getting them signed better than DVDs as they have bigger artwork more like record albums. But then I'm also still a vinyl junkie as well, never impressed by little CD/DVD booklets!)
Ran into scarydavedc and heleneotroy and got to meet their friend pumkinqueen who was there with them & we hit it off pretty fast & I can tell we could do some serious damage if we went shopping together as we collect a LOT of the same stuff, I had to show here the table in the dealer's room where I'd found some great hand made jewelry by Martha Rotten and she also did some shopping there. Hopefully will see her again at the October Danzig show in Richmond.
Didn't take us long to run out of $$$ so rather than torture ourselves by looking at what we couldn't buy we headed out & stopped for lunch at Chilis (as they took visa!) & went back to chez planetcom to crash for a few hours. Closer to the witching hour, atomagedevilman and I headed off to the AFI Silver in Silver Spring to catch a midnight show of Videodrome as part of their "Totally Awesome Films of the 80's" summer series. They've been showing some great classics, next weekend the midnight movie will be "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" with "Near Dark" showing the week after that. Looking forward to them! Was amused that the guy in line behind us was wearing a "Guild of Calamitous Intent" T shirt - the 2nd I'd seen that day as I also saw one at the con on Saturday - Astrobase Go must be doing pretty well on shirt sales! Speaking of, I must get the newest one for Molotov's Black Hearts!
Patricia Quinn -
Mink Stole -
atomagedevilman with Bill Moseley -
If I'd had more $$ I would have snapped up this cool poster for "Werewolf Women of the SS" that Bill was selling & would autograph for ya
Cool buggy prop from "The Mist"
kisarazumama and a friendly Death
scarydavedc got Chris Sarandon (voice of Jack Skellington in Nightmare Before Christmas) to sign this awesome print:
In the dealer's room I found a gal named "Martha Rotten" selling cool jewelry & tableware she'd designed & made out of pewter, got a neat hair piece cast from a muskrat skull and an awesome & very gothic bracelet. Here are some pix of her stuff -
salt & pepper shakers!
tableware - if I ever thoght I'd have a dinner party I'd so buy these!


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No matter what the reason you want to sell your property, the process will go more smoothly if you know more about real estate transaction. This article is full of tips that will help you to successfully sell any property and getting an experience real estate salesperson is important.
When it comes to listing a property on the market, pricing plays a vital role. Pricing it too high, well you may not able to invite potential buyers to view your property. If pricing too low, you may find that you may have loss much.
Getting an experience real estate salesperson
Therefore, by getting an experience real estate salesperson is important especially when it comes to pricing. Otherwise it's too expensive for your local real estate market. You need to be realistic about the price you are advertising your home for. It needs to be one that is attractive to buyers, not just you.
An experience real estate salesperson will able to advise you on getting the right pricing by statistic report in your estate or it can be a transaction that he or she has done recently in your community or neighbourhood estate.
An experience real estate salesperson will not only advise over the right pricing to put up in the market but also to give you as a seller some pointers on how to put up your property for sale by making small details improvement to your property. You may want to download this free report on how to sell your property faster.
Putting Property For Sale
When putting your property up for sale, be choosy about which real estate salesperson you pick. Carefully consider the agent's reputation and experience. This may be one of the most important business transactions you will make in your life. An agent with a good reputation and solid credentials will help you navigate the process more smoothly, as well as demystify it for you while keeping your best interests at heart.


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Written by: Zac Rose, Personal Trainer, O2 Fitness-Chatham
With summer coming to an end, it is time to start planning on how to keep that summer body you worked so hard for as we head into winter. On average, Americans gain 10-15 pounds during the holiday season. How do you keep from falling off the wagon and losing all your hard work?
Follow These 5 Simple Tips:
Use Smaller Plates...
Using a smaller plate will help you to practice portion control and eat less during those big holiday meals.
Drink Water...
Drinking water should be something you do daily, but drinking it before big meals will help you feel more full and help your body to digest the food you are taking in. This will also eliminate the extra calories you gain from sugary drinks.
Avoid The Empty Calories...
Adding too much butter or going back for that second piece of pumpkin pie will surely add extra calories to your daily totals. When possible, skip the excess calories to keep your daily intake at a manageable level.
Don't Skip The Workouts...
With all the family trips and dinners during the holiday season, it's easy to say you'll skip the gym and just go tomorrow. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today! Go to the trip and keep your body and metabolism in top shape. This will also help your avoid some of the stress eating that comes with the season!
Enjoy Yourself!
The holidays should be a happy time for everyone, so enjoy them! Staying in shape during the holidays doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself, it just means you have to do it with some self-control and a little willpower!
The holidays can be the pitfall for many people looking to keep themselves in shape. We wear more clothes so we forget about all the hard work we put into getting in shape in the first place. It gives us a reason to skip the gym. Have fun, but take care of yourself too! It will make life much more enjoyable when Spring rolls around.


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|Up a level
Rehman, Ikram, Nasralla, Moustafa, Ali, Ajaz, Maduka, Ikechukwu and Philip, Nada (2019) The influence of content and device awareness on QoE for medical video streaming over small cells: subjective and objective quality evaluations. In: International Conference on Innovation and Intelligence for Informatics, Computing, and Technologies (IEEE - 3ICT), 18-20 Nov 2018, Bahrain.
Rehman, Ikram, Nasralla, Moustafa M., Ali, Ajaz and Philip, Nada (2018) Small cell-based ambulance scenario for medical video streaming: a 5G-health use case. In: 15th International Conference on Smart Cities: Improving Quality of Life Using ICT & IoT (IEEE - HONET-ICT), 08-10 Oct 2018, Islamabad, Pakistan.


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The fourth edition of our Secret Weapons sees Hans Berg submitting ten of his dance-floor devastators, on the back of his latest release, Pathfinder. The Waveform Transmitter's Ste Knight presents ten of the electronic producers most favoured cuts.
Hans Berg is one of those artists who seems to be a mainstay of the live electronic performance sphere within this scene we inhabit. He always plays live, never as a DJ, and even his recorded sessions for other publications take the form of a 'live jam', if you will.
It is this that sets him apart from his peers and he occupies a space that is consistently being eschewed by other artists in this realm for 'safer' DJ sets. Not for Hans, however, who is well known on the underground circuit for his exciting, energetic hardware sets.
We recently had the opportunity to listen to Berg's latest release, Pathfinder, which he released on September 8th via the label he runs alongside Johanna Knutsson, UFO Station Recordings. The EP is an accomplished excursion into the dub-techno sound. Samples echo backwards and forwards throughout the title track, percussion ricocheting off synth stabs, which in turn balter around the soundscape, waywardly.
Opener, Phase Shift is similar in its dubby, minimalist structure, flowing liquid-like into the ears with a dream-like, ethereal quality. This ethereal motif is carried on by the closing track, Beacons, which features some of the most liltingly haunting pads this writer has heard in some time.
The EP is reminiscent of the likes of Basic Channel or productions from Icelandic label, Thule. Perhaps it is this Scandinavian relationship that places Hans' tracks in this bracket – he is a Swedish producer so the link with his Northern dub-techno peers is there. One thing is for sure, Berg makes minimal dub-techno with soul. Perhaps this is a notion that completely goes against the concept of dub-techno altogether, but the sense of solitude that this specific style of techno invokes means that, while listening, a certain amount of soul-searching is likely to take place.
Inland offers a remix of the title track, that takes things up a notch, adding various elements to the track and removing, somewhat, the minimalist vibe. Textures are laid over the original elements of the track, which have been broken down to suit Davenport's style. The track's dubby feel has not been lost, simply redirected by Inland's re-interpretation.
Hans Berg has kindly put together ten of his Secret Weapons. All producers and DJs should have ten tracks they can't leave alone, whether that be privately or for performance, so have a listen to the war-machines that Hans rolls out, given the opportunity.
Bjørn Svin – Søde
Old Scandinavian classic, this epic track influenced me a lot, with the weird, sort of random melody and bass, but still keeps a steady core.
Slobban – Amour!
This track was made by my friends back in Highschool, it's super simple and still so suggestive. The French vocals are from Braveheart.
Cari Lekebusch – Running Steady
I wish this track was longer. Such a nice flow in those dubby echoes.
Nobody Home – Drum Journey
This is one of the two halves from Minilogue, Marcus Henriksson as Nobody Home. Nothing happens in this track, in a good way.
Joey Beltram – Curb (Dave Angel Remix)
I love the drum programming and the arrangement in this track. Full on!
Adam Beyer – Patches (Electrofied)
Beautiful melodies and strings. The original is great too, if you slow it down a l-o-o-o-t.
Speedy J – Symmetry
It's a dance floor track without beats, love the energy in it. Melodies and pads are beautiful and lush.
Planetary Assault Systems – Twelve (Psyk Rework)
Yeah, raw, dirty drums, super simple and uncompromising, i go nuts wherever i hear this on a dance floor.
Nima Khak – Enter Dream State
Such a beautiful track from my fellow Swede, makes my brain relax. I can listen to this all day.
Toffes Värld – Bortom
Let's end the list with some fluffy bedtime techno. I'm a sucker for nice atmospheres. Bortom is Swedish and means 'beyond'. Goodnight!
We will have more Secret Weapons coming up this week. Keep your eyes on the Waveform Transmitter for more exciting examples of sonic warfare.


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It's really simple, actually. Simplicity, however is not ease, and the kind of reform I am proposing would not be politically easy. The toughest part is that it would require educating a lot of Americans who may not be very numerate as to how they will benefit. However, the political difficulty I will not address here; this is just a simple illustration intended to outline how the process can be made to work.
The idea is that the Federal government would hold a reverse auction for Social Security benefit buyouts. Uncle Sam would offer lump sums to people in exchange for the following:
- Forfeiture of all future Social Security pension benefits
- Must continue to pay all FICA taxes as presently
- Must hold lump sum amount in a special account (like a Roth IRA), subject to substantial penalties for disallowed distributions.
That's basically it. To control expenses, Uncle Sam could earmark a certain amount of funds that, once exhausted, would terminate the program for that year.
Let's say we start the first year with a modest budget (for Washington, anyway) of $50 million. The Social Security Administration (SSA) could allow those with a certain number of years of work history (perhaps 5+ years of W-2s) to auction off to the government the rights to their SS benefits. Offers will vary from a couple thousand dollars to perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A young worker who believes that his pension fund won't exist in 40 years might offer an amount like $5000, since the bird in the hand is so much more valuable. That $5000 at age 25 would be over $51k by age 65 at only 6% (and at 10%--the rough average return of the stock market over time—the amount grows to over half a million dollars). However, the future expense to the SSA of that young worker could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. The government is getting a sweetheart deal, selling the benefits for pennies on the dollar. But the buyer is also getting a good deal. He doesn't know if he will live to ever draw his retirement. He's also getting a hard asset he owns (and can pass along), rather than a potentially empty promise from the government.
Other workers of older age would obviously make much higher offers, because they have far less time. But the amount each person may offer is really irrelevant for two reasons. First, we've capped the annual expense (at $50 million in this case) to the government. Secondly, the program is complete optional. No one will be taking advantage of anyone else. The taxpayer bids, and the government chooses to accept or reject based on its estimates of that person's future pension expenses and their future contributions.
The major downfall of this idea is that it provides a means to solve a problem that nobody in Washington apparently cares about: the massive unfunded liability of Social Security.
Still, it would allow each taxpayer to have the chance to receive a small percentage of something rather than 100% of nothing, which seems like a worthwhile trade.